On Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 12:54 p.m., a 911 call came in for a vehicle crash at a preschool located at Avenue G NW and Crestwood Drive in Winter Haven.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire Rescue responded to the scene.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office’s Public Information Officer Meghan Petty confirmed they are working this crash and preliminary details are as follows: a 65-year-old male driving a red Kia SUV ran into the fence of the Children’s Day Academy Preschool in Winter Haven.
No children were harmed.
Upon PCFR’s arrival at 1:01 p.m., two patients were transported from the scene. Both individuals transported were located within the vehicles involved in the crash. No further injuries were reported and no additional patients were transported.
We reached out to the staff of the preschool and they informed us that the car crashed through the fence and into the playground area, then crashed into the monkey bars. This occurred during nap time so thankfully no children were outside playing at the time.
We will update this article if additional information comes in from law enforcement regarding the crash.
A proposal to refurbish an annexed building for the Lake Wales Police Department has been tabled by the City Commission until the proposal’s finer details can better be ascertained by commissioners.
At their regular meeting on Tues. Dec. 17, 2024, Lake Wales city commissioners voted to table discussion of a proposal for full architectural and engineering services on the annex building until a later time.
Located at 122 E. Tillman Ave., formerly known as the Family Elder Law Building, the building was recently purchased by the police department, located directly across the street. The department plans on using the building to house several of itsunits.
Parlier + Crews Architect, P.A. had submitted a proposal to the city to redesign and refurbish the building for $89,000. According to the city agenda memo, the planned renovations include a “training room, several interview rooms, conference room, and a storage room.”
If approved, the city will authorize the city manager to execute the appropriate documents on the city’s behalf and to expend $89,000 for the services to be provided by Parlier + Crews Architect, P.A. per the proposal.
If not approved, as the memo stipulates, “the building layout would remain as it is and would not be in the best form for use by the Police Department.”
The proposal was one of the many items in the meeting’s consent agenda. City Commissioner Carol Gillespie had requested that the item be pulled from the agenda for discussion that evening.
Commissioner Gillespie raised several concerns about the proposal’s fine print, as she noted several alleged inconsistencies within it. She also voiced concern about what would happen if the architect walked away from the project without completing it.
“I worked in this field for a while,” she explained. “It makes for a sloppy contract when you use your terms inconsistently…Before we sign it, I would appreciate to try to clear up the inconsistencies. Also, specify what will happen if the architect tries to walk away from the project.”
City Commissioner Keith Thompson noted the proposal was not written by the City, but by the architect that submitted it. He also stated the architect would be paid for any work they completed if they walked away.
“They should be paid for the work that they do. Whatever work they perform, they should be paid for,” he said. “I do not think there is enough inconsistency for me not to vote for it tonight.”
Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson claimed he had no qualms with the proposal, as he has worked extensively with the people who submitted it, and their reputation precedes themselves. However, he agreed to vote to table the discussion for the time being.
“I want Commissioner Gillespie placated,” he said. “Raising these things might alarm some of our constituents, and I want them to be comfortable with what we are doing for them. It is the best thing we can do.”
The Commission voted 3-1 to table the proposal. City Commissioner Daniel Williams offered the only vote against it.
On Saturday, December 21, 2024, road closures will begin at 9:30 a.m. and are expected to reopen by 11:00 a.m. The parade will start at Zion Hill Baptist Church and end at Reuben Williams Sports Complex.
Drivers, please plan alternate routes, follow detour signage, and refer to the map for details.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal crash on State Road 60 at Walk-In-Water Road, east of Lake Wales.
The crash occurred at about 7:31am, Thursday, December 19th.
It was reported that two vehicles were involved.
Eastbound and westbound SR 60 is closed in this area, at this time, please avoid this area.
We will update when additional information becomes available.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Polk County Fire Rescue currently on scene at a very bad crash on S.R. 60 and Walk In Water Rd. The accident involves multiple vehicles. At this time Eastbound S.R. 60 is entirely shutdown & Westbound is also being shut down completely.
The area has zero visibility due to fog per Polk County Fire Rescue battalion chief.
According to initial reports the accident occurred at 7:31am.
This is a developing story and we will update information as it becomes available.
Samuel Richard “Sammy” Arthur was born on May, 7, 1943 in Lake Wales, Florida, to Fenley and Maggie Arthur. He started working for Publix at age 16 and worked there for 31 years. Every store he worked in was one of George Jenkin’s private stores. He retired as a Produce Manager at 49 years old.
Sam enlisted in the US Army in 1964 and served for 3 years. He was a crew chief on a helicopter mechanical crew in Germany during his service. When he got out of the Army, he met and married “the prettiest girl in Polk County,” Patricia Leverette Arthur.
When he retired from Publix, Sam began driving a school bus for Polk County School Corporation and drove for 15 years. When he wasn’t driving the bus, he worked at Mountain Ridge Citrus where he picked fresh fruit and made juice.
Sam and Pat were married for 56 years. They began their life together for a short time in Bartow then moved to Winter Haven for 10 years. They then moved to Lake Wales, where they lived for 30 years and raised two amazing sons, Michael and Chad. In 2007, Sam and Pat moved to Blue Ridge, Georgia. Lake Wales called them back in 2021, and they have resided in Oakwood Community ever since.
Sam had a love for the Lord that was evident to all who met him. He accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior at a young age at Westside Baptist church. Sam was a Deacon and member of the building committee and several other committees at Golfview Baptist Church then First Baptist Church of Lake Wales. When he moved to Blue Ridge, he was an active member of Epworth Baptist Church where he served in the Happy Hearts Senior Ministry, and sang in the church choir and as a member of the Jordanairs 2 quartet. When he came back to Lake Wales, Sam returned to First Baptist Lake Wales. Sam shared his love of Jesus with all he met – whether it was his waitress, the lawn guy or the man he hired to paint his house. He was going to be sure that everyone had the opportunity to learn about Jesus.
Sam loved fishing, gardening, golfing, hiking, traveling with his wife and friends, watching cowboy movies and YouTube, and reading. When he lived in Georgia, he took up hiking and hiked part of the AT Trail. When he was not spending time with his wife, friends, and sons, Sam loved spending time with his grandkids and great-grandkids – from watching sports and school programs, attending graduations, teaching them to drive stick shift, babysitting, playing taxi, or just loving on them. Pepaw was loved by all of his grands and even the “grands” he gained through friendships. Sam would go on and on about the many blessings in his life. He truly felt blessed by the Lord in all areas, especially his family life.
Sam left this earth for his Heavenly home on Tuesday, Dec. 17 while at Good Shepherd’s Forsythe Hospice House. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Gail Tew, and his brother, Sonny Arthur. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Patricia Arthur; his son, Michael (Jeanine); his son, Chad (Laura); 8 grandchildren – Megan Allen (Dalton), Jacob Arthur, Josh Arthur (Daisy), Kyle Arthur, Cole Arthur, Kate Arthur, Madison Arthur, and Jordan Arthur; and 5 great-grandchildren – Wynn and Wade Allen, Finley Arthur, and Remington and Melanie Arthur.
A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, December 20, 2024 at First Baptist Church of Lake Wales.
You know, in hindsight, I should have known Red One was going to be a disaster. Despite its $250 million budget, the movie only grossed $32 million in the domestic box office and $165.8 million worldwide, making it the biggest box office bomb of 2024. In fact, the movie went straight to streaming, which meant I could have saved myself a ticket and watched it on Amazon Prime.
And yet, Red One had potential. It had all the biggest action movie stars: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Chris Evans, J.K. Simmons, and Lucy Lui. And the movie certainly looked campy enough that, even if it wasn’t good, it could have been so bad it’s good.
So what made this movie so bad? Why did the movie bomb so badly that it deserves coal for Christmas? Why did this movie end up becoming naughty rather than nice?
Red One stars J.K. Simmons as Santa Claus and The Rock as his assistant Callum. When St. Nick ends up being kidnapped from the North Pole, Callum assembles a special task force called E.L.F. (Extremely Large and Formidable) to save him. He conscripts the assistance of Chris Evans’ character, Jack O’Malley, a professional hack to help track down the Red One. Will they save Christmas? Or…well, it’s a Christmas movie, so you know the answer.
The best way I can describe Red One is that it’s a movie you would get if you tasked an edgy teenage boy (the type with posters of cars and bikini-clad chicks in their room and who watch nothing but action movies and Andrew Tate videos) with writing a script for a Christmas movie about saving Santa Claus–but because they’re too embarrassed to write about “kiddie stuff”, they try to make it “mature” and “cool”: a jacked Santa Claus who lifts mad weights, scenes shot at beaches with scantily-clad women, jacked-up snowmen and Krampuses with six packs, and plenty of action movie cliches you’d expect from a teenager who’s movie diet is nothing but action flicks.
On the surface, Red One is a campy action flick with a campy premise. So, even if it wasn’t going to be good, it had the potential to at least ironically be good—so bad it’s good. It certainly had a star-studded cast to pull it off, and admittedly, some of the action scenes were impressive. This movie could have easily been on par with a Marvel movi
Unfortunately, Red One’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t seem to know who its target audience is. On the one hand, the movie is silly and campy like a children’s movie; but on the other hand, it also has a lot of adult subject matter not suitable for younger audiences, what with alcoholic references, scantily-clad women, plenty of kicks to the crotch, and a lot of almost-swears. In the end, the movie comes across as too juvenile for adults and too adult for children.
Many other reviewers have pointed out that this movie is a prime example of everything wrong with Hollywood movies these days. The movie was undoubtedly expensive, one of the most expensive movies of the year, and yet it failed to generate box office revenue to compensate for its expensive budget. Exasperating matters even further is how this movie was originally intended to be released on streaming, so the overall quality looks made for television.
In the end, Red One is a Christmas film that prioritizes style over substance. Despite its glossy visuals, quippy comic book movie dialogue, and over-the-top action scenes, the story ends up being your typical run-of-the-mill plot about saving Santa Claus while learning about the “true” meaning of the holiday. Overall, it’s a Christmas tree that’s all bark and not real bite.
Winter Haven Police asking the public for assistance in identifying a hit and run driver who plowed into a parked vehicle. Thankfully, there was nobody inside of the vehicle, but it has left a young mother without transportation. On Dec. 5, 2024 at approximately 10:43 p.m. in front of a home on Lake Smart Circle in Winter Haven, a dark-colored, late-model Jeep Gladiator with large wheels, what appears to be a lifted suspension and changing-color neon lights under the frame, came from a distance away and hit the sedan as it was lawfully parked along the street. It caused significant damage to the parked vehicle. The owner is a young mother who is now without transportation for her and her kids. Somebody knows something. Maybe somebody who works at a body shop? Lives in this neighborhood and had a visitor on Dec. 5 that drives a Jeep Gladiator? Have a neighbor with a Jeep Gladiator with changing-color neon lights that suddenly had damage (or maybe the Jeep disappeared for a while?) Check out the video. Very alarming! Anyone with information on the owner of the Jeep or information regarding the crash is asked to contact Officer Eric Womack at 863-232-7159or call the Winter Haven Police Department at 863-401-2256. Callers wishing to remain anonymous should contact Heartland Crime Stoppers:
Call 1-888-400-TIPS (8477)
From your cell phone, dial **TIPS
Or visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip,”
Or download the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
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Original post:
Can you help us identify the person who hit a parked car and fled? the crash caused significant damage to the parked car, so we are certain there was damage to the front of this jeep. The hit and run occurred on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024 at approximately 10:43 p.m. in front of a home on Lake Smart Circle in Winter Haven. The vehicle is a dark-colored, late-model Jeep Gladiator with large wheels, what appears to be a lifted suspension and neon lights under the frame. We’ve also included the significant damage done to the parked vehicle. Anyone with information on the owner of the Jeep or information regarding the crash is asked to contact Officer Eric Womack at 863-232-7159 or call the Winter Haven Police Department at 863-401-2256. Callers wishing to remain anonymous should contact Heartland Crime Stoppers:
Call 1-888-400-TIPS (8477)
From your cell phone, dial **TIPS
Or visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip,”
Or download the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
The Auburndale Public Library will deck the halls for a festive Family Night Christmas Bash on Thursday, December 19th, from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. There will be fun Christmas crafts, gingerbread houses, and family fun!
For more information, please call the Auburndale Library at 863-965-5548.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 51-year-old Thomas Griffin, a middle school teacher at McLaughlin Middle School in Lake Wales, for burglary with assault, false imprisonment, and battery by strangulation.
On December 14, 2024, PCSO deputies responded to a home in Lake Wales to investigate a battery that had just occurred. The victim, an adult male, was in obvious distress when deputies and PCFR arrived on scene. He was examined by PCFR, who determined he required further medical assistance; they transported him to a local hospital, where he was examined and treated by medical staff.
According to the victim’s girlfriend, who was present at the time of the attack, Griffin arrived at her residence, banging on the door and demanding to know where the victim was. The victim attempted to speak with Griffin, who forced his way into the home and attacked the victim. The victim’s girlfriend told deputies she had a prior romantic relationship with Griffin that had ended, and advised that he did not have permission to be at her home. She observed Griffin strike the victim multiple times, and she attempted to protect the victim and stop Griffin’s attack to no avail. The suspect fled the scene after the attack. The woman’s child was also in the home during the altercation. Neither she nor her child were injured.
Deputies interviewed the victim at the hospital after he was examined and treated by medical staff. He stated that Griffin grabbed him by the throat, cutting off his ability to breathe, and pinned him against a wall. He also told deputies he was struck in the face multiple times by Griffin with a closed fist, resulting in both bleeding, and one of his teeth being knocked out. Deputies observed the injuries to the victim’s face and arms, and marks on his neck where Griffin had strangled him.
Thomas Griffin was located and arrested on December 17, 2024 by PCSO deputies for burglary with assault (F1), false imprisonment (F3) and battery by strangulation (F3).
“The suspect forced his way into the home and violently attacked the victim. As a teacher, hopefully a former teacher, Griffin holds a position of trust in our community—a trust that has been severely broken. School students should not be exposed to this kind of potential volatile behavior.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
According to Polk County Public Schools, Griffin has been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation. “These allegations are troubling. Polk County Public Schools has placed this employee on leave while an internal investigation takes place.” – Administration, Polk County Public Schools
Polk County Sheriff’s deputies patrolling the school zone outside Ridgeview Global Studies on Dunson Road in Davenport arrested a Clermont woman after witnessing her commit several traffic infractions, and then learning she also had a suspended license and marijuana in her possession.
At 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, deputies saw 23-year-old Lara Alexandre driving a black Nissan at a high rate of speed through a school zone while holding and looking at an iPad, and not wearing her seatbelt. She told the deputy sheriff who performed the traffic stop that she didn’t have her driver’s license with her. When he ran her information through the database, he found that it was suspended in September 2024.
During a search of her vehicle, deputies found marijuana and a grinder in her purse, and her suspended license in the car. As one deputy was taking her into custody, she became combative, and elbowed him in the chest.
When Alexandre arrived at the Sheriff’s Processing Center in Winter Haven to be booked into jail, she became aggressive in the back of the patrol car and a detention deputy came out to assist the deputy sheriff with retrieving her from the vehicle. Alexandre bit that detention deputy on the arm and then tried to bite the deputy again.
In addition to her traffic citations, Alexandre was charged with two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, resisting arrest with violence, possession of marijuana and paraphernalia, possession of a suspended driver’s license, and driving while license suspended.
“I don’t know if Ms. Alexandre celebrates Christmas or not, but she’s certainly not spreading joy this holiday season. In fact she’s done everything possible to ensure she’ll be in the county jail instead of spending time with her family at Christmas. Here’s a tip – if you’re driving illegally, you probably shouldn’t draw attention to yourself by speeding through a school zone while looking at a mobile device and not wearing your seatbelt.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
