Top 100 Stories

76. Teens find human skull in woods in Deltona

Newspaper Section

DELTONA -- Human remains, including a skull, were found in a wooded area of Deltona on Nov. 6, by two teenagers.

The teens stumbled across the remains in some woods east of Alex Lane. While the remains will require further analysis,
investigators say they appear to be that of an adult.

77. Kids find human skeletal remains while playing near the beach in Ponce Inlet

Newspaper Section

PONCE INLET -- Several kids playing ball near the beach came upon a grisly discovery April 19, when their ball landed in someone's backyard: Mostly skeletal remains of a human being.

The adult male has been dead for months, according to a report from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, which is treating the 6:30 p.m. discovery of the bones as a suspicious death. An autopsy is expected to be done today by the Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office in hopes of determining a cause of death.

78. Bethune-Cookman University football player charged with attempted murder

Newspaper Section

DAYTONA BEACH -- Brandon Wright, a back-up quarterback and running back on the Bethune-Cookman University football squad, was arrested April 7, in his dorm room on charges of attempted murder and trafficking in cocaine after he pointed a shotgun at a man who owed him money, according to Daytona Beach police.

Besides attempted murder, Wright was charged with trafficking in cocaine, home invasion robbery, false imprisonment and trafficking cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school.

79. Chick-fil-A restaurant founder whips up punishment for juvenile vandals

Newspaper Section

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Even though they were accused of trashing his home by spraying fire extinguishers, throwing eggs and leaving the water running in the kitchen after break-in in mid-July, Chick-fil-A restaurant founder S. Truett Cathy didn't want to see three pre-teen girls have juvenile records so he came up with an alternative punishment in a deal with their parents: They each had to write 1,000 times, "I will not vandalize other people's property."

The girls also were not allowed to watch TV or play video games for six months and each had to read a book.

80. Golfer Michelle Wie earns LPGA carrying card at Q-school at Daytona Beach's LPGA

Newspaper Section

DAYTONA BEACH -- Teen golf sensation Michelle Wie had played in 53 of 69 tournaments either through exemptions or invitations. On Dec. 7, she went back to school, Q-school that is, at the LPGA course, to earn her way into becoming a card-carrying member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

The 19-year-old Wie finished tied for 6th, with a 2-over 74, easily among the top 20 who were allowed to continue on the tour.

81. Box office moves at Ocean Center in time for NCAA basketball classic

Newspaper Section

DAYTONA BEACH -- The Ocean Center box office moved to its new home at 101 N. Atlantic Ave. on Nov. 21, after months of temporary facilities set up during Ocean Center construction activities. The relocation was just in time for the NCAA college basketball's Glenn Wilkes Classic over the weekend.

82. Edgewater city manager receives $140K with his termination

Newspaper Section

EDGEWATER -- He was only on the job for 15 months, but City Manager Jon Williams was given a severance package of $140,311, when the City Commission voted to get rid of him Jan. 8

Councilwoman Debra Rogers was the lone vote against the termination because of the cost factor, which included paying Williams a one-year salary as well as accrued vacation, sick and personal time off.

Williams had been at odds with the city's unions and in the prior month received a vote of no confidence by the council members, who cited low employee morale.

83. Deltona father charged after toddler accidentally shoots himself

Newspaper Section

DELTONA -- Volusia County Sheriff's investigators filed a criminal complaint affidavit June 12 with the State Attorney's Office charging 24-year-old Brandon Cardona with child neglect, leaving firearms within access of a minor and other felonies, two days after his 3-year-old son accidentally shot himself with a gun that resulted in a light grazing of the boy's chest.

84. Deltona woman says she was raped in bed by intruder while kids asleep

Newspaper Section

DELTONA -- The Volusia County Sheriff's Office is investigating a report that a man forced his way into a Deltona home during the early morning hours of Oct. 24 and sexually
assaulted a 41-year-old woman.

Two children under the age of 10 also were in the home, but slept through the attack, Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said.