Haines City man fatally struck by tractor trailer on Highway 27
On Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 3:08am, Lake Wales Police responded to the report of a vehicle crash involving a pedestrian on Highway 27 south of Thompson Nursery Rd. The victim, identified as 34 year old Arturo Hernandez of Haines City, was found deceased at the scene after being struck by a 2004 Kenworth driven by Collis Moore of Lake Placid. Mr. Moore stated he was traveling north on Highway 27 approaching Thompson Nursey Rd. He stated he looked briefly down to return a drink to a cup holder and when he looked back up the victim was standing in the middle of his lane of travel.
Moore was not injured. Northbound traffic on Highway 27 was blocked for several hours. The investigation is ongoing and no charges are expected. If you have information please contact Lake Wales Police Department, Traffic Homicide Investigator, Sean Robertson at (863)678-4223 Ext 548.
LAKELAND, FL (April 18, 2021) – On Saturday, April 17, 2021, at approximately 10:35 p.m., a Chevrolet Malibu was traveling southbound on US 98 North in the outside lane of travel, approaching the traffic light at the Interstate 4 overpass. The driver, 23-year-old Oppheus Williams, had begun slowing down for the red light. As he approached the intersection, the traffic light turned green, and Williams then began to accelerate. At the same time, a pedestrian attempting to cross the roadway crossed in front of Williams’ vehicle and was struck. Williams stopped and remained at the scene. This area of US 98 North does not have a marked crosswalk for pedestrian traffic.
Emergency medical professionals from the Lakeland Fire Department and Polk County Fire Rescue arrived on the scene to begin life-saving measures. The pedestrian, later identified as 48-year-old Blanca Amaya, was transported to Lakeland Regional Health, where she was pronounced deceased by medical staff.
Members of the Traffic Homicide Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation. The roadway was shut down for approximately 3 1/2 hours while the scene was processed for any follow-up investigation. At this time, the investigation is ongoing.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigates Winter Haven Police Department officer involved shooting
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an officer involved shooting involving a Winter Haven Police Department Sergeant that occurred in the Orchid Springs area near Winter Haven Saturday night, April 17th, at approximately 10:10 p.m.
According to information and evidence gathered at the scene, and interviews with witnesses and officers by PCSO detectives, Winter Haven police officers responded to a domestic disturbance call where a gun had been fired by 52-year-old Larry Jenkins of 841 Orchid Springs Dr., Winter Haven. When officers arrived at an apartment complex on Orchid Springs drive, contact was attempted at the front door of a first floor end unit apartment, but no response was received. Sgt. Joshua Dentel of the Winter Haven Police Department then responded to the rear of the residence, at which time he made contact with Jenkins, who was standing inside the screened-in porch, smoking a cigarette with his left hand, while keeping his right hand concealed in his pocket. Sgt. Dentel gave Jenkins verbal commands to show him his hands, which Jenkins ignored. Jenkins stated “I have a gun in my pocket.” Two other WHPD officers who were at the front of the residence heard Sgt. Dentel’s verbal commands, at which time they moved to the side of the building to assist Sgt. Dentel.
Jenkins then exited the screened-in porch and stopped just outside the door, while still concealing his right hand in his pocket. Additional verbal commands were given to Jenkins, which he ignored. Jenkins then made several statements, to include “I’m going to die tonight” and “You’re going to have to shoot me.” Additional WHPD officers began to arrive. Sgt. Dentel instructed one of the other officers to transition to a less-lethal weapon, at which time Officer Doyle transitioned to his Taser. After Jenkins continued to refuse to remove his right hand from his pocket, Officer Doyle fired his Taser at Jenkins, which appeared to have no effect on him. Officer Doyle then observed Jenkins begin to bring his right hand out of his pocket, which revealed the butt of a black gun. Officer Doyle immediately identified Jenkins to have a gun in his hand, at which time he deployed his Taser a second time, which appeared to have a small effect, causing him to slightly flinch.
As Officer Doyle deployed his Taser the second time, Sgt. Dentel observed Jenkins bring his right hand out of his pocket, at which time Sgt. Dentel observed the slide of a black handgun. As Jenkins pulled the handgun out of his pocket, Sgt. Dentel fired his rifle at Jenkins, striking him several times. After being shot, Jenkins fell to the ground and dropped a black handgun (Taurus 9mm handgun). WHPD officers began administering life saving measures and summoned EMS to the scene. Jenkins was subsequently transported to Winter Haven Hospital, where he was declared deceased on Saturday, April 17, 2021 at 11:28 p.m.
Six members of WHPD were on scene at the time of the officer-involved shooting; Sgt. Dentel, Officer Doyle, a Lieutenant, and 4 other officers. Two of the officers arrived on scene just seconds before the two Taser shots and gunshots.
According to witnesses and the person(s) who reported the domestic violence shooting, Jenkins had been drinking all day. According to family, Jenkins has a history of alcohol abuse. The person who called 911 said that she was called to the apartment to pick up a 14 year old relative who said that she (the 14-year-old) was being sexually harassed by Jenkins and that Jenkins was behaving inappropriately towards her. The girl told her relative that Jenkins was making sexual advances towards her, including sexually charged conversation, an offer to receive and give oral sex with the 14-year-old girl, and that Jenkins exposed his penis to the girl. The relative came with her husband to the Orchid Springs address, where a confrontation started. Jenkins pulled out a semi-automatic pistol, racked it, displayed it, offered the gun to the husband for him to shoot Jenkins, aimed it at his own head, said that “I’m fixin’ to get ready to die,” and then fired the handgun.
The victims, the two adults who came to pick up the 14 year old and the 14 year old, fled the apartment out of fear of Jenkins, and called the Sheriff’s Office. During the call, they said that Jenkins had a loaded hand gun and fired it. They also said that Jenkins said that “he was fixin’ to die.” They reported that he was drunk or that he was “on something.”
The officer-involved shooting investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is ongoing. The Winter Haven Police Department will be conducting an internal, administrative investigation. The Medical Examiner’s office will be conducting an autopsy examination. The State Attorney’s Office responded to the scene Saturday night, and they will conduct a separate review and investigation of the shooting / use of force. Per Winter Haven Police Department protocol, the Sergeant involved will be on administrative leave with pay during the initial phase of the investigation.
Davenport, Florida – According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office they are currently conducting an investigation into a work-related fatality. At this point no details are available regarding the exact cause or who has died.
The incident took place near Hwy 27 & Interstate 4 and is believed to have occurred before 9:30am. The initial call was for a motor vehicle accident, but that was not the case. The construction site is the new Panda Express being built.
We will update this article as more information becomes available.
Davenport, Florida b- The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a shooting which occurred in the unincorporated area of Davenport, Florida. According to reports Mikayla West & Tyree Scott both of Davenport were in a physical altercation with the victim on April 10, 2021.
High School Weightlifter Wins Regional Competition with a Clean and Jerk of 290 Pounds
by James Coulter
A high school weight lifter from Frostproof pushed himself to his limits by bench pressing 10 pounds shy of 300 pounds, allowing him to win first place at a regional weightlifting competition over the weekend.
Harper Henson, a sophomore from Frostproof High School, needed to clean and jerk 290 pounds to win first place at the 238-pound platform, during the final stage of the regional weightlifting meet in Islamorada on Saturday.
The weightlifter who competed before him cleaned and jerked 260 pounds. Harper’s own personal record going into Saturday was 265 pounds. He successfully completed his second lift of 275 pounds.
While some other athletes would have happily walked away after such an accomplishment, Harper decided to beat his competitor and his own personal record. During his third lift, he successfully cleaned and jerked 290 pounds, 30 pounds more than his competitor, allowing him to win first place at the competition.
Harper was one of six weightlifters from Frostproof High School who attended the meet at the regional weightlifting meet at Coral Shores High School in Islamorada on Saturday. His team placed third in the overall competition. Two other lifers placed second, and another placed fourth.
“Harper Henson is the hardest working person to come through this program in a generation,” said Rod McDowell, head football coach at Frostproof High. “He pushes himself every day. He has a great attitude. He has good grades. He is respectful. He is an overall good example for everyone else and how they should act and how hard they should work.”
This is the first year McDowell is serving as the head football coach at Frostproof High. His position also requires him to manage the weight room, and in turn manage the school weightlifting team.
McDowell oversees the team’s training regimen, which involves very strenuous three to four times a week. Many of the football players also serve as weightlifting team members, he said.
“The idea is that they will have a reward at the end, which is what happens when you work hard,” Coach McDowell said. “You get out of it what you put into it.”
16-year-old Harper has been participating in football and weightlifting for several years. He loves weightlifting, as it helps him become stronger and better in other sports. He especially loves being able to inspire his other team members as a leader.
He owes his recent success to God and his family. His family especially have inspired him to do his best. Such determination allowed him to excel in his competitions, and he hopes to one day become a state champion.
“My family worked way too hard for me, and I am really trying to make them proud because they are amazing,” he said. “they work hard and show me that you can get a lot of things done when you put your heart into it. When you have the will and willpower to get things done, you will get it done.”
Harper has especially proven himself to be a model athlete on his team. The sophomore goes above and beyond to test his limits and push his boundaries. Such tenacity allowed him to win his illustrious title at the recent weightlifting meet.
Harper’s win was especially motivating. A lot of athletes would have settled for second place. Yet Harper decided to outperform himself and his competitor in an effort to do better than his best. And the young man succeeded, McDowell said.
“It is his hard work and willingness to take a risk and try to go for the win when he could have settled for second place,” he said. “He went above and beyond his personal limit…It shows the example of how, if you work hard, and you have that will, and you want to win, that you can come out on top even when faced with big obstacles.”
“I don’t even know how to say this-I am just in disbelief, but…VALDEZ IS HOME!!!!!!!!! I didn’t give up, and after more than 9 months I finally found him, thanks to 3 wonderful ladies that have been taking good care of him. He has lived in 3 places since he has been gone, and finally someone saw one of my posts on Facebook. I said I would not give up, and I didn’t. This is proof that there is hope for all those poor pets out there that I have been looking at every day that have been reported lost. Just don’t give up on your babies! This worked out PERFECTLY for us because the lady that has had him for the last 4 months needed to re-home him. When I saw the picture that was posted of him, I was sure it was him, but I texted a picture of a special marking on his chest and it was a match. The nightmare is over.”
Local Author Shares Her Inspirational Story About How “Hope Remains”
by James Coulter
The loss of a loved one is difficult to bear. Even harder is the untimely passing of a young child. Most people would be grieved if their youngest child passed away. They would be especially irate if someone they knew was responsible for their passing.
Although Summer Gordon and her husband, Reppard, are heartbroken by their youngest son’s untimely death, they eventually discovered the brightest light shining through the silver lining of the darkest clouds. They also learned to forgive the person who unintentionally cut their son’s life short, and through that forgiveness, formed a strong friendship.
In her their book, “Hope Remains: Seeing the Goodness of God in the Shadow of Suffering”, Summer and Reppard share their inspiring story of loss, grief, and forgiveness, all of which inevitably serve to better highlight the eternal love of God.
The Winter Haven native shared her story through a book signing hosted at Grove Roots on Friday evening. Local musician, Hunter Smith, provided live musical entertainment to accompany the event.
Originally from Winter Haven, Summer lives in North Port with her family. Nearly four years ago, her youngest son, Sawyer, was riding on his bike in their front yard. He rode into a busy road in front of their house, where he was struck by a passing vehicle.
Even more bitterly ironic, the man driving the vehicle was a member of their church. He was driving along when he glanced down at his phone. He did not see as the young boy passed in front of the car. Young Sawyer was transported via Bayflite to the hospital. A few hours later, he succumbed to his injuries and went home to be with the Lord.
Though forever saddened by the untimely loss of their youngest child, as with Job from the Bible, Summer and Reppard learned to trust God amidst the pain, strengthening their relationship with Him and even form a budding friendship with the young man who accidentally killed their son. Through their book, they not only share their story but also use it to divulge divine truths about God’s love.
“Our book shares a little bit about the tragedy and forgiveness and our relationship with him and also about the goodness of God through suffering,” Summer said. “Our hope was that someone will be able to read through this story and cling to this truth that God is good even when life is not.”
Originally, The Gordons shared their story on a local Christian radio station, The Joy FM, which produced a video that went viral through YouTube and social media. However, they felt pressed to share their story further by publishing a book.
“This is nothing I ever aspired to do,” Summer said. “It was a clear call that we heard the Lord tell us. I remember washing dishes at our sink. I felt in my spirit the Lord say “tell your story,” and I told him “we already have”…I had already done that part, but God was like, ‘No, you need to write a book.'”
“Hope Remains” often shifts perspective through the story, sharing the experiences of Summer, her husband, and even Casey, the man who had been driving the car that hit their son. More than simply a memoir, the book intertwines their story with everlasting Biblical wisdom to weave a parable of life and love eternal.
“It is part memoir and part Christian apologetics,” Summer said. “So it is not all memoir. We didn’t want it to be just us telling our story. We genuinely tell our story through our chapters, and then bring life application and charge to the reader.”’
Originally, the story was going to be written by a close, personal friends. However, Summer soon realized that the best people to tell their story were themselves. She and her husband wrote the story with contributions from a writer friends, had it professionally edited and proofread by a retired editor from Tyndale House, picked up by a notable Christian literary agent, and received an offer from a traditionally publishing house but ultimately decided to self-published on Amazon and Ingram Spark.
Upon publishing their book a month and a half ago, their book became listed as the a number one new release on Amazon. It has also been endorsed by two New York Times best-selling authors and a Christian music recording artist, Jonny Diaz, a Polk County native. The book has also received rave customer reviews.
“I’m never one to be at a loss for words, for this book, I seem to have a hard time figuring out how to express every feeling I’ve felt (ALL of them!),” one customer wrote on Amazon. “I’m also not the most avid reader, it’s something I aspire to be, but I could not put this book down and read it cover to cover in only a couple of nights.”
Summer was more than excited to return to her hometown of Winter Haven, which she considered to be a “homecoming” for her. Many local friends took the opportunity to visit with her and receive a copy of her book.
Joanne Scharff was middle school friends with Summer. Even after they went to different colleges and moved to different places, the two remained good friends. “I was in her wedding, and she was in my wedding,” Scharff said. “We have stayed connected, even though we have moved to different places.”
Scarff was motivated by “Hope Remains.” She considered it a well-written story with an inspirational message told from various perspectives, and she would highly recommend it to anyone.
“It is one of those books in the end where your heart is filled with hope, and it is one of those books, where at the end of reading it, you know that no matter what, there is still hope in everything,” she said.
Summer hopes that other people will be inspired by her story, especially if they recently experienced a loss in their life: “We basically want people to know not to lose hope when life gets hard, because every single one of us are going to go through trials. And we just want them to continue living because God has a purpose for their life and he won’t waste their pain.”
For more information about the book, “Hope Remains: Seeing the Goodness of God in the Shadow of Suffering”, visit the Amazon page at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SFR8YFN/
City Of Davenport Hosting 5th Annual Grills Gone Wild
by James Coulter
For the past five years, the City of Davenport has been heating the grills for its annual Grills Gone Wild barbecue competition, and it’s set to heat those grills once again for its fifth annual event.
Between 40 to 45 barbecue teams will be attending and competing in this year’s Grills Gone Wild, Davenport’s annual barbecue competition sanctioned by the Florida Barbecue Association. Each team will have a chance to win first place in either the professional or backyard division in several different categories. Attendees will be able to eat the barbecue prepared by purchasing grill bucks.
The event will be hosted along Market Street in Downtown Davenport on Fri. Apr. 23 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Sat. Apr. 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The annual car show will also be hosted, and several food, arts, and craft vendors and live entertainment will also be offered.
Equally as popular as the barbecue competition is the annual car show adjacent to the event. Each year sees more and more vehicles attend, and just as the competition expects to host more barbecue teams, the car show expects to host more vehicles.
Five years ago, the City of Davenport wanted to follow in the footsteps of other local cities such as Winter Haven and Lake Wales with their own annual barbecue competition. Since then, they have continued strong with great turnouts for both attendees and barbecue teams.
“A lot of cities have done it,” explained Danny McClain, Davenport Parks and Recreational Director. “It is a great event for the City of Davenport. We enjoy putting it on for the community.”
To ensure public health and safety during these uncertain times, special precautions will be taken. All attendees will be encouraged to wear masks, and all vendors and participants will be required to wear masks. Hand sanitizer stations will also be made available with free face masks.
This year’s event will be hosted along Market Street as always. Next year’s event will be hosted outside the new community center, which is slated to open this October. The new area is expected to offer more space to spread out and provide more entertainment, including a children’s play area.
Despite these uncertain times, the City of Davenport remains hopeful that their event will see a significant turnout. Grills Gone Wild has provided a fun time for locals and visitors alike, and they expect it to exceed expectations this year.
“Every year, we pretty much look forward to more new teams that will appear this year, and we have a lot of new teams that are scheduled here, so it is a good overall event for the community,” McClain said. “[That’s] what makes this event successful for the community. That is why we put this event on. It is another event we provide our citizens, and as our population grows, we understand that there will be more people that will come to this event, so we look forward to it.”
Grills Gone Wild will be hosted on Fri. Apr. 23 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Sat. Apr. 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will be hosted in Downtown Davenport along Market Street. For more information, visit the City of Davenport’s website at: https://www.mydavenport.org
Even without the barbecue competition, this year’s Fire It Up! Frostproof drew in plenty of people for a day of fun, games, food, and music. For the fourth consecutive year, the City of Frostproof hosted its annual outdoor festival at Henderson Field.
Unfortunately, this year’s event was unable to host its sanctioned barbecue competition. However, Fire It Up! Frostproof still moved forward as planned with various other outdoor activities, including food trucks, local vendors, carnival games, and live musical entertainment.
A Jeep show showcased more than a dozen Jeep vehicles on Henderson field, while the Central Florida Ski Team hosted a shore upon the waters of Lake Reedy. Young children could play around in the kid’s zone by playing carnival games, bouncing around in the bounce house, or sliding down a giant slide.
Fire It Up! Frostproof kicked off earlier Saturday afternoon around 2 p.m. During the heat of the day, a few people turned out for the event. As the temperature cooled later in the afternoon and evening, more people turned out for a great time, explained Nicole McDowell, Frostproof City Manager.
“It is pretty exciting to host this event, even without the barbecue competition,” she said. “I just want everybody to come out, get together, and have a great time.”
Leslie Brewer, City Council member, has been attending the local event since it started four years ago, ever since she first began serving on the City Council. She loves attending many local events, from the biannual street dance to Fire It Up! Frostproof.
“I love the local community events,” she said. “I love Frostproof. It is a great way to see people in town that you don’t normally see, and just support the different vendors who come out and basically a good way to socialize with people especially since we had to quarantine with the virus. It is nice to have some normalcy back in our lives.”
Stacey Gennie, Vice President of the Ladies Auxiliary Fire Department, attended with her fellow members to raise money and awareness for their city’s local fire department.
She has been attending the event for the past two to three years. Even without the barbecue this year, she and her team were able to enjoy the fun and festivities that day. She was even able to enjoy some Mexican food served by one of the vendors.
“The food and the people, they make it all worthwhile,” she said. “The weather is perfect, breezy, nice, everyone is coming out.”
