On April 18, 2023, PCSO deputies arrested 31-year-old Sean Patrick Teehan of Dundee for DUI with property damage (M1), DUI with a breath alcohol of .15 or higher (M1), and threatening a public servant (F3). Teehan is employed as a Corrections Sergeant at Polk Correctional Institution in Polk City.
At around 6:12 p.m., deputies responded to Canal Road and Cherry Pocket Road in Lake Wales in reference to a single vehicle crash.
Based on evidence and witnesses at the scene, Teehan was driving a black Honda Civic westbound on Canal Road when he crashed into a guardrail. When deputies arrived on scene, Teehan was sitting on the hood of the Honda. Deputies observed Teehan to have “bloodshot, watery eyes, a slurred speech pattern, a moderate odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath as he was speaking, lethargic movements, and a difficult time standing unsupported.”
Deputies were unable to conduct any of the Field Sobriety Tests due to Teehan’s level of intoxication and the possible danger to himself if he attempted the exercises.
Teehan was arrested and transported to the PCSO Processing Center where he provided two breath samples: .265 and .260 (over three times the limit of .08).
As standard practice, Teehan was taken to an area hospital to be evaluated. While waiting to be discharged, he told the deputy, “Don’t worry, your time is coming. I’ll see you on the inside, I work for the DOC.”
Teehan was released from the hospital and transported back to the Sheriff’s Processing Center where he was additionally charged with threatening a public servant.
“Driving under the influence is illegal and deadly, and as a Corrections Sergeant, Teehan knew better. Luckily no one was hurt in this instance. If you’ve been drinking, please don’t drive. It puts your life and the lives of those on the road at risk.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Sean Teehan is currently in the Polk County Jail and is being held without bond until a first appearance hearing this afternoon. His previous criminal history includes charges for resisting arrest and battery on a law enforcement officer.
Inquiries about Teehan’s employment should be directed to the Florida Department of Corrections.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie earned $204.6 million at the domestic box office and $377 million worldwide on its opening weekend, making it the second-biggest debut for an animated movie. Is it any wonder that an animated movie based on the most popular video game ever broke box office records?
Apparently so! Because the first attempt at a Super Mario Bros. movie in 1993 bombed at the box office so badly that it dissuaded Nintendo from making theatrical adaptations of its video games until recently.
Of course, it didn’t help that the 1993 movie had absolutely nothing to do with the Mario games. And it helped a lot that the new animated flick was produced and supervised directly by Shigeru Miyamoto himself to ensure it had everything to do with the Mario games.
Unfortunately, despite earning big at the box office, the new Super Mario Bros. Movie has left critics feeling mixed with an overall score of 57 percent–which isn’t bad, but it’s not great either. So what’s the final score? Is the Mario Movie a 1-Up? Or will we find a good Mario movie in another film?
Mario and Luigi are brothers living in Brooklyn starting their own plumbing company. However, things quickly go down the drain—quite literally!—when the brothers find a green warp pipe that splits them apart, sending Mario to the Mushroom Kingdom and Luigi straight into the clutches of Bowser. Now Mario needs to team up with Toad and Princess Peach, along with some help from Donkey Kong, to save Luigi and the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser and his Koopa army. Will Mario save the day, or—well, you’ve all played a Mario game before, so you know what happens!
This movie’s undeniable selling point is the video game references. While the 1993 live-action Mario movie had almost nothing to do with the Mario games, this animated film does not want you to forget what video game it’s based on. Every little detail, from the fantastical Mushroom Kingdom setting that perfectly incorporates game elements into its environment, to the soundtrack playing iconic musical cues from the games, to all the Easter eggs Nintendo fans will undoubtedly have fun spotting, this movie is a true love letter to the Super Mario franchise. If you love Super Mario Bros., this movie will remind you of everything you love about playing those games.
However, therein lies the rub. Because as fun as these video game references are (and, undeniably, they are!), they’re pretty much the only thing this movie has going for it.
While the live-action 1993 movie almost had nothing to do with the games, this animated flick tries so hard to be like the games that it places everything else like story and characters on the back burner. This movie essentially uses its story as a conveyer belt to deliver a non-stop onslaught of blatant references that only hardcore fans of the games will recognize and appreciate. Otherwise, they’re left with a very basic plot with very basic characters.
Don’t get me wrong. I had fun watching this movie. I grew up playing the Mario games. My first console was a Super Nintendo with Super Mario World. This movie was made for me. And, again, I enjoyed every second of it. I loved being able to appreciate the game references and spot all of the various Easter eggs. This movie is faithful to the Mario games, and it’s probably the most faithful theatrical video game adaptation to date.
So, the kid in me loved watching this movie. The adult, however, admittedly knows when he’s being pandered to. This movie was a giant member berry dessert. (Member the Ice Flower. Member the Tanooki suit. Member Rainbow Road). It’s a movie that tickles your nostalgia and reminds you why you love what you love. And, undeniably, member berries are yummy.
Otherwise, the movie’s pretty basic. If you’ve ever played a Mario game, you know how this movie will play out. Mario is going to save the day and defeat Bowser. As for the characters, well, they’re pretty decent adaptations of the video game characters and the voice actors do a decent job playing them.
Overall, if you’ve ever played Super Mario Bros., or you have kids, or both, this movie will be a fun distraction. This movie does an excellent job of being a Mario game turned into a movie. And, best of all, at only 90 minutes, it’s nice and short. (That may be weird praise, but after having to sit through movies that are more than two to three hours long, it’s nice to have a movie with a reasonable run time!)
Which is better? Jeeps or Harleys? That question is one that an annual poker chip run seeks to answer every year.
More than 66 Jeep vehicles and 59 Harley motorcycles participated in the 3rd Annual Poker Chip Run in Bartow last Saturday, sponsored by Thunder Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.
The event started earlier that morning at Thunder Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram along Main Street Bartow. It continued with stops at Lake Wales Chrysler along Highway 27, Midway Saloon in Lake Alfred, with the final stop at American Legion Post 3 in Bartow.
The event concluded with food, music, and raffles at the American Legion. Proceeds from the event went toward Just One Vet’s 6, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to helping to end veteran homelessness in Polk County.
Nearly 200 people attended this year’s event with 66 Jeep vehicles and 59 Harley motorcycles. Rick Bridges, First Vice Commander of the American Legion, owes their success to their promotion.
“We owe our success to advertising,” he said. “Thank you, Chrysler Winter Haven and Dodge Lake Wales, for helping with advertising. [I love] the outcome [and] meeting people I have never seen before. Overall, the money going to help veterans.”
The next big event will be the Memorial Day Celebration. It will be hosted on May 28 at 3 PM at the American Legion Post 72, located at 1500 N Church St., Mulberry, FL 33860.
Parents looking for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for their children with autism have a new place in Lakeland to visit. HealthPRO Pediatrics celebrated the grand opening of its new location along Florida Avenue South with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday.
HealthPRO Pediatrics, as their website states, “offers multispecialty pediatric therapy services for children of all ages and abilities” with more than “38 services in 38 states and counting.”
Their newest clinic along South Florida Avenue in Lakeland provides ABA Therapy in an environment that makes children feel safe and with results that make parents feel confident with their services.
“Our experienced, certified ABA clinicians have mastered the delicate balance between science and compassion required to treat your whole child — not just their diagnosis,” their website states. “We have two goals: that you and your child will look forward to ABA therapy … and that someday, you will no longer need us.”
HealthPRO Pediatrics celebrated the grand opening of their new clinic with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Greater Lakeland Chamber of Commerce on Thursday evening. Attendees were able to tour the facility, create personalized spirograms, and enjoy finger food.
Faith Carr, President and CEO of the Lakeland Chamber, appreciated being able to tour the facility and see the services the facility had to provide.
“You have been serving our community so well,” she said. “Thank you for sharing all of your stories of the impact [of your services] and your plans for the future. It is going to make a huge difference here. We appreciate you guys.”
Mayor Bill Mutz commended the facility for providing much-needed services to the community, especially to parents with children with special needs.
“It is like a fairy taking plus returns across the waters, an opportunity to bring along therapies that can help local children,” he said. “That is a great victory for our city.”
George Fox, President of HealthPro Pediatrics, likewise commended the city and the chamber for arriving to celebrate their special occasion that evening.
“Our team here is amazing at providing great care to the families and the parents,” he said. “Thank you all for being here to celebrate this day with us.”
HealthPRO Pediatrics is located at 4222 Florida Ave South Lakeland, Florida 33813. For more information, call (863) 456-7148, or visit their website at: https://healthpropediatrics.com/
HAINES CITY- On April 16, 2023 at approximately 2314 hours, the Haines City Police Department responded to a home in regards to a report of a disturbance. Upon arrival, officers determined that a Domestic Violence-Battery occurred between family members. The investigation revealed that Aurelio Nicolas, h/m, 4/11/2000, had gotten into a verbal altercation with a family member. The verbal argument escalated into a physical confrontation, with the other family member receiving minor abrasions. Upon responding, it was learned that he was employed by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Sheriff. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Polk County Jail. Members of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Command Staff were immediately notified of the arrest.
According to Polk County Sheriff’s Office Nicolas was hired June of 2020 as a detention deputy. He became a deputy sheriff in August of 2021, and he resigned upon his arrest.
If you’re hungry for orange chicken with fried rice and fried wontons, there’s a new place in Lakeland where you can satisfy your craving for Chinese food.
Located at 5270 US Highway 98 S, the new Panda Express location serves all the Chinese fast-food favorites, from their signature Orange Chicken to their brand-new Sizzlin Shrimp.
Panda Express celebrated the grand opening of their new location with a ribbon cutting last Thursday, hosted by the Greater Lakeland Chamber of Commerce.
“We are excited to have another Panda Express location in Lakeland,” said Faith Carr, Director of Convention & Visitors Bureau. “As a family-owned business, their commitment to the community is a strong as their commitment to high quality food.”
“Being that Panda Express is a common name in the community, we believe that this new location will be great benefit to those who commute nearby,” she continued. “We expect Panda Express to serve hungry patrons of the Lakeland community for years to come.”
Panda Express is located at 5270 US Highway 98 S, Lakeland, FL 33812. To place an order, visit https://order.pandaexpress.com.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Chances are, the answer to that question changed many times as you grew older. You probably still don’t know who you are even now that you’re an adult.
Personal identity, like childhood, like life in general, is a chaotic experience, and that is a truth portrayed quite humorously in the debut children’s book of a local Central Florida author.
In her debut novel, “The Most Important Thing in the World”, Kelly Sanford takes young readers on a humorous yet often heartfelt journey through the wilderness of Florida with a guinea pig and her eclectic group of animal friends.
Emma is a guinea pig with an identity crisis, the pet of a Tolkien-obsessed boy. Certain she is either a dragon or a German shepherd, she sets off with an iguana and a duck on a journey of self-discovery to learn who she is.
“In an adventure that is at times heartwarming, heartbreaking, and hilarious, these friends learn that true clarity comes when one refuses to be shaped from the outside in and instead tells their own story from the inside out—however unexpected that story may be,” Sanford wrote.
Since its debut, “The Most Important Thing in the World” has received rave reviews, its often compared to the works of Beverly Cleary and Roald Dahl. This “instant classic” was recently selected as the featured middle-grade novel on Reedsy Discovery.
Sanford is no stranger to her writing receiving such accolades. A journalist who has covered the yachting industry for the past 18 years, she has also been a Royal Palm Literary Award winner and a proud member of the Florida Writers Association.
Normally an author who leans more toward an adult audience, Sanford was inspired to write her children’s book several years ago to cheer up her then middle school-aged daughter after losing a friend.
“This story came alive when my daughter was going through all the difficult social-emotional learning that comes with adolescence,” she explained. “Raising kids today, they start asking themselves very difficult questions very early in life. I wrote this story hoping to dial down the noise and to guide my daughter through her adolescence by encouraging her to seek fewer answers from her devices, and more answers through analytical thinking and living a life of doing real things—not online things.”
The book was one-part inspired by Sanford’s daughter and her friends (as well as favorite characters from other popular stories), and other-part inspired by the local Florida wilderness. Sanford even spent some time in the Everglades and other parts of the Florida outdoors to help the natural setting in her book “come to life.”
The book has a clear message about personal identity and self-discovery that proves especially relevant at a time when many young people are starting to question their own identities. Sanford proudly claims that her book’s relevancy to current issues about identity was “100% intentional”, yet she also claims that her story pushes “no agenda.”
“It’s an age-appropriate story about what identity really means and the perils of arbitrarily branding ourselves and others. But it’s all done at a level a kid can understand,” she explained. “Kids spend way too much time looking for answers on their screens and not enough going through the ups and downs of life to develop resiliency and clarity. I see way too many kids growing up fragile and afraid of everything they can’t control.”
“The Most Important Thing in the World” is sold in paperback, e-book, and audiobook on Amazon and other book distributors. It available statewide in any public library affiliated with the Indie Florida digital lending program. Paperback copies are on the shelves in the libraries of Lake Placid, Sebring, and Avon Park. It is available for sale at the Blueberry Patch in Lake Placid and Gatorama in Palmdale.
For more information, visit Sanford’s website at: https://www.kellysanfordwrites.com
To learn more about Kelly Sanford and her book, listen to the first podcast episode of the newest podcast, “Chattin on the Ridge,” where she in interviewed as a guest: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/XnUze9h8Iyb
On Wednesday, April 12, 2023, Polk County Sheriff’s Office Safe Schools deputies arrested 39-year-old Ivy Mechelle Smith of Lakeland for battery on a school employee (F3), disrupting a school function (M2), and trespassing on school grounds (M2).
At around 11:00 a.m., Smith arrived at Medulla Elementary School (850 School House Road) in Lakeland and once in the main office area, she began yelling and cursing at the school staff. She was asked to calm down and stop cursing as there were several students nearby.
Smith was upset because her child had received discipline referrals from a teacher and wanted her child removed from the teacher’s classroom.
A school administrator heard the disruption and approached Smith. Smith demanded that her child be placed in another class. The administrator asked Smith to calm down, stating they would arrange a meeting to discuss her child’s behavior and the potential to be placed in another class. Smith then told the school administrator she was there to retrieve her child and walked past school staff toward the classrooms.
The school administrator followed Smith, telling her to stay in the main office and follow the proper procedures to check her child out of class. Smith continued to yell at the school administrator. She then pushed the school administrator and attempted to open a set of locked hallway doors.
When Smith realized she could not open the locked doors, she left the school building and jumped over a gate to flee from the school.
Smith then called the PCSO Emergency Communications Center. She told the Telecommunicator she was at the CVS (510 South Florida Ave.) in Lakeland and would wait for a deputies.
“There is a right way and a wrong way to present concerns to school administration. This is an example of how to go about it the wrong way. Our teachers already have the difficult task of educating our children, and we will never allow anyone to come on our school campuses in this manner, assaulting staff and disrupting classes. That conduct is a guaranteed trip to the county jail.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Smith was transported to the Polk County Jail and later released after paying a $1,500 bond.
According to the investigation so far, PCSO received a 911 call around 9:53 p.m. from the area of SR 60 West near the intersection of Coronet Road. When first responders arrived, they found 27-year-old Laura Gonzalez of Lakeland who had sustained life-threatening injuries. She was transported to an area hospital where she later died from her injuries.
Gonzalez was the passenger of a blue 2002 Saturn; the driver was 32-year-old Antonio Gutierrez of Lakeland. Gutierrez suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital where he is being treated.
Gutierrez was traveling west on SR 60 West, when for unknown reasons, he lost control of the vehicle. The Saturn crossed the outside lane and a right-hand turn lane before it struck a metal street light on the passenger side door. After striking the street light, the car flipped onto its roof and stopped in a ditch on the north side of the road.
The impact caused the street light to break and fall onto the roadway.
Impairment does not appear to be a factor in the crash. This investigation is on-going.
A portion of the roadway was closed for approximately 3 hours during the investigation, which remains on-going.
Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, along with Polk County Fire Rescue, were dispatched at about 2:36 p.m., to the crash scene on U.S. 17-92 North near the intersection of Ernie Caldwell Boulevard.
Upon arrival of first responders, 56-year-old Leonardo Pereira of Orlando was found deceased. He was driving a silver 1999 Infiniti I30t.
The second driver, a 43-year-old Felicien Blot of Kissimmee was uninjured. He was driving a white Freightliner Cascadia semi with a refrigerated trailer. His passenger was also uninjured.
Based on evidence and interviews at the scene, Traffic Homicide investigators determined that Pereira was traveling east on Ernie Caldwell Boulevard while the Freightliner was traveling south on US 17-92 North.
Pereira attempted to turn left onto US 17-92 North. He failed to stop at the intersection and pulled directly into the path of the Freightliner. The front of the Freightliner struck the driver’s side of the Infiniti.
The roadway in the area of the crash was closed for approximately 4 hours during the investigation, which remains on-going.
