The Florida Highway Patrol is currently investigating a fatal crash in Highlands County. According to Lieutenant Gregory S. Bueno, Public Affairs Division of the Florida Highway Patrol an ATV (driven by a 26 Yr Old Lake Placid man) was traveling south on the southbound lane of Highlands Boulevard, approaching the intersection of Cumberland Street.
At that same time a pickup truck was traveling north on the northbound lane of Highlands Boulevard, north of the intersection of Cumberland Street.
Reportedly the ATV traveled across the centerline and entered the path of the pickup. The front left area of ATV collided with the front left area of pickup. The ATV driver was pronounced deceased on scene.
The crash remains under investigation.
The Florida Highway Patrol per Marsy’s Law does not release the names of victims.
The Florida Hwy Patrol worked a vehicle Vs pedestrian crash on Hwy 27 in Haines City Friday night. The crash resulted in the death of the pedestrian.
According Sergeant Steve Gaskins, Florida Highway Patrol Public Affairs Officer, on August 30, 2024 @ 8:43 PM a Nissan Rogue, driven by a 47-year-old Winter Haven man, was traveling southbound on US-27. At the intersection of Sanders Road, the vehicle continued under a green traffic signal and collided with a pedestrian improperly walking across the highway in a crosswalk. The pedestrian, a 41-year-old Davenport man, suffered fatal injuries at the scene of the crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol does not release names of victims or casualties per their interpretation of Marsy’s Law. We will not get any further updates
The Florida Highway Patrol is currently investigating a fatal crash on Hwy 27 between Sanders Rd. and RWS Ranch rd. In Haines City. According to the FHP all Southbound lanes of Hwy 27 are shut down and drivers are advised to seek alternative routes.
The crash reportedly occurred at 8:36pm and numerous readers have advised that it is a vehicle versus pedestrian crash. We cannot confirm those details at this time, but can confirm it is a fatal crash.
This is a developing story and when FHP releases more information we will update this article!
A group of four Colombians in the United States illegally are responsible for nine high-end residential burglaries in a half-dozen Florida counties, and they are suspected in more. Detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with sheriff’s offices in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, and Collier counties, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
All four suspects were living in Winter Garden, Florida and in the United States illegally. The group targeted the homes of business owners and would surveil the residences ahead of each burglary. Among the items that were sought by the group were: jewelry and watches, designer purses and bags, and cash.
In Polk County, one burglary is known to have occurred in Lakeland, with four other burglaries still under investigation and believed to have been committed by the group. Four burglaries were committed by the group in Hillsborough County, and one burglary each in the other four counties.
The total value of thefts from the nine burglaries is estimated at $1,690,100.
“Polk County and the State of Florida are not alone in this problem; South American Theft Groups are targeting communities all across the country. All four of our suspects have taken advantage of our functionally non-existent border control and entered into the United States illegally to conduct their illegal activities. I am proud of the work by our detectives, the various sheriff’s offices, FDLE, and the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.
Geraldine Galeano-Perez, 33 (currently in the Polk County Jail) Galeano-Perez has charges in Polk County for racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, unlawful use of 2-way communication device, burglary of dwelling, conspiracy to commit burglary, grand theft of $100,000 or more, conspiracy to commit grand theft over $100,000, dealing in stolen property, conspiracy to deal in stolen property, and providing false information of pawned items (13 counts). Her prior criminal history in Colombia includes illegal trafficking/possession of firearms & ammunition, and grand larceny. She has also been arrested in New York for possession of controlled substance, possession of forged instrument, and money laundering. Her bond in Polk County is set at $5.6 million.
Milton Ayala-Sierra, 25 (deported to Colombia). Ayala-Sierra has Polk County charges for racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, and dealing in stolen property. He was charged in Hillsborough County for traveling across county lines to commit burglary and possession of burglary tools. Kissimmee PD charged him with dealing in stolen property and unlawful use of 2-way communication device. His prior criminal history in New York includes possession of forged instrument and money laundering. Ayala-Sierra’s current bond is $2.5 million.
Jason Alexander Higuera-Ruiz, 41 (unknown whereabouts) Higuera-Ruiz has Polk County charges for racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, unlawful use of a 2-way communication device, burglary of a dwelling, conspiracy to commit burglary, grand theft over $100,000, conspiracy to commit grand theft over $100,000, and conspiracy to deal in stolen property. Higuera-Ruiz was able to bail out of jail with GPS monitoring, but he cut the device off and is now at-large. Higuera-Ruiz’s current bond is $5.6 million.
Geiler Orobio-Cabezas, 36 (currently in the Pinellas County Jail) Orobio-Cabezas has Polk County charges for racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, unlawful use of a 2-way communication device, burglary of a dwelling, conspiracy to commit burglary, conspiracy to deal in stolen property, and possession of burglary tools. He was arrested in 2023 in Michigan for burglary. His current bond is $3.1 million.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “These defendants conspired together to commit multiple burglaries across Central Florida—using members of the group as decoys outside the homes of small business owners while others broke into the residences, stealing more than $1.5 million worth of items. Thanks to the great investigative work of our law enforcement partners, our Statewide Prosecutors have charged them with serious felony counts and these criminals will be held accountable.”
FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said, “Like so many others before them, these criminals entered our country illegally and found their way to Florida to victimize our citizens. But under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody and sheriffs like Grady Judd and Chad Chronister, law and order matters and that means the safety of our citizens will always be a top priority. I thank our FDLE agents and analysts who worked diligently on this investigation.”
Timelines for suspects in the United States
Geraldine Galeano-Perez • Illegally in the country from Colombia. • Criminal History in Columbia: Illegal Trafficking or Possession of Firearms and Ammunition, Grand Larceny – Sentenced to 4 years and 7 months (Bogota, Colombia) • Illegally entered the United States from Mexico on or about July 13th, 2021, near Hidalgo, Texas. • Was apprehended by the US border Patrol and was processed as an NTA. (Notice to Appear). • Was ordered removed in Absentia by an Immigration Judge on December 15th, 2022, in New York. • Criminal history in US- NYCPD 2/4/2022 (Criminal possession of controlled substance & Possession of a Forged Instrument) and DEA New York 6/9/2022 (Money Laundering). • Was ordered to be deported by an immigration Judge in 2023, but failed to appear for the hearing. • Arrested in Hillsborough County on 4/23/2024 • Charged with Traveling across county lines to commit a Burglary of a Dwelling ($30,000 bond) • Charged with Possession of burglary tools ($2500.00 bond) • An ICE hold (detainer) was placed on Geraldine on the same day as the arrest. • On 4/24/2024, a GPS monitor was ordered for her (If ICE hold was removed) • It was also ordered that she surrender her passport. • Posted a $32,500 bond on 4/25/2024. • On 4/26/2024 she was transported to the Tampa Border Patrol Facility for processing, but they did not have enough beds for her due it being a non-violent crime and she was going to be released. (Without GPS) • On 4/26/2024, PCSO obtained an arrest warrant for 17 counts of forgery and 14 counts of false information to a pawn broker. It was discovered she was using multiple aliases such as Ana Villalta” and “Ana Villalta Herrera.” These aliases she used to pawn approximately $25,000.00 worth of items. • 4/26/2024, HCSO responded back out to border patrol to take Geraldine in to custody for the outstanding PCSO warrant. • On 5/1/2024, she was extradited from the Hillsborough County Jail to the Polk County Jail. • A judge assigned an elevated bond of $20,000 per each count of the (F2)-False information to a pawn broker and a pre-set bond of $5000.00 bond was set for the (F3)- Forgery charges. A GPS was not granted due to the elevated bonds. • Geraldine is still in custody at the Polk County Jail with a $365,000 bond and an ICE hold.
Geiler Orobio-Cabezas • Geiler was arrested in Troy, Michigan on 2/8/23 for Home Invasion (Burglary) and he was sentenced to 170 days in jail and then scheduled for deportation. • He was ordered deported in July 2023 • Arrested in Hillsborough County on 4/23/2024, charged with Traveling across county lines to commit a Burglary of a Dwelling ($30,000 bond) and Possession of burglary tools ($2500.00 bond) • An ICE hold (detainer) was placed on Orobio-Cabezas on the same day as the arrest. • On 4/24/2024, a GPS monitor was ordered for him (If ICE hold was removed) • It was also ordered that he surrender his passport. • Posted a $32,500 bond on 4/25/2024. • On 4/26/2024 he was transported to the Tampa Border Patrol Facility for processing. • Geiler was determined to be an aggravated 2nd re-entry and was an automatic hold for US Federal custody. • How and where he re-entered is unknown but that is why he is being federally prosecuted. • On 4/29/2024 He was transported to Pinellas County jail for the Federal hold. • Currently in custody at Pinellas County Jail as of 7/3/2024. • Pled guilty to the re-entry charge and is set for sentencing September 6th
Milton Ayala-Sierra • Illegally in the country from Colombia, he entered the USA from Mexico in July, 2021 near Hidalgo, Texas. • Was apprehended by the US Border Patrol and processed as an NTA. (Notice to Appear) • Is a Confirmed ATD (Alternative to detention) violator. • On July 30th,2021 removed his GPS tracking device and the case was forwarded to Fugitive operations for apprehension. • Was ordered removed in Absentia by an Immigration Judge on December 15, 2022 in New York. • Criminal history in US- DEA New York 6/9/2022 (Money Laundering). Arrested with Geraldine. (2/4/2022) New York City Police Department- Possession of a Forged Instrument and Driving without a license. • Was ordered to be removed by an immigration Judge in 2023, but failed to appear at the hearing. • Arrested in Hillsborough County on 4/23/2024 and charged with Traveling across county lines to commit a Burglary of a Dwelling ($30,000 bond) and Possession of burglary tools ($2500.00 bond). • An ICE hold (detainer) was placed on Milton on the same day as the arrest. • Per the Department of Homeland Security, there was PC that the subject is a removable alien (Refer to Immigration Detainer). • On 4/24/2024, a GPS monitor was ordered for him (If ICE hold was removed) • It was also ordered that he surrender his passport. • Posted a $32,500 bond on 4/25/2024. • On 4/26/2024 he was transported to the Tampa Border Patrol Facility for processing. • Milton was transferred to Pinellas County Jail until 4/29/24 and then was going to be transported to the Krome Facility in Miami to prepare for depart regardless of the status of his pending criminal charges due to having bonded out. • On 4/28/2024, Kissimmee Police Department authored a warrant for Unlawful use of a 2-way communication device and Dealing in Stolen property. • On 4/29/2024 he was transferred to Pinellas County jail, which is a temporary holding facility for immigration. • Later transferred to Krome Miami awaiting extradition to Osceola County Jail for the Kissimmee PD charges. • On 5/1/2024, FCIC/NCIC would add that Milton is a National Security threat due to his involvement in the organized burglaries. • On 5/17/2024, was extradited to Osceola County Jail ref the Kissimmee PD charges. • On 5/22/2024, posted a $3000.00 bond and was transferred back to Miami Krome. • On 6/24/2024 he was deported back to Columbia.
Jason Higuera-Ruiz • Jason illegally entered the U.S. in December 2021 through San Luis, Arizona (Yuma Border Patrol Station)-Disposition “paroled” due to custody constraints and instructed to report to ICE. • On March 3/3/22, Notice to Appear from Denver Immigration and Customs for Alien Present without Admission or Parole. • 1/4/24 arrested for DUI-Kansas Highway Patrol • Arrested in Hillsborough County on 4/23/2024, and charged with Traveling across county lines to commit a Burglary of a Dwelling ($30,000 bond) and Possession of burglary tools ($2500.00 bond) • An ICE hold (detainer) was placed on Higuera-Ruiz on the same day as the arrest. • Per the Department of Homeland Security, there was PC that the subject is a removable alien (Refer to Immigration Detainer). • After this arrest it was learned Jason had been arrested by Polk County SO on 4/6/24 for No Valid DL and had posted a cash bond, and was pending a court date. • On 4/24/2024, a GPS monitor was ordered for him (If ICE hold was removed). Also ordered that he surrender passport. • Posted a $32,500 bond on 4/25/2024. • On 4/26/2024 he was transported to the Tampa Border Patrol Facility for processing. • Due to Jason having filed asylum paperwork in Denver, Colorado he would not be detained for deportation and had been processed out of their facility. Border Patrol was advised Jason had been ordered by a Hillsborough County judge to be fitted with a GPS ankle monitor if he bonded and prior to release. Jason was released a very short time later from Border Patrol custody. • PCSO authored an arrest warrant for Jason for Possession of Burglary Tools and this was entered into NCIC/FCIC. • On 4/27/24, Jason was located at an apartment complex and was into custody and transported to the Orange County Jail. • A PCSO request was made for elevated bonds and a GPS ankle monitor upon release. Both request denied by the Judge. Orange County does not have a GPS monitoring system active in their criminal justice system. • Jason was extradited to Polk County on 4/30/24 and released on bond and GPS ankle monitor on 5/1/24. • On 5/8/24, detectives from Polk County SO were informed that Jason had cut his ankle monitor off on 5/3/24 while at or near his residence in Orange County, and could not be located. A NO BOND warrant has been issued for his arrest. • Currently AT-LARGE
Hey everybody it’s Carl, cofounder of the Daily Ridge. My wife and I love travel, but it can be very expensive. We are parents to three kids, now grown, so we have always traveled on a budget. Resort vacations did happen when we could fit them in with some type of work conference. We mostly did road trips with the kids.
Now we are somewhat empty nesters and travel a lot more. Still you have to budget. This past week I got a great idea to celebrate my wife’s birthday in New England. And we are doing it on a budget. We will fly into Hartford, Connecticut and drive through Massachusetts to New Hampshire. Then on to Kennebunkport, Maine and Bar Harbor, Maine. Eventually working our way down the East Coast and head back to Hartford. I’ll give more details at another time why I like flying into Hartford.
We figured we would share our traveling tips with you. We also felt comfortable in bringing you a long with us on the journey. First thing will do is explain the initial cost. You obviously will need to have a plane ticket, rental, car, and a place to sleep for three nights.
I was very lucky to get some cheap tickets just two weeks ago.
Round trip ticket from Orlando airport to Hartford Connecticut (direct flight – Frontier) $66 each. That is all taxes and fees included!
So for two tickets it’s $132.00
Rental Car
I used Budget (long history of good service, easy app, and reasonable prices) and have the vehicle for 4 full days at $237. We are also going to try out an EV SUV for the first time! Wish us luck.
Our rooms are not totally booked but I’ve got some places in mind around $100 per night. I’ll give more details soon on the rooms.
That’s it for this post, but will provide more details soon!
LAKELAND, FL (August 28, 2024) – On Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at approximately 5:00 p.m., two Lakeland Police Detectives were conducting surveillance in the 1800 block of Plateau Village Drive and parked in their unmarked police vehicle when they were approached by one of the suspects in this case, Arthur Jared Williams (age 18). Williams was not the intended target of their surveillance. Williams was also present with Abdul Milik Littles (age 22) and Littles’ vehicle, a red Nissan Maxima.
The detectives were wearing shirts clearly and prominently marked with police insignias, along with badges, duty weapons and other police equipment. Williams walked up to the police vehicle, looked inside and asked the detectives if they had some marijuana. Realizing their surveillance was compromised, the detectives took a photograph of Williams and Littles, then left the area.
The two detectives were later patrolling in the 1100 block of Atlantic Avenue around 5:45 p.m. where they saw the same red Nissan Maxima in the roadway. Standing next to the vehicle was Williams and Littles. As the detectives drove past them, Williams pointed his fingers at the detectives, simulating the firing of a gun.
After passing them, one of the detectives looked in his rear-view mirror to see Williams holding a handgun. Williams then started shooting directly at the detective’s vehicle. The police vehicle was struck 5 times. Video surveillance from the area was obtained which showed Williams firing his handgun 15 times. The two suspects fled the area in the Maxima.
With the valuable assistance of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and an intense search for the suspects immediately began.
In the early morning hours around 1:25 a.m., Williams and Littles were located at a residence in Tampa. The two called for an Uber to pick them up in an attempt to distance themselves from the vehicle. After they left the residence in the Uber, a traffic stop was performed and the two were taken into custody. The Uber driver was extremely cooperative and it was learned the two were headed back to an address on Plateau Avenue in Lakeland.
Williams was arrested for two counts of Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer in the 2ndDegree (with a firearm) and two counts of Shooting Into an Occupied Vehicle. Littles was arrested on unrelated charges by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. However, Littles remains a suspect in this case and charges may be forthcoming. Both were transported to the Hillsborough County Jail.
Through facts learned during investigation, Williams clearly knew the detectives he was shooting at were law enforcement officers.
This investigation remains open and active.
All the members of the Lakeland Police Department wish to express their appreciation to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigations for their cooperation and resources given to assist our agency after this horrific assault on our detectives, and bring the suspects responsible to justice.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit investigated a vehicle versus motorcycle traffic fatality last evening in north Lakeland, Friday, August 23, 2024, around 6:20 p.m. The driver of a black 2001 Mustang, 33-year-old Shannon Lally of Polk City, had just picked up her daughter at the school bus stop on Melody Lane at the intersection with Deen Still Road. Lally made a U-turn in the intersection to go the other way on Melody Lane to her home when a 2009 Ducati motorcycle that was heading west on Deen Still crashed into her. Lally told deputies she looked both ways before making the U-turn and did not see any oncoming traffic.
The motorcyclist, 44-year-old Michael Goodman of Mulberry, suffered significant injuries, to which he succumbed after being transported to the hospital. Nobody in the Mustang was injured.
Once upon a time, video game adaptations were considered box office poison. From the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros movie to Street Fighter and BloodRayne, films based on video games were consistently never good. Not only did they fail to accurately reflect the games they were adapting, but they also failed to be proper movies in and of themselves.
However, recently, video game adaptations, both big screen and small, have seen a significant shift in quality. Both Mario and Sonic have experienced box office success with their respective movies, and Fallout has proven to be one of the best series streaming on Amazon Prime.
So, with this recent wave of video game adaptations that are actually good, one would assume the Borderlands movie, based upon the popular sci-fi first-person open-world shooter, would also be good. But does this movie live up to the hype of the AAA game it’s based upon? Or do fans need to hunt for more loot boxes until they find the treasure they’re searching for?
Borderlands is set in space within a dystopian future—specifically, on the planet Pandora. (No, not the planet from Avatar!) Legend has it that the ultimate power of the universe, created by an ancient alien species, is hidden somewhere on that planet in a location known as the Vault. An evil corporation (is there any other?) called Atlas is dead set on finding this ancient power and claiming it for itself—because money!
This is where our protagonist steps in. Lilith, a bounty hunter, is hired by Atlas to track down a young girl, Tiny Tina, who is suspected of being “the key” to locating and finding The Vault. However, rather than return Tina to the Atlas Corporation, Lilith instead decides to protect the child and track down The Vault herself.
Lilith is joined on her quest by an eclectic band of equally eccentric characters, including the robot ClapTrap, a renegade solider named Roland, and a mad scientist named Dr. Patricia Tannis. Will this ragtag group of ruffians be able to find the Vault before the evil corporation does? And in doing so, become the guardians of their galaxy?
Confession time: I have never played the Borderlands games. (I’m more of a classic gamer than a modern gamer!) The only thing I know about them is that they are a first-person shooter set in a dystopian future in space. (So, essentially, Fallout meets Mass Effect.) Also, one of the characters, Tiny Tina, is voiced by Ashly Burch, who also voices Molly McGee in Disney’s The Ghost and Molly McGee.
So, as such, I will only be reviewing this movie as a movie and not as a video game adaptation. From what I have heard from fans through online discourse, this movie is nothing like the video games. So, I will take their word for it that this is not a good adaptation of the Borderlands games.
So, how does the movie stand on its own? Eh, not great. On the one hand, the entire movie reeks of, “We have Guardians of the Galaxy at home!” But on the other hand, the movie still has some charm despite being a discount Guardians.
Let’s not kid ourselves. This movie has some real A-list actors. Cate Blanchett. Jamie Lee Curtis. Kevin Hart. Even Jack Black as the eccentric robot ClapTrap. Say what you want about their performances in this movie. But even when they’re not at their best, they’re still pretty good actors.
My personal favorite is Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina. She is a real Chaotic Neutral hell gremlin with manic pixie nightmare girl energy, a spunky little brat who can throw insults as hard as she can her own homemade explosives. She gives me real Nimona energy. (Ariana also claimed she modeled her character after Margot Robbie, so, at the very least, she makes for a good discount Harley Quinn.)
Cate Blanchett as Lilith was also a fun character. From what I could glean, while she didn’t look exactly like the video game character she was based on, she still did an excellent job playing a world-weary yet still kickass bounty hunter. Watching her pack heat and pull off some really badass moves almost made me forget this was the same woman who played Galadriel and Hela. (From what I could glean from interviews, she said she chose that role to test her limits and versatility as an actress. And, well, while not perfect, she did a good enough job.)
Of course, most of the action scenes were pretty decent, but where the movie really shined was the comedy. I didn’t make the comparison to Guardians lightly. Where this movie really works is the overall camaraderie of a reluctant ragtag team of ruffians and how they comedically bounce off of each other through their witty banter and retorts. My favorite scene is where ClapTrap has to distract a mob of armed thugs, and as he does so, he blurts out a string of curse words—that he’s being told to say by Tiny Tina. (Sorry, that’s hilarious!)
Unfortunately, where the movie fails is the story. Again, I didn’t make the Guardians comparison lightly. I never played Borderlands, but the overall plot does feel like it was trying to copy Guardians’ homework, what with an evil villain trying to hunt down a cosmic McGuffin and a ragtag group of misfits trying to stop him. (Also, no spoilers, but one of the key plot points is that one of the characters is the “key” to unlocking the cosmic McGuffin. There’s a twist about that character and plot point you can see coming a mile away!)
Overall, while I cannot determine whether or not the movie does the game justice, I will take fans’ word that it doesn’t. But while the film is evidently imperfect, there’s still a sliver of good acting, witty comedy, and bombastic action scenes that will, at the very least, keep you entertained for nearly two hours. I wouldn’t recommend watching this movie in theaters, but I would say give it a chance once it comes out on streaming and rental. At the worst, it’s so bad it’s good!
Here on Cooking on the Ridge, I’ve been experimenting with various elaborate recipes, from cream cheese and bacon stuffed chicken breasts to pickle marinated ranch chicken.
However, sometimes you don’t want to prepare a meal that’s fancy, complicated, or over-the-top. Sometimes you want to make something simple and easy. (And sometimes, you want to cook something other than chicken!)
Sometimes, you don’t want to make something with a lot of flavor or fancy ingredients. Sometimes, you simply want a nice warm meal. Sometimes, you crave simple comfort food, something to make you feel better when you’re feeling down or having a bad day. (Like, for instance, your faithful dog of 11 years eventually passes away!)
So, for this week’s recipe, I opted to prepare a meal that was simple, easy to make, and overall comforting–a meal that brings back warm and happy memories of better days gone by, especially one’s childhood.
To me, two meals come to mind when I think of childhood comfort food. First, macaroni and cheese. And second, Hamburger Helper.
I loved Hamburger Helper as a kid. I loved the noodles and sauce mixed with the various seasonings to make something like spaghetti only fancier–or, at least fancy by the standards of a single-digit-old child.
Obviously, Hamburger Helper isn’t so much a recipe as it is something you make from a box. But for this article, I chose a recipe that’s close enough: American goulash.
If you think about it, American goulash is essentially a fancier version of Hamburger Helper: ground beef browned and mixed with tomato sauce, pasta, and seasoning. It’s a simple and filling meal that makes for a real emotional picker-upper.
Even better: this recipe is prepared using a slow cooker. So, all you need to do is brown the beef and dump it in along with the other ingredients into the crockpot, then set it and forget it for the rest of the day until dinner rolls around.
I admit, this recipe, while simple, managed to offer simple comfort, especially during a time when I wasn’t feeling all that comfortable. It’s a delectable form of emotional support that’s great for a rainy day–or even a not-so-rainy day!
The following recipe is from The Cookie Rookie:
Ingredients
· 2 pounds ground beef
· 1 large onion diced
· 4 garlic cloves minced
· 4 cups water
· 4 beef bouillon cubes
· 28 ounces crushed tomatoes 1 standard can
· 30 ounces petite diced tomatoes 2 15-ounce cans
· 2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
· 3 bay leaves
· 2 tbsps Italian Seasoning
· 1 tsp salt
· 4 cups elbow macaroni
· 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
1. In a nonstick pan over medium heat, cook the ground beef until it’s no longer pink, about 7-10 minutes. Drain and add to the crockpot.
2. Add the onion, garlic, water, bouillon cubes, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and salt. Stir well.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2 hours.
4. 30 minutes prior to serving, stir in the macaroni. Cover and cook just until the noodles are tender.
5. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the cheddar cheese.
6. Serve immediately so that the pasta does not turn mushy.
Around 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 22nd, we received information that a known wanted suspect, 45-year-old Matthew Bruce Coleman, was in the area of West Socrum Loop Road in Lakeland. In addition to his active warrant, he is well-known to law enforcement as a suspect in other crimes, and is considered to be armed and dangerous. The U.S. Marshals Service has been assisting PCSO in looking for him. The tip we received last night was that he was armed and threatening to injure any law enforcement officers who came looking for him.
When deputies arrived at the location, several witnesses reported that Coleman was possibly in a backyard shed. The deputies announced their presence, and were immediately confronted with several gunshots in their direction, coming out of the shed. Nobody was injured. Deputies established a perimeter and communications with Coleman, who repeatedly refused to surrender. The PCSO SWAT and Crisis Negotiations teams responded to the scene but eventually he ceased all communication with law enforcement. A chemical agent was introduced into the shed, after which time deputies made entry and found Coleman deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had two loaded handguns in the shed with him, along with several spent shell casings.
