Local News Now

DELTONA -- Since her first election campaign in 1992, Diane Matousek's motto as clerk of the circuit court has been "setting the standard for quality customer service."

The death of an Apopka man found eight days ago floating in Lake Monroe near the park in DeBary as shown here was determined to be the result of a suicide.

DEBARY -- A body found floating in Lake Monroe on Sept. 29, has been identified as 42-year-old Jin Tak Han of Apopka.

His death was the result of drowning and has been determined to be a suicide, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.

A passerby at Lake Monroe Park in DeBary spotted the body and notified a park employee.

The employee flagged down an off-duty deputy, who launched a boat into the river and retrieved the body and brought it to shore. An autopsy confirmed the death was the result of suicide, Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.

EDGEWATER -- Local gal Tia McDonald, 19, who has travelled quite a bit in her young modeling career, including a spot in an MTV music video shoot, was recently in Australia, where she took part in the making of a book, "Faiy Tale -- Once Upon a Time, Act 1," by Somsay Toumngeun, including being on the cover and the inspitration for one of the characters.

ORMOND BEACH -- In our country’s constant push to remove God from all phases of our public lives, the consequences are too unbearable to handle. This week a Florida teenager gave birth at home in the bathroom, lifted her son from the toilet and choked the life out of him.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Tim Hamby, the No. 2 choice of the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority, has accepted the $70,000 salary that comes with an additional $8,000 in health benefits to direct the operations of the New Smyrna Beach Visitor's Center.

"I'm very excited," the 49-year Ponte Vedra Beach resident and marketing specialist in the Jacksonville metro area, told Headline Surfer. "It's an honor and a priviledge to market, promote and raise the profile of one of America's finest coastal communities."

By Daid "Daniel" Beilstein

ORLANDO -- There are few extravaganzas like presidential debates. While they come and go they remain fixated on the American public’s imagination for generations. The first concession: Republican challenger Mitt Romney does want to be president of these United States. The second concession: Romney proved he is not a loser, but competently engaged in a tight race.

Questions arose concerning Romney’s passion, his fighting spirit. With economic numbers and voter dissatisfaction running against the president, why was Romney so laggard in getting out his message? Romney made up for it tonight.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- So who won the big presidential debate? Shane Porter, who runs the Counseling Center of New Smyrna Beach, believes Mitt Romney rocked the vote with his showing.

"It's my opinion that Romney showed himself as a true leader," Porter said. "I now understand why he is successful. He can't be bullied. That was very interesting to see."

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- In 90 minutes of mutually respectful, detailed and substantive debate, Mitt Romney walked away the clear winner over President Obama. The discussion focused on the economy, health care and taxes and within the first 30 minutes it was plain that Romney had the upper hand.

Both men had obviously prepared for the evening, but Obama seemed unprepared for in-depth discussion and frequently fell back on lines from his recent campaign speeches which were sometimes not wholly on target.

ORLANDO -- Recent polls indicate an increasingly tight race between President Barack H. Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. That is to say, after a week of media hyperbole pontificating President Obama had locked up re-election, was in fact, pulling away from the Bain Capital Dragon, new polls suggest a different reality.