LAKELAND, FL (April 17, 2024) – Lakeland Police Department K9s Drax, Judah, Kodiak, and Summit have received bullet and stab protective vests thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. All vests were sponsored by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. and embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of K9 Hobbs, Des Moines, IA – EOW 12/12/23.”
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and NIJ certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 5,514 vests to K9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million, made possible by both private and corporate donations.
The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $985 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1800.00, weighs an average of 4-5 lb., and comes with a five-year warranty. For more information, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.
Five-year-old Dillinger has been diagnosed with epilepsy for one year. When he turned four years old, he was suffering up to 70 seizures per day, and his poor parents didn’t know why.
“We don’t know why they started,” his mother, Glenda, said. “They tested him for about everything.”
One month after his fourth birthday, he was diagnosed with epilepsy. His seizures were eventually controlled using pharmaceutical CBD oil. Even then, poor Dillinger suffered from seizures, nearly 70 per day.
His parents took him to Orlando, where the doctors diagnosed him with frontal lobe epilepsy with secondary generalization. As explained by Cleveland Clinic, his disorder makes it so that his seizures “start in one area of the brain instead of multiple areas.”
“It progressed to where [his seizures are] covering his whole brain,” his mother explained. “They told us that they want to start looking into surgical fixes for him because his seizures are not controllable with medication.”
Young Dillinger will be undergoing the first phase of testing, which includes various scans. A couple of weeks after the initial scans, he will undergo the third phase of testing. In this phase, holes will be bored into his head and electrodes will be placed in his brain to help map the area for surgery.
“At this point, they [the doctors] said they are very hopeful that the surgery will be a curative fix for him,” she said. “So that is really wonderful for him.”
To raise money for his procedures, a bass fishing tournament, Nickels for Pickles Benefit Tournament, will be hosted at Camp Mack Fishing Resort on Apr. 27.
The event is being hosted by Glenda’s cousin, Eddie Yearry, and his wife, Lauren, who have helped organize many other bass fishing events in the county with their non-profit The Rob Cutrupi Cancer Foundation.
“The biggest challenge is just reaching out to people. Trying to get as many local businesses as we can be involved,” Eddie Yearry said. “Different people that we reached out to have been more than willing to help.”
As for Glenda, her biggest challenge has been taking Dillinger on countless hospital trips and doctor’s appointments. Many times, when they have visited the emergency room, they have been turned away because his seizures “are not presenting like normal seizures.”
“So, they would send us home,” she said. “For us, that has been the hardest part, which is getting someone to listen to you as far as treating it. We are very blessed that we found a neurologist who has been working with us on that. He has been reaching out to other neurologists when it
went far past his scope. He was reaching out and having other neurologists trying to help out with treatment plans.”
Eddie has more than high expectations for the bass fishing tournament. He loves bass fishing, and he knows plenty of other fishing enthusiasts who love the sport. So, he is very hopeful those anglers will come out to fish and show their support for Dillinger and his family.
“We are trying to raise as much money as we can because they have some issues with their insurance as well, and we are trying to get as much money raised for him,” he said.
“I just want people to know that I am grateful for everyone from people like you who are reaching out to help,” Glenda said. “Overall, it has been overwhelming, but in the best way.”
Nickels for Pickles Bass Tournament will be hosted on Sat. Apr. 27 at daylight with weigh-in at 3 PM. T The event will be hosted at Guy Harvey Camp Mack Lodge, Marina, & Resort, located at 14900 Camp Mack Road, Lake Wales, FL 33898.
The fee is $120 per boat for a team of two anglers. Admission includes the big bass tourney and barbecue dinner. A cornhole tournament will occur after the weigh-in. Entry fee is $40 per team. First place will payout half of the monies collected for entry.
If you would like to fish in the Benefit Tournament, you can pre-register at: https://forms.gle/ru5W8yoi1DvVG6Gj8
If you are interested in donating to the event, you can reach out to Eddie Yearry or Lauren Yearry at 863-547-5212 or 863-588-9869.
This Young Boy From Fort Meade Was Having 70 Seizures A Day. A Bass Fishing Tourney is Being Hosted to Raise Funds so He Can Get Better.
by James Coulter
Five-year-old Dillinger has been diagnosed with epilepsy for one year. When he turned four years old, he was suffering up to 70 seizures per day, and his poor parents didn’t know why.
“We don’t know why they started,” his mother, Glenda, said. “They tested him for about everything.”
One month after his fourth birthday, he was diagnosed with epilepsy. His seizures were eventually controlled using pharmaceutical CBD oil. Even then, poor Dillinger suffered from seizures, nearly 70 per day.
His parents took him to Orlando, where the doctors diagnosed him with frontal lobe epilepsy with secondary generalization. As explained by Cleveland Clinic, his disorder makes it so that his seizures “start in one area of the brain instead of multiple areas.”
“It progressed to where [his seizures are] covering his whole brain,” his mother explained. “They told us that they want to start looking into surgical fixes for him because his seizures are not controllable with medication.”
Young Dillinger will be undergoing the first phase of testing, which includes various scans. A couple of weeks after the initial scans, he will undergo the third phase of testing. In this phase, holes will be bored into his head and electrodes will be placed in his brain to help map the area for surgery.
“At this point, they [the doctors] said they are very hopeful that the surgery will be a curative fix for him,” she said. “So that is really wonderful for him.”
To raise money for his procedures, a bass fishing tournament, Nickels for Pickles Benefit Tournament, will be hosted at Camp Mack Fishing Resort on Apr. 27.
The event is being hosted by Glenda’s cousin, Eddie Yearry, and his wife, Lauren, who have helped organize many other bass fishing events in the county with their non-profit The Rob Cutrupi Cancer Foundation.
“The biggest challenge is just reaching out to people. Trying to get as many local businesses as we can be involved,” Eddie Yearry said. “Different people that we reached out to have been more than willing to help.”
As for Glenda, her biggest challenge has been taking Dillinger on countless hospital trips and doctor’s appointments. Many times, when they have visited the emergency room, they have been turned away because his seizures “are not presenting like normal seizures.”
“So, they would send us home,” she said. “For us, that has been the hardest part, which is getting someone to listen to you as far as treating it. We are very blessed that we found a neurologist who has been working with us on that. He has been reaching out to other neurologists when it
went far past his scope. He was reaching out and having other neurologists trying to help out with treatment plans.”
Eddie has more than high expectations for the bass fishing tournament. He loves bass fishing, and he knows plenty of other fishing enthusiasts who love the sport. So, he is very hopeful those anglers will come out to fish and show their support for Dillinger and his family.
“We are trying to raise as much money as we can because they have some issues with their insurance as well, and we are trying to get as much money raised for him,” he said.
“I just want people to know that I am grateful for everyone from people like you who are reaching out to help,” Glenda said. “Overall, it has been overwhelming, but in the best way.”
Nickels for Pickles Bass Tournament will be hosted on Sat. Apr. 27 at daylight with weigh-in at 3 PM. T The event will be hosted at Guy Harvey Camp Mack Lodge, Marina, & Resort, located at 14900 Camp Mack Road, Lake Wales, FL 33898.
The fee is $120 per boat for a team of two anglers. Admission includes the big bass tourney and barbecue dinner. A cornhole tournament will occur after the weigh-in. Entry fee is $40 per team. First place will payout half of the monies collected for entry.
If you would like to fish in the Benefit Tournament, you can pre-register at: https://forms.gle/ru5W8yoi1DvVG6Gj8
If you are interested in donating to the event, you can reach out to Eddie Yearry or Lauren Yearry at 863-547-5212 or 863-588-9869.
Traffic Homicide detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office began investigating a two-vehicle crash southeast of Haines City Tuesday morning, April 16, 2024, which resulted in the death of a motorcyclist.
21-year old Erik Manuel Torres of Poinciana was killed at the scene of the crash on Lake Hatchineha Road (County Road 542), west of V-8 Ranch Road.
The driver of the other vehicle suffered minor injuries. Polk County Fire Rescue and deputies from the PCSO were dispatched to the crash at around 6:42 AM.
Mr. Torres had been driving a white 2018 Kawasaki motorcycle east on Lake Hatchineha Road as a gray 2002 Ford F150 pickup truck began pulling out of a private driveway to make a left (west) turn onto Lake Hatchineha Road.
According to the preliminary investigation, the Ford truck entered into the right-of-way of Mr. Torres, and the two vehicles collided, which subsequently ejected Mr. Torres from the bike.
A passenger in the Ford pickup did not suffer any injuries.
Both lanes of Lake Hatchineha Road were closed for approximately three hours while first responders were on scene.
Detectives have so far determined that Mr. Torres was wearing a properly secured helmet at the time of the crash, but the impact caused it to come off.
AUBURNDALE, Fla.-On May 20, 2006, the Florida Highway Patrol responded to a crash with injuries and roadblock on Interstate 4 (I-4) west of State Road 559 (SR559) in Polk County. Upon Trooper’s arrival, they observed a white 2006 Jaguar that appeared to be split in half on the north shoulder of the roadway and an overturned orange Honda Element.
The driver of the Jaguar, identified as Faisal Javaid, 27, of Orlando, had been ejected and was receiving treatment by Polk County EMS. The occupants of the Honda were injured and entrapped upside down in their vehicle. Fire Rescue assisted in removing them from the vehicle, and they were transported to the hospital. They were identified as Terry Lynn Cuyler, 58, of Longwood, and Diane Anstine,48, of Lake Mary, Florida.
Troopers determined that the Jaguar was being driven eastbound on I-4 and failed to maintain a single lane. The driver overcorrected, losing control, crossing the median, and entering westbound traffic, where it struck the Honda. Upon impact, the Jaguar was sheared in half, and the Honda overturned onto its roof.
During the investigation, Troopers observed that the driver of the Jaguar, Faisal Javaid, displayed possible signs of impairment. As a result, a blood draw was conducted, resulting in the discovery that Javid was more than one and a half times over the legal limit at the time of the crash.
Troopers filed charges for driving under the influence (DUI) with serious bodily injury, and the case was scheduled for trial in 2008. However, before the trial, Faisal Javaid fled the country, leaving the victims to wonder if justice would ever be served following the crash, where both had suffered life-altering injuries. For 15 years there were no updates to the case.
In May 2023, the FHP Troopers, who had initiated the investigation many years prior, received a call from the State Attorney’s Office informing them that the suspect, Faisal Javaid, had returned to the United States via Orlando International Airport and had been arrested on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear during his DUI trial.
Due to the diligence and determination of the Assistant State Attorney, FHP Troopers, eyewitnesses, and others on April 5, 2024, a jury found Faisel Javid guilty of two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury, nearly 18 years after the incident. Faisal Javaid is awaiting sentencing, scheduled for May 15, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in state prison.
Haines City, Florida – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed an early morning crash, on Lake Hatchineha Road, resulted in one fatality. The crash occurred just West of V-8 Ranch Road.
According to reports the victim of the crash was a motorcyclist. According to call logs the emergency call came for the accident occurred at 6:43 am and reportedly involved the motorcyclist and another vehicle.
A battalion Chief, fire engine and two ambulances arrived on scene shortly after. At least one other person was transported for care.
This is a developing story and we will update as more information is released.
X-Men: The Animated Series. Chances are, you’re hearing the theme song play in your head, even if you never watched the show.
The 90s animated classic was influential in helping bring the X-Men franchise from out of the comic books and into the mainstream. Were it not for its success, not only would there not have been any other animated Marvel series, there arguably wouldn’t have been the 2000 X-Men film, let alone the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole.
So, now that Disney owns the rights to both Marvel and the X-Men, it only made sense for them to revitalize the brand by creating a revival of the old series, not only to bank on the nostalgia of old fans, but to spark potential interest for new fans. But does X-Men live up to the lofty expectations of the 90s classic? Or is it better off collecting dust on the shelf alongside other aging 90s memorabilia?
The year is 1997. One year has passed since the events in the last episode of the original show. Charles Xavier, the leader of the X-Men, has gone missing, presumed dead after an assassination attempt. Tensions between mutants and non-mutants continue to escalate, spurred on by the criminal activities of the terrorist group, Friends of Humanity.
Cyclops takes on the role as the X-Men’s new leader, as well as juggles his new life as a father-to-be with his wife, Jean Gray, pregnant with their child. Matters become further complicated when Magneto, the X-Men’s main antagonist, and Professor Xavier’s former colleague, reveals himself to be the heir of the X-Men’s headquarters, as per the late Xavier’s last will and testament, thus making him their new leader. How will the X-Men handle this unexpected development? And how will they handle the growing schism between humans and mutants?
As a 90s kid, I remember watching X-Men: The Animated Series when it first aired on Fox Kids. However, I only watched the show passively, and never considered myself a real fan. (I was more into Batman: The Animated Series and the Disney Afternoon shows!) However, even with a passing knowledge of the original show and its characters, and even having only watched a few episodes beforehand, I still found myself enjoying the new show. Not only do I consider it the best Marvel show on Disney Plus since Wandavision, but the best thing Mavel has released since Avengers: Endgame.
As of this review, only four episodes have been released on Disney Plus. Even then, the first two episodes alone manage to tightly pack in plenty of dynamic animation, melodramatic action, and tight-knit plot and continuity that does the old show justice. By the end of the second episode, tensions rise as one old character becomes out of commission and another character is revealed to allegedly not be what they seem.
Old fans will love how faithful X-Men 97 remains to the original show. Each episode begins with a re-orchestrated version of the iconic Wasserman theme song and a recreation of the original opening intro. The animation and art style faithfully emulate that of the original series with some
notable modern upgrades. And not only do some of the original voice actors return to lend their voices to their characters, but producer Larry Huston and writers Eric and Julia Lewald return to help oversee production of the new series.
As for newcomers, they do not need to have seen the old show to enjoy the new one. If anything, X-Men 97 proves equally accommodating to new viewers, who can easily jump straight into the series with fresh eyes and perspectives. As with Jubilee in the original series, a new character, Roberto, serves as the audience surrogate character, helping to acclimate new viewers to the show’s setting and characters.
Overall, X-Men 97 is a fun watch for fans old and new. Old fans will love how faithful the new series remains to the original cartoon, while new fans will be introduced to a fresh take on an old classic. Either way, this show will have you feeling like a kid again watching cartoons on Saturday morning. (Feel free to bring a bowl of sugary cereal!)
On April 2nd, 2024, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit responded to the area of Birmingham Drive, Poinciana, Florida, after 911 calls were received regarding a victim who was shot multiple times in a roadway.
The victim was positively identified as Connell Oliver Adman who was later declared deceased at the hospital. The suspect, Raymond Gabriel Ventura (D.O.B. 6/3/1989), was taken into custody and held with no bond on charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Further investigations into this incident revealed that Mr. Ventura shot his neighbor, Mr. Adman, over a verbal argument. On April 5th, 2024, the 9th Judicial Circuit Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Connell Oliver Adman’s manner of death a Homicide and his cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds.
On April 15th, 2024, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Raymond Gabriel Ventura for Premeditated Murder with Firearm, Discharging a Firearm in Public, and Carrying a Concealed Firearm During Commission of a Felony. Raymond Gabriel Ventura was served with the warrant at the Osceola County Jail.
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 Next Level Immersive Education 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 Craig McGonigle.
Angel Ramos, aged 45, of Davenport, FL, passed away on April 11, 2024, at Advent Health Heart of Florida. Born on April 28, 1978, in Lawrence, MA, to Angel Luis Ramos and Carmen Beatriz Rosa Ruiz, Angel brought joy and light to all who knew him. In 2014, he made Florida his home after relocating from North Chelmsford, MA, worked as a houseman for Legacy Resorts and he was a cherished member of St. Ann Catholic Church in Haines City, FL.
Angel’s passions were as vibrant as his spirit. He found joy in playing video games, indulging in anime, and immersing himself in the world of sports and wrestling. His enthusiasm for MegaCon and cosplay knew no bounds, and he delighted in every opportunity to express his creativity. Above all, Angel treasured moments spent with his beloved family. His magnetic personality drew people to him effortlessly, as he effortlessly made friends with everyone he encountered. His infectious laughter and boundless energy left an indelible mark on all who crossed his path.
Angel is survived by his devoted wife of 23 years, Erika Ramos of Davenport, FL; his loving mother, Carmen Rand of Chelmsford, MA; his father, Angel Luis Ramos of Puerto Rico; his cherished son, Ezekiel and his fiancé Sueheidy Ramos of Davenport, FL; his adored daughter, Jessilynn Ramos of Davenport, FL; his precious granddaughter, Khaleesi Ramos. His brothers, William (Emily) Rand of Dover, NH, Andy (Magda) Ramos of North Chelmsford, MA, and Luis (Fiancée, Myra Rosario) Ramos of Lowell, MA.
A visitation will be held on Monday, April 15, 2024 at 1:00 pm followed by a funeral service at 2:00 pm at Oak Ridge Funeral Care in Haines City, FL.
Currently members of the Polk County Fire Rescue & The Polk County Sheriff’s Office are on scene of a crash involving a semi tractor at the intersection of Hatchineha Rd. & H.L. Smith Rd in rural Haines City.
According to reports the crash occurred at 2:17 pm and multiple emergency vehicles are on scene. We currently do not have all the details, but the semi tractor-trailer has overturned. A leak is occurring and spilling diesel fuel into a water source so that is a concern and could delay opening the roadway.
Please have patience if your in the area as Sand Hill Elementary is also letting out.
This is an active situation and we will bring you an update as soon as possible.
