Local News Now

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."

Photo for Headline Surfer / Lake County motorists need to be especially alert today with significant bridge repair work slated to begin in earnest on this Monday morning as shown by this sign approaching the bridge on SR 19 and similar bridge work on US 441.

EUSTIS – Motorists traveling in the area of US 441 and SR 19 should prepare for bridge repairs and rehabilitation starting today, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation cautioned.

DAYTONA BEACH -- The leaders of Volusia County's Republican Party proposed a series of measures they believe will go a long way to reducing the proposed 10 percent increase in taxes to support the $585 million county budget in the the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, and for future years.

Photos for Headline Surfer / The Cudas warm up before the big game at St. Joseph's in Montvale, NJ, losing 49-13, Saturday night. The Cudas, led by head football coach Lance Jenkins, shown in the grey shirt, visited New York City and Ground Zero while in the Big Apple prior to the game. The Statue of Liberty can be seen far left behind them.

MONTVALE, NJ -- The New Smyrna Beach High School Cudas big trip to the Big Apple had its good points and its bad points: The good is that the squad got to visit Ground Zero and the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. The bad is the Cudas lost to nationally-ranked St. Joseph's Regional of Montvale, 49-13. at Overpeck County Park in Palisades Park.

By Tom Coriale

DAYTONA BEACH -- So, I've calmed down a bit following the Thursday evening Budget hearing.  There were two votes against the tax increase, but there were five that voted for the maximum increase of 10 percent.

Photo for Headline Surfer /  Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad, shown here, will be the featured breakfast speaker Tuesday of the St. Cloud-Osceola Greater Chamber of Commerce.

ST. CLOUD -- Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad will address Osceola County leaders Tuesday about transportation projects and how they impact the economy of Osceola County. He is the featured speaker at a breakfast hosted by the St. Cloud-Osceola Greater Chamber of Commerce.