50 To 60 Boats Pull Up To Old Man Frank’s For July 4th
Regatta
by James Coulter
Old Man Frank’s usually draws in big turnouts over the
weekend, but they saw an especially patriotic turnout during their July 4th
Regatta on Saturday.
Despite dark rain clouds and fear of COVID-19 looming
over everyone’s heads, more than 50 to 60 boats pulled up near the docks of Old
Man Frank’s along Lake Howard in Winter Haven to celebrate America’s birthday.
On their boats, attendees proudly waved their stars
and stripes, took a dip in the cool lake waters, and listened as a live band
played country music from the deck of the local bar and eatery.
Several bar patrons even gathered on the patio, all
while practicing social distancing, to enjoy the good music, camaraderie, and
the otherwise good weather save for the occasional downpour.
Joey Foley and his bandmates from Aggie Road performed
that afternoon, playing covers of their favorite rock and country songs. He and
his band have been playing at Old Man Franks for many years, and they often
perform there at least once a month.
“Every weekend is a big weekend here on the Chain
of Lakes,” Foley said. “4th of July is especially big. There’s a lot
of boaters and families out here, it is a great event.”
Foley loves the atmosphere at Old Man Frank’s. The
lakeside bar not only has an outdoor patio to accommodate outdoor eating, but
also a special stage area for live bands to play near the water and docks. Such
a setting was especially fitting for the 4th of July celebration that weekend.
“We are grateful to get to live in this country
and do what we enjoy doing every weekend and having a blast,” he said.
“It is always great to perform at the 4th of July, as a musician, if you
are not playing on the 4th, there must be something wrong with you. So we are
glad to be here, it is so great to be a part of our country today, and doing it
all out here for friends and family.”
An arrest has been made in the shooting that occurred in the southwest area of Winter Haven on July 1, 2020.
Twenty-four year-old Tristan Lanza (DOB 9-26-95, 305 20th St SW, Winter Haven) was taken into custody today (7-3-2020) at approximately 11:20 am after he was pulled over for driving with a suspended license since 2017. The full incident and investigation leading to the arrest went like this: On 7-1-2020 at approximately 8:35 p.m., (now identified) Lanza was driving his 2003 white Mustang at a high rate of speed along Ave. F SW when two residents in the neighborhood yelled at the driver to slow down. Lanza stopped the car and asked the two men what they said.
Lanza was told to slow down due to children in the neighborhood. Lanza left the area towards 20th St SW. Another neighbor who also saw the speeding Mustang was leaving their residence and was behind the car when it pulled into 305 20th St SW. Less than ten minutes later, Lanza drove back to Ave F SW where the two men were. Lanza stopped in front of the residence where one of the men was standing at the end of the driveway when he yelled, “I got you motherf*cker!”, pointed a firearm out of the window and shot seven times striking the victim in the torso. The victim was transported to the hospital where he remains in stable condition. Investigators started speaking with residents in the area to include the witness that drove behind him and learned of Lanza’s address. They spoke to Lanza’s girlfriend at his residence who said that they had just moved to the area two days prior from Miami. Lanza was not at home and she didn’t know where he was, but did confirm he drove a 2003 white Mustang.
On 7-2-2020, Lanza contacted investigators telling them he wanted to talk about the reported shooting. He denied being in the area during the time of the shooting. He claimed that he had gone to Walmart earlier in the evening and returned home, changed clothes and went to “find some meth and a prostitute.” He claimed when he was with the prostitute, she robbed him of his wallet and cell phone and then stole his car, although he still had possession of his keys. He also couldn’t explain where this occurred. He claimed he walked home and decided he didn’t want to report the incident and he would find his car on his own.
On 7-3-2020, a tip was received that the white Mustang was in the back yard of 305 20th St SW and it appeared a male was cleaning it out. Officers went to the area where they also observed the white Mustang and someone cleaning the car. Officers recognized the man to be Lanza. They approached Lanza and asked him “if he found his car”, which apparently he did. He said yes, but he didn’t want investigators to worry about the theft. Officers left the residence, however stayed in the area. A criminal history showed that Lanza was a convicted felon that included robbery and also that his license had been suspended since 2017. Sure enough, at approximately 11:15 am, Lanza got in the car and started driving down 20th St SW. Officers made a lawful traffic stop and he was taken into custody for knowingly driving while his license is suspended. At the Police Department, Lanza continued to deny any knowledge of the shooting, but decided he didn’t want to speak with investigators without an attorney. Based on witness accounts, video from Walmart confirming the same clothing as described by witnesses and the victim of what Lanza was wearing when the shooting occurred, the resident who followed the vehicle on the incident date and statements from Lanza’s girlfriend, he was also charged with Attempted First Degree Murder, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Tampering with Physical Evidence. Lanza was transported to the Polk County Jail where he should have first appearance tomorrow (7-4-2020).
LAKELAND, FL(July 4, 2020) – On Friday, July 3, 2020, at approximately 7:38 p.m., aFord F-350 was traveling southbound on Harden Boulevard in the outside lane of travel, approaching the intersection of Town Center Drive. As the truck began to enter the intersection, a pedestrian, who was in the crosswalk attempting to run across the roadway, crossed in front of the truck and was struck. Preliminary interviews indicate the truck had a green light and the pedestrian was crossing the roadway against the pedestrian cross signal. The driver of the Ford immediately stopped and remained at the scene.
Emergency medical professionals from the Lakeland Fire Department and Polk County Fire Rescue arrived on the scene and began assisting officers in providing life-saving measures. The pedestrian was declared deceased at the scene by on-scene paramedics.The driver and three occupants of the Ford suffered no injuries.
Members of the Traffic Homicide Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation. The roadway was shut down for approximately four hours while the scene was processed for any follow-up investigation. At this time, the investigation is ongoing.
The name of the pedestrian is not being released at this time, pending notification of next-of-kin.
by Kevin Kieft, President/CEO Lake Wales Chamber of
Commerce
870,505 children in Florida live in poverty. Of those
children, 26 percent live in Polk County. These statistics are grimmer when you
focus on Lake Wales. In the three zip codes that encompass the city limits, the
childhood poverty rate is much higher, ranging from 29.9 percent in 33880 to
43.8 percent in 33859.
Of course, even one child living in poverty is too
much. No child should have to go to bed at night without food in their stomach
or a roof over their head. No child should live in poverty. Not in Florida, not
in Polk County, and especially not here in Lake Wales.
While childhood poverty itself is bad enough, economic
inequality combined with racial inequality is worse. Here in Florida and in 32
other states, black and Hispanic children are twice more likely to grow up in
poverty than their white peers, according to data from Child Trends.
I will not shy away from the facts. There is no doubt
the African-American community, from slavery to segregation, has been
negatively impacted. Historically they have been forced to endure inequitable
conditions and racial discrimination, all of which have led to the unjust
conditions we see today.
Both racial and economic inequality are unacceptable. They
need to be remedied, and we as a nation and community need to address them. We
cannot claim to be a country where all people are considered “equal”
when some of us live in worse condition than others.
We here at the Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce firmly
believe that the people and the economy are one and the same. We believe that
economic development hinges upon how well people are living in the city, and
that the people in the city live well when there is economic development. When
the people are well-off, the economy is well-off, and vice-versa.
One way our local chamber helps address these issues
is through our partnership with the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida
Chamber Foundation. Currently, they are seeking to address childhood poverty
through its Prosperity Initiative. The initiative, according to their website,
hopes to unite “Florida’s business community to implement long-term
solutions that provide economic opportunity for all Floridians, regardless of
what zip code they live in.”
The initiative includes the Prosperity Initiative
Promising Practices. This program highlights various organizations and
businesses throughout the state that address poverty-related problems such as
food deserts, homelessness, and access to healthcare.
Here in Lake Wales, one of our greatest assets towards
addressing poverty and the conditions that create poverty is undoubtedly the
Lake Wales Care Center. From assisting Meals on Wheels with delivering hot
meals to area shut-ins, to helping families receive financial assistance to
meet their needs such as clothing, food, and furniture, to providing
transitional housing to homeless families to help get them back on their feet,
no other organization has proven more pivotal and vital in the fight against
poverty.
And of course, we here at the Chamber have worked on
many economic development projects to attract small and large businesses that
provide well-paying jobs to local residents. Through our efforts and other Area
Economic Development Agency efforts, we have worked to bring businesses that
add value to the region. Some recent examples include Pamlico Air and Alsim.
We here at the Chamber will continue to cooperate with
other local organizations and our state chamber to help pass initiatives to
help the least of us. As the great Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: “A
great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual or nation can be great if
it does not have a concern for ‘the least of these.’”
Lakeland, Florida – The Lakeland City Commission voted 5-2 to require face coverings for anyone who works, lives, visits or does business in Lakeland. Starting today, July 2, at 5pm you must wear a face covering/mask. The order will run until Aug 3rd.
You could be fined up to $250.00
Exceptions are if your eating or if your exercising. If your under 18 and playing sports or if your a child 8 years or younger.
Winter Haven Police detectives are investigating a shooting that occurred along 20th St SW last night leaving one man injured. He is currently in stable condition.
On July 1, 2020 at approximately 8:30 p.m., the victim was outside of a residence along with another citizen when a white Ford Mustang came speeding down the residential street. The victim and witness yelled at the driver to slow down and the driver stopped the vehicle asking the men what they said. Shortly afterwards, the Mustang sped off. Less than ten minutes later, the Mustang returned and stopped in front of where the victim was standing. The driver fired multiple shots at the victim striking him in the torso. The victim was transported to the hospital where he remains in stable condition. The investigation is ongoing and information is limited.
One person killed in single vehicle crash Wednesday night, PCSO investigating
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal crash which occurred late Wednesday night, July 1, 2020, in Lake Wales. 25-year-old Rene Perez of Winter Haven was the only person involved in the crash on Crews Road, a short distance north of Alturas-Babson Park Cutoff (ABC) Road. The crash was reported at about 11:32 pm. Perez suffered severe internal injuries and was transported by ambulance to Lake Wales Medical Center, but he was pronounced deceased upon arrival. The crash was witnessed by one person, Perez’s girlfriend, who was driving in front of the victim shortly before the crash. According to the preliminary investigation, Perez was driving a white 2008 Chevrolet Impala south on Crews Road. The witness said Perez accelerated and passed her vehicle as they were both driving south. As his Impala transitioned from the passing lane back to the lane of travel, the Impala began to rotate and then left the roadway. The car struck two trees before coming to a stop. Perez was not wearing a seatbelt prior to the crash. The roadway was closed for approximately four hours while deputies conducted their on-scene portion of the investigation. The investigation, which remains open, showed no evidence of any other vehicles being involved in the crash.
On Wednesday, July 1, 2020, PCSO fraud detectives obtained an arrest warrant and took 62-year-old Sharon McClelland Bradley of Lakeland into custody for:
Grand theft over $100,000 (F1)
Fraud (F1)
Criminal use of personal ID (F1)
Fraudulent use of credit cards (F3)
Forgery (F3)
Uttering false instrument (F3)
Money laundering (F3)
“This woman systematically stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a respected Winter Haven church for at least five years before she was caught. I cannot fathom how anyone could do this, much less someone employed at a house of faith.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff In 2008, Bradley was hired as the finance secretary by Calvary Baptist Church (CBC) located at 2101 Overlook Drive SE in Winter Haven. In late 2019, the head deacon requested copies of the church bank statements based on a digital image seen by church staff that showed an active $225,000 line of credit, connected to another bank account that did not belong to CBC. At that time, Bradley realized an audit was being performed, and she retired. The church staff contacted PCSO to do an investigation into the possible theft of church funds. During early 2020, PCSO detectives sent 20 different subpoenas to the various banks and credit card companies with which CBC had accounts. It was clear that the line of credit Bradley obtained was being used to put money into CBC accounts, which she was then stealing. There is still a balance of $190,000 on the line of credit that CBC will be responsible for paying off. The different bank and credit card company records showed: Bradley’s credit cards
In mid-2015, payments from CBC accounts began going to Bradley’s Capital One credit card account in May for a total of $19,673.74
In 2016, there was a new Barclay payment along with the Capital One, for $62,104.06
In 2017, new credit card payments were made for $133,936.84
In 2018, the same credit cards and a reoccurring car payment was made for $151,647.14
In 2019, credit cards and car payments for $114,705.40
2020 was a shorter period due to Sharon Bradley’s retirement, for a total of $45,925.37
Total = $527,992.55 Bradley’s Mid-Florida Credit Union account
Checks from CBC accounts were deposited into Sharon Bradley’s account for $21,278.69
Cash deposits from cash payments to Calvary preschool between 2016 and 2020 amounting to $89,017.00 were deposited into her accounts
Supporting records maintained by Sharon Bradley confirm cash payments in 2018, 2019, and 2020 that did not get deposited into the CBC accounts
On 11-7-2019, a transfer from the CBC account to Sharon Bradley’s personal MFCU account totaling $4,000.00
On 11-28-2019, a transfer from the CBC account to Sharon Bradley’s personal MFCU account totaling $3,000.00 – both transfers were payments for new pool at her home
Total = $117,295.69 deposited into the account(s) belonging to Sharon Bradley CBC’s SunTrust Bank account
In 2015, $15,135.96 in unauthorized purchases for clothing and beauty supplies and QVC products
In 2016, $216.19 in unauthorized purchases to Netflix
In 2017, $1,168.87 in unauthorized purchases to Wayfair, Bed Bath and Beyond, Kirklands
In 2018, $3,084.93 in unauthorized purchases to Amazon, medical expenses, and entertainment
In 2019, $4,433.10 in unauthorized purchases to SeaWorld, Amazon, and PayPal
Total = $24,039.05 CBC’s Sam’s Club credit card
In 2015, $22,481.61 in unauthorized purchases for Clothing, PayPal, medical, and Match.com
In 2016, $16,791.00 in unauthorized purchases for Clothing, PayPal, and Jewelry
In 2017, $28,793.63 in unauthorized purchases for Clothing and PayPal
In 2018, $22,410.10 in unauthorized purchases for Clothing, PayPal, and Bed Bath and Beyond
In 2019, $8,059.93 in unauthorized purchases for Clothing, PayPal, and Home Depot
In 2020, $187.17 in unauthorized purchases to Home Depot
Total $98,723.44 To date, a total of $768,050.73 has been identified with more than $600,000.00 of that confirmed. Further charges are pending a full audit and review from all records obtained during the investigation. Bradley was taken into custody at her home without incident, and booked into the Polk County Jail.
At 1:19 pm this afternoon, firefighters were dispatched to a brush fire at Dundee Rd and Buckeye Loop Rd. WHFD Battalion Chief 510 and Prevention 513 arrived on scene to find fire in moderate to heavy fuel (grass type) behind Storage King USA on Dundee Rd. Crews gained access through the lot at Day Surgery Center. Engine 511 arrived on scene and established water supply, followed by Dundee Fire Department Brush Truck 661, WHFD Engine 541, Engine 521 and Polk County Fire Rescue Rescue Brush Truck 003, Brush Truck 013, Brush Truck 017, Battalion Chief 004 and Medic Unit 229. Florida Forest Service arrived on scene with a dozer and dug a line around the scene after firefighters had an initial knockdown. The fire was contained and extinguished within an hour.
“We’re Done Dying!” Lakeland Residents Comes
Together To Discuss Race Relations At Community Forum
by James Coulter
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On May 6, 2020—only 19 days before the killing of
George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers—a Lakeland resident
was punched in the head by a Polk County Sheriff’s deputy, as recorded within a
viral video reported by WFLA.
The very next day, after the video of the arrest went
viral, an arrest was made—not of the officer who allegedly assaulted the man in
the video—but of the man who shot and uploaded the video, Unique Occena, WFLA
reported.
Occena was one of many Lakeland residents who spoke
during a community forum about race relations and police brutality hosted by
the Lakeland City Commission at the RP Funding Center on Monday evening.
“We need to do better,” he told the audience
and city commissioners during his turn to speak. “Police brutality needs
to end…It is not right. Something has to change.”
More than 25 city residents, from political activists
to business owners and public workers, took turns speaking for three minutes
before a live audience and a panel of local officials to share their
experiences concerning systemic racism and police brutality in the Lakeland
area.
The Race Relations Community Forum was hosted by the
Lakeland City Commission, in partnership with local community organizations, at
the Youkey Theater in the RP Funding Center on Monday evening.
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Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz, who served as the moderator
that evening, described the event as an opportunity for city officials like
himself to “listen” to the community about pertinent issues within
their city and world, especially concerning race.
“For the commission, this is a time of listening;
for the community, a time to speak,” Mutz said. “It is a critical
moment historically to look for the gaps that exist in our cities.”
The forum was hosted in response to nationwide mass
protests against systemic racism, especially within law enforcement, following
the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after being pinned to the
ground by a Minneapolis police officer for eight minutes.
From incidents of police brutality to COVID-19 deaths,
these protests represent a movement highlighting the many ways that African
Americans and other people of color are disproportionately treated. As Jackie
Vickers of the NAACP Lakeland Branch said in her opening comments: “We are
done dying!”
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“It is beyond time for a change right now,”
Vickers said. “I truly believe that we are all brothers and sisters in
Christ regardless of our skin color. Enough is enough. We are done dying.”
Vickers was one of five representatives from local
community organizations who, along with the city mayor and commission, hosted
the forum. The other representatives included Jarvis Washington of Black Lives
Matter Polk, Chrissanne Long of BRIDGE Local, and Tim Mitchell of Parker Street
Ministries.
Each of the five representatives offered their
speeches before the public comments. In keeping with social distancing
protocol, the audience members were required to wear a mask and receive a
temperature check before entering the building.
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The forum started with an opening statement from City
Commissioner Doug Walker. He set the tone and topic of the discussion by posing
a simple question to the audience: “What can be done as we deal with race
relations for the betterment of the City of Lakeland?”
“It is my hope that we hear from you,”
Walker asked. “We know this will not be our last meeting to share tonight,
but we are listening. This is just the beginning and a time just to
listen.”
More than 25 people stepped up to the open mike to
address the panel and the audience about their personal experiences with racism
and police brutality. Some people offered their names, while others remained
anonymous.
One resident mentioned how he attended a Black Lives
Matter rally along Memorial Boulevard on June 7. He mentioned how the rally
started peacefully until the crowd became agitated by police officers who
tossed tear gas into the crowd and appeared on the scene with shields and an
armored vehicle.
“A tank showed up in the middle of
Lakeland,” he said. “If you show up with shotguns and shields…you are
at war with your community. You are inviting war.”
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Amy Lee Lawrence, a representative from the Democratic
Socialists of America (DSA) for Polk County, wondered why tear gas was
dispensed against peaceful protesters during a rally against police brutality,
but have never been used against anti-abortion activists who protest outside
abortion clinics routinely.
Lawrence insisted that the use of rubber bullets and
tear gas be banned by the Lakeland Police Department, arguing that the use of
tear gas in warfare is already illegal. She was joined by another DSA
representative, who called for greater oversight of the police department.
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Debbie Brown, who became one of the first 911
dispatchers for the Lakeland Police Department, called for more engagement with
law enforcement for the local community. As someone who once faced racial
discrimination herself when she started her job, she knows that it is important
for everyone to face such issues so that others may have better opportunities.
“I love Lakeland with all my heart,” she said.
“All of us in this room have faced some form of racism. If you want to see
change, become the change…Not all cops are racist, but one bad apple will
spoil the whole bunch and make it bad for good ones.”
