Brooks Law Group Donating 350 Thanksgiving Turkeys
Local Law Firm Holding 9th Annual Event for Families in Need
WINTER HAVEN, FL, October 21, 2021—Brooks Law Group invites the community to their 9th annual Turkey Giveaway on Saturday, November 20, at 10 a.m. where they will be donating 350 Thanksgiving turkeys and dinner items to families who cannot afford one. Turkeys will be available at the firm’s office at 123 First Street North, Winter Haven. The firm recommends arriving when registration opens at 8:30 am to secure a spot in line, as the turkeys are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
“This event is one that both our team and the community looks forward to all year long,” says Brooks Law Group’s founder and managing partner Steve Brooks. “It takes a huge effort to put this on, but it’s worth it to give back and make sure that every family has a great Thanksgiving.”
Brooks Law Group will again be joined by Restaurants Against Hunger and Farmer Jack, who graciously donate the side items for a complete Thanksgiving dinner. Local radio station 97.5 WPCV will return to the event for a live broadcast.
For the first time, guests will be able to pre-register for the event and save time waiting in line. To register, visit https://bit.ly/3pn5JDg
Brooks Law Group kindly asks that those who can afford a turkey please let those in need have the donated turkeys. Donations will be limited to one per household. During the giveaway, Brooks Law Group staff will be available to speak with those in line.
Brooks Law Group is a personal injury, auto accident, wrongful death, and Social Security Disability law firm, serving individuals across the state of Florida with offices in Winter Haven, Tampa and Lakeland. The firm has been practicing law and serving people for nearly 30 years. For more information visit www.brookslawgroup.com or call 1-800-LAW-3030.
Frostproof Fire Chief Suspended and Forced to Choose Between City or County Fire Department
by James Coulter
Frostproof Fire Chief Jerry Riner was given an ultimatum by Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR): either resign from his position as the Frostproof Fire Chief and continue working as a PCFR employee, or resign from his PCFR position and continue working at Frostproof.
Currently, Riner has been suspended by PCFR and placed on unpaid leave following an investigation into his work with Frostproof Fire Department. He is still serving his position at the city volunteer fire department.
His suspension was most likely prompted by a policy put forth through a cancer-presumptive bill, explained Frostproof Vice Mayor Austin Gravley. The policy requires firefighters to receive $25,000 in payment to cover their medical bills if they contract cancer, which they are presumed to have received while in the line of duty. The policy had been in place for the past three years, yet the county had only recently started enforcing it, Gravley stated.
“Although the policy has been in place since 2017, [it] was relaxed due to state grant qualifications that wouldn’t allow the policy to be enforced or would disqualify county for the grant funds,” he explained.
Since firefighters like Riner, who work for both the city and county fire departments, would be required by the policy to receive payments from both departments in the event they contract cancer, the county does not wish to pay them twice, which is why they were given the ultimatum, Graveley avers.
“Our most veteran senior people at the fire department, they are trying to force them to resign from Frostproof Fire Departmentand use the cancer bill as an excuse that they cannot work for both departments,” Gravely stated. “Basically, what it boils down is that you have a 20–33-year long firefighters who are forced between the two jobs, and lately, there has been an effort by the county to undermine the volunteer fire departments.”
Currently, Gravely and the other Frostproof City Council members are working with Polk County Commisioners to address the situation. Gravley feels Riner was treated unfairly, especially since he has a rich legacy within the Frostproof Fire Department.
Riner has served 31 years at the city fire department and 27 years at the county fire department. He previously did not have any disciplinary problems. So there is no reason for him to be reprimanded with suspension and unpaid leave, Gravley argued.
Furthermore, Gravley asserts the ultimatum was pushed by PCFR in an effort to undermine the city’s fire department. The county has been attempting to take over the city’s fire services over the past five to six years, and their decision to suspend a veteran fire fighter working for them and the city seems like yet another power move by them to seize control, he said.
“So if you take away our fire chief and our three fire fighters with combined experience of 125 years in firefighting, obviously, that will put a damper on our department, and make it harder for our department to remain as strong as it is,” he said. “What better way to get a fire department out of business than to take out their three to four veteran fire departments with administrative duties?”
Handing control of their fire services over to the county feels like a Trojan Horse scenario, where the county evidently wants to target the city’s tax base, he said.
“But the Frostproof Volunteer Department works well for Frostproof, and Frostproof wants to keep its own identity,” he said. “If we turn over our fire department, we might as well unincorporate and why even have a city government if we are only going to turn everything over to the county.”
Gravley expressed his frustration over the situation several weeks ago on his Facebook page, where he described it as a “staff infection.”
“You ever heard of someone being placed on paid leave for working two jobs?!” he wrote on Sept. 24. “That’s what happens if you’re a dedicated Polk County first responder. The problem boils down to STAFF INFECTION. Staff infection is when politicians at any level let staff run the show. Staff recommend this, staff recommends that, staff says this, staff says that. We need a STAFF INFECTION vaccine in Polk County. Elected officials tell staff what’s going to happen not the other way around. Stand up for our first responders!”
Currently, Gravley and his fellow city commisioners are working with the Polk County Commisioners to address the situation and find a solution.
“The City stands behind its loyal firefighters, and hopes that the county re-examines its policy of not allowing County firefighters to work for other municipalities,” said Frostproof City Manager Nicole McDowell. “The City has spoken up to the County Commissioners with the hope that they come to an agreement that benefits all the residents of Polk County – which includes Frostproof.”
Their expectation is to hopefully either grandfather Riner and allow him and other employees to work whatever job they want outside of their PCFR job, or to change the rule regarding the cancer bill.
“I think people should be able to work on their time off where they want to in reason as long as it is nothing illegal or something that contradicts their current job, a non-compete clause,” Gravely said. “We are just hoping for the best, and anybody who wants to support Jerry or a fire fighter who wants to work a second job can e-mail their county commisioners.”
image source: Frostproof Fire Department- Facebook
Man wanted for Polk City murder captured in Houston
The man wanted for last week’s murder of 74-year old Perfecta Paz Paz in Polk City has been captured in Texas. 39-year old Aroldo Paz was captured Monday, October 18, 2021, by the U.S. Marshals in the Houston area. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a tip via Heartland Crime Stoppers regarding Paz’s possible whereabouts in Houston. Detectives passed on the information to the U.S. Marshals, and they located Paz and took him into custody.
Upon learning of his capture, Polk County Homicide Detectives flew out to Texas to interview the suspect and he provided them with inconsistent statements before ultimately admitting that he beat his aunt to death. Aroldo Paz will remain in custody at the Harris County Jail with no bond until he can be extradited to Polk County.
“We thank the U.S. Marshals for their professionalism and successful capture of Aroldo Paz. This is the beginning of making sure he is held accountable for this brutal and senseless murder. Our continued thoughts and prayers are with Perfecta Paz Paz’s family.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
For the past six years, Harrells LLC has participated in the annual Lakeland Swan Derby. This year marks the fourth time they have won the title of grand champion in the main race.
“It feels amazing to win,” said Jodi Hargrove, a team member from Harrells. “It feels amazing and awesome.”
Hargrove was honored to be able to represent her company once again in this year’s race, especially since last year’s race was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic. She loves being able to compete, and she especially loves to win.
“We keep coming back for the people and competition,” she said. “We were very blessed to have it this year…and we will be back again next year to be five-time champions.”
Harrels was one of the many local businesses and organizations that participated in this year’s Swan Derby. Hosted by LakelandVolunteers in Medicine (LVIM), the event serves as a fundraiser for the non-profit organization dedicated to offering affordable healthcare to local residents.
Normally hosted at Lake Mirror in Downtown Lakeland, this year’s event was hosted at Lake Crago Park. Aside from the three main races, it also included other festivities including a hat contest, food trucks, and local vendors.
Harrells won the main race of the evening. The winners of the Maiden Handicap, featuring local non-profits, was Top Buttons, a local non-profit organization that operates a thrift store in Downtown Lakeland.
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Sarah Powers was not only honored to be able to compete in and win the race, but also to be able to enjoy a fun, quality evening at a new venue. She was born and raised in Lakeland, but this event was her first visiting the new Lake Crago Park area.
“It was so much fun,” she said. “I love competition. So it was really fun to have friends to be part of and totally crush the competition for a good cause.”
The winners of the Derby Dash, featuring the Leaders of Polk, was Publix Supermarkets. This was the first year that Kyle Thomas and his team participated. So being able to compete and win the race was a pleasant surprise for them. Overall, they expected for the event to meet their expectations.
“It was a great event,” Thomas said. It is a nice venue. “They did a fantastic job with the events, and we are happy to be here. It is amazing, always feels good to finish first.”
Located at the intersection of US 92, Maple Street, and Manatee Avenue in Downtown Davenport is The Hotel. This historic hotel is currently home to Cooters n Smoke, a local barbecue team whose barbecue has won countless awards from local competitions, including Ribs on the Ridge in Haines City. Currently, Cooters n Smoke is fourth in the state for the Florida Barbecue Association on the proffesional division.
Their award-winning barbecue was served at Taste of the Ridge last Friday in Haines City. While Daniel and Samantha Summerlin-Tomlinso, the power couple behind the barbecue, were unable to attend that evening, as they were attending a barbecue competition. Their daughter served their award-winning pulled pork, chicken, and yeast rolls in their place.
“We love doing this event,” she said. “It gives us a good outreach to the community…We love to see familiar faces and meet new people.”
Cooters n Smoke was one of many local establishments that attended the annual Taste of the Ridge on Friday evening. Nearly a dozen vendors, representing local resturaunts, eateries, and cooking teams, congregated inside the Lake Eva Event Center to share their best food with attendees. This year’s event served a diverse array of food options, ranging from tacos and nachos to pizza, sandwiches, and baked goods.
The Balmoral Clubhouse Bar and Grill offered meatballs, sandwiches, and soups from their menu. For Amanda Boutwell, Event Sales Manager, this was her first time attending the event to help promote Balmoral and its other amenities.
“We love seeing everyone come out to support our local community because that is that we do,” she said. “We thrive on local and we want to be everyone to come together as a family and a community.”
Taste of the Ridge is an annual fundraiser hosted by Haines City Rotary Club. It is the local non-profit organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year, if not their most popular, explained Rotary President Steve Tiner.
Proceeds from the event go towards their scholarships program for scholarships for students at Haines City High School and Ridge Community High School. Haines City Rotary routinely assists many local non-profit organizations and causes within the area.
“I think it is awesome,” Tiner said. “A little disappointed we had some eateries back out at the end…but [otherwise], it is about us having a good time. We expect Rotary and these events to continue to grow.”
PCSO investigates fatal motorcycle crash Friday morning near Winter Haven
A Winter Haven man was killed Friday morning, October 15, 2021, when his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck at the intersection of Spirit Lake Road and Thornhill Road in unincorporated Winter Haven.
43-year old Willie Graham, who was driving a 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle, died at the scene.
The other driver, 40-year old Bobby Mobley of Eagle Lake, was in a white 2001 Ford F150 pickup; he was uninjured.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Polk County Fire Rescue were dispatched to the scene at about 3:46 AM.
Based on evidence and statements at the scene, the preliminary investigation shows that Mr. Graham was driving his motorcycle south on Spirit Lake Road while Mr. Mobley was driving northbound. Both drivers had a green light at the intersection, but Mr. Mobley, who stated he did not see the motorcycle coming in his direction, made a left turn toward westbound Thornhill Road, into Mr. Graham’s path.
Mr. Mobley was not wearing a seatbelt, and Mr. Graham was wearing a helmet.
The intersection remained closed for approximately three hours for the investigation, which remains ongoing.
Shortly after midnight on October 13th, in a residential area of Highland City (near US 98 and Clubhouse Road), an argument erupted between two groups of people. That argument turned extremely violent when shots were fired which struck a vehicle and a house (with three young children inside).
The suspects fled in a white 2014 Hyundai Elantra.
These three suspects have been identified as: 18-year old Jehozadok Randall, 19-year old Dylan Tyson, and 23-year old Victoria Johnson. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has now obtained warrants for the arrests of these three.
Randall’s warrant is for: Attempted 1st degree Homicide 5 counts (10-20-Life enhancement) Shooting into a Dwelling, Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Discharging a Firearm from a Vehicle.
Tyson’s warrant is for: Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Accessory After the Fact.
And Johnson’s warrant is for: Attempted 1st degree Homicide (5 counts), Shooting into a Dwelling, Discharging a Firearm from a Vehicle.
The two men live in Highland City and the woman lives in Lake Wales, but they could be anywhere. They are considered armed and dangerous.
If anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of any or all of this trio, or even the Hyundai Elantra (Florida Tag #Z649FJ), please call the Polk County Sheriff’s Office immediately at 863-298-6200 .
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Heartland Crime Stoppers:
* Or download the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
You will always remain anonymous when you send a tip through Crime Stoppers and you are eligible for a cash reward if your information leads to an arrest.
A company comptroller was arrested on Tuesday evening after defrauding her former employer, a local car dealership, out of nearly $450,000.
Marion Chamberlain, 37, of Kissimmee is charged with grand theft of between $20,000 and $100,000 and
obtaining property of greater than $50,000 by fraud. She was arrested at her home and transported to the Polk County Jail.
An audit conducted by Miracle Toyota, a subsidiary of Murphy Auto Group, found that Chamberlain had written 63 checks to herself and another to her husband dating back to February 2020, valued at more than $447,000. Chamberlain, an employee since 2017, was tasked with logging vendors, issuing payments and accounting for the company’s finances. To conceal the fact that the checks were written to herself, she created new vendors in the company’s accounting system. She would take the checks directly from a printer near her workspace.
Chamberlain violated company policy by not having the checks signed by two separate parties and was fired for poor performance in June.
Last week, a financial services company that cashes checks provided 11 fraudulent checks that were cashed by Chamberlain, totaling nearly $80,000. As part of the ongoing investigation, detectives are working with other financial institutions to verify that Chamberlain signed and cashed additional fraudulent checks. Charges are then expected to be upgraded to grand theft of more than $100,000 – a first-degree felony. Her current grand theft charge is a second-degree felony.
“During a time where millions of Americans were out of work, this woman was not only fortunate to have a job working for an established, community-minded company, but she had the gall to steal from them,” Interim Police Chief Loyd Stewart said. “Often times, these types of crimes go undetected. We commend Miracle Toyota for taking action and our detectives for their thorough investigation.”
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the murder of an elderly Polk City woman, and looking for the man responsible for her death. Detectives obtained a warrant for 39-year old Aroldo Enrique Paz, for 1st Degree Murder (FC), Grand Theft (F3), and Tampering with Evidence (F3).
He is currently at large and believed to be driving a 1999 beige Toyota Camry with Texas license plate PTC9735.
The PCSO first got involved in the investigation as a missing person case on Wednesday, October 13th.
The 74-year old female victim, Perfecta Paz Paz (victim’s name is being released with permission of her family), was reported missing by her sister at that time. The woman said she had not seen the victim since 5:30 AM Tuesday morning (October 12th).
When she returned later on Tuesday afternoon, she saw Aroldo Paz, who also resides at the residence, in the yard. Aroldo told the woman that the victim had left.
When the woman returned from work on Wednesday, she found that Aroldo was not at the residence and his car and belongings were gone. She continued trying to call the victim, but would get no answer.
The victim usually kept some cash in her home, and it was also missing.
Another relative reported to detectives that she spoke with the victim on Tuesday (Oct. 12th), and at that time, the victim disclosed that she wanted to move out because she and Aroldo were not getting along and they were always fighting with each other.
While checking the area around the residence, detectives located some freshly disturbed soil. The victim’s body was found buried there in a shallow grave, with visible indications that she suffered a violent death.
“The suspect may be headed to Texas, due to his previous history there. He should be considered armed and dangerous. Our homicide detectives, who are simply the best, will do everything possible to find him, bring him back, and ensure that justice is served for Perfecto Paz Paz, and her family.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.
If you have information on this suspect’s whereabouts and wish to remain anonymous, contact Heartland Crime Stoppers in one of four ways:
CALL 1-800-226 TIPS (8477)DIAL **TIPS from your cell phoneVISIT the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip,”DOWNLOAD the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation with a known suspect in the Polk City area.
Sheriff Grady Judd will brief the media regarding this case at 11:00 AM this morning (Friday, October 15, 2021) at the Sheriff’s Operation Center at 1891 Jim Keene Boulevard in Winter Haven.
