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AdventHealth: One Year Towards Creating A Healthier Community

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AdventHealth: One Year Towards Creating A Healthier Community

AdventHealth: One Year Towards Creating A Healthier Community

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

Healthcare access is one of the most crucial aspects of building and maintaining a healthy and prosperous community. If you get sick, you want doctors you can visit. If you get hurt, you want a hospital to go to. You don’t want to drive more than an hour to receive the healthcare you need. You want hospitals and other healthcare providers close to where you live.

I have been involved in economic development or community development in various forms since 2001. I know from experience that hospitals and other healthcare providers, especially in a small town, are extremely important. A common denominator I’ve seen across all economic development boards and programs are healthcare providers having a seat at the table.

Businesses, especially potential businesses, want communities with easy access to quality healthcare. They want workers and customers who are healthy. As such, healthcare amenities are a crucial checkmark on the list of things they expect from a community. They will not locate communities that don’t have those amenities. If you don’t fill that box, you simply do not make the short list for most projects. 

For this reason, we are thankful to AdventHealth for arriving in East Polk County one year ago and helping to provide our local community with the high-quality healthcare our residents need and they should expect. Because of them, Lake Wales is a healthier, happier place to live, work, and start a business.

For nearly 50 years, AdventHealth has been fulfilling its mission of “Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ” by serving as the largest not-for-profit Protestant health care provider in Florida. We are glad that they have decided to make Lake Wales their newest home, and that they have brought their holistic approach to healthcare to our community.

As a Christian-based organization, they believe in providing for both the body and the soul. Their approach toward medicine ensures that patients have both their symptoms and their problems alleviated. Such an approach has allowed them to thrive in other cities and states, and it will continue to allow them to thrive here in Lake Wales and East Polk County.

Over the past year, they have helped transform our local hospital into a true healthcare powerhouse. They are committed to continuing to bring in new primary care doctors and specialists, and looking at ways to create new amenities such as the Wound Care Clinic. They have also done so by investing money in the hospital directly by upgrading everything inclduing beds, network systems, and medical technology equipment. Having them here in our community has been nothing more than a great advantage for both healthcare and economic development.

They have also helped inform the local community about their healthcare needs. Many of their specialists have hosted virtual lectures and meetings via Zoom to help inform viewers about health issues such as diabetes control and especially about the current COVID-19 crisis.

We know they have especially been experiencing hard times with the pandemic. They have been working hard to not only care for people who may have potentially contracted the virus, but also ensure that their facilities are the upmost cleanest to prevent the spread. These are hard and uncertain times, and through it all, they have shined brightest.

We see theirs as a good partnership moving forward. We hope to see them continuing to invest in the community. They are a large employer, helping create new jobs not only for themselves, but also for other potential businesses. As such, they are an extremely valuable partner with economic development and we fully expect them to continue to be.

Overall, we want to thank AdventHealth for everything they have done to make our community a happy and healthier place to live, especially in these hard times. Thank you for our healthcare professionals and providers. We stand behind them and owe them our very heartfelt appreciations for all they do for us and the region.

Lake Wales Art Center Exhibit Honors “Sticky” Steve

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Lake Wales Art Center Exhibit Honors “Sticky” Steve

Lake Wales Art Center Exhibit Honors “Sticky” Steve

by James Coulter

An elderly gentleman sits in a rocking chair and raises his bow to play his fiddle. Silently, he sits in front of his porch swing, a guitar sitting atop it, as he prepares his countryside solo.

The man never does have the chance to play his fiddle. He’s only a statue in an art gallery. He’s one of the many art pieces created to honor the unique life of a very unique local individual, “Sticky” Steve Morrison.

More than 64 art pieces showcased in the Lake Wales Art Center honor the life and legacy of local conservationist and philanthropist “Sticky” Steve. From oil paintings to life-sized sculptures, several dozen pieces have been collected by nearly 50 local artists who have been touched and inspired by him in the current exhibit: “Sticky Steve: A Home-Brewed Life.”

“We are excited to host this gallery show which, while focused on just one person, is really an exhibit about us all,” explains the website for the Lake Wales Art Council. “This exhibition presents patterns of kindness, generosity, and understanding; it is a celebration of the power a single life can have on a community.”

His family moved to Central Florida in the 1950s. His father, having previously worked for the National Audubon Society in New York City, served as the second director for Bok Tower Gardens, according to Haven Magazine.

Sticky himself moved to Lake Wales upon graduating Florida State University in 1972 with a fine arts degree. There he worked as a conservationist after the Nature Conservancy “purchased the land adjacent to his and needed someone to manage the property,” Haven Magazine wrote.

“At the time, the Lake Wales Ridge was being discovered as an important area for biodiversity,” the magazine wrote. “Scientists swarmed the Ridge to observe and monitor the ecosystem, and Morrison had the opportunity to show them the preserve.”

For 30 years, Sticky served as a land manager, helping to restore the natural habitat of more than 5,000 acres in the Tiger Creek Reserve. Both living in Central Florida and working to preserve its natural beauty has allowed him to become one with nature. He even works as a beekeeper as a hobby, which earned him the name “Sticky.”

He also have a love for music, including the fiddle, guitar, and bass. As with his love of nature, his father helped inspire his musical tastes. His father served as an amateur singer in vaudeville, with a special affinity for crooning ballads of the turn of the last century, Sticky said.

Having lived such an interesting life has inspired many locals. The art exhibit at the Lake Wales Art Center serves as a tribute to his inspiring legacy, with 64 art pieces of varying styles created by local artists.

“I guess I have charted a little bit of a different path than most people. I kind of walked my own walk. I had an interesting life,” Sticky said.

“It has been a great experience for me and an honor,” he said of the gallery. “It is affirming of the path I have taken in life, and it has been really rewarding to see the outpouring of love in the community in the form of art.”

Amanda McCallister, Director of the Board, appreciates how the gallery, curated by Paul O’Neill, Jr., manages to encompass the life of such a unique local individual. Also included in the exhibit is a ten-minute documentary projected onto a screen.

“I think Sticky is a pillar of our community and a pillar of value and kindness and compassion and friendship,” McCallister said. “I think that exhibit is about that kind of community spirit that we have here, and I think an event like this is kind of a testament to this. That is the spirit that Sticky shares, to contribute to your community and taking care of each other.”

“Sticky Steve: A Home-Brewed Life” is on display until Nov. 6 at the Lake Wales Art Center, located at 1099 SR 60 E, Lake Wales, FL 33853. For more information, visit their website at: http://www.lakewalesartscouncil.org/blogs/2020/9/11/stickysteve

Balmoral Resort Goes To Dogs With Bow Wow Pageant

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Balmoral Resort Goes To Dogs With Bow Wow Pageant

Balmoral Resort Goes To Dogs With Bow Wow Pageant

by James Coulter

Riley is a German Shepherd mix. To her owner, Haines City resident, Donna Flores, she’s almost like a second daughter.

“Overall, she is one big spoiled pup,” Flores said.

Riley loves singing—or rather, she loves to hear her owners sing, even when their singing isn’t the best.

“She loves to be sung to,” Flores said. “One of the funniest things about the house is that she gets sung to a lot, even though we are not the best singers.”

Upon seeing an advertisement for the event on Facebook, Riley and her family decided to visit the Balmoral Resort Bow Wow Pageant on Sunday. She and her family had been stuck at home during the COVID-19 crisis, so an event like this permitted them the opportunity to get out of the house.

The dog was dressed in a pink robe, while Donna’s daughter, Leila, dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood. They all had a lot of fun being able to participate that day. She even won first place with a prize of a basket of doggy treats.

“It has been awesome,” Donna said. “She was a good dog. And she just loved the attention and making new friends.”

Donna especially loved the food served at the resort bar and grill. Overall, they considered it a great experience, and will certainly consider returning for other events.

“We are definitely going to be coming back here overall because it is a nice calm family-friendly are,” she said.

Nearly a dozen pupper doggos and their families arrived at the Balmoral Bar and Grill on Sunday for the Bow Wow Pageant. Attendees were able to dress up their pets in costumes and have them perform tricks for a chance to win prizes. Despite the rainy weather, the outdoor event drew in a sizable crowd.

The event that afternoon helped demonstrate the resort’s dog-friendly atmosphere. Not only are people allowed to bring their furry four-footed friends to the bar and grill, but special pet menu items like doggy ice cream and hamburger patties can be ordered.

“It was a really fun day,” said Amber. “We want to make people aware that we are a dog-friendly establishment…I just enjoyed our owners bringing out their dogs and talking about their dogs, having a great event amidst COVID-19 and being able to enjoy being outside.”

For more information about other upcoming events at Balmoral Resort, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/balmoralbarandgrill/

The Open Bass Tournament On The WH Chain Of Lakes

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The Open Bass Tournament On The WH Chain Of Lakes

The Open Bass Tournament On The WH Chain Of Lakes

by James Coulter

Nearly a dozen boats launched into the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes to catch bass during a tournament in honor of a young man who loved fishing.

The Open Bass Tournament On The WH Chain Of Lakes was hosted on Saturday at Tanner’s Lakeside, with boats launching from Lake Shipp and gathering at the lakeside tavern for weigh in later that afternoon.

Aside from fishing, attendees could also participate within a 50/50 raffle for various prizes, listen to live musical entertainment, and allow their children to play within the bounce house play area.

Local fishermen Trammell Vickers and Terry Pierce had the honor of winning first place, not only for the biggest catch, but also the biggest fish. They won $1,000 for biggest catch weighing in at 25 lbs., and $280 for biggest catch weighing in at 8 lbs.

They owed their success to a lot of work and a lot of time on the water.

“It feels really good to win first place,” Vickers said. “We practice hard, and we are really happy for it, and we are happy to support a good cause.”

The bass tournament was hosted to raise funds for The Baily Tilley Scholarship Memorial Fund Scholarship, allowing young anglers an opportunity to attend college.

The fund was created in memory of Bailey Matthew Tilley, a 16-year-old Lake Wales resident who passed away following an automobile accident on Dec. 29, 2016.

A junior at Winter Haven High School, Bailey was an avid outdoorsman, a member of the Sentinel in the Future Farmers of America and the Lakeland Junior Hawg Hunters Fishing Club.

Cheryl Brewer, Head of the Lakeland Junior Hawg Hunters, knew Bailey as a long time member. She remembered how shaken she and her members were of his passing, which is why they club helps to put on events such as this in his honor.

While the weather earlier that day was gloomy, she was more than pleased by the tourney’s turnout, by the number of people who arrived to show their support.

“We are so pleased to give back to the community, to keep his legacy living on, and be able to put this kids through college in his name and honor,” she said.

Terica Moore, Bailey’s Mother, was likewise pleased by the turnout. Not only did it keep her son’s memory alive through an activity he enjoyed, but its proceeds will help local high school students receive the opportunity to attend college that her son cannot have.

“It touches my heart that his legacy lives on through so many people, and this is something he would have wanted,” Moore said. “He was all about giving to others, and this would make him proud that he is helping another angler to give them an opportunity to go to college.”

Melanie Brown, local salon owner and philanthropist, organized the tournament that afternoon. She had worked with her late fiancée, Michael Culpepper, to organize it. She appreciates how the event not only honors his memory, but the memory of another local young man.

“I’m glad I did this as one of the reasons Michael Culpepper loved me,” she wrote on Facebook. “He was happy that we were working on this…together before he passed away and I wanted to make him proud. As much as I hurt and the pain I carry within, I will keep helping our community and live my life thru Culpepper and my family and I know he was happy knowing the tournament still went on.”

Another tournament, Big Bass Blast, hosted by the Lakeland Junior Bassmasters, is being hosted on Oct. 10 at Camp Mack in Lake Wales. For more info, visit: https://guyharveycampmack.com/event/lakeland-junior-bassmasters-tournament/

52 Yr Old Bartow Man Dies After being Pinned By Car Which Crashed Into Store

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52 Yr Old Bartow Man Dies After being Pinned By Car Which Crashed Into Store

The PCSO Traffic Unit responded to the Marathon gas station located at 2600 Havendale Blvd in Winter Haven around 4:50 a.m. on Sunday, September 13, 2020, to investigate a vehicle that crashed into the building, with critical injuries to a store patron.

Upon arrival, first responders located 52-year-old William Clabough of Bartow pinned by a 2015 black Kia Optima that had crashed inside the store. Clabough was standing at the counter at the time. He was transported to Winter Haven Hospital with severe blunt force trauma, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the Kia was heading westbound on Havendale in excess of the posted 45 MPH speed limit. As he approached the intersection, he entered into the eastbound lanes and went over the concrete curb, traveling through the parking lot, striking an unoccupied Ford Mustang that was parked at the gas pumps, and then into the northeast side of the store.

The driver was transported to a local hospital. Speed and impairment are suspected, and are being investigated. Charges are anticipated, and pending the outcome of the investigation. A photo from the scene is attached.

Car Burglary on Lake Howard Drive SW

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Car Burglary on Lake Howard Drive SW

Winter Haven Police Department:

Do you recognize this guy?
On 9-4-2020 at 3:26 a.m., he burglarized a vehicle on Lake Howard Dr. SW in Winter Haven. A laptop along with numerous cords and paperwork were taken from the vehicle. He has a distinctive tattoo on his left upper arm.
Anyone who recognizes him or has information on this case is asked to call Detective Cobb at 863-401-2256. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477). Callers are guaranteed anonymity and could be eligible for a CASH reward.

FHP Pursuit Ends With Arrest On Interstate 4 In Polk County

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FHP Pursuit Ends With Arrest On Interstate 4 In Polk County

Polk County, Florida – According to the Florida Highway Patrol a pursuit early Friday evening ended in an arrest. According to the FHP a 28 Yr Old Tampa man is behind bars after trying to elude troopers on Interstate 4. The man was taken into custody for multiple felonies, involving weapons charges. He also has several warrants from surrounding counties.

Currently additional details are not available, but we will update this article as more information is released.

Kitty Rescue

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Kitty Rescue

Winter Haven Fire Department:

Rainy Rescue!!
Look close at the first picture and you’ll see a tiny kitten stuck between 2 concrete pillars on Cypress Gardens Blvd near Hope Presbyterian. Callers saw the kitten run across busy CGB and fall into the crack. Winter Haven firefighters on Engine 531 B Shift answered the call. Using tools on the truck the kitten was saved! FF III/Paramedic Cory Hart shows off the baby after the rescue.
Another FF family has already claimed the kitty and appropriately named her Lucky! ❤️

21 Yr Old Dundee Man Killed In Haines City Crash

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21 Yr Old Dundee Man Killed In Haines City Crash

The PCSO Traffic Unit investigated a single-vehicle traffic fatality on Patterson Road in Haines City early this morning. Preliminary information so far is as follows:

At 3:02 a.m. on Saturday, September 12, 2020, the PCSO Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call from a man who lives in the 3100 block of Patterson Road and heard the crash occur. He found the vehicle overturned in the roadway and did not see anyone inside. When first responders arrived, they found the victim, 21-year-old Ismael Jaime Jr. of Dundee, laying in the wooded area nearby, critically injured. He was airlifted to Osceola Regional Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Based on evidence at the scene, it appears the 2013 gray Honda Accord being driven by Jaime was heading northbound on Patterson at a much higher rate of speed than the posted speed limit of 35 MPH. The car went off the east side of roadway onto the grassy shoulder and struck a wooden utility pole, then rotated and rolled several times, ejecting Jaime, who was the sole occupant. Jamie’s driver’s license was suspended in December 2019.

The roadway was closed for approximately four hours during the investigation. Excessive speed and impairment appear to be factors.

Man Critically Injured In Winter Haven Shooting Early Saturday Morning

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Man Critically Injured In Winter Haven Shooting Early Saturday Morning

Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies are currently investigating a shooting which occurred early Saturday morning in Winter Haven.

According to Polk County Sheriff’s Office a male victim has been shot and is in critical condition. The shooting took place shortly after midnight. The shooting took place in the 600 block of 24th St.

At this time details are not being released as the investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made. Currently no suspect description is available.

We will update as more information is released from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office

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