Local News Now

Headline Surfer photo by Henry Frederick / This surfer loves the curling waves of the Atlantic Ocean at New Smyrna Beach as shown during high tide. In the inset is the tide report for Thursday April 25, for Volusia County beaches.

DAYTONA BEACH -- The surf water temp taken by Volusia County lifeguards at the World's Most Famous Beach has been holding in the mid to upper 60s. Waves are 2 to 4 feet and choppy and the current is moving slowly to the south.

Headline Surfer graphic / Here is a snapshot of Daytona Beach area MLS condo sales for March 2013, compared to the same month in 2012.

DAYTONA BEACH -- 99 condos were sold in the Daytona Beach area with an average sales price of $193,470 for the month of March, a marked increase over the same time a year ago, according to the Daytona Beach MLS.

PORT ORANGE -- The Florida Department of Transportation is holding a public information meeting from 7 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 2, at the Port Orange Adult Activity Center, 4790 S. Ridgewood Ave., regarding plans to provide operational improvements along South Ridgewood Avenue, also known as U.S. 1.

Orange City woman apprehended in North Carolina

Iredell County, N.C., Sheriff's Office mug shot / The long arm of the law caufght up with Steffani Lariscy, 37, arrested in North Carolina after Volusia County Sheriff's deputies accusaed her in a warrant arrest with stealing nearly $170,000 from her employer and using some of the stolen cash for breast implants. 

ORMOND BEACH -- A former accountant who bragged of spending $7,000 of the thousands of dollars she alledgedly pilfered from her employer while working as an accountant, has been arrested on theft charges after being taken into custody in North Carolina, a Volusia County Sheriff's official said.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Dear Friend – Last week, you helped me reach over 1,000 Facebook likes, which was a wonderful way to celebrate my first 100 days in Congress! Thank you to everyone who has connected with on Facebook and on Twitter at @RepDeSantis - hearing from you is the most important part of my job.

It is a privilege and an honor to represent Florida's sixth district in Congress! When I announced last week that I had co-sponsored legislation mandating that the new drone medal not be given a higher precedence than the Purple Heart, I also stated that it was my hope that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel would simply handle it himself at the Department of Defense level.

I am pleased to report that Secretary Hagel has discontinued the drone medal entirely.

DAYTONA BEACH -- At 8 a.m., Headline Surfer's breaking news compilation on the Boston Marathon bombing shootout published two hours earlier was listed among the top worldwide stories compiled by Google News Directories.

Photo for Headline Surfer / Passenger traffic is up at Daytona Beach International Airport as shown by the 61,062 incoming and outgoing figures, a 1 percent uptick.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport increased 1 percent in March compared with the same month last year, Volusia County officials said.

During March, the county-operated airport recorded 61,062 incoming and outgoing passengers. This compares to 60,406 travelers recorded in March 2012.

Rick Karl, the airport’s director, attributed the passenger traffic increase in March to higher airline passenger loads although slightly fewer seats were available last March. Delta Air Lines and U.S Airways reported 1,508 fewer seats offered this March compared to last year but passenger loads increased from 89 percent in March 2012 compared to 92 percent this March.