Winter Haven Public Library- Help us read one million pages this summer! As you read and finish books this summer, log them online by visiting tinyurl.com/WinterHavenReads. Or, stop by the library and drop off your page counts in our giant crayon box!
#WinterHaven #SummerReading #BooksHaveHeART
February 11th, 1936 – May 31st, 2025
Robert “Bob” Geiger, a 89-year-old truck driver and citrus industry veteran, passed away on May 31, 2025, at his residence in Winter Haven, Florida. Bob cherished his outdoor work, animal companionship, and cooking. He is preceded in death by his wife, Margie Lee Thomas. He is survived by his daughters, Shirley (Billy) Lowrance of Auburndale and Susan (David) Ferguson of Orlando, his sons, Bobby (Judy) Geiger of Tennessee, Steve Geiger of Lake Wales, and Gary Geiger of Winter Haven, along with 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Services will be announced at a later date.
Nora T McCarthy, 81, of Winter Haven, Florida passed away May 29, 2025 at her residence in Winter Haven, Florida. She was born on September 30, 1943 in Kerry, Ireland, to Jeremiah and Julia (Lovett) McCarthy.
Nora is survived by: her sister’s Mary McCarthy and Monica Fee, brother’s Charlie McCarthy and Michael McCarthy, several nieces and nephews and many friends.
The family will receive friends at St. Matthew Catholic Church on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 from 8:15 am – 9:00 am. Funeral Mass will follow at 9:00 am with Father O’Brien officiating. Interment will be at Lakeside Memorial Park following the funeral Mass.
On Sunday, June 1, 2025, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit arrested a Lake Wales man for felony animal cruelty, and seized horses and goats from his property on Poe Road in Lake Wales.
The investigation began after PCSO received a tip regarding two horses in a field that appeared to be malnourished. The horses were found by deputies in the following conditions: one was extremely skinny, with its rib and hip bones visible; another was laying on the ground in its own feces, unable to lift its head, and barely breathing – this horse succumbed to its severe neglect and was deceased by the time detectives arrived.
Detectives also found numerous environmental hazards, and several adults and children living in various structures on the property. The homeowner, Joemanuel Nunez-Suarez, DOB 10/20/1984, claimed ownership of most of the livestock, including eight horses (including the deceased one), 11 goats, and two sheep. Three of the horses were neglected and in poor condition. He told detectives that he was taking care of the animals for a friend but that it was too expensive to feed them, and that he told the friend to come get the animals three months ago. All of the animals were seized by PCSO and will be rehabilitated.
Piles of solid waste, including rotting household trash, scrap metal, waste wood, 23 tires, hundreds of flies, and broken appliances, were scattered about. Detectives also located a trough filled with a mixture of antifreeze and gasoline, leaking into water that the animals were then drinking.
Two suspects (Jorge Almeida Rodriguez & Idanys Queveto) were charged with the environmental crimes; two suspects (Barbara Suarez & Hennycha Rosa Rosa) were charged with resisting arrest; Barbara owned one of the horses, and she was additionally charged with animal neglect.
Nunez-Suarez was placed under arrest and charged with felony animal cruelty (F3), animal cruelty (M1), and three counts confining animals without proper food, care, and sustenance (M1).
Thunder, a two-year-old stallion owned by Barbara Suarez, that was kept in a small stall in a dark barn and never turned out to pasture.
“We appreciate the tipster who alerted us to the deplorable conditions on this property. It’s a shame we were unable to save one of the abused horses, but we will make it our mission to rehabilitate all of the animals that were subjected to this filth and neglect, and ensure these suspects are never again allowed to own animals.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
At about 8:51 pm on Monday, June 2nd, PCSO’s Deputy Randolph was conducting traffic enforcement in the area of Winter Lake Road (SR 540) and Monterey Drive in Winter Haven, when a white Ford F-150 caught his attention.
What caught his attention was the Ford’s speed–104mph. The speed limit at that location is 50 mph, so the Ford was twice the limit plus four.
Deputy Randolph turned on his red & blues and watched as the Ford switched lanes multiple times, weaving through traffic, using no turn signals, and causing other motorists to brake.
A traffic stop was performed on the Ford at Winter Lake and Jim Keene Boulevard (right in front of the PCSO’s Operation Center).
The driver handed over his Massachusetts driver’s license, identifying himself as 21-year old Matthew J. Harrison.
The registration on the Ford had expired over a year ago.
Deputy Randolph asked why Matthew was driving so fast; Matthew said that his child was taken to the ER in Brandon, but Matthew was unable to say which hospital. The deputy asked Matthew to call the child’s mother, which he did. The mother knew nothing about the injury. Then Matthew and his wife spoke Spanish, and miraculously, the mother remembered her child was injured.
Deputy Randolph asked more about the hospital, and Matthew said that it was programmed in his phone’s GPS. But it wasn’t.
Matthew Harrison was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and taken to the Polk Pokey where he was cited for: Reckless Driving, Speeding, and Expired Registration.
City of Winter Haven, FL –
We’re proud to partner with Theatre Winter Haven to bring amazing entertainment to our community — and June is no exception! This month’s lineup is full of exciting shows, concerts, dance parties, and more.
Take a look at what’s coming up and plan your visit: https://theatrewinterhaven.com
Last month, my family and I went on a 7-day cruise on the Carnival Jubilee. We sailed from Galveston, Texas to Honduras to Mexico. Here’s a day-by-day travel log of my trip.
Day 5: Mahogany Bay (Tues. May 6, 2025)
Today was our first port of call: Mahogany Bay in Rotan, Honduras. A scenic little island with lush green trees, rolling hills, and crystal blue waters.
One of the first things we did when we stepped off the ship was ride the chair lift to the private beach. It was crowded with folks sunbathing on the shore and wading in the water. We took a dip in the water for a little bit, then dried off and went to browse the shops. One of our family members bought a tiki, which was wrapped in a long brown package.
There were many amenities at the beach. One place allowed you to dip your feet into a tank and let fish nibble at your toes. They claimed to have health benefits. I highly doubt that, but I bet fish tickling your toes feels good.
I went back to the ship and had lunch at the sandwich shop Beach Buns. I ordered a grinder on a baguette with ham and cheese. I ate it with a side of chips and a bowl of tomato soup. The soup tasted more like sauce, and it had the texture of sauce.
I spent the rest of the afternoon napping in my cabin. I had nausea earlier that morning. I woke up in the middle of the night with nausea, and I woke up that morning with nausea. My sister gave me a pill to take. I did not have breakfast that morning. Only a ginger ale and a banana. Up until recently, I was feeling fine. I was not seasick. I just guess the extra rocking of the ship made me seasick.
We went to Chibang for dinner. It was a Mexican/Chinese fusion eatery. I had pot stickers with noodles and kung pow chicken. It was decent. I ordered the chicken because it was allegedly the spiciest dish on the menu. I’ve had spicier. And I had better Chinese food.
I went to a comedy show later that evening. I didn’t care much for his jokes. One funny joke: he mentioned the ship’s coaster Bolt. It’s called Bolt because of a missing part. And the vehicles are shaped like jet skis so if they fly off the track, you can ride them to your next port of call.
Day 6: Costa Maya (Wed. May 7, 2025)
Our second port of call was Costa Maya in Mexico. A scenic little getaway with swaying palm trees, thatched roof houses, and sandy white beaches with turquoise waters.
Two other cruise ships were moored at our pier. So, there was a lot of traffic with people disembarking from the ships. And the shopping plaza was even more crowded. Two unique locations included a poolside bar and a dolphin area where people can pet and ride dolphins.
My group mostly browsed the shops. One lady tried to get my sister to buy a $75 lotion. A lot of the shopkeepers pressed potential buyers to buy their merch.
I specifically wanted to find something with a mermaid. We’re in a tropical aquatic area, so I considered it fitting. I managed to find a snow globe. It went for $25. But my sister managed to haggle it for $20. So I got it for that.
Back at the ship, we ate lunch. I wanted the taco bar, but it did not open until 1 PM. So, I had a hot dog and shawarma instead. I then went to the gym to workout. The biggest downgrade: no air-conditioning. Back home, the treadmills had built-in fans, so that made jogging up a sweat more bearable.
For dinner, we went to a hibachi grill: appetizers included a soup or salad and some seaweed salad with tempura. They served rice without eggs (because one of our family members has an egg allergy). It was really buttery. I ordered the shrimp and chicken. I even had some steak. It was good, but not as good as the Japanese places back home.
I went to the comedy club after. The comedian was Tim Young. His jokes did not impress me. Here’s one: “People fear that immigrants are taking their jobs. But robots are the ones who you really need to worry about. I should know. I gave my girlfriend…” Well, something I can’t say. Rimshot!
So that’s two ports of calls down. One more to go. The trip is almost over. And how did it go? Stay tuned and find out as my tale comes to its conclusion.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a deputy-involved shooting that occurred this afternoon at the Sunoco store at 1502 Recker Hwy, near Ave. O SW, in Winter Haven. Nobody was injured due to gunfire.
At approximately 2:45 pm on Monday, June 2, 2025, PCSO deputies attempted to arrest a documented gang member who was in possession of a trafficking amount of methamphetamine in front of the Sunoco.
The suspect fled in a vehicle, crashed into multiple law enforcement vehicles, and forced a deputy to the ground, injuring him in the process. A deputy fired several shots at the suspect, striking the suspect’s vehicle, but the suspect was not hit.
Deputies apprehended the suspect about a mile away after he sideswiped another vehicle after crossing the railroad tracks on North Lake Shipp Drive. Two occupants in the other vehicle were transported to the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries.
“The suspect had a blatant disregard for the safety of others. A very dangerous drug dealer is now where he belongsin the Polk County Jail. Fortunately, our deputy was not seriously injured and is expected to make a full recovery.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
The suspect has been identified as 39-year old Tonyo Evans of Eagle Lake; he has an extensive criminal history.
Per standard protocol, there are three investigations currently underway: an independent investigation by the 10th Judicial Circuit’s Officer-Involved Deadly Incident (OIDI) Task Force; an internal investigation by the PCSO Administrative Investigations Unit; and all investigative findings will be forwarded to the 10th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office for their investigation and review.
Tentative charges against Evans include: multiple counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, trafficking in methamphetamine, fleeing to elude, and other charges.
City of Auburndale, Fl Government-
Today is the first day for this year’s Polk County Library Adventure: beginning June 2nd through August 2nd! Each library in Polk County chose a hero. Our hero is Moana! Enjoy fun family activities and enter to win a special prize!
Available during the Library’s hours of operation:
Monday: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tuesday: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Wednesday: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Thursday: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: Closed
For more information on the Library’s schedule or other details, please visit https://auburndalefl.com/library/ or call 863-965-5548.
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 June 19,2025 at 10:00 am at storageauctions.com
Units belonging to the following:
Ike Knighten/ Unit 1002
Lasaysha Taylor/ Unit 208
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.
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