2011 Top Stories

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Karen Foxman received close to 65 percent of the votes in Volusia County, the largest of the four area counties in the Aug. 26, 2014, primary vote count for a circuit bench seat, as shown in the results at left from the Supervisor of Elections in DeLand.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Karen Foxman, one of the top prosecutors in the State Attorney's Office, won big in in her quest for a circuit judgeship in Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties with two-thirds of the votes in last summer's primary for a circuit judgeship.

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45. FHP: Two Orange County toddlers struck & killed in separate motor vehicle incidents Henry Frederick Sat, 09/05/2015 - 20:07

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3-year-old girl killed in possible hit-and-run crash at Orange County apt complex / Headline Surfer®

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Troopers reconstruct a hit-and-run scenario on the hood of a patrol vehicle at the Grandview Pointe Apartments in Orlando where a 3-year-old girl was struck by a car, according to her mother. The toddler died at the hospital. A 1-year-old boy was killed in an unrelated mishap 12 hours later involving an SUV backing out of a driveway on nearby Mosshart Lane.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tragedy struck two Orange County families, each of whom suffered the death of a toddler just 12 hours apart -- a 3-year-old girl run over in a hit-and-run on Sept. 4, 2014, a Friday night, and a 1-year-old boy struck and killed the following Saturday morning by his mother's boyfriend backing out of the driveway, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.

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46. Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson & Orlando radio personality Leslye Gayle marry in DeLand Henry Frederick Sat, 09/05/2015 - 11:15

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Sheriff Ben Johnon & Magic 107.7 radio peronality Leslye Gayle were married Sept 13, 2014, in DeLand, Fla. / Headline Surfer®

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Newlyweds Leslye Gayle and Ben Johnson at Lake Beresford.

DELAND, Fla. -- It started with a date riding on a motorcycle and culminated in marriage for radio personality Leslye Gayle and Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson as the two exchanged nuptials on Sept. 13, 2014.

"I've known Ben for a long time working in the news business and had interviewed him many times, but it wasn't until he was a guest on my show 6 1/2 years ago and I was newly divorced did we start dating," Gayle, co-host of the Magic Morning Show on Magic 107.7 FM for 14 years, and prior to that a news anchor at WKMG Local 6, told HeadlineSurfer.com. “Our first date was a motorcycle ride in and around DeLand and we’ve been together ever since!”

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47. Orange County deputies investigate death of 9-month-old baby at resort near Disney Henry Frederick Thu, 08/27/2015 - 12:45

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Lake Tiki Village / Child dies / Headline Surfer®

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The locator map shows Lake Tiki Village, the scene of a 9-1-1 call by a family member of an unresponsive baby who Orange County deputies say died on an August morning while the family was visiting from Louisiana.

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. -- A Louisiana family's visit to Walt Disney World was supposed to be magical. Instead, it turned into a nightmare: Orange County Sheriff's deputies found a 9-month-old baby found unresponsive on Aug. 23, a Saturday, when they responded to a 9-1-1 call from a family member at the Lake Tiki Village resort six miles away from Walt Disney World.

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48. Ormond Beach Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution honors Seabreeze HS senior

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49. Internet newspaper barred from GOP dinner in Daytona

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Media outlet banned from GOP fundraier in Daytona in 2014 / Headline Surfer®

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Volusia County Republican Party Chairman Tony Ledbetter barred Headline Surfer® from the GOP Lincoln Dinner at the Daytona Beach Resort & Conference Center in Daytona Beach on Sept. 19, even though the the internet newspaper had an entry ticket paid for by then-Volusia County Council candidate Rich Gailey, whose candidacy was backed by the GOP.

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50. FDLE investigates man's hanging in Edgewater PD cell Henry Frederick Sat, 08/22/2015 - 16:36

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Ricky Walls hanged himelf in Edgewater PD cell in 2014 / Headline Surfer®

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Ricky Walls was arrested on charges of threatening his family with a knife when he was taken into custody by Edgewater police on Nov. 18. He is shown in his booking mug shortly before he hanged himself in a cell.

EDGEWATER, Fla. -- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement a called in to investigate why Edgewater cops did not take away the belt worn by a 51-year-old man who used it to hang himself while in their custody in November.

Rickey Walls was arrested just after 1 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, after threatening family members with a knife in his Edgewater home, according to an Edgewater PD report. He was being held in a holding cell pending transport to the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach when he apparently hanged himself with his own belt.

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51. Port Orange Councilman Don Burnette enjoys UCF's Fiesta Bowl win Henry Frederick Thu, 08/20/2015 - 23:13

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Port Orange City Councilman Don Burnetteat the Fiesta Bowl / Headline Surfer®

UCF Knights win Fiesta Bowl / Headline Surfer®

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Don Burnette, shown at far left, is all smiles at the University of Phoenix, who along with his wife and several friends, flew out to Arizona to watch the UCF Knights win big in their first BCS Bowl, 52-42 over the Baylor Bears in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

PORT ORANGE, Fla. -- What a way for Port Orange City Councilman Don Burnette to kick off 2014.

Burnette was still celebrating his UCF Knights' big win over the Baylor Bears in the New Year's Day Fiesta Bowl hours after the game. Then again, he was two time zones away from home, knowing he'd feel the jet lag when he returned home to Port Orange.

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53. Thousands descend on Sanford for Fourth of July fireworks

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Headline Surfer videos by Henry Frederick / Here are the sights & sounds from the 2014 Fourth of July fireworks from the Sanford Pier. Shown belo are Sanford residents Gordon Obermeyer and Maranda Torres sporting USA T-shirts.

SANFORD, Fla. -- Gordon Obermeyer and Maranda Torres, along with their two small kids, were among the thousands of patriotic Central Florida citizens who descended upon the the Sanford Pier for the colorful lights and loud booming noises in the night sky.

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54. Four Persian cats die in DeLand-area house fire; married couple left homeless Henry Frederick Sat, 06/13/2015 - 01:25

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