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70. VCSO: 56-year-old man found dead in water-filled pit in Osteen

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Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®
Body found in Osteen / Headline Surfer®Headline Surfer® graphic / The locator map at left shows the area south of the 500 block of Osteen-Maytown Road where the body of a man was found floating in shallow water on Aug. 1, 2014. 

 OSTEEN, Fla -- A body found floating in a water-filled pit on a Saturday afternoon on the first day of August turned out to be that of a homeless man who was spotted by a bystander.

The victim was identified as 56-year-old Robert Lewis Williams, a Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman said.

Witnesses said they saw Willims going into the shallow water, perhaps to cool off from the hot Florida sun the afternoon before.

"Williams (had) family who live close by where the body was found, but he had no known permanent address," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said. 

Oak Hill politician's death threats against journalist laughable, but same edict for spouse no laughing matter

Serafina Frederick, wife of internet newspaper publisher, threatened with death by politician / Headline Surfer®SANFORD, Fla. -- Now I truly understand how Trayvon Martin's parents -- Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin  -- felt about the way the investigation of their slain son's homicide was handled by the Sanford cops and local prosecutors until Gov. Rick Scott intervened by naming a special prosecutor leading to the trial of the century.

Daytona Gator Nation reaction to verdict: Ex-New England Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez guilty of 1st-degree murder

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NE Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez n 2011 / Headline Surfer®
Headline Surfer® / YouTube download / Raw video feed of former New England Patriots star tight end in a Boston courtroom Wednesday where a jury verdict of 'guilty' to first-degree murder was announced before he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the July 2013 gunshot slaying of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd, 28.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Catching a glimpse of the live proceedings on an overhead-TV in his Gator Beach & Sports apparel store across from the Ocean Walk on A1A, Paul Politis wasn't surprised University of Florida and ex-New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was found guilty of murder Wednesday in a Fall River, Mass. courtroom.

Volusia County Council to leave New Smyrna Beach CRAs alone - at least until mid-summer vote on controversial hotel

Show Me the Money Volusia County: Battle over CRAs / Headline Surfer®
Flagler Ave ramp in NSB one of the busiest in Volusia County, Fla / Headline Surfer®Headline Surfer® photos & videos /

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Volusia County Councilwoman Deb Denys won re-election to her district 3 seat in 2014, in part by pledging to convince her colleagues on the dais in DeLand to approve new Community Redevelopment Agencies for New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater.

And soon after the election, she did just that, getting CRA passages for both cities in 6-1 votes with only County Chair Jason Davis dissenting each time.

HeadlineSurfer.com Hall of Fame: Former Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas of New Smyrna Beach

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HeadlineSurfer.com Hall of Fame: Suzanne Kosmas of New Smyrna Beach / Headline Surfer®
2015 HeadlineSurfer.com Hall of Fame /
This is an advance write-up announcing the iduction of Suzanne Kosmas into the Class of 2015 HeadlineSurfer.com Hall of Fame. A formal presentation will be published at a later date. The first official inductee is former Volusia County Chair Frank Bruno of Ponce Inlet. That segment will be published Sunday night.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Though she says her career in elected office is over, Suzanne Kosmas, perhaps the highest ranking Democrat ever from New Smyrna Beach -- first in the Florida Legislature and then Congress -- who could surprise people, if she has one more run in her in 2016, as some have suggested, including this media outlet. 

In any event, Suzanne Kosmas, is among the 100 entrants in the inaugural Class of 2015 HeadlineSurfer.com Hall of Fame. 

As someone threatened on phone with being shot to death - murdered - Sanford cops can't or won't question accused?

Oak Hill Vice Mayor Jeff Bracy accused of making death threats to reporter / Headline Surfer®SANFORD, Fla. -- I was subjected to death threats over the phone from a Volusia County politician 40 miles away who wanted a story I had planned to publish deep-sixed or as he put it, "I'll drive over there to Sanford and hunt your mother (expletive) ass down and I will shoot you until you are no longer breathing -- until you are dead. Don't write that story. I mean it.

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.

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.

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.