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36. Altamonte Springs cops: 3 brazen thieves steal $13,000 worth of wigs from Sassy Sista's Boutique

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ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Three thieves were captured on camera stealing thousands of dollars worth of wigs from an Altamonte Springs store back in the early morning hours of Dec. 6, 2021, police said.

37. Daytona Beach cops: Man arrested on 1st-degree murder charges in brutal machete & scissors attack on elderly landlady; state to seek death penalty

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A 33-year-old Daytona Beach man was arrested back in August on a felony count of premeditated first-degree murder in connection with the brutal attack on a 70-year-old woman with a machete blade and a pair of scissors found near her body in her burning home.

38. Daytona Beach cops: Homeless man charged with 2nd-degree murder in bludgeoning of another homeless man; accused later found unfit to stand trial

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Top 100 Stories 2021 / Headline SurferCounting 'em Down: For better or for worse, this is the Headline Surfer countdown of 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).

39. Daytona Beach cops: Car dealership employee arrested on murder charges after taking vicious swing with metal bat & deliberately striking a co-worker in the head

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- There are few sounds worse than that of a metal baseball bat swing made directly to the head of a human being by another and crushing the skull. 

That brutal scenario occurred for real the night of Nov. 23, 2021, when Steve Tilbury, an employee of Ritchey Autos on North Beville Road, Daytona Beach, retrieved a metal baseball bat from the back of his pick-up truck, walked into the car dealership, and up to a co-worker, 50-year-old Charles G. Cummings, who was seated at his desk doing paperwork. He then took a wild swing with all his might, according to shocked co-workers, connecting the fat end of the bat with the side of Cummings' head - causing the thud sound of the bat cracking the skull as the victim fell to the floor.

40. Longwood cop fired for harassment after allegedly hugging a co-worker against her will as a means of mocking her fear of COVID

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LONGWOOD, Fla. -- A Longwood cop was fired in early February 2021 following a co-worker’s complaint over the previous summer that he mocked her concerns about the coronavirus and hugged her against her wishes.

41. Multimedia: No takers for Sheriff Mike Chitwood's record-breaking $50,000 reward for info leading to an arrest in the murder of DeLand HS cheerleader Laralee Spears 27 years ago

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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.

42. Multimedia: Oak Hill woman arrested on animal cruelty charges after throwing ex-boyfriend's crated cat into Intracoastal Waterway to drown, but the feline was rescued

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OAK HILL, Fla. --  A 53-year-old woman was arrested on a felony animal cruelty charge in August for allegedly tossing a crate containing her ex-boyfriend's cat into the Intracoastal Waterway to drown.

44. Holly Hill biker and veterans advocate 'Crazy Eddie' Colosimo, 79, dies from COVID-19

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HOLLY HILL, Fla. -- The occasional local political candidate known as “Crazy” Eddie Colosimo, whose ultimate claim to fame was founding the veterans support organization Bikers For First Amendment Rights, lost a three-week battle with COVID-19 back in August at the age of 79.

45. New Smyrna Beach resident & amateur photog Sylvan McElroy marvels at SpaceX launch

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NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. --  SpaceX’s Falcon 9 successfully launched the Inspiration4 mission – the world’s first all-civilian human spaceflight to orbit – from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Central Florida.