UPDATE: SR 542 (Dundee Road) Buckeye Loop Road to east of US 27: Expect nighttime lane closures until Feb 13 with flaggers directing traffic, weather permitting. Prepare to merge or stop. Dundee Road has shifted slightly south from Buckeye Loop Road to Overlook Drive. Use caution, be aware of construction vehicles in the work zone and watch for changes in the traffic pattern. This project includes widening Dundee Road from two to four lanes, constructing an enclosed drainage system, installing a new signal at Overlook Drive and closing the Overlook Drive merge, upgrading existing signal equipment, adding sidewalk, bike lanes and street lighting, and making utility improvements for the City of Winter Haven and Town of Dundee. Expected completion is summer 2023. For more information visit the project website at www.swflroads.com/sr542/buckeyelooptous27 .
After nearly a year being trapped indoors due to the COVID-19 crisis, many folks are yearning to go outside and venture into the great outdoors. They can do just that, as well as support their local law enforcement, with the Jeepin’ With Judd event later this month.
Rev up your Jeep vehicle and drive on down to Clear Springs Ranch in Bartow for three whole days of off-roading. Test your vehicle to its limits with nearly a dozen off-road trails and obstacle courses, or watch the excitement from a safe distance from the lookout.
From stock trails to moderate and advanced trails, The Orlando Jeep Club has designed many trails and obstacle courses to give your vehicle a run for its money and kick up dirt with high-octane off-roading fun.
Little ones too young to drive can also join in the fun with the Power Wheels location, with several toy cars that will allow children the opportunity to take control of their own vehicles and ride along their own tracks.
When they’re done riding or watching Jeep vehicles, attendees can peruse the many booths for Jeep related merchandise and grab a bite to eat from one of the many food trucks. All proceeds from the event will go towards Polk Sheriff’s Charities, Inc.
“We will filter back into the community helping individuals with scholarships for college and for law enforcement memorial purposes, to help those families that may, unfortunately,experience an in-the-line-of-duty death for law enforcement,” said Alicia Manautou, Public Information Officer.
Alicia has been volunteering with Jeepin’ With Judd since it first started. She appreciates how the event offers residents and guests a fun time outdoors and raises funds for the PCSO and its charity organization, thus helping the local community in more ways than one.
In light of these uncertain times, she assures everyone that the event is completely outdoors with no indoor locations. Moreover, with people driving their vehicles or watching from afar, the event offers people enough space to safely distance themselves.
To also ensure the safety and health of participants, other precautions will be put into place. Drive-through touchless check-in will allow attendees to register for the event without having to leave the safety and comfort of their vehicle. Participants can download an app, 4×4 Unity, to their mobile device and use it to scan a QR code to receive information about the event.
The bad news is that the event has sold out, so there are no more Jeep event entry tickets. However, the good news is that the event is still open for spectators, so anyone wanting to come by to watch the vehicles and peruse the vendor and food truck area.
You also still have the opportunity to purchase “Cheep Jeep” tickets where they will be raffling off a 2005 2-door Jeep Wrangler Utility Sport previously owned by Sheriff Judd, thanks to Kelley Buick GMC who donated the Jeep to Polk Sheriff’s Charities. Tickets can be purchased on their website and you don’t have to be present to win.
“Spectators are always free,” Alicia said. “So if anyone is interested in coming and checking this out and seeing what all the hubbub is about, spectators are always welcome. There is a great vantage point over the obstacle course to see the Jeeps climb the rocks and travel the trails created for them.”
Jeepin’ With Judd will be hosted from Feb. 26 to Feb. 28 from 9 am to 3 pm. The event will be hosted at Clear Springs Ranch, located at Ledley Ware Rd, Bartow, FL 33830. For more info, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/jeepinwithjudd
Lake Gibson Health and Rehab Center Celebrates Grand Opening
by James Coulter
After you suffer an injury or traumatic event, you want to receive the best treatment possible. You don’t only want to get better, but you want to recover someplace where the stress of your current situation and your overall life melts away.
Lake Gibson Health and Rehabilitation Center at Lake Gibson Village is a skilled nursing facility. Not only does it offer the highest quality care with full rehab, occupational, speech, and physical therapy, but also amenities that help their patients feel at home, almost “as if they are in a healthcare resort,” their website states.
The 77,000 square foot facility provides 120 beds with 32 private and 47 semi-private rooms. Each room in this premiere facility has a bed and bath, along with other amenities such as a telephone and smart television.
Moreover, patients can enjoy quality dining in the indoor dining facility and outdoor recreation, with therapy treatments in their indoor gym and outdoor courtyard. These personable amenities will make their stay feel less like a hospital visit and more like a visit to a resort.
“We will be providing a home atmosphere for them to live in and enjoy,” said Michael Bradley, Executive Director. “We are open in the next few weeks. Once we have completed surveys with the state agencies, we will be able to open up. And we are very excited.”
The Lake Gibson Health and Rehab Center celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.
The center was developed as a collaboration between Greystone Healthcare Management, a Tampa-based healthcare management company, and Lake Gibson Village, a Lakeland-based senior living developer that operates the adjacent Lake Gibson Village.
Located near Lake Gibson in Lakeland, Lake Gibson Village is a senior living community that offers independent and assistant living apartments. Both the center and village provide quality care to its patients and residents and further the mission of both organizations.
“The foundation of all our centers is to facilitate rapid recovery and to restore the quality of life to patients and residents,” said Gregg Clavijo-Hopper, Greystone Health’s Senior Vice President of Post-Acute Care Services, in an article on the Lake Gibson website. “We are proud of the model we have created that produces the ideal environment for this, and the goal for The Health and Rehabilitation Center at Lake Gibson Village will be renewing a sense of well-being and restoring hope.”
One reviewer on Facebook spoke positively about the services provided to their mother at Lake Gibson Village. She praised the staff for providing her mother with the best care and even said she would have stayed there herself.
“This facility is one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen,” the review wrote. “I highly recommend this place for anyone who wants to live in a beautiful place, eat delicious meals, have a lot of activities and entertainment whether they can come and go as they like or if they need more care. This is the place to be in Lakeland!”
Aside from the quality care and services that the new health and rehab center plans to provide, the facility will also be 100 percent electronic. All records are organized and stored digitally.
In addition to the 120 patients treated on-site, the facility will also provide 150 jobs to the local community. The center will also cooperate with local organizations like the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce to assist the local community’s needs better, Bradley said.
“We will be able to provide a nice atmosphere for our patients to live in and [receive] their rehab services,” Bradley said. “I think they will all enjoy it.”
Lake Gibson Village Health and Rehabilitation Center is located at 855 Carpenters Way, Lakeland, FL 33809. For more information, visit their website at: https://lakegibsonvillage.com/
Webber University
Baseball Player Plays Against Team Of Former High School Coach Who Helped Him
by James Coulter
When Corbin Weeks
served as the Head Baseball Coach at Mulberry High School, he was approached by
a young man named Tavion “Taz” Williams. Taz wanted so desperately to
play college baseball, and he wanted the coach’s help. Taz originally began
helping coach the Panthers JV Baseball team in the fall of 2018.
“I told him
that he had to prove it to me,” Weeks said. “I told him that if he
came to practice every day that first fall that I was there, I would make some
calls to help him out.”
Over the next four
months, Taz would attend practice under Coach Weeks. The young high school
athlete dedicated himself both to the sport and his regular classes.
He played hard. He
studied hard. And all of his hard work eventually paid off when he finally
received a scholarship to Webber International University in Babson Park, where
he currently plays varsity baseball.
Weeks has since
moved on to serve as an Assistant Baseball Coach at Montreat College in Montreat,
NC. Weeks and Williams faced off in a four-game series this past weekend in
Babson Park.
Weeks could not be
prouder of Taz’s accomplishments thus far. As someone who assisted the young
man in high school, he knows full well of the young man’s potential and how he
has strived to achieve it.
“When I first
met Taz, I knew that he had the work ethic to be successful,” Weeks said.
“He came to practice every day. I believed in him, and we made it happen,
and it was because of his hard work. Taz’s journey has been one that can
motivate other players to chase their dreams. The Mulberry community should be
extremely proud of Taz.”
Taz has been
playing baseball since he was four years old. He has played more than 300 games
throughout his school career, and he has stolen countless bases.
He played baseball
throughout his stay at Mulberry High School. The year after he graduated, Corbin
Weeks took over the Panthers Baseball program. Weeks helped Taz’s brother
receive a college scholarship, and he wanted the coach to help him achieve a
scholarship, too. Blake Cousens, Justin Vanderhoff, and Isaac Andrews joined
the Williams brothers on their signing day back in 2019.
Taz trained hard
under Weeks, and now the young athlete is playing baseball at Webber International
University thanks to his scholarship. He started playing junior varsity when he
arrived at college as a freshman, and now he’s playing varsity for the
Warriors.
Both Taz and Weeks
were excited over the chance to play against one another during two games on
Saturday, with Taz playing for the Webber Warriors and Week’s coaching the
Montreat Cavaliers. Though Taz’s team lost the first game, he was more than
enthused about playing hard in the next round.
“This is a very
good Webber team that will make a run in The Sun Conference tournament. Taz
will find himself in big situations for this team,” Weeks said. “I
see him moving on and being a big player in this Webber Team over the next four
to five years. Of course, the older that he gets, the more of a role he will
play in big games for them.”
Taz owes his
success to his parents. His mother inspired him to play baseball as a young
boy, and she drove him to all of his practices.
“I owe my
confidence to my mom,” Taz said. “She is the one to drive me to every
practice and never missed a game, always made sure I stayed on time. If it weren’t
for her, I wouldn’t be playing this game.”
Both of his
parents encouraged him through his athletic career thus far, and Taz expects to
go even further, and he has Coach Weeks to thank for that opportunity.
“I want to
thank Corbin for the opportunity he got me to get here,” Taz said.
“He is good. He knows what he is talking about. I listen closely to what
he says because he knows what he is talking about.”
On February 4, 2021 at approximately 4:37 PM, officers of
the Lake Wales Police Department responded to State Road 60 and Central Avenue
in reference to a vehicle crash. Upon arrival, officers found a 2001 Ford F250
had rear-ended a 2019 Lake Wales Charter School Bluebird school bus. The school bus was stopped for the railroad
tracks when this crash took place. Both vehicles
were in the outside westbound lane. West
bound traffic was shut down until 7:05 PM due to the crash.
Jessie Griffin, age 51 of Lake Wales, was the driver of
the truck. Marianne Hernandez, age 38 of
Lake Wales, was the driver of the bus.
Ten Bok Academy students from both campuses were on the bus. No one in the bus sustained any
injuries. Most of the students were
released to their parents on scene. Mr.
Griffin was transported to Advent Health Lake Wales with non-life threatening
injuries.
Doing The Right Thing Isn’t Hard
When a customer before you leaves an item behind, how about helping out and letting them know instead of taking it as your own?
Our victim was at the Circle K on 1st St S Thursday around 10:22 p.m. He accidentally left his cell phone and walked out. The man in the video paid for his items and scooped up the phone.
When the victim realized he didn’t have the phone, the man in the video had already left the property.
Recognize him? Contact Sgt. Hall at 863-291-5736.
A Winter Haven home is deemed a total loss after a
late-afternoon fire quickly spread. There were no injuries and nobody was
inside of the home at the time of the fire.
Yesterday (Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021) at approximately 4:16
p.m., a 9-1-1 call was received from a neighbor along Mandolin Blvd. in Winter
Haven. The caller described a heavy column of black smoke coming from the
residence at 4377 Mandolin Blvd. Another caller described flames shooting from
the roof towards the back of the home.
When Winter Haven Fire crews arrived on scene, they found
heavy smokes and flames with the roof on the back of the home starting to cave
in. Along with fire crews from Polk County Fire, they worked for close to an
hour to minimize the spread and extinguish the flames. No other homes were
damaged.
The residents, who were not at home at the time of the
fire, have made arrangements to stay elsewhere for the time being. The home is
considered a total loss. The investigation into what caused the fire is ongoing
however at this time it does not seem suspicious.
***UPDATE TO POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE INVESTIGATION
OF FRAUD AGAINST POLK CARES (COVID 19 ASSISTANCE)***
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office made another arrest
Wednesday, February 3, 2021, the twelfth person total, in the ongoing
investigation of fraudulent activity involving theft from Polk Cares, the
Covid-19 assistance program funded by the Federal CARES Act. The program was
created to assist with rent, utilities, and other housing expenses, for people
who became unemployed or lost hours due to Covid-19.
The most recent person to be arrested is Lashunna Morris,
37, of Lake Wales. She turned herself in at the Central Booking facility in
Bartow, where she was charged with Scheme to Defraud(F3), Grand Theft(F3), and
Criminal Use of ID(F3).
This investigation remains open, with more arrest
possible.
During a news conference on January 29th, Sheriff Grady
Judd said many more suspicious applications were being looked at, and urged
anyone else who obtained Polk Cares funds through criminal means to return the
money and make it better for themselves.
LAKELAND, FL(February 2, 2021) – On Tuesday, February 2, 2021, at
approximately 6:30 am, Lakeland Police were called to investigate a shooting
that took place near the 1500 block of Fairbanks Street. Upon arrival,
they found an adult male with gunshot wounds. He was transported to Lakeland
Regional Health for treatment, but despite the best efforts of medical
professionals, the 36-year-old victim succumbed to his injuries a short time
later at the hospital.
According to a witness statement, just prior to the shooting,
Deandrae Gary and the victim were inside the home, engaged in a verbal argument
over money and unpaid bills. A witness, who was at the residence just prior to
the shooting, exited the house and was walking toward a vehicle parked in the
front yard when he heard multiple gunshots from inside the home. After running
back inside the house, the witness found the victim lying on the floor with
gunshot wounds. A semi-automatic handgun was also found at the scene.
After conducting interviews and reviewing evidence at the scene,
detectives arrested 30-year-old Deandrae Leon Gary, charging him with First
Degree Murder. He was transported to the Polk County Jail without
incident.
This remains an open investigation. No other details will be
released at this time to protect the integrity of the investigation. Anyone
with information related to the case is encouraged to contact Detective Ted
Sealey at 863.834.5991 or [email protected].
The name of the victim is being withheld in accordance with Marsy’s Law.
A volunteer firefighter from Ft Meade was struck by a CSX
train on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, at about 12:45PM, in the area of 14th
Street NW, near Hwy 17 North. The firefighter was transported to the hospital
with a broken leg.
Firefighters were in the process of stopping the spread of a
grass fire when a CSX train was approaching the area. The firefighter saw that
the door was open on one of their trucks, so he ran over to shut the door of
the truck, but the train arrived at about the same time he made it to the
truck.
PCSO is still investigating the crash. That is all of the
information we have available at this time.
