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Off-Duty Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Arrested For DUI

Carl Fish
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Off-Duty Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Arrested For DUI

During the early morning hours of Wednesday, February 16, 2022, a PCSO deputy sheriff who resigned immediately upon his arrest was arrested by PCSO for one count DUI (M-1).

According to the affidavit, around 1:45 a.m., Lakeland Police Officers were conducting a traffic stop of a female driver who was observed stopped in her car in the middle of South Florida Avenue near Orange Street “burning out” her tires (her vehicle remained stagnant but her tires were spinning, causing smoke to billow from the back spinning tires). She then drove westbound onto East Lemon Street and LPD conducted a traffic stop in the parking lot of Tropical Smoothie.

While talking to the driver, 22-year-old Jalynn Guinn, LPD Officers observed another vehicle pull into an adjacent parking lot, and the Hispanic male driver, later identified as 27-year-old Michael Gonzalez-Lauzan of Lakeland, approach. They asked Gonzalez-Lauzan to stop and wait for them to talk with him, but he continued walking towards them, and then told them that he was an off-duty Polk County Deputy. He was agitated and becoming irate, and the officers could smell the odor of alcohol on him. They contacted PCSO to respond. Meanwhile, Guinn also identified herself as an off-duty Polk County Deputy.

When deputies arrived, they talked to Gonzalez-Lauzan, who told them that he and Guinn were leaving Linksters bar when he saw LPD pull her over. He said he came over to tell her to turn her car off, and then backed off after they shined a flashlight in his eyes. Deputies conducted field sobriety tests with Gonzalez-Lauzan, during which he exhibited several signs of being impaired. Deputies arrested him and transported him to the Sheriff’s Processing Center, where he provided two breath samples of 0.164/210L and 0.160/201L (the legal threshold is 0.08/210L).

Gonzalez-Lauzan was booked into the Polk County Jail for DUI, and was released after posting $500 bond. He resigned from PCSO effectively immediately upon his arrest. Had he not resigned, he would have been terminated. He was hired as a deputy sheriff in 2019. 

Guinn is being issued a traffic citation by Lakeland P.D. for careless driving, and has also resigned from PCSO. She was hired in January 2021.

Downtown Frostproof Gets Down with Valentines Street Dance 

Staff Reporter
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Downtown Frostproof Gets Down with Valentines Street Dance 

Downtown Frostproof Gets Down with Valentines Street Dance

by James Coulter

For the fourth consecutive year, the City of Frostproof drew quite a crowd of residents and visitors downtown for a good, old-fashioned street dance with live music, food trucks, and overall good company.

Attendees could peruse various food trucks for something to eat, as well as a few vendors from local organizations and businesses. The Frostproof Volunteer Firefighters, Ladies Auxiliary sold strawberry shortcakes to help raise money for the city fire department.

Stacey Ennis loved being able to attend that evening’s event. She especially enjoyed seeing so many people come together to have a good time, with a few of them helping to support a good cause by purchasing their wares.

“It is packed with a lot of people,” she said. “It brings the community out…[and we hope] to continue raising money for our fire department. Go Frostproof!”

Performing that evening was Bryce Mauldin, who played live music alongside Dj JMoney. As someone who lives in Webster, Fl, Mauldin appreciates being able to host a gig in Central Florida not too far from his hometown.

With this being his first time in Frostproof, he was enamored with the small town and its street dance. He felt the turnout that evening was impressive, and he felt everyone enjoyed the event and had a good time with it.

“My expectations are for the 90 minutes I am on stage, to let people cut loose and let them forget about Monday, making people happy and making them dance and move, forget about real life, and let them live in the moment,” he said.

For the past three years, Frostproof has been hosting its biannual street dance downtown along Wall Street in front of the Ramon Theater. The city typically hosts two dances every year for the fall and Valentine’s Day, respectively.

For the past four years, the street dance has been bringing the local townsfolk together. The tradition started shortly after the town’s 100th anniversary three years ago when hanging lights were hung over North Wall Street. Ever since, they have been making good use of the lighted streetscape with these events.

Vice Mayor Austin Gravely has been overseeing the event since its inception. Even an hour into the street dance, it experienced a great turnout that evening, even in spite of the recent cold weather. He also has high expectations for the upcoming Orange Blossom Festival this Saturday.

“I like seeing everybody have a good time with an event free to the public,” he said. “I think the community loves the event. I will say it every time: everyone loves coming out, eating good food, having a good time.”

Over $800k Grant Authorized By Lake Wales City Commissioners To Build New Fuel Farm At Airport

Carl Fish
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Over $800k Grant Authorized By Lake Wales City Commissioners To Build New Fuel Farm At Airport

City of Lake Wales Press Release

– A new fuel farm is becoming a reality at the Lake Wales Municipal Airport. City commission authorized a public transportation grant agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation.

 

The grant is for the installation of a new fuel farm designed to efficiently dispense aviation fuel to multiple types of aircraft.

 

“This is great timing, and it’s a nice complement to the recent runway expansion and newly added taxiways at the airport,” City Manager James Slaton said.

 

The new fuel farm will replace the antiquated fuel system already budgeted for replacement in the City’s 2022 capital improvement plan.

 

The new enhancement will attract larger jets to the city, helping to expand the City’s efforts in economic development.

 

“This added convenience is going to attract more people to fly to Lake Wales for an extended stay,” Airport Manager Amanda Kirby said.

 

The grant was awarded after the reconstruction of the fuel ramp.

Railroad To Close Golfview Cutoff Rd Starting Thursday February 17th

Carl Fish
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Railroad To Close Golfview Cutoff Rd Starting Thursday February 17th

On Thursday, February 17, Florida Midland Railroad Company, Inc. will close Golfview Cutoff Road from State Road 17 (N. Scenic Highway) to Bryan Road in Babson Park for two days to upgrade track components and improve crossing pavement. The project is the second of six rail repairs scheduled along nearly nine miles of Florida Midland tracks from Lake Wales to Frostproof. Traffic will be detoured to bypass closed crossing. Commuters are advised to drive carefully, follow detour signs, and add extra time to trips through this area.

Polk County Under A Local State of Emergency Declared to Address Missed Waste Collection

Carl Fish
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Polk County Under A Local State of Emergency Declared to Address Missed Waste Collection

Local State of Emergency Declared to Address Missed Waste Collection

 

Bartow, Fla. (Feb. 15, 2022) — The Polk County Board of County Commissioners declared a local state of emergency Tuesday following the ongoing missed residential waste collection within unincorporated Polk.

 

The missed collections, which persist in the county,endanger the public health, safety and welfare of Polk residents.. The declaration, which has been used before in local emergency situations, provides the county manager the tools to be able to respond to the emergency and remove certain procurement procedures that could prolong immediate solutions.

 

The declaration approved by a unanimous vote Tuesday allows the county manager to take the following actions:

  • Utilize all available resources of the county government as reasonably necessary to cope with the emergency;
  • Make provisions for the availability and use of temporary emergency housing and the emergency warehousing of materials;
  • Acquire merchandise, equipment, vehicles, or property needed to alleviate the emergency.

Through this, the county also waives the procedures and formalities normally required by law to:

  • Performance of public work and taking whatever prudent action is necessary to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the community;
  • Entering into contracts;
  • Incurring obligations;
  • Employment of temporary or permanent workers;
  • Rental equipment;
  • Acquisition and distribution, with or without compensation, of supplies, materials and facilities;
  • Appropriation and expenditure of public funds

More information regarding the county’s trash collection problem- Polk Waste Removal Issues

WineDOWNtown Brings Lake Wales Residents Downtown to Enjoy Local Businesses 

Allison
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WineDOWNtown Brings Lake Wales Residents Downtown to Enjoy Local Businesses 

WineDOWNtown Brings Lake Wales Residents Downtown to Enjoy Local Businesses

by James Coulter

More than 20 local shops and boutiques remained open after hours to allow residents an opportunity to browse their wares and sample drinks and food during the annual WineDOWNtown on Thursday evening.

Hosted by Lake Wales Main Street, the downtown event allowed residents and visitors alike to purchase tickets and travel to various downtown businesses to sample wine, craft beer, and appetizers while also seeing what each store had to offer.

More than 20 stores and boutiques participated that evening, including Cocoa Cake Studio, Kathyrn’s Bookstore, and many others. For many residents, it was their first time visiting these places, even if they are located in their own hometown, said Karen Thompson, LWMS Executive Director.

“Some of these people did not even know these businesses were even here, so it is just people gathering and going to different places,” she said.

Lake Wales Main Street is a non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing the downtown area and hosting events to draw people, especially potential customers, to local businesses. WineDOWNtown proves especially popular, as it actually draws people inside downtown businesses.

“It is always a sold-out event,” she said. “We can bring thousands of people downtown, but we cannot guarantee that they go inside. This is the event we can say 350 people were inside your business.”

Amanda Calhoun owns and operates Southern Roots, a salon that also serves as a boutique that sells home decor, gifts, and accessories. Her business has been around for nearly a decade, and this event allowed even more potential customers to learn more about it.

“It think it has been very good,” she said. “We had a lot of good feedback. Meeting new people and socializing. They met our expectations.”

Rachel Cullen has been running Cocoa Cake Studio for three years. Her business sells custom cakes, cake pops, and other baked goods. That evening alone, she saw many people she normally does not see arrive to her shop, so she hopefully was introduced to many new customers.

“It is a good chance to bring people downtown that we normally do not get to see and it is a huge turnout so far,” she said. “We were slammed when they were open. [It] more than met our expectations.”

Moose Lodge Hosted Inaugural Redneck Games 

Allison
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Moose Lodge Hosted Inaugural Redneck Games 

Moose Lodge Hosted Inaugural Redneck Games

by James Coulter

Forget the Winter Olympics. Forget the Super Bowl. The real athletic competition involved tossing fake poop into toilets, tossing rings at beer bottles, and watching chickens poo on bingo boards.

The Moose Lodge of Winter Haven hosted its inagural Redneck Games on Saturday afternoon. Attendees could purchase tickets and test their skills at nearly a dozen “classy” games, including Nerf gun targets, toilet sh*t toss, and chicken sh*t bingo. The more games they won, the more chances they had at winning prizes and trophies. They could also enjoy a casual afternoon with barbecue, bounce houses, a dunk tank, and live musical performances.

Proceeds went towards the reconstruction of the docks near the Moose Lodge. Ed Willis, Moose Lodge president, explained that they plan on rebuilding the dock area, adding beach sand along the shore near the canal, and constructing a tiki hut area behind their concession area to create a weekend bar.

“We have prime property over here and we are letting it go to waste,” he said. “We need to open this place up and put everyone in the Moose.”

While the event that day was slow at first, attendance quickly grew into a fantastic turnout. He loved seeing so many people come together, and he hopes to host the event again with a similar, if not larger, turnout next year.

“[I love] the fellowship and people,” he said. “You can bring people all under one roof, and you have a good time. We will do another one next year. We will continue it, and it will get bigger and better.”

Branden Crawford was one of the musical artists who performed. He loves being able to perform his music for his fans, especially for a great cause such as this, he said. He loves being able to interact with and give back to a community that has done so much to support him.

“All these people come to my gigs to support my music, so this is something I can do to support my appreciation for them and help moose lodge out,” he said. “Everybody so far are people I know and love and they are friendly and just going to have a good time and it will be a lot of fun.”

Mike Myers, Vice President, has a son who is a close friend of Crawford. He appreciated seeing so many people like him come together to have a good time and help support a good cause. He appreciated the turnout, and he has more than high expectation for the dock refurbishments.

“I am enjoying the outcome of people coming together and supporting one another, and that is what we need in this time today,” she said. “Everything is turning out real good. We hope things work in our favor.”

Melanie Brown Culpepper volunteered for the event to help out Willis, who is a good friend of hers. As someone who is involved with many local committees and fundraisers, Melanie loves to get involved any way she can to help give back to her community.

“That’s what we do. We give back to each other and help each other,” she said. “I think it is a beautiful day that turned out really good…I want to give back and help the Moose Lodge because they want to help bring more people come in through the lake and dock…and it is all about helping each other and the community.”

Two Winter Haven First Responders Honored For Commitment And Dedication To Keeping Citizens Of Winter Haven Safe

Allison
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Two Winter Haven First Responders Honored For Commitment And Dedication To Keeping Citizens Of Winter Haven Safe

Winter Haven Police

On Saturday, February 12, 2022, American Legion Post 8 honored First Responders from across the County with Winter Haven Public Safety receiving two awards.
Winter Haven Police Officer Bruce Cooper and Fire Chief Joseph “Sonny” Emery were honored for their commitment and dedication to keeping the citizens of Winter Haven safe.
Officer Cooper was nominated for his outstanding dedication to the Department along with a specific incident that occurred in October of 2021. A call was received involving a woman seen on the tenth-floor ledge of an apartment building with a bedsheet tied around her neck. Officer Cooper arrived at the scene and immediately ran into the building finding a security guard who could help him enter the apartment should it be locked. Rushing to the apartment, entry was made and Officer Cooper located the woman. She had tied the bedsheet to the leg of the bed and the other end around her neck. The urgent situation had to be handled with care due to the unstable state the woman was in. Having no regard for his own safety, Officer Cooper went to the window and reached out to get the woman pulling her to safety. Once inside, the woman shared with Officer Cooper that she was overly distraught due to the loss of her children in recent years. The woman was able to obtain the much-needed care and is now being cared for by family and friends and on the road to recovery. Officer Cooper’s immediate awareness to get the security guard and care in bringing the woman to safety saved this woman’s life.


Fire Chief Emery was honored for 2021 prior to being appointed Chief. Chief Emery, the former Fire Marshal, was asked to step up to the role as interim Chief in July 2021 while the City started a search for a new Fire Chief. Then Fire Marshal Emery took the task to heart and ensured the Department ran efficiently ensuring the citizens of Winter Haven would continue to receive the customer care they are used to. Emery maintained a command presence with the members of the Fire Department keeping the operations flowing while continuing to meet the day-to-day needs of the firefighters. Chief Emery was ultimately selected as the new Fire Chief and took the Oath of Office in a ceremony with family and friends on February 3, 2022.
“I am so proud of the dedication, commitment and compassion our members display each and every day,” Public Safety Director Charlie Bird said. “These two men are an outstanding representation of what the men and women in the Winter Haven Public Safety Department are committed to – protecting and serving.”

Public Notice

Staff Reporter
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Public Notice

Notice is hereby given that the undersigned pursuant to the fictitious name statutes 865.09 Florida statues will register with the division of corporations of the state of Florida upon receipt of proof of publication of this notice the fictitious name to wit Neat & Klean Cleaning Services under which we are or intend to do business as in Polk County Florida that parties interested in said business enterprises are as follows Names or officers Nona Newbold and Krystal Newkirk.

Public Notice

Staff Reporter
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Public Notice

Notice is hereby given that the undersigned pursuant to the fictitious name statutes 865.09 Florida statues will register with the division of corporations of the state of Florida upon receipt of proof of publication of this notice the fictitious name to wit ALL IN ONE under which we are or intend to do business as in Polk County Florida that parties interested in said business enterprises are as follows Names or officers Robert J Heredia Torres.

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