Join Keep Winter Haven Clean & Beautiful, Inc. for Project E.A.G.L.E.
Come together with your community to protect and preserve our beautiful environment at Project E.A.G.L.E., hosted by Keep Winter Haven Clean & Beautiful, Inc. This fun and meaningful event takes place on Saturday, April 26th from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Lake Shipp Park.
Enjoy a rewarding day filled with environmental clean-up efforts, live music, engaging environmental exhibits, and the chance to win exciting prizes! Whether you’re passionate about nature, looking to make a positive impact, or just want to spend a meaningful morning outdoors, this event is the perfect way to give back.
Bring your friends, family, and good vibes—let’s unite to keep our community clean and beautiful. Every small action adds up to a big difference. Don’t miss this opportunity to protect what we love and have fun doing it!
In Loving Memory of Jerry Dwayne “JerrBear” Cummings June 11, 1974 – April 6, 2025
Jerry Dwayne “JerrBear” Cummings, of Winter Haven, Florida, passed away peacefully on April 6, 2025.
Born on June 11, 1974, in Bartow, Jerry was a proud Floridian through and through. He built a successful career as a Regional Sales Manager at Palogix International, where he was recognized as one of the company’s top salesmen. Jerry had a remarkable gift for connecting with people, a talent that served him both professionally and personally.A passionate Florida Gators fan, Jerry found joy in game days, great movies, and most of all, spending time with his family. His warmth, humor, and presence will be missed He is survived by his beloved wife, Wendy Nicole Royce Cummings; his children: Bradley Dewayne Cummings, Nicholas Sean Cummings, and Hayley Nicole Royce Cummings. He is also survived by his loving parents, Margie Ann Stewart (“Mawmaw”) and Wesley Stewart (“‘Pawpaw”), brothers, Donnie Todd, Kenny Todd, Ronnie Todd, Joseph Todd and sister, Tonia Moore, along with countless friends, colleagues, and extended family whose lives he touched.
Jerry was unbelievably unique. He had a huge heart. He loved in his own way and went about things the way he saw best. One thing is certain, there will never be someone else like him. Ever. He was deeply loved and will be missed by us.
Rest well, Jerry. We will love and remember you forever.
Polk County, FL — On April 15, 2025 a domestic dispute between two sisters over a shared water pump erupted into a violent confrontation involving a firearm, resulting in one arrest on multiple felony charges.
Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to Timberwood Road, Lakeland, after reports of an assault with a deadly weapon. The investigation, led by Northwest Patrol, revealed that a verbal disagreement between sisters escalated when one retrieved a gun and made life-threatening threats.
Victim 1, told investigators she and her sister, Leslie Matson, share access to a water pump that supplies both of their properties. The argument began when Leslie allegedly shut the pump off without warning. As Victim 1 approached Leslie to confront her, she noticed Leslie holding a pistol at her side. Victim 1 stated she was not initially afraid but became alarmed when Leslie’s adult son, Mitchel Matson, emerged from the home and allegedly charged at her in an aggressive manner.
Moments later, Victim 2, Victim 1’s husband, arrived on scene after witnessing the altercation escalate. According to his statement, yelling ensued, and he was knocked to the ground—though it was unclear if Mitchel pushed him directly or caused someone else to fall into him. While Victim 2 was attempting to get up, he alleges, that Leslie pointed the pistol at his face, about two inches away, and threatened to kill him. He described being “scared shitless” and feared for his life.
Surveillance footage confirmed the events, capturing Mitchel pushing Victim 2 to the ground and Leslie brandishing a handgun in his direction. Audio from the recording reportedly captured Leslie shouting, “shoot that motherfucker,” as the victims began to walk away toward their residence.
Leslie later admitted during a recorded interview that she had retrieved the pistol from inside her home when she saw Victim 1 approaching. A Ruger .380 pistol was recovered from the scene.
Based on the evidence, deputies determined probable cause to arrest Leslie Matson for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon Without Intent to Kill and Improper Exhibition of a Firearm. She was taken into custody and transported to the Polk County Sheriff’s Processing Center.
No physical injuries were reported, though deputies noted the emotional toll the incident had on both victims.
Leslie Matson (Photo Credit: Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
The Lakeland Police Department is proud to join The Drug Enforcement Administration and its national and community partners for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, for citizens to dispose of unwanted, unneeded, or expired human and pet medications in a safe manner.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides a convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medication. Studies show that medicines in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. Our community’s Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will allow citizens to turn in unused, expired, or unwanted Human and Pet Medications, as well as over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and other medications in liquid and solid form, for proper disposal. JUULs and other e-cig devices will also be accepted. NO needles will be accepted, and medications should be placed in a clear, air-tight plastic bag.
Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025 Time: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Location: 219 N Massachusetts Ave, Lakeland, FL 33801
For those unable to attend on April 26th, unwanted medications may also be brought to the Lakeland Police Department and placed in the drop box located in the lobby. Access to this drop box is available 24/7.
Additional Drop-off locations can be found at: Take Back Day (dea.gov)
(Lake Wales, Florida) April 10, 2025 Jen Bricker-Bauer is an international aerialist, inspirational speaker and New York Times best-selling author. She performed with the Britney Spears World Tour and now is coming to delight a Central Florida crowd as she speaks and performs on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at 4 p.m. at the Everything Is Possible special event at Camp Margaritaville in Auburndale. The event is a fundraiser for StirringWaters—a water playground for people with disabilities to be located at Lake Aurora in Lake Wales.
Born without legs and abandoned, Jen Bricker-Bauer is the ideal keynote speaker and performer for Everything is Possible. One would think she was destined for a life of hardship. However, her amazing adoptive family gave her one simple rule, “Never Say Can’t.” Jen’s remarkable life story of triumph over tragedy is sure to inspire the audience.
Jen Bricker-Bauer’s aerial performance with her husband Dominik is sure to captivate the crowd. Jen became obsessed with gymnastics as a child and became a power tumbling State Champion. Always challenging herself, Jen transitioned into a talented acrobat and aerialist.
Jen Bricker-Bauer knows how it feels to sit on the deck and watch while everyone else has fun playing in the water. “I’m passionate about StirringWaters because I know firsthand how life changing a fully accessible, all-inclusive waterpark can be. I believe it can change the quality of life for people with disabilities who have not always been included.”
All monies raised will go to help build StirringWaters—a place where water experiences will be fully and intentionally designed for people disabilities. One in four people in the United States has a diagnosable disability. The project is a major collaboration by leading experts in physical, occupational, rehabilitation and speech therapy; groups of families living with disabilities and world-class leaders in the experiential attraction industry.
The event will include a live auction featuring an opportunity to “Spend the Morning and Have Lunch with Sheriff Grady Judd.” A silent auction will showcase great gift baskets donated by businesses and individuals. Guests can capture fun memories at the Photo Booth. Signed copies of Jen Bricker-Bauer’s New York Times best-selling book “Everything Is Possible” will be available.
Event attendees are welcome to arrive early to enjoy the restaurants and amenities at Camp Margaritaville Auburndale. Doors to the event will open at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are available at:
The City of Winter Haven’s Natural Resources Division is hosting a series of kayak ecotours on various lakes in our town. These tours will be short (within 3 hours) but information-packed trips where residents and visitors to our town can get out for a fun morning on the lakes & learn about lake health, wildlife, plant life, and other general lake ecology in the process!
2025 Tour Dates (Subject to change – tickets are posted about 1-2 weeks prior to event date)
Saturday, February 22nd | Lake Roy
Saturday, March 29th | Lake Howard
Saturday, April 26th | Lake Shipp
Saturday, May 24th | Lake May
Saturday, June 21st | Lake Martha
Wednesday, September 17th | SUNSET TOUR on Lake Silver
Wednesday, October 29th | SUNSET TOUR on Lake Smart
Saturday, November 15th | Lake Cannon
Saturday, Dec 6th | Lake Pansy
There are several options for tickets – The City has a fleet of kayaks that can provide 4 single kayak seats and 6 double-kayak seats (for up to 12 people). However, we also welcome anyone with their own kayak to join us. Choose whichever ticket option suits you.
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Edward “Papa” Gayle Harrison, a loved father, grandfather, great grandfather on April 19, 2025. He was 75 years old. Papa is survived by his sons: Doug (Shannon) Harrison, Curtis (Tami) Harrison, grandsons: Justan (Janey) Harrison, Jacob (Hannah) Harrison, Austin Harrison, Seth (Rylee) Harrison, great granddaughter: McKenna Rqe Harrison, & great grandson: Jaxson Harrison. Proceeded in death by:
Wife: Sandy Kay Harrison Father: Edward Lee Harrison Mother: Sarah Nelli Harrison Siblings: Marie Clements Teresa Atchley Eddie Harrison Rita Atchley Judy Jarman
He faced many hardships throughout his life and always found a way through it. Quitting wasn’t an option. He loved the outdoors especially on the lake fishing and enjoying nature. He was able to overcome many personal challenges and gave his life to Jesus. Papa loved his family mightily. He will be missed desperately but we have reassurance knowing he is in Heaven with family. In lieu of flowers the family would request donations to Good Shepherd Hospice and Youth Fishing.
Neurodivergent Diversions: A Column about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
#image_title
by James Coulter
If you’ve never heard of Dead End: Paranormal Park, there’s a good reason for that. The animated show aired for two seasons on Netflix in 2022 before being unceremoniously canceled.
However, aside from being a rather charming supernatural comedy, Paranormal Park also featured good representation of trans and neurodivergent identities.
One character in one episode, in particular, showed how scary even the simplest social interactions can be for people with Autism.
#image_title
Overstimulating Trust Exercises
Paranormal Park follows the misadventures of two teenagers, Barna and Norma, as they work as employees at a haunted amusement park. Both of them get into wacky hijinks solving the mystery of the strange happenings happening at the park.
In the episode “Trust Me”, Norma and Barney head to the beach to partake in trust-building exercises with their fellow park employees. While most of the others pull off the trust-building exercises well, Norma does not.
As a person with Autism, Norma struggles with these exercises, as they force her to go outside her comfort zone by touching other people and making eye contact. She attempts to circumvent these challenges through clever tactics like wearing sunglasses during an eye staring contest.
However, the exercise where everyone has to form a human web proves to be too close for comfort for her. As it forces her to come into close contact with everyone else, Norma feels overstimulated and has a meltdown.
#image_title
This scene is a good example of overstimulation, or sensory overload, which is when someone with Autism feels overwhelmed by too many sights, sounds, and other sensory perceptions. Overstimulation can often trigger a meltdown, which, according to one website, is when someone “experiences a loss of control over their behavior…which can manifest physically through crying, shouting, hitting, or withdrawing.”
In Norma’s case, being in close contact with so many people inside the human web causes Norma to feel overstimulated through her sense of touch. As such, it triggers a meltdown which forces her to withdraw from the group.
#image_title
The Fear World of Autism
In the last exercise, everyone is forced to touch a crystal skull that transports them into a “fear world” to confront what scares them the most. Surprise! Turns out their instructor Harmony was a demon in disguise who wanted to feed off their fear.
However, while everyone else faces random phobias in their fear world like being covered in rabid hamsters or not finding an open outlet to charge a dying laptop, when Norma has to place her hand on the skull, she faces a completely different fear.
What follows is a vividly animated sequence where Norma relives events from earlier in the day visualized through surreal imagery: her feet sinking into the ground like quicksand, people’s faces twisting into distorted figures, their voices distorting into different tones, and colors flashing in and out.
“Remember, Norma, it’s only the fear world,” her friend Barney says in an attempt to console her.
“You don’t understand,” she replies in tears. “My fear world is the real world.”
This animated sequence visualizes the social anxiety Norma feels on a daily basis. While not a perfect representation of the social anxiety many people with Autism face, it does an excellent job of portraying a particular instance of Autism.
Autism is a social disorder. As such, people with Autism often struggle with social interactions that most other people experience daily without problem. For them, something as simple as making eye contact or having a conversation can be a challenge. And as this cartoon shows, it can be quite scary sometimes.
Dead End: Paranormal Park is available for streaming on Netflix. Watch it at: https://www.netflix.com/title/80994692
One year passed since I moved out of Polk County. Recently, my editors were kind enough to finance a business trip allowing me to return to the county and visit for a week. These are some of the highlights of my trip.
Fri., Apr. 4, 2025 (Lake Wales)
I woke up in Winter Haven for the first time in over a year. It was nice to be back in a town I used to call home.
First thing I did when I woke up was walk around Downtown Winter Haven near the public library. Again, it had been a long time since I’d taken a stroll through the city. It was really refreshing.
I then drove over to Lake Wales to have brunch with my editors Carl Fish and Kip Kirchberg, along with their wives Shelly and Jody. Nothing beats a greasy breakfast prepared at a local diner.
#image_title
Because why settle for a run-of-the-mill chain restaurant like IHOP or Denny’s when you can have good old-fashioned cooking from a mom-and-pop eatery? (Besides, apparently, Denny’s had closed and re-opened as a Mexican restaurant.)
And what would be a better meal to eat after having recently undergone your first colonoscopy with a clean bill of health than a greasy breakfast? Because nothing beats a breakfast that clogs your colon and your arteries.
#image_title
So, I decided to have the Biscuits and Gravy Bowl with buttermilk biscuits, sausage gravy, fried chicken, and topped with two eggs over easy and a side of bacon. (And don’t forget the hot sauce. Never forget the hot sauce!)
After brunch, I drove to Downtown Lake Wales. First, I decided to drop by the museum. Sadly, they were undergoing renovations, so I did not see much. I did, however, get a chance to step inside the caboose out back. That was pretty neat.
#image_title
I also took a stroll downtown to check out the freshly renovated Park Avenue and Market Plaza. Really dug the swinging benches. Nothing’s more relaxing than a porch swing. And the renovated streetscape and additional benches and tables were a nice touch, too.
#image_title
Finally, I drove over to Bok Tower Gardens. The entry fee was rather steep ($20 for adults) but otherwise worth it. I loved strolling through Hammock Hallow. I especially loved the tiny fairy houses. It’s something my late father would have loved and built for himself.
#image_title
Of course, the best sight to see was the garden’s namesake: Bok Tower. At 205 feet tall, the Singing Tower sits atop one of the tallest points in peninsular Florida, even standing taller than Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World.
I admire how the Art Deco design, along with the colorful stained-glass windows, contrasts beautifully with the surrounding natural landscape. No doubt this is the crown of this city within a garden.
At the risk of sounding like one of those “reject modernity, embrace tradition” Twitter accounts with Greco-Roman bust avatars, they don’t make grand buildings like this anymore. It would be nice if more buildings these days were built to look grand and majestic, with an overall emphasis on aesthetics over functionality.
Not going to lie: my visit to Polk County had proven to be rather bittersweet. While I was happy to be back in Polk County and see all the people and places I used to visit, I knew I was only here as a guest and not as a resident. It reminded me that I no longer live here anymore, and with my old house sold, I can never go back, not to the way things were. My visit was both happy and sad like that.
