Lake Wales Police caution public about a scam perpetrated by “Romanian Travelers”

Lake Wales

Carl Fish

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October 25, 2023

Lake Wales Police caution public about a scam perpetrated by “Romanian Travelers”

A message from the Lake Wells Police Department

In the recent past, there have been incidents involving subjects who are believed to be “Romanian Travelers”. These subjects are known to travel around the country committing illicit acts to obtain money or take personal items. They are believed to be part of larger criminal organizations that move them from state to state before leaving the country, making it difficult for law enforcement to identify and locate them. There are a few recent cases here in Lake Wales where the suspects approach individuals under the ruse of selling jewelry. During these interactions the subjects use confusion and distractions, scamming victims for various amounts of money. The subjects have been driving newer model high end sport utility vehicles. Below are examples law enforcement have seen within the last year.
In December 2022, an older female was approached on Central Avenue near the Family Dollar by a male and female in a newer model Jaguar SUV. During the interaction, the “Romanian Traveler” couple attempted to either sell or trade jewelry with the victim. They also used religious conversation to their benefit by gaining trust. As the event continued, the couple was able to confuse the victim, stealing a gold necklace, gold ring, and cash from her in the process.
On September 11, 2023, an incident occurred at a local gas station involving another “Romanian Travler” male and female couple driving a newer BMW SUV. During this event, the victim was approached while pumping fuel and asked about purchasing jewelry from the suspects. As this progressed, the female suspect ended up riding with the victim as he went to two different stores purchasing gift cards. As a result, the victim was scammed out of around $1,000 and was left with what appeared to be fake gold jewelry.
On October 18, 2023, yet another couple in a newer BMW SUV was approaching customers at a gas station on Highway 60 East in Lake Wales. Although there are no reported victims in this incident, it was reported that the couple was holding jewelry out the window making contact with customers while they were pumping fuel.

Suspected Pervert Arrested At Polk Park

Lakeland

Carl Fish

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October 25, 2023

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A Lakeland man was arrested Tuesday, October 24, 2023, for lewd activity at Saddle Creek Park east of Lakeland.

At about 10:10 am, an undercover Vice Unit detective from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office witnessed a man drive onto the park property and the man began rubbing himself vigorously in a sexual manner.

During a conversation, the suspect told the detective that he came to the park to meet someone and then offered to perform oral sex on the detective.

The suspect was arrested and identified as 67-year old David Arnold.

“The arrest happened at a family park–where parents bring their children to fish or have picnics and make pleasant memories. They don’t want their children witnessing behavior like this. That’s why we do these undercover operations at various parks across the county. It simply will not be tolerated.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

David Arnold was charged with Offering to Commit Lewdness (M2) and Trespassing (M1).

Puttin on the Pink Celebrates 8th Year Funding Breast Cancer Awareness

Lakeland

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October 24, 2023

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Puttin on the Pink Celebrates 8th Year Funding Breast Cancer Awareness

by James Coulter

Sher Thrush knows many family members and friends who struggled with breast cancer. Not wanting anyone else to go through that same struggle alone, she started the Puttin on the Pink fundraiser at the Lakeland Elks nine years ago.

Now, nearly a decade later, she and her fellow Elks once again hosted their annual fundraiser to raise proceeds for breast cancer awareness. The 8th annual Puttin on the Pink fundraiser was hosted last Friday at the Lakeland Elks Lodge.

The event was sold out that evening, with the clubhouse packed with members and guests wanting to help support breast cancer awareness. The main event was the Prime Rib Dinner, which featured live entertainment from local bands like Carlos and Company. Aside from enjoying prime rib, attendees could also participate in raffles and silent auctions for hundreds of prizes and even watch a fashion show.

Sher Thresh owed the overall success of that night’s fundraiser to word of mouth, as well as the event’s nearly decade-long legacy. Having been hosted for so long, the fundraiser has garnered quite a reputation, as well as a following of caring and compassionate people wanting to give back to a good cause.

“We have been doing this for nine years,” she said. “There is nobody who has not been touched by this disease, whether they have it themselves or friends or family…Come out and join us again next year.”

Bartow Con Boldly Goes into Inaugural Event with Star Trek Stars

Bartow

Staff Reporter

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October 24, 2023

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Bartow Con Boldly Goes into Inaugural Event with Star Trek Stars

by James Coulter

Robin Curtis reached for the stars as an actress, and that allowed her to star in many iconic roles. Her most famous role was playing Vulcan Lieutenant Saavik in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. She also played many smaller roles in television shows like Knight Rider, MacGyver, and Babylon 5.

Robin was one of the many guests of honor at the inaugural BartowCon hosted last Saturday. Having been invited by her old friend Joel Multz and his friends Lori and Sean Syndenski, she was able to meet many of her loyal fans to take photos, sign autographs, and answer questions.

“I am tickled pink to be here this year,” she said. “I understand these people galvanize local businesses and start to rock Downtown Bartow with a February event. It is wonderful to see such a great little town come alive. This event exceeded my expectations. There are lots of folks here in costumes. People are bringing their creative juices. It is well organized. It looks to be well attended with lots of vendors. What more can you ask?”

Another big star attending this year’s event was Vanessa Branch, another actress known for her performances in Star Trek and Pirates of the Caribbean. The event drew her to Bartow, and though she saw little of this little town, what little she had seen made her fall in love with it.

“It looks adorable,” she said. “We are excited to be here. It has a real community feel to it. I was invited to come. It is great so far. It is nice with a pretty good turnout. I enjoy meeting people. It is always the people you get to talk to that make a convention special.”

The Comic Con-inspired event was hosted at the Bartow Civic Center on Saturday. Aside from its special guest stars, the event also featured several vendors and booths, as well as many fun activities like costume contests. Attendees were able to share their love for their favorite sci-fi and fantasy media through cosplay, or “costume play.” One vendor even created their replica of a Dalek, a robot antagonist from the sci-fi series Doctor Who.

Bartow Con was hosted by husband and wife team Sean and Lori Seandynski. For more than a decade, these two have hosted similar local events like the annual SyFy Bartow. They plan on hosting Bartow Con again next year, and their next new event will be the Toy and Game Fair at Fort Meade in November.

Sean currently considers himself “retired”, working his current job at the 102.9 radio station. Nevertheless, he still participates in his wife’s events. His expectations for the inaugural Bartow Con more than met his expectations, and his expectations remain even higher for next year’s event.

“My expectations are over what I expected so far,” he said. “I am excited about it. The superstars I have today are drawing the people and I love it. We booked another event next year for the same location. We expect to grow for a bigger venue. We are looking at Winter Haven or

Lakeland. We love what we do. We love our guests and everyone who comes to enjoy sci-fi and fantasy.”

Lake Wales Warrant Suspect Wanted For Aggravated Assault With Deadly Weapon Taken Into Custody After Standoff With PCSO

Uncategorized

Carl Fish

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October 24, 2023

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Lake Wales Warrant Suspect Wanted For Aggravated Assault With Deadly Weapon Taken Into Custody After Standoff With PCSO

Lake Wales, Florida – On Saturday, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office served a warrant on suspect Eleno Suarez, 30, at a home on Candlelight Dr. in Lake Wales at around 6:50am. The warrant stemmed from a incident that occurred back in September. The warrant was issued for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon w/o Intent to Kill (F3), Poss. of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (F2), Poss. of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon (F2), Poss. of an Altered Firearm (M1), Poss. of Cocaine (F3), Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia (M1). While serving the warrant the suspect would not comply nor leave the residence on Candlelight Dr. A woman, Yolanda Gonzalez, 27, was also in the residence with a child.

Deputies along with the Lake Wales Police Department set up a perimeter and began talking the suspect out of the residence. At approximately 10:50am the suspect, woman and child all exited the residence into the custody of the deputies. The Department of Children and families was also call to assist with the 4 year old little girl.

Suarez is no stranger to law enforcement. He was implicated as the driver of a vehicle that struck and killed a pedestrian on Otto Polk Rd. back in September 22, 2023. Here is a link to that story Fatal Hit & Run. That investigation is still ongoing. In another incident, back in 2013, Suarez threw a cinder lock at his mothers home in anger due to her not wishing to babysit for his then girlfriend. He was adjudicated guilty to criminal mischief and domestic violence. Additionally in 2014, Suarez, was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison following another incident 2013 where he fired shots at law enforcement while fleeing from them. He was released on 3/22/2022.

The woman in the residence Yolanda Gonzalez was charged with resisting arrest without violence and child abuse without great bodily harm, drug possession, drug paraphernalia and an accessory after the fact.

Both were transported to the county jail.

You Won’t Guess How Long This Stein Holding Champion Lasted at Swantoberfest

Lakeland

Staff Reporter

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October 24, 2023

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You Won’t Guess How Long This Stein Holding Champion Lasted at Swantoberfest

by James Coulter

Brandon Bauer has been visiting Swan Brewing for quite some time. This year was not only his first attending the annual Swantoberfest event but also participating in the stein-holding contest on Saturday afternoon.

Brandon competed alongside nearly a dozen other contestants as they all did their best to hold up a stein filled with nearly three pounds of liquid. Though he struggled alongside the others, he eventually held out for eight minutes and thirty seconds, allowing him to win first place.

“Great!” he said upon winning. “It feels awesome!” And when asked if he would consider coming back next Swantoberfest to compete again, he said, “Absolutely!”

Great beer, food, and fun were had that weekend during the annual Swantoberfest at Swan Brewing. Attendees were able to enjoy craft beer and participate in games like the stein-holding contest or beer marionette.

They could also enjoy food like pretzels and German cuisine served by The Cultivated Pig and Baking Brewer and music performed by The Detectives. New this year was the inclusion of Das Boots, where attendees could purchase boot-shaped beer glasses.

Dan Thumberg, Founder and Owner of Swan Brewing, has been hosting the annual Oktoberfest celebration for the past several years. He even hosted it during the COVID-19 pandemic when eateries were allowed to re-open (albeit with strict limitations).

“Like most traditional Octoberfest celebrations, we celebrate where beer came from, the history of the traditional European beer styles,” Thumberg said. “But Octoberfest is more than just that. It is a celebration of friends and family. That is why you see all of the bright colors and amazing dresses and German clothing.”

The secret to his celebration’s success has been it being hosted later in the month. While most other cities and places host their Oktoberfest celebrations in the first week of October, Swan Brewing hosts its event later in the month when it’s cooler.

“We wait a little bit later in the year than the actual Octoberfest celebrations,” he said. “So here in Florida, it is a little too hot to do that then. So we wait until everyone else in the community has done their Octoberfest. We do it at the very end because the weather is a lot nicer. That is what we wait for. We wait for a chance to be down into the low 80s and high 70s.”

Last year alone, their event drew in 100 to 120 people for the costume contest. This year’s event managed to more than exceed expectations, Thumberg said. Swan Brewing regularly hosts events throughout the year, and the remaining weeks and months are booked, he boasted.

“We are stacked through the end of the year,” he said. “It is a sight to behold. Everyone is coming out in a dress and having a good time. At Swan Brewing, we always pride ourselves on having an amazing live music acts and food trucks in Central Florida. So it is a big party atmosphere. It makes for a memorable creative event.”

Here Is Your Chance To Get A 4% Discount On Paying Your County Taxes

Bartow

Carl Fish

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October 24, 2023

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Here Is Your Chance To Get A 4% Discount On Paying Your County Taxes

BARTOW, Fla. – The Office of the Tax Collector for Polk County, (TCP), is now accepting payments for 2023 property taxes. This will allow those who owe taxes to enjoy the November discount longer.

This year, TCPC again opens the tax roll to accept payments sooner than usual by one week; by paying now, through November, there is a 4% discount. After November and with each following month until March, the discount lessens by 1% each month.

“We encourage taxpayers to pay as early as they can, to save as much money as possible! For most, these are big one-time expenditures that can be tough to handle,” said Polk County Tax Collector Joe G. Tedder. “That’s why we want to emphasize how helpful the 4% November discount can be,” he continued.

The 2023 Property Tax Notices are set to be mailed this Friday, October 27. However, customers don’t require a bill in-hand in order to pay.

Payments can be made online at www.PolkTaxes.com, by phone at (863) 534-4700, or in person at any Polk County Tax Collector’s five service center locations (in Bartow, Davenport, Lake Alfred, Lake Wales, and Lakeland) before the customer receives the bill through mail.

It is the Tax Collector’s pleasure to serve the people of Polk County, and to make the tax payment process as smooth as possible!

Welcome, World Travelers! Journey of Water Inspired by Moana is a Charming Trek (+Food & Wine Fest Mini-Review)

Polk County

Allison

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October 24, 2023

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Welcome, World Travelers! Journey of Water Inspired by Moana is a Charming Trek (+Food & Wine Fest Mini-Review)

by James Coulter

Moana has quickly become one of the most popular Disney princesses within the past decade. Not only will she receive her own animated series on Disney Plus, but her movie will also receive a live-action remake.

For now, the Polynesian princess has finally received her own attraction at the Disney parks with Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana at Epcot Center. But does this new attraction do justice to show how far this princess will go? Or will it sink deep into the watery depths to be forgotten?

Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is a unique attraction in that it isn’t a roller coaster, or a thrill ride, or even a ride at all. Rather, it’s an outdoor walk-through attraction. In other words, like the Swiss Family Treehouse at Magic Kingdom, it’sessentially an elaborate queue. (When do we get to the ride? This is the ride.)

But don’t let it’s simplicity fool you. While it may not offer high thrills like your run-of-the-mill coaster, this attraction still has enough elaborate Disney Imagineering flare to make it quite the experience for guests of all ages, but especially children.

Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana has guests walk through an elaborate path of rock and tropical verdure, where plaques inform them about the water cycle and interactive features allow them to learn more about water by playing with it.

Strum your fingers through strings of water, and music plays. Wave your hands, and water sprays out from rocks. Jump on a special pad, and a geyser erupts from a spring. You can even walk through a waterfall without even getting wet.

All through the ride, guests can hear the iconic musical score from Moana. They can even meet the great goddess Te Fiti in all her green floral glory. And, of course, what ride Inspired by Moana would be complete without a meet-and-greet with the princess herself?

The ride may not be as thrilling as Cosmic Rewind or Test Track, but Journey of Water is a quaint experience that proves both fun and educational. The attraction itself takes less than five or ten minutes to walk through, so it makes for a nice little diversion between rides.

If anything, its focus on teaching guests about the water cycle certainly has the attraction better fit the overall Spirit of Epcot than most of the other rides at the park. As much as I love Cosmic Rewind—and it has quickly become my favorite ride!—if I’m being perfectly honest, it has no business being at Epcot, and it certainly had no business replacing a ride that taught about energy and climate change.

Overall, if you’re looking for something to do while traveling between The Land and Living Seas pavilions or something to pre-occupy your time while waiting for your virtual queue at Cosmic Rewind, consider giving Journey of Water a visit.

Also, as a bonus, here’s a mini-review of two menu items I sampled at this year’s Food and Wine Festival:

– Chimichurri Marinated Skirt Steak Taco with Crushed Avocado, Grilled Corn Salsa, Pickled Red Onions, Queso Fresco, and Cilantro-Lime Cream (Flavors from Fire)

As far as tacos go, this is certainly worth taco-ing about. (Ha!) Though the meat in my taco was slightly tough, everything else in it, especially the sauce, made it quite the savory treat. Certainly worth taking a bite of–or rather, taco-ing a bite of!

– Ramen with Shaved Beef, Shiitake Mushrooms, Pickled Carrots and Dakion Radish, Shaved Peppers, and a Soy Egg in Citrus-Sesame Broth (The Noodle Exchange)

Eh, I’ve had better ramen, especially at the parks. The broth was essentially just soy sauce. On a more positive note, the noodles were still good (though you can hardly mess up noodles), and the peppers added a nice spicy kick to it. Overall, if you want ramen at Epcot, visit Kasturi Grill at the Japan pavilion and buy a proper bowl. (As for me, I think I’ll stick with The Joinery at Lakeland.)

A Winter Haven Pastors, 20 Yr Old Son, Was Shot & Killed Sunday In The Parish Parking – Suspected Killer Arrested

Winter Haven

Carl Fish

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October 23, 2023

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A Winter Haven Pastors, 20 Yr Old Son, Was Shot & Killed Sunday In The Parish Parking – Suspected Killer Arrested

The body of 20-year old Roderick Wilson, Jr. was found early Sunday morning, October 22^nd, 2023, lying in the parking lot of the Pentecostal Church of God at 1261 34^th Street NW in Winter Haven. Wilson’s father is a pastor at the church, and Wilson has been living in an apartment on church property.

Wilson’s killer was arrested later that afternoon and identified as 22-year old Taquion “Quan” Cotton. He lives a couple of streets over from the church.

At about 1:47 am Sunday, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was notified by a passerby about a body at the church.

PCSO deputies quickly arrived and found Wilson with multiple gunshot wounds, and deceased.

PCSO Homicide Investigations and Crime Scene Investigations both responded and began collecting evidence and conducting interviews.

Security video from a building in the area captured the murder.

“Detectives are still trying to determine Taquion Cotton’s motivation to commit this murder. At this time, there is no indication the two men knew each other prior to tonight. Despite the murderer being locked-up, there is still work to be done. Please keep Roderick Wilson’s family in your thoughts and prayers.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.

Sunday afternoon, while PCSO detectives were in the area searching for the suspect, they spotted Cotton in the roadway, not far from the crime scene. Cotton fled to a nearby residence after seeing a woman entering her home. Cotton battered the woman and put her in a chokehold while trying to get into her home.

Cotton’s mother, who lives in the area, ran to the woman’s aid, and tried to assist deputies with apprehending her son. Cotton then began biting his mother, so deputies were forced to use a Taser on Cotton to protect the two women and get him secured.

Once in custody, Cotton yelled at his mother, demanding that she not press charges against him for biting her.

Cotton’s firearm has not yet been recovered.

Taquion Cotton was charged with: 1^st Degree Murder (FC), Burglary with Battery (F1), Kidnapping (F1), Battery-Domestic with Prior Conviction (F3), Harassing in a Felony Proceeding (F3), Resisting with Violence (F3), Tampering with Physical Evidence (F3), Discharging a Firearm in a Residential Area (M1), and Resisting without Violence (M1).

Cotton’s prior criminal history includes 11 felonies and 6 misdemeanors consisting of: attempted murder, aggravated battery on a pregnant victim, burglaries, thefts, batteries, drug and weapons violations, and resisting.

If anyone has additional information regarding the murder, the firearm, and/or relationship of the two men, you are urged to call the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200 or to remain anonymous, call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS.

Welcome, World Travelers! Once Upon A Studio is a Great Short 100 Years in the Making!

Polk County

Allison

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October 23, 2023

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Welcome, World Travelers! Once Upon A Studio is a Great Short 100 Years in the Making!

by James Coulter

Originally, I was going to review Elemental. The movie had been on streaming for a month now, so it seemed about time to review it. Unfortunately, after watching it, I didn’t feel like I had much to say about it that wasn’t different from my initial pre-conception of, “this feels like Zootopia only with elements.”

So, it says something when a 9-minute animated short is the best thing Disney (including Marvel) has (thus far) released this year.

Disney Once Upon a Studio – image from IMDB

Sometimes, it feels uncanny that movie studios like Disney and Warner Bros. are now more than a century old. For the past 100 years, Disney has remained the gold standard of animation. And to commemorate their milestone, they released a special animated short celebrating their 100-year legacy.

“Once Upon a Studio” is a nine-minute short that premiered earlier this week on Sun. Oct. 15 on ABC. The short is currently available for streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu, and it will be played as an opening short for Wish, which premieres in theaters on Nov. 24.

The story itself is simple. On the evening of the 100th anniversary of Disney Animation Studios, after the building closes for the evening, Mickey and Minnie Mouse come to life and gather the other animated characters from all of Disney’s animated movies for a group picture to celebrate the occasion. Shenanigans ensue–especially when Goofy is tasked with operating the camera!

And when I say every character from all of Disney’s animated movies, I mean all of them. This short features a total of 500 characters, all from Disney’s 100-year filmography, from movies and shorts past and present, the most recent character being Princess Asha from Wish.

I won’t spoil any of the characters who appear in this short (and, really, trying to name all 500 of them would take too long anyway!). But trust me when I say that watching the entire short, especially the group shot at the very end, feels a lot like playing “Where’s Waldo” with different Disney characters. If you have a favorite character from a favorite movie, chances are they make an appearance in this short.

Again, when I say every character makes an appearance, I really do mean it. Along with its more popular animated movies, this short also features Disney characters from underrated movies like Bolt and Meet the Robinsons, as well as from classic shorts, animated segments of live-action films, and even from shows at the Disney Parks. (Again, no spoilers, but there’s a character from a short-lived Disney Hollywood Studios attraction whose appearance proved to be quite a pleasant surprise. Disney fans who know will know!)

Perhaps the best aspect of the film is seeing the different characters, both two and three-dimensional, come to life. The animators really did their best to emulate the animation styles of each character so they look and feel like they appear in their respective movies. They even use archival sound clips so many of them sound exactly as they do in their original films. The most notable example is the Genie from Aladdin, who is voiced with un-used audio recording from the late Robin Williams.

And, of course, the best part is seeing all these different characters with different animation styles interact with each other. There are moments where two and three-dimensional characters interact with each other, and–to the animator’s credit—they really do look and feel like they share the same environment. And seeing them interact with each other is a treat. There are plenty of moments that will make you say, “Of course,that character would react that way to that other character” and “Of course, those two characters would get along great!”

Potential spoiler, but there’s a moment where Mickey reminisces about the good old days with Walt Disney. That moment is underscored with a musical rendition of “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins. That musical score was performed for the short by the original composer himself, Richard Sherman. Yes, even at 94 years old, he was able to play the piano in Walt’s old office for this particular short. Yes, it is as amazing as it sounds.

Overall, yes, this is an animated short from a large multinational corporation celebrating its century-old virtual monopoly on the animation industry (as well as its current virtual monopoly in the entertainment industry with its past mergers) through a self-congratulatory showcase of its intellectual properties in a style-over-substance animated short that’s essentially serving member berries to the audience. It’s a corporate product. But, dang it, if it isn’t a tasty corporate product.

If you grew up watching Disney movies, watching this short will make you feel like a child all over again. Happy 100th birthday, Disney! Here’s to another 100 years!

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