Local News Now

Sheriff Ben Johnson big winner in SEV Chamber straw poll; Hathaway gets by Denys for county council seat

250 attend hob nob at Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach

Sheriff Ben Johnson / Headline SurferHeadline Surfer photos by Henry Frederick / Sheriff Ben Johnson speaks of his eperience at the Southeast Volusia Chamber ogf Commerce Hob Nob at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach. He wasa big winner in the chsmber's straw poll.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Sheriff Ben Johnson was the big winner in the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce's hob nob straw poll by a near 2-1 margin over challenger Wendell Bradford. The results were released today and posted on the chamber's Facebook page.

Obama remains the Manchurian Candidate with his own flag

EDGEWATER -- Four more years are needed for President Obama to reach his goal of generating friendships with 57 Muslim states.  In one of his early speeches, he said, "We will win all of the 57 states -- Keep in mind there are 56 Muslim States."

Drunk driver rams deputy's patrol car near Ormond Beach; flees going wrong way

Calvin RobinsonCalvin Robinson, shown here in a jail mug, is charged with trying to ram a deputy's patrol car and driving under the influence. The deputy was not hurt in the Sunday incident near Ormond Beach.

ORMOND BEACH -- When the Volusia County Sheriff's deputy first saw 34-year-old Calvin Robinson early Sunday morning, the man was quietly slumped over in the driver's seat of his car parked by the gas pumps of a truck stop outside the city limits.

That quickly changed, though, when Robinson suddenly struck the deputy with his car, ran into and damaged the gas pumps, rammed the deputy's patrol vehicle and took off the wrong way on the highway.

Family member: Son of ex-wrestler Mike Graham killed himself in Tampa -- not Daytona

Newspaper Section

Mike Graham2nd in a series: Mike Graham's life ended in suicide the same violent way as his father and son before him: With a gunshot blast to the head.

DAYTONA BEACH -- The facts are clear: 61-year-old retired pro wrestler Mike Graham of Tampa Bay, whose real name was Edward Michel Gosssett, shot himself to death by aiming a revolver at his own forehead and pulling the trigger on Oct. 18, while visiting here in Daytona for Biketoberfest with his wife.

His wrestling-promoter father, Eddie Graham, killed himself the same violent way back in 1985. And Mike Graham's 37-year-old son also died the same violent way nearly two years ago, but not at the same event, despite what Graham's wife, Diane Marie Hamilton, told Daytona cops as describd in a police report, Headline Surfer has learned.

Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall fails to post early voting totals for second consecutive day

Newspaper Section

Ann McFall, supervisor of electionsVolusia County Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall's name and photo are prominent of the public agency's website. What's missing, though, are the daily resultys of early voting in greater Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach, DeLandf and Deltona.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- For the second consecutive day, Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall has failed to post the daily voter turnout for any of the five voting precincts.

Early Voting: 6,862 voters go to 5 Volusia County precincts; 50% are Dems

Early voting at NSB LibraryHeadline Surfer photo by Serafina Frederick / The lines were long with waits of up to an hour or more Saturday at the New Smyrna Beach Library, the second heaviest of the five early voting precincts across Volusia County.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Voter turnout was intense today on the first day of early voting for the 2012 general elections with people standing in line for more than an hour waiting to vote at the New Smyrna Beach Library, which was second among the five voting precincts.