Crime is down 12.7% inside the City limits of Lakeland!
Lakeland PD Press Release:
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Crime is down 12.7% inside the City limits of Lakeland!
Cooking on the Ridge: Chicken Marsala Over White Rice
Cooking on the Ridge: Chicken Marsala Over White Rice
Ingredients
Directions
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Prep 15 m
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Cook 40 m
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Ready In 55 m
- Bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set rice aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour with salt, black pepper, and oregano. Gently press the chicken breasts into the flour mixture to coat, and shake off the excess flour.
- Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the chicken in the skillet and cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside and golden brown outside, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Drain the cooked chicken on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the same skillet over medium heat while scraping up any brown bits with a spoon. Stir in the garlic; cook and stir until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, and cook and stir until they are tender and have released their liquid, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, then stir in the Marsala wine and chicken stock.
- Transfer the chicken back to the skillet, and spoon sauce over chicken pieces. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes more. Serve the chicken and sauce over the cooked rice.
Beware of Money Scam From Law Enforcement Imposters
Beware of Money Scam From Law Enforcement Imposters
PCSO has received several reports about a scam where callers are pretending to be Polk County Sheriff’s Office employees. There have been 4 reported incidents so far, and one person is now a victim of the crime. The caller number (863-225-0924) has a voicemail that says you’ve reached the Sheriff’s Office, but it’s a scam. Sometimes the number has a different message.
On March 7, 2019, PCSO responded to the Polk County Court House in Bartow in reference to a reported scam.
The victim, a 65-year-old man from Bartow, told deputies an unknown person called his cell phone and identified himself as a Sergeant with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. He said the person told him there’s an active warrant out for his arrest for Failure to Appear. The victim said he had not been in any trouble and did not receive a notice in the mail. He also stated the caller told him that on December 19, 2018 a court summons was sent to his address in Bartow and due to him not responding to the summons, a Failure to Appear Warrant was issued for his arrest.
He then said another man got on the phone claiming he was a Lieutenant and said he needed to pay $2,000 to make the warrant go away.
First, the suspect told the victim to go to a Family Dollar or Dollar General where he could find Money Pak cards for sale. He would then need to purchase eight Money Pak Cards and put $250.00 on each card. Once the cards were purchased, he was told to scratch the code bar on the back and provide the code on each card. He then called back the suspect and provided all of the codes, which released the money. He was then told to mail the receipts and four of the cards in an envelope to a Susan Boyle in Winter Haven, which detectives believe is both a fake address and a fake person.
He was then instructed to take the other four cards to the Clerk of Courts Office. That’s when he told deputies he realized it was a scam. He lost the $2,000.
Detectives attempted to locate the envelope through the Post Office, but it could not be found. The detective also called the number back (863-225-0924), but could not reach anyone, the number has been verified as a Bandwidth.com (VOIP) Voice over IP phone number.
The investigation is on-going and subpoenas are being sent to Bandwidth.com and Money Pak.
PCSO has also received reports on three other similar calls from the same phone number. Two calls involved the same scenario, except the victims did not send any money and alerted us. The other call involved someone claiming to be a PCSO deputy calling in reference to an “urgent legal matter.”
“This is now the fourth time recently someone has alerted us about this specific scam. There are endless variations of this type of scam, so the bottom line is that no one from an official agency, like the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, is going to call you asking for money for legal issues. If anyone is unsure, you should call the agency in question’s main telephone number and ask. Remember, if something doesn’t seem right, it’s probably not right.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Gators Grilled For Tenth Year At Annual Gator Crawl
Gators Grilled For Tenth Year At Annual Gator Crawl
by James Coulter
The only thing more quintessential to Florida than barbecue are alligators. So what could be more Floridian than barbecued alligator?
Rick “Porkchop” Stewart has been preparing barbecue gator for the past ten years at the annual Gator Crawl in Winter Haven, as hosted by Lakeside Adventures.
He and his friend, Tracey Howell, have been very creative since starting the annual event nearly a decade ago, preparing alligator ribs, gumbo, and even sausage.
Most people don’t like preparing gator. Others prefer to blacken or grill it. But Porkchop and Howell have barbecuing gator down to a tee. Often they spend two days preparing for the event.
The process proves difficult, but as long as you apply a good base and don’t overcook the meat, you have good barbecue that tastes exactly like—alligator!
Yes, contrary to popular belief, alligator does not, in fact, taste like chicken. It has a much unique flavor that makes the barbecue prepared from it taste unlike any other, Porkchop said.
“No, it does not taste like chicken,” he said. “It tastes like alligator. It has its own taste.”
Porkchop once again had the opportunity to serve up his famous alligator barbecue during the tenth annual Lakeside Adventures Gator Crawl in Winter Haven last Saturday.
The event was hosted at both Tanner’s Lakeside and Old Man Franks along the scenic waterways of Lake Howard and Mary. Guests could enjoy a diverse selection of gator barbecue including ribs, gumbo, and sausage, as well as other items including corn on the cob and swamp cabbage.
All the while, guests could participate in raffles with gift baskets provided by local businesses, as well as listen and dance to live music and entertainment all afternoon.
With the tagline “Commitment To Community And Conservation”, the annual lakeside barbecue event raises proceeds that go towards the conservation and beautification of the Chain of Lakes through the efforts of Keep Winter Haven Beautiful, along with proceeds going towards several other local organizations.
The biggest draw, of course, is the barbecue. While barbecue events are a dime a dozen in Polk County, very few, if any, serve barbecue made from alligator.
“The food is awesome,” said Jeffery Hunt, treasurer of Lakeside Adventures. “A lot of people do not get to experience what we have to offer. We are the only ones that make alligator barbecue.”
Hunt has been participating within the event for the past four years. During that time, he has seen the event grow in leaps and bounds, not only with its attendance, but also with the proceeds towards local charities.
“They always exceed our expectations,” he said. “It always keeps getting bigger and bigger. I enjoy being around the people and being able to enjoy them being able to enjoy the food, as well as help to give back to the community.
Melanie Brown, who is also on the Lakeside Adventures committee, has been providing her own assistance for the past five years. She and her volunteers help run the event like clockwork, as is typical of her involvement with various other local events.
Brown appreciates being able to engage within the camraderie of the local community through events such as this, as it shows how other people are more than willing to give back to the community in which they live, especially if it involve keeping it clean and beautiful through conservation of the local lakes.
“I think [this year’s event] will be better than ever, one of the best ones yet,” she said. “We give to different things to help in the community so of course everyone wants to get involved because it is all about helping the community.”
Help Winter Haven Police Department Locate Teenager
UPDATE 3/13/19
Teen has been located! Thanks for helping spread the word.
3/11/19
Release by Winter Haven Police Department:
Has anyone been in contact with Shaniya Johnson? The 14 year-old left her Vista Del Lago apartment on March 4 and did not return. She may be with a friend or family member. Detectives need to speak with her to ensure her safety.
Anyone who knows where she is located, please call Det. Cooper at 863-401-2256.
CommunityFest Brings Winter Haven Community Together For Fifth Year
by James Coulter
Three years ago, Jeff Skipper started Redeemer Southwest Church. His church meets at the Howard Johnson hotel beside Wawa along US Highway 17.
As the pastor of an unconventional church within an unconventional location, Skipper always seeks new ways to draw in new members into his flock.
Upon learning about the annual CommunityFest in Downtown Winter Haven, he and a few members from his congregation decided to join the hundreds of other local organizations as a vendor at the event.
Their booth featured several cards advertising their upcoming Easter sermon, as well as a full-sized Plinko game similar to the one featured on “The Price Is Right.”
Their game, of course, drew in many curious children who had the opportunity to play the game and win candy while the church members talked with their parents about the church and its services.
“The younger generation has never seen [Plinko], but they are very drawn to it, and the older generation think it is fun,” Skipper said. “Every kid who comes by wants to play.”
With this being their first time attending this year, Skipper was more than impressed by the turnout and the camraderie shared by the attendees.
“We would love to do this again next year,” he said. “It has just been fun, so many people come by seeing old faces that I know because I grew up here, and just being aware of all the businesses and organizations that I did not know about.”
His booth was one of nearly one hundred others vendors hosted by local organizations and businesses within the Winter Haven community for this year’s CommunityFest hosted on Saturday.
For the fifth consecutive year, Winter Haven residents could enjoy the camraderie of the local community with games, food, and entertainment as provided by local businesses and organizations.
This year saw the event utilize the new South Central Park area, with more than 100 booths set up offering free items and information about their local businesses.
Children could frolic around in the bounce houses, play carnival-like games for candy prizes, and even meet several costumed guests attend the event, including Spider-Man, Batman, Moana, and Princesses Anna and Else from Disney’s “Frozen.”
Citizens Bank And Trust served as the main sponsor for this year’s event, and has been serving as a sponsor for the past three years.
As a community bank, the bank has a vested interest in giving back to the local community, and being able to do so through a grand community get-together such as this proves most ideal, explained Denise Vickory, assistant sales officer.
“We are the community bank, and we have very strong involvement in our community, and we feel as though the more involvement we have in our community, the better we can be as a bank,” she said.
Since starting nearly half a decade ago, the annual event has grown in leaps and bounds, especially with the park having recently expanded with its new South Central Park location.
Katie Worthington, Chamber CEO and president, as a new mother herself, appreciates how this annual event offers free family fun for the entire community, none of which could be possible without the support of local businesses and the interest from the local community.
“It brings together every corner of the community,” she said. “We will continue to do it every year for as long as the community is happy with it.”
PCSO In Need of Substitute School Crossing Guards
| PCSO In Need of Substitute School Crossing Guards |
| PCSO is seeking qualified men and women in various locations in Polk County who desire to work as substitute crossing guards.
The locations would be in the Combee area of North Lakeland, and in Lake Wales. The substitute should be available to work for one hour in the morning and for 30 minutes in the afternoon when scheduled to work a crossing. Anyone interested in applying for a position should contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at (863) 534-7300 ext 108. School Crossing Guard services are provided by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office through funds provided by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners. This vital program provides adult crossing guards at selected hazardous school crossings to ensure the safety of our elementary school children walking to and from school.
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Jury Scams Reappear in Polk County
Jury Scams Reappear in Polk County
Bartow, Fla. (March 11, 2019) – Polk County Clerk of Courts Stacy Butterfield is warning residents that jury duty scams are once again targeting Polk County.
The scams usually come as either a fraudulent email or telephone call. Scammers typically impersonate Clerk employees, law enforcement or other government officials. They state the intended victim missed jury duty and must pay money or provide private information to avoid arrest.
Important tips to remember:
- Jury summons are sent by mail, never by email.
- The Clerk’s office does not call or email residents to request payment for missing jury duty. The office will also never demand payment via any sort of prepaid debit card or voucher.
- The Clerk of Courts does not call or email residents to verify information related to jury duty or to notify them that they missed jury duty. Communications are only sent by mail.
- If a resident misses jury duty, the individual receives a failure to appear notice in the mail from Chief Judge Donald G. Jacobsen, Tenth Judicial Circuit.
- Arrest warrants are not issued for failure to report for jury duty.
- Do not open an email attachment from an unfamiliar source, and never provide personal information to an unfamiliar source, either by phone or email.
- Residents can check if they’ve been called for jury duty online using the Jury Application System at www.polkcountyclerk.net/jury-duty.
- Residents can contact the Clerk’s Jury Department directly at 863-534-4568 or 863-534-4569.
“It saddens me to know that citizens are being taken advantage of by unscrupulous individuals, especially through jury duty—the very cornerstone of our justice system.” Clerk Butterfield said. “Please don’t be intimidated and don’t fall for these scams, as elaborate as they may be. Scrutinize every inquiry, no matter what agency it alleges to come from. Hang up or delete a message immediately if there’s suspicion of fraud, and contact the organization through its official phone number to verify the communication. Please notify your neighbors, friends, families and especially the elderly that scams have increased in our community.”
If residents encounter scams, they should write down as much information about the encounter as possible, and contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200.
For more information, contact the Polk County Clerk of Courts office at 863-534-4000.
Lake Wales Women’s Club Raises Funds At Spaghetti Dinner For Children’s Healthcare
Lake Wales Women’s Club Raises Funds At Spaghetti Dinner For Children’s Healthcare
by James Coulter
Nothing inspires a great big smile more than slurping a long, saucy noodle from a homemade plate of spaghetti. The only thing better is being able to enjoy such a great spaghetti dinner while raising funds to help fix the smiles of countless children around the world.
More than a hundred Lake Wales residents were able to do exactly that as they attended a spaghetti dinner hosted by the Lake Wales Women’s Club on Friday evening to raise money for a global children’s foundation.
For only $7.50, guests could grab themselves a plate of spaghetti topped with homemade tomato sauce and meatballs with a side of garlic bread, along with a small side salad and several dozen desserts to choose from. For an additional $2, they could enjoy their meal with a glass of wine.
By offering this small town a taste of Italy, the Women’s Club was able to raise proceeds from the meal to go towards Smiles Across Miles, a program part of the non-profit organization, Operation Smile.
The organization helps fund the medical operations for facial reconstructive surgery for both children and some adults, many of whom suffer from disfigured faces due to illness or accident, ensuring that they are able to offer the best smiles after their surgery.
Being able to raise money for such a great cause, as well as cater to the local community, is more than reward enough for the volunteers who helped out with the dinner than evening, explained Jessica Bray, president of the Women’s Club.
The Lake Wales Women’s Club, which was first created in 1913, has been hosting these dinners once or twice a year for the past 15 to 20 years. So long have they done this event that they have perfected coordinating it to a tee, Bray said.
Each year, more than 25 to 30 pounds of spaghetti are cooked to serve the hungry participants. Even then, being able to anticipate how many people will show up proves to be quite the challenge, she said.
This year, the sales at the door appeared to supersede the sale of tickets prior to the event, with up to 200 people potentially arriving that evening, she said.
“[We love being able] to continue to provide this particular event because it is so well appreciated by the community, and it is all done with volunteer help,” she said. “We do enjoy it. It is a nice clubhouse, and we all love to cook because it is fun.”
Mary Walkup, the secretary of the membership committee, has been with the Women’s Club for a little more than a year. She enjoys participating within the various community projects that her organization hosts, including volunteer work with Spook Hill Elementary, Lake Wales Care Center, and American Legion.
Currently, their biggest obstacle is with their membership, specifically with bringing in new members to replenish the older ones.
“Our biggest problem right now are membership,” she said. “A lot of the women who work with us are older women, and they can no longer participate, so we are struggling to get younger members who can get more involved with what we do.”
Though she did not see a greater response that evening than at previous events, she noticed quite a few many walk-ins. This more than inspired her confidence that her organization would meet their goal, having pledged $2,500 to donate towards Operation Smile, she said.
Fran Hanrahan has been with the organization since 1994. She enjoys being able to volunteer for such events that give back to her community and help raise funds for such great causes.
“I like working for an organization that does things for the community,” she said. “So much fun to see everyone come in and say it’s so good and raise money for our cause.”
During her time, she has held many positions from president to district manager. Having been with the organization for as long as she has, she has seen this particular event get bigger and better every year.
“We have got it down really good,” she said. “We are accustomed to putting it together and putting it on. Our reputation proceeds us. Our sauce is outstanding, and the causes are notable.”
Late Music Educator Honored At Florida Philharmonia Orchestra Concert
Late Music Educator Honored At Florida Philharmonia Orchestra Concert
by James Coulter
Ron Walker was a man of many talents. As a retired music educator, he taught countless students through band and orchestra. He played many instruments, mostly string bass, but also tuba and electric bass.
Aside from his musical talent, he also possessed athletic prowess. As a cyclist, he competed in various cycling events, and remained in good physical condition even into his old age.
Unfortunately, even his good health could not prevent his inevitable death, as this Lakeland resident recently passed away from a sudden illness.
Even in his absence, his passion for music continues to live on, and his legacy was honored by his fellow bandmates during a recent performance by the Florida Philharmonia Orchestra.
A former bass player for the orchestra, Walker possessed a true passion for music that he shared with many of his students during his teaching career.
Many of these students especially benefited from his musical instruction, as their economic situation would have otherwise prevented them from obtaining a quality musical education, explained Dale Lewis, music director and conductor for the orchestra.
“He taught in situations…where the folks did not have the best things economically, they had a rough time, and he reached out to those kids and tried to make a difference in [their] lives,” Lewis said. “So I think his legacy is in the students that he taught and the impact that he had on them.”
Aside from being a great music instructor, Walker was also a great musician, being able to play many instruments. For the orchestra, he often played string bass, but could fill other positions as well. No matter what instrument he was playing, his passion for playing music could be heard loud and clear from him, Lewis said.
When asked what Walker would have loved most about the recent performance, Lewis replied that he hoped Walker could hear the passion that he shared within his own music heard through the music performed that evening by his former bandmates.
“That was Ron,” Lewis said. “He loved music. He had a passion for music. So I think that would mean, I hope he could hear his fellow musicians playing and hear their own passion for the music coming through.”
The Florida Philharmonia Orchestra hosted their third free concert of the season during “Symphonic Inspirations”, their performance at College Heights United Methodist Church in Lakeland on Tuesday evening.
That evening’s concert, which was free to the public, included live performances of traditional selections from classic composers, including the “The Academic Festival Overture” by Johannes Brahms, “Berceuse & Finale” by Stravinsky, “The Moldau” by Smetana, “Slavonic Dances #4” by Dvorak.
The Orchestra, a volunteer orchestra based in Lakeland, hosts four performances per year for the fall, Christmas, and spring. This was the year that Lewis served as a full-time conductor, having previously served as an interim conductor last summer.
As a retired educator from Hillsborough County, Lewis loves being able to work with his fellow musicians to provide such performances to the public, especially during a time when orchestral music proves not as popular as days gone by.
Susan Miller, a violinist, was one of 12 founding musicians who helped started the orchestra nearly three years ago. Since then, the orchestra has grown in size as well as attendance through free events such as this, she said.
“We have evolved since then,” she said. “Bit by bit, row by row, the garden grew, and one by one, the word got out, the musicians were either informed by other musicians, or heard about us by our website.”
Each of the members range in expertise and proficiency, and each of them are united through their shared passion for performing music. It was this same passion that Walker shared during his brief time within the orchestra, and it was his passion that the rest of the other musicians gained through his influence, Miller said.
“I think we have gained a lot,” she said. “His presence in being here, he was a wonderful addition…I don’t see this orchestra as losing. We have only gained. We have gained from his presence what he has given us.”
For many of the musicians within the orchestra, their musical passions are as strong as the love for each other. This is especially true for Edward Thomas and his girlfriend, Carmen Cordero.
He play trumpet. She plays flute. Together, they have been with the orchestra for three seasons. Their passion for their music proves to be as strong as their passion for each other, Thomas said.
“We love the ability to give back with music,” Thomas said. “That is the very best. Not only that but the people. The people are the best. I love the camraderie of the people. I enjoy it. I love coming here. Everyone is so friendly and nice, and very open and welcoming.”
For more information about the orchestra and their upcoming concerts, visit their website at: https://www.facebook.com/floridaphilharmonia/
