Congratulations to five new Winter Haven Police Officers! We’re so proud to have you on board! The ceremony was held at Nora Mayo Hall today and attended by a handful of family members and staff due to limited seating for physical distancing. (Masks were worn except for pictures) 🙂
Welcome to Lee Amos, Alexandra Graceffa, Brandon Nelson, Joseph Riva and Jose Salinas! We also send out a hearty CONGRATS on the promotion to Sgt for LaDarius Cooper! (He’s been a Sgt. for a few months, but COVID held up his formal promotional ceremony) Congrats everyone!!
Winter Haven Fire Department: Today, Winter Haven Public Safety held the Oath of Office Ceremony where our newest lieutenant promotion was presented. Lt. Christopher Curran was promoted in February of this year, but due to social distance restrictions, the ceremony was postponed.
Lt. Curran started as a Firefighter/EMT in 2009. He has been a great asset to the department and has completed all the training necessary to be the best fit in his new role. He is a Certified Paramedic with the state of Florida and a member of the Technical Rescue Team. Additionally, he is leading the committee to purchase a new apparatus.
Let’s congratulate him on his new role and wish him success in this next phase of his career.
Nearly 90 Boats Arrive For Frostproof We Care Open Bass Tournament
by James Coulter
Mike Akers and his fishing partner Mike Wiley travel all around to fish and attend fishing tournaments. They traveled from Vero Beach to participate in the Frostproof We Care Open Bass Tournament last Saturday.
Not only did they have the opportunity to participate, but they also won first place, reeling in a catch that weighed a whopping 25.82 pounds. The two of them owe their success with “good frog bait”, explained Akers.
The two of them are avid fishermen who travel everywhere for bass fishing. As for this tournament, they loved it not only for the great opportunity but also for the chance to help support a good cause.
“It is a good tournament with a good cause,” Akers said. “That is the main reason why we came out, just to help out the family…It was a good turnout for a very good cause, and we are happy to see this many people.”
The Frostproof We Care Open Bass Tournament was hosted on Saturday at Camp Mack in Lake Wales. The fundraising event was held to support the families of Damion Tillman, Brandon Rollins, and Keven Springfield, three young men whose lives were tragically cut short a few months ago following a grisly murder.
More than 89 boats participated that day, with participants traveling from as far as Sarasota, Tamps, and Fort Myers. Each of their catches was weighed, with the top five heaviest loads winning cash prizes and ribbons. Other attendees that day could also participate in 50/50 raffle drawings for prizes.
“It is a great turnout,” said Katrina Jackson, who organized the event with her husband, Scott. “We had over 100 people call me. I am surprised we would have so many people come out that did.”
Jackson knew many of the victims and their families. She knew Brandon ever since he was a baby. She knew Damion’s mother, who worked with her son at the family dollar store. While she did know Kevin personally, she and her family gathered school supplies for his children.
Both Katrina and her husband wanted to honor the memory of the victims and support their families. For that reason, they organized the fishing tournament. They could not be any prouder of their community for the turnout.
“We should come together as a community when people suffer loss,” she said. “We should support them in whatever means that we can. We appreciate everyone coming out here, all our volunteers, and the people who donated, the people who came out to participate.”
Balmoral Lights Up The Night With Back to School Glow Party
by James Coulter
As the sun set upon Balmoral Resort in Haines City, the pool area outside the bar and grill illuminated with glowing sticks and the flashing lights from the DJ booth.
Children big and small, wearing glowing jewelry around their necks and wrists, gather around the pool. On the count of three, several dozen glow sticks are tossed into the water, followed by the splashing of little feet and hands swimming to grab them.
These wet and wild festivities were some of the fun glow-in-the-dark activities hosted last Friday during the Back to School Glow Party at Balmoral Resort.
For the low cost of $15, children and their families had access to the pool area, where they could splash about and have fun with glow-in-the-dark games and activities.
DJ Melvin offered some sweet tunes to liven the gathering that evening, with participants getting their groove on both in and out of the pool.
Best of all, anyone who brought along $5 worth of school supplies received a free order of chips and salsa. Of course, anyone could order anything they wanted off the menu, from flatbread wraps to tacos.
With Polk County schools having recently re-opened for the new school year, especially amid the COVID-19 crisis, this back-to-school event was hosted to allow children to enjoy the last few moments of summer before returning to yet another stressful school year.
“We did this event because we knew the kids had a rough week going back to school with COVID and make sure that they get to enjoy the week,” said Amber Pearce, Senior Event Manager of Feltrim Sports. “We wanted them to be able to come out tonight and enjoy their evening while being COVID safe.”
More than two dozen children and their families arrived that evening for the event. Even a few hours of late Friday night fun was more than enough to allow children to enjoy their last moments of summer and help prepare them for the upcoming school year.
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“I am really happy with the number of kids we have out here,” Amber said. “It seems like they are having a great time and that is the goal ultimately. I am enjoying being able to hang out with the kids and see them enjoy themselves. That is the most important thing.”
Balmoral Bar And Grill hosts various family-friendly events every day of the week. They host Munchkin Monday will children and crafts, trivia nights on Tuesday, karaoke on Wednesday, The Lineup on Thursday, live music on Friday and Saturday, and a family dance party on Sunday.
On Fri., Sept. 25, Balmoral will host the Northeast Polk County Chamber of Commerce 38th Annual Pig Roast and Political Rally, where local political candidates will mingle with guests over barbecue to discuss the political issues of the day. Pearce and her venue are most excited about being able to host such a momentous community event.
“I think I never worked for a more quality company in my life, and I am grateful to work here and work with Balmoral Resort,” she said. “What they are doing in our community with our families and without children, providing a fun, healthy place for them to come and hang out.”
Lynn Zembra, a local from Haines City, regularly visits Balmoral for their events big and small. She enjoys frequenting the bar and grill for the food and drinks, and especially for live music.
While the music offered at the Back To School Bash was not her cup of tea, she appreciated being exposed to music outside of her comfort zone, and she likewise appreciated being able to see something hosted for the local children.
“It is family-oriented with a lot of families and interaction with other people,” she said. “I think they are doing great trying to remote everything we can do as a local business in the area.”
PCSO Investigating Fatal One-Vehicle Crash in Northeast Polk County on Sunday
A 21-year-old man was killed Sunday morning, August 30, 2020, in a single-vehicle crash in the Loughman area of Davenport. The victim was identified as Jabulani Graham of Loughman.
The Emergency Communications Center was notified of the crash at about 6:52 a.m., after a nearby resident noticed the headlights of Graham’s gray 2005 Hyundai Elantra illuminating through a wooded area.
Graham was deceased when deputies arrived on scene.
According to the preliminary investigation, Graham had been travelling south on Old Kissimmee Road near Loughman Park when he lost control of his car.
Evidence showed that the passenger-side tires went off the road while Graham was negotiating a curve. The car began spinning then went off of the east side of the road and struck several trees in the wooded area.
Speed too fast for wet road conditions is a possible factor in the crash, but the crash remains under investigation. It was determined that Graham was not wearing a seat belt.
Old Kissimmee Road was closed for approximately four hours.
Some people may not realize this, but law enforcement officers respond to a fair amount of medical calls, especially here in Polk County where we answer 911 and dispatch not just for law enforcement but also for Polk County Fire Rescue.
There are times where deputies arrive to scenes before paramedics, and we are trained to provide aide to people in medical crises. We also investigate deaths to determine whether or not they are medical, natural, suspicious, or suicides. Unfortunately, we are seeing an uptick in overdose-related deaths.
August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day, and we wanted to acknowledge this very real problem that we have encountered 46 times so far this year. As cops, one of the things we can do about this issue is arrest those responsible for selling the poisons that kill people – but as first responders, we try to educate families and caregivers about the signs and dangers of drug addiction before the drugs prove fatal.
We know one thing – drug dealers are only concerned about making money, they don’t care about how drugs ruin people’s lives. Thankfully, Florida legislators passed a law in October 2017 encompassing the sale of heroin laced with fentanyl into the first-degree murder statute. We have charged drug dealers with murder in every case where we’ve been able to do so.
Here’s what you can do to help if you suspect someone has ingested too much of a prescription drug, illegal drug, or alcohol:
• Don’t assume someone is asleep if you can’t get a response. Sometimes it can take hours for someone who has overdosed to die – don’t wait.
• Call an ambulance. People are often reluctant to call an ambulance for fear of police involvement or concern about the cost.
• Know the signs:
o Having a seizure
o Experiencing a severe headache, chest pain, or breathing difficulties
o Extreme paranoid, agitated, or confused behavior
• Another key sign is unusual snoring or gurgling that indicates someone is having problems breathing.
If you need us, PLEASE call us – dial 911. Our response can be the difference between life and death.
Disturbance Turns into a Dangerous Shooting In Lake Wales
On August 28,
2020 at approximately 9:48pm officers responded to the area of Dr JA Wiltshire
Ave W and Miami St in reference to a crowd of people in the middle of the road
engaged in a fight and creating a disturbance. It was reported that during the
disturbance 2 – 3 gunshots were heard. As the officers arrived on scene to
investigate another call came in saying there was an adult male subject on
Martin Luther King Jr Blvd near Mobley St who had been shot in the leg. The
victim of the shooting told officers he was walking on Dr JA Wiltshire Ave W
when he was shot in the leg by an unknown person. After being shot, he ran to
the area where officers located him. The victim was transported by ambulance to
a nearby hospital in stable condition.
As officers were
investigating the disturbance and shooting they spoke to numerous people who
were out in the area but they were not able to locate anyone who saw what
happened or who could identify who was involved. Detective Ben Metz was
assigned the investigation and he responded to the hospital to interview the
victim. The victim confirmed he did not know who shot him and he did not wish
to pursue charges if the shooter was identified. Anyone who has information
about this shooting is asked to contact Detective Metz at (863) 678-4223
extension 265 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at (800) 226-8477.
Platform Art, Inc. Sound Sculpture Installed In Harrell Family Sensory Garden At Bonnet Springs
by James Coulter
Near the scenic shores of Bonnet Spring, within the Harrell Family Sensory Garden, a very peculiar sculpture will emerge from the landscape when it is moved to its permanent location in 2021.
Reminiscent of a treble clef symbol, the stainless steel sculpture incorporates natural vines, features reflective decorative elements and delicate chimes referencing the sense of sound. When the chimes blow in the wind, or are activated by curious hands, they’ll emit subtle sounds like gentle rain. The site-specific art piece integrates vegetation into the design, almost as if the sculpture is emerging from the landscape.
The Platform Art Sound Wall is the first sculpture representing one of the five senses for the Harrell Family Sensory Garden at Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland. The public artwork is temporarily installed near the main entrance on George Jenkins Blvd. until construction is complete.
The sensory sculpture, a Platform Art, Inc. public art project, was gifted to Bonnet Springs Park as the first of a series of sculptures for the sensory garden. This important gift helps the park meets its mission statement of creating an environment that enhances the local community by enhancing its natural and cultural landscape.
“The mission of Bonnet Springs Park is to enrich our community through nature, culture, recreation, and education,” its website states. “Our Park serves to unify the city’s diverse population, offering public spaces that serve the needs of many by providing engaging and diverse opportunities in education and recreation to residents and visitors.”
Becky Ault, nationally renowned artist from Art Research Enterprises, Inc., was commissioned by Platform Art to manage the design process and fabricate the sculpture. Platform’s unique program includes a student design competition specific to Polk County high school art classes.
This year, Platform selected All Saints Academy’s NuVu Studios for the project. Ms. Ault conducted workshop critiques with teams of students to develop concept designs representing one of the five senses. The Platform Art Sound Wall, designed by Laura Prazdnicane and Jiayun “Lucy” Zhang, was selected by a panel of judges to be further developed and fabricated by Ms. Ault.
All Saint’s NuVu Innovation Studio, a revolutionary STEM program that originated from Boston, engages students to utilize their scientific and creative skills to help create innovative solutions to problems.
“NuVu is a full-time innovation school for middle and high school students,” their website states. “NuVu’s pedagogy is based on the architectural Studio model and geared around multi-disciplinary, collaborative projects. We teach students how to navigate the messiness of the creative process, from inception to completion by prototyping and testing.”
“Former principal, Carolyn Baldwin, and the NuVu faculty were uniquely positioned to partner with Platform Art for this project,” explained Cynthia Haffey, Executive Director of Platform Art, Inc. “Their existing relationships with Sasaki Landscape Architecture in Boston, and Bonnet Springs Park contributed to the collaboration, engagement and communications throughout the design process,”
“The Sound Wall is an elegantly designed sculpture,” she continued. “Its’ spiral, serpentine wall, integrated into the landscape, indirectly references a treble clef symbol. The polished stainless decorative attachments suspended above the wall are highly reflective, and provide negative space to see through the work. The visual effects are surprising, encouraging viewers to spend time with the art in their discovery process.”
Sheriff Grady Judd will brief the news media at 9:45 am this morning at the intersection of Old Polk City Road and Hunter’s Run Blvd. in the north Lakeland area about an incident that occurred this morning off of Old Polk City Road involving a homeowner shooting a person trying to force entry into a residence. Details will be released at 9:45 am.
PCSO is seeking qualified men and women in various locations in Polk County who desire to work as substitute crossing guards.
The locations are: Lakeland, Bartow, and Fort Meade. The substitute should be available to work for one hour in the morning and for 30 minutes in the afternoon when scheduled to work a crossing.
Anyone interested in applying for a substitute school crossing guard should contact Supervisor Heather Strafford at (863) 534-7300 ext. 108. School Crossing Guard services are provided by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office through funds provided by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners. This vital program provides adult crossing guards at selected hazardous school crossings to ensure the safety of our elementary school children walking to and from school.
