Bartow, Fla. (July 15, 2022) — Recent damage to track components has closed the railroad crossing on Old Highway 37 just south of Agricola Road in the Bradley Junction area of Mulberry for five days of emergency repairs by CSX Transportation (CSXT). Crossing is scheduled to reopen Tuesday morning, July 19. Until then, traffic will be detoured along State Road 37 to bypass crossing. Minor travel delays are likely. Motorists should drive carefully, be alert to signs redirecting traffic, and add extra drive time to trips through the area.
Anyone wanting to report a public road rail crossing issue or complaint should call CSX at 1-800-232-0144 or email them at[email protected].
Lake Wales Funeral Home Gives Away 200 Boxes of Sanitation Products in 11th Drive
by James Coulter
More than 200 boxes of hand sanitizer, bleach, and other sanitation products were distributed on Wednesday during the 11th monthly drive at Johnell Caver Your Home For Funerals in Lake Wales.
“We see people come here in wheelchairs, crutches, grocery carts, and walk-ups,” Thompson said. “[There are] people coming out with a smile on their face saying thank you for helping the community because of the pandemic.”
For the past eleven months, Thompson has been partnering with Freedom Tour Church to provide hand sanitizer, bleach, and other sanitation products to help people disinfect their homes and keep healthy during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Pastor Bobby Williams has been providing the boxes of donated goods, which are then transported to Johnell Caver Your Home For Funerals in Lake Wales to distribute on the second Wednesday of every month.
The Lake Wales Classic Car Club also participates, helping make the deliveries from the church’s distribution center at Eagle Ridge Mall to the funeral home. Arthur Leath, a member of the car club, has been a long-time friend of Thompson and wanted to help her and her cause however he could. He also assists with a similar drive at B Street Community Center.
“I wanted to help her out,” Leath said. “We enjoy doing it. We don’t want no money, no gas money, no nothing, we are just doing it for the people. I cannot wait each Wednesday each month. We look forward to it. It is a great thing, [and we want to] keep it going strong.”
Thompson remains motivated to host the drive every month as her way of doing her part to help combat the pandemic, and she hopes to see it continue going strong, she said.
“The expectations moving forward is that people will use their products in their homes and make sure they will sanitize everything to curtail the virus,” she said.
Those who want to help provide donations can contact Freedom Church by texting them at 77977 or donating through their PayPal or Cashout accounts at “FreedomTour.”
Culver’s Opens New Eatery at Posner Park in Davenport
by James Coulter
Everyone wants a better burger. Culver’s offers a Butter Burger. And now people driving by Posner Park at the intersection of Highway 27 and I-4 can pick up a signature Butter Burger at the newest Culver’s restaurant.
Culver’s celebrated the grand opening of its new location in Davenport during a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Northeast Polk County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday afternoon. A Chamber board member and the owner of the new eatery commemorated the occasion with guests by cutting the ceremonial ribbon.
With 740 locations nationwide, Culver’s offers Midwest flavor and hospitality through their small-town Wisconsin roots. Their signature menu item is their ButterBurger, a burger prepared from a fresh, never frozen, beef patty and topped with a buttered toasted bun. Other unique popular items include their cheese curds and frozen custard.
“Whether we’re cooking the perfect ButterBurger to order or scooping up our freshest batch of the Flavor of the Day, we work hard to ensure you will always leave happy,” their website states. “It all goes back to our small-town Wisconsin roots. We know you have a lot to do and many options to choose from, so we appreciate when you take the time to visit Culver’s. If we can do our part to make your day better – with a wholesome, delicious meal or a heartfelt smile – we’ve done our job.”
Currently, four other Culver’s eateries exist in Winter Haven, Lakeland, and Haines City. Their Davenport location is their newest, located at Posner Park along Highway 27 near the off-ramp to I-4.
Rich Birley remembered when Culver’s opened in their hometown in Illinois in 2005. With more than 23 years of experience working as a manager, he felt he was finally ready to open and operate his own location in Polk County. The owner celebrated the grand opening with his wife and son as he cut the ceremonial ribbon that day.
Birley loves the quality the eatery has to offer. He had initially planned to open a shop a few years ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to postpone his plans until recently.
“So for four months, when we finally figured out we could exist with a drive-thru, so it was time to get back in,” Birley said. “That led to where we are today. The greatest thing for us is to be a blessing to the community. That is what we are here for. To serve and meet your needs.”
Steve Tiner, a Northeast Polk County Chamber board member, offered a few words of encouragement. He expressed enthusiasm for a new business opening in the community, and he offered the services of the chamber, with many members back at the office working during that time.
“Our board members are working at the Chamber,” Tiner said. “They are there if you need anything done. They are there all the time. If you are having trouble, just reach out.”
Culver’s is located in Posner Park at 1107 Posner Blvd, Davenport, FL 33837. For more information, visit their website at: https://www.culvers.com/
Davenport, Florida – The Florida Highway Patrol is reporting that a 61 Yr Old Bicyclist was struck and killed in Davenport.
Around 7:15am early Friday morning. A Wright Tree Service truck with a utility trailer, was traveling eastbound in the driveway at St. Charles Plaza on 39883 US-27. As the truck turned left into the parking lot, the truck collided with a bicyclist traveling in the crosswalk of the driveway and came to final rest. The bicyclist, 61 Yr old male, suffered fatal injuries at the scene of the crash.
The FHP does not provide names per their interpretation of Marsy’s Law
Lake Hamilton, Florida – The Lake Hamilton Police Department along with the Florida Highway Patrol is working a fatal crash on Hwy 27 & Kokomo Rd. The crash occurred around 7:15 Thursday morning.
According to the FHP a sedan, driven by a 27 year old Davenport man, was traveling southbound on US-27 in the left turn lane approaching Kokomo Road. A motorcycle, driven by a 33 year old Lake Wales man, was traveling northbound on US-27. At the intersection, the sedan turned left into the path of the motorcycle. As a result, the motorcycle collided with the passenger side of the sedan, overturned, and the rider suffered fatal injuries at the scene of the crash.
A 53 yr old passenger was also injured in the crash. We have conflicting reports on that person’s injuries at this time.
Why Wind Mitigation And 4-Point Inspections Are Important Steps To Getting Your Home Properly Inspected
By Allison Williams
Photos provided by Curt Kniffin
Let’s talk home insurance. Curt Kniffin, Home Inspector of Boomers Property Services in Polk County has some great tips and info that will help customers receive the best, most thorough inspection possible.
As we all know, insurance companies require homeowners to have insurance on their homes. It is also very important to insure your home to make sure that it is a safe, sound and solid home to live in.
Some inspectors simply fill out a form and do not spend quality time thoroughly inspecting a home. This may be a cheaper option, for clients but it is certainly not the best option. Without the proper tools, a detailed inspection cannot be successfully conducted. At Boomers Property Services, Curt always completes thorough inspections and makes sure that you know the ins and outs of the condition of your home. He uses thermal imaging and magnetometers (metal detectors). These tools help him find things in the home that the naked eye cannot detect.
Wind mitigation and 4-point inspections are important parts of a home inspection.
Wind Mitigation
“Wind mitigation is for strictly the exterior of the home trussf to wall connection,” Curt said. He added, “The nails that hold down the roof deck, how far apart they are and how long
you’d have stored protection such as shutters or plywood to put over your windows or steel reinforcement on your garage door. Those are the things that wind mitigation looks for.”
He added, “Wind mitigation is roof and storm protection. Having protection for windows, and doors. Either storm rated windows and doors, or impact rated windows and doors or storm shutters . Even plywood with a minimum thickness of 7/16 inch assigned for each opening.”
4-Point Inspection
The purpose of 4-point inspections is to look at these four things, which make up the base of a structure:
electrical
plumbing
mechanical (HVAC, water heater age and condition)
appliance condition and roof
“Age of roof and a well-maintained home can all have bearing on your insurance rates,” Curt said. “We’re always happy to consult with home owners on what to expect and how to prepare for these inspections to have maximum opportunity for insurance savings. Most folks just know they need an inspection to obtain or retain insurance. They don’t know what they can do or obtain to maximize savings on their policy. That’s where perception of need versus perception of value comes in. Perception of value comes from education of the need for the client. They don’t know what they don’t know. We take the time to educate. For instance, if they’re told that if the roof deck nailing should three inches at the butt joints and six inches in the field, and the nails should be eight penny which is 2 inches in length. Then when they have a new roof put on, they can have the contractor add nails to come into compliance which can be very beneficial for them. For both life safety and savings. So it may cost more up front, but the long term savings brings more value to their dollars spent.”
Opportunity for discounts
Often times, inspectors will check off ‘unknown’ or ‘unverified’ after conducting an inspection just to finish the job and move on. They are more focused on what Curt calls this ‘perception of need.’ “Their perception of need is ‘I gotta have that report.’ They don’t yet have the understanding of value in a good report,” Curt said. “So if a good report takes time, it’s going to cost more money. Cheap isn’t good and good isn’t cheap.” This does not benefit the homeowner. There are actually opportunities for insurance discounts, which a lot of people are unaware of.
When Curt does a home inspection, he looks for ways to save the customer money, all while being elaborate in his inspection. “I’m up there forever in the attic for 15 to 20 minutes, looking for things,” Curt said. “I look for active leaks. I look for nails and fasteners. When you inspect the roof a lot of inspectors will just inspect the outside. Well, if you’re just looking at the outside and not underneath, you’ll never discover any water or moisture intrusion that’s not supposed to be there. If you don’t look you can’t find it. So I spend about an hour and a half for each of those two inspections on the property.”
When people shop for insurance, they often do not understand what it is that they are really shopping for. “Their perception of the need is ‘I need to get this report done so I can get insurance. My insurance is going to be cancelled if I don’t turn in this report.’ They don’t even consider ‘Hey, If this is a detailed, comprehensive report, I could possibility get discounts on my insurance.’ If not discounts, at the very least you don’t get your insurance rates increased,” Curt explained.
Importance of Storm Protection
“I’ve been involved in disaster relief for over 20 years,” Curt said. “The one thing I see regularly, is homes that have metal roofs and storm protection on their openings are standing or have significantly less damage then the home next door that has their roof torn off and windows blown out with shingled, or clay tile roofs and no opening protection. It’s clear that preparation makes a difference. NOTHING is guaranteed. Especially in a category 3 or higher storm. Depending on the size of a storm, even tropical storms and cat 1&2 hurricanes can be deadly and cause great damage. Trees close to the structure can also have a significant impact on survivability of the home and YOU. So they should be kept trimmed away from the home, especially from over the roof. In my opinion the energy savings from the shade they provide over the roof is just not worth the risk in Florida. As well as the fact that debris dropping from the tree can shorten the life expectancy of the roof, cost time energy and money to have that debris removed regularly as well as draw bugs and critters that also cause damage.
These are the reasons a good inspection is important for your home and why storm protection is important. To inquire about a home inspection or about storm protection, contact Boomers Property Services today. They are just a phone call away and ready to help.
Steel reinforcement on car garage door can make a big difference in regards to wind and debris impact. Could be the difference between the door remaining in place or failing. Truss to wall connection single metal strap embedded in concrete. Minimum of 3 nails each side. The horizontal nail is more difficult to pull than the old vertical “toe nail” method.Roof deck to truss depth. Ring shank nails are best. They’re more difficult to pull out.Roof deck to truss nail spacing.Metal wraps 2nd side.Single metal straps embedded in concrete one side. These straps wrap around the truss and are nailed on the other side as well. Plywood/OSB clips used. Strengthens the plywood in between Rafter/Truss.
Welcome, World Travelers! Thor: Love And Thunder Brings The Thunder
by James Coulter
Come! Gather round. Let me tell you the tale of the space Viking Thor and his movie franchise. The Thor movies have been quite the mixed bag in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first movie did well enough but was otherwise average like every other Phase One Marvel film—with the notable exception of The Avengers. The next movie, Thor: The Dark World tried a darker tone, only to flop hard as the worst Marvel movie next to Iron Man 2 and The Incredible Hulk.
But then came a new director named Taika Waititi with a bold creative vision. He steered the Thor franchise away from the dark grittiness of The Dark World and toward a more light-hearted tone with the third movie, Thor: Ragnarok. And it was glorious! A fun romp with high-octane action, stunning colorful visuals, plenty of tongue-in-cheek comedy, and an epic 80s-inspired soundtrack.
Taika once again returned to bring his unique interpretation of Thor to the big screen with the latest installment, Thor: Love and Thunder. Despite receiving the usual backlash from toxic fans who prefer their comic book movies to be “dark” and “edgy”, the film earned $143 million on its opening weekend, becoming the third biggest box office opening of the year and the fifth-best opening for Marvel. But will its box office success make this film a legend, or will it fade away with other long-forgotten myths?
Thor: Love And Thunder takes place shortly after Avengers: Endgame. The titular character is busy exploring the galaxy to rediscover himself. All that changes when he learns of Gorr the God Butcher, who is currently living up to his namesake by massacring gods. After Gorr kidnaps several children from New Asgard, Thor has to team up with old friends to hunt down and stop him. One such friend is his old flame, Jane Foster, who now inexplicably wields his old weapon, the legendary hammer Mjollnir. Why is Jane now wielding the hammer? Will she rekindle her relationship with Thor? And will they stop the God Butcher from butchering more gods?
How much you love Love and Thunder will depend on how much you feel about Taika’s bold redirection of the Thor franchise with Ragnarok. If you didn’t care for that film and felt it was too “jokey”, then you probably won’t care for this movie either. In fact, you’ve probably forgone watching it altogether, having convinced yourself The Dark World was good actually, and consigning yourself to binge-watching videos by YouTube neckbeards complaining how Natalie Portman is “effeminizing” Marvel with a “woke agenda” by turning it into the “M-She-U.”
However, if you’re like me and you hold the (correct) opinion that Taika helming the Thor films was the best thing to happen to the franchise, then you will love this movie. Everything you loved about Ragnarok is present in Love and Thunder with exhilarating action sequences, jovial comedy, and, of course, plenty of 1980s throwbacks with stunning colorful visuals and Guns n Roses needle drops. If your blood isn’t rushing when you hear the opening chords to “Sweet Child O’Mine” or “Welcome To The Jungle”, you’re just not living.
Chris Hemsworth, as always, does an excellent job of presenting Thor as a three-dimensional character, someone who can effortlessly and flawlessly transition from delivering a dramatic Wagnerian spiel during a high-stake action scene to making clever tongue-in-cheek quips and comedic banter with his co-stars.
Meanwhile, Christian Bale provides a decent foil as the movie’s antagonist, Gorr the God Butcher. Having played Batman in The Dark Knight films, he has a real talent for delivering a dark, brooding performance. And while most of the movie is lighthearted fun, Gorr flawlessly shifts the overall tone to a darker, more sinister atmosphere most befitting of his character. Whenever he’s on-screen, you know the fun and games are over and things have gotten serious.
The most pleasant surprise is Natalie Portman reprising her role as Jane Foster. While the previous Thor movies relegated her as a mere love interest, this movie places her front and center in a more proactive role, this time wielding the legendary hammer. Her character arc is especially poignant with the movie’s overall theme of loss. While Thor continues to cope after the losses he suffered in previous films, and Gorr is motivated by the tragic loss of his daughter, Jane wields the hammer due to circumstances surrounding her own life, and—no spoiler—it helps her come to terms with, leading to a very fitting conclusion to her arc.
Personally, I always loved the Thor films for their unique blend of futuristic sci-fi with ancient mythos, resulting in grand “Chariot of the Gods” cosmos-spanning storylines set within truly fantastical settings, from Asgard to Sakaar to Omnipotence City in this film. What’s not to like about a floating city based on Greco-Roman architecture with hanging gardens, golden friezes, grand monumental statues, and waterfalls that empty into the void of space? It truly stimulates the fantasy-loving portion of my brain! (Not to mention having my favorite Avenger team up with the characters of my favorite Marvel franchise, the Guardians of the Galaxy, at the very start? It was like my birthday and Christmas present wrapped up into one!)
Overall, if you love the Thor movies, the Love and Thunder will give you everything you love about them and much more. The only people who won’t love it are the toxic fans who hate how Taika “ruined” their beloved franchise. In which case, they’re free to remain in their basements complaining about the “M-She-U” on Twitter. Everyone else is sure to have a blast.
Haines City , Florida – A Polk County 15 Yr Old is facing multiple felony charges after an incident which left one Haines City Police Officer traumatically injured. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office the teen, X’zavier Jordan, is being charged with Aggravated Battery, Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, Resisting Without Violence, Resisting With Violence, Culpable Negligence (in regard to injuries to Officer Webster) and Corruption By Threat Against A Public Servant (2 Counts).
It should be noted that this is an unedited report of facts by the PCSO. These facts are up for question and everyone is entitled to question the validity of facts by law enforcement in a court of law. The Daily Ridge does not rewrite these facts as some meanings or interpretations could be in error and change context. We hope readers appreciate being able to read the information and come to their own understanding and conclusions:
The suspect in this instance is X’zavier Dashawn Armonie Jordan (15) (DOB 10/23/2006). The victim(s) in this instance is REDACTED (18) (DOB 06/2003).
The State of Florida to include Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office as well as an Officer from the Haines City Police Department were also victims in this incident.
On 07/08/22 the suspect and victim were in an argument over a cell phone. The suspect took the phone from the victim and threw it to the ground breaking it. The suspect then pushed the victim with his hands an undetermined number of times. The suspect then pushed the victim up against the wall with this hand (unknown right or left) by the victim’s neck. The victim stated she was able to free herself and the suspects actions did not impeded her normal flow of breathing.
The suspect slapped the victim an undetermined number of times in the face and chest. The suspect bit the victim in the upper right back just below the shoulder blade leaving a bite mark. The suspect grabbed the victim by her hair and pushed her against a wall. The victim is seven(7) months pregnant. The suspect admitted to having prior knowledge of this.
PCSO Sgt. Gaylord #7195S arrived on scene first and observed the suspect holding the victim by her hair and the victim appeared to be trying to get the suspect off of her. (It should be noted Sgt. Gaylord was wearing her agency issued class B uniform along with agency issued equipment while displaying (2)two agency patches on her right and left shoulder as well as her agency issued five point star on the upper left side of her chest which reads “Sergeant Polk County Sheriff’s Office”). Sgt. Gaylord identified herself as “Sheriff’s Office” while exiting her vehicle and gave the suspect multiple commands to release the victim and to “separate”.
Due to the suspect not complying with the lawful commands given, Sgt. Gaylord then pushed the suspect on his back separating the two allowing her to get in-between both parties. The suspect continued to ignore lawful commands given by Sgt. Gaylord to which she then drew her agency Taser and armed it. At this time the suspect them began to yell “tase me, Fuckin tase me”. Sgt. Gaylord continued to give the suspect lawful commands to get on the ground. The suspect continued to defy lawful orders and turned his back away from Sgt. Gaylord, to which she then grabbed the suspects left arm with her left hand while holding her TASER in her right hand. The suspect then grabbed Sgt. Gaylord’s left hand with his right hand and attempt to remove her grip. Sgt. Gaylord then gave the suspect lawful command to “not touch her” to which the suspect replied “don’t fucking touch me then”. Sgt. Gaylord attempted to place the suspects left hand behind his back to which the suspect then tensed up his left arm. Sgt. Gaylord was able to maneuver the suspect up against the window and was able to pull his left hand behind his back. Sgt. Gaylord gave the suspect multiple commands for him to place his other hand behind his back to which he replied “I ain’t doing shit”. The suspect was able to get his body off of the window while Sgt. Gaylord had his left wrist behind his back. The suspect then stated to Sgt. Gaylord, Im going to swing on her” and then stated to her on a more aggressive voice for second time “I’m going to fucking swing on her”.
Due to the suspect being larger in size than Sgt. Gaylord, the suspects actions and attitudes, the suspect actively resisting, and the suspects threatening to do bodily harm against Sgt. Gaylord, this placed Sgt. Gaylord in fear and cause her to believe that danger was imminent. Therefore Sgt. Gaylord disengaged her grip from the suspect wrist and deployed her agency TASER which made a positive connection in the suspect’s mid to lower back effectively incapacitating him for approximately (5)five seconds, the desired effect was achieved and the suspect fell to the ground. Upon additional units arriving on scene, the suspect’s hands were placed behind his back.
Due to the severity of the situation, multiple Deputies and Officers from surrounding agencies responded. Officer Brad Webster #1184K responded to the scene and was running across the parking lot to assist with the situation. Lieutenant Michael Baldwin #3514L was also responding and was turning a corner when Ofc. Webster ran out in front of him and was struck by Lt. Baldwin on accident.
After the suspect was placed in handcuffs, the suspect stated to Sgt. Gaylord “take these cuffs off so I can beat this bitches ass”. D/S Nunez #6712 was also present in front of the suspect. The suspect then stated to Deputy Nunez “take your badge off in your belt off so we can fight”. I was also present for the statements made by the suspect.
The suspect has no prior convictions for battery or assault.
The battery committed by the suspect against REDACTED is considered dating violence, battery on a pregnant individual. 784.045(1)(B).. F2.
The reasons are as follows: The suspect and victim have had the expectation of affection or sexual involvement between both parties. The frequency of interaction between the persons involved have been over a period of time on a continuous basis throughout the course of the relationship. The relationship has taken place on and off over a six month time frame. The suspect admitted prior knowledge of the victim being pregnant.
The actions committed against Sgt. Gaylord are considered the following:
Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer. 784.07(2)(A). M1. The suspect developed a well-founded fear in the mind of the victim that violence was about to take place against her.
Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer. 784.07(2)(B). F3. The suspect pushed Sgt. Gaylord’s hand away in an attempt to prevent her from effecting an arrest. This action was done against the will of Sgt. Gaylord.
Resisting Without Violence. 843.02. M1. The suspect tensed up while Sgt. Gaylord was attempting to effect an arrest. The suspect attempted to pull his hands away from her.
Resisting With Violence. 843.01. F3. The suspect previously committed battery against Sgt. Gaylord while also sTating to her “Imma swing on you” which gave her the well-founded fear that violence was about to take place after making a verbal threat to Sgt. Gaylord.
The actions committed by the suspect which led to the injuries sustained by HCPD Officer Brad Webster is considered culpable negligence. 838.021(3)(B). F3. The reasons are as follows: The suspect exposed Ofc. Brad Webster to personal injury caused by Lt. Baldwin in an accident due to the actions committed by the suspect from Ofc. Webster responding to assist with the incident.
The actions committed by the suspect against Sgt. Gaylord and Deputy Nunez in reference to the verbal threats of violence is considered corruption by threat against a public servant 838.021(3)(B). F3 (Two counts). The reasons are as follows:
The suspect induced, or attempted to induce upon to public servants any act regarding omission within the official discretion of the public servant or in the pursuit performance of their public duty by making verbal threats against both deputies.
I found probable cause to arrest the suspect with one count of all above charges, and two counts of corruption by threat against the public servant.”
The following is a statement from Interim Haines City Police Chief Loyd Stewart: “We are proud of Officer Brad Webster’s response to the domestic violence incident that resulted in his injury. When we hear a call that a fellow officer is involved in a violent situation, regardless if it is from another agency, we respond. We are also pleased that the Polk County Sheriff’s Office charged the suspect appropriately for the injury sustained by our officer. We wish Officer Webster a speedy recovery.”
Local Polk County Resident Diagnosed With End Stage Chronic COPD/Emphysema Remaining Positive Despite Needing Double Lung Transplant
By Allison Williams
Photos provided by Dwayne Morrissey
Dwayne Morrissey is 53 years old and living in Lakeland. He moved to Polk County back in 2015 to live closer to family. He has always lived life to the fullest. He has always been active in his community, had a rewarding career, been social, volunteering to help others, involved in church activities, and he especially loves the outdoors. Fishing and baseball games have always been his favorite outdoor activities.
“In my younger years I worked around a lot of chemicals as a Research and Development Tech and unfortunately smoked at the time, a time when it was socially acceptable,” Morrissey said. “Crazy, right? But when I was younger, I thought I was invincible. I also was premature as a baby and the Doctors now tell me that that could be a contributing factor since at my age my lungs shouldn’t be as bad as they are. I then changed careers working in the restaurant business for about 15 years until I went on disability in 2017.”
Life unfortunately got in the way. He noticed his body overall started to slow down. “I started to have shortness of breath and would huff and puff going up a flight of steps,” Morrissey said. “I figured I was just getting older. I didn’t go to the doctor much previously due to not having insurance, but in 2017 things got worse and I was diagnosed with End Stage Chronic COPD/Emphysema.”
Sharon Forte, Morrissey’s mother said the news was difficult to hear. “He is hospitalized multiple times a year for approximately three weeks at a time to stabilize after an exacerbation,” Forte said. “After these exacerbations his lungs suffer a little more irreversible damage each time. His baseline never gets back to what it was previously. We were told his End Stage COPD/Chronic Emphysema will only get worse, and without a double lung transplant, he will not survive. His lungs are only functioning at 14% of their compacity. FEV1 14%.”
Despite needing a double lung transplant, Morrissey does his best to stay positive. “I try to stay positive, although hard on the bad days, my peace and positivity only comes from my faith in God,” Morrissey said. “The Lord Jesus carries me through the tough days. I also am very lucky to have my mother Sharon (the strongest most positive person I know) as my greatest support, person of encouragement to continue to fight for a second chance at life and make myself strong, to be able to make a difference in this world. To me, the true meaning of life during the short time we are here.”
He has always spent his life serving others and felt joy in helping people, so he finds it difficult to make himself vulnerable and ask for help. Lung transplants are extremely costly. “It’s unfortunate that if you don’t have thousands in the bank, you can get denied for life saving transplant,” Morrissey said. “I hope to get awareness out not only for transplantation, but for the hope of changing the financial issues people face when they are fighting for their lives. It’s sad that people have to worry about fundraising at the same time.”
If you’d like to learn more about Morrissey’s story or wish to help, he can be reached through email [email protected] or phone 863-514-9273.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the creators of Bonnet Springs Park to help provide a family-friendly, visitor-friendly safe environment for park guests. The Sheriff’s Office’s popular Citizens Assisted Patrol (CAP) program will operate in the park when it opens this October, 2022. There are currently 65 active CAP programs with 2,500 volunteers operating in Polk County. In total, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office has over 3,200 volunteers.
CAP is a volunteer patrol / customer service program where citizens patrol their neighborhoods, parks, recreational trails, and other designated areas in order to prevent and deter crime. This is done through active visible patrols using marked patrol vehicles, including cars, trucks, golf carts, and utility vehicles. Polk County CAP volunteers donated 79,115 hours to the program in 2021.
“We are so excited about this beautiful new park close to Lake Bonnet and downtown Lakeland, and we’re even more excited to be able to help patrol the area with PCSO volunteers. We have thousands of volunteers who help prevent crime within their neighborhoods, public spaces, and trail systems in Polk County. The Bonnet Springs Park CAP patrol will be a great addition to the program that we hope will result in even more opportunities to bring people together and keep the park a safe and enjoyable place to relax and enjoy the outdoors.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
“Sheriff Judd and the PCSO have been generous supporters of Bonnet Springs park. We are excited to further enhance our partnership with Sheriff Judd and his team as they provide the Citizen’s Assisted Patrol program for our park guests. Living up to our park’s mission of enriching our community through nature, culture, recreation, and education, the CAP program will bring together a wide variety of dedicated volunteers and ensure that the guest experience at Bonnet Springs park will be among the best in the nation.” — Josh Henderson, CEO Bonnet Springs Park
The Bonnet Springs Park will be patrolled by PCSO CAP volunteers during regular park hours using marked 4-seat electric utility task vehicles. Volunteers will work varied shifts between sunrise and sunset, providing a visible and active patrol of the park. Bonnet Springs CAP volunteers will be trained in patrol, observation, and crime prevention techniques specific to the needs of the park. They will have direct communication with park staff and local law enforcement. Members will wear uniforms provided by the Sheriff’s Office. Volunteers will also serve as good-will ambassadors for Bonnet Springs Park.
Bonnet Springs Park is a blended urban/natural 168-acre park located just outside of downtown Lakeland and is slated to open on October 22, 2022. For more information about this new beautiful park, go to https://bonnetspringspark.com/.
