Volusia News Now

Headline Surfer photo by Ben Johnson / The following endorsement for Sheriff Ben Johnson, shown here, comes from Stanley Escudero, chairman of the Volusia County Republican Executive Committee:

My Fellow Volusians,

Ben Johnson has been our county’s chief law enforcement officer since 2000, and has served us well as a valued member of the Sheriff’s Department since 1971.

He is the recipient of a great many honors and awards from his fellow law enforcement officers and state sheriffs’ associations and has given selflessly of his time and energies to serve on charitable boards and in other offices of community service in addition to his decades of hard and dangerous work as sheriff.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- You would think that this being the 21st century, the digital age where people get their news, weather, stocks, pay bills and so forth through the Internet that elections ballots would be crystal clear. While Volusia Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall has been critical of Gov.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Dist. 8 state senate hopeful Frank Bruno was the last major candidate on stage to introduce himself to the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce hob nob crowd Tuesday at the Ocean Center, but he left a big winner, besting his Republican rival Dorothy Hukill, 54 to 46 percent of the 184 votes cast in a straw poll ballot.

EDGEWATER -- As I was going through my daily morning news review, I recognized one thing: the dismissive attitude of the subsidy cutting of public information. Why aren't my fellow Republicans up in arms regarding removing unbiased public information.

Headline Surfer® photo /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Following an afternoon of glad-handing by candidates for public office at the Ocean Center, mostly between themselves and their campaign volunteers, the results of a Daytona chamber-sponsored straw poll had Mitt Romney beating Barack Obama, with 60 percent of the vote.

But Romney's magic didn't rub off on Republican Dorothy Hukill in the dist. 8 state senate battle with Democrat Frank Bruno, who received 54 percent of the vote to her 46 percent.

The straw poll vote sets the stage for Sunday night's 90-minute Headline Surfer® public candidate debate between Hukill and Bruno at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach.

Here are the candidates for King and Queen of the New Smyrna Beach Homecoming game on Oct. 26. Left to Right 1st Row: Shar'Quan Baker, Sara Cronk, Jennifer Pugh, Sofia Trotta, Sierra Selman, Isabel Trotta, Jessica Armitage, Shar'Quayla Baker Left to Right 2nd Row: James Clark, Jonah Power, Dallas Macdermant, Dillion Macdermant, Brandon Amendolare, Desmond Mitchell, Tayler Selby, Edwin Navarro, Corbin Lyles, Dexter Dixon Not pictured: Shanleigh O'dell and Brianna Sanders.

NEW SMYRNA BREACH -- The New Smyrna Beach High School 'Cudas have lots of reasons to be happy this school year. The football team is undefeated through the first six games and Homecoming is coming up.

Photo for Headline Surfer courtesy of Deb Denys / Oak Hill mayoral candidates and city commissioners Linda Hyatt and Doug Gibson are shown here from Saturday's Oak Hill Community Trust fundraiser at Mary DeWees Park.

OAK HILL -- Some 125 people attended a barbecue chicken fundraiser Saturday at Mary DeWees Park sponsored by the Oak Hill Community Trust.

Among the attendees were several candidates running for public office including mayoral candidates Linda Hyatt and Doug Gibson in the non-partisan race. Both are city commissioners.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Proclaimed a magnificent organization in the last election, it now appears that the 2008 Obama campaign may have been overrated.

This election is going to prove far more difficult than those President Obama has run in previously. Except for the 2008 primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, President Obama has only once before had a tough opponent.