New Smyrna Beach

Grade: A

Gov. Rick Scott appointed Jacksonville area State Attorney Angela Corey as special prosecutor to head the state's investigation into the Feb. 26 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

The governor also announced that Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll will oversee a task force to study the merits of the "Stand Your Ground" law, which Sanford police cited as the reason George Zimmerman wasn't charged in the killing of the 17-year-old Miami boy.

Media and race baiting deplorable

Grade: F

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Firefighters are battling a 100-plus-acre wildfire off Ranchette Road, which is south of State Road 44 and west of New Smyrna Beach, that has already destroyed a mobile home with evacuations ordered for other nerarby residences, Volusia County officials said just after 5 this afternoon.

The fire was reported at 1:42 p.m. with evacuations ordered on Shadow Walk Lane and Oak Rim Lane. One mobile home on Oak Rim Lane has been destroyed.

"According to fire officials, the fast-moving fire is uncontained," said Pat Kuehn, a spokeswoman for Volusia County. She saidVolusia County Fire Services is the lead fire agency. Also on scene are the Florida Forest Service, the Firewalkers Team and firefighters from New Smyrna Beach, Port Orange, Deltona, DeLand and Daytona Beach.

Headline Surfer photos / Above: A memorial outside the New Smyrna Beach Police Station recognizes police officer Roy L. Nelson Jr.  and his k-9 partner, Caesar, killed in the line of duty on Aug. 13, 2005.

By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Before the new police station was built last year, the only public recognition of canine officer Roy L. Nelson Jr., and his dog, Ceasar, was a photo in the lobby of the former facility.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Peter Mallory, co-founder of NSBNews.net with Henry Frederick, won an award from the Florida Press Club for blog writing.

By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Nineteen-year-old surfer dude Daniel True has earned his red badge of courage and he has a rather large shark bite wound on his right foot to prove it. That's no lie.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Volusia County Councilwoman Joie Alexander is a class act.