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This Day in History – January 12 1904 – Henry Ford Sets Speed Record

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This Day in History – January 12 1904 – Henry Ford Sets Speed Record

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Henry Ford Sets Speed Record

Henry Ford was born on a farm in present-day Dearborn, Michigan, on July 30, 1863. In 1896, Ford, then an engineer in Detroit, built a four-wheel, self-propelled vehicle with a gasoline engine that he called the Quadricycle. Three years later, he founded the Detroit Automobile Company; however, by early 1901 the business failed. That same year, Henry Ford became involved in auto racing as a means to promote himself and gather investors for future automaking ventures. Late that year, the Henry Ford Company was established. The following year, Ford left the business after clashing with Henry Leland, who had been hired as a consultant. (Leland subsequently gave Ford’s company a new name: the Cadillac Automobile Company.)

On June 16, 1903, Ford incorporated a new company: the Ford Motor Company. In January of the following year, Ford set his record at Lake St. Clair, racing 1 mile in 39.4 seconds for a record speed of 91.37 mph. For the next several years, Ford continued to build race cars that met with varying degrees of success. In 1908, Ford launched a car for the masses, the Model T, which revolutionized the automotive industry–and American society in general–by providing affordable, reliable transportation for the average person. To promote the Model T, Ford entered it in races. In 1909, the Model T won a New York-to-Seattle race and although it was later disqualified due to a technicality, the event provided great advertising for Ford. Over the next few years, the Model T won a variety of races around the U.S. In 1913, Ford, who was reportedly unhappy with certain rules of auto racing, quit the sport. (Now that his company was a success, he didn’t require the publicity from racing anyway.)

In 1913, Ford Motor Company began employing the moving assembly line at its plant in Highland Park, Michigan, which reduced the assembly speed of a chassis from 12 hours and eight minutes to one hour and 33 minutes. The following year, Ford produced over 308,000 vehicles, more than the output of all other carmakers combined. The Model T, which was in production until 1927, became the world’s top-selling vehicle until the Volkswagen Beetle surpassed it in 1972. Henry Ford died at the age of 83 on April 7, 1947.

Leave It To Beavers

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Leave It To Beavers

Leave it to beavers

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Did you know that beavers are the largest rodent native to North America? They use their sharp teeth and strong jaws to chew through small trees, which they use for their dams. Through dam building, beavers create ponds with deep water where they can find protection from predators. The ponds created by beavers also provide important habitat for fish and other wildlife including nesting wood ducks, migratory waterfowl, otters, and turtles. Beavers are well suited for life in the water with thick fur coats. When beavers go underwater they can close their nostrils and ears, have transparent eyelids that cover their eyes like goggles, and can stay below the surface for up to 15 minutes.

More information: http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/…/aquatic/beaver/

Photo by Lisa Smith

#Beaver #Florida

Polk County Jury Finds Guatemalan Man Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting & Impregnating 11 Year Old Girl

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Polk County Jury Finds Guatemalan Man Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting & Impregnating 11 Year Old Girl

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Bartow, Florida – A Guatemalan man has been convicted of impregnating an 11-year-old, who he sexually abused since she was 9 years old. Today Circuit Judge Jalal Harb sentenced 25 year old Rony Mendez to life imprisonment for raping the young girl. The jury of 4 men and 2 woman found Mendez guilty of multiple sexual assaults on the girl which included her getting pregnant. The conviction carried a mandatory life sentence.

The abuse was discovered at the end of November, 2014, when the girl’s mother took her to the health department for an unknown illness. Her mother thought the nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite her daughter was suffering were a result of recent vaccinations. They contacted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. According to reports detectives went to talk to Mendez, but he had left his work in a rush. He was later found to have moved to Guatemala to avoid prosecution. In 2016 with the help of the PCSO and FBI Mendez was extradited back to the United States of America. Meanwhile the baby was born and DNA testing proved the Mendez was the father.

Bartow Police Currently Working Accident Involving Polk County School Bus

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Bartow Police Currently Working Accident Involving Polk County School Bus

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Bartow, Florida – The Bartow Police Department is currently working a bus vs. vehicle accident at the intersection of Flamingo Dr. and Church St. At this point the Polk County School Board spokesperson, Kyle Kennedy, has advised that it is a bus servicing the Bartow Middle School. The principal of the school is at the scene and the bus was transporting approximately 8 children. According to the Bartow Police Department none of the children were injured in the accident. Parents were being notified. The driver of the vehicle was being transported as a precaution.

 

Winter Haven Restaurant Owner Attacked With Meat Cleaver

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Winter Haven Restaurant Owner Attacked With Meat Cleaver

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Winter Haven Police Department Press Release

The owners of the China Park restaurant in Winter Haven survived an attack with a meat cleaver after a temporary employee they offered a full-time job to attacked them.

On 1-10-17 at approximately 9:28 p.m., Zheng Shan: pronounced “Ch-uh-ng Sh-ah-n” (female DOB 7-18-72) and Jia Dong : pronounced just like spelled (male DOB 11-22-71) were in the kitchen area of the restaurant, China Park (7120 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven) with a temporary employee, Zhong Huang: pronounced “Ch-ow-ng (like “own” with a ch in front) Who-Ong” (male DOB 4-17-88).
The owners had hired Huang as a temporary employee through an agency out of New York. He had been working for the couple for two days and Shan wanted to offer him a permanent position with the restaurant. When Shan requested his identification so she could complete the paperwork to begin the process, Huang got upset and began yelling at Shan. He refused to give the identification and that’s when Dong stepped in and told Huang to leave the restaurant.

Huang continued to argue and was more outraged as he was told to leave and that the police would be called if he didn’t leave immediately. When Dong turned to go to the front of the restaurant, Huang picked up a meat cleaver and began swinging at Dong striking him in the neck and yelling that he was going to kill both Dong and Shan.
Shan ran to help and Huang began swinging the cleaver at her striking her in the hand. She attempted to get the cleaver from him, but Huang pinned her head to a counter and they continued to struggle. Ultimately he let go of the cleaver and told the couple that if they call police, he would come back and kill them when he got out of jail. He then left through the front door of the restaurant. (Neither Dong nor Shan received serious injuries.)

Shan called 9-1-1 and when police arrived, they located Huang at the back door of the restaurant. He was taken into custody without incident. Shan and Dong were both treated at the scene by EMS personnel for cuts and scrapes.
Huang was booked into the Polk County Jail on charges of Attempted Murder 2nd Degree (F2) and Tampering in Felony Second Degree Proceeding.

UPDATE: Emergency Crews Working Mass Casualty Accident In Eagle Lake

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UPDATE: Emergency Crews Working Mass Casualty Accident In Eagle Lake

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At approximately 9:00 am, today, Wednesday, January 11, 2017, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a serious crash that occurred on Highway 17 in the area of Eloise in Winter Haven.  The crash involved a 2005 grey, Toyota Tundra, and 2006 Citrus Connection Bus.

Seven victims were transported: Four from the bus and all three occupants of the pickup truck.

Those victims from the bus were transported to Winter Haven Hospital all with minor injuries and are expect to be released later today.  The bus driver was uninjured.

The three victims from the pickup truck were airlifted to Tampa General where all three are listed in critical condition.  The victims in the pickup truck are related and include an adult male, and two young children ages 4 and 7.

UPDATE VICTIMS IDENTIFIED:

Pickup truck: Driver 36-year-old Jaron Skipper, 7-year-old Emma Skipper, and 4-yar-old John Skipper, all of North 9th Street Eagle Lake.

Bus Driver – 56 Debra Pullins, Dean Still Road, Polk City – uninjured

Bus Passenger- 19-year-old Anabel Rodriguez, Dixie Highway, Auburndale, stable condition at WHH

Bus Passenger – 62-year-old Calvin Edwards, Central Avenue, WH, stable condition at WHH

Bus Passenger – 48-year-old Richard Watkins, Summerfield Circle, WH, stable condition at WHH

Bus Passenger 37-year-old Derrick Taylor, Tangerine Drive, Haines City, stable condition at WHH

Primary investigation suggests, the male driver of the pickup truck was traveling south on Highway 17 when he collided into the rear of the stopped bus which was collecting passengers near Casey Avenue on Highway 17.

The driver of the pickup was not wearing a seatbelt.  The 7-year-old victim was ejected through the front windshield of the pickup truck – this child was not seat-belted.  The 4-year-old was wearing a seatbelt but also suffered significant injuries.  All three victims are listed in critical condition at Tampa General

The southbound lanes of Highway 17 were closed for approximately 5 hours.

The investigation is ongoing.

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One Person Confirmed Dead In Structure Fire Near Winter Lake Road

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One Person Confirmed Dead In Structure Fire Near Winter Lake Road

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Update January 12 – 9:30 am – At approximately 10:58 am, on Wednesday, January 11, 2017, Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Timberline Road residence to assist Polk County Fire Rescue with a residential fire in which a victim had been located deceased inside.

The decedent has been identified as 67-year-old Donald Merkley – 3353 Timberline Road, West.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire originated in the living room of the residence – the source, a small electric heater. According to the Fire Marshal Investigators, a recliner chair located close to the heater caught fire which then spread throughout the home.

The death does not appear suspicious in nature; however, an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of death.

Winter Haven, Florida – Polk County Fire Rescue is currently on scene of a residential structure fire. According to Polk County Fire Rescue spokesperson, Kevin Walter, one person has been killed in a structure fire on Timberline Rd. off of Winter Lake Rd. The fire appears to have started after 11am.

We will update this article as more information is released.

Terrance Barnett Sentenced To Life In Prison In The Murder Of Detention Sgt. Ronnie Brown

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Terrance Barnett Sentenced To Life In Prison In The Murder Of Detention Sgt. Ronnie Brown

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Bartow, Florida – Terrence Jerome Barnett, formerly of Frostproof, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of Polk Sheriff’s Detention Sgt Ronnie Brown. Jurors had found Barnett guilty of Brown’s death on Sep 25, 2015. On September 30, 2015 that same jury recommended the death sentence for Barnett by a 7-5 vote. Once this occurred it moved into a new phase and Circuit Court Judge Jalal Harb would have to make the final decision. On November 17, 2016, after several hearings, the state withdrew it’s request for “The Death Penalty” electing to ask for life in prison.

Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd, had stated in the past that he felt Judge Harb should sentence Brown to death for Brown’s murder. “He planned it, he knew he was going to fight, and at the end of the day he deserves it,” Judd said. “We will respect the judge’s decision but he should die for killing Ronnie Brown.” according to a quote in the Lakeland Ledger from 2016.

Today the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded this way on twitter:

Sergeant Ronnie Brown was injured in the line of duty on Sunday, August 30, 2009, after responding to inmate Terrance Barnett’s cell in the South County Jail. Barnett was being held for Murder out of Highlands County and became agitated demanding to be transferred to Central County Jail, threatening to break the sprinkler head in his room if deputies did not comply with his demands.

Barnett became increasingly violent and broke the sprinkler head in his cell, causing water to continuously spray into the cell. Several deputies, including Sgt. Brown, responded to his cell to escort him out. After Sgt. Brown and Sgt. Bobby Russell entered the cell, Barnett battered, and shoved Sgt. Brown backwards, knocking him against the wall and causing him to land on the floor on his back. Sgt. Brown had to be rescued from the cell by his fellow deputies, due to the injuries he received as a result of being shoved into the wall and onto the floor by the inmate. Barnett was eventually taken into custody after deputies used chemical agent to bring him into compliance.

Sergeant Brown was taken by ambulance during the early morning hours of Monday, August 31st, to Lake Wales Hospital to be treated for his injured back, and released. The next afternoon, Tuesday, September 1st, the injuries to his back were so severe that he could not move. He was transported to Winter Haven Hospital, and he underwent back surgery on Wednesday, September 2, 2009. He remained in Winter Haven Hospital after surgery and died at the hospital on Monday, September 8, 2009.

Terrence Barnett was charged on September 3, 2009, with Aggravated Battery on LEO, 2 counts Battery on LEO, Criminal Mischief, Depriving an Officer of Means of Protection, and 3 counts Resisting an Officer with Violence, due to his violent actions on August 30th against Sgt. Brown and the other detention deputies at the South County Jail.

Wacky Wednesday – On an Island in the North Sea, Easter Has Arrived Early

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Wacky Wednesday – On an Island in the North Sea, Easter Has Arrived Early

Wacky Wednesday – On an Island in the North Sea, Easter Has Arrived Early

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THU, JAN 05

To the delight of children, thousands of plastic eggs, filled with tiny toys and notes, washed ashore on Germany’s Langeoog Island.

It is likely that they fell from a cargo ship and washed ashore after an intense storm.

Children and Parents gathered the eggs  and cleaned the shore to prevent any wildlife from being harmed.

Emergency Crews Working Mass Casualty Accident In Eagle Lake

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Emergency Crews Working Mass Casualty Accident In Eagle Lake
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Photo of accident on Highway 17 (submitted by reader)

Update January 12: According to reporter Lucas Bogg with Fox News the one child and the father involved in an accident on Wednesday morning have been upgraded, but their brother and son is still in critical condition.


 
In a facebook post just hours afterwards the wife and mother requested prayers for her babies.

Update:

At approximately 9:00 am, today, Wednesday, January 11, 2017, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a serious crash that occurred on Highway 17 in the area of Eloise in Winter Haven.  The crash involved a 2005 grey, Toyota Tundra, and 2006 Citrus Connection Bus.

Seven victims were transported: Four from the bus and all three occupants of the pickup truck.

Those victims from the bus were transported to Winter Haven Hospital all with minor injuries and are expect to be released later today.  The bus driver was uninjured.

The three victims from the pickup truck were airlifted to Tampa General where all three are listed in critical condition.  The victims in the pickup truck are related and include an adult male, and two young children ages 4 and 7.

Primary investigation suggests, the male driver of the pickup truck was traveling south on Highway 17 when he collided into the rear of the stopped bus which was collecting passengers near Casey Avenue on Highway 17.

The driver of the pickup was not wearing a seatbelt.  The 7-year-old victim was ejected through the front windshield of the pickup truck – this child was not seat-belted.  The 4-year-old was wearing a seatbelt but also suffered significant injuries.  All three victims are listed in critical condition at Tampa General

The southbound lanes of Highway 17 were closed for approximately 5 hours.

The investigation is ongoing.

Original Release:

Eagle Lake, Florida – According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies are currently on scene of a traffic crash involving a city bus versus a vehicle on US Highway 17 in the Eloise area of Winter Haven. Highway 17 is completely blocked between Snively Ave. and Highway 540. Motorists are asked to avoid the area. The crash occurred just before 9 am.

Emergency crews knew immediately that this involved mass trauma injuries and required as many as 4 ambulances. Multiple medical evacuation helicopters have been called in. Initial reports advised of multiple pediatric trauma’s, but this has not been confirmed by authorities.

According to Citrus Connection public transportation one of their buses was involved and they are reporting that a vehicle rear-ended bus number 22xw.

We will update this article as more information is available.

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