Local News Now

Photos for Headline Surfer / Conservative Republican Jim Oddie of Wilbur-by-the-Sea, poses with Wisconsin Congressman and Romney VP Paul Ryan.

THE VILLAGES -- Volusia County conservative Republican stalwart Jim Oddie let Paul Ryan know during his campaign stop in The Villages in August 2012 that Floridians support the R & R ticket.

That's Romney and Ryan, of course.

The Wilbur-by-the-Sea resident not only interacted with Ryan Saturday, but with Mitt Romney himself, along with Gov. Scott, on Monday in St. Augustine.

Oddie's interaction with the GOP big wigs comes in at No. 484 in Headline Surfer's Top 500 countdown of the biggest stories in Volusia County as part of Headline Surfer's 5th anniversary.

Buddy Dyer's salary would jump from $160,892 to $195,500

Photo for Headline Surfer / Mayor Buddy Davenport is in line to receive a $34,608 raise in the new fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1 as reported first by the Orlansdo Sentinel. Here is a link to the Sentinel's story http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-09-17/news/os-orlando-mayor-council-raises-20130917_1_commissioners-orlando-mayor-buddy-dyer-pay-increase. And here is Headline Surfer's story: 

ORLANDO -- Mayor Buddy Dyer and his elected colleagues on the City Council are planning to give themselves whopping 21 percent pay raises.

Dyer's salary would jump from $160,892 a year would climb to $195,500. That's a one-year increase in pay of $34,608. And Orlando City Council members would see their salaries rise from $49,393 to $60,000. That is is a one-year increase of $10,607 for each of them.

Winner gets to be 'Firefighter for a Day'

The deadline for the Lake Mary Fire Department Safety Poster contest is Tuesday, Oct. 8.

LAKE MARY -- Hey parents? Is your child Lake Mary's next fire safety hero? Have your little one show the Lake Mary Fire Department how much you know about fire safety and prevention in its 12th annual poster contest. Prizes will be awarded to the top heroes at our Open House on Saturday, Oct. 26.

A grand prize winner will be announced during the ceremony and will win the chance to be “Firefighter for a Day."

Funeral bank fund set up for victim's family

Headline Surfer graphic / The intersection of Corbin Park Road and Paige Avenue in greater New Smytrna Beach is where where 11-year-old Mark Moore, a figth-grader at Reed-Patrtillo Elementary School, was struck by a motorist six days ago, leading to his death Wednesday afternoon.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- An 11-year-old New Smyrna Beach boy hit by a car at the intersection of Paige Avenue and Corbin Park Road while riding his bicycle six days ago, died earlier today, a spokesman confirmed at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando.

Mark Moore, a fifth-grader at Read-Pattillo Elementary School, was pronounced dead at 2:35 p.m. at the Orlando hospital, surrounded by family.

TAMPA, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott today announced that HealthPlan ServicesSM, the nation’s leading technology, sales, retention and administrative services provider for the insurance and managed care markets, will expand its offices in Tampa to include a new state-of-the-art 95,689-square-foot facility.

The project will create more than 1,000 jobs and result in a $34.4 million capital investment in Hillsborough County.

Headline Surfer video produced by Multimedia Editor Serafina Frederick / Here is a performance at the 2012 NSB Jazz Festival at the Garlic restaurant.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Central Floridians from Kissimmee, Windemere, Lake Mary, Ocala, St. Augustine, Melbourne and those beyond the Sunshine State's borders may want to check out the New Smyrna Beach Area beach weeks that runs Sept. 27 to Nov. 30.

There are certainly plenty of local overnight accommodations for vacationers ands tourists looking to check out the sights and sounds with the ocean as a backdrop. Plus the beach weeks coincides with Biketoberfest, the four-day motorcycle rally in Volusia County on Oct. 17-20.

The Southeast Volusia Advertising has a brand new poster highlighting the myriad New Smyrna Beach Area beach weeks activities planned all the way through November, which also coincides with the Turkey Rod Run, another big countywide tourism event centered around Daytona with hot rods and classic wheels.

Headline Surfer photo by Henry Frederick / Surfers enjoy the rolling waves in New Smyrna Beach. In the inset are the local tide reports.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Swells in the surf at mid-day are 2 feet at 8.7 seconds with waves at 1 to 2 feet high and water temperatures in the mid- to upper 70s. Winds are southwest at 9 mph.

The National Weather Service in Melbourne is calling for a 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms in greater Daytona Beach with a high of 89.

Headline Surfer graphic / A man with a large knife held up the 7-Eleven, 839 DeBary Ave., in Deltona, as shown in this locator map. 

The clerk told deputies that he was in the back room washing dishes and when he turned around and saw a man with two shirts covering his face standing behind him and pointing a large kitchen knife pointed at him.

"The robber ordered the clerk to open the cash register," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson told Headline Surfer, and when the clerk complied, "the suspect grabbed money from the register and then ran out the door and headed southbound."