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Drunk driver rams deputy's patrol car near Ormond Beach; flees going wrong way

Calvin RobinsonCalvin Robinson, shown here in a jail mug, is charged with trying to ram a deputy's patrol car and driving under the influence. The deputy was not hurt in the Sunday incident near Ormond Beach.

ORMOND BEACH -- When the Volusia County Sheriff's deputy first saw 34-year-old Calvin Robinson early Sunday morning, the man was quietly slumped over in the driver's seat of his car parked by the gas pumps of a truck stop outside the city limits.

That quickly changed, though, when Robinson suddenly struck the deputy with his car, ran into and damaged the gas pumps, rammed the deputy's patrol vehicle and took off the wrong way on the highway.

Family member: Son of ex-wrestler Mike Graham killed himself in Tampa -- not Daytona

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Mike Graham2nd in a series: Mike Graham's life ended in suicide the same violent way as his father and son before him: With a gunshot blast to the head.

DAYTONA BEACH -- The facts are clear: 61-year-old retired pro wrestler Mike Graham of Tampa Bay, whose real name was Edward Michel Gosssett, shot himself to death by aiming a revolver at his own forehead and pulling the trigger on Oct. 18, while visiting here in Daytona for Biketoberfest with his wife.

His wrestling-promoter father, Eddie Graham, killed himself the same violent way back in 1985. And Mike Graham's 37-year-old son also died the same violent way nearly two years ago, but not at the same event, despite what Graham's wife, Diane Marie Hamilton, told Daytona cops as describd in a police report, Headline Surfer has learned.

Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall fails to post early voting totals for second consecutive day

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Ann McFall, supervisor of electionsVolusia County Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall's name and photo are prominent of the public agency's website. What's missing, though, are the daily resultys of early voting in greater Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach, DeLandf and Deltona.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- For the second consecutive day, Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall has failed to post the daily voter turnout for any of the five voting precincts.

Early Voting: 6,862 voters go to 5 Volusia County precincts; 50% are Dems

Early voting at NSB LibraryHeadline Surfer photo by Serafina Frederick / The lines were long with waits of up to an hour or more Saturday at the New Smyrna Beach Library, the second heaviest of the five early voting precincts across Volusia County.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Voter turnout was intense today on the first day of early voting for the 2012 general elections with people standing in line for more than an hour waiting to vote at the New Smyrna Beach Library, which was second among the five voting precincts.

Daytona Beach cops: Wife heard gunshot in Mike Graham suicide; found him face up with bullet wound in forehead

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Mike Graham1st in a series: The sound of a gunshot coming from inside a residence in Daytona's Beachside where Biketoberfest had opened Oct. 18, was unmistakable to Diane Marie Hamilton, who had just stepped outside following an argument she had with husband Edward Gossett of Tampa Bay, a former pro wrestler known in the ring as Mike Graham. When she returned to the bedroom, she found his lifeless body on the bed face up with a bullet hole in his forehead. The handgun was on a pillow immediately to his left. 

DAYTONA BEACH -- Former pro wrestler Mike Graham's suicide during the opening night of Biketoberfest here in Daytona Beach is even more tragic than initially reported for this reason: His wife, Diane Marie Hamilton, was leaving the residence where they were staying for the fall biker rally when she heard the gunshot, ran back inside and found her 61-year-old husband face up on the bed with a bullet wound in his forehead.

Investigative series: Mike Graham's suicide in Daytona endemic of real-world tragedy in pro wrestling

 

DAYTONA BEACH -- As shocking as retired pro wrestler Mike Graham's self-inflicted gunshot to the head during his visit to Daytona Beach for Biketoberfest is, he's just the latest in a long line of dead wrestlers used up and disposed of in the world of sports entertainment with suicide, homicide and athletes dropping dead in a culture of steroids, pills and alcohol abuse.

Headline Surfer will take a hard look at the dark side of wrestling in this special investigative series looking at the ups and downs of professional wrestling with the World's Most Famous Beach as a backdrop. You'll hear from a former professional wrestler who wrestled Graham many times in the squared circle as well as a few of the modern-day stars as to where pro wrestling is at with commentary from bloggers who follow it as well as sports psychologists. The series will begin later today with our multi-media presentation of stories, blogs, fast facts graphics, photos and videos.

Intense Hukill-Bruno public candidate debate in New Smyrna Beach draws 200-plus

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Of the 15 public candidate debates Headline Surfer sponsored and moderated, the ugliest by far was Sunday's battle between dist. 8 state senate candidates Dorothy Hukill, the Republican, and Democrat Frank Bruno.

New Smyrna Beach High students to take over city commission

NSB High studentsHeadline Surfer photo by Henry Frederick / New Smyrna Beach High social studies students held a mock city commission meeting last year at city hall. City Commissioner and current County Council dist. 3 candidate Jim Hathaway is shown here sitting in the audience with City Attorney Frank Gummey seated behind him. A new crop of students will do the same on Thursday.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- When Mayor Jaquandra Walker bangs the gavel Thursday morning, she and a dozen or so other New Smyrna Beach High social studies students will have taken over the dais in place of the adult leaders of the community in a mock city commission meeting.