A three-vehicle crash occurred near Lakeland Thursday, October 26, 2023, resulting in the death of one person, and injuries to two others.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire Rescue were dispatched at about 4:44pm, to the crash on Ewell Road, about a quarter mile west of Old Highway 37.
Upon arrival of first responders, 49-year old Thomas Holloway of Plant City was found deceased in his vehicle.
The other two drivers were identified as 53-year old Jose Castro of Lakeland and 26-year old Logan Barrand of Lakeland. They were both transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Mr. Holloway was the driver of a gray 2020 Kia Soul, and Mr. Castro and Ms. Barrand were driving a white 2019 Chevrolet Silverado pickup and a silver 2009 Hyundai Sonata, respectively.
During the investigation at the scene, Ewell Road was closed in both directions for about three-and-a-half hours.
According to the preliminary investigation, based on statements and evidence, Mr. Holloway’s Kia was traveling west on Ewell Road, Mr. Castro’s Chevy was eastbound on Ewell followed by Ms. Barrand in her Hyundai.
For unknown reasons, the Kia crossed over the center line and sideswiped the Chevy truck. The Kia then struck the Hyundai with enough force that the Kia’s engine became completely detached.
All three drivers were wearing their seat belts.
The investigation is ongoing, but no charges are anticipated.
Man Killed In Horrific 3 Vehicle Crash In Polk County
Uber Driver Without A Valid License Gives A Couple In Polk For Their Wedding A Ride They Will Never Forget
From PCSO Press Release
27-year old Elijah Mills from Maitland is an Uber driver, but we wouldn’t recommend him to anyone.
On the night of October 24th, at around 9:37pm, Elijah was Ubering a couple from the United Kingdom.
The couple, Marc and Riannon are in Polk County to attend a wedding next week—theirs.
As they were traveling on US 27 in the Four Corners area of Davenport, a PCSO deputy got behind them. And then came a few more deputies. And then the deputies boxed-in Elijah’s Chevy Equinox and forced it to stop.
Why? Because it wasn’t really Elijah’s Chevy Equinox. Elijah rented the vehicle from a company in Orange County, and then decided to stop making payments on the vehicle. So the rental company reported it as stolen.
Elijah even told our deputies that the rental company would call him every day, but he refused to answer because he knew they would ask him about the payments.
Then Elijah told our deputies something really wild. He said that the rental company equips their vehicles with a device that keeps the vehicle from restarting, in case people stop making their payments. So, Elijah had kept the Chevy Equinox running…for THREE STRAIGHT WEEKS!
Deputies arrested Elijah.
As for Marc and Riannon—the deputies posed with the happy couple for a quick photo, then gave them a free ride to where they are staying.
The deputies also gave Elijah a free ride, but it was to the Polk Pokey. There he was charged with Grand Theft Motor Vehicle and Driving While License Suspended or Revoked. Yep…Elijah, the driver-for-hire didn’t even have a valid driver’s license.
Kids Tag Art Program Raises Over $50,000 For Polk Schools
BARTOW, Fla. – The Tax Collector for Polk County, Joe G. Tedder, was proud to present a check to the Polk County School Board in its Tuesday night meeting!
The 2022-2023 Kids Tag Art (KTA) program’s fundraising totals set new records; the check, in the amount of $42,448, represents dollars sent directly to art teachers across the district.
KTA is a 501(c)(3) program founded in Polk County to inspire fifth grade art students to design their own specialty vanity license plates. This ‘tag art’ can be ordered and installed on the front of vehicles! Designs are entered into an online portal at www.KidsTagArt.com for people to purchase, with funds going back to teachers to help them buy art supplies!
“We continue to set records with each year of Kids Tag Art,” Tedder said, “and this remarkable fundraiser is a way we hope to help meet the needs of Fine Arts teachers by adding to their budgets for classroom supplies.”
In the 2022-2023 school year, Kids Tag Art hit milestones:
- $53,830 raised for Polk County schools (public, private, and charter schools)
- $42,448 raised for Polk County Public Schools alone
- $625 (at least) to each art teacher
- $602,459 total raised in Polk County to date
- $2,098,022 total raised across participating Florida counties to date.
Generous sponsors also make this giving possible, including: major sponsor Southern Homes of Polk County, DPrint, Bartow Ford, LEGOLAND Florida, Big 4 Radio – 97.5 WPCV and Max 98.3—Hall Communications, Lauren’s Kids, Bill2Pay, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union, LAMAR Advertising Company, Polk Education Foundation, Florida Heart Research Foundation, South State Bank, Polk Arts & Cultural Alliance, Publix Supermarket Charities, Unlimited DPI, Polk Museum of Art, Florida Department of Citrus, First Lakeland Tag Agency, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital/BayCare Kids, and of course Polk County Public Schools.
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
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
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
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
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
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, 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!
