Lakeland, Florida- According to Lakeland Police Public Information Officer, Robin Tillet, Jesse Keen Elementary School was briefly placed on Heightened Alert after allegations of an armed bicycle robbery in Lakeland. Jesse Keen is located on Plateau Ave., a few blocks East of Hwy 92 and the Publix Dispatch office, which is the area the incident is believed to have taken place.
A possible suspect is currently being questioned by law enforcement. We will update this article as more information becomes available.
Lake Wales, Florida – The Lake Wales Police Department is currently on scene of a shooting inSeminole Ave. near Martin Luther King Blvd. According to Deputy Chief, David Black, multiple people were shot Sunday afternoon. “The public is safe at this time” per the Deputy Chief. However one person has been killed. We are aware of at least one helicopter medical evacuation occurred.
The shooting took place around 1:50pm on Sunday afternoon. The scene currently is taped off, and within a few feet children were playing on a blow up slide.
This is an active investigation and more information will be released as it becomes available.
Haines City detectives arrested an Orlando man who pointed a rifle at officers while they conducted a traffic stop, and later caused a car crash that injured two Haines City Police Officers.
Officers Jose Ramirez and Gedrick Vargas were conducting a traffic stop Saturday at approximately 5:21 p.m. when 19-year-old Robert Lee Smith III pointed a rifle at the officers and fled the scene in a black Toyota. Officers reported that the car was occupied by a black male (Smith) and a Hispanic female.
Officers Ramirez and Vargas attempted to apprehend the fleeing vehicle but their patrol car was struck by another vehicle at the intersection of E. Johnson Avenue and Power Line Road.
Both officers were transported to area hospitals, one of them by helicopter. They both received serious injuries but are in stable condition. One officer is undergoing surgery today.
The driver and passenger of the other car involved in the crash were transported to the hospital where they are recovering.
Smith failed to stop after the crash and fled the scene in the black Toyota.
Additional law enforcement officers from the Haines City Police Department, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Davenport Police Department responded to the area to assist the injured officers, civilians and to assist in the search for the armed suspect.
Detectives located Smith at his father’s home in Poinciana. Since the location was outside of Haines City, the Polk County Sheriff’s office assisted with locating and arresting Smith. When deputies searched Smith, they found approximately 31.5 grams of cannabis and drug paraphernalia in his possession.
No rifle was located at the scene of the arrest and Smith would not reveal its location.
Smith is currently facing the following charges: Additional charges are pending
– Two felony charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
– Possession of Cannabis over 20 Grams
– Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
“We are thankful that our officers, and the two innocent civilians, who were injured today by the actions of the suspect are in stable condition, and expected to recover from their injuries. I am very grateful for the rapid response from our department and surrounding law enforcement agencies. This incident was brought to a quick and successful resolution because of good police work by all involved. Persistence and teamwork helped take a dangerous criminal off the street in just a few hours,” said Haines City Police Chief Greg Goreck.
Initial release-
TWO HAINES CITY POLICE OFFICERS INJURED DURING TRAFFIC STOP
Two Haines City police officers were injured while making a traffic stop near East Johnson Avenue and Powerline Road in Haines City.
The injuries were sustained when the police vehicle collided with another car, which was not the target of the traffic stop.
The area around the intersection of E. Johnson Avenue and Power Line Road is blocked off while police and sheriff’s deputies investigate the incident. Residents should avoid the area as it will likely be blocked off for several hours or longer this evening.
The incident is still under investigation and more details will be released when available.
Currently no information is available about the other drivers.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred in the early morning hours of Saturday, August 27, 2022.
At around 2:30 a.m., deputies responded to the area of Meadow Green Drive in unincorporated Davenport to a reported shooting. When deputies arrived, they found a witness performing CPR on the victim in the front yard of a residence. Polk Fire Rescue arrived shortly after and pronounced the victim deceased.
According to the preliminary investigation, 35-year-old Thomas Jackson of Loughman, his girlfriend, and another couple were celebrating Jackson’s birthday and all had been drinking alcohol. Sometime during the night Jackson and his girlfriend were arguing, and the victim took Jackson outside the residence to try to calm him down. A few moments later, the two women inside the house heard gunshots and went outside where they observed Jackson standing over the victim; a handgun was on the ground. One of the witnesses confronted Jackson and the other began life saving measures.
According to the affidavit, Jackson told detectives that the victim “came at me.” He also had a small wallet size card with instructions about what to say “post-incident” that included claiming that the person with the card was being attacked. Detectives did not observe injuries on Jackson nor the victim “to suggest that great bodily harm was a factor” nor was there evidence on the ground to suggest a struggle took place.
During the investigation witnesses told detectives that Jackson was known to brandish a weapon during conflicts with other people. Detectives also learned that Jackson had been in a physical fight with another person the day before.
“Jackson had a post incident wallet card which instructed him what to tell law enforcement. If he thought he could murder someone and use this as get out of jail free card, he was sadly mistaken.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Jackson was arrested for Second Degree Murder with a Weapon. His previous criminal history includes an arrest in Polk County for Fighting and Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon. He also has arrests in Virginia for Intentional Damage of Monument and Violation of Probation, and an arrest in Georgia for DUI and Endangering a Child by DUI.
Two different suspects arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office during an undercover child pornography investigation in 2021 received multiple consecutive life sentences in the Florida state prison system— they were responsible for repeatedly sexually abusing an 8 year old child together, and creating, filming, and trading child pornography.
Egbert also sexually abused two other children. On August 22, 2022, 30-year-old David Lavin, Jr. of Winter Haven pleaded no contest to 21 counts of possession of child pornography, four counts sexual battery by a suspect over 18 on a victim under 12, one count lewd molestation, and one count promoting sexual performance by a child. The Honorable Judge Catherine L. Combee sentenced Lavin to 27 life sentences to run consecutive in the state Florida prison system, and he was designated as a sexual predator.
On May 5, 2022, 33-year-old Harrison Egbert of Winter Haven pleaded no contest to two counts sexual battery by a suspect over 18 on a victim under 12, and two counts lewd molestation by a suspect over 18 on a victim under 12. Judge Combee sentenced him to four (4) life sentences to run consecutive in the state Florida prison system, and designated him as a sexual predator. The month-long investigation conducted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office took place from August to September 2021.
Click here to read the entire news release https://tinyurl.com/9m7uj7nr and below is an excerpt: On September 16, 2021, detectives served a search warrant at the home of 32-year-old Harrison Egbert of Winter Haven and located 1,000 videos and images of children as young as 2-years old being sexually battered. Egbert told detectives he had looked at “thousands” of child pornography files, some depicting “infants” on SnapChat and Instagram. He further confessed to sexually abusing three girls (ages 5, 7, and 8-years-old). Egbert told detectives he videoed and photographed the sexual abuse with the help of his friend 30-year-old David Lavin, Jr. of Winter Haven.During an interview, Lavin admitted to detectives his involvement with multiple sexual battery crimes and child pornography crimes. Lavin transported one of the victims [an 8 year-old child] multiple times to Egbert’s residence and participated in the videoing and photographing of the sexual abuse.
“Through the years we have dealt with some truly despicable men who commit some of the most heinous crimes against children you can imagine, but these two are the worst of the worst. We appreciate the hard work of our detectives and the successful prosecution by State Attorney Brian Haas’ Office. Lavin and Egbert will be locked up for the rest of their lives, where they can’t hurt the most innocent of victims – our children.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Central Florida Health Care Celebrates Ribbon Cutting for Davenport Health Center
by James Coulter
Central Florida Health Care commemorated the grand opening of its newest health center in Davenport with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.
Located along Highway 27 near Posner Park, the new medical facility will provide basic medical, dental, pediatric, ob-gyn, and pharmaceutical services to the local community. Low-income patients requiring financial assistance for their medical needs can receive aid from an on-site navigator with social work experience.
For nearly 50 years, Central Florida Health Care (CFHC) has been meeting the healthcare needs of residents, with more than 500 employees and 14 facilities located across Polk, Hardee, and Highlands County. The Davenport center is their 15th community health center to open to the general public.
Ann Claussen, CFHC CEO, mentioned how she and her staff had searched high and low for many weeks until they discovered the most opportune location for their newest facility in Davenport. They decided to construct their facility after receiving a service area competition grant in 2019.
Now that it has finally opened its doors, she hopes that it will provide the same hospitable, reliable service their organization has become known for. “We persevered because we knew there was a need. We continued to look for an opportunity to have a community healthcare center in Davenport,” she said.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted on Wednesday by the Northeast Polk Chamber of Commerce. Several city and chamber members attended the event, along with other notable individuals, including Martha Santiago, District 4 Commissioner; Ben Browning, Associate of Community Healthcare Services; and Dave Williams, the former CFHC CEO.
Leah West, representing Congressman Darren Soto, commended CFHC for opening their new facility and providing essential healthcare services, especially to low-income individuals. She also commended the organization for helping Polk County get through the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
West mentioned how Soto was doing his part to help his constituents within the district meet their healthcare needs by supporting important legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act, which will provides caps on insulin and out-of-pocket medical expenses for seniors.
“Congressman Soto believes federally qualified health centers are the most important ways we can keep our communities safe and this country safe,” West said. “It was clinics like this that kept us safe and kept our communities running [during the pandemic]. That is why Soto will continue to support efforts to care for people who need it the most. This is why this facility is great for our government and community.”
The Davenport Health Center is located at 130 Ridge Center Drive, Davenport, FL. For more information, call 866-234-8534, or visit https://cfhc.org/
Fine Arts Return to Magnolia Building at 6th Annual Art Show
by James Coulter
No two of John Kellum’s pottery are exactly alike. Even if Kellum were to mold an art sculpture the same way as another, the iridescent glaze created through the raku firing process will always be different.
Originating in Japan in the 16th century, raku pottery involves removing ceramic pottery from the kiln red hot and rapidly cooling them. An American potter, Paul Soldner, experimented with different temperatures and chemicals, which created a unique rainbow-colored glaze.
Kellum started crafting raku pottery 35 to 40 years ago. As a graphic designer, he has always been a natural artist; however, he wanted to get involved with art specifically for himself and not merely for his clients.
“It is my form of meditation,” he said. “[It was] a way for me to create without having someone else ask me what they want. This is just for me. When I first set up, I did not want to sell, but I tried to live on doing what I want to do.”
Kellum has been showcasing and selling his artwork at Fine Art at the Magnolia in Lakeland ever since it started six years ago. Unlike larger events like Mayfaire-by-the-Lake, this annual event offers a smaller, more intimate venue where patrons and artists can interact more casually, he said.
Kellum especially loves the camaraderie among his fellow artists. It is an annual tradition for them to meet on the Saturday of the festival weekend, eat at a local eatery together, and then take a casual stroll downtown. He appreciates that, as well as interacting with the attendees.
“Here, they [attendees] take their time, they ask questions, they are just into the art, they like it, I have met a lot of great people,” he said. “It is fun. It makes it more of our art community.”
Fine Arts at the Magnolia celebrated its sixth annual art show this weekend. Hosted at the Magnolia Building in Lakeland, nearly 20 artists from within the Central Florida area attended to showcase their art, from wood and clay sculptures to oil and acrylic paintings.
Paul LaMontagne attended for the first time this year with his unique wooden sculptures crafted from curly maple and maple burlwood and painted with a special wood dye. LaMontagne has been creating them since 1975.
He was invited by the show’s director to attend Fine Art at the Magnolia for the first time this year. Overall, he was impressed by the turnout and the courtesy of the attendees there.
“It has been a really good show,” LaMontagne said. “I was sold on it. I love the wood and shade and drawings. It is good.”
Betsy Bohrer, the show director and founder, started Fine Arts at the Magnolia as her venue for her and her artist friends. Previously, she had attended 12 to 20 art shows per year across the state. However, by 2016, her parents’ needs required her to re-prioritize her life and career. As such, she started her art show.
As for her artwork, she showcases many paintings based on the entries in her journals. Her experiences inspired her to translate them to the canvas, often with abstract imagery representing her thoughts and feelings. Common motifs in her work include nests, which represent motherhood, and angels, which represent passed loved ones.
Since starting Fine Arts at the Magnolia six years ago, her art show has grown far beyond her expectations. She expects to continue it for many more years to come, she said.
“I have been really overjoyed with how Fine Arts has grown from 2017 to this year,” she said. “It continues to grow, there is so much love surrounding this show. We have excellent patrons and artists. We have a community that is supportive. And the city is great. I am loved by what is on this show.”
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Today, Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Director Kevin Guthrie was joined by Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, Florida State Guard Director Chris Graham, Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez, Major General Rafael Ribas, FEMA Region IV Administrator Gracia Szczech, Major General Rafael Ribas, National Hurricane Center Acting Director Jamie Rhome, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Red Cross Regional Executive Josett Valdez in Homestead to recognize the 30-year anniversary of Hurricane Andrew’s devastating landfall. Attendees highlighted lessons learned to improve preparedness, response, and recovery for future storms.
“As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, we have made great strides to improve Florida’s readiness for the next major storm,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “Governor DeSantis has made it a priority to support the resilience of Florida’s communities and the availability of recovery resources in the aftermath of a disaster. Florida is proud to be a national leader in emergency management and we will continuously strengthen our response to hurricanes and natural disasters.”
“The lessons learned in 1992 forever changed the field of emergency management and how we prepare for, and respond to, hurricanes impacting our state,” said FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie. “Thanks to the tireless work of emergency managers, first responders, and meteorologists over the last thirty years, Florida is a national leader in emergency management, and we continue to improve our field and become more resilient in the face of future hurricanes.”
“Having lived through Hurricane Andrew’s devastation with my family at the age of 15, I vividly remember the aftermath and recovery of our community and how we came together to rebuild,” said Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez. “I am pleased to see how far we have come over the last 30 years.”
“I wish I could be there with my great friends from Homestead to remember the night that changed all our lives and also, to celebrate the determination and resilience of the people of South Dade who fought a war with an incredible, off-the-charts hurricane and won,” said Fox Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross. “Congratulations to all of you, the true heroes of Hurricane Andrew.”
Hurricane Andrew made landfall near Miami, Florida on August 24, 1992, as a powerful Category 5 storm. To date, Hurricane Andrew is the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida in terms of structures damaged or destroyed. With maximum sustained winds of 165mph, Hurricane Andrew is one of only four hurricanes to make landfall in the U.S. as a Category 5 storm since 1900.
Hurricane Andrew marked a turning point that set the State of Florida on track to become a national leader in emergency management. Many lessons learned in the wake of Hurricane Andrew led to improvements in technology for early storm forecasting and modeling, increased coordination between local, state, federal and private sector partners to enhance response capabilities, and a larger focus on mitigation and preparedness efforts to minimize the impact of future storms impacting the state.
Emergency Support Functions (ESF) that are vital components of the State Emergency Response Team were created after Hurricane Andrew, including ESF 5 Planning and ESF 14 Public Information. These functions allow for more efficient communication between responding agencies to ensure all resource needs after a disaster are being met, including the dissemination of information necessary for Floridians to begin their recovery process.
The Homestead community was hit the hardest, and Homestead Air Reserve Base was one of several structures to be completely wiped out as a result of the storm. Today, Homestead Air Reserve Base is stronger than ever and hosts officials from Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard and the Florida Air National Guard. The base has streamlined its processes for preparing for hurricanes and is able to support local, state and federal agencies during post-hurricane relief and recovery efforts.
More information on Florida’s State Emergency Response Team can be found at FloridaDisaster.org/SERT.
Welcome, World Travelers! Why Does Disney World Matter to Polk County?
by James Coulter
It’s been more than a year since I started “Welcome, World Travelers!” here on the Daily Ridge. What originally started as a monthly column about Walt Disney World had since evolved into a bi-monthly installment about the Walt Disney Company in general (including reviews of Disney movies) and has now become a bi-weekly feature with a broader perspective encompassing local attractions like LEGOLAND Florida and Bok Tower Gardens.
After one full year, the question must be asked: Why? Why dedicate a regular column to Disney? This is a question that has been asked many times by many Daily Ridge readers and commenters. In fact, this particular column topic was inspired by a question posed in a Facebook comment to another column regarding the Reedy Creek District. So why is a Polk County news site running a regular column about Disney?
The short answer: because people like Disney. It’s a world-renowned multibillion-dollar multinational corporation, and while our capitalist economy isn’t a perfect meritocracy, a company doesn’t gain that much profit or acclaim by selling a product people don’t want to buy. I love Disney. You love Disney. We all love Disney. People in Polk County love Disney. They visit there. They shop there. They even work there. So why not write about Disney in a dedicated column?
Pic from Wikipedia
The long answer: Disney affects the local economy. Walt Disney World is Florida’s biggest job creator and tax revenue generator. One 2019 study, as summarized by Oxford Economics, shows that Disney produced a $75.2 billion annual economic impact for Central Florida, which includes 462,000 jobs, and $5.8 billion in additional sales tax revenue, as reported by Tallahasse.com.
Walt Disney World drives Florida’s tourism industry, and in turn, the tourism industry drives Polk County. Visit Central Florida estimates that tourism employs 21,815 people in the county and that tourists spend $1.5 billion each year and generate $29.3 million in state tax revenue sharing. Overall, each Polk County household saves $1,735 per year in taxes due to the tourism industry, Visit Central Florida reports.
Every dollar spent by tourists visiting from Disney stimulates the local economy. Every dollar spent at a local business helps fund the paycheck to a local family. Every sales tax funds our public infrastructure including roads, bridges, schools, and other utilities. Walt Disney World may not be located in Polk County, but its economic impact hits close to home.
“The tourism from Disney and all the theme parks culminates into jobs,” explained Carl Fish, Daily Ridge Editor. “Real estate is dramatically affected by Disney. Legoland is affected greatly by how well Disney does. Tons of service businesses in the Davenport and Haines City areas are affected by Disney combined with other theme parks. Maid service, pool service, restaurants, supermarkets, and so many other businesses are affected by the large numbers of people that work at Disney and visit Disney.”
It goes without saying: what affects Disney affects Polk County. When Gov. DeSantis threatens to dissolve the Reedy Creek District and Disney’s other “special corporate privileges”, that decision has a ripple effect on the surrounding communities including Polk.
As I mentioned in my column on the topic, if the Reedy Creek District were to be officially dissolved next year, the tax burden of $105 million in general revenue and $280 million in property taxes, along with a $1 billion bond debt, will be passed to Orange and Osceola counties taxpayers. That tax burden will hurt Florida residents and businesses, and it will have a ripple effect that will reach Polk County.
In fact, DeSantis’ feud with Disney has already impacted the Florida economy. Disney has already halted moving 2,000 high-paying jobs to Central Florida. While both Disney and DeSantis have denied that the current controversy is the reason why, it’s pretty evident that it is. To think, that’s 2,000 fewer jobs created for Florida, 2,000 jobs worth of tax revenue, lost over this debacle.
Love it or hate it, Walt Disney World has an undeniable impact on Polk County, if not the whole state of Florida. What happens to it happens to the rest of us. Disney matters to Polk County. It matters to Florida. It has mattered for the past 50 years, and it will continue to matter potentially for the next 50. That’s why I write about it.
Local Polk County Resident Running for Polk County School Board, District 6
By Allison Williams
Photo provided by Sara Jones
Sara Jones, a local Polk County resident is running for Polk County School Board, District 6. Jones grew up in Lake Wales. She has deep roots in Lake Wales, as her family has lived there for at least five generations. Education has always been an important part of her life.
“I was raised in a family of educators,” Jones said. “My mother, grandmother, and a host of other relatives have been educators for my entire life. I grew up volunteering in Polk Schools and other community organizations. I continued to volunteer my time with community organizations that emphasized children’s education and wellness throughout my adult life. When I moved back to Polk County after I graduated from law school, it was my natural inclination to contribute my time, energy, education, and experience back to the community that had contributed to my success. I currently own a law firm in Lake Wales and serve as a school volunteer and community advocate.”
Jones attended her early education at Polk County Public Schools. She attended Janie Howard Wilson and Babson Park Elementary Schools and Frostproof Middle/Senior High School.
“During my elementary, middle, and high school years, my mother taught at Ben Hill Griffin Elementary School, which is right down the road from FMSHS. I spent many years volunteering and tutoring in schools almost daily for my entire childhood,” Jones said.
College proved to be a rewarding experience for Jones. She was very involved in her studies and related programs and continues to be involved within local schools here today.
“In college, I was recruited as a peer tutor, and worked tutoring first generation college students during my years in college,” Jones said. “During that time, I studied under and worked with a professor who had built his career and literally wrote the book on mentoring at-risk children. I continued that work, to a lesser degree, while in law school. Shortly after I moved back to Polk County, I sought opportunities to teach and pour into students. On that journey, I served as an adjunct professor for Polk State College, where I taught Business Law to Collegiate High School students as well as Polk State College students. I currently serve as a volunteer at McLaughlin Middle School and as the Founding President of the Lincoln Community Development Corporation in addition to my day job as an attorney.”
Tuesday, August 23 is election day. Jones is running for Polk County School Board, District 6. She is very passionate about what she does and feels she is the best fit for the role.
“I am running because I want to do a great job as an advocate for our students, staff, and community. When Lynn Wilson, the current school board member for District 6, announced that he would not seek re-election, many staff members and administrators approached me asking me to run for the open seat. I initially declined. I had managed four political campaigns in the past. While three of the four were successful, I had long since decided that I never wanted to be the candidate. After several months of being asked repeatedly, I agreed to pray about what I should do. In those moments of prayer, it was clearly revealed to me that I had been blessed with background knowledge of Polk County Public Schools by virtue of my life experiences and that I had been afforded the privilege of a high-quality education that taught me how to read and analyze the law and to advocate for others. I realized that I could not say ‘no,’ particularly at a time when there is so much at risk. While I still don’t love being a political candidate, it would be my pleasure to serve Polk County Public Schools as a school board member.”
Why vote for Sara Jones?
“Simply put: I’m the better candidate. Honestly, it took me a long time to be able to say that publicly because it feels boastful. However, it’s true. I have the education and background to be able to analyze the education laws that are being implemented by the state, and the critical thinking skills to come up with great solutions to difficult problems. I have a proven record of being present, advocating effectively, and producing great results with few resources. Additionally, I’m willing to speak the truth without fear of the consequences, and I’m the only candidate in my race that can honestly say so. I have been open and transparent about my positions about the issues and the people of Polk County are my top priority.”
If elected as school board member, Jones has many plans to serve her community.
“I plan to be a fierce advocate for our students, staff, and community. I value excellence and problem-solving. I plan to work with the other members of the board to set sound policy that puts our schools in a position to offer every student a high-quality education that leads to post-graduation success, whether that means going on to college, the military, the workforce, or entrepreneurship. I also want to work with other local leaders and community members to advocate for more state funding for Polk Schools, specifically to address educator pay.”
Jones believes strongly that she is the best fit for the role. Her extensive knowledge and education will help her succeed as school board member. She cannot stress enough how important it is to go out and vote. It is time for change.
“The School Board elections this year have been disgusting,” Jones says. “There have been so many partisan politics that have come into this race. Crimes have been committed. Candidates have been falsely accused of bad acts and publicly slandered. Political back and forth is par for the course when you run for office. However, Polk County has been the target of outside influence and dirty politics that sets a horrible example for our children and repels reasonable people. Getting out to vote is more important than ever. Public education is quite literally under attack. If we don’t make sound decisions now, we may not have a system that offers a free high-quality education to children very soon.”
