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72. FWC: Lake Helen man arrested on felony charges for allegedly forcing a lawn cutting blade into an alligator that had to be euthanized & destroying a gator egg nest with his mower

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A Lake Helen man was arrested back in late August on felony charges after wildlife officers investigated an incident two months earlier during which he intentionally struck and mortally wounded an alligator with a lawn cutting tool.

73. Winter Springs Woman gets 8 years in federal pen for embezzling $1.16 million from her employer; using the dough to buy a BMW & a Porsche

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ORLANDO, Fla. -- When taking into account the cost of living, it would take the average American worker 65 years to earn a million dollars over a lifetime, based on an annual salary of $35,000 a year.

74. Port Orange cops: Man arrested on a warrant in December accusing him of sexually abusing 2 girls, ages 14 & 11; jailed on bonds totaling $1M

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PORT ORANGE, Fla. -- A 24-year-old Port Orange man was arrested in mid-December on a warrant at his apartment on Orange Boulevard charging him with two counts of sexual battery of a child and has been held at the Volusia County Branch Jail on bonds totaling $1 million. 

75. Remembering late 4-time Indy 500 champ Al Unser's crash in '78 race at Daytona where his airborne car just missed bellyflopping into Lake Lloyd 

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- "Go jump in a lake" certainly wasn't what car racing legend Al Unser Sr. was thinking after he skidded off the track at Daytona International Speedway during a 1978 IROC race, hit a berm, and went airborne before a belly-flop landing that destroyed the car.  

Trial Judge: Othal Wallace will stand trial in 2023 on murder charges in gunshot slaying of Daytona Beach cop Justin Raynor

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Finally, there's a movement afoot to bring accused cop killer Othal Wallace to justice with a capital murder trial now scheduled for April 2023 in the gunshot slaying of Daytona Beach police officer Jason Raynor. 

Race fans can get ‘free’ first look at NASCAR ‘Next Gen’ Cars at Daytona International Speedway during Jan. 11 test session

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- In anticipation of the 2022 points-race debut of NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car in the Daytona 500, race fans can visit iconic Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday, Jan. 11, to get a ‘FREE’ first look at the machines that will bring the stock car look back to NASCAR, say track officials.

76. Three-time Indy 500 champ Bobby Unser, who briefly led the 1969 Daytona 500, died in May at 87

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Top 100 Stories 2021 / Headline SurferCounting 'em Down: For better or for worse, this is the Headline Surfer countdown of the 2021's Top 100 biggest news stories of Central Florida along the tourism-driven stretch of Interstate 4 (Orlando Attractions and east to I-95 & the World's Most Famous Beach in Daytona). Each recap segment is posted with its own headline, culminating with the unveiling of No.