Polk County is making sandbags available throughout the county at Roadway Maintenance Units on Tuesday, August 29. Locations below will be open from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sandbag site locations are: Mulberry – 900 NE 5th St., Mulberry, (863) 519-4734 Lakeland – 8970 N. Campbell Road, Lakeland (863) 815-6701 Fort Meade – 1061 NE 9th St., Fort Meade (863) 285-6588 Frostproof – 350 County Road 630A, Frostproof (863) 635-7879 Auburndale – 1701 Holt Road, Auburndale (863) 965-5524 Dundee – 805 Dr. Martin Luther King St. SW, Dundee, (863) 421-3367 Poinciana Park – 5109 Allegany Road, Kissimmee 34759
A maximum of 10 sandbags will be provided to each household to help prevent water intrusion into the home.
For the full press release: www.polk-county.net/news
IDALIA STILL STRENGTHENING… …FORECAST TO BE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 INTENSITY AT LANDFALL…
At 1100 PM EDT (0300 UTC), the center of Hurricane Idalia was located near latitude 27.7 North, longitude 84.5 West. Idalia is moving toward the north near 18 mph (30 km/h). A northward to north-northeastward motion is expected through tonight, with Idalia’s center forecast to reach the Big Bend coast of Florida on Wednesday morning. After landfall, the center of Idalia is forecast to turn toward the northeast and east-northeast, moving near or along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina late Wednesday and Thursday. Hurricane Hunter aircraft data indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 110 mph (175 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast, and Idalia is expected to become a major hurricane during the next few hours before it reaches the Big Bend coast of Florida. Idalia is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and possibly when it reaches the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina on Wednesday.
———— UPDATE
5:00 EST Update from National Weather Center
IDALIA NOW A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE… …LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY…
UPDATE
2:00 pm EST Update from National Hurricane Center
IDALIA’S SQUALLS OVERSPREADING PORTIONS OF THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS AND THE SOUTHWESTERN COAST OF FLORIDA… …LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY…
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…90 MPH…150 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT…N OR 360 DEGREES AT 15 MPH…24 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…974 MB…28.76 INCHES
————
UPDATE
11:00 am EST Update from National Hurricane Center
IDALIA STRENGTHENING… …LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…85 MPH…140 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT…N OR 5 DEGREES AT 14 MPH…22 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…976 MB…28.82 INCHES
————— UPDATE
5:00 am EST Update from National Hurricane Center
IDALIA NOW A HURRICANE… …EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY INTENSIFY INTO AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MAJOR HURRICANE BEFORE LANDFALL ON WEDNESDAY…
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…75 MPH…120 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT…N OR 360 DEGREES AT 14 MPH…22 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…981 MB…28.97 INCHES
————— UPDATE
8:00 pm EST Update from National Hurricane Center
2023 …IDALIA ALMOST A HURRICANE NEAR THE WESTERN TIP OF CUBA… …LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND DANGEROUS WINDS BECOMING INCREASINGLY LIKELY FOR PORTIONS OF FLORIDA…
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…70 MPH…110 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT…N OR 360 DEGREES AT 8 MPH…13 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…983 MB…29.03 INCHES
————
UPDATE
5:00 pm EST Update from National Hurricane Center …IDALIA NEARING HURRICANE STRENGTH AS IT APPROACHES WESTERN CUBA… …LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND DANGEROUS WINDS BECOMING INCREASINGLY LIKELY FOR PORTIONS OF FLORIDA…
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…70 MPH…110 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT…N OR 360 DEGREES AT 8 MPH…13 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…987 MB…29.15 INCHES
The Storm Surge Warning has been extended westward to Indian Pass Florida. The Hurricane Warning has also been extended westward to Indian Pass. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued from west of Indian Pass westward to Mexico Beach. The Storm Surge Watch along the southeast coast of the United States has been extended northward to South Santee River. The Tropical Storm Watch along the southeast coast of the United States has been extended northward to South Santee River.
————
2:00 EST Update from National Hurricane Center
…IDALIA STRENGTHENING AS IT NEARS THE WESTERN TIP OF CUBA… …LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND DANGEROUS WINDS BECOMING INCREASINGLY LIKELY FOR PORTIONS OF FLORIDA…
SUSTAINED WINDS…70 MPH…110 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT…N OR 360 DEGREES AT 8 MPH…13 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…987 MB…29.15 INCHES
————- UPDATE
Polk County Emergency Management
Idalia is forecast to become a hurricane later today and a dangerous major hurricane over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico by early Wednesday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles. Emergency Management is staffing the EOC from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. to monitor this storm.
————— At 5:00 a.m. Monday, Idalia is forecast to increase in forward speed and turn north-northeastward over the eastern Gulf of Mexico Tuesday and reach the Gulf coast of Florida on Wednesday. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 65 mph with higher gusts. Idalia is forecast to become a hurricane later today and a dangerous major hurricane over northeastern Gulf of Mexico by early Wednesday.
The cone contains the probable path of the storm. Hazardous conditions can occur outside the cone. Polk County Emergency Management is monitoring this tropical storm.
Bartow, Fla. (August 27, 2023) — Polk County is making sandbags available throughout the county at Roadway Maintenance Units Monday, August 28only. Emergency Management will continue to monitor Tropical Storm Idalia’s path to determine if sites will need to be open Tuesday. Locations below will be open from 8 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sandbag site locations are:
Mulberry – 900 NE 5th St., Mulberry, (863) 519-4734
Lakeland – 8970 N. Campbell Road, Lakeland(863) 815-6701
Fort Meade – 1061 NE 9th St., Fort Meade (863) 285-6588
Frostproof – 350 County Road 630A, Frostproof (863) 635-7879
Dundee – 805 Dr. Martin Luther King St. SW, Dundee, (863) 421-3367
Poinciana Park – 5109 Allegany Road, Kissimmee 34759
A maximum of 10 sandbags will be provided to each household to help prevent water intrusion into the home.
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.
A single-vehicle crash that happened early Sunday morning, August 27, 2023, south of Lakeland resulted in the death of the 18-year old driver and serious injuries to an 18-year old passenger.
At about 1:29 am, a deputy from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was flagged down by a resident who lives near the crash site at County Road 540A and Quails Ridge Drive. It was about two minutes prior that the resident heard the crash and went outside to investigate and then signaled the approaching deputy who was en route to an unrelated call for service.
Polk County Fire Rescue, PCSO Traffic Homicide Investigations, and Crime Scene Investigations also responded to the scene.
Both occupants of a black 2008 Nissan 350Z had been ejected from the car. The driver had been wearing a seat belt, but the passenger was not.
The driver was identified as Luis Yadiel Nieves Boria of Lakeland. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The passenger, identified as Thomas Terry of Lakeland, suffered a broken leg, lacerations, and head trauma; he was flown to Tampa hospital in critical condition.
Based on evidence at the scene, detectives determined that the Nissan had been traveling east on CR540A at a very high speed. After crossing through the intersection of Scott Lake Road, Mr. Nieves Boria lost control of the car. The Nissan began to rotate, left the south side of the road, and struck a large steel utility pole.
Part of the Nissan wrapped around the pole, and other parts of the car were propelled approximately 150-feet away from the pole.
The eastbound lanes of CR540A were closed for about five hours after the crash, and the investigation remains ongoing.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Executive Order 23-171, declaring a state of emergency for 33 counties in preparation for Invest 93L, which is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm in the coming days. The Governor and the Florida Division of Emergency Management are taking timely precautions to ensure Florida’s communities, infrastructure and resources are prepared, including those communities that are still recovering following Hurricane Ian. To read the Executive Order, click here.
“I signed an Executive Order issuing a state of emergency out of an abundance of caution to ensure that the Florida Division of Emergency Management can begin staging resources and Floridians have plenty of time to prepare their families for a storm next week,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I encourage Floridians to have a plan in place and ensure that their hurricane supply kit is stocked.”
The forecast currently places a tropical storm or hurricane making landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast early – mid next week, with the potential for heavy rainfall, strong winds, and for isolated tornadic activity. Governor DeSantis issued the State of Emergency for the following 33 counties:
LAKELAND, FL (August 25, 2023) – On August 25, 2023, at approximately 6:41 am, officers were dispatched to the 1600 block of Kathleen Road for a traffic crash involving a Citrus Connection Bus and a 2022 grey Hyundai sedan. The Lakeland Police Department, Polk County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department arrived to secure the scene and began life-saving measures. The driver of the Hyundai, a 20-year-old female, was transported to LRH with serious injuries but was listed in stable condition. The car’s backseat passenger, an 11-month-old child, was transported to Lakeland Regional Health (LRH) in critical condition and then airlifted to Tampa General Hospital. The bus was carrying five passengers; three were transported to LRH with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the bus, 45-year-old Noureddine Bahbah of Winter Haven, did not sustain any injuries.
Based on the information gathered thus far in the investigation, officers believe the Citrus Connection bus attempted to make a left turn from the southbound left turn lane of Kathleen Road while the Hyundai was traveling northbound in the outside lane of Kathleen Road. As the bus made the left turn, the front of the Hyundai struck the passenger side of the bus while they were in the intersection.
The roadway was shut down for approximately four hours. Members of the Traffic Homicide team responded to the scene and took over the investigation. The crash remains an open investigation. Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to contact Traffic Crash Investigator Officer Camilo Almeida at [email protected].
Florida’s second Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday of the year begins tomorrow! The tax holiday will run from August 26, 2023, to September 8, 2023.
This is the perfect time to get disaster preparedness kits ready for your home and to gather supplies so that you are prepared in case of extreme weather events.
Tax-free items include: Self-powered light sources Batteries Portable power banks Portable radios Tarpaulins or other flexible waterproof sheeting Pet food and pet safety items Common household consumable items with a sales price of $30
For more information about which items are included in the tax exemption, visit: floridarevenue.com/DisasterPrep
For disaster preparedness tips, visit Polk County Emergency Management.
We are excited to announce the hire of Dr. Elaine C. Thompson as our distinguished professor of professional practice effective August 7, 2023. Dr. Thompson most recently served as the CEO of the YMCA of West Central Florida and spent 10 years as the president and CEO of Lakeland Regional Health (LRH).
About the Role
Dr. Thompson will be serving across the university in a variety of capacities through the creation and instruction of courses relating to bias and worldview, leadership development of SEU staff and faculty, and community education.
“What really called me to SEU was its focus on students and its efforts to create an environment where every person in the community is equally valued. I would love to be able to help the students, staff and faculty be the very best they can be, and through that, make our surrounding community even stronger,” said Dr. Thompson.
Dr. Thompson will design and implement a curriculum that highlights the acknowledgement of biases and centers on social harmony, as well as prepares and equips students to fulfill the needs of underserved communities.
She will also work with SEU to develop various seminars and presentations that will be available to local community members on health and workplace-related topics.
“Dr. Thompson is truly a gift to our university — she’s joining us with a wealth of occupational knowledge and experience,” said Executive Vice President Dr. Chris Owen. “I’m honored to work alongside her, and I’m confident that she will make a significant impact in the reputation and quality of graduates we produce.”
Get to Know Dr. Thompson
Before coming to SEU, Dr. Thompson worked with the YMCA of West Central Florida to stabilize its finances and accomplish a campus transformation project. She currently serves on the YMCA of West Central Florida Board of Directors.
During her time at LRH, Dr. Thompson oversaw the $850 million revenue health system, which includes the LRH Medical Center — the fifth largest hospital in Florida — in addition to the free-standing Hollis Cancer Center, an employed physician group of 220 providers, and the ambulatory surgery center and radiology centers. She was also the president of the LRH Foundation.
Despite operating in the sixth poorest suburban county in the nation, Dr. Thompson obtained a favorable reconfirmation of fixed debt rating of A2 stable by Moody’s in 2018. She also invested $350 million into key facility improvements, improved the average age of plant from 14.3 years to 11.2 years, and operated the busiest single-site emergency department in the United States with a top 10% throughput efficiency ranking in the country since 2013.
Dr. Thompson has served as the president of Main Line Health’s Lankenau Hospital, in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and the executive vice president and network chief operating officer of St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Thompson received a Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from Drexel University, a Master of Science in Physical Therapy from Temple University, and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania
Polk County School Board Votes to Discontinue Proclamations, Sparks Controversy
by James Coulter
A proposal by the Polk County Florida Public School (PCFPS) Board to discontinue the practice of issuing proclamations caused quite the uproar at their most recent meeting, with members of the public decrying the decision as “divisive” and “regressive.”
At their board meeting on Tuesday evening, Polk County School Board Members voted to discontinue issuing proclamations recognizing individuals, groups, events, and achievements. The decision was motioned by Rick Nolte, seconded by WilliamAllen, and passed with a vote of 5-2.
Nolte had requested discontinuing the issuing of such proclamations at the board’s work session on July 23. (Nolte had recently been fined for violating campaign-finance law, with one of the violations, a $5200 cash donation to his own campaign, being a felony, The Ledger reported.)
The proposal for the board to cease issuing proclamations received public backlash, with many people decrying the decision as flying in the face of diversity and equality and potentially violating the constitutional rights of residents.
Before their vote, for nearly two hours, teachers, students, and other local community members took to the stand during public comments either condemning the school board for considering the proposal and urging them not to discontinue proclamations, or praising them for the decision and encouraging them to make it.
Kai Moore, an LGBT activist who had spoken at the previous board meeting on the issue, insisted that proclamations were meant to honor, celebrate, and uplift different groups of people, and refusing to make these proclamations would only cater to “neo-Nazi groups” and “hate groups” like Moms for Liberty.
“Demands like this have the goal of silencing and erasing minority groups,” Moore said. “Do not recognize the demands of people who seek to hurt others.”
Raine Johnson, a local 10th-grader who had left class early to speak at the meeting, asked five questions: One, are you stupid? Two, what made you think this was a good idea? Three, why? Four, why can we open with prayer, but not acknowledge gay people? And, five, why was this ever a good idea?
She called out the hypocrisy of the board members, pointing out how they had no qualms with proclamations about national holidays like Memorial Day and President’s Day but felt hesitant about recognizing months like LGBT Pride Month that recognized marginalized groups. She accused the members of being “homophobic” and “transphobic” and said they had the collective intelligence of a “cell missing a nucleolus.”
However, a few other community members encouraged the board members to discontinue issuing proclamations. Royal Brown, a Winter Haven resident, claimed that such proclamations played into “identity politics” and pitted people of different values against each other.
Harry Pickle, a local father and grandfather with grandchildren still in school, felt that such proclamations attempted “to promote or espouse an agenda”, which missed the mark about the true purpose of education, which, quoting Noah Webster, was to instill the values and principles of liberty and virtue in children.
Kay Fields, one of the two only board members to vote against the proposal, claimed she learned so much about local issues from the proclamations they made.
“I have learned so much from these proclamations,” she said. “There are so many ways to embrace our differences. We are supposed to be a reflection of every student in our school district. I do not understand how making a proclamation takes away from learning. If anything, it gives students an opportunity to learn.”
Nolte, on the other hand, who had proposed discontinuing proclamations, and voted for the measure to do so, insisted that such proclamations diverted from the school board’s main goal of furthering education, “Let’s put our children first, their education,” he said.
Prior to the meeting, The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), one of the oldest and largest Latino civil rights organizations, issued a press release condemning the decision and accusing it of violating equal constitutional rights.
“LULAC firmly believes that the planned actions to eliminate selective proclamations will compromise the protection of equal constitutional rights for all residents,” the press release stated. “The League of United Latin American Citizens stands united against any measures undermining inclusivity and equal recognition of all community members.”
Lydia Medrano, LULAC National Vice-President for the Southeast, was quoted in the press release, calling the decision “regressive” and claiming it was the duty of the school board and other government bodies to recognize the diversity and equality of their communities rather than shun them.
“LULAC urges Polk County Public Schools officials to act in the interest of all its residents and stakeholders. We must unify in acknowledging the many contributions of people representing all areas of our community. To do anything less is regressive and will only return our state to the past, something LULAC will not allow silently to happen.”
On Tuesday, August 22nd at around 10:22pm, PCSO deputies were dispatched to a home in the Loughman area, north of Davenport in reference to a bear.
According to our patrol Sergeant, a resident within the Tanglewood Preserve subdivision (just off of Osceola-Polk Line Road) reported that a bear had broken through her vinyl fence and attempted to get the woman’s pet pig.
The bear’s attempted pignapping was thwarted by the resident, and by the time deputies arrived, the bear was gone.
While the resident repaired the fence, deputies stood by to protect the resident in case the bear decided to make a second attempt to poach the pig.
After the fence was repaired, deputies made contact with several other residents to alert them to the bear’s activity.
This serves as a good reminder to all. Due to increased land development encroaching upon the habitat of wild animals, their habitat is being altered, including their food supply (black bears have been known to prey upon feral pigs in the wild).
Please make sure your garbage is secured in an area where wild animals cannot get to them, and be cautious with your pets (dogs, cats, and yes, even pigs) in your yard.
