ORMOND BEACH -- The Children’s Musical Theatre Workshop conducts a three-week-long Musical Theatre Camp program annually in July at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center. The camp is for children from Kindergarten age through High School. The camp experience includes instruction in voice, dance, acting, and stagecraft.

This year, the camp program will culminate in the entire camp presenting a public performance of “The Music Man, Jr.” at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center at 7p.m. Thursday, July 24. The long running and beloved Broadway musical features such songs as “(Ya Got) Trouble,” “Seventy Six Trombones, and “Goodnight Ladies.”

ORMOND BEACH -- There is a "Worship at the Beach" in front of Andy Romano Park at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 26. The park is located at 839 S Atlantic Ave.

There will be fellowship and grilled food.

Photo for Headline Surfer® /

HOLLY HILL -- The City Commission voted unanimously to spend $27,000 to buy three new police vehicles to replace those aging in its fleet.

The funding comes from the city's reserves and was approved at the June 24 meeting of the commission. 

ORMOND BEACH -- Adults can try their hand at drawing during four free art classes at the Ormond Beach Regional Library, 30 S. Beach St.Local artist Betty Travis will lead the classes from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on these Saturdays: Aug. 9: Introduction to drawing; Aug. 16: Drawing trees; Aug. 23: Drawing rocks & mountains; Aug. 30: Drawing flowers.

Grade: F

DAYTONA BEACH -- Tony Ledbetter has proven himself to be an abysmal failure since taking the reigns of the Republican Party of Volusia County from Stan Escudero following the 2012 elections.

Ledbetter's also proven himself to be divisive, polarizing and downright mean-spirited and even bigoted. He's alienated members of the media, the voting public and even people in his own party.

His alienation of Republicans running in primaries in this election cycle include District 3 School Board incumbent Stan Schmidt, District 5 County Council candidate Fred Lowry and District 3 candidate David Machuga. He did this by orchestrating  a vote of the executive committee in supporting their party rivals, which is proof of his utter idiocy.

Headline Surfer® graphic /

WINTER GARDEN -- Orange County Sheriff's deputies are investigating what may have caused the death of a 9-month-old baby found unresponsive Saturday when they responded to a 9-1-1 call at the Lake Tiki Village resort six miles away from Walt Disney World.

The unidentified child died shortly after transport to a local hospital after deputies responded to to emergency call at 9:10 a.m. at the resort spread across 64 acres on US 192 -- a 10-minute commute from Disney.  It's a family setting with paddle boats, barbecue grills, tennis courts, and a playground. And the victim's family was visiting here from Louisiana when the incident occurred.

Hearing planned next month in federal court in Orlando for possible new trial

Photo for Headline Surfer® / Ramara Garrett, shown at far left, was found 'not guilty', but her live-in boyfriend, and father of their baby girl, Joim Sotolongo, was found guilty in a mortgage fraud  trial and is awaiting sentencing.

ORLANDO -- The scheduled July 28 sentencing hearings for Jim Sotolongo and Stephanie Musselwhite have been re-scheduled to Sept. 13 in U.S. District Court in Orlando with a hearing on the possibility of a new trial sandwiched in between.

By ANDEW SPAR

DAYTONA BEACH -- There has been a lot of talk about due process for teachers over the past few years.

Recently, a California court struck down a state law that provides teachers with due process, also known as tenure. Florida, which really has never had tenure, did away with continuing contracts in 2011, for anyone who did not have that right already.

Tenure is often misunderstood. It is often characterized as a job-for-life status. That is simply not true. Tenure means that before a teacher can be fired, the administration must have a valid reason for terminating the teacher.

Tenure is often misunderstood. It is often characterized as a job-for-life status. That is simply not true. Tenure means that before a teacher can be fired, the administration must have a valid reason for terminating the teacher.

The green flag is waved to start the Coke Zero 400, but there would be no checkered flag for race winner Aric Almirola in the rain-shortened Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH -- Aric who? And no checkered flag? That's right. The Coke Zero 400 race winner, Aric Almirola, was decided by NASCAR. Not by the competition on the track in Sunday's rain-shortened race.