Sheriff Grady Judd will brief the media Thursday, August 15, 2024 at 1:30 pmregarding a 17-month investigation of a South American Theft Group (SATG) who burglarized homes in six Florida counties, stealing nearly $1.7 million in property.
All of the suspects were living in Winter Garden, Florida, and were in the United States illegally. They specifically targeted homes belonging to small business owners.
The briefing will take place at the Sheriff’s Operation Center at 1891 Jim Keene Boulevard, Winter Haven.
Sheriff Judd To Brief Media Tomorrow On Organized Home Burglary Ring Spanning 6 Counties For 1.7 Million In Stolen Goods
Early Evening Crash Kills 49 Yr Old Man On SR 33 Near Polk City
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Sergeant Steve Gaskins, an early evening crash last night took the life of a 49 year old man.
According to Gaskin’s a Honda CRV, driven by a 49-year-old Clermont man, was traveling southbound on SR-33. At the same time a tractor trailer, driven by a 31-year-old Lake Alfred man, was traveling northbound on SR-33. Near the intersection of Voyles Loop Road, the CRV attempted to pass slower traffic and entered the path of the tractor trailer. As a result, the two vehicles collided nearly head-on and traveled to final rest along the outside where tractor trailer struck a utility pole and guide wires. The tractor trailer driver was uninjured during the incident while Honda CRV driver suffered fatal injuries at the scene of the crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol does not release names of victims per their interpretation of Marsy’s Law. No additional information will be released.
Cooking on the Ridge: Pickle Ranch Chicken (w/Broccoli and Potatoes)
by James Coulter
Have an empty jar of pickles? Don’t toss that pickle juice out! You can actually use it to marinade chicken.
That’s right. That leftover pickle juice makes for an excellent marinade and brine. I should know, because I recently tried out the recipe for myself. If you like chicken, and if you like pickles, then you’ll surely love this dish.
The preparation is quite simple. Take your leftover pickle juice, and depending on the size of your pickle jar, either empty the juice in a large bowl with sliced chicken breast or place the chicken inside the jar if it’s big enough.
Recently, I learned that the best way to marinade chicken is to poke holes into the meat with a fork before placing it in the marinade. Doing so will allow the chicken to better absorb the juices, and thus the flavor.
Then, all you have to do is let the chicken marinade in the pickle juice overnight, over several nights, or preferably over the weekend. The longer, the better.
Once you’re ready to cook your chicken, cover it with dry ranch seasoning and mix it all together with the juice. Then place the meat on an aluminum foil-lined tray, along with some chopped broccoli and red potatoes, drizzle the veggies with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook it all in the oven.
Overall, while it wasn’t as flavorful as the Butter Chicken or as loaded with cheesy goodness as the Stuffed Doritos Chicken, the Pickle Ranch Chicken certainly had a tangy flavor to it, which can be expected from soaking chicken in pickle juice overnight.
It’s simple, it’s sweet, it’s great to eat, and it’s an easy way to recycle old pickle juice that can’t be beat. Honestly, if there’s a better use for pickle juice, please let me know.
Ingredients
1 lb. chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced
1 large jar of leftover pickle juice
1 oz. packet ranch dressing mix
1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
24 oz. red potatoes, chopped and halved
Olive oil
Directions
1. Cut your chicken however you prefer. Poke holes into meat with a fork. Place into a bowl or jar with pickle juice. Let marinade in the fridge for as long as desired.
2. Sprinkle with a packet of ranch dressing and combine with chicken and juice until mixed.
3. Chop broccoli into florets and red potatoes into small, bite-sized pieces. Place chicken, potatoes, and broccoli on a tray. Drizzle veggies with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes. You want your chicken done and your veggies to look like they were in a tanning bed.
How Many Counties Border Polk County Florida & Other Facts
Polk County, Florida has 1,798.1 square miles of land area and is the 4th largest county in Florida by total area. Polk County, Florida is bordered by Highlands County, Lake County, Osceola County, Pasco County, Manatee County, Orange County, Okeechobee County, Hillsborough County, Sumter County, and Hardee County.
With over 2,000 square miles of land and water, Polk is the 4th largest county in the state. We have 17 municipalities – the largest being Lakeland, Winter Haven, Lake Wales, Bartow, Haines City and Davenport (full list), and have a current estimated population of over 810,000.
That population is larger than three states in the United States of American. Those states would be
North Dakota (788,940), Alaska (733,536), Vermont (647,818) and Wyoming (647,818)
Polk County, Florida, covers an area of approximately 2,011 square miles. Several U.S. states are physically smaller than this county. These states are:
- Rhode Island – 1,214 square miles
- Delaware – 2,489 square miles (However, only 1948 are on land. The other portion is Delaware Bay).
Man Killed & Woman Seriously Injured After Driver Has Medical Emergency On I-4 In Polk County
The Florida Highway Patrol has released details of a fatal crash that occurred early afternoon on August 9th. According to Sergeant Steve Gaskins, Florida Highway Patrol Public Affairs Officer, a Ford Edge, driven by a 62-year-old Gibsonton man, was traveling eastbound on I-4 in the inside lane near Milepost 26 when the driver suffered a medical emergency. The driver lost control of the vehicle which traveled to outside shoulder, struck a tree, overturned and came to rest in a water filled drainage ditch.
The driver suffered fatal injuries at the scene of the crash while a passenger traveling in the vehicle, a 51-year-old Gibsonton woman, suffered serious injuries as a result of the crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol following Marsy’s Law does not provide the names of vehicle crash victims.
NOTICE OF SALE
Notice is hereby given that Lake Wales Storage intends to sell the property described below to enforce a lien under the Florida Self Storage Facility Act, Statutes (section 83.80-83.809). The owner will sell at public auction on or after August 21st, 2024 at 10:00 am at storageauctions.com Units belonging to the following:
CUSTOMER NAME:
Vanessa Winn
This sale will be continued on such succeeding sale days thereafter as may be necessary to be completed. *Unless otherwise noted units contain household items.
Man Accused Of Violently Stabbing Woman 15 Times Is Back In A Polk County Jail After Fleeing To Virginia
A warrant suspect Douglas Kidd, 47, of Davenport who is accused of violently stabbing his cousin more than 15 times is back in a Polk County and in jail after fleeing to Virginia. The original incident took place back in April of this year.
According to Davenport police, the stabbing was reported on Greenshank Drive around 1 p.m. Thursday, April 11, 2024.
A woman with several stab wounds was found when officers responded to the scene. The victim, who’d been stabbed 15 times, knocked on a neighbor’s door to get help after the stabbing.
“It’s only a miracle that this lady is alive. She was able to eventually get from the house and go to a neighbor’s house and seek refuge and seek assistance, which is where we found her at,” Chief Steve Parker advised media at the time.
Police said the victim identified the attacker as her cousin, Douglas Kidd — who’d been living with the victim and her husband for about a year.
On Tuesday afternoon, April 16, 2024 the Fugitive Task Force in Norfolk, Virginia located Kidd’s vehicle and conducted a traffic stop, where he was arrested. Norfolk police took Kidd into custody.
“We are thankful for our law enforcement partners in Norfolk, Virginia, who worked diligently to help us take this violent individual off the streets,” Steve Parker, the Chief of Police said.
Kidd has now been extradited back to Polk County to be prosecuted for attempted murder in the 2nd Degree.
Auburndale Police Reporting 61 Yr Old Woman Was Struck & Critically Injured This Morning
The Auburndale Police Department investigated a traffic crash which occurred today, August 9, 2024, at approximately 0725 hours. The incident involved a vehicle and a pedestrian resulting in serious bodily injury. The crash took place on US Highway 92 West and near the intersection of 2nd Street in Auburndale.
At the time of the incident, a 61-year-old Black female was attempting to cross Highway 92, walking southbound from 2nd Street. As she was entering the median, she was struck by a vehicle crossing the same median and attempting to travel westbound on Highway 92 from Old Winter Haven Road. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and is fully cooperating with traffic investigators.
The pedestrian was transported by medical personnel to Lakeland Regional Medical Health and is currently in critical condition. Efforts to locate and notify the next of kin are ongoing.
An updated news release will be provided as more information becomes available.
Pedestrian Struck & Killed Early Thursday Morning In Lakeland
Pedestrian fatally injured by a box truck early Thursday morning near Lakeland
An adult male pedestrian was struck and killed by a box truck on Combee Road Thursday morning, August 8, 2024 in an unincorporated area of Lakeland.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire Rescue were dispatched at about 3:44 am to the scene on Combee Road (State Road 659) at Main Street (County Road 542).
The victim was transported to a local hospital with traumatic head injuries, but died shortly after arrival.
The driver of the box truck was not injured and was cooperative with the investigation.
Based on the investigation of evidence and a witness statement, the victim had been walking in a northbound lane of Combee Road. The box truck was also traveling north and was preparing to make a right turn (east) onto Main Street, when the victim was hit.
The victim was wearing black pants and a black shirt at the time of the crash.
Combee Road was closed for approximately three hours.
The investigation remains ongoing, but no charges are anticipated.
Detectives are still attempting to notify a next of kin for the victim whose last known address was in Orlando
Two Pedestrians Struck & Killed In Horrific Lakeland Crash
LAKELAND, FL (August 8, 2024) – On Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at approximately 10:49 p.m., officers responded to a traffic crash involving a white Toyota Yaris and two pedestrians at the intersection of South Florida Avenue and Imperial Boulevard (3437 South Florida Avenue). Just prior to the crash, the Yaris was headed southbound on South Florida Avenue and two pedestrians were attempting to cross South Florida Avenue eastbound in the crosswalk. Both pedestrians were impacted by the front of the Yaris.
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. The two pedestrians were pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Yaris remained at the scene and was not injured. The roadway was shut down for approximately 4 hours to process the scene for the ongoing investigation.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation and proper family notifications have not yet been completed.
Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to contact Traffic Crash Investigator Officer Travis Payne at travis.payne@lakelandgov.net.
Yaris Driver:
Rexyanna Honors
Age: 22
Lakeland, FL
Pedestrian 1:
Age: 54
Pedestrian 2:
Age: 46
