On May 4, 2021 at approximately 9:35 p.m., officers
responded to the Polk State College DiamondPlex parking lot (999 Ave. H, NE) in
Winter Haven where an altercation was occurring between players from two
opposing softball teams and gunshots were heard.
When officers arrived, the altercation was over. They
made contact with one player who stated he had been “sucker-punched”
by another player and the altercation ensued. The subject who punched him had
already left the area by the time officers arrived. The only injuries reported
were minor abrasions from the physical altercation.
Witnesses in the area stated the aggressor entered an
unknown vehicle and shots were fired from the vehicle as it drove past the
parking area. Nobody was struck by the gunfire, however officers did locate two
vehicles that had been struck.
The investigation into this incident continues. Anyone
with information that can help detectives identify the vehicle occupants is
asked to call Detective Shane Ditty at 863-291-5752. Callers wishing to remain
anonymous should call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477).
Callers are guaranteed anonymity and could be eligible for a CASH reward.
Somebody has a brand new 50″ TV and a Cricut Maker Machine. And if it was a gift from this guy, hey – he didn’t pay! On April 29, 2021 around 9:30 p.m., the man in the video entered Walmart (7450 Cypress Gardens Blvd) and decided on a Cricut Maker Machine. He places this in his buggy then goes to find a TV that would suit his fancy. He decided on the 50″ and placed it in with his other selection. Not one to dawdle around, he walks up to the self-checkout area, pauses and then walks out making no attempt to pay for the more than $712 worth of merchandise. If you recognize him, contact Sgt. Josh Hall at 863-401-2256. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can call Heartland rime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477). Callers are guaranteed anonymity and could be eligible for a CASH reward.
Peace River Center Hosts Mental Health Awareness Month with Make It OK Campaign, and Webinars to Increase Awareness
Lakeland, FL – While 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impacts on the mental health of people of all ages, and now more than ever it is critical to reduce the stigma around mental health struggles that commonly prevents individuals from seeking help. Each year, Peace River Center (PRC) engages in a Mental Health Awareness Month campaign to encourage individuals to seek care and help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. This year’s campaign, Make It OK encourages everyone to have conversations about mental illness, and provides guidance on what to say and what not to say when someone opens up about mental illness. Everyone can help Make It OK; community members do not have to be a mental health expert to help.
“Now more than ever it’s important to talk about mental wellness, be aware of the resources, and share with our friends and loved ones who might be struggling,” said Ileana Kniss, Director of Development and Community Relations at PRC.
“Our staff are trained ambassadors of the Make It OK campaign and are available to present virtually and in-person to organizations willing to reduce the stigma. Make It OK is made possible by HealthPartners Inc. and has been modified to fit our area. To request a presenter, visit www.peacerivercenter.org/makeitok.
Additional educational presentations are available as well as activities to support Mental Health Awareness Month. To register or participate visit: www.peacerivercenter.org/events
The awareness activities and virtual sessions include:
• May 3 – Make It Ok Day: Today, reach out to a friend, neighbor or colleague and start a conversation about mental illness. Visit PeaceRiverCenter.org/makeitok to get conversation tips and resources.
• May 4 – Mental Health First Aid *Session Full
MHFA teaches attendees how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Learn more about MHFA.
• May 11 – 1:30 p.m. Via Zoom: A Family’s Journey: A Story on Substance use, Mental Health and Recovery: Join us to hear one family’s story on how substance use affected their life, mental health and how their recovery journey is helping others. Register today!
• May 12- Wear Green Day: Show your support during Mental Health Awareness Month by sharing a selfie on social media with #green4prc. Let everyone know you’re participating.
• May 13 – 8:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. Via Zoom: A Candid Conversation to Make It Ok: Learn more about Make It OK, a community campaign to reduce mental illness stigma by starting conversations and increasing understanding.
• May 18 – An In-Depth Look at Children’s Mental Health – 2:00 p.m. Via Zoom: PRC’s Children’s Services Manager will look at the impact of trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), plus share resiliency tips and coping skills caregivers can use to help kids.
• May 25 – 8:30 to 1:45 – Stuart Center, Bartow: Mental Health First Aid: MHFA teaches attendees how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. *Requires pre-registration.
• May 27 – Identifying and Understanding Teens’ Risky Behaviors: a presentation by Own the Upside and Avoid the Downside + Peace River Center: Are you concerned about your teen’s mental health, lack of success, or possible drug use? Join us for a virtual tour of what risky behavior clues to look for plus when and how to access help.
Have questions? Contact Peace River Center’s Community Relations department at [email protected].
About Peace River Center
Peace River Center is a licensed and accredited, non-profit provider of mental health, substance use, and integrated medical services serving Polk, Highlands, and Hardee counties. Peace River Center provides options for people struggling with mental health and addiction, for children and adults coping with the trauma of abuse and violence, crisis intervention for people in acute need, and housing and community support and integration for people affected by domestic violence or whose recovery requires more support and time. Peace River Center offers inpatient, outpatient, home-, school- and community-based services, telehealth, and mobile programs to individuals, groups, and families. Peace River Center’s dedicated and compassionate staff of more than 400 operate 36 programs out of 27 locations and provide 24/7 emergency psychiatric response services to the community through our mobile psychiatric Crisis Response Team. In FY2020, Peace River Center had contact with and provided services to more than 21,500 children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. For more information visit www.PeaceRiverCenter.org.
Katie Linck, one of the newest drivers on the local Polk County racing scene, has racing in her blood. Her Great Uncle, Bruce MacInnes, Senior Instructor for Skip Barber Racing School, was a Formula 1 driver who won two Pro Formula Ford National Championships. At 13 years old, Katie possesses the drive, ambition, and skill to get the win! After attending races at the Auburndale Speedway through her mother’s sponsorship of a modified mini class driver, Katie’s racing passion sparked. She practiced with go carts at every opportunity; and when she mastered that style of racing, she struck a deal with her parents: racing instruction if she got straight As. That deal opened a great opportunity for her. Doing chores and saving her money from birthdays and Christmas gifts enabled her to get her own mini cup race car and the safety equipment required to race.
Katie’s sweet jovial side morphs into
a strong competitive spirit when she steps into a race car, and her focus is on
that victory flag. She already possesses a penchant for pushing the
envelope. At the age of 10, Katie
participated in a pilot program for junior Scuba divers through Deep Six Dive Shop
in Lakeland, Florida, and she passed all the adult classes to become one of the
youngest certified Scuba divers in the State of Florida. Entranced by the
new world she discovered beneath the surface, she grew to love exploring, and
her desire to try new thrilling things accelerated. Racing will be an exciting new chapter in her
story. Saturday, May 1st was her first race ever and she took
home a 3rd place win! Now
that she has a taste for the flag, she strives to improve and compete.
Katie continues to achieve excellent
grades while striving for perfection at one of the highest rated schools in
Florida. She dedicates herself to becoming
a stellar student while enjoying her exciting passions. She is also a
member of her school’s swim team, loves being in the water and strives to
break records when she enters high
school. She has covered the sea with
scuba diving and is now focusing on land with racing. We wonder what will come next. Maybe
there is flight school in her future! She will reach for the stars and continue
to be a good role model for those who follow her. There is no telling
what the future holds for this bright young shooting star!
Interested in sponsoring this amazing
girl? Please fill out the info sheet on
KatieNow.com. Thank you!
An enthusiastic group of JROTC cadets, their families and
instructors gathered in the Lake Wales High School auditorium for their annual
awards presentation. Due to Covid
restrictions only a representative portion of the cadet corps was present, but
they made up for their numbers.
Awards were presented by patriotic and lineage organizations
as well as by the JROTC Department.
Karen Wolzanski, a member of several hereditary societies, presented
awards for excellence to Kylie Peters who was presented the National Society of
the Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America Award. She also awarded Destinie Taylor the National
Society for the United States Daughters of 1812 Award and to Kassidy Dye the
National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Award. An additional award went to Cristian Granados
as the top shot on the JROTC Rifle Team from the Lake Wales Chapter, NSDAR.
John Hillery, from the Military Order of the Purple Heart,
presented an award to Cadet Reagan Bolden as well. Representatives of other organizations were
not present and their awards were presented to the cadets by Senior Army
Instructor CPT Charles D. Simpson Jr.
The Special Forces Award went to Cadets Alexus Stephens and Samuel
Gerhart while the Scottish Rite of Free Masonry award went to Cadets Haylee
Graham and Claudia Perez. The Military
Officers Association Award was presented to Reagan Bolden, Anthony Pinero, Austin
Lucas, and Austin Thomas and right after that the Americans Veterans Award was
presented to Elijah Whitty, Stella Hogan, and Jackson Wunker. The last two awards were the National Society
of the Sons of the American Revolution Award going to Cristian Granados and the
Superior Cadet Award going to Alexus Stephens, Jackson Wunker and Reagan Cox.
CPT Simpson presented ribbons for excellence in academics,
sports and participation in JROTC Color Guard, Raider Team and Rifle Team. He thanked the cadets for their hard work
during the year and the families of the cadets for their support and
encouragement. CPT Simpson announced the
position of Lake Wales High School JROTC Booster Club President will be filled
by Tara Stout who is the wife of Assistant Army Instructor MSG Ralph Stout.
One lane of EB Havendale Blvd is open after an overnight crash that resulted in one fatality. Drivers will see delays through the morning as crews repair a TECO power pole.
Preliminary information indicate at approximately 11:25 p.m. last night, a vehicle occupied by one female was traveling east on Havendale Blvd. For unknown reasons, the vehicle hit the curb in the area of 15th St NW causing the vehicle to flip. The vehicle continued and hit a TECO power pole. The female occupant did not survive. FHP is investigating the crash.
Original TRAFFIC ALERT
Eastbound lanes of Havendale Blvd continue to be shut down from 14th St NW (in front of Howell & Thornhill) to the entrance of Spring Lake Square just before Hwy 17 due to an overnight crash involving one fatality.
Drivers who normally use Havendale Blvd. eastbound should use alternate routes to include Hwy 92. The roadway is anticipated to be shut down through the morning rush hour.
FHP is investigating the crash and any updates will be released at a later time.
Jean Carlos “Felix” Colon killed after shots fired In Lake Alfred Trailer Park
Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives investigating overnight shooting
At the request of the Lake Alfred Police Department, Homicide detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office are assisting in the investigation of a fatal shooting in Lake Alfred that occurred around midnight Sunday, May 2, 2021.
The victim has been identified as 24-year-old Jean Carlos “Felix” Colon.
There were several witnesses at the scene, and two shooters have been identified; all of whom have been cooperating in the investigation.
“Detectives have been speaking with everyone at the scene, but unfortunately, not everyone’s story is the same. We know that this started as a disturbance which led to at least two shots being fired, and we have been talking to the two men who fired those shots. We still have a lot of investigating to do in order to sort it all out.”- Grady Judd, Sheriff.
The two men who fired shots are expected to be charged with carrying a concealed firearm and tampering with evidence. As the investigation continues, additional charges are possible.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit is investigating a vehicle versus semi crash that occurred in north Lakeland this morning, which resulted in the death of the vehicle driver. Preliminary information is as follows:
Around 7:30 a.m. on Monday, May 3, 2021, the PCSO ECC received a 911 call from the area of US Hwy 98 approximately ½ mile north of Big Cypress Blvd, adjacent to Gator Creek Preserve. According to the witnesses and evidence, a 2000 white Honda Accord being driven by 64-year-old Joseph Moody of Lakeland was heading southbound when, for unknown reasons, it crossed over the center line into the northbound lane. A 1999 red Peterbuilt semi with a flatbed trailer hauling an 80-foot concrete power pole was heading northbound at the time. The semi driver, 44-year-old Dane Whitt of Lake Wales, saw the car and braked, pulling as far to the right as possible to avoid a collision. The semi ultimately stopped with its passenger tires on the shoulder of the road. The Accord struck the semi and trailer and Moody suffered fatal injuries. Whitt was not injured.
The roadway was closed for approximately three hours during the investigation, which is ongoing.
Winter Haven, Florida – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office was called out to a residence on Avenue J, Northwest in Winter Haven in regards to shots being fired. The incident occurred in the early morning of April 26, 2021.
According to police reports the suspect, Zuleimy Collazo, went to her ex-boyfriend’s residence where she found the victim and her boyfriends mother sitting and talking. She then reportedly left and came back. Here is an excerpt from the police affidavit: The suspect observed her child’s father’s new girlfriend at the residence and then left the scene returning an hour and a half later armed and made contact. The suspect made the statement directed to and identifying the victim as a clear target then displayed the firearm in a unlawful manner while stating “get your hoe ass out of here” then willfully discharged the firearm in a residential neighborhood instilling great fear for bodily injury or death to the victims. This demonstrated a clear premeditation for the course of action from the suspect determining that the victim was at the residence, she left then returned with a firearm, exited the vehicle approached the victim, made the statements, and then discharge the firearm. The suspect then fled the scene attempted to hide the firearm and changed vehicles. with her ex-boyfriend in the attempt not to be located.”
Zuleimy Collazo has been released on bond pending trial.
In response to your inquiries, at 6:00 a.m. this morning (Monday, May 3rd) PCSO responded to the 7-Eleven store located at 28200 US Hwy 27 in Dundee to a reported business burglary.
It was discovered by employees when they opened up the store this morning. There was not a robbery at that location.
