2011 Top Stories

65. Pace car catches fire during Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®
Pace car catchs fire in 2014 Sprint Cup Unlimited at Daytona / Headline Surfer®
Headline Surfer® YouTube download / Video by Fox Sports /
Chevy SS pace car catches fire with 20 laps to go in in the 2014 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona as shown in screen shot and in the video on Feb. 18.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Maybe it was the full moon. Whatever the reason, one of the most bizarre scenes in the last 20 years took place on the track at Daytona International Speedway during the final stage of the Sprint Unlimited: The pace car caught fire.

66. VCSO: Pot grow operation discovered after Deltona house fire; occupant arrested

DELTONA, Fla. -- Deltona firefighters and state fire marshals investigating a Dec. 3 house fire in Deltona discovered a marijuana grow operation inside, and the Volusia County Sheriff's Office arrested the man who lives there.

 

67. Couple with young children living with woman's corpse in Holly Hill given prison sentences; house demolished

Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®
House of death in Holly Hill / Headline Surfer®Scalise / Headline Surfer®LaDuke / Headline Surfer®Photos for Headline Surfer® /
Nicole Scalise and Todd LaDuke, since sent to prison, squatted in a Holly Hill home for at least a month with their two young boys and the corpse of the homeowner, Tiffany Kain, (shown below) but told law enforcement they didn't know her boy was in a locked bedroom. They were arrested on Halloween 2013, when cops found the body, and the house was torn down in January 2014. 

Tiffany Kain / Headline Surfer®HOLLY HILL, Fla. -- Like a scene out of a horror movie, a Holly Hill married couple raised their 4- and 6-year-old boys in the same house with a corpse until Halloween 2013, when cops moved in with warrants for their arrests on drug charges -- at that time unaware the body was in the residence as well.

68. Danny Eslick triumphs in Daytona 200 sport bike race

Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®
Dany Eslick, polesitter for 2014 Daytona 200 bike race, interviewed before winning it /  Headline Surfer®
Headline Surfer® / YouTube download video by AMA Pro Racing /
Pole-winner Danny Eslick (Riders Discount/Triumph) is interviewed before the 2014 Daytona 200, and then proceeds to go on to race in a dominating way, by winning and giving Triumph its first Daytona 200 victory since Gary Nixon in 1967. Watch the entire race here.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Triumph rider Danny Eslick dominated the 73rd Daytona 200 AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race at Daytona International Speedway, winning from the pole.

69. Melbourne teen finishes in top 5 of national spelling bee on ESPN

Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®
Mry Horton of Melbourne finishes in top 5 in spelling bee on ESPN / Headline Surfer®
Photos for Headline Surfer® /
Mary Horton of West Melbourne, is interviewed by the Orlando Sentinel for her spelling expertise.

MELBOURNE, Fla. -- Mary Horton, 13, of West Melbourne, spelled her way into the finals of the National Spelling Bee on May 29, in National Harbor, Md., but she finished in a tie for fifth and when all was said and done, among the top 12 contestants overall after flubbing the word "aetites."

Still, though, the Orlando metro newspaper's shining example of smartness showed she could stand up to the pressures of the national spotlight with the spelling bee carried in prime time on ESPN with zany video vignettes of the participants, including Horton showcasing her tiger-striped painted fingernails and her photos of family members, plants and cats.

71. Florida racer Ryan Hunter-Reay wins Indy 500 in nail-biter

Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®

Ryan Hunter-Reay of Fort Lauderdale, FL, wins Indianapolis 500 / Headline Surfer®Ryan Hunter-Reay beats Helio Castroneves to checkered flag in 2nd closest Indy 500 / Headline Surfer®Videos by IndyCars for Headline Surfer® / 1st video: Highlights of the 2014 running of the Indianapolis 500, including several crashes and the dramatic finish that saw the Ryan Hunter-Reay take the checkered flag in the second-closest finish ever. 2nd video: Post-race interviews with Hunter-Reay and several other drivers. 

INDIANAPOLIS -- A Florida racer, Ryan Hunter-Reay, driving the No. 28 for team owner Michael Andretti, won the Indianapolis 500 in a nail-biter over Helio Castroneves.

72. NSB firefighters use boot on SR 44 to collect $8,651 for Muscular Dystrophy Assn

Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®
NSB firefighters collect money for muscular dystrophy / Headline Surfer®Photo for Headline Surfer® /
New Smyrna Beach Fire Department Battalion Chief Chris Dymond stands at the ready to take donations from passing motorists on State Road 44 just east of the Denny's restaurant on Labor Day weekend.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Firefighters in this seaside city raised $8,651 during the Labor Day weekend to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

As part of the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association’s charity boot drive, firefighters braved the heat and stood at the intersection of Old Mission Road and State Road 44 on Aug. 30-31, with their boots at the ready. And passing motorists graciously donated money to help children and families who have been affected by muscular dystrophy.

73. NSB cops: Motors officer takes top prize again

Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®
Joh Holloway of NSBPD in motors competition / Headline Surfer®Photo for Headline Surfer® /
New Smyrna Beach motors officer Josh Holloway navigates the Space Coast Rodeo course.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- For the second year in a row, New Smyrna Beach Police Motor Officer Josh Holloway earned top honors at the annual Space Coast Motorcycle Rodeo the weekend of Oct. 11 in Melbourne.

Holloway walked away with several awards including “Mr. Rodeo” – the top rider award.

The New Smyrna Beach motors cop's riding achievements skill comes in at No. 73 in the HeadlineSurfer.com countdown of the top 100 local stories of 2014.

75. Lake Helen city manager quits in October

Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®

Lke Helrn City Hall where politics are as vibrant as anywhere else / Headline Surfer®LAKE HELEN, Fla. -- KC Cichon was such a mystery as the city manager of Lake Helen, there's no photo readily accessible to even show what he looks like.

He quit as city administrator in October after 22 months on the job, having given a verbal notice to the mayor, in August, but submitted no formal letter of resignation when he left. Some say it was Kent Cichon who had run several city officials out of city hall and wore out his own welcome as a result, while others say it was the city elders themselves who pushed him out the door.

76. NSB cops: Dad shoots son on Father's Day

Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®
Eugene Blackwell, Sr., charged with attempted murder in shooting of son / Headline Surfer®Photo for Headline Surfer® / Eugene Blackwell, Sr., 45, remains in jail on attempted murder charges in the shooting of his 18-year-old son, Eugene Blackwell, Jr.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- A dad shot his 18-year-old son multiple times during a domestic dispute on Father’s Day, New Smyrna Beach cops said.

Eugene Blackwell Sr., 45, was arrested on a charge of attempted murder for allegedly shooting his son, Eugene Blackwell Jr., 18, after a domestic argument turned violent, police said.

The victim was airlifted to Halifax Medical Center shortly after the 6:34 p.m. shooting. He underwent surgery at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach for multiple gunshot wounds.