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Elections were a nail biter in greater Daytona and Florida with governor's race

Dana Swanson columnist / Headline Surfer®By Dana Swanson
Dana's Domain
Political Columnist
 
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Thank goodness the Nov. 4 mid-term elections are over. With the polls having Democrat Chrlie Crist and Republican Rick Scott so close, every voter mattered for Florida.

NASCAR could have egg on its face even if winless driver finishes ahead of 3 others & doesn't win Homestead today

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2014 Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt, Jr, Jeff Gordon & Jimmie Johnson out of running in 'The Chase' finale despite 13 victories between them

 
NASCAR CEO Brian France architect of The Chase / Headline Surfer®

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- NASCAR CEO Brian France boasted in January that this season's revised Chase format would produce a bonafide Sprint Cup champion with the emphasis on track wins along the way. But it hasn't quite worked out that way.

Kevin Harvick wins at Homestead 1 spot ahead of winless Ryan Newsman for Sprint Cup championship

Dramatic finish saves face for NASCAR Ceo Brian France

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -– With Ryan Newman, winless the entire 2014 racing season on NASCAR's senior circuit, one of the other three drivers competing in today's final race of the season at Miami-Homstead the final race -- not Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Jeff Gordon or Jimmy Johnson -- but Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin or Joey Lagano would have had to win it.

Passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport drops 8 percent in October: Less seats offered by Delta

Delta offered less seats in October at Daytona Int'l Airport / Headline Surfer®Photos for Headline Surfer® /
Daytona Beach International Airport saw a second monthly declined in October for 2014.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport decreased 8 percent during October in comparison with the previous October, attributed to fewer seats offered by Delta, Volusia County officials said.

During October, 47,075 incoming and outgoing passengers traveled through the county-operated airport. This compares with 50,930 passengers in October 2013.

"The airport’s passenger traffic decline in October was the second monthly decline in 2014 and can be attributed to fewer seats offered by Delta Air Lines, the airport’s primary air carrier, combined with some increase in seats offered by U.S Airways," Rick Karl, airport director, told Headline Surfer®. "Passenger loads for both air carriers reached 95 percent during October, an increase of 1 percent from last October."

Melody McSorley Johnson -- adoptive mom with conservative values & new School Board member

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New Volusia County School Board member Melody McSorley Johnson / Headline Surfer®Photo for Headline Surfer® /
Melody McSorley Johnson of Deltona, is shown here with her husband, Nathan, and their three adopted children, Shannon, 16; Nick, 13; and Chase, 10.

DELTONA, Fla. -- Melody McSorley Johnson has maintained from the onset of her 2014 campaign that it's "all about the children" and not the partisan politics of aggressive GOP leader Tony Ledbetter or the criticism of liberal Dems. On Thanksgiving Day, you will meet this special lady, who along with her husband, Nathan Johnson, adopted three children.

HeadlineSurfer.com will bring you beyond the headlines of a school board candidate's first run for office and why she was so successful despite all the political rhetoric on both sides in what is supposed to be a non-partisan board. But as has been the case in Volusia County for several election cycles has become all too political.

Marcia Frederick, 2nd cousin of internet newspaper publisher: America's first gold medal gymnast

Marcia Frederick, 1978 gold medal gymnast related to internet newspaper publisher Henry Frederick / Headline SurferDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- More and more people in recent months have asked me if Anna Frederick and Marcia Frederick are my sisters since both regularly post responses on my Facebook pages dealing with my trials and tribulations as journalist and publisher of the award-winning 24/7 internet newspaper here in Central Florida, HeadlineSurfer.com.

Volusia County Chief Deputy Mike Coffin's youth mentoring unparalleled in law enforcement

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Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson with Deputy Sheriff Mike Coffin / Headline Surfer®Futures Foundation for Volusia County Schools honors Deputy Sheriff Mike Coffin for mentoring kids / Headline Surfer®Photos for Headline Surfer® /
Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson is shown here to the left of Deputy Sheriff Mike Coffin, recognized as a mentor to DeLand High School students.

DELAND, Fla. -- Deputy Sheriff Mike Coffin has a grown daughter and two grandchildren among his offspring, but because they live out of state, he has devoted much of his personal time mentoring young people despite his many demands as second in command of the largest cop shop in Volusia County with 460-plus sworn personnel.

Perspective of black man: Burning and looting misplaced response to Ferguson grand jury decision

ESSEX, VT -- The Ferguson grand jury in the fatal Michael Brown shooting chose not to indict Darren Wilson. For many, this was not a surprise. For many others, still, including bushels worth of protesters and looters, the decision marks another episode of police brutality against unarmed black men. But that hat would be wrong, based upon the evidence. Wrong!

Teamster 385 Business Agent Bob Walker: Volusia County 'being stingy' with under-paid deputies

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Teamsters 385 and Volusia County discuss contract talks for VCSO deputies / Headline Surfer®

 

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DELAND, Fla. -- Asked how Volusia County's 430-plus deputies and sergeants can live on meager wage increases like the 2 percent given in 2013 with this year's election cycle in mind, Teamsters 385 Business Agent Bob Walker was frank in answering the question: "They can't."