Edith “Louise” Baker-Alborn, 97, of Haines City, FL, passed away on September 18, 2025, at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center in Lakeland, FL.
She was born June 14, 1928, in Sayre, PA, to the late Harry Austin and Clarissa Edith (Hovey) Shafer. Affectionately known as “Weezie” to all her friends, Edith moved to Florida in 1989 from Waverly, NY. She served as the out-of-park activities director for Lake Region Village, was president of the social club, and was always ready to volunteer whenever there was a need. She was also widely recognized for her many years as a dedicated Avon representative. Louise loved to travel—there wasn’t a place she hadn’t been. Her smile was truly infectious, and she will forever be remembered as a kind and loving woman. She was of the Episcopal faith.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Clarissa Shafer; her first husband, Morris A. Baker; her second husband, Jack B. Alborn; her son, Richard Baker; and her siblings, Robert Shafer, Harry Shafer and Patricia “Patty” Shafer Steele. She leaves behind to cherish her memory her sons, Robert (Carole) Baker of Haines City, FL, and David (Deb) Baker of Easley, SC; her daughters, Susanne (Bill) Lantz of Athens, PA, and Lisa (Dale) Davidson of Morganton, WV; her brother, William (Judy) Shafer of Waverly, NY; eight grandchildren; and nineteen great-grandchildren.
A visitation was held on Thursday, September 25, 2025 at Oak Ridge Funeral Care in Haines City, FL. Following services in Florida, her remains will return home to Waverly, NY, where she will be laid to rest at Glenwood Cemetery.
HAINES CITY – This year, Sasha Estevez hosted the first “Our Everyday Heroes, Honoring Our First Responders” ceremony. She has a personal connection to their work, having received help from first responders on Sept. 11, 2001, in New York City.
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Her hope is to make the event an annual, city-wide tradition that brings the community together in celebration of those who serve.
“The event is something I’ve always wanted to do for them,” Estevez said. “They make us feel safe every day, so this is nothing compared to what they do for us.”
Estevez is no stranger to organizing community events. When she set out to plan this one, it kept growing. Her first step was personally visiting every fire station and police department in the area to invite them to attend.
First responders were offered complimentary haircuts at her husband’s barber shop, RBI-Barber. She also provided food and drinks for all attendees. Wanting to add more, Estevez invited the Haines City High School choir to perform the National Anthem. Principal Brad Tarver not only agreed but also arranged for the school’s ROTC to present the colors.
She rented 200 chairs and asked that the Winn-Dixie parking lot be closed, creating space for fire trucks and police cars.
Seeking further community involvement, Estevez reached out to the administration of Eastside Elementary School, where students wrote inspiring messages about why they wanted to become first responders. Those notes were given to the first responders at the event.
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City Hall also gave its support. Mayor Morris West spoke during the ceremony, which drew approximately 200 attendees.
West said, “I served the Thin Blue Line for more than 20 years. I worked hand in hand with fire, police, EMS and I know that when we put on the uniforms every day it could be our last day. On 9-11, there were so many firefighters and police officers who lost their lives that day. We always say, ‘we run in when they run out,’” he said. “We are going to do something every year in the City of Haines City. We don’t want this day to go unrecognized.”
Haines City Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Kahles also spoke at the ceremony, “I read somewhere that the best way to remember those from 9-11 is to be who we were on Sept. 12.”
Afterward, Estevez distributed gift bags to first responders containing a custom-designed tumbler, lapel pin, and “Shift Saver” bags filled with late-night essentials.
On Sept. 18, Estevez addressed the City Commission about the event. While specific plans are still in the works, commissioners made clear the City is eager to support her vision of an annual first responder celebration.
Her calendar remains full. Next up is a Veterans Day event. In the past, Estevez created the Latin Festival in 2013, and this year she helped with Back-to-School efforts by offering services for teachers and haircut vouchers for students. She and her husband, Argenis Diaz, also organize community giveaways for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and other occasions.
One of the most moving moments of the First Responders Ceremony came with the Bell of Honor. Estevez rang it four times for the four planes on 9/11, twice for each fallen tower, and eight more times in tribute to eight local fallen heroes.
To watch the event, visit YouTube and search “Honoring 9/11 & Polk County’s Fallen Heroes – Bell of Honor Ceremony.”
Ralph Blalock, age 92, of Lakeland, Florida passed away on September 6, 2025. He was born on September 18, 1932 in Jackson, Mississippi and was raised in Ocala, Florida. He graduated from Ocala High School, Class of 1951, where he excelled in Varsity Basketball and Swimming, while working at Silver Springs. He attended the University of Florida before being drafted by the US Army into the Korean War. He was honorably discharged after two years of service in Korea. Ralph enrolled in Western Kentucky University and met his wife, Patricia. After graduating with a degree in Business Administration and Accounting, they moved to Lakeland, FL for Ralph to begin his banking career at Florida National Bank. Ralph worked at Florida National Bank for 30 years, serving as Bank President for 15 years. He continued to serve as Bank President when First Union acquired Florida National Bank. Ralph took early retirement from First Union to become the President of Peoples Bank and negotiated the sale of Peoples Bank to Huntington Bank and later the merger to Truist Bank. Ralph served on the Truist Bank Board until he met the required age limit for Truist Board members.
Ralph served on the Board of Directors at Lakeland Regional Health and served as the Board Chairman. He also served as the Vice President of the Lakeland Regional Health Foundation. He was a charter member of the South Lakeland Rotary Club, serving as President. He was a Director of the Chamber of Commerce and served on the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority as Vice Chairman. Ralph served on the Board of the Florida Bankers Association and was a three-term board member of the Lakeland Yacht and Country Club. Ralph was a member and President of the Florida Southern College Basketball 6th Man Club. He was a past Director of the University of South Florida Advisory Board. Ralph served three terms as the Senior Warden of St. David’s Episcopal Church and 19 years as the church Treasurer. For the past 35 years, Ralph was a member of All Saint’s Episcopal Church where he served on the Vestry. He found time to enjoy coaching City of Lakeland Little League baseball, hunting, fishing, golfing and playing tennis. He loved his beach retreat in Boca Grande where his family created many fond memories. In his later years, Ralph enjoyed meeting for breakfast three days a week with a large group of close friends at Fred’s.
Ralph was predeceased by his wife, Patricia Blalock, parents, J.D. and Linnie Blalock, his brother Bill Blalock and his son-in-law, David Curtis. He is survived by his daughter Jil Curtis-Bevis (Robert); son Paul Blalock (Randy) and grandchildren Grayson Curtis, Parker Blalock, Ellie Blalock and Rylan Bevis.
The family would like to thank Lakeland Regional Health, Good Shepherd Hospice, and Helping Hands caregivers, Holly, Marissa and Silvanna for their personal care and service.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to All Saints Episcopal Church, 202 S. Massachusetts Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33801 or Parker Street Ministries, 719 N. Massachusetts Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33801.
A private family service will be held to celebrate the life of Ralph Blalock.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ralph Blalock, please visit our flower store.
Fatal Crash at Sumter County Intersection Involving Two Tractor-Trailers
September 25, 2025 | Sumter County, FL – A tragic collision early Thursday morning claimed the life of a Tampa man after two tractor-trailers collided and caught fire near a rural Sumter County intersection.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at approximately 4:44 a.m. at the intersection of County Road 48 (CR-48) and State Road 471 (SR-471).
Authorities report that a sand-filled dump tractor-trailer, driven by a 62-year-old man from Tampa, was heading west on CR-48. As the driver attempted a wide right turn to travel northbound onto SR-471, the front portion of his vehicle entered the path of an oncoming Rooms-To-Go tractor-trailer, which was traveling southbound on SR-471. The second vehicle was driven by a 41-year-old man from Lakeland.
The two trucks collided at the intersection, and both vehicles quickly became engulfed in flames. The Lakeland driver was able to escape the blaze with minor injuries. Unfortunately, the Tampa driver was unable to exit his vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The identities of the drivers have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.
Motorists were advised to avoid the area for several hours Thursday morning as emergency crews worked to clear the scene and investigate the cause of the crash.
Polk County – Following recent Traffic enforcement initiatives, which also involved immigration detainment’s in Polk County, families and community members have raised concerns about how to find out where their loved ones may have been taken. Because these operations involved multiple agencies — including the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — the process for locating a detainee depends on whether they were booked locally or turned over to federal custody.
The first step for anyone searching is to check the Polk County Jail inmate inquiry system (Polk Jail Inquiry) . Individuals who were arrested on state or local charges will appear in the jail database with a booking photo, charges, and custody status. If a mugshot and record appear there, loved ones should contact the Sheriff’s Office or county jail directly for more information about visitation, bond, or release procedures.
If the individual does not appear in the county jail system, it is likely they were placed on an immigration hold and transferred to federal custody. In these cases, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Online Detainee Locator System is the primary tool for families. The database is searchable by name, date of birth, or alien registration number (if available). The online system is available at locator.ice.gov.
For cases where the online locator does not provide results, families can also call the Tampa Homeland Security Investigations office directly. The Tampa office oversees northern and western Florida, including Polk County. The contact information is:
HSI Tampa
2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite 300
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: (813) 357-7000
Fax: (813) 348-1877
Because detainees may be moved quickly between local facilities and federal detention sites, families may need to use both the Polk County jail system and the ICE locator in order to confirm a loved one’s status. While the process can feel confusing, these two resources — county records first, then ICE’s federal locator system — provide the most direct path to finding information.
MULBERRY – Drivers in parts of Polk County recently encountered a heavy law enforcement presence involving the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and federal immigration authorities. The stops raised questions from residents about why local and state officers were involved in detaining individuals suspected of being in the country illegally.
According to reporting by Gary White of The Ledger, PCSO spokesperson Scott Wilder explained that the operations were traffic enforcement initiatives. Wilder stated that when deputies or troopers stop a vehicle for a legitimate traffic violation, they are required to identify everyone in the vehicle and check for warrants. “If the person has some kind of immigration status, we contact ICE to determine if they are in the country illegally,” Wilder told The Ledger. “If they are illegally in the country, they are detained and either booked into the county jail for state law criminal violations, or held for ICE pending their determination of any immigration enforcement actions they may take.” Wilder emphasized that deputies are not targeting people simply based on appearance or ethnicity.
Residents and immigrant advocates shared videos showing marked FHP vehicles, unmarked cars, and officers in vests marked “Sheriff” conducting stops near schools, mobile home parks, and along State Road 60 west of Mulberry. The Ledger observed officers appearing to detain individuals and vehicles pulled over by both FHP and unmarked units.
The Florida Highway Patrol has long maintained authority to stop any commercial vehicle under its Commercial Vehicle Enforcement authority. This includes routine checks for driver licensing, cargo safety, vehicle maintenance, weight limits, and compliance with federal and state trucking regulations. Because many work trucks and commercial-style vehicles are used in industries that employ immigrant laborers (such as landscaping, construction, farm work, delivery), these stops often bring troopers into contact with undocumented individuals. Once a stop is initiated for a commercial vehicle violation, troopers have the capacity to run identification, check for outstanding warrants, and then coordinate with ICE if immigration concerns emerge.
In addition, federal law under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act permits agreements between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local agencies. Through the ICE 287(g) Program and a 2019 Memorandum of Agreement between ICE and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies are granted limited authority to perform immigration enforcement in coordination with ICE. These partnerships are intended to expand ICE’s capacity to identify and detain individuals unlawfully present in the country.
The state-level role is further expanding with the involvement of the Florida National Guard. A 2025 Memorandum of Agreement between ICE and the Florida National Guard authorizes selected and trained Guard personnel to perform certain immigration enforcement functions under ICE direction and supervision. According to public reporting, the Department of Defense has authorized up to 700 troops to assist ICE operations in Florida, though their official duties are described as logistical, administrative, or clerical support rather than direct law enforcement. In other states, the Guard has been deployed to assist with “alien processing” at ICE facilities, in which case their role is to free up regular ICE officers by handling intake paperwork and transport tasks, without direct involvement in arrests.
Sheriff Grady Judd has consistently said that his deputies will not conduct door-to-door searches for immigrants, but will hold accountable anyone committing crimes locally while also notifying ICE. Judd currently serves on the State Immigration Enforcement Council, a body advising the Florida Cabinet on cooperation with federal enforcement initiatives.
The operations observed earlier this week reflects the complex cooperation between local law enforcement, state agencies, the National Guard, and federal immigration authorities. While controversial in some circles, the legal framework is rooted in federal law and formal agreements that allow Polk deputies and FHP to assist ICE during lawful traffic stops.
“A Pacific Southwest Airlines jet collides in mid-air with a small Cessna over San Diego, killing 144 people on September 25, 1978. The wreckage of the planes falls into a populous neighborhood, doing extensive damage on the ground.
David Lee Boswell and his instructor, Martin Kazy, were in the process of a flying lesson in a single-engine Cessna 172 on the morning of September 25, practicing approaches at San Diego’s Lindbergh Field airport. After two successful passes, Boswell aimed the Cessna toward the Montgomery Field airport northeast of San Diego.
At the same time, Pacific Southwest Flight 182 was approaching San Diego. The jet, a Boeing 727, was carrying 135 passengers and crew members from Sacramento, after a stopover in Los Angeles. Though air-traffic controllers at Lindbergh had told Boswell to keep the Cessna below 3,500 feet altitude as it flew northeast, the Cessna did not comply and changed course without informing the controllers.
Photo source Wikipedia (not actual plane that crashed)
The pilots of Flight 182 could see the Cessna clearly at 9 a.m., but soon lost sight of it and failed to inform the controllers. Meanwhile, the conflict-alert warning system began to flash at the air-traffic control center. However, because the alert system went off so frequently with false alarms, it was ignored. The controllers believed that the pilots of the 727 had the Cessna in view. Within a minute, the planes collided.
The fuel in the 727 burst into a massive fireball upon impact. A witness on the ground reported that she saw her “apples and oranges bake on the trees.” The planes nose-dived straight into San Diego’s North Park neighborhood, destroying 22 homes and killing seven people on the ground. All 135 people on the 727 were killed, as well as both of the Cessna’s pilots.”
The Lake Alfred Fire Department invites the entire community to join them for their annual Fall Fire Fest on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at 185 E. Pomelo St. This exciting open house event is perfect for families and residents of all ages!
Enjoy fire station tours, equipment demonstrations, and safety tips that can help keep your home and loved ones protected. Kids will love the games, giveaways, and inflatables — all while getting to meet real-life heroes!
This is a great opportunity to connect with your local firefighters, explore fire trucks up close, and learn more about fire safety in a fun and engaging environment.
Don’t miss this fun-filled day with your community!
Join the Frostproof Church of God for a fun-filled evening at their annual Fall Festival! This exciting event takes place on Saturday, November 1st, from 4 PM to 8 PM, and promises a great time for the entire family.
Enjoy delicious food, games, and entertainment for all ages in a warm and welcoming community setting. Whether you’re coming for the treats, the laughs, or the fellowship, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Mark your calendars and head over to 104 Hwy 630 W, Frostproof, FL 33843 for an unforgettable evening. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the fall season with neighbors and friends.
