The Haines City Parks & Recreation team has been hard at work this month, preparing an exciting new event for the community — the Boogie and Boo Family Costume Bash! This free, family-friendly celebration will take place on Friday, October 24, 2025, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Oakland Auditorium (915 Ave. E, Building C).
Families are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite costumes and enjoy an evening full of music, refreshments, and festive fun. The event promises activities and entertainment for all ages, making it the perfect way to celebrate the Halloween season together.
The Recreation staff can’t wait to welcome everyone for a night of dancing, laughter, and community spirit. Mark your calendars and get ready to boogie — it’s going to be a spooktacular time in Haines City!
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit has issued an arrest warrant for a Guatemalan man who was here in the country illegally, charging him with leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury, a first degree felony.
The crash occurred around 5:15 p.m. on Thursday, October 9th, on Campbell Road West in Lakeland. According to multiple witnesses and evidence at the scene, a 28-year-old Lakeland man was riding his electric bicycle westbound inside the fog line of the road when he was struck from behind by what appeared to be a tan Nissan Altima. The victim was knocked off his bike, and then run over by the car once he was on the ground. Witnesses reported that the driver, described as a Hispanic man in his 20s, got out, looked at the victim, then got back in his car and put the car in reverse, running him over again before fleeing the scene heading westbound. The victim was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
The witnesses provided a possible vehicle tag and description, and the investigation ensued. Through investigative resources, detectives learned the vehicle was known to be driven by 21-year-old Erick Perez De Leon, who lives in a house on Old Tampa Highway in Lakeland.
Detectives responded to the house and spoke with three men inside, who were found to be in the country illegally from Guatemala. ICE was contacted, and all three of these illegal aliens were taken into custody:
Dany Perez De Leon, DOB 9/1/2004
Jorge Becerra Perez, DOB 10/17/1986
Urasis Chilel Perez, DOB 11/2/1982
They learned Erick De Leon is also here illegally from Guatemala. They contacted the Department of Homeland Security and learned De Leon boarded a plane in Orlando bound for Guatemala on Saturday, October 18th. The plane landed in Guatemala that afternoon.
Detectives found the suspect vehicle parked at another residence nearby. The homeowner, who had no knowledge of the investigation or car, told detectives that someone he knows as “Erick” asked if he could park the car there overnight and said he would come back in the morning to retrieve it – he never did. The car was towed from the scene and processed. Parts that were left behind at the crash location matched up to parts missing from the car, and biological evidence taken from the car was sent to FDLE for testing.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant charging De Leon with leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury (F1), and no valid DL with serious bodily injury (F2).
“If this suspect had not been in the country illegally, the victim would not currently be in the hospital with multiple critical facial and brain injuries. We will seek justice for this victim and his family, and work with the proper authorities to bring Erick De Leon back here to face his felony charges.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal crash that occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 18, 2025, in Lakeland.
According to reports, deputies responded to the area of Reynolds Road and Flat Road after receiving a 911 call about an overturned 2019 Jeep Wrangler on the shoulder. Evidence from the scene suggests the driver, a 26-year-old man from Lakeland and the sole occupant of the vehicle, was traveling north on Reynolds Road when the Jeep veered off the roadway, struck guide wires attached to a utility pole, and overturned.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation remains ongoing.
No Trick-or-Treating? No Problem! Here’s 6 Spooktacular Alternatives for Halloween Fun
by James Coulter
Can’t go trick-or-treating this Halloween, but still want fun and safe activities to do with your young ones? Whether your little ones are too skittish or you simply don’t have the time and money, here are some fun alternatives to trick-or-treating:
1. Candy Scavenger Hunt. Here’s a fun way for kids to have their fun and candy, too. Hide small candy and other fun trinkets around your house or in your yard. Then give your young ones a checklist of clues on where they can find these sweet treats. Be creative and write riddles for them to solve. (For children still learning to read, use picture clue cards.) Your young ones will have a fun time hunting for their candy, almost like a Halloween Easter egg hunt!
2. Halloween Arts and Crafts. Spend Halloween night making not-so-scary arts and crafts. Turn old toilet paper rolls into funny monsters by sticking on googly eyes, stickers, pom-poms, and pipe cleaners for arms. Or turn paper plates into spiders by painting them, attaching pipe cleaners or streamers for arms, and then applying googly eyes, then use yarn to hang them up (you can even weave a web from white yarn). Or turn your child’s handprint into a unique jack-o-lantern by either tracing their hands on orange paper or having them apply their handprint with orange paint, then coloring in the eyes, leaves, and stem with colored marker.
3. Halloween Fun and Games. Have some fun indoors or out with these simple games. Play monster or ghost freeze in a nice open space with kid-friendly Halloween songs like “Monster Mash” or “Five Little Pumpkins.” Or go Halloween bowling: decorate plastic bottles as ghosts and monsters and have your kids knock them over with a plastic ball or even a small pumpkin. Or try your hand at a pumpkin ring toss. Set up real or faux pumpkins in an open area and have your little ones try their luck at tossing rings onto their stems.
4. Halloween Story Time. Having fun isn’t hard when you have a library card. Check out some Halloween-themed storybooks, then set up a “reading fort” by stacking pillows or going under a table. Add to the “spoopy” ambience by dimming the lights and using glow sticks.
5. Family-Friendly Halloween Movies. Obviously, it’s not a good idea to make your young child watch the latest bloody, gory R-rated slasher flicks. Fortunately, there are plenty of G and PG-rated Halloween-themed movies for young children. Some family-friendly classics include The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, Casper, Coraline, and Ghostbusters. Many of these movies are available to stream or rent. Be sure to check ratings and content warnings to ensure they’re the right films to show your kids. And be attentive to how your child reacts. If it gets too scary for them, you can always change it to their favorite movie. And be sure to pop some popcorn.
6. Halloween Sensory Bins. Sometimes Halloween can be a little overstimulating with the many spooky sights and sounds, especially for neurodivergent children. Consider Halloween-themed sensory bins to help children relax and unwind from any potential sensory overload, or to simply give them a low-stimulation activity. Fill a plastic bin with your choice of filler, and add themed items like plastic pumpkins, bats, spiders, and bugs. Be sure to add bright and friendly objects, and avoid anything too scary or creepy. Glow-in-the-dark filler and objects are especially ideal for dark, soothing environments with black lights. Be sure to play low-intensity music or white noise.
Winter Haven, Florida – Polk State College has confirmed that an independent investigation into its administration is now underway. However, college officials have declined to share any additional details, including who is conducting the review, what its scope entails, or when it is expected to conclude.
In an email to the Daily Ridge, Madison Fantozzi, Associate Vice President of Communications and Public Information Officer for Polk State College, stated:
“Yes, a review is underway. The College is not providing any additional information while the review is ongoing.”
The confirmation follows weeks of mounting scrutiny over the college’s controversial $125,000 funding request to the Polk State College Foundation. That request sparked internal concern about transparency, governance, and accountability among trustees and Foundation board members alike.
As previously reported by the Daily Ridge, Foundation Director of Finance Joanie Malone documented events surrounding the funding request in a detailed written timeline sent to both Polk State trustees and Foundation board members. Multiple observers have described Malone as a whistleblower after she raised questions about how the funds were handled and whether full disclosure was provided before a vote took place.
Polk State Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center (photo credit: Polk State College)
Polk State College initially sought up to $125,000 in unrestricted Foundation funds to help students remain enrolled, though only a portion was ultimately disbursed. Foundation board members later pressed for a full accounting of how the funds were used.
District Board of Trustees Chair Ann Barnhart acknowledged in a message to both boards that “it would not be appropriate for either Polk State College or its Foundation to address this situation without an accurate and independent review of what occurred.” At that time, Barnhart claimed the college was in the process of contacting “experienced and knowledgeable firms and individuals to promptly investigate these events.”
However, her email also characterized portions of Malone’s timeline as “inaccurate,” even as she confirmed that no review had yet been conducted, raising questions about how such conclusions could be drawn before an investigation.
Internal communications reviewed by the Daily Ridge indicate that staff had expressed fears of retaliation and frustration over what some described as a lack of transparency from senior administrators, including Polk State President Dr. Angela Garcia Falconetti. According to accounts shared staff were instructed not to include certain details in writing and to rely instead on verbal communication.
The Daily Ridge also previously reported that similar transparency concerns have surfaced in other matters involving the college. Earlier this year, a separate whistleblower raised alarms over training activities that exposed real Social Security numbers and other sensitive personal data. The college’s response at the time left unanswered questions about how much personal information was viewed and by whom.
In another case, mold issues in campus facilities went unresolved until an employee bypassed internal channels and contacted state officials, prompting remediation efforts.
Taken together, these episodes, along with what appears to be a high rate of faculty and staff turnover for various reasons, have contributed to growing unease among employees and community members. Many cite an atmosphere of instability and frustration over how leadership addresses internal concerns and retention.
With the college now confirming that an independent review is officially underway, attention turns to whether that process will address these broader concerns, including staff morale, turnover, and enrollment reporting, and whether the findings, once completed, will be made public.
LAKELAND – An 82-year-old Lakeland man was killed during the early morning hours of Friday, October 17, 2025, after crashing his motorcycle into a tree.
According to Carrie Horstman, Media Relations Administrator for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the PCSO Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call around 12:30 a.m. from a resident on Fitzgerald Road in Lakeland who reported hearing the crash.
Preliminary evidence indicates the rider was operating a 2005 Honda motorcycle eastbound on Fitzgerald Road, approaching the intersection with Francis Pipkin Road, when for unknown reasons the bike left the roadway and entered the front yard of a nearby home, striking a large oak tree.
The impact ejected the rider from the motorcycle. He was pronounced deceased upon the arrival of first responders. Authorities noted he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
“An earthquake hits the San Francisco Bay Area on October 17, 1989, killing 67 people and causing more than $5 billion in damages. Though this was one of the most powerful and destructive earthquakes ever to hit a populated area of the United States, the death toll could have been much worse.
The proximity of the San Andreas Fault to San Francisco was well-known for most of the 20th century, but the knowledge did not stop the construction of many un-reinforced brick buildings in the area. Finally, in 1972, revised building codes forced new structures to be built to withstand earthquakes. The new regulations also called for older buildings to be retrofitted to meet the new standards, but the expense involved made these projects a low priority for the community.
On October 17, the Bay Area was buzzing about baseball. The Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants, both local teams, had reached the World Series. The third game of the series was scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. Just prior to the game, with the cameras on the field, a 7.1-magnitude tremor centered near Loma Prieta Peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains rocked the region from Santa Cruz to Oakland. Though the stadium withstood the shaking, much of the rest of San Francisco was not so fortunate.
The city’s marina district suffered great damage. Built before 1972, on an area of the city where there was no underlying bedrock, the liquefaction of the ground resulted in the collapse of many homes. Burst gas mains and pipes also sparked fires that burned out of control for nearly two days. Also hard hit by the quake were two area roads, the Nimitz Expressway and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
Both roads featured double-decker construction and, on each, the upper level collapsed during the earthquake. Forty-one of the 67 victims of this disaster were motorists on the lower level of the Nimitz, who were killed when the upper level of the road collapsed and crushed them in their cars. Only one person was killed on the Bay Bridge—which had been scheduled for a retrofitting the following week—because there were no cars under the section that collapsed.
Other heavily damaged communities included Watsonville, Daly City and Palo Alto. More than 10 percent of the homes in Watsonville were completely demolished. The residents, most of whom were Latino, faced additional hardship because relief workers and the Red Cross did not have enough Spanish-speaking aides or translators to assist them.
The earthquake caused billions of dollars in damages, and contributed in part to the deep recession that California suffered in the early 1990s.”
Get ready for a hauntingly fun time at the Lakeshore Mall Haunted House on Saturday, October 18, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Sebring! As part of the Heartland Family Fall Festival, this spooky celebration offers thrills and chills for the whole family.
Enjoy a full day of Halloween excitement with free entertainment, a costume contest, BINGO, and local vendors. Whether you’re in it for the scares or just the seasonal fun, there’s something for everyone at this community event.
The Haunted House is located at 901 US 27 North, Sebring, FL 33870, inside Lakeshore Mall. For more information, call 863-471-9500 ext. 104.
Don’t miss your chance to celebrate fall with friends, family, and a few friendly frights. Sponsored by the Highlands News-Sun, this festival promises an unforgettable day of spooky fun!
It was yet another heartbreaking weekend in Tallahassee as Florida State football dropped its third straight game, this time to the Pitt Panthers, losing 34–31 at home. Despite the early noon kickoff, Seminole fans showed up in full force, hopeful that the team would rebound after back-to-back losses to Virginia and rival Miami. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
FSU VS PITT
Florida State’s defensive struggles were once again on full display, allowing a season-high 476 yards of total offense, 321 of which came through the air. What makes this performance even more alarming is that it came against Pitt’s freshman quarterback, Mason Heintschel, who had little trouble dissecting the Seminole defense. With virtually no pressure in the pocket, Heintschel looked poised and comfortable, exploiting FSU’s secondary all afternoon.
To add insult to injury, Florida State’s defense, as a result of losing the last three games, has now dropped to being ranked 100th out of 134 FBS schools. In addition, linebacker Justin Cryer has a 40.9 PFF coverage grade, which ranks as the eighth-lowest grade of any linebacker at the Power Four level in the entire country.
FSU Mascot
As a result of Florida State’s struggles, many within the Seminole community are left wondering what happened. The team went from starting 3–0, upsetting highly ranked Alabama and reaching as high as No. 7 in the country, to now sitting at 3–3, unranked, and facing the possibility of missing a bowl game. As the losses pile up, many of the Seminole faithful are looking for answers, and for someone to blame.
Head coach Mike Norvell has become the focal point of that frustration. In his six years at Florida State, Norvell holds a 36–30 record with two bowl appearances and only two winning seasons. His tenure has also included several historically low moments for the program. These include the largest bowl loss in program history (63–3), the worst season since 1974 when FSU went 2–10, and the first-ever loss to an FCS school when the Seminoles fell to Jacksonville State in 2021.
Many fans within the Florida State faithful are calling for change and want head coach Mike Norvell to be fired. However, that move would come at a steep cost, Norvell’s buyout currently sits at $58.67 million.
FSU Fans
Looking ahead, Florida State will try to stop the bleeding this Saturday night as they travel out west to face Stanford. It marks the Seminoles’ first trip to the West Coast since the 2014 College Football Playoff Semifinal against Oregon, and their first regular-season game out west since a matchup with USC in 1997. For a program that began the season with playoff hopes, the next few weeks will be critical — not just for salvaging a bowl berth, but perhaps for the future of the coaching staff as well.
Florida State opens this game as 18-point favorites, as Stanford has struggled and currently sits at 2–4. Some keys for Florida State to secure a win include protecting the football to avoid giving Stanford extra possessions, exposing the Cardinal’s defensive weaknesses, as they have allowed 30 or more points in multiple games, and staying disciplined by avoiding penalties and mental lapses. These will be crucial if the Seminoles hope to get back on track.
Florida State will kick off this game on Saturday at 10:30 PM as they look to earn their first conference win of the season. One thing is certain: no matter the highs or lows, the Seminole faithful will continue their support.
Thank you for reading, this has been Ethan Jones with your Florida State football coverage.
