Local News Now

New Smyrna Beach Fire Chief David McAllister has not returned calls as to why the death of a 9-year-old girl Saturday from injuries suffered in a fire the night before had not been relayed to the media for at least two days.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Numerous media outlets throughout Florida and across the country are reporting the death of a 9-year-old girl who succumbed to her injuries Saturday after she and an 8-year-old boy were apparently playing with one or more cigarette lighters in a backyard shed.

The stories are being generated from an AP re-write story. Headline Surfer placed two calls to the office of Fire Chief David McCallister, the first at 8:15 a.m. that went straight to voice mail and the second taken by his administrative assistant at 8:30 a.m., saying she had heard the voice mail message and sent him a message, but hadn't heard back from him.

For two years, traditional media has had the opportunity to tell you what really led to the deaths of two toddlers on the "World's Most Famous Beach." We'll tell you how and why in our upcoming investigative series that looks at beach driving and the politics behind it.

Headline Surfer has sifted through thousands of pages of public documents since those deadly accidents and talked to countless beach goers and leading county officials on video, including a walk-through in front of Sun Splash Park in Daytona Beach with County Chair candidate Carl Persis, the architect of recent driving restrictions. 

Headline Surfer photo by Henry Frederick / Daytona Beach News-Journal Editor Pat Rice, as shown here in a July 24 debate in New Smyrna Beach, will moderate his newspaper's final primary season debate tonight in Flagler County.

DAYTONA BEACH -- The Daytona Beach News-Journal will hold the final of its four public candidate debates tonight in Palm Coast at Daytona State College's Flagler/Palm Coast campus, Alan Smolen Amphitheater, 3000 Palm Coast Parkway Southeast.

The newspaper's debate session begins at 5:30 p.m. with a public-candidate meet and greet, followed by a debate for Flagler County sheriff between incumbent Don Fleming and fellow Republicans John Pollinger and Ray Stevens and Democrats Karl Tozzi and Jim Manfre, former sheriff.

The series of media debates are a lead-in to early voting that begins Aug. 4-8, followed by the Aug. 14 primary. The News-Journal has promoted its "partnerships" with Daytona State College in three of the debates and Stetson University in DeLand for the fourth, featuring the candidates for Volusia county chair.

A man perished in a fire that destroyed his DeBary home early Sunday morning, authorities said.

DEBARY -- The body of a man was found in the charred remains of his home early this morning at 54 W. Highbanks Road, a Volusia County Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman said.

"(The fire) was reported at 9:19 Sunday morning, after a passerby spotted flames coming from the windows of the home," Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said." Volusia County and Orange City firefighters began dousing the flames at about 9:25 a.m. and then entered the residence. Firefighters found the deceased man at about 9:34 a.m."

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- County Judge Bryan Feigenbaum came prepared to talk about his experience on the bench and why he hopes the voters in the 2012 elections will allow him to continue serving.

The graphic pinpoints the scene of a deadly Deltona vehicle vs. pedestrian accident at a shoppng plaza at 1200 Deltona Blvd.

DELTONA -- An 84-year-old woman was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking in a Deltona shopping plaza parking lot Saturday afternoon by a 17-year-old Orange City boy behind the wheel of a van, a Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman said.

Rosa Mangan, who just turned 84 on May 1, was prounounced dead at the scene of the 4 p.m. accident in a shopping plaza at 1200 Deltona Blvd.

"The boy was with his family and they were preparing to go into a laundromat," Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said. "They had just unloaded their clothes while parked alongside a curb and the boy's mother then told the boy to drive their van over to a parking spot. The boy was in the roadway in front of the businesses when his foot slipped off the brake and hit the accelerator."

PORT ORANGE -- Ryan Lochte won the 400m individual medley final today at the London games while fellow American Michael Phelps failed to medal, finishing fourth.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Headline Surfer® put together a video from images of the dignitaries and political figures who attended Friday night's Lincoln Day Gala Dinner at the Hilton in Daytona Beach.

DAYTONA BEACH -- More than 550 Republican Party enthusiasts attended Friday night's Lincoln Day Gala Dinner to show their support for the Volusia County GOP's big fundraiser and the insightful wit of the featured speaker, conservative talk show host Neal Boortz.