Los Angeles, CA — April 2016. A short-lived civil lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California briefly drew national attention when a woman named Katie Johnson accused Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey E. Epstein of misconduct. The case, docketed as Johnson v. Trump et al., No. 5:16‑cv‑00797, was filed on April 26, 2016, before Judge Dolly M. Gee, with discovery referred to Magistrate Judge Karen L. Stevenson.

Concerns are mounting at Daytona Beach City Hall over questionable spending practices, with city-issued credit cards at the center of scrutiny. Commissioners, auditors, and even state legislators have raised alarms about how taxpayer money is being used, prompting investigations and calls for reform.

By Staff Writer | Edgewater Gazette

PORT ORANGE, Fla. — Brian Richard Shleifer, a former Volusia County corrections employee and later officer with the Port Orange Police Department, was arrested this week on a domestic violence-related charge, according to booking records and court paperwork reviewed by this newsroom.

Following Natalie Wagner’s public attack on the former owner of the Edgewater Gazette, the publication has confirmed that the matter has now been referred to its legal team.

Public records show that Daytona Beach City Manager Deric Feacher was fired from Winter Haven in 2016, after commissioners there cited “communication issues” as the decisive factor. At the time, city leaders expressed frustration with what they described as lapses in responsiveness and breakdowns in dialogue between Feacher and elected officials. His departure was seen as a cautionary tale about the importance of transparency and accountability in municipal leadership.

EDGEWATER — In a closely watched decision Wednesday night, the Edgewater Planning and Zoning Board voted 4–2 to approve preliminary plats for the proposed Deering Park development, advancing one of the city’s most ambitious residential projects in recent years.

Florida is a land of abundance—its aquifers, wetlands, and coastlines form one of the most unique ecological treasures in the world. Yet for decades, our state has treated this abundance as expendable, allowing short-term profit and political convenience to outweigh long-term stewardship. The result is a legacy of neglect that has left communities vulnerable, ecosystems degraded, and public trust fractured. That neglect must end, and it must end now.

Florida’s citrus industry is about to receive a lifeline unlike anything in its long history, and the announcement has been framed almost like saving a landmark building from collapse. Governor Ron DeSantis revealed that the state will dedicate a record-breaking $140 million in the 2025–26 budget to support citrus growers, researchers, and marketers in their fight to preserve one of Florida’s most iconic agricultural traditions. For decades, citrus has stood as a pillar of the Sunshine State, much like a historic courthouse or city hall anchoring a community. But in recent years, that pillar has been battered by hurricanes, rising costs, and the devastating spread of citrus greening disease, which has decimated groves and cut production to a fraction of what it once was. This new funding package is being described as the largest single-year investment in citrus in Florida’s history, and it represents a bold attempt to shore up the foundation of an industry that has been teetering like a building on the brink of collapse.

New Port Richey, FL — A legal letter sent to Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano has prompted the removal of firearm prohibition signs at several county tax offices, raising questions about local authority, state preemption laws, and the boundaries of firearm regulation in Florida.

We sat down with Dr. Kerry B. Lewis to talk through what a first term might look like—who he’d hire, how he’d collaborate, and what he’d tackle on day one. He spoke candidly about affordability, infrastructure, public safety, and the First Step Shelter, emphasizing transparency, local partnerships, and measurable outcomes.