The Junior League of Greater Winter Haven Will Be Holding A Summer Social

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The Junior League of Greater Winter Haven Will Be Holding A Summer Social

The Junior League of Greater Winter Haven will be holding a Summer Social Thursday, August 4th from 6 PM to 8 PM at The Fire Restaurant 325 W. Central Avenue Ave, Winter Haven.
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This Summer Social is a casual, fun way for existing members to catch up before the year starts and for interested non-members to meet some of the women, learn more about the League, and hear about the wonderful things the Junior League of Greater Winter Haven has going on in the community.

Please feel free to share this invitation with anyone you might think is interested in learning more.

The Junior League of Greater Winter Haven, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and to improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

The Junior League of Greater Winter Haven, Inc. reaches out to women of all races, religions, and national origins who demonstrate an interest in, and commitment to voluntarism. No woman shall be excluded from membership because of race, religion, national origin, or disability.

For more information call 863-583-7659 or Email them at [email protected] — We’ll see you there!

Lake Wales Medical Center Held A Memorial and Dedication For Employee Lost in Pulse Nightclub Shooting

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Lake Wales Medical Center Held A Memorial and Dedication For Employee Lost in Pulse Nightclub Shooting

The Lake Wales Medical Center held a memorial and dedication on the front steps of the hospital after the loss of one of their own last month.

Family members, friends and the former co-workers of Amanda Alvear, one of two Polk County women that were killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando last month, gathered on Tuesday morning for a memorial and the dedication of a bench in her honor at the Lake Wales Medical Center. Amanda was employed at the LWMC as a pharmacy technician.

Fourty-nine people were killed in the nightclub massacre, which was the worst mass shooting in the United States. The deceased shooter, Omar Mateen, 29, proclaimed support for ISIS in a 911 phone call he made to police before the shootings.

Mateen was shot and killed by Orlando police after a three-hour standoff.

 

Rebecca Brewer, CEO of the Lake Wales Medical Center takes the podium to open Tuesday’s memorial and dedication for Amanda Alvear, former employee and victim in the Orlando Pulse Nightclub Shooting

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LWMC Pharmacy tech Jordan Oliver speaks about her friend and former co-worker Amanda Alvear

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Amanda’s family, friends and co-workers pulls each other close at Tuesday’s memorial

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A temporary bench dedicated to Amanda’s memory sits next to the front entrance of the hospital. A purple bench, which was Amanda’s favorite color, will be arriving soon to replace the current bench and will bear a brass plaque memorializing Amanda.
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Family and Co-Workers Gathered Together

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A memorial of 49 crosses were placed in Orlando after the shooting.

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Lakeland Police Are Investigating a Homicide That Took Place Monday Night

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Lakeland Police Are Investigating a Homicide That Took Place Monday Night

Homicide Investigation

 

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The Lakeland Police department responded to a report of a shooting at 940 Castle Way at 10:55 p.m. on Monday, July 25, 2016. Officers found Johnathan “Jay” Charles-Pierre, age 35, deceased inside the residence with a gunshot wound to the chest.

A witness at the residence reported that the suspect, a black male of unknown age, knocked on the door, pointed a handgun at him and demanded that he call the victim to the door. The victim came to the door with a handgun, but was shot by the suspect. The suspect fled the scene and continued to fire several more rounds before jumping into a vehicle with possibly two other males inside. The vehicle has been described as a green, with four doors and folded temporary tag attached. No one else was injured during the incident.

The investigation is ongoing. Detectives are on scene today with members from the State Attorney’s Office canvassing the neighborhood and interviewing witnesses. If you have any information regarding this case, please call Detective Stacey Pough at 863.834.8978 or if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1.800.226.8477.

 

 

COOKING ON THE RIDGE: VINTAGE LEMONADE

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COOKING ON THE RIDGE: VINTAGE LEMONADE

Vintage Lemonade

vintage lemonade

Ingredients

5 lemons
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 1/4 quarts water
Add all ingredients to list

Directions

  •  Prep 45 m

  • Cook 20 m

  • Ready In 1 h 5 m

  1. Peel the rinds from the 5 lemons and cut them into 1/2 inch slices. Set the lemons aside.
  2. Place the rinds in a bowl and sprinkle the sugar over them. Let this stand for about one hour, so that the sugar begins to soak up the oils from the lemons.
  3. Bring water to a boil in a covered saucepan and then pour the hot water over the sugared lemon rinds. Allow this mixture to cool for 20 minutes and then remove the rinds.
  4. Squeeze the lemons into another bowl. Pour the juice through a strainer into the sugar mixture. Stir well, pour into pitcher and pop it in the fridge! Serve with ice cubes.

POLK MUGSHOT OF THE DAY – JULY 26, 2016

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POLK MUGSHOT OF THE DAY – JULY 26, 2016

morales

IVAN MORALES-CONDE

Jul 25, 2016By 0 Comments Posted in: PolkMugShot.com

Race: H Sex: M DOB: 2/21/1975 Height: 505 Weight: 155

Charge Number 1

Statute: 784.03 Battery Evidencing Prejudice
Charge on Arrest Docket: BATTERY
Bond Type: CS
Bond Number: Purge Number:
Purge/Bond Amount: Surety: 500.00
Cash: Bond Exp.: Disposition:
Upgrade/Reduction:

Charge Number 2

Statute: 787.01 Armed Kidnapping
Charge on Arrest Docket: KIDNAPPING
Bond Type: CS
Bond Number: Purge Number:
Purge/Bond Amount: Surety: 15000.00
Cash: Bond Exp.: Disposition:
Upgrade/Reduction:

Charge Number 3

Statute: 787.01 Armed Kidnapping
Charge on Arrest Docket: KIDNAPPING
Bond Type: CS
Bond Number: Purge Number:
Purge/Bond Amount: Surety: 15000.00
Cash: Bond Exp.: Disposition:
Upgrade/Reduction:

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CertiPay Announced a $20,000 Contribution to Step Up For Students Scholarship Program

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CertiPay Announced a $20,000 Contribution to Step Up For Students Scholarship Program

CertiPay, a Florida-based payroll and human resources solutions company, today announced a $20,000 contribution to Step Up For Students, providing scholarships for financially disadvantaged families for the 2016 -17 school year.

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This is the second year CertiPay has donated to the nonprofit organization that helps administer the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. The company’s donation will help fund four K-12 scholarships for Florida school children who will be able to attend the private school of their choice.

 

“CertiPay is dedicated to giving back in our local communities, a core value that is embraced by our employees around the country,” said CertiPay Vice President Mark Ruggieri. “Giving of our time and talent, with a focus on education in the communities where we live and work, is a commitment for our company. We are happy to support the Step Up For Students organization.”

 

Step Up For Students provides scholarships to qualified lower-income schoolchildren throughout Florida. Scholarships are funded by corporations that receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for their contributions.

 

“Thanks to the generosity of companies like CertiPay, more Florida families have the opportunity to choose a school for their children that best fits their learning needs,” said Doug Tuthill, Step Up For Students president. “We are grateful to CertiPay for their contribution, and to its employees’ efforts to improve the lives of people living in their communities.”

 

During the 2016-17 school year, Step Up For Students expects to serve more than 91,000 students throughout Florida, with scholarships valued up to $5,886 per student. More than 1,600 private schools participate in the scholarship program statewide.

About CertiPay

 

Since 1990, CertiPay has offered a wide array of comprehensive service packages providing industry-leading human resources solutions, web-based applications, payroll processing tools and attentive customer support. This means that employers can handle all of payroll, benefits, taxes, time and attendance tracking – and more – while saving time and eliminating the hassle of paperwork.

 

CertiPay’s commitment to service helps employers control operations, attain financial objectives, adapt to economic changes, and grow in today’s demanding business environment. To learn more about CertiPay, visit http://www.CertiPay.com.

 

About Step Up For Students
Step Up For Students is a nonprofit organization that helps manage the income-based Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Students who qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch program, or those who are homeless or in foster or out-of-home care, may qualify. It provides tuition assistance to the private school of their parents’ choice or transportation help to an out-of-district public school. Since 2001, Step Up has awarded nearly 480,000 scholarships.

 

Step Up also helps administer the state-funded Gardiner Scholarship, formerly known as Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts (PLSA), for Florida students with certain special needs. With the Gardiner Scholarship, recipients may use the funds for a variety of approved services including private tutoring, occupational therapy, instructional materials and other services.

 

For more information, visit: http://www.StepUpForStudents.org.

Winter Haven City Commissioners Decided at Monday Nights Commission Meeting to Keep the City’s Millage Rate The Same

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Winter Haven City Commissioners Decided at Monday Nights Commission Meeting to Keep the City’s Millage Rate The Same

Winter Haven City commissioners decided at Monday nights Commission meeting to keep the city’s millage rate the same after discussion about potentially raising property taxes for the next budget year, which begins Oct. 1.

Discussions at the City Commission Meeting included a tentative millage rate increase of .5 to 1 mill to fund transportation projects and future needs, with Mayor Dantzler and Commissioner Birdsong in favor of a potential increase.

After a great deal of discussion, the City Commissioners voted to keep the tentative Millage rate at 5.79 mills.

The commission will be able to lower the rate for the final 2016-17 budget if it chooses, but won’t be able to increase it. The city has had that rate since the 2007-08 budget year.

The first public hearing for the Fiscal Year 2016/17 budget is September 13 in City Hall.

 

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Lake Wales Man Sentenced To 30 Years In Jail For DUI Murder of Father & Son

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Lake Wales Man Sentenced To 30 Years In Jail For DUI Murder of Father & Son

William Gaiiney

Bartow, Florida — In June a Polk County Jury found William Gainey, 62 of Lake Wales, guilty of two counts of DUI Manslaughter in the death of Christopher Ivey, 38, and his son, Jayden, 4. On Friday, July 22, Judge J. Dale Durrance sentenced Gainey to two 15 year sentences to run consecutively. Gainey offed his condolences to the family, but insists that it was an accident.

Around 10:30 p.m. on May 29, 2015, a 2010 Ford Focus being driven by 38-year-old Christopher Ivey of Lake Wales was sitting at the stoplight in the eastbound lane of Cypress Gardens Blvd at Lake Ruby Drive in Winter Haven. For unknown reasons, a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado heading eastbound on Cypress Gardens Blvd being driven by William Gainey (61 yrs. old at the time) of Silver Spur Loop in Lake Wales failed to stop at the light and slammed into the back of the Focus.
The Focus was propelled approximately 150 feet and into a ditch. The truck flipped onto its roof and traveled approximately 150 feet. Witnesses and bystanders stopped to assist, but Ivey and his 4-year-old son, Jayden Ivey, the only other occupant of his car, were declared deceased on-scene. Their airbags deployed and they were properly restrained – Ivey was wearing his seatbelt and Jayden was in a car seat.

At the time of the crash Gainey was found to have had alcohol, Oxycodone and Xanax in his system. Prosecutors advised that Gainey was going 80 mph when he struck the rear of Ivey’s vehicle with no evasive action being made.

Woman Killed In Motorcycle Accident In Lakeland

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Woman Killed In Motorcycle Accident In Lakeland

Yesena Acosta

Lakeland, Florida – The Lakeland Police department responded to a traffic accident with multiple injuries and one fatality on July 20, 2016 at 10:56 p.m. According to reports, Janise Johnson, age 33, was traveling eastbound on Memorial Boulevard in a 2011 White Dodge SUV. Johnson made a U-turn at Kettles Avenue heading back westbound directly in front of a large group of approaching motorcycles.

In total, four motorcycles struck the SUV. Riders on three of the motorcycles and Johnson were transported to Lakeland Regional Health for non life-threating injuries.

The fourth rider, Yesenia L Acosta Barrera, age 39, was driving a 2006 Suzuki motorcycle when she struck the SUV. Barrera was ejected and transported as a trauma patient to Lakeland Regional Health. She later succumbed to her injuries and died at 2:13 a.m. Barrera was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Next of kin was notified.

The roadway was closed for approximately four hours, reopening at 3:03 a.m. At this time, no charges have been filed and the case is currently under investigation by the Traffic Homicide unit.

Details from Friday’s Small Plane Crash in Lake Alfred

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Details from Friday’s Small Plane Crash in Lake Alfred

PCSO assisted the Lake Alfred Police Department with a small plane crash. Details are as follows:

At 9:53 a.m., Friday, July 22, 2016, the PCSO ECC received a call in reference to a small plane crashing into a house, located at 1150 South Buena Vista Drive in the city limits of Lake Alfred.

LAPD units arrived on-scene and located the pilot, 84-year-old John Murphy, and his wife, 75-year-old Doris Murphy, both of 585 Sellars Drive in Lake Alfred, with non-life-threatening injuries. They were both transported to the hospital where they are in stable condition. PCSO deputies arrived on-scene to assist.

It was determined the plane, a Republic Seabee, lost altitude shortly after takeoff and struck a detached garage on the aforementioned property. Nobody was home at the time.

The FAA has been contacted and will conduct an investigation. Chief Bodenheimer is on-scene and has graciously agreed to give sound to any media interested.

 

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