Lakeland Better Homes and Gardens Celebrates One-Year Anniversary with Ribbon Cutting

Lakeland

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April 14, 2021

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Lakeland Better Homes and Gardens Celebrates One-Year Anniversary with Ribbon Cutting

by James Coulter

Despite these uncertain times, the Lakeland branch office of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Fine Living experienced such a great first year that they celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday.

During its inaugural year, Better Homes and Gardens exceeded expectations, performing well enough to receive several awards, including first place for Best Real Estate Company in The Ledger’s Best of Central Florida 2020 and the Lakeland Commercial Beautification Award.

Its success within the past year has been chiefly due to the branch remaining true to its main franchise’s core values of Passion, Authenticity, Inclusion, Growth and Excellence, or PAIGE. Anyone looking for a new home, be it a resale or new construction, luxury home or townhome, single-family or condo, can expect nothing less than a sale made through a strict commitment to PAIGE.

“These core values serve as our guide in all of the decisions we make and set the stage for a company culture that must be experienced to be believed,” their website states. “It is our commitment to help real estate professionals provide ongoing value to the consumer. In an era when the consumer is demanding value, we act as the support mechanism that allows our affiliated real estate professionals to continue to grow and thrive.”

Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz commended the business for winning the commercial beautification award. He believes they more than deserve the honor, especially after a stellar first year in business, he said.

“They are looking forward to 2021 being even better,” he said. “They have a lot of notice from our citizens and the city.”

Owner Dana Hall Bradley was raised in Lakeland. She had lived and worked in Celebration for the past 20 years at the company’s main office. As a Lakeland local, she was the ideal candidate to start and open their Lakeland branch office.

She owes her branch’s success to the dedication of their training, especially during these trying times. Having stared during a pandemic, they were required to do most of their training and business online. They conducted five Zoom classes a week, and engaged in sales and marketing through Facebook, conference calls, and virtual 3D tours.

“We expect to continue to grow the Central Florida Homes and Gardens brand,” she said. “We are planning to open up in Winter Garden and into several other different Orlando locations. By 2023, we will have at least five different offices.”

Lori Martin, Lakeland Chamber of Commerce Board Member, fell in love with the company upon viewing their website and reading about their core values. She appreciates how such a business, especially one started by a Lakeland local, was dedicated to such forward-thinking values.

“I think they are a fabulous company,” Martin said. “She [Bradley] really wants to do good and give back to the community here in Lakeland. She is from Lakeland, she is a business owner, and she is engaged and happy to be here.”

The company has experienced realtors with a strong presence in the local community. With so many of their employees and employers working in the Lakeland area, Better Homes and Gardens will make for an excellent fit with high expectations of growth soon.

“They know their business, and there is a plethora of opportunity right now in the market,” she said. “I expect them to continue to do well. Lakeland is a wonderful community where business can flourish. I hope they can engage with the Chamber and get to know their folks here even more so businesses can prosper.”

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Fine Living is located at 1715 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33803. For more information, call 863-602-8830. Or visit their website at: https://www.bhgre.com/better-homes-and-gardens-real-estate-fine-living-6037c

Bartow Hops into Spring with Spring Fling 2021

Bartow

Staff Reporter

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April 14, 2021

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Bartow Hops into Spring with Spring Fling 2021

by James Coulter

What tastes better than juicy, tender steak? How about meat that has been tenderized in a flavorful vinegar marinade? Whether you prefer mild herbs and spices or wild jalapeno, the infused gourmet vinegar of Vinegar Vibes is sure to add a kick to your meal.

Vinegar Vibes was created by the late husband of Karmon Stevens. He loved to grill, and he loved to marinate his meat in vinegar to make it more tender and flavorful.

“He knew that if you marinated in vinegar, that your meat would be tender, and you would be left with what it had been infused with,” Stevens said.

He was set to start selling his homemade gourmet vinegar on Mar. 5, 2019. Unfortunately, he passed away five days earlier on Mar. 1. Karmon decided to continue her late husband’s legacy by selling his vinegar at their local market in Lake Wales.

Their gourmet vinegar sold out real well at the Lake Wales Farmer’s Market. Karmon decided to sell it at another market in Lakeland. After seeing it sell well there, she has been continuing to sell gourmet vinegar ever since.

Each vinegar is created through an infusion process, combining the vinegar with spices, herbs, and fruit. After three months, they are bottled, labeled, and sold at local markets such as the recent Bartow Spring Fling Hop & Shop.

Karmon loves attending events in Bartow. She regularly attends their Friday Night events and special events such as the Spring Fling. She loves how her business has a large clientele in such a small town.

“The people of Bartow are great,” she said. “They come out and support the community…We have quite the clientele in Bartow. And so when we have an opportunity to come to town in Bartow, we do come so that our clientele are able to pick up our products. So we are always happy to attend Bartow events.”

Downtown Bartow hosted nearly a hundred vendors selling their homemade and handmade wares last Saturday for Easter Weekend. From handcrafted signs to hanging mobiles, various arts and crafts were on display and sale within the downtown area.

Hosted by Main Street Bartow, Spring Fling Hop & Shop was the springtime theme for the local quarterly market. The Mistletoe Market was hosted in the winter, while the Honey Bee Fair was hosted in the autumn.

“It was another wonderful event,” said Linda Holcomb, Executive Director of Main Street Bartow. “We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day. The weather was perfect, families enjoyed the day shopping with our street vendors and our Downtown retail shops, dining in our downtown restaurants, and the kids had fun visiting with the Easter Bunny.”

For many vendors, this was their first time attending a Bartow market event. Chris Penland participated in the event for the first time, marking his Bartow debut as The Bakery Guy.

Penland has been baking for 20 to 25 years. He decided to put his skills to good use by starting his own baking business. He brought springtime spirit last week with colorful cupcakes, homemade cookies, coconut cake, and banana and blueberry muffins.

He previously attended markets in Dade City and Lakeland. The Spring Fling was his first time in Bartow, and the overall event exceeded his expectations.

“I loved it,” he said. “This has been perfect. The best part about it for me is when my customers reach out and tell me that they enjoy it. That is the key. That is what makes me happy. If I can make people happy, that is all I want out of it.”

Even despite these uncertain times, the Spring Fling experienced a great turnout. Some vendors even used the current COVID-19 pandemic to sell their specialized wares.

Catherine Beaumont, along with her mother, Lorraine Andrews, has been crafting handmade masks based on various popular franchises, including Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pokémon, and Disney. Their masks have been selling well since last March.

She and her mother have attended events in Bartow several times. They recently attended SyFy Bartow in February. They love the hometown feel, especially with the small shops and cafes.

“We have been doing very well since then, very successful,” she said. “We just enjoy making [these masks], me and my mother. We enjoy making it together. It is a team effort. We do it a lot, all day long.”

Victory Ridge Academy Receives Grant from Mountain Lake Community Service, Inc.

Lake Wales

Staff Reporter

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April 14, 2021

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Victory Ridge Academy Receives Grant
from Mountain Lake Community Service, Inc.

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Lake Wales, Florida – On March 18, 2021, Victory Ridge Academy (VRA) was awarded funding from Mountain Lake Community Service, Inc. Funding received from Mountain Lake will go towards supporting VRA’s Occupational, Physical and Speech-Language Therapy Departments.

For occupational and physical therapy, VRA will use funding to purchase the Clinton Folding Parallel Bars, which will assist students with mobility, balance, gait training, strength and range of motion. Additionally, through use of the parallel bars, students will build their core strength to increase stamina for sitting and writing tasks during classroom time.

For speech-language therapy, VRA will use funding to purchase iPads, protective casing and charging carts for our nonverbal students. Students will use these iPads as a way to access nonverbal applications that will aid them in communicating with their teachers, therapists and peers.

Both staff and students at Victory Ridge Academy would like to thank Mountain Lake Community Service, Inc. for their generous donation and continued support over the years!

Victory Ridge Academy is a Title 1, 501 (c) (3) non-profit public charter school that exclusively serves children and adolescents with special needs. Victory Ridge Academy is based on the belief of the administration, staff and Board of Trustees that early intervention is crucial to helping children and young adults with special needs to cultivate healthy lifestyles and grow into well-adjusted persons. It is the school’s belief that students need a safe, positive and nurturing learning environment to develop communication skills, social skills, academic and technical skills in order to build their self-confidence and become productive members of society.

For more information about Victory Ridge Academy, please visit the Academy’s website at www.victoryridge.org

PCSO is Investigating a Three-Vehicle Fatal Crash in Unincorporated Lakeland

Lakeland

Staff Reporter

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April 14, 2021

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PCSO is Investigating a Three-Vehicle Fatal Crash in Unincorporated Lakeland

On April 13, 2021, at around 1:00 p.m., deputies responded to a fatal crash that occurred at the intersection of County Line Road and Ewell Road in unincorporated Lakeland. The crash killed 63-year-old James Reynolds of Valrico.

Reynolds was the driver of a black 2019 Dodge Ram pick-up truck.

Also involved in the crash were a white 2018 Mack Tractor hauling a 2007, 53-foot trailer driven by 65-year-old Arturo Jimenez of Lakeland, and a gray 2006 Toyota Camry driven by 71-year-old Alice Ray-Overstreet of Lakeland. 91-year-old George Overstreet was a passenger in the Toyota Camry.

According to the preliminary investigation so far, Reynolds was traveling westbound on Ewell Road and Jimenez was traveling northbound on County Line Road. At the same time, Ray-Overstreet was stopped in the southbound on County Line Road in the turning lane to make a left turn onto Ewell Road.

As Reynolds approached the traffic light, indicating red, he failed to stop and drove into the intersection. Jimenez, who had the green light, was in the intersection when his tractor trailer struck the driver’s side of the Dodge Ram.

Following the initial impact, Reynolds’ truck struck Ray-Overstreet’s vehicle which was still stopped in the turn lane.

Reynolds died at the scene.

Jimenez, Ray-Overstreet, and her passenger suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

At the time of the crash, all involved were wearing seat belts.

The roadway was closed approximately 4 hours during the investigation. This investigation is ongoing.

Neighbors Help Subdue a Burglary Suspect After He Ran Into a Home and Attacked The Homeowner.

Winter Haven

Staff Reporter

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April 14, 2021

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Neighbors Help Subdue a Burglary Suspect After He Ran Into a Home and Attacked The Homeowner.

On April 13, 2021 at approximately 5:15 p.m., a homeowner on Palm Lane in Winter Haven was inside of his home when 26 year-old Dominique Rashad Rogers (DOB 12-13-94, 1299 37th St NW, Winter Haven) entered the porch area of the home and then entered the living area of the home, uninvited. When he got inside of the home he immediately attacked the homeowner grabbing him by the torso and they started to struggle landing on the floor.

Another person inside of the home ran out of the home to a neighbor frantically yelling for help and the neighbor called 9-1-1. In the meantime, inside of the home, the homeowner broke free from Rogers and retrieved his personal firearm. When he went back into the area where Rogers had been, Rogers had already ran outside. Outside, neighbors grabbed Rogers and held him down until officers arrived.

The homeowner suffered minor injuries and was treated by EMS on scene. Nobody else was injured in the encounter.

Rogers was taken into custody and booked into the Polk County Jail on charges of Burglary with Battery (F1) and Burglary of an Occupied Structure (F2).

Battle of the Bands to be Hosted at Balmoral Resort

Haines City

Staff Reporter

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April 14, 2021

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Battle of the Bands to be Hosted at Balmoral Resort

by James Coulter

Ten bands will battle it out onstage at the inaugural Battle of the Bands, presented by Feltrim Sports, to be hosted at Florida Balmoral Resort on Apr. 17.

From 12:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., eleven bands will grace the new outdoor stage at the Feltrim Sports Village. Each will play for 30 minutes, and each will be voted on, both through popular vote from the audience and from a panel of three professional judges.

At 9 p.m., the votes will be tallied, and each band will have a chance to win people’s and judges’ choice. The people’s choice winner will receive the grand prize of $2,500.

Throughout the day, attendees can enjoy the live entertainment, along with food trucks, vendors, and other miscellaneous activities in the Sports Village. Overall, the outdoor event will allow local bands a time to shine in the limelight with a chance to win big and make a big name for themselves.

“We want to see the bands get better in the area,” said Garrett Kenny, owner of Feltrim Sports and Balmoral Resort. “We are trying to nurture new talent in the area, that was the idea behind it, and it has been well-received.”

Earlier in January, Balmoral Resort solicited countless local bands to scrounge up for their inaugural event. More than 24bands submitted applications. That number was whittled down to 10 participants.

Garrett and his team explored social media to check each band’s following. They watched the videos the bands submitted of themselves. Garrett wanted to highlight the best of the best that Central Florida, and especially Polk County, could offer.

“We wanted to attract new talent,” he said. “And we are conscious that we want up-and-coming bands, so we made a deliberate decision that any bands that currently play at Balmoral Resort were not included in the competition because otherwise, that would have been unfair.”

A new outdoor stage was purchased for this event. The Sports Village has more than ample room to seat two and a half thousand people. More than 500 people are expected to arrive throughout the day, Garrett explained.

A VIP seating area will also be provided at the event, along with a concession stand, several food trucks, and a diverse variety of vendors. More than three trucks have signed up to participate at the event, with several more expected, Garrett said.

Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, special precautions will be taken to ensure public health and safety. Despite these uncertain times, and especially despite the potential uncertainty of the weather, rain or shine, pandemic or not, the inaugural Battle of the Bands is expected to be a big hit.

“We hope to bring in more entertainment to Haines City and Polk County,” Garrett said. “As a company, we are very happy with social media response, and the response from local media like Today & Tonight and Daily Ridge has given us good coverage, and we are optimistic about the night.”

Feltrim Sports is currently planning other events soon, including a wrestling event and potentially even another Battle of the Bands aimed at the Hispanic market. Live entertainment is offered every weekend with local bands performing at the Balmoral Bar and Grill.

For more information, visit their website at: https://www.feltrimsports.com/battle

The 863 Art Fest Returns After A Year’s Hiatus

Winter Haven

Staff Reporter

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April 14, 2021

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The 863 Art Fest Returns After A Year’s Hiatus

by James Coulter

After being postponed last year due to the ensuing COVID-19 crisis, The 863 Art Fest is making a grand return to Winter Haven on Sat., Apr. 17.

More than several dozen vendors will line the sidewalk at Central Park in Downtown Winter Haven to showcase a diverse selection of arts and crafts from local artists, many of whom are otherwise unable to share their art at other art shows and events.

Attendees can peruse the artwork of the many participating artists while also enjoying live entertainment and eating tasty selections from food trucks.

Best of all, the event is pet-friendly, so even their furry four-legged friends will be able to attend, provided they are on a leash. Also, since no alcoholic beverages will be served, the event will also maintain a family-friendly atmosphere.

One week prior, a one-time only Saturday Market will be hosted at the Chain of Lakes Complex on Apr. 10 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.More than 50 vendors will showcase arts, crafts, homemade goods, plants, raw local honey, food trucks, and fresh produce and vegetables. The market will be hosted in the parking lot outside the complex and across the street from Applebees.

The annual art show was started eight years ago by Sergio Cruz and his wife Andrea, publisher and editor respectively of The 863 Magazine. Both of them wanted to provide a venue for up-and-coming local artists who otherwise would be unable to attend an art event.

“We love doing this every year,” Sergio said. “[We offer] a lot of local arts and crafts…and very unique vendors that don’t get a chance to participate at other venues because they are new to the business. It is difficult for them to debut because they do not have enough data behind them to be supported by other venues that have been going on forever, and they have a waiting list to get in.”

For many artists, The 863 Art Fest offered them a venue to explore other people’s art and even experiment with their own. Many people attended who were not initially interested in art gained a personal interest and even started creating their artwork.

“We have two to three artists who attended five or six years ago, and they took the courage after what they saw and became part-time artists,” Sergio said. “This could be the start of a hobby or career of someone who could be shy and has never had an experience like this. But when they come and enjoy a live event, it is very beautiful, it makes people change their lives in a good way.”

This year will see even more vendors than previous years, with at least five new artists making their debut this year, Sergio said. Each year sees the art show grow bigger in attendance and turnout, he said.

Sadly, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the show was forced to cancel last year’s in-person event. A virtual event was hosted, but many participating artists were not as enthused about it, Sergio explained.

“Not all the vendors could participate because some of them were very skeptical or had products that are not appealing or attractive virtually,” he said.

Hopefully, this year’s event will make an epic comeback, with them bigger and stronger than ever, and with health and safety precautions in place, Sergio assured. The event will comply with the CDC requirements as enforced by the city. Every booth will be set 10 to 12 feet apart, each one will have hand sanitizer available, and every vendor will be wearing a mask.

“This year, we have a lot of new vendors who have not participated before, and that is why we are very, very excited,” Sergio said. “Moving forward, we want to grow. We want to become bigger and better…The expectations are nothing short but optimistic and positive. We are just growing.”

The 863 Art Fest will be hosted on Sat., Apr. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit their website at: http://www.centralfloridaeventvendors.com/863-local-art-fest/

Young Local Artist Troli Bear Gaining Views With Viral Music Video “Love That”

Winter Haven

Staff Reporter

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April 14, 2021

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Young Local Artist Troli Bear Gaining Views With Viral Music Video “Love That”

by James Coulter

Several teenagers congregate in a local eatery. In the corner, a lone stranger in a baby masks watches. Sitting nearby are two people wearing horse masks.

Next scene, a young girl exits the library, carrying a cup of water. She saunters through the park to the fountain where a young couple sit. She splashes water in the girl’s face. The video rewinds, water flying back into the cup it flew out of.

What transpires next are a loose series of images ranging from another girl performing a hand stand on a parking garage and a group of teenagers congregating on the lawn of a nearby park, watching as the sun sets in the distance and the night sky opens up above them.

These scenes are but a small sample of the music video, “Love That”, featuring the titular song of local artist Troli Bear. Since its release two years ago, the video has gained more than 36 thousand views and one thousand likes on YouTube. The past month alone, it has received a consistent 400 views every 48 hours, according to the video’s data.

If the music video feels random, that’s because it is. Troli Bear, the stage name of Winter Haven musical artist, Oliver Cruz did not plan or script it. He instead opted to allow its visuals and music to blend together and carry the laid-back vibe of a low-energy, small town summer day.

“Every shot in the music video was improvised. We did not do any pre-planning or any story writing,” Oliver said. “Basically, I gathered up my friends and we made it happen. We did not pay any actors. We just had friends there for support and to be in the video.”

The song itself was likewise written on the fly, being written in only ten to 30 minutes. Recording the song took about a day or two. Even if the song itself doesn’t take long to write, Oliver still wants to review and re-review it to ensure it’s the best it can be.

The filming took place at Central Park in Downtown Winter Haven. Many of the shots were filmed using a 4K camera drone piloted by local videographer, Josh Van Dyk. Josh met Oliverand his friends while shooting drone footage in Downtown Winter Haven. They noticed, and quickly became intrigued by his videography skills. They later contacted him to shoot footagefor his music video.

As a videographer and musician, Josh produced many of his own music videos, as well as for other clients. He usually has other people instruct him for their videos, while other times he uses his own creative freedom. Oliver’s “Love That” was one of those videos where he was able to exhibit that freedom the most freely, he said.

“We sort of winged it,” Josh said. “I got there and they did not have an overall plan of what they were going to do, they just had some props and plans of what they wanted to throw something together in a sense to make it natural. It was an interesting video. I am used to people telling me what to do, and then sometimes giving me creative freedom of what they want, but in this case, it was a little bit of both.”

Josh was able to test out many video-making skills that day, including run and gun shooting. Overall, the experience permitted him plenty of creative liberties, and the end result was something unlike anyone else has created.

“It was a cool experience,” Josh said. “I had more artistic freedom to kind of do what I wanted to do with this, and I think it was one of the cool things about it. It was cool, it was fun, different, youthful, vibrant.”

Oliver’s music and Josh’s footage merge together in the video to convey the laid-back feel of a summer day. Scenes and images play out like faint recollections of days gone by, interrupted with the occasional random mental image.

The most notable of these random images are the masks worn by some of the actors, notably two horse masks and a crying baby mask. Why these masks were incorporated into the video is anyone’s guess. Not even Oliver himself knows why he included them.

“People wonder why we have the mask in the video, and, honestly, I do not have an appropriate answer for it,” he said. “What we wanted to go for in the music video was a high school throwback vibe that everyone can relate to. It was a very beautiful day to shoot the music video. I loved every second of it.”

Oliver has been creating music ever since he started high school. He experimented with video effects, editing, and filming. He later moved onto music in 2016, and released his first single, Love That, in 2018.

His artist name, Troli Bear, was inspired by a family nickname given to him by his youngest brother. “My brother could not say my name, Oliver,” he explained. “So he called me Troli Bear instead because it was his way of saying Oliver. Then I developed that in as my artist name.”

Since releasing Love That in 2018, Oliver has released more than 30 songs. Many are available on Spotify and YouTube. His YouTube channel currently has more than seven thousand subscribers. Most of his videos sport several hundred humble views, but “Love That” remains his highest viewed video at 36 thousand and counting.

“The best time for me to create a song is whenever I am in my field,” Oliver said. “It is like I am feeling the emotional moment, and that is how I put it into the song. That is how I really share the message with the music.”

One song, “Yourself”, carries a special message. Oliver wrote it for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It was his way of promoting a positive message, encouraging people to cherish their life and not allow its darker moments to consume them.

“If you listen to the song, it sends a message that there are plenty of people you can reach out to, but in the end, the person you really have is yourself,” he explained. “It is just I wanted to spread a positive message to let my listeners know to know that they are okay, to keep their head up, the message is motivational. That is the music I love to create the most: really motivational music. It really warms my heart.”

Sometimes Oliver sings his music during karaoke at Jessie’s in Winter Haven. Other times he and his friends performs at the Saturday Market in Central Park. When he’s not performing his music, he’s always promoting it. Such aggressive marketing has allowed him to become the viral hit that he is.

“I don’t waste a second of my day,” he said. “I put 100 percent of my time [into my music], and 90 percent of my time into promoting [it]. There is not a second in my day that I am not promoting. I am marketing, reaching out to people, making connections, running advertisements. That is basically how I get myself out there, how I get those consistent views.”

As someone who graduated from Winter Haven High School, Oliver wants to show his fellow graduates and students that anyone like him from a small town can make it big. All they have to do is to continue dreaming big and chasing their dreams.

“What I noticed, people do not become a fan of you generally until they see your music multiple times,” he said. “They are not going to be a fan of you the first time. They might, but they will not become a true fan of you. They have to be shown to them three to four to five times for them to be a true fan.”

Troli Bear’s music can be found on YouTube and Spotify. For more information, follow his Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/trolibear, or his Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/TroliBear

PCSO Is Investigating a Fatal Motorcycle Crash In Unincorporated Lakeland

Lakeland

Staff Reporter

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April 13, 2021

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PCSO is investigating a fatal motorcycle crash in unincorporated Lakeland

On April 12, 2021, at around 10:10 p.m., deputies responded to a fatal motorcycle crash that occurred on C.R. 540A east of Park Lane in unincorporated Lakeland. The crash killed 28-year-old Brient Ashley of Lakeland.

Ashley was the driver of a blue 2005 Yamaha motorcycle.

The second vehicle in the crash was a silver 2008 Honda motorcycle driven by 23-year-old Dakota McClellan of Lakeland.

According to the preliminary investigation so far, Ashley and McClellan were driving westbound on C.R. 540A, side-by-side and in different lanes. Ashley was driving in the inside lane; McClellan was in the outside lane. As the motorcycles approached the intersection of C.R.540A and Park Lane, Ashley changed to the outside lane. Both motorcycles were occupying the same lane.

For unknown reasons, Ashley lost control of his motorcycle and impacted the raised concrete curb on the north side of the road. His motorcycle rotated and traveled off of the road before impacting a concrete utility pole causing the motorcycle to break apart.

McClellan’s motorcycle was struck by debris from the crash causing him to lose control of the motorcycle and slide approximately 50 feet.

Ashley died at the scene.

McClellan suffered minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

At the time of the crash, both drivers were wearing helmets. Neither Ashely nor McClellan had motorcycle endorsement on their driver’s licenses.

The roadway was closed approximately 4 hours during the investigation. This investigation is ongoing.

SB 72 Provides COVID Liability Protection to Local Businesses

Lake Wales

Staff Reporter

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April 13, 2021

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SB 72 Provides COVID Liability Protection to Local Businesses

by Kevin Kieft, President/CEO, Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and EDC

COVID-19 has hit the world very hard from a health standpoint and from a business standpoint. As we continue to modify how we do business we must examine new protections that need to be enacted.

Complicating matters further is the ever-looming threat of potential litigation. Even with many businesses going above and beyond to comply with state, local, and CDC guidelines concerning COVID-19, a customer could still claim to have contracted the virus from their establishment and file a lawsuit against them.

Fortunately, new legislation has been passed that will provide much-needed protection to local businesses against such frivolous litigation, all while balancing out consumer rights by ensuring that customers have their health and safety protected during these most uncertain times.

COVID-19 Liability Protections, SB 72, according to a recent newsletter from the Florida Chamber of Commerce, “provides liability protections for businesses, educational institutions, and health care facilities that have substantially complied with governmental health and safety guidelines to keep employees, customers, and patients safe.”

Essentially, this new bill ensures that businesses that remain faithfully compliant with all local, state, and CDC guidelines concerning COVID-19 cannot be held accountable for frivolous litigation. As long as you and your business obey the rules by wearing masks, enforcing proper social distancing, and maintaining maximum cleanliness, you cannot be held accountable for a customer claiming to have contracted the virus from your establishment.

More than 100 local chambers have joined the Florida Chamber’s COVID Liability Protection Coalition to help ensure that this important piece of legislation passed in Florida. We are happy to say that the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce is one of those chambers.

As a Chamber of Commerce, we are looking out for the interest of local businesses and the good faith actors that are trying to do everything right. After we read the final draft of SB 72 and learned how it will protect businesses and allow them to stay open, that is why we got involved.

As a Chamber, we considered SB 72 a good step to protect our businesses who remain commited to doing things the right way. If they are following the right guidelines, they are protected. It offers peace of mind, ensuring your business will not get sued frivolously over someone getting sick in your store.

Without this protection, businesses would remain open to frivolous litigation. So, it is really protection, much like insurance. You will not be taken advantage of. You will not be singled out. That is why we promoted it and signed on as a supporter with the Florida Chamber to get it passed.

Of course, we wanted to make sure that this legislation balanced the rights of business owners with consumer rights. We don’t want customers contracting the virus from negligent businesses any more than we want complaint businesses to fall prey to predatory lawsuits.

For that reason, we are proud that this bill protects businesses that comply with all necessary guidelines and weeds out bad actors who take risks with the health and safety of their employees or customers. Simply put, as long as you are obeying the rules, you have new protections to remain open and employ Floridians.

Our mission as a chamber is to support business. We are a sounding block for business. We are a clearinghouse for local business. We will always stick up for our local businesses and our business members. For that reason, we supported this effort.

From the chamber side, we appreciate all the consumers and businesses and all the people who are working with all our businesses during this tough time. Today’s workers are trying to make a living and make their lives easier with what they are told to do, and by doing so, we can all get through this together.

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