HAINES CITY- Through a collaborative effort with Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Haines City Police arrested 22-year-old Kristavion Jacoi Harris, the man involved in a fatal shooting on Sunday. Harris was taken into custody at the Polk County Sheriff’s Central District Office in Winter Haven.
On Sunday at 3:30 p.m., police responded to a disturbancein the 1000th block of Avenue N. According to eyewitness reports, there was a social gathering at a residence in the area. While a group of men were playing chess, Harris, whose alias is “Pooh Bear,” walked up to the residence and began arguing with 24-year-old Naquan Elijah Swift. During the argument, Harris pulled out a firearm and began shooting. Swift was shot multiple times and a 46-year-old bystander was also injured.
Both victims were treated at a local hospital. Despite life-saving efforts on scene as well as at the hospital, Swift succumbed to his injuries. The second victim underwent surgery for his injuries. Harris has been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and using or displaying a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Chief Greg Goreck said “we couldn’t have arrested Harris so quickly without the community’s support.”
A rainy day could not keep people from staying away from this year’s Bartow Juneteenth Celebration.
For the fourth year, the African-American community in Bartow celebrated its heritage with the annual Bartow Juneteenth Street Festival.
Hosted at Over the Branch Polk Street, the festival included several food trucks as well as vendors from local businesses and organizations including Polk County Elections and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The event also included bounce houses, scholarship awards, live entertainment, and Live DJ Music featuring DJ King.
Zelma Harris, President of Bartow Juneteenth, was impressed by the turnout, which, despite the rainy weather, more than exceeded her expectations.
“I think it is great,” she said. “We were looking at the rain, but it looks like it will pass over, so I am expecting people to have a good time. I am very happy with the turnout thus far, and I expect it to get larger as the day goes by. Just the fellowship and the people and the good people and music, just to get with people again. It will get larger and larger until it becomes a whole week of events.”
HAINES CITY- Haines City Police are still searching for a suspect involved in a fatal shooting Sunday afternoon. Investigators have identified 22-year-old Kristavion Jacoi Harris in the incident.
At 3:30 p.m., police responded to a disturbance in the 1000th block of Avenue N. When police arrived, they found 24-year-old Naquan Elijah Swift suffering from gunshot wounds. A second shooting victim, 46, was taken to the hospital by another party before police arrived. Both victims were treated at a local hospital. Despite life-saving efforts on scene as well as at the hospital, Swift succumbed to his injuries. Harris last known address is 1130 Ave. E. He is being charged with a second-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and using or displaying a firearm during the commission of a felony. Harris, known by his alias “Pooh Bear,” is considered armed and dangerous and he should not be approached, said Police Chief Greg Goreck. Police are seeking the public’s help in locating Harris. A $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Harris. To remain anonymous, please contact Heartland Crimestoppers 1-800-226-TIPS.
First Baptist Church of Lake Wales Raises Funds for East African Missionaries
by James Coulter
Matthew Elmore was born and raised in Lake Wales. He attended First Baptist Church of Lake Wales where he grew to have a heart for the Lord and spreading His Word to others. That heart led him and his wife to travel to East Africa and join a missions team there.
First Baptist Church of Lake Wales helped show and provide their support for the Elmore family by hosting a fundraising dinner in their honor on Sunday evening. Nearly a hundred people attended to enjoy dinner, participate in a silent auction, and hear about the good work being performed by the Elmore family.
Kelly Elmore works with her husband for African Mission Outreach, a missions group that seeks to evangelize and equip youth and young adults. She and her husband are stationed in Nairobi, Kenya where she serves as a teacher at an International Christian School. Their organization has several indigenous workers in Uganda and several other countries in East Africa.
Proceeds from the dinner will go directly toward the Kenyan staff employed by the African Mission Outreach and its mission work in general. Specifically, the proceeds will help get their podcast on a secular radio station “to spread some Christian content to places it would normally not go as well as a new computer.”
“It is amazing,” Kelly said. “We just hope to continue to grow and reach more young people who would not hear the gospel and place the gospel in place they would not hear it, young people especially.”
The First Baptist Church of Lake Wales had previously received “a considerable amount of money” from a local lady to help support local and foreign missions. That money is used to support Acts 1:8, a program dedicated to spreading the Gospel message around the world by supporting organizations like the Elmore Family Mission through the African Mission Outreach.
Sharron Kurscher, a church member and Sunday school teacher, appreciates the hard work and dedication of the Elmore Family, especially since Matthew Elmore was born and raised in the church.
“They grew up in this church,” she said. “We know him. Since he was a baby, we watched him grow up. Knowing that we have a real personal part of a mission someplace makes us feel like we are family. So the church supports [them] any way we can. We give to the ministry every month through the African Mission Outreach, and many other members of this church do,too.”
“When it started, the expectations were not that great because we did not know that much about it,” she said. “We are impressed by how much it grew, even in the ministry, I see it going bigger and bigger and reaching more youth. We are excited to be a part of it and we hope other people will become part of the ministry.”
The Rainbows Came Out After the Rain at Annual Pride at the Park
by James Coulter
The morning may have started with dark cloudy skies and heavy rain, but eventually, the sun came out and shone brightly with plenty of rainbows just in time for Lakeland’s annual pride event.
On Saturday, thousands of attendees gathered at Munn Park in Downtown Lakeland to celebrate their pride at the annual Pride in the Park, hosted by Polk Pride FL. Rainbow colors were proudly showcased everywhere from flags and buttons to shirts and face paint.
Several dozen vendors and food trucks congregated in the park to sell rainbow-colored merchandise and food. Meanwhile, the main stage served as a venue for drag performances and other musical numbers that allowed attendees to celebrate their identities proudly.
For nearly a decade, Polk Pride Week has allowed locals within the LGBTQIA community and their allies an opportunity to celebrate diversity and inclusion through a weeklong celebration in Lakeland, ultimately culminating with the main event on Saturday, Pride in the Park.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic postponing events in previous years, the first in-person event was hosted last year. This year’s event experienced a significant turnout that more than exceeded the expectations of event organizers, explained Scott Guira, Polk Pride President.
“We had a great event,” he said. “Even despite the rain, it has been a packed park. I love the unity. It is about bringing the community together to celebrate. We met expectations by the thousands of people out there coming together to celebrate the event.”
Concerns about public safety had been raised about potential threats of hate crimes, especially in light of an increase in anti-trans legislation in Florida and throughout the country. However, with Polk Pride working directly with the Lakeland Police Department and the City of Lakeland, efforts were made to maintain public safety and security during the Pride event.
While many Christians have averred that “pride is a sin”, other more progressive congregations have emphasized Christ’s message to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Such was the case with Pastor Mel Wilkinson, Senior Pastor at Christ’s Promise United Church of Christ in Lakeland.
“We support it [the event] every year,” she said. “It is a very important part of our ministry. It is about making people know that no matter who you are, no matter where you are in your life, you are welcome with us. I love meeting all the people, especially all the children who are gay and believe they cannot be Christian. Those are the people we love to reach the most.”
Stephanie Middleton, co-owner of Cookie Catastrophe with her wife, Crystal Lens, attended with plenty of rainbow-colored cookies. Both she and her wife have been attending the event for the past two years, with its inclusive atmosphere keeping them coming back each time.
“It has been great,” she said. “This is our second year. It is near and dear to our hearts for sure. We love seeing people get together to be themselves in a no-judgment zone.”
Local Author Overcomes Fear as a Complex Trauma Survivor to See “Where Does Your Story Take You?”
by James Coulter
Everyone has a story to tell. Some stories are happy. Other stories are tragic. And some stories are…complicated! That’s certainly true for many trauma survivors. It’s also the case for one local author, who overcame her complicated emotions to share her story with the world.
In her debut memoir, “Where does your story take you?: from running to embracing your story”, local author Angela Ardrey-Reynolds opens her heart to share her deepest emotions and thoughts that shaped her story as a complex trauma survivor.
As her book summary states: “She reveals how intimate secrets and fears fashioned her life and her struggles to become free. Throughout the chapters, she shares her truths about finding healing and peace. Angela engages her readers with simple dialogue, encouraging them to stop running from their past and to embrace their story, their journey, and their true selves.”
A Plant City native, Angela currently works as a professional speaker, photographer, and journalist. She currently oversees a local writer’s group, The Writers Loft, at Krazy Kup in Plant City. She has written countless articles and taken many photographs for local publications such as Focus Magazine.
Aside from being a storyteller through the written word, she is also a storyteller with her voice. Angela is a professional speaker with the National Speakers Association (NSA) and a member of the Keynotes and More Advanced Toastmasters club. She also serves as the Associate Dean of Professional Writing and Liaison for Toastmasters for the NSA Speakers Academy in Central Florida.
Angela recently sat down with us for an interview on the Chattin on the Ridge podcast, where she discussed her book and writing career. He’s a sample of what she had to share:
Q: So, Angela, tell me about your personal journey. I hear you weren’t always a writer. So what started your journey to becoming one?
A: In my 20s, I started journaling. It was my way of dealing with things – such as insecurities and setbacks. But over the proceeding years, my journaling transformed into an attempt to understand myself. Writing became my closest friend. I was on a journey to discover myself through my words…to understand who I was and why I responded to things the way I did. I guess you can say I was researching myself.
Q: What eventually led you to write your book? You say the main theme is struggling to overcome your fears. What, exactly, did that entail?
A: I wanted to tell the world that hurting people like me can find healing and peace. Yes, fear ruled my life. I didn’t realize how badly I allowed fear to silence my voice – my confidence and self-worth. It happened a little at a time. And because I ran from fear and caved into it, it grew stronger. I still face fear every day. But I refuse to let it hold me down anymore. I admit I have good days and not-so-good days. But I’ve come to realize that I am in control and not the fear.
Q: Considering the overall subject matter of your book, especially since it‘s from your perspective as a complex trauma survivor, what was the hardest part about writing it?
A: Complex trauma . . . in my case, [it was] 16 years of childhood trauma. I really thought I would be ok as I grew older. Unfortunately, as I grew older, the effects of the childhood trauma changed the projection of my life. My life became an internal battle, one that I was losing. By my late 40s, I was giving up. I was tired of hurting. I was tired of trying to understand myself.
So how did this affect me in writing the book? Writing the book meant that I had to revisit this past. And there are triggers in the past – triggers that lead to depression and anger, to me pulling away again, and to the silence. In fact, many times I stopped writing the book because of this.
But as bad as that sounds, this struggle started my quest to find courage in my writing ability…a quest that led to creating a writers’ guild, taking a job as a journalist/freelance writer, hiring a writing coach that specialized in fearful writing, and publishing my work monthly – writing other people’s stories.
Q: Overall, what do you believe you learned from writing your book? What is the overall lesson that you learned that you want others to learn by reading your book?
That I finally found a way to write the story. I finally found the courage I needed to be brave with my words and my life. And for my readers . . . Running from your story (whatever your story is) does not bring healing. It’s only when you embrace your story do you start to heal.
Listen, I ran almost my whole life from who I was. I saw myself as broken. As a result, I pushed myself so hard to be perfect while I hid my past secrets. I didn’t want to be labeled. I just wanted to be ok in this world.
I did not choose to be a victim. I was just a little child. But as an adult, I did choose to carry my pain in secret – and remain in a state of victimhood. I created my own mental prison. I became a silent sufferer. I want my readers to understand that running is not the answer. It was a hard lesson I had to learn.
Q: Aside from being an author, you also have quite an eclectic career as a journalist, toastmaster, and leader of your own writers’ group. Tell us a little bit about how all of that coalesces into who you are as a person.
A: Easy . . . all of these were my stretch assignments to find courage in my voice again.
Today, I am a professional writer and photographer, journalist and photojournalist, certified health and wellness coach, and professional speaker. I run a writer’s guild, work with book and writing coaches, and help aspiring authors and speakers find the beauty in their stories. These are all new roles – meaning before 2015, they never existed in my life . . . Why? Because I never trusted myself to just be me.
*****
To hear Angela’s full heart-felled story about her journey to overcome fear and share her experiences in her book, listen to her full interview on the Chattin on the Ridge podcast, streaming on Spotify at: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/QFqiAI0ypAb
Her book is available on Amazon and other book distributors. For more information, visit her website at: https://angelaardrey.com
Juneteenth was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Also referred to as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of more than 250,000 enslaved Black persons in the state of Texas on this day in 1865.
In Florida, we also recognize Emancipation Day on May 20, which marks the date emancipation was proclaimed in Tallahassee in 1865, 11 days after the end of the Civil War.
To learn more about Polk County’s history, visit the History Center at 100 E. Main St. in Bartow, Florida.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office recovers teen who apparently drowned in Lake Clinch
At around 8:20 p.m., Sunday, June 18, 2023, PCSO deputies along with the Frostproof Fire Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to a report of a boating accident on Lake Clinch in Frostproof and had boats immediately into the water to look for a missing boater.
Preliminary information so far is that two teens were on a single Jet Ski on Lake Clinch. The driver of the Jet Ski, 17-year-old Jose Torres of Frostproof, made an abrupt turn, causing him and his passenger, 15-year-old Mekhi Guillaume of Frostproof, to be ejected into the water.
Guillaume, who was wearing a life jacket, was able to swim back to the Jet Ski. Guillaume looked for Torres but could not locate him. Guillaume immediately alerted others in the area and 911 was notified.
Torres was not wearing a life jacket.
The PCSO Marine Unit and Underwater Search and Recovery Team (USART) utilized an underwater drone which located Torres, deceased in about 20 feet of water, just after midnight. Jose Torres’ body was transported to the Tenth District Medical Examiner’s Office where an autopsy will be conducted at a later time. It appears at this time that he drowned, although the M.E. will determine his exact cause of death.
Jose Torres was a student at Ridge Technical College.
“Our hearts hurt today for this loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with Jose’s family and loved ones. This is a tragic accident and a stark reminder that life jackets save lives. Please, when out on the water, wear a life jacket. It could save your life.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Update: Police are currently looking for Kristavion Jacoi Harris, DOB 11-21-2000. Police have obtained an arrest warrant and he is being charged with second-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and using or displaying a firearm during the commission of a felony. His last known address is 1130 Ave. E
HAINES CITY- Haines City Police responded to a disturbance that occurred around 3:30 p.m. in the 1000thblock of Avenue N. When police arrived, they found one victim suffering from gunshot wounds. A second shooting victim was taken to the hospital by another party before police arrived. Both victims were treated at a local hospital. Despite life-saving efforts on scene as well as at the hospital, one of the victims passed away. At this time, the investigation is ongoing. We will release more information as it becomes available.
Bartow, Fla. (June 14, 2023) — Upcoming heavy construction projects will slow traffic in Lakeland, Bartow, Haines City, and Winter Haven with road closures and detours. Three projects will be underway on Monday, June 19 and another starts on Wednesday, June 21.
For 68 days, starting Monday morning June 19, South Pipkin Road, Old Medulla Road, and Airside Center Drive will be closed at West Pipkin Road to install a water line and drainage crossings as part of Polk County’s West Pipkin Road widening project. Installations require extensive road reconstruction. Traffic will be briefly detoured along Waring Road to Old Medulla Road to bypass work zones.
A Polk County project to replace a failing cross drain will close Murphy Road from Surveyor’s Lake Road to Lake Buffum Road West for 45 days beginning Monday, June 19 in the Alturas area of unincorporated Bartow. Detour may be lengthy for some motorists. Construction area is located in a rural area with few alternate roads. Depending on destination or direction of travel, traffic will be redirected to Alturas-Bason Park Cut-Off Road or North Lake Buffum Road to get around closure.
Fletcher Fish Camp Road from Old Haines City Lake Alfred Road to Richardson Road will also close on Monday, June 19 for four days of road reconstruction for a new residential subdivision in Haines City. A short detour to Government Center Boulevard will bypass the construction area closure.
Construction of turn lanes and a drainage crossing for the new South Pointe Elementary School in southeastern Winter Haven will close the Old Bartow Lake Wales approach to the roundabout with Rattlesnake Road (County Road 653) for three days starting Wednesday morning June 21. Traffic will be detoured along Rattlesnake Road, County Road 540 (Eloise Loop Road and/or Thompson Nursery Road), and Rifle Range Road. While access to Logistics Parkway and local residences will be maintained during construction, detour will create longer trips for area commuters.
Other active road construction projects continue to slow traffic countywide. Driving delays can be expected and motorists should add extra time to trips through these areas. For details, call Bill Skelton with the Polk County Roads & Drainage Division at (863) 535-2200.
