Vehicle found abandoned in Sanford

Headline Surfer graphic / An alert cab driver used a little trickery on Sunday to escape from a gun-toting customers, but had his taxi stolen at the intersection of Volusia and Graves avenues in Orange City 8 a.m. Sunday as shown at left.

ORANGE CITY -- A taxi driver was held up at gunpoint early this morning and ordered to drive a man and woman to Orange city before he escaped at the intersection of Volusia and Graves avenues, A Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman said.

The 2002 Dodge Caravan was later recovered abandoned in Sanford and the duo remain at large.

Circumstances of accident not released by police

Headline Surfer graphic / At left is the locator site of the 7:30 a.m. Sunday crash of a New Smyrna Beach motorcycle officer, Richard Kirkland, shown below from a photo on his Facebook page. Details on the crash were not released by police.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A New Smyrna Beach motors cop was injured when he crashed his motorcycle this morning at the intersection of North Dixie Freeway and Industrial Park Avenue, police said in a press release.

The officer, Richard Kirkland, was transported by EVAC ambulance to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach with what was described as non-life threatening injuries. No description was given by police as to the circumstances of the 7:30 a.m. crash except that no other vehicles were involved.

Event draws fishing lovers near and far

Headline Surfer photos by Serafina Frederick / The Billfish Invitational is Oct. 10-13 here in New Smyrna Beach from the Brannon Center.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Tina Pisula was all smiles when her husband, George, pulled up to the dock at Riverside Park aboard the "Double G" with two sailfish, a black fin tuna and a dolphin in the New Smyrna Beach Billfish Invitational.

"We've won it twice, we've gotten second twice," the New Smyrna Beach resident said with a big smile of her family's showing in the annual event that drew 24 large boats, a typical field.

Among the items anglers compete in are longest and shortest catches as well as variety in catches.

The "Double G" stands for George Pisula and pre-teen son, George Pisula Jr., the proud mother said.

Those who attend the event station at the Brannon Center and the docks at Riverside Park along the Intracoastal Waterway, enjoy several booths featuring food and soft drinks, performances of a live band and plenty of comaraderie. 

Headline Surfer photos by Serafina Frederick / These photos, taken in 2008 on New Smyrna Beach, are indicative of the array of birds on the beaches of Central Florida.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Researchers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received reports of more than 150 dead or distressed greater shearwaters, gull-like birds, along Florida’s east coast in Brevard, Indian River, St. Johns and Volusia counties in mid-June 2012.

After examining some of the birds, researchers believe these deaths are related to stress from the species’ long, trans-Atlantic migration, following reports of the situation over a week's time.

Photo for Headline Surfer / Ranell Holley was being held Thursday in the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach on charges of defrauding cusomers along his mail route.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Some residents near New Smyrna Beach had been relying on the services of one particular mailman for several years and had developed a trusting relationship with him. But Randell Holley, 67, is now accused of using that trust to essentially steal from his customers in a scheme that goes back to at least 2010.

Volusia County Sheriff's investigators arrested Holley earlier today and charged him with organized scheme to defraud. He was booked into the Volusia County Branch jail on $10,000 bond.

"According to more than a dozen of his customers who investigators have recently spoken with, Holley had a simple and consistent method of getting some quick cash when he felt he needed it," Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said.

DAYTONA BEACH -- City Commissioner Paula Reed wants you to join her on Aug. 17, for Daytona Beach's "Community Unity Festival." 

Live music, food and fun for the entire family is in store from 10 am. to 10 p.m. on that Saturday at Daisy Stocking Park. 550 3rd Ave. The festival gives residents a family-friendly venue and age-appropriate activities to celebrate summer's end in the heart of Daytona Beach.

Daytona Beach City Commissioner Paula Reed

"As a new commissioner, I wanted to host a fun event where all residents would feel welcomed and embrace our great community," Reed told Headline Surfer. "I also wanted to raise money for the Rose Marie Bryon Center. They do so much for the children in our community and I want them to know how much I appreciate their service."

Career in tourism industry a constant for Carl Watson

Headline Surfer photo / Carl Watson as shown on his first day at work in the New Smyrna Beach Visitor's Center.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- You could say Carl Watson's personal and professional live have come full circle.

He's right back to where he started on both fronts and really lovin' it.

Watson, born in Cocoa Beach and a 1965 graduate of Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, is back home so to speak as the new director of the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority and its associated New Smyrna Beach Visitor's Center on State Road 44.

It has been a long journey from the Sunshine State to the Longhorn State and back to the Sunshine State, again.

Such is the life of a professional man, whose job it is is to attract traffic -- people traffic, that is, for overnight hotel and condo rental accommodations, the very essence of the ad authority, funded through the collection of bed taxes shared with the county and state.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Meet Fulton Williams, the elected chair of the Bert Fish Medical Center Foundation, Inc.

"The Foundation provides philanthropic support for Bert Fish Medical Center by generating ongoing resources dedicated to improving the health of the community we serve," Bert Fish Medical Center spokesman Craig Bair said.

PORT ORANGE -- August is a busy month in municipal government beginning with Tuesday's City Council meeting.

The meeting gets under way at 6:30 p.m. in the Port Orange Council chambers. The following night the Code Enforcement Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers.