Bartow, Fla. (Sept. 23, 2024) — Polk County is making sandbags available throughout the county on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Locations listed below will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sandbag site locations are:
Mulberry/South Lakeland – Loyce E. Harpe Park, 500 W. Carter Road, Mulberry
Lakeland – 8970 N. Campbell Road, Lakeland
Fort Meade – 1061 NE 9th St., Fort Meade
Frostproof – 350 County Road 630A, Frostproof
Auburndale – 1701 Holt Road, Auburndale
Dundee – 805 Dr. Martin Luther King St. SW, Dundee
Poinciana Park – 5109 Allegheny Road, Kissimmee 34759
A maximum of 10 sandbags will be provided to each household address to help prevent water intrusion into the home. You will need to bring a driver license to show your local address.
Residents living in flood prone areas are encouraged to sandbag their homes. To protect against water damage, follow these simple sandbagging techniques. At the area where water can enter a structure:
If not working on concrete, dig a small ditch just deep enough to go below ground level. The ditch should be back far enough from the entrance to allow room to place optional submersible (sump) pumps into the protected area. The edge of the visqueen should be placed in the ditch as a bottom layer.
Place the first row of sandbags in ditch, fold visqueen over the top of first row, place a second row of bags on top, fold visqueen back over, place a third row of bags on top, and so on. This creates an “S” pattern with the visqueen.
Depending on the size of the barrier, submersible (sump) pumps can be used. The barrier will not completely stop water from entering the protected area; however, with the by properly placing bags, visqueen and sump pumps, water, in most cases, can be removed quickly.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Armoni Moody (23, Davenport) with carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted on all counts, Moody faces a minimum mandatory penalty of seven years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Moody that the United States intends to forfeit a SCCY firearm and assorted rounds of ammunition, which are alleged to have been used in the commission of the offense.
According to the indictment, on June 12, 2024, Moody used a firearm to commit a carjacking during which he took a vehicle from the victim with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm. Prior to the offense, Moody had previously been convicted of robbery with a weapon on May 13, 2021. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
Editors Note: The carjacking & robbery followed an attempted marijuana buy! The suspect was supposed to sell the drugs to the victim. Here is a quote from the arrest affidavit – “The suspect tells the victim the marijuana is going to be $55, and the victim gives the suspect the money, at which time the suspect produces a handgun and holds it to the victim’s head, stating, “Yeah, this is a robbery ima need all that if you don’t give it up ima shoot you.”
This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
According to Sergeant Steve Gaskins, Florida Highway Patrol, Public Affairs Officer a deadly crash occurred last night on Interstate 4. The accident reportedly occurred around 10pm. “Vehicle 1, a Toyota 4Runner, driven by a 42-year-old Bradenton woman, was traveling westbound on I-4 in the center lane. Vehicle 2, a Ford F550, driven by a 41-year-old Altamonte Springs man, was traveling westbound on I-4 in the outside lane, adjacent to Vehicle 1. Near Milepost 34, Vehicle 1 traveled to the outside lane and collided with Vehicle 2. Upon impact, Vehicle 1 traveled to the left, then back across the highway before overturning and striking the Exit 33 road sign as Vehicle 2 came to a controlled stop. Driver 1 suffered fatal injuries at the scene of the crash while Driver 2 was not injured.
A passenger traveling in Vehicle 1, a 27-year-old Palmetto man, suffered serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital.
According to Brian Bruchey, Public Information Officer, with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office a deadly crash of the evening occurred about 8:36 pm at 12797 Rockridge Road, north of Lakeland, and involved just one vehicle—a 1992 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.
According to the preliminary investigation, the truck had been traveling east on Rockridge Road when it left the roadway and struck a wooden power pole.
Upon the arrival of first responders, the driver was found deceased inside the vehicle. He was identified as 22 – year old Jerome Cooke of Lakeland.
Rockridge Road was closed for approximately four-and-a-half hours.
LAKELAND, FL (September 22, 2024) – On Saturday, September 21, 2024, at approximately 8:49 p.m., officers responded to a traffic crash involving a black Toyota pickup truck and a silver Toyota sedan in the 4100 block of State Road 33. Just prior to the crash, the silver sedan was traveling southbound on State Road 33 and the black pickup truck was traveling northbound on State Road 33. For unknown reasons, the sedan struck the west curb, entered the center median, then crossed into the northbound lanes of State Road 33. The front of the sedan then impacted the front of the pickup truck.
The Lakeland Police Department Patrol Units, Polk County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department all arrived on the scene to begin life-saving measures. Despite the best efforts of these responders, the driver of the silver sedan was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver and passengers of the black pickup truck were transported to Lakeland Regional Health with non-life-threatening injuries.
The roadway was partially shutdown for approximately four hours.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to contact Traffic Crash Investigator Officer Camilo Almeida at camilo.almeida@lakelandgov.net.
According to the Polk County Fire Rescue a two vehicle crash occurred at approximately 11:38 am this morning at the intersection of 17/92 W at Lee Jackson Hwy W in Haines City. The crash involved a grey SUV of some type and a white in color sedan.
After the crash the front end of the white sedan caught on fire and Haines City Fire Department arrived on scene to put it out.
White Sedan Catches On Fire In Two Vehicle Crash In Haines City. (Photo Credit to A.Todd)
At this time we do not believe any significant injuries occurred as no one was transported for medical care. If additional information is released we will update this article.
Traffic was still backed up as of 12:30pm, but should be cleared soon.
White Sedan Catches On Fire In Two Vehicle Crash In Haines City. (Photo Credit to A.Todd)
When Beetlejuice was first released in theaters in 1988, the dark horror comedy helped set the tone of Tim Burton’s unique macabre aesthetic. Since then, the director has released other horror-themed classics including Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Corpse Bride.
Now, more than 25 years later, Burton returns to the director’s chair to helm the sequel to the movie that helped kickstart his career. And with the Beetlejuice franchise experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks to the Broadway musical adaptation, a sequel seemed almost inevitable in this nostalgia-fueled movie landscape. But was Beetlejuice worth bringing back from the dead? Or was this movie best kept long buried and forgotten?
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice takes place several decades after the events of the first movie. Lydia Deetz has grown up to become a popular paranormal investigator with an estranged relationship with her daughter Astrid. The two are forced to mend their ties following the death of Lydia’s father, and matters only become more complicated when Lydia is proposed to the day of her father’s wake.
Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, Beetlejuice continues his career as a “bio-exorcist.” He soon finds himself in the crosshairs of a scorned former lover who is out for revenge, sucking up the souls of the dead and intending to hunt down Beetlejuice for his soul. Will he manage to evade the wrath of his ex? And will Lydia and Astrid tie up their severed mother/daughter relationship?
Undoubtedly, the best part of the movie is its visuals. The sequel manages to maintain the same uncanny German expressionist-inspired aesthetic that had since defined Burton’s signature style. And surprisingly enough, unlike most other modern films, it doesn’t rely heavily on CGI. Like the original, the movie relies mostly on practical effects and stop motion that helps the unreal elements feel all the more real. This movie could have been nothing but wall-to-wall CGI, but instead, it wisely decided to try a more “practical” approach. And the film looks all the better for it.
Many of the former actors do an excellent job of reprising their roles. Michael Keaton effortlessly reprises his role as the titular character, even while he’s now past 70 years old! Winona Ryder does an excellent job acting like the grown-up version of her original teenage character. Even Catherine O’Hara performs her role of an aging eccentric socialite well. (The only character who doesn’t return is the one played by Jeffery Jones. He’s not dead, but considering what he did, he’d probably be better off that way!)
Jenny Ortega plays the character of Astrid well. No surprise there! She nailed it as Wednesday Addams on the Wednesday Netflix show. And her performance as a jaded goth girl in this movie, while more muted than her Wednesday character, was nailed equally well in this movie. (There’s even a cute, clever reference to Wednesday in this movie. Let’s just say when you see it, it’ll “snap” into place for you.)
Admittedly, the only real “flaw” was the first act, which started the film at a pace slower than molasses. Not surprising, considering the movie clocks in at nearly two hours long. (Interestingly
enough, the original movie was only an hour and a half, which is rather “fast” compared to modern movies that can be up to three hours long!)
Another aspect against the film is its complicated plot. Whereas the original movie only had a single plotline following the two main characters, this movie has multiple storylines for multiple characters. For the sequel to a movie that was rather simple, this movie certainly wants to become more complex and complicated.
However, the slow start and needlessly complicated plot aside, everything eventually pays off when things start to pick up steam in the second act. (No spoiler: but let’s just say that the inciting incident involves a plot twist to a plot twist to a character. When you see it, you’ll know, and it’s quite a surprise.) And once the third act rolls around, every disparate plot line eventually comes colliding together in a pleasantly chaotic mess that certainly lives up to the chaotic spirit of the original movie.
Overall, while Beetlejuice Beetlejuice starts slow with a complicated web of plot threads, the remainder of the movie more than compensates with a manic kinetic energy that culminates in a chaotic third act that’s simply worth dying for. If you love the original movie, you’ll love the sequel.
The City of Bartow will cut the ribbon on the newly renovated Bartow Sports Complex, located at 850 County Road 555, on Friday, Oct. 4 at 9:30 am This project was a joint venture between the City of Bartow Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department and Visit Central Florida Sports.
The renovations included the construction of four new softball fields, two restrooms, two batting cage structures, four shade structures, eight shade covered bleachers and the installation of sidewalks leading from parking area. There also was a paved driveway added into the park with an additional entrance/exit location on to Highway 555. The parking area for the complex will accommodate 742 vehicles. The total cost for the project was $5,791,300 million, split evenly between both parties.
“The Bartow Sports Complex is poised to become an even bigger landmark for the City of Bartow,” said Jason Hargrove, Bartow’s Director of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts.
“Thanks to a great partnership with Polk County (Visit Central Florida Sports), we can provide a facility to our residents that they can be proud of and participate in recreational leagues along with being one of the jewels of Sports tourism in Bartow. These fields will be high quality for both our residents and visitors who travel here for tournaments.”
The new softball fields at the Complex are expected to attract more than 30 events annually, including youth softball tournaments, high school and college softball tournaments and 55+ softball tournaments. This expansion will allow current partners, such as United States Fastpitch Association, National Softball Association, USA Softball, Tier One Fastpitch, among others, to create even larger events in the City.
The improvements at the Complex also will allow the ability to recruit high caliber events, such as the USA Softball Junior Olympic Cup, international championships and state tournaments. The total economic impact of these events is projected to be more than $17 million – $11 million of which is projected to stay in Bartow.
“The renovation at the Bartow Sports Complex is a terrific partnership between the City of Bartow and Polk County (Visit Central Florida Sports). This project will create a world class facility that will house Polk County’s largest collection of fast pitch softball fields, totaling eight,” said Mark Jackson, Central Florida’s Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing Director.
“The seemingly unending demand we have created for softball in all its iterations and decades of developing that demand for Bartow and Polk County have led to this exciting project. By adding more supply, we continue to fuel the economic dynamo of sports tourism in Polk County and Bartow,” Jackson added.
This facility will also allow the City’s Parks & Recreation staff to create new recreational leagues such as Adult/Co-Ed Slow-Pitch Softball and Kickball leagues for our residents. The City will continue to serve the Bartow Babe Ruth Youth Softball League at the Complex.
The first softball tournament on the new fields is scheduled to begin just hours after the ribbon cutting. It will be a Showcase style event welcoming up to 32 teams from around the state, and a few from outside of Florida. College coaches will be in attendance to evaluate the 16 and under and 18 and under teams.
It is with profound sadness and deep sympathy that Sheriff Chad Chronister and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announce the loss of a deputy following a fatal crash.
Deputy Darell Brown, 40, tragically was killed on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at approximately 7:45 a.m. after a collision involving a semi-truck on U.S. Highway 301 just north of Stacy Road in Thonotosassa.
Brown joined HCSO in January 2015 and faithfully served his community as a detention deputy in both detention facilities. Most recently, he served in the Booking Unit at the Orient Road Jail.
“Our hearts break for the family, friends, and loved ones of Deputy Brown as they navigate this incomprehensible loss,”said Sheriff Chad Chronister.“This tragedy comes at an incredibly difficult time, as our Sheriff’s Office still grieves the loss of Deputy White. I humbly ask the community to pray for all those impacted by these painful losses. Deputy Brown was more than just a colleague; he was a friend, a mentor, and a source of inspiration to many. His genuine warmth, commitment, and compassionate spirit left a lasting impact on everyone fortunate enough to know him.”
Deputy Brown was off-duty driving his personal vehicle at the time of the crash. The Florida Highway Patrol will conduct the crash investigation.
Hezedean Smith, who became Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) Chief in November 2022, resigned effective September 30, 2024. His resignation followed a critical report commissioned by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners, which highlighted management issues within PCFR. This report, conducted by Allen, Norton & Blue, P.A., reviewed the work environment at PCFR and prompted the county to seek changes to improve the department’s culture.
County Manager Bill Beasley placed Chief Smith on administrative leave before his resignation. Deputy County Manager Joe Halman, who oversees Public Safety, had been involved in addressing issues within PCFR, including controversies surrounding staffing decisions and disciplinary actions under his supervision.
At the BOCC meeting, Tuesday, the board voted unanimously to approve Shawn Smith as interim Polk County Fire Rescue Chief.
At no time in the commission meeting did county manager, Bill Beasley take any accountability for what occurred with his subordinates. He did not address any accountability for Deputy County Manager, Halman. The investigation into the PCFR was sparked by the handling of a hurricane deployment directed by Deputy County Manager Halman.
Battalion Chief Charlie True of PCFR was terminated in January 2024 following an investigation for insubordination, failure to supervise, and untruthfulness. These charges stemmed from a 2023 deployment to Levy County for hurricane recovery, during which True reportedly failed to follow orders from higher command and mismanaged aspects of the mission. Specifically Deputy County Manager (DCM) Halman made the directive for PCFR personnel to work in 12 hour shifts. Assistant Chief (AC) Ben Cassista specifically brought up how deployments in the past had worked and DCM Halman specifically directed that “no” it was 12 hour shifts. It is also clear that BC True was given these orders verbally, but nothing ever came from upper management in writing to any of the personnel ( no where in the investigation did it show any written documentation to that order). In the investigative report it clearly shows that BC True, specifically took aside Assistant Chief (AC) Parnell and advised that there were issues with the verbal directive and the shift hours per previous deployments. As BC True relays in his investigative interview they had the PCSO base camp to cover and personnel from PCSO who were out in the field to cover. The PCR crew had no ability to leave those two assignments personally and were basically assigned to cover the camp and deployments.
It should be specifically noted that the PCFR has no Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for these deployments. It should also be noted that no supervisor to BC True ever asked specifics during deployment to the amount of hours each staff was working. BC True is documented as having many text conversations and supplying pictures to Chief Smith regarding deployments outside of the base camp. We couldn’t find any questions, related to shift hours being worked, by Chief Smith or negative comments to the job BC True was doing during the deployment. The crew also were out providing medical standby for when the Governor and Senator visited.
It is clear from the documentation provided in the Polk County Fire Rescue Investigative report that it was not BC True who was derelict in his duties, but his commanding officers and the County administration.
After his termination, True appealed the decision and participated in a pre-disciplinary conference. As a result, Chief Smith proposed reinstating him, though with a demotion to Fire Captain and two years probationary period. If True successfully completes the probation, he may reapply for a battalion chief position in the future. This discipline was found to be very excessive and unfair according to the report by Allen, Norton & Blue, P.A. While True was disciplined for not following the 12 hr shift mandate, he and his other personnel were fully paid 24 hour shifts. A federal portal to portal law applies according to Union representatives.
County Manager Beasley made no mention of his role or DCM Halman’s role in managing Chief Smith. It is well documented that many allegations were voiced about Chief Smith. What did Beasley or Halman do to keep Chief Smith accountable?
We have had a multitude of former and current Polk County Fire Rescue personnel that have no confidence that things will change if DCM Halman specifically is over the department. Current personnel spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the fear for reprisals.
Ultimately the entire fiasco with Polk County Fire Rescue rest on County Manager Bill
