Place Your Bets: Donations give insights into Volusia, Flagler campaigns

What follows are observations on those three levels of 2018 campaigns after scrutinizing many of the key offices on the 2018 ballots in Volusia and Flagler counties. OVERVIEW: Three Republicans and three Democrats are running for in Florida's 6th congressional district to replace Ron DeSantis, who's running for governor.

LETTERS: “The past several years … do not justify a great loosening …

Thank you for the recent coverage the flurry of Volusia County Council late-year activity regarding county employee pay increases and "wish list" expenditures that may burden taxpayers this year, and potentially for years to come if the local economy sours. Raises exceeding the cost of living adjustment and proposed multi-million-dollar expenditures for upgrades and new government facilities suggest County Manager Jim Dinneen and the County Council expect growth and revenue to continue to "flood" into Volusia County in 2018 and for years to come.

LETTERS: “Volunteer one to two hours per week to help with the…

As a 28-year member of the Volusia Literacy Council, I remember when I first joined, 1 in every 4 folks in Volusia County could not read or write past a fourth-grade level. Fast forward 28 years later, and as many as 1 in 4 adults still cannot read past a fourth-grade level.

Forest fires continue to plague Florida

There are still 110 active fires covering 20,285 acres, according to the Florida Forestry Service. The destructive wildfires, which have been burning from the Florida-Georgia border down to Miami-Dade County, led Gov. Rick Scott to declare a state of emergency on Tuesday, which remains in effect Sunday.

Clinton in Daytona Beach: ‘We need your help’

At once acknowledging the competitiveness of the campaign in Volusia County and the need to reach those tempted to sit out a contest between two historically unpopular candidates, Hillary Clinton made two direct appeals to the Democratic base here Saturday. "We need your help in the last 10 days," Clinton told a crowd of some 900 at the John H. Dickerson Community Center on the city's south side.

Post Pulse, hearing into why Orlando didn’t get funds

A month after the Pulse nightclub massacre, law enforcement leaders told a congressional committee in Washington on Friday that the Orlando area's tens of millions of tourists should be given a greater say in determining which metro areas get federal money for preventing and responding to terrorist threats. Orlando Police Chief John Mina and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said that central Florida had missed out on needed training and opportunities to purchase equipment because Orlando for the past two years has been left off the list of metro areas receiving funding from the Department of Homeland Security's Urban Area Security Initiative .