A motorcycle and car collided Tuesday morning, April 12, 2022, near Lakeland, and resulted in the death motorcyclist.
Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash on South Frontage Road at Interstate Commerce Park Boulevard at around 8:49 a.m., along with Lakeland Police Department and Polk County Fire Rescue.
When units arrived, they found 54-year old Harold Schraenkler, Jr. of Plant City deceased.
Mr. Schraenkler was the driver of a black 2006 Honda CBR motorcycle, and had been wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
The other driver, Laderrein Johnson, 18, from Bartow, was not injured.
Mr. Johnson was the driver of a white, 1998 Mercedes Benz C230, and was wearing a seat belt.
According to the preliminary investigation, Mr. Schraenkler was driving east on South Frontage Road, and Mr. Johnson was driving westbound.
When Mr. Johnson came to an entrance driveway to the Interstate Commerce Park warehouses, he began to make a left (south) turn onto the driveway. His Mercedes entered the path of Mr. Schraenkler’s motorcycle.
Mr. Schraenkler began braking, leaving a skid mark measuring 130-feet long, leading to the point of collision.
Any civil or criminal charges are pending completion of the investigation which is ongoing.
Frontage Road was closed in both directions for about three hours.
Lake Wales, Florida – On April 4, 2022 the Lake Wales Charter School Board held a special meeting to discuss 3 items. One of those items was the implementation of the National Education Equity Lab (NEEL) dual enrollment class during the first semester of the 2021/2022 school year!
The National Education Equity Lab (NEEL) touts itself in the following manner: “We empower colleges to take a more active role in developing and inspiring the next generation of leaders. In partnership with pioneering universities including Howard, Princeton, Stanford, Wharton, University of Pennsylvania, Wesleyan, Cornell, Georgetown, Arizona State University, Barnard and Harvard (inaugural course), we deliver and support online college credit-bearing courses into teacher-led high school classrooms across the country. By enabling high school students from historically underserved communities to take actual college courses from college professors, students can build the skills — and confidence — needed to apply to and thrive in college. Participating students earn widely-transferable college credits, at no cost to them — and have access to mentorship and hands-on support.” (Link to National Education Equity Lab: https://edequitylab.org)
The program was first suggested by a Henry McCance, board member of the Lake Wales Charter School Foundation. He did so in an email that appears self explanatory. Here is a copy of that email:
During the teaching of the dual enrollment course it was determined by a LWHS teacher working with course that a certain reading assignment had storylines with cartoon drawings of items which many would consider pornographic. This teacher immediately brought it to Ms. Donna Dunson, LWHS Principal. Principal Dunson advised the board, in the April 4th meeting, that students were advised they did not have to do those two assignments. Within 24 hrs Principal Dunson reached out by email to the NEEL program to express her concerns with these particular items in the course material. She did not cancel the program outright as it would have been unfair to pull the whole course when it only had a few weeks remaining.
The board at one point asked Robin Gibson if they had any say in the curriculum. Gibson’s eventual reply is that they did not. It’s since been revealed that the board may have had the ability to have impute on this matter.
In the April 4, 2022, LWCS Board meeting board member Rusty Ingley made a motion that the board do a third party administrative investigation to look into “what happened from beginning to end”. The board unanimously agreed to that motion.
According to an email sent by LWCS Board Chairman, Danny Gill, on April 8th (to the Daily Ridge) which was a previous email to Dr Rodolfich on April 7, 2022 he advised the following: “I’m not sure if you watched the special board meeting last Monday but I wanted to give you an update. The Board had many concerns and questions regarding Donna Dunson’s implementation and lack of vetting process of the material used for the NEEL fall course. The Board was not aware of the program being implemented until late in the semester and the use of inappropriate material. The Board was appalled and voted to have an independent administrative investigation regarding the internal control breakdown at the high school. The administrative investigation will most likely be conducted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the material was turned over to them. The hope is that the breakdown can be investigated, identified and measures put in place to make sure this never happens again. I do not have a timeline on the process but feel that their department is very efficient.” The complete email is here:
The Daily Ridge reached out to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office regarding their department doing administrative investigations. They advised from time to time the do get requests from school boards, city commissions and other agencies to do administrative investigations. When particularly asked about this investigation we were advised they are not doing this investigation, per Scott Wilder, Director of Communications.
The Daily Ridge has reached back out to the charter school board acting superintendent Alricky Smith to find out if they have an alternative to the Sheriff’s department to do this investigation.
We will update if we are advised in the next step of the investigation process.
Seems that everyday you see something in the news about the latest cybercrime activity — leaked emails, viruses, stolen funds, crypto ware and more. You can take practical steps to protect yourself and your company from falling victim to Cyber Attacks that leverage Malware or Ransomware.
Malware is short for “malicious software.” It is a program or file designed to be disruptive, invasive and harmful to your computer.
man with tablet which see emails and alert message with the word malware / hands of a man looking inbox in tablet with a malware message
Types of malware include viruses, spyware, adware and worms. Malware is most frequently transmitted through e-mail attachments, Instant Messages (IM), peer-to-peer downloads, phishing and misleading web sites.
Virus outbreaks cause harm by destroying data on infected computers and/or by increasing network traffic by triggering e-mail messages that carry the virus to all e-mail addresses in an address book or a random combination of addresses.
Ransomware is a type of malware that is designed to block access to all or part of a computer system until a sum of money (Bitcoin) is paid. Think of attacks like Colonial Pipeline or JBS Foods.
Worried Businessman Looking At Computer With Ransomware Word On The Screen At The Workplace
Because attackers are looking to maximize their payday, the targets are typically larger entities (departments, colleges, businesses) that not only are likely to have the funds, but also experience a significant loss when they cannot access their systems.
Individuals are still a target of ransomware because they can be a doorway into a large organization’s systems.
Prevention
When it comes to preventing or detecting ransomware, there is no silver bullet.
Traditional security software uses a Blacklist Antivirus approach, which is a list of all known malicious files, and prevents them from running.
There is a better option, software like PC Matics Super Shield can help protect your computers from potential Malware or Ransomware by using what is called Application White Listing.
With Application Whitelisting security software, there is no malware or ransomware victim.
Only tested, safe programs and files can run, thereby protecting your computer, laptop, mobile device or business network from unauthorized access. With whitelisting, a user has complete peace of mind when it comes to data protection and internet security.
Kip Kirchberg is an International Cyber Security Expert who has experience building Cyber Security Teams and working with Multiple Fortune 500 organizations. Experience includes but is not limited to Building SIEM platforms, Endpoint Security, 3rd Party Remote Access, Industrial Control System’s NextGen Firewall’s, Helping Organizations Identify Cyber Security Risks, Generating Reports that lead to actionable data, Build and maintain Incident Response Team’s, Draft and Adopt Corporate Cyber Security Governance, Internal and External Pen Testing, plus much more….
If you are looking for a better solution to protect your endpoints, have a need for remote management, need visibility into pc performance, or would like to capture pc software inventory I can help provide a solution for you.
Please reach out and request your free Cyber Security Consultation. I will be glad to discuss options, schedule a Demo, and help you find a solution that will work best for your environment.
On Sunday, April 10, 2022, at approximately 7:45 a.m., officers responded to a traffic crash near the 2900 block of West Memorial Boulevard. Just prior to the crash, a semi-truck with trailer was stopped inside the safety lane, facing eastbound with its hazard lights activated. At the same time, a 2018 Nissan Frontier truck was traveling eastbound on West Memorial Boulevard when for unknown reasons, the driver left his lane of traffic and traveled into the safety lane. The Nissan truck struck the stopped semi-truck and became lodged underneath the rear of the trailer.
The Lakeland Police Department Patrol Unit, Polk County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department all arrived on the scene and began to provide life-saving measures. The driver of the Nissan truck, 28-year-old Devin Robert Henkel, was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel. The driver of the semi-truck, 60-year-old Ross Allen Green, was not injured as a result of the crash.
Members of the Traffic Homicide Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation. The roadway was shut down for approximately five hours while the scene was processed for the ongoing investigation. If anyone has any additional information regarding the crash, please contact investigating Officer Tyler Anderson at [email protected].
Looking for a beautiful wedding gown to wear on your big day but you’re strapped for time and money? No worries! Just drop into Bridal by Crown in Plant City. You can browse through more than 250 dresses to find the one you’re looking for, try it on, and buy it on the same day. Best of all, they are all designer gowns under $1,499.
The overall experience is the boutique’s biggest selling point. No need to wait for measurements or alterations. Just try and buy! The store itself can accommodate up to five brides and their guests at a time. And they can all spend quality time looking through dresses. Most brides-to-be start by trying on six or seven dresses, but some have gone through at least 20, explained Crystal Brown, co-owner with her partner, Leslie Wendt.
“We really pride ourselves at making this experience the best that it can be,” Brown said. “[We love] helping them find the perfect fit for them and make it the perfect day for them.”
Brown and her husband own and operate Crown Entertainment, through which they have coordinated weddings, serving as disk jockeys and taking photographs. Many of the brides they served were searching for the right dress to wear on their wedding day. So Crystal decided to take the opportunity to open a wedding dress boutique.
Her partner, Wendt, has nearly a lifetime’s experience in creating custom bridal wear. She grew up with her mother, who designed and sewed wedding gowns and dresses. By the time she had her wedding, her mother decided to switch careers, and Wendt decided to step up in her place.
“Whenever I got married, she said enough was enough and she could not custom make them anymore, so now she does alterations,” she said.
Wendt soon partnered with Brown to start their business together. They have since moved to their new location in Plant City, where they have resided since last July. They recently celebrated their grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Plant City Chamber of Commerce.
“We are very excited to welcome Bridal by Crown in the Plant City community,” said Christine Miller, President and CEO. “They are bringing a new industry to the city. We hope they will do very well, and that they will be very successful.”
Brown was amazed by the overall turnout. She was grateful that the local community has welcomed her and her partner with open arms, and that the Chamber has offered them much support and assistance. She has high expectations that they will not only do well, but eventually branch out into other locations.
“We are so thankful for our families and how much support they give us and also the community. Plant City is such a wonderful place to live and work and raise our children, and we could not be any more thankful to have all of that all-in-one place,” she said. “We are really hoping to expand…[and] in looking to expand, we want to double the inventory at least.”
Bridal By Crown is located at 110 W Reynolds St Suite 107, Plant City, FL 33563. The boutique is by appointment only. For more information, call 813-652-8131, or visit bridalbycrown.com.
From: Rodolfich, Wayne Sent: Friday, April 8, 2022 4:38 PM To: Danny Gill; dailyridge.com Subject: Please Release Statement
Good afternoon Daily Ridge News,
Please release this statement:
Dear Parents, Students, and Educators of the Lake Wales Charter School System,
I am communicating about my announcement yesterday at a Lake Wales High School faculty meeting of my intent to retain Donna Dunson as the LWHS principal. This meeting was part of my 7 school tour over the last 2 days to meet with principals and teachers. At the time of the announcement, I was not aware that Ms. Dunson had submitted her resignation earlier this school year nor that her resignation had been acted on and accepted by the Board. I did not contact Acting Superintendent Alricky Smith, nor did I formally request a discussion with the Board prior to making the announcement. Additionally, the process for applications for the LWHS principal position had been opened and closed. I am publicly acknowledging my misunderstanding of the policies and my inability to make such decisions before my contract begins on July 1, 2022.
Grand Jury indicts one adult and two teens for first degree murder
The Polk County Grand Jury indicted three suspects yesterday, April 7, 2022, in connection with a shooting that occurred in the area of Martin Luther King Blvd., NE and 11th Street, Winter Haven on January 30, 2022.
The three suspects are:
Antonio Bernard Lewis, Jr., 21, Winter Haven
Charges: First degree murder (782.04.01C, CF), Attempted first degree murder (782.04.01, LF), Attempted second degree murder (782.04.02, F) (2 counts), Shooting into or throwing deadly missile into a vehicle (790.19, F), Discharging a firearm from a vehicle (790.15.01, F).
Jermaine Leonard Hawthorne, 16, Winter Haven
Charges: First degree murder (782.04.01C, CF), Attempted first degree murder (782.04.01, LF), Attempted second degree murder (782.04.02, F) (2 counts), Shooting into or throwing deadly missile into a vehicle (790.19, F), Discharging a firearm from a vehicle (790.15.01, F), Tampering with physical evidence (918.13, F).
Mecheal Jean-Charles, 17, Winter Haven
Charges: First degree murder (782.04.01C, CF), Attempted first degree murder (782.04.01, LF), Attempted felony murder (782.051, F), Attempted second degree murder (782.04.02, F), Tampering with physical evidence (918.13, F).
On Sunday, January 30, 2022, 1:13 a.m., Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Winter Haven Police responded to multiple reports of a shooting in the area Martin Luther King (MLK) Blvd NE and 11th St., Winter Haven. Upon arrival in the area, Winter Haven officers located a grey Toyota Camry, with multiple apparent bullet strikes stopped on the south shoulder of MLK Blvd. Further investigation revealed three occupants of the vehicle with multiple apparent gunshot wounds and a fourth person who appeared to flee from the area of the vehicle on foot. A perimeter was established and a search of the area conductedthe fourth occupant of the victim’s vehicle was not found initially, but was identified later by investigating deputies.
The occupant of the driver’s seat, a 26-year-old Bartow man, was found to have multiple apparent gunshot wounds. The left rear passenger, a 17-year-old Bartow teen, had multiple apparent gunshot wounds. The right front passenger, a 20-year-old Winter Haven man had multiple apparent gunshot woundshe was pronounced deceased at the scene by Polk County EMS at approximately 1:20 a.m. The deceased man was found to have an AR15 style rifle slung across his body and a Glock pistol in his waist band upon the arrival of law enforcement. The person who fled the vehicle was later identifieda 17-year-old Bartow teen who had been shot twice.
All involved who were injured by gunfire (except the man who was killed) were treated and later discharged from area hospitals.
Detectives determined, based on witness and victim interviews, that two vehicles were traveling westbound on MLK Blvd NE, Winter Haven, FL. A dark blue four door sedan, later identified as a Lexus, was traveling westbound behind the Toyota Camry. The Lexus entered the on-coming (eastbound travel lane) and paralleled the silver Camry at which time there appeared to be muzzle flashes and multiple gunshots coming from the Lexus. The Lexus then accelerated past the Camry, briefly losing control and leaving the roadway. After traveling along the grass shoulder, the driver of the Lexus regained control and continued westbound as the Camry crossed the center line and coasted to a stop along the south shoulder of the roadway.
Both vehicles were at the Cypress Lanes Bowling Alley at 2010 Dundee Rd. in Winter Haven, prior to the shooting. While detectives were investigating the shooting, they were advised that a dark blue four door sedan (the suspect vehicle) arrived at the emergency department entrance of Winter Haven Hospital (approximately two miles from the scene) at around 1:16 a.m. The occupants of the vehicle dropped off a black man, later identified as 21-year-old Antonio Lewis, with a gunshot wound to the chest area. The vehicle rapidly fled the hospital without providing any information to hospital staff.
According to hospital surveillance video, two passengers in the vehicle were observed assisting Lewis out of the vehicle and through the door of the hospital. The two ran back to the vehicle and fled. On video, dirt and clumps of grass were visible falling from the vehicle undercarriage. In an initial interview with law enforcement, Antonio Lewis admitted to being at the Cypress Lanes Bowling alley earlier in the night when some type of altercation occurred. Lewis was later transported to another hospital and was ultimately discharged into law enforcement custody.
Through further interviews detectives determined that the shooting was gang related and there was an exchange of gunfire between the two vehicles (one shooter from the Camry). On February 2nd, detectives located a dark blue Lexus sedan with gunshot holes in the passenger side near The Rock of Winter Haven Church, Winter Haven. Numerous spent shell casings were located inside the vehicle. It was learned that the vehicle was reported stolen out of Hillsborough County. A Lexus key fob in Lewis’ possession at the hospital was confirmed to match the stolen Lexus.
Speaking with people in the area of the Church led to the identification of Jermaine Hawthorne. Detectives later recovered distinctive clothing worn by Hawthorne the night of the shooting from his residence.
Further investigation led to the identification of Mecheal Jean-Charles being the third person in the Lexus the night of the Shooting. Jean-Charles was identified as the driver.
Video evidence at the Cypress Lanes bowling alley shows the stolen Lexus in the parking lot prior to the shooting and immediately following the Toyota Camry as it left. It followed the Camry until the shooting.
“We are not putting up with this gang violence in Polk County. These three will be held accountable for murdering a man and shooting the other victims. The investigation is ongoing, so if there is anyone out there who can help us with more information, please call Heartland Crime Stoppers to receive cash rewards.” -Grady Judd, Sheriff
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal crash involving one vehicle that occurred on I-4 Thursday evening, April 7, 2022.
Deputies responded to the crash scene on the eastbound lanes of I-4 near mile marker 52 at about 7:28 PM, along with Polk County Fire Rescue. The Florida Department of Transportation also responded to assist with traffic control.
Upon the arrival of first responders, 22-year old Sandra Diaz of Tampa was found deceased. 18-year old Maria Cruz of Tampa was transported to a local hospital but passed away shortly after arrival. A 16-year old boy from Lutz was also transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
The PCSO Traffic Homicide Unit determined that Ms. Diaz was the driver of the red 2015 Toyota 4Runner. Ms. Cruz was a front-seat passenger, and the juvenile was sitting in the back. Diaz and Cruz were both ejected during the crash; neither was wearing their seat belt. The juvenile was wearing his seat belt.
According to evidence and multiple witness statements, the preliminary investigation shows that excessive speed was a factor in the crash.
The Toyota was travelling east on I-4 well over the 70-MPH speed limit. The vehicle’s Event Data Recorder (EDR) indicated that the Toyota was going 93 MPH just prior to the crash.
Witnesses reported that the Toyota and another vehicle were both going very fast, and making lane changes, but the two vehicles did not appear to be racing each other.
“Seat belts save lives. The two who weren’t buckled in, tragically died, while the one who was buckled in survived with minor injuries. But this could have been avoided; According to the witnesses and investigation, the vehicle was being driven recklessly and too fast. It is an example of why we started the Interstate 4 Initiative in September of 2020…to show people we are serious about cracking-down on this type of driving on I-4. Since it began, we have cited 397 drivers for going in excess of 100 MPH. “–Grady Judd, Sheriff.
The Toyota began to transition from the inside lane to the middle or outside lane, and Ms. Diaz lost control of it. The Toyota began to rotate, and then left the roadway off of the south shoulder and flipped. Ms. Cruz and Ms. Diaz were both ejected from the Toyota, which continued on until it came to a stop in the middle and outside lanes.
One lane of eastbound I-4 was able to be kept open to allow traffic to continue through, but three lanes were closed while deputies were on scene.
Copy of Email provided by Alricky in response to Daily Ridge’s request
Based on information provided it appears that Donna Dunson submitted her resignation on August 6, 2021 in which it was accepted. Interim Superintendent Alricky Smith asked the HR Director to take the necessary steps to fulfil the vacant Lake Wales High School Principal position for the 2022-2023 school year.
The posting provided 44 new applicants to be considered and vetted for interview by the Superintendent. Alricky Smith shared in the email that if Dr. Wayne Rodolfich made a formal request to reopen the posting it would allow Donna Dunson to re-apply and be considered for nomination.
Per Lake Wales Charter School policy (LWCS BP#2021-003) the Superintendent may only recommend nomination or re-nomination of Administrative Staff and Program Directors.
The Superintendent may not promise or imply permanent or guaranteed employment. Ultimately the Superintendent recommends an appointee and the Board Confirms the appointee with an approval.
As witnessed in the Superintendent selection for Dr. Wayne Rodolfich a committee recommended he be appointed as the new Superintendent. As part of the confirmation process the Board voted to accept the nomination. Once the nomination is approved by the board the Board Chair, Danny Gill, enforces what the board voted in favor of and ensures proper policies and procedures are followed.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Computer Crimes detectives arrested 24-year-old Richard Dalton Battle of Palmetto, who is a Polk County Fire Rescue firefighter, for having inappropriate contact with a 14-year-old Polk County girl via the mobile app “Snapchat” and extorting her to send nude videos of herself to him.
The inappropriate contact began in 2019 after Battle found the victim on Instagram and then added her on Snapchat. The victim told Battle that she was only 14-years-old, to which Battle replied, “Okay.” The victim asked Battle how old he was, but he did not answer. The conversations between Battle and the victim turned sexual in nature, and Battle began threatening to tell the victim’s mother that she was on Snapchat unless the victim sent him nude videos. He told the victim that he knew her location because Snapmaps was turned on and the victim was in fear that he would come to her home, therefore the victim sent Battle two videos of herself nude.
Battle then continued to send her Snapchat messages, which the victim ignored. He repeatedly asked her to send more videos, which she ignored until late March 2022 when she decided she “couldn’t take it anymore.” The victim searched for Battle’s true identity online and found a Facebook profile “Dalton Battle” where he is wearing a Polk County Fire Rescue T-shirt. The victim reported the online conversations to an adult, and an investigation ensued.
The victim told detectives that she felt pressured into sending the videos, and that it was disgusting and “the worst thing ever.”
The bitmoji Battle used on Snapchat is of a male wearing a firefighter uniform. His Snapchat username is “battle_dalton_.” See excerpts below of their late March 2022 conversation.
PCSO detectives interviewed Battle when he arrived to work at the Ewell Road fire station on April 7, 2022, and he told them that he had met the victim, whom he believed to be at least 18-year-old, on the dating app “Tinder.” He denied the threats and denied soliciting her to send videos, but did admit she sent videos to him. He denied being on Snapchat at all.
The following are excerpts of Snapchat conversations between Battle and the victim, recovered as evidence in this case:
Battle – Where’s the spicy video you used to send ???
Victim – Wtf
Battle – Hey you’re hot what can I say
Battle – Liked seeing you shake that a**
Victim – No
Battle – Haha damn had to try you used to send them now you don’t such a shame
Victim – You’re a shame for thinking I’ll send them again
Victim – Like seriously wtf is wrong with you
Battle – Was trying to see some a** but okay
Victim – leave a b**** alone
Victim – especially after she says no
Battle was placed under arrest and booked into the Polk County Jail for one count solicitation of a person under 16 to commit a lewd act (F3), one count unlawful use of a two-way communication device (F3), and one count extortion (F2). He is being held on no bond for the solicitation charge, and $6,000 bond total for the other two charges. Please direct any inquiries about his employment to Polk County Fire Rescue.
“This is a clear cut case of why parents need to be all up in their children’s business when they are online and using mobile apps. We are happy the victim turned this suspect in and we hope she is able to recover from the abuse she suffered at the hands of this deviant suspect. Please put parental controls on your children’s tablets and cell phones – parents and guardians are the first line of defense when it comes to keeping children safe.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
