Lake Wales Woman Injured In Labor Day Weekend ATV Accident – Driver Arrested For DUI

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Lake Wales, Florida – On September 4, 2016 the Polk County Fire Rescue responded to the scene of an accident on S.R. 60 & Capps Rd at around 5:54pm. According to reports Daniel Hyde & his girlfriend Grace Carnley were riding a 4 wheel atv when they jumped a retaining ditch separator, then flipped over and were ejected.  Carnley was unresponsive, but breathing. Hyde flagged down a Polk County Sheriff’s unit for help. Carnely was taken to a field next to the Polk County Fire Department in Golfview Park where she was airlifted to the hospital.

The deputy that stopped to render aid could smell the distinct odor of alcohol on Hyde. A cooler was located close to the accident scene with cold beers still inside and some broken from the crash. Hyde reported admitted to drinking a few beers. A field sobriety test was performed which Hyde agreed to do. According to the report Hyde failed some portions, had difficulty staying balanced and refused other portions. At one point allegedly saying ” Man you just want to take me to jail, so let’s get this going”. The deputy allegedly informed Hyde that it was not the case and that he was going to conduct alternate tasks with him at which time Hyde yelled “just take me to Jail douchbag, I’m not doing that damn test”. “You just ruined my life you douchbag, you just took my job away cause you have nothing else to do. All these crackheads out there you guys just let go, but you want to arrest me cause I had a couple of beers and driving my 4 wheeler in the grass”, allegedly said by Hyde per reports.

Hyde was arrested and charged with DUI, DUI with Property Damage & Violation of Injunction. Carnley had regained consciousness at the scene and it was determined that she did not suffer life threatening injuries while she was treated in the hospital.

Winter Haven Police Asking for Public’s Help To Identify Three Suspects Who Brok into Radio Shack in SW Winter Haven

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On 9-2-16 at approximately 4:20 a.m., three unknown black males busted the front glass out of the Radio Shack store located at 1528 3rd St. SW in Winter Haven.
Upon entering the store, one male ran to the back office area and the other two started grabbing items, including display phones, from the showroom shelves.
The three were in the store less than two minutes and fled out of the broken area of the door they entered through.
All three appear to be in their late teens or early twenties. Two had their heads covered, but the third did not.
As you review the video, please notice the distinctive clothing. This could be a good way to identify the suspects.
Anyone with information on the identities of either of these three is asked to all Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477). Callers can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a CASH reward.

Suspect In Shootout With Polk County Deputies 

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Updated Notes On Grady Judd Briefing-

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Detectives belonging to the HIDTA task force conducted a traffic stop on 32-year-old Francis Perry, a known convicted violent felon at 2737 Golfview Street in Lakeland, around 5:15 p.m. – this is not Perry’s home
*       Perry has an active warrant for his arrest – fugitive from justice – his last registered address is 272 18th St NE, Winter Haven
*       Perry had a trafficking amount of what appears to be Meth in the car
*       Officers from four agencies: PCSO, Lake Wales P.D., Haines City P.D, and Winter Haven P.D., approached Perry’s car
*       All of the task force members were clearly identified with vests with SHERIFF written across the chest and back
*       As they approached the car, Perry shot at the officers
*       He was the only occupant of the car
*       The officers immediately returned fire
*       Perry was shot multiple times
*       The officers called for medical assistance and began CPR
*       Perry was transported to an area hospital and went into emergency surgery
*       It is standard protocol that the officers involved in the shooting will be placed on paid administrative leave
*       By agency policy, there will be four independent investigations related to the shooting:
o       PCSO Homicide Unit will conduct a shooting investigation
o       PCSO Administrative Investigations will conduct an internal investigation to determine compliance with agency policy
o       State Attorney’s Office is on-scene and will conduct an independent investigation
o       HIDTA members will continue with their criminal investigation into the trafficking amount of drugs
o       At the conclusion of these investigations, the reports will be forwarded to the three other involved agencies for their own internal investigations

PERRY’S CRIMINAL HISTORY

*       Perry admitted to two different law enforcement agencies that he was a member of a white supremacist movement
*       Lee County prior charges: Aggravated Assault With a Weapon, Robbery, Burglary, Grand Theft, Dealing in Stolen Property
*       Polk County prior charges: Attempted 2nd Degree Murder, Resisting Arrest, Fleeing to Elude, Impersonating a LEO, Unlawful Possession of a Handcuff Key, Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon, Giving False Info to LEO During Investigation, Grand Theft, Trespassing, Forgery, Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Controlled Substance, DWLSR, Vehicle Theft, Burglary
*       2014 – sentenced to 1.5 years for Meth Possession & Agg Assault With Deadly Weapon (original charge Att 2nd Deg Murder, pled down)
*       March 2016 – 6 months ago – released from state prison
*       Upon release from prison he was placed on conditional release – he absconded and currently has a felony warrant for his arrest

HIDTA = High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force

​Lakeland, Florida – PCSO is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred at Woodland Ave and Golfview St in Lakeland.
Preliminary information so far is that the HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) task force, comprised of officers from several local agencies, was conducting an investigation when a suspect opened fire on them. Officers returned fire. The suspect has been transported to a hospital. No officers were injured.
More information will be released as soon as possible.

Fight Off the Summer Heat; Make Life Cool By The Pool!

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Fight Off the Summer Heat; Make Life Cool By The Pool!
 
 
With summer bearing down and temperatures on the rise, nothing is more relaxing than a dip in the pool.
 
Swimming is a great recreational activity for people of all ages. Recreational swimming can provide you with a low-impact workout and it’s also a good way to relax and feel good.
 
But keeping a pool working properly can be tedious and expensive as well as time consuming.
 
Maintaining a pool can practically be a full-time job. There are many books that offer help for the do-it-yourselfer’s, but there is no reason to spend all of your time drowning in pool-related problems.
 
To be sure to get the job done right, professional pool maintenance companies are the best bet.  But be warned!…not all professional pool maintenance companies are equal!
 
Even though cleaning a pool doesn’t require a license, you should always look for a company that is licensed and insured.
 
“ Although pool cleaning itself doesn’t require a license; any repairs including motor replacement, work on the pumps, filters, salt system and heater installation requires a contractor’s license, which we have!” says 34-year-old Mike Williams of Blue Thumb Pool Care.
 
After moving to Florida from Brazil, Indiana when he was fifteen, Mike settled in Frostproof where his grandmother helped get him a job at a local pool service company.
 
Through high school and college, Mike worked over a decade perfecting his craft before deciding in 2008 to launch Blue Thumb Pool Care.
 
“My dad, Bob Williams has helped me since I started on my own in 2008. As the business grew, I hired two more pool techs to join the team; Cody Laster who has been with me for 3 years now and Jason Davis who has been with me for over a year”.
 
With its team now in place, Blue Thumb Pool Care has expanded to cover most of Polk County as well as north Highlands County.  
 
“We offer many different types of services from general pool service to the repair or replacement of equipment.  We are starting to get more involved with the remodeling side of the business as well”.

A pool…like a car, is an investment……it must be maintained to protect its integrity as well as its value.
 
Just like tires, oil and gas affect a car’s performance; a pool works in unison with the pump, the filter and Ph balance of the water, all of which can affect your pool’s performance.
 
Some good reasons to hire a pool service is peace of mind, knowing that your pool is being cared for properly and that you don’t have to transport and store chemicals.  You also don’t have to worry about the cleaning of the filtration equipment which can sometimes be a chore. 
 
An experienced tech also keeps an eye on the equipment running the pool  and can proactively take care of a problem before it gets out of control and expensive.
 
Numerous examples can be cited where a problem such as a leak was spotted on the pool pump and was fixed before it ruined the motor; preventing more damage and what would have be a costly repair.
 
It’s no secret……Blue Thumb offers superior customer service…It’s That Simple!
 
So Relax…unwind…and get in a flip-flop state of mind knowing that the professionals at Blue Thumb Pool Care are at your service and are available to give you that free time and peace of mind you so deserve. 
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Contact the professionals at Blue Thumb Pool Care at (863) 528- 0979 
Licensed & Insured
Lic # RP25255530

The Vanguard School of Lake Wales, Florida would like to welcome its newest principal, Marya Marcum-Jones.

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The Vanguard School of Lake Wales, Florida would like to welcome its newest principal, Marya Marcum-Jones.
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Marya began her career at Vanguard ten years ago as a middle school teacher. Since then she has taught a plethora of different subjects from social studies to facilitating the online learning lab.
 
In spring of 2014, Marcum-Jones began as assistant principal. It was under the leadership of Derri Park, Vanguard’s former principal, that Marcum-Jones flourished. Park allowed for her to take a more active role in administration.
 
After Park became ill last year, Marcum-Jones stepped into her newest role as principal. She credits Park saying, “[It was] her guidance and mentoring [that] helped prepare me for this position.” Since becoming principal, she has helped implement new and innovative courses at Vanguard; such as the new digital media classes this semester, which include: digital photography, journalism, web design, and digital design.
 
These courses will allow students to express their individuality, share their creativity, and establish their presence in the digital media world. This creative and individualistic approach is not a new concept to Marcum-Jones as she explains what she hopes for Vanguard’s future, “My hopes for the school are to take our specialty [for] individualizing education and combine it with project-based and inquiry-based learning [to give] our students an authentic education that prepares them for contemporary culture.” 
 
It is Vanguard’s individualization and safe environment that is conducive to students feeling successful in learning, which many have not experienced before. Marcum-Jones explains, “To see their faces light up and feel proud for the first time, that is priceless.”
Along with extensive experience in education, Marya has an undergraduate degree in English and a master’s degree in Education. She is currently completing a specialist degree in Educational Leadership. She has one daughter, who is in the eighth grade.

Finally, when asked what she liked best, Marcum-Jones smiled and said, “Vanguard is a family, and as a part of that family, every student can find a friend or a group, some who haven’t had friends before. That means a lot.”

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COOKING ON THE RIDGE: TURKEY WRAPS

Turkey Wraps

turkey wraps

Ingredients

Directions

  • Prep 20 m

  • Ready In 20 m

  1. Mix together the cream cheese and Dijon mustard until smooth. Spread each tortilla with about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture, spreading to within 1/4 inch of the edge of the tortillas.
  2. Arrange about 1/4 cup of shredded lettuce on each tortilla, and press the lettuce down into the cream cheese mixture. Place 2 turkey slices per tortilla over the lettuce, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of shredded Swiss cheese. Top each tortilla evenly with tomato, avocado slices, and crumbled bacon.
  3. Roll each tortilla up tightly, and cut in half across the middle with a slightly diagonal cut.

This Article is Sponsored by Sweet Ella’s Produce.

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Polk County Man Charged With Sexually Abusing 2 Toddler Boys

Winter Haven, Florida – A ​Lakeland man has been charged with sexually abusing two toddler boys (2 years of age), photographing the molestation, and showing adult pornography to two other children.
On Tuesday, September 6, 2016, PCSO detectives filed 132 additional charges against Polk County Jail Inmate James Ballone (DOB 11/18/1962), who was arrested during a July 2016 undercover child pornography investigation and has been in jail since that time.

He was originally charged with 65 counts Possession of Child Pornography, with bond assessed at $15,000 per count. He has an additional 2 counts Capital Sexual Battery (F-C), 6 counts Lewd Molestation (F-L), 5 counts Lewd Exhibition (F-2), 3 counts of Promotion of Sexual Performance (F-2), 115 counts Possession of Child Pornography (F-2), and 1 count Unnatural and Lascivious Act (M-2), filed against him, bringing his total count to 197 felony charges.

The new charges stem from follow-up investigation and forensic analysis on equipment seized from Ballone’s home during “Operation Child Shield III.” Detectives discovered child pornography created by Ballone in his home involving two Polk County children (with whom he had access) who have been positively identified.

Grady Judd will brief the media around 10:30am regarding these new charges.

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WHFD Rescues 5 People After Boat Capsized In Lake Fannie

Winter Haven, Florida – On 09/04/2016 The Marine Unit along with components of the Ag Unit responded to Lake Fannie in reference to a disabled vessel and a sunk airboat on the Lake.  While en route to the lake, the Winter Haven Fire Department rescued two people holding onto the airboat and three people stranded on the pontoon boat.

Raymond McKee is the owner of both boats.  Mr. McKee let his friends borrow his pontoon boat to go out on Lake Fannie.  During the trip, a storm approached, and the occupants of the pontoon boat were unable to start the boat.  Mr. McKee and his neighbor James Harris responded with Mr. McKee’s Airboat to bring a battery for the pontoon boat.  The battery was given to the subjects on the Pontoon boat and they pushed the airboat away from the pontoon boat.

While being pushed away from the pontoon boat a wave came over the starboard side of the airboat and it began take on water.  The airboat began to list to the starboard side and sink.  As the airboat began to sink, the pontoon boat did not regain power and drifted away.  Mr. McKee and Mr. Harris clung to the submerged airboat waiting for first responders.

After being rescued, it was determined that Mr. McKee and Mr. Harris suffered from chemical burns due to the spilt Av-Gas from the airboat.   Both subjects were transported to Tampa General Hospital based on the chemical burns.

The pontoon boat was recovered and the occupants were interviewed.  The Airboat was marked with a large buoy and GPS coordinates were taken.

On 9/5/16 the owner of the vessel, with the help of two other boats, was able to remove his sunken airboat from the Lake and the PCSO Buoy was recovered.  Both occupants of the airboat have been released from the hospital.

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One Person Injured In Accident On Hwy 92 In Auburndale 

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Auburndale, Florida – According to the Auburndale Fire Department one person was injured in a two vehicle accident on Hwy 92 in Auburndale.  The accident occured at approximately 12:20pm September 6, 2016. It occured at 909 Magnolia Ave/92 in front of the KIK Custom Products plastics fabrication company. The driver of a white pickup that flip over was transported to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center. No further details were available as of this time regarding the accident.

 

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Two Teens Arrested After Fleeing Polk Deputies In Stolen Truck


Lake Hamilton, Florida –  On September, 5, 2016 at approximatly 2:54am Polk County Sheriffs Deputies were patrolling businesses of Posner Park in Davenport when they located a 2008 Silver GMC pick up truck and saw it turn around suspiciously in Posner Park heading back out to U.S. Hwy 27.  They got behind the vehicle, ran the tag and found it was a stolen vehicle (PCSO case)
The stolen vehicle, occupied by two suspects, traveled south and was initially obeying all traffic laws/speeds.  Stop sticks were approved and Haines City Police Department and SE DistrictsPCSO units were enroute to start setting up stop sticks.  The Air Unit was unable to respond due to inclement weather.
A traffic stop was attempted with lights& sirens and the suspect vehicle fled South on U.S. Hwy 27. As the stolen truck approached Airport Rd, a HCPD officer was able to successfully deploy stop-sticks in front of the stolen pick up truck.  It continued to flee, shredding the front tires.  A PCSO deputy was able to get into position and was able to perform the P.I.T. maneuver, making contact with the left side quarter panel and spinning the stolen vehicle out into the East side ditch area of U.S. Hwy 27, directly in front of the Peterbilt Trucking Company located at 915 Roberts Rd., Lake Hamilton, Fl.
The P.I.T. maneuver immediately ended the pursuit and the suspects bailed from the vehicle on foot.  The passenger
suspect Jovan Tavarus Washington (15 yrs old)  of 2nd St. NW Winter Haven, was immediately apprehended near the stolen vehicle.  The driver/suspect Christopher Dwayne Lewis (17) 2nd St. NW Winter Haven, ran from the vehicle and trespassed onto the Peterbilt Trucking compound by scaling a fence and HCPD Officer Smith immediately deployed K-9 Roy.  K-9 Roy located and apprehended the suspect via K-9 bite with the assistance of perimeter units.

Both juvenile suspects were arrested, the stolen vehicle was searched and a backpack containing jewelry still with price tags on the jewelry was located.  Both suspects were also wearing gloves when apprehended.  It was learned that this stolen vehicle was one of two that were stolen from a residence on Ave. D NE Winter Haven, Fl, the second vehicle being a 2011 silver Ford Focus, the keys to which were found within the the stolen truck (both PCSO cases).

It is suspected the jewelry was stolen during a business burglary to Max jewelry store located at the Lakeland Lakeside Village Mall, 1553 Town Center Dr. Lakeland, Fl.  (LPD case). LPD Detectives responded to identify the stolen property and conduct interviews of the suspects.

Both juvenile suspects (cousins residing at same residence), were arrested for the listed charges and transported to JAC in Bartow.  The juveniles’ guardians were notified of their arrest. 

Suspect Christopher Dwayne Lewis suffered injuries when K-9 Roy bite him causing abrasions to his right & left forearms. Lewis is being charged with Grand Theft (Auto), Burglary of Conveyance, Fleeing to Elude, Possession of Burglary Tools, Resisting Officer w/out violence, Trespass other than structure. Driving While Liscense Suspended with Knowledge. Pending Lakeland Police Department charges: Burglary of Business/Grand Theft.

Suspect Jovan Tavarus Washington is being charged with Grand Theft (Auto), Burglary of Conveyance, Fleeing to Elude, Possession of Burglary Tools, Resisting Officer w/out violence, Trespass other than structure.   Pending Lakeland Police Department charges: Burglary of Business/Grand Theft.

Editors Notes: The Dailyridge.com is providing the names of these juvenile offenders as 1 or more of the above charges is a felony.