Archive

At a 'thank you' victory rally in Cincinnati Thursday evening, President-elect Donal Trump announced he would "appoint" former Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis as Secretary of Defense. (Dec. 3)

Mattis (born Sept. 8, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps general who last served as the 11th commander of United States Central Command from Aug. 11, 2010 to March 22, 2013.

Mattis is known for implementing the COIN strategy. Before President Obama appointed him to replace General Petraeus on August 11, 2010, he previously commanded United States Joint Forces Command from Nov. 9, 2007 to August 2010, and served concurrently as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from Nov. 9, 2007 to Sept. 8, 2009. Prior to that, he commanded I Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Forces Central Command, and 1st Marine Division during the Iraq War.

On Dec. 1, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump announced that Mattis would be nominated to serve as United States Secretary of Defense in the coming administration.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Frank DiBello, a pioneer in Florida private space flight ventures, highlights this month's Daytona Area Chamber of Commerce Tallahassee Speaker Series.

HEADLINE SURFER BEACH REPORT for Saturday, Dec. 3, World's Most Famous Beach in Daytona, Daytona Bech Shores, Ormond Beach, Ponce Inlet & New Smyrna Beach: Volusia County Beach Safety flew the yellow flag today. "We had no water rescues or any other issues today," said Senior Captain Andrew Ethridge of Volusia County Beach Safety. "The beach remained open to driving throughout high tide and we had a mild crowd due to the cooler weather. We expect similar conditions for tomorrow."

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Karen Collins will perform country classics, holiday music and original compositions from 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22, at the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library, 1001 S. Dixie Freeway.

HEADLINE SURFER BEACH REPORT for Sunday, Dec. 4, World's Most Famous Beach in Daytona, Daytona Bech Shores, Ormond Beach, Ponce Inlet & New Smyrna Beach: Volusia County Beach Safety flew the red and purple flag today. "We had no water rescues and no issues with jellyfish," said Senior Captain Andrew Ethridge of Volusia County Beach Safety. "The cooler water temps kept most people on the beach today. There were no major incidents to report at this time. We were able to keep the beach open for driving except in some areas that had to close briefly during high tide.

ORANGE CITY, Fla. -- A man is dead in Orange City after he pointed a gun at law enforcement officers, prompting several officers to open fire to neutralize the threat. The shooting occurred early Tuesday morning after Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies and Orange City police officers responded to reports of a man stopped in the middle of Volusia Avenue and pointing a gun at passing motorists.

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- This is one of my favorite photos of Rockefeller Park in Ormond Beach. It reminds me of how blessed we are to live in the land of the free because we are the home of the brave.