Sanford

Independence Day celebration for families like Obermeyer-Torres

Headline Surfer videos by Henry Frederick / Here are the sights and sounds from the 2014 Fourth of July fireworks show from the Sanford Pier in Sanford, FL. Shown in the photos are Gordon Obermeyer and Maranda Torres of Sanford sporting USA T-shirts and Alexis Marie Obermeyer, 8, and Anthony Lamar Torres, 18 months. More photos & videos with the story. 

SANFORD -- Thousands of patriotic citizens descended upon the downtown and the Sanford Pier for the July Fourth fireworks show.

By MELISSA COLLINS

DELTONA, Fla. -- Are we on the verge of World War III? Is Obama floundering? The answer to the first question is not yet known. The answer to the latter is obvious. And because of the indecisiveness in the White House, Putin is proving to the World that where there is a vacuum it will be filled.

Headline Surfer® graphic / Sanford teen Kimberly Phillips died  in an ATV accident in a heavily-wooded area of Osteen, in unincorporated Volusia County as shown in the locator map.

OSTEEN, Fla. -- An 18-year-old Sanford woman was killed Dec. 27 when she crashed her ATV in a ditch before it landed on top and pinned her, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.  

The freak accident occurred at 4:45 p.m. that Friday near Deer Run Road and Doe Drive when the teen, identified as Kimberly Phillips of Sanford, fishtailed while operating the 2012 Polaris all-terrain vehicle at a high rate of speed, the FHP said.

Sheriff Don Eslinger ecstatic for employees;  2nd time honored in three years

Photo for Headline Surfer® / Florida Department of Transportation representative Dana Crosby, shown at podium, presents the top Florida school safety award award to Seminole County Crossing Guard Supervisor Jojo Sturm.  At far left, Carl the Crossing Bear is near and dear to Seminole County school children in this Halloween pose as part of emphasis on pedestrian safety.

SANFORD, Fla. -- When it comes to the safety of children in the crosswalks, Seminole County's crossing guards are all business.

And for the due diligence of the dedicated personnel to that end, the Seminole County Sheriff's School Crossing Guard Program has been named 2013 “Florida School Crossing Guard Program of the Year” by the Florida Department of Transportation.

Parents remain behind bars on no bond status; four children in care of DCF

Photos for Headline Surfer® / Marko Capers and Keyanta Capers, were jailed on no bond status over the weekend after their arrests Friday on multiple drug dealing charges.

SANFORD, Fla. -- The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Sanford husband ad wife for trafficking prescription drugs, drug possession and even involving their own 13-year-old son in one of the illicit drug sales.

Agents with the City County Investigative Bureau began investigating in September after receiving information about illegal drug activity occurring at 817 Windtree Court. 

Agents then conducted a series of undercover operations and made controlled purchases to identify Marko Capers, 32, and Keyanta Capers, 35, as the persons involved with the drug deals, a Seminole County Sheriff's spokeswoman said.

Troopers: Speed a factor in death of young woman

Headline Surfer® graphic / Sanford teen Kimberly Phillips died Friday afternoon in an ATV accident in a heavily-wooded area of Osteen, as shown in the locator map at left.

OSTEEN -- An 18-year-old Sanford woman was killed when she crashed her ATV in a ditch before it landed on top and pinned her, the Florida Highway Patrol reported over the weekend.  

The freak accident occurred at 4:45 p.m. near Deer Run Road and Doe Drive when the teen, identified as Kimberly Phillips of Sanford, fishtailed while operating the 2012 Polaris all-terrain vehicle at a high rate of speed, the FHP said.

Debra Annette Smith was planning to walk to Sanford

Headline Surfer® graphic / Debra Annette Smith's badly decomposing body was found in an open field off of South Leisure World Drive near Barwick Road, as shown in this locator map. The ME's Office won't have details on the 48-year-old DeBary woman's cause of death until toxicology reports come back in a few weeks.

DEBARY -- A decomposed body found Wednesday in an open field in DeBary Wednesday morning has been identified as that of 48-year-old Debra Annette Smith, last seen alive Nov. 8, when she left her home after getting into a minor verbal dispute with her partner, a Volusia County Sheriff's official said.

Photo for Headline Surfer / At left is a Florida DOT webcam shot of I-4 at S.R. 46, earlier tonight, where highway construction has now been completed.

SANFORD – A major construction project on Interstate 4 in the Sanford area is now complete.

The project includes a new loop ramp at State Road 46 as well as a 3.5 mile-long section of roadway along the interstate called a collector-distributor, which eliminates weaving among exiting and merging traffic on the interstate itself.

Vehicle found abandoned in Sanford

Headline Surfer graphic / An alert cab driver used a little trickery on Sunday to escape from a gun-toting customers, but had his taxi stolen at the intersection of Volusia and Graves avenues in Orange City 8 a.m. Sunday as shown at left.

ORANGE CITY -- A taxi driver was held up at gunpoint early this morning and ordered to drive a man and woman to Orange city before he escaped at the intersection of Volusia and Graves avenues, A Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman said.

The 2002 Dodge Caravan was later recovered abandoned in Sanford and the duo remain at large.

Headline Surfer, greater Daytona Beach's 24/7 internet newspaper, among 3 dozen media outlets with seating for high profile case

Pool photo by Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel / for Headline Surfer /

SANFORD -- Security will be extremely tight when jury selection gets under way this morning at the Seminole County Courthouse for George Zimmerman, charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin -- the high profile case that galvanized the nation with gun rights advocates on one side and claims of racism on the other side since the victim was a 17-year-old black youth and an arrest wasn't immediately forthcoming leading to nationwide protests.