Headline Surfer photo illustration / Shown at right: Volusia County Council's Heather Post was a divisive politician pointing fingers everywhere but at herself in 2020, proving to be a continuing divisive and polarizing figure throughout the past four years since she was first elected after blatantly lying to the voters about use of illicit drugs in her maiden campaign for office. Headline Surfer found the smoking gun in her personnel file last spring, a document that proved Post was untruthful and remains so to this day. Shown top left: The 2nd biggest story of 2020 was that of David Lee Davis, a political consultant, blogger twice failed candidate for public office, and a substitute teacher, who was sentenced in January 2020 to 12 years in prison for orally raping a 15-year-old boy he befriended at school. Bottom Left: The third biggest story of 2020 was the arrest of Joel Greenberg and the unsealing of a federal indictment in court in late June, accusing the-then Seminole County tax collector of campaign-related stalking and identity theft. Greenberg resigned the next day. A slew of new felony counts have been added since then against him.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Click each numbered hyperlinked headline below for full story details...
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
Preamble: These are the Top 100 stories of 2020, dominated by news of the COVID-19 Pandemic, but also by corrupt politicians at all levels of government who will say or do just about anything to get elected, stay in office and build their bases.
The era of misinformation and disinformation is not limited to Wahington - it's here in Central Florida as shown with elected politiocians like Volusia County Councilwoman Heather Post amd Sheriff Mike Chitwood. There are Headline Surfer's 100 ranked story recaps of the year that was:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- While the COVID-19 pandemic dominated the headlines in 2020, the year that was, the uncovering of the big lie by Volusia County Counvilwoman Heather Post in denying past illicit drug use was the biggest story of the year.
Especially since she will continue for two more years on the dais of the Frank J. Bruno County Council chambers starting Jan. 6, when she begins her new term in office.
Post, a high school dropout who left behind her mediocre career in law enforcement for her new one asa politician, lied through her teeth to get where she is. In the closing weeks of the 2016 campaign she looked right into the TV cameras at a press conference in Daytona and vehemently denied using illicit drugs in her past in applying for jobs in law enforcement.
Post had a much easier time this time around, easily defeating her challenger who never raised the issue of Post's veracity during the election.
Once she got on the county dais in 2017, she proved to be argumentative, self-centered and a constant thorn in the side of County Chair Ed Kelley and remained so for the next four years. She teamed up with Sheriff Mike Chitwood, also elected as sheriff in 2016, and the two of them created havoc and chaos throughout the past four years, with pwrsional attacks against the chair and others on the dais, leading to the forced resignation of Jim Dinneen as county manager in June 2018.
In the waning weeks of the 2016 campaign, Post at a press conference with the Orlando TV cameras in front of her denied using drugs despite documentation in her county personnel file from her abyssmal career in law enforcenmment - including her brief stint as a deputy with the Volusia County Sheriff's office that said otherwise.
"I can tell you unequivocally [sic] I am not a crack head!" Post said emphatically.
Post turned the drug allegations around challenging her then-campaign opponent, Al Smith, an on-air morning personality on WNDB AM Radio, to take a drug test.
And following the press conference, Post emailed a press release insisting a polygraph test summary in her personnel file with the VCSO that had her acknowledging cocaine use was an "obvious forgery" because certain dates didn't add up.
But there's no ambiguity or wiggle room for Post in the 2020 Elections with a document from her voluminous personnel file uncovered by Headline Surfer and reported on in a story on April 29, 2020,
The documentation, a one-age affidavit in which Post acknowledged past illicit drug use, which was signed and dated by her and notarized, proves Post flat out lied to win election.
2. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Add child sex batterer to the roles played for real in the life of one David Lee Davis a veritable jack of all trades -- one-time Daytona cop in his late teens, twice-failed candidate for elected office, political consultant/blogger, and substitute teacher -- who often used his local church ties to give the public appearance of piety and kindness - playing that role right up to the moment a judge handed down a 12-year prison sentence.
3. INDICTED: Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg accused of stalking political opponent
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg is accused of stalking one of his political opponents, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday that led to his arrest and presentment in US District Court.
Just past the midway point of his fourth year in the public office, Greenberg, stands accused in the indictment of creating fake social media accounts that falsely suggested a political opponent favored white supremacy and that this same opponent had engaged in sexual misconduct with a student at a school where he teaches, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
UPDATE since this initial story: Greenberg, 35, and married with two children, resigned from his elected the day after he was indicted, and since then, additional felony counts have been added by the feds, including allegations of child sex trafficking and using his job to get information related to alleged “sugar daddy” relationships, that could land him in prison for upwards of 30 years, if convicted. Greenberg's not scheduled to go to trial until June.
4. ORLANDO, Fla. -- It pays to know people in high places - and in this case - even low places - if you are former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, who stands accused of a slew of creepy and disgusting moral's crimes that could put him behind bars for upwards of 30 years in federal prison.
Well, this is where Congressman Matt Gaetz and Roger Stone, come in, whose relationships with Donald Trump are well chronicled.
5. OUR ENDORSEMENT: Joe Biden for President, mask and all
7. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- When Mike Chitwood tookj to the podium in the Frank T. Bruno Jr. County Council chambers 9n June 19, 2018, he called then-County Manager Jim Dinneen corrupt and said he and the elected leaders on the dais were part of the cycle of pay-to-play politics.
Dinneen resigned later that day amid political turmoil and Chitwood continued his attacks on other county leaders while picking up where he left off in 2016 by amassing large amounts of political contributions from wealthy influential insiders.
As such Chitwood has been elected to a second-four term in office as Volusia County sheriff without a single vote being cast because he had no oppoent when qualifying ended at 5 p.m. today, thanks to a mountain of campaign contributions from six rich influential insiders who provided a whopping $52,300. These six business insiders accounted for 78 percent of Chitwood's overall campaign warchest.
8. Denny Hamlin wins 3rd Daytona 500; Ryan Newman survives horrific last-lap crash.
9. Daytona Beach's Norma Bland, a community activist, has succumbed to the coronavirus at 71
11. Seminole County Sheriff's Office: Jail sergeant died from complications of the coronavirus
12. Former School Superintendent Tom Russell succumbs to coronavirus during hospitalization
17. 2020 Elections: Anita Burnette defeats Ida Wright for seat on school board; incumbent gets job with district soon after
18. 2020 Elections: Stacy Cantu knocks off entrenched incumbent Rob Gilliland for seat on Daytona Beach City Commission
19. Jeff Bracy, Oak Hill's bumping belly bully, withdraws from his bid for re-election to city commission
21. Beach Safety: Dozen rescues on Friday the 13th with 'large Spring Break crowds' in Daytona
24. Jakari Young is Daytona Beach PD's new top cop
28. ISC and NASCAR merge with the latter now the sole entity moving forward in Daytona
29. NASCAR great Jimmy Johnson moving over to IndyCar Racing in 2021
30. NASCAR suspends driver Kyle Larson indefinitely for using N-word during a virtual race
35. Orlando Magic clinch a playoff spot in the NBA Bubble
40. 41. Congressman Michael Waltz tests positive for COVID-19
44. Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry among leaders near & far paying homage to Congressman John Lewis
45. 47. Daytona Beach Cops: 13-year old boy speeding on stolen motorcycle killed in collision with motorist
49. Jimmie Johnson tests positive for COVID-19; ruled out for race at Indy
50. 51. Daytona Beach Cops: Motorist shot in the head and killed; crashes car into Campbell Middle School
55. Gov. DeSantis tabs a Daytona Beach appeals judge to serve on state's highest court
58. Sheriff Mike Chitwood tests positive for coronavirus
60. NASCAR driver Austin Dillon tests positive for COVID-19
61. Veteran top cop Jessica Paugh the new school of emergency services director at Daytona State College
62. Post-Thanksgiving meal greeting from Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry
65. 66. Juneteenth: Celebrating 19 Central Florida role models led by Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry
67. Daytona Beach caregiver sentenced to life for killing disabled man to cash in on insurance
69. Orlando Magic open up 2020-2021regular season at home against the Miami Heat
70. Orange City cop found dead in Daytona Beach surf - Sgt. Kelly Jo Brubaker victim of apparent suicide
71. Sanford Cops: 16-year-old charged with murder in shooting death of older teen
73. Former Port Orange resident & Olympic Swimmer Ryan Lochte in new documentary
74. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- There is a Daytona Beach connection to actress Kelly Preson, who died of breast cancer in mid-July: She and husband John Travolta were legally married in Daytona Beach.
Volusia County Councilwoman Billie Egger Wheeler posted a TV news report comment on Preston's death on her Facebook without commenting herself on the actresses' passing.
75. Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba shut down for the rest of the season due to coronavirus
76. Daytona Beach City Manager planning to retire before summer 2021
77. Man pleads no contest to running over & killing dog near New Smyrna Beach
78. Beach Patrol: Two teen boys first victims of shark bites in New Smyrna Beach surf this year
79. Sanford cop relieved of duty after New Year's DUI arrest in Lake Mary
81. Deltona man arrested on 2nd-degree murder charge in fatal stabbing in van traveling on I-4
83. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - After more than 10 years of bomb detection and protecting Daytona Beach International Airport, it was time for Yenky, K-9 officer, to turn in his badge in favor of retirement.
Yenky and his partner, Senior Deputy Joe Durney, were honored in May at the airport to celebrate Yenky's retirement.
84. Three injured in crash between school bus and car in DeLand; nobody on the bus hurt
88. Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler counties receives $12,000 COVID-19 check from FPL
89. Abby Sanchez wins re-election to the Seminole County School Board with 63.11% of the votes
SANFORD, Fla.-- SANFORD, Fla. -- Abby Sanchez, shown here at left, was re-elected to the Seminole County School Board for a second four-year term with close to two thirds of the overall votes over challenger Veronica King for the district 3 seat in Aug. 18 primary election.
It was the lone contested Seminole County School Board race in the 2020 elections. School Board member Amy Pennock was also up for re-election, but she had no challengers when qualifying ended in June so she was automatically returned to office for another four years. School Board members are paid $41,500 annually.
92. Embry-Riddle students helping Daytona's poor during the holidays with garden feeding program
93. Florida League of Cities honors Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington with 2020 Home Rule Hero Award
94. Volusia County Beach Safety warns of sea butterflies and soft sand
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla - Volusia County beaches are known for shark bites and jellyfish stings.
Though the hard sands of the World's Most Famous Beach make beach driving a convenience, cars do get stuckwhere sand is soft in spots. And there some swimmers need to be rescued by lifeguards from rip currents.
And over the summer, sea butterflies proved to be a danger. Say what?
95. Orlando Magic Baskets for Books presented by Florida Blue celebrates 10th anniversary
98. Volusia News: Mike Dyer unanimous choice for permanent county attorney
100. Wayne Taylor Racing wins Rolex 24 at Daytona for third time in four years
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories. Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.