The Auburndale Police Department encourages to drop off unwanted or expired medicine, including those for pets for safe disposal on April 29.
Our Children’s Academy Receives Walmart Community Grant
Our Children’s Academy Receives Walmart Community Grant
Lake Wales, Florida – On April 14, 2017, Our Children’s Academy of Lake Wales was awarded funding from Walmart Community Grants. All funding received from the Foundation will go towards providing our school’s Speech-Language Pathology Department with evaluation materials to determine where each student performs, as well as to identify the specific interventions each of our students need.
Both staff and students at Our Children’s Academy would like to thank Walmart Community Grants and Walmart Facility #580 for their generous donation and continued support over the years.
Our Children’s Academy is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit public charter school that exclusively serves children with special needs. Our Children’s Academy is based on the belief of the administration, staff and Board of Trustees that early intervention is crucial to helping children and young adults with special needs to cultivate healthy lifestyles and grow into well-adjusted persons. It is the school’s belief that students need a safe, positive and nurturing learning environment to develop communication skills, social skills, academic and technical skills in order to build their self-confidence and become productive members of society.
For more information about Our Children’s Academy, please visit the Academy’s website at www.ourchildrensacademy.org or call us at 863-679-3338.
Stroke Victim Meets Fire Rescue Crew Who Came To Her Aid
Stroke Victim Meets Fire Rescue Crew Who Came To Her Aid
Bartow, Fla. (April 25, 2017) — When David Carpenter woke up on New Year’s Eve, he planned to sit around, watch ball games, drink beer and eat popcorn. But when he saw his wife, Pam, those plans changed dramatically.
“I was having a terrible headache,” Mrs. Carpenter said. Her husband realized it was no ordinary headache, so he called 911 for help. Polk County Fire Rescue crews were dispatched and when they arrived, paramedics determined Pam was having a stroke.
She needed to get to a hospital quickly and was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center. On January 26 she was transferred to Select Specialty Hospital and discharged on February 11.
The Carpenters wanted to thank the Polk County Fire Rescue crew who came to Pam’s aid. In April, they got together for a reunion.
“It’s very rare we get to hear and see what happens after a patient is transferred,” said Captain/Paramedic Blaise Dillman.
The outcome is a positive one. “She’s walking, talking; the odds of that were stacked against her,” Firefighter/Paramedic Amanda Corrente added.
The fire rescue team usually doesn’t have any further contact with the individual after patient care is transferred to the receiving facility.
“This is the career we chose and I feel it’s to make a difference,” Firefighter/EMT Jeff Lee said. “And when we get to get that positive feedback, I feel it’s just a confirmation of the reason why we do the things that we do.”
The Carpenters added they really appreciate everyone who worked to save Pam’s life.
More of Pam’s story can be viewed on the Polk County Fire Rescue Facebook Page.
Police Activity Closing Down Hwy 98 & Westbound Polk Parkway
UPDATE 8:20 am: Polk Parkway & 98 Re-Opened After Man Sitting On Ledge Prompted Closures
Lakeland, Florida – According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office motorists are advised to avoid US Highway 98 at the Polk Parkway in both directions, and the Polk Parkway at the US 98 interchange, due to law enforcement activity. The WB lanes of the parkway are shut down there, and deputies are rerouting traffic to go eastbound.
At this time their appears to be a person sitting on the ledge of the Polk Parkway. Readers advised they started to call at 7:20am and authorities had already received calls from other motorists.
We will update as more information is available.
Overturned Gravel Truck at HWY 60 and 98 Intersection
There’s an overturned gravel Truck in the center northbound lane at Hwy 60 and Hwy 98, right in front of the Circle K. One northbound lane is currently open and traffic will be slow moving for now.
Traffic Update Sponsored by:
Polk County Sheriff’s Undercover Detectives Arrest Davenport Man for Trafficking in Meth; Suspect Hides Meth in Pottery
|
Polk County Sheriff’s Undercover Detectives Arrest Davenport Man for Trafficking in Meth; Suspect Hides Meth in Pottery
|
|
On Monday, April 24, 2017, Polk County Sheriff’s undercover detectives arrested 30-year-old Omar Palencia (DOB 8/15/1986) of Davenport and charged him with:
According to the affidavit, Omar delivered three pieces of pottery to PCSO undercover detectives, all of which were coated with a dried powered/crystalline paste made of methamphetamine (see photos below). Omar had the illegal items shipped to Florida, with the intent of “cooking” the meth out of the pottery to sell it. The total weight of the meth concealed within the pottery is well over 200 grams, which is the threshold for a trafficking amount.
 According to the suspect, the amount of meth concealed within the pottery would have “cooked out” to 10 kilos, with a street value of $600,000.
When detectives placed Omar under arrest, he had two pieces of broken pottery in his pocket, containing the meth “paste,” that he told detectives he was using for personal use. That amount of meth totaled 101 grams.
He was booked into the Polk County Jail, where he is being held on no bond for the trafficking charges.
 “You can see the lengths drug dealers go to, to get their illegal product out on the street. Omar Palencia will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and thanks to minimum mandatory sentencing laws, he should be out of the drug dealing business for quite some time. Our detectives work hard every day to keep illegal drugs off our streets.” –Grady Judd, Sheriff
|
Cooking on The Ridge: Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cooking on The Ridge: Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Directions
-
Prep 20 m
-
Cook 10 m
-
Ready In 1 h
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
- Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.
Benefit Garage Sale – Saturday April 29 8AM to 1PM Lake Wales
Garage sale…. Sat., April 29 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 912 East Street in Lake Wales (off of Burns Avenue –beside the Citgo gas station at the corner of Burns Ave. and 17th).
There will be garage sale signs in the area.
All proceeds will benefit Walk to End Lupus Now.
My daughter, Jenni, was diagnosed with Lupus 6 years ago and since then we have made it a point to walk every year at the Lupus Walk to create awareness and to raise funds for better medications and a cure.
Below find a link to her fundraiser page and to read a little about her story. A donation of any amount can also be made on the link below.
http://lfach.convio.net/site/TR/WTELN/LFAFloridaChapter?px=1013145&pg=personal&fr_id=1302
Lake Wales Charter Schools Annual Benefit Gala – Teacher of the Year
LAKE WALES – Kristy May is exactly the type of teacher Robin Gibson had in mind more than a decade ago when he was a driving force in the creation of the Lake Wales Charter Schools system.
So it was only appropriate when both got heartfelt standing ovations Friday night as the major honorees at the annual Lake Waled Charter Schools Foundation annual benefit gala.
Gibson, a local attorney and original member of the system’s Board of Trustees, was one of the key community stakeholders in late 2002 who fueled the dream of Lake Wales charter schools. May, who has been a teacher for 11 years now including the last eight at Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary, was announced as the system’s Teacher of the Year.
“This is for someone who is a true leader, absolutely instrumental in creating the Lake Wales Charter Schools system,” recalled Keith Wadsworth the LWCS Foundation chairman in bringing Gibson and his wife Jean onto the stage. “His idea was to get a group of people together and do something that had never been done before and really has yet to be replicated.”
Wadsworth noted that Gibson always used the two same words as his touchstone while developing the charter system, “Students first.”
“We all say it. Every system in the state I’m sure will say it, but how many of us really believe it? How many of us are really willing to do something about it, to take on the politics, the legal parts of it, the statutory fights, Tallahassee, all of the naysayers who said it can’t be done,” he added. “He did it. It takes a leader, someone very special, someone driving the ship, and that’s been Robin.”
Gibson recalled the fight, right down to the final decision of the Polk County School Board. The vote was three in favor, and three against, when the final yea ballot was cast to allow the charter system to be born.
“We sent five of the best applications they’d ever seen to the district. They really had no choice,” Gibson said. “They knew good and well we would have appealed and won. I can’t tell you how personally proud I am of the leadership that has been drawn to this, the way the community has supported this, and the results we have achieved. And we’re continuing to get better, and better and better.”
He also noted that the effort to get the system set up was far from a one-man show.
“I know how we got this thing done. There were seven people on the steering committee, there were 10 subcommittees, there were 110 community leaders who all pulled together,” he added.
May was one of the six “Teacher’s of the Year” who all were honored with gifts and $500 in cash from the foundation. The five other finalists, included Jeff Jacobsen (Hillcrest Elementary), Amy Harris (Janie Howard Wilson Elementary), Taylor Tancredi (Polk Avenue Elementary), Dr. Lubertha De Primo (Edward W. Bok Academy) and Jamie Winfree (Lake Wales High School).
“This is really overwhelming and amazing,” she said. “You all are amazing. This is a wonderful place to work and wonderful community to be a part of.”
May said her mother and father were key people on her journey to become an educator.
“I was raised by very hard-working parents who knew that the key to a successful and fulfilling life was to develop relationships with others, maintain integrity, and always put forth your best effort in everything you do,” she noted. “With these core values, education was a natural fit for me.”
The foundation also honored a support person of the year at each school with $250. Winners were Jazbeth Alvarez (Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary), Krista York (Hillcrest Elementary), Tanya Faye (Janie Howard Wilson Elementary) Niaris Rivera (Polk Avenue Elementary), Teresa Bass (Edward W. Bok Academy) and Karen Blackwelder (Lake Wales High School.)
Presenting sponsors for the gala included the Lake Wales Charter School Foundation, SLA Management, Leonard’s, Ecotek, Brown and Brown Insurance, Acaletics, Johnson-Nelson-Gill Funeral Home, McKeon Chiropractic Clinic and Peterson and Myers Attorneys at Law.
Sponsors included Duke Energy, Dawn’s Flower Patch, United Health Care, Gibson Law Firm, Foresters Financial, Cleaning Management Solutions of America, Lake Wales Medical Center, Everett Whitehead and Son General Contractor, Pat Cain Wealth Solutions, Mike LaRosa, BKHM CPA, Story Companies, Hughes Corporate Printing, Shick Web Design, Raymond James, Polk State College, Mr. Carlos Unzueta, Mark and Paula Alford, C & T Groves and Land, Citizen’s Bank and Trust and Mr. Tom McCance.
Photo 1 – Lake Wales Charter Schools Superintendent Dr. Jesse Jackson shares congratulations with Teacher of the Year Kristy May.
Photo 2 – Lake Wales attorney Robin Gibson, and wife Jean, were honored for their work in helping get the charter system going more than a decade ago.
Arrest Made In Triple Traffic Fatality from July 9, 2016
Arrest Made In Triple Traffic Fatality from July 9, 2016
LAKELAND, FL (April 24, 2017) – On Saturday, July 9, 2016 at approximately 11:36 p.m., the Lakeland Police Department Traffic Homicide Team responded to the scene of a fatal crash involving (3) fatalities. An orange colored Volkswagen GTI was traveling southbound in the inside lane on US 98 north in the 4900 block. A blue Nissan Sentra was traveling northbound in the middle lane on US 98 North in the 4900 block. The Volkswagen was street racing a light in color, possible white, Ford Mustang. The driver of the Volkswagen, later identified as Michael Marrero lost control and entered the northbound lanes of US 98 North. Marrero then crossed through the inside northbound lane and entered the middle lane of US 98 North at which time the front of the Volkswagen impacted the Nissan on the front left corner. The impact redirected the Nissan causing it to rotate, flip and come to a final rest approximately 30 feet away from the point of impact. Marrero continued in the Volkswagen coming to a final rest approximately 49 feet away from the point of impact in the roadway.
The operator of the Nissan, Christopher Lee Stewart Jr., 22 years old, and the front seat passenger, Kathrin Renee Pitock, 22 years of age, died at the scene as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. The rear passenger, Brittany Danielle Lewis, 25 years of age, was transported to the Lakeland Regional Health Center in critical condition but died a short time later from injuries she sustained in the crash.
During the on-scene investigation independent witnesses were interviewed and described Marrero’s driving pattern prior the crash to be consistent with street racing. One witness stated that he observed Marrero racing a white Mustang at an estimated speed of 80 miles per hour or higher.
A second witness stated that he was southbound on US 98 North, when Marrero and a white mustang drove by him racing and that the mustang cut in front of Marrero causing him to lose control and enter the northbound lanes of traffic.
A third witness stated she observed both of the vehicles going approximately 110 to 120 miles per hour and she believed that they were racing.
Traffic reconstruction revealed that the Volkswagen driven by Marrero was traveling at a minimum of 73.37 miles per hour at the beginning of the skid marks and an impact speed of 65.14 miles per hour, in a posted 45 miles per hour zone.
Based on witness statements, roadway evidence and reconstruction, Marrero was arrested April 24th on (3) counts of Vehicular Homicide, F2. Marrero was arrested at his residence without incident and later transported to the Polk County Jail.