On 12/21/19 at approximately 9:31 PM, a vehicle driven by Dallas Droz, W/M 12/4/96 of Bartow, was traveling west on State Road 60 approaching the intersection at Richland Road. Another vehicle, driven by Gabriel Bourne, W/M 10/23/98 of Lakeland, was traveling south on Richland Road then attempted to turn east onto SR60. At this time, Droz crashed onto the left side of Bourne’s vehicle. As a result of the crash, the left rear passenger in Bourne’s vehicle died of traffic crash related injuries. Victim is Isabel Castro H/F 12/29/99 of Polk City.
During the subsequent months-long investigation, Traffic Homicide Investigators determined that Droz was driving in excess of the posted speed limit and he was under the influence of alcohol and illegal narcotics at the time of the crash. On 5/18/2020 Droz was located at his residence in Bartow and arrested for Vehicular Homicide and DUI Manslaughter. He was arrested without incident.
Lake Wales and Polk County CARES, we are all in this
together.
by Kevin Kieft, President/CEO Lake Wales Chamber of
Commerce
Saying
we are living through uncertain times might be an understatement, but it is no
less true. For employers and employees alike, their financial future remains
most uncertain as safer, at-home measures have halted many small businesses and
kept people from returning to work.
Due
to the pandemic, three out of four small businesses are seeking federal aid,
according to a survey from the Census Bureau reported by the Wall
Street Journal.
Fortunately,
the Polk County’s Board of County Commissioners recently approved a plan to
utilize federal funding to assist small businesses and individual households
throughout the county, especially here in Lake Wales.
Polk
County has received $126 million through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security (CARES) Act, and will utilize a plan called the “Polk
County Cares.” This plan will use the federal funding to provide economic
relief to small businesses, as well as rent and mortgage relief for businesses
and households.
As
the Polk County website explains: “The Board allocated $40 million for
small business economic development needs, $30 million for health and human
service needs, $30 million for community healthcare related to the coronavirus,
and $26 million for county and local government’s costs and services dealing
with COVID-19.”
Some
of this funding will be provided to the City of Lake Wales to help finance
local infrastructure. Of the $30 million to be utilized for health and human
service needs, some of that funding will be distributed through organizations
like the Lake Wales Care Center to help provide rent, mortgage, and utility
assistance to local households making less than $75,000. In essence, these
organizations will serve as a “clearinghouse” for some of this funding to help
local families and residents struggling the most.
Another
$40 million will be utilized for economic development for small businesses who
were otherwise ineligible either for the Paycheck Protection Plan or the
Economic Injury Disaster Loan distributed through the Florida Business
Association. This funding will be available for small businesses with 25 or
fewer employees and will provide to up to $1,000 minimum or $5,000 maximum.
The
direct grants for this funding will be on a first come, first served basis, and
will be available starting on May 19. Any local businesses interested in
applying for this grant are advised to follow the Chamber of Commerce and the
County Commission websites for more information.
While
many local businesses and households were eligible for federal and state
funding, unfortunately, 501c6 organizations such as the Lake Wales Area Chamber
of Commerce and Economic Development Council are not eligible. As our
representatives in Washington currently deliberate the latest COVID-19 relief
bill, we sincerely hope that they will keep these non-profit organizations in
mind, as such organizations as our own provide many needed services to our
local communities.
Thankfully,
we have advocates like our own honorable U.S. Representative Darren Soto
(FL-17), who is currently advocating for 501 c6 non-profit organizations to be
included within future relief bills.
Perhaps
the greatest aid in helping our economy during these times has been the
compliance of local businesses with stay-at-home orders. By taking these
measures seriously, you all have ensured the health and safety of our
residents. You have helped to “flatten the curve”, allowing our
country to hopefully make an expedient recovery.
Because
of your efforts, the number of cases are not rising exponentially locally. I
continue to remain optimistic, and hopefully, we can keep doing this on a
measured approach. I applaud the businesses for doing their part and helping us
all weather this pandemic together.
ROAD ALERT: Post Ave. SE between 2nd and 3rd St. SE will be closed Wed., May 20 from 7 a.m. – 1 p.m. Traffic will be detoured and local businesses will have access. Call Daniel Bennett or Adrian Lopez at (863) 401-5145 should you have questions.
May 17 – 23 is National Public Works week! The City’s Public Works Department includes maintenance of public rights-of-way such as streets, sidewalks, trees and stormwater; the management of public lakes, waterways and natural areas; collection of refuse, yard debris and bulk material with oversight of recycling services, and the general maintenance of the City’s vehicle inventory. To celebrate the men and women who work hard to provide you with these important services, we invite you to get creative! Build something from recycled items or color our Rhythm of Public Works coloring page at this link https://www.mywinterhaven.com/government/city-departments/public-works/! Share your creations with us by using the hashtag #WHPublicWorks. #NPWW #RhythmOfPublicWorks
Homicide detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the shooting death of 33-year-old Alphonso Payne, Jr. of Winter Haven. Payne was shot while he was walking in the intersection of 40th Street NW and Atkins Drive in Winter Haven, Sunday, May 17, 2020, at about 12:15 a.m. Payne was transported to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, but died later that morning at around 7:57 a.m. “The victim was gunned down in the middle of the street. He was only 33-years-old. It’s an active investigation, still in the early stages, and our detectives have been working tirelessly to solve it. We’re asking for anyone who has information about this killing to contact us. Help us bring justice to those involved and provide a measure of solace and resolution to Mr. Payne’s family.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff. Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200, or if you want to stay anonymous, you can call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477), or visit www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip,” or download the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
Sensory Room Offers Children With Autism Safe Space At
Winter Haven Library
by James Coulter
April was Autism Awareness Month. Even though the Winter Haven Public Library remains closed until June, the current COVID-19 crisis hasn’t stopped the facility from facilitating its youngest patrons on the Autism spectrum.
Prior to closing to the public in March, the library
opened a sensory room to make their overall experience more accessible and
inclusive for guardians and their children on the Autism spectrum or with other
developmental disorders or disabilities such as ADHD.
The space is no bigger than a small office, yet the
room provides a safe, comfortable environment where children and their families
can enjoy the library without fear of experiencing “sensory
overload”, a condition often afflicted on young people with Autism when
overstimulated by certain sights and sounds.
The new room, created through a generous private
donation from an anonymous donor, includes technological features and
innovations that allow it to be customized to suit the specific needs of
children.
As such, the room is designed similarly to Snoezelen
Rooms, which, according to Wikipedia, provide a “controlled multisensory
environment” as to place “the person in a soothing and stimulating
environment” which are “specially designed to deliver stimuli to
various senses, using lighting effects, color, sounds, music, scents.”
“A few libraries around the USA were starting to
create them and library staff thought it is a unique and innovative way to
offer a welcoming space for children with sensory issues,” explained Jane
Martin, City Librarian with the Winter Haven Public Library.
The rooms includes such toys and features as “a
bubble tube, infinity tube, fiber optic lights, a tactile toy wall and a screen
which plays calming scenes. All the toys or equipment are customizable, can
change colors or play sounds,” as reported by ABC Action News.
“The room is designed it to be very customizable
– because some users will need more sensory stimulation and others less,”
said Martin. “We have the user pick what equipment they want on or off to
meet their individual needs. We use
Amazon Alexa to help us make the selections easy to turn on and off. There is a piece of equipment for every sense
– whether it is lights, sounds, vibrations, textures, or scents.”
The room is currently unavailable to the public, as
the library remains closed until June 1. However, during the short time the
room was open, it proved to be popular among children and adults alike, as it
allowed families the opportunity to visit the library safely and comfortably
without feeling overstimulated, Martin explained.
“It helps further the goal of being an inclusive
space for everyone in our community,” Martin said. “We’ve only had a
few weeks with it up and running, but the feedback was all very encouraging –
that the equipment and space were what was needed. We had a child as young as
18 months up through middle school kids use the room and the reaction from the
children and the caregivers has been all positive.”
The Winter Haven Public Library is located at 325
Avenue A NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881. For on-line booking and a full list of
equipment at the sensory room:
https://www.mywinterhaven.com/library/sensory-room/
Release by Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce: *Breaking News: Governor Ron DeSantis just announced that he is rolling out a “Full Phase 1” of the “Safe, Smart, Step-by-Step” plan for Florida’s Recovery, which will come into effect from Monday, May 18th.
Here are the main changes to what was already in place:
Restaurants can continue operating and increase to 50% capacity, continuing social distancing. Outdoor dining is still encouraged, and if indoor either the distancing between tables should be adhered to OR partitions to separate tables.
Gyms/Fitness Centers can open with social distancing, and outdoor workouts can also reopen.
Retail can increase to accepting up to 50% capacity.
We will send out more information as it is released in the coming days.
Dude – what are you thinking? The mask doesn’t help when you show your distinctive leg tattoos. The guy with the Georgia Bulldog and Georgia “G” tattoos on his calves, Reel Legends shirt and a blue arm band on his right hand went to Marine Supply in Winter Haven on 5-12-20. He chose a pair of Blacktip Great sunglasses, then proceeded to remove a reel from a rod & reel combo. Hid the items on his person and walked out with a total of $220 worth of stuff that isn’t his. If you can identify him, contact on the on-duty supervisor at 863-401-2256 or send an inbox message to this FB page. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477). Callers are guaranteed anonymity and could be eligible for a CASH reward.
Florida Department of Health Updates New COVID-19 Cases, Announces Forty-Eight Deaths Related to COVID-19
~42,038 positive cases in Florida residents and 1,172 positive cases in non-Florida residents~
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health, in order to provide more comprehensive data, releases a report on COVID-19 cases in Florida once per day. The Florida Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard is also providing updates once per day. The state also provides a report detailing surveillance data for every Florida county. Previously, this information was only available for select communities. The surveillance data report is available here.
More than 17,700 test results were reported to the Department of Health on Wednesday, May 13. Today, as of 11 a.m., there are 808 new positive COVID-19 cases (802 Florida residents and 6 non-Florida residents) and forty-eight deaths related to COVID-19.
While Florida’s testing has increased over the past week, the percent of those testing positive for COVID-19 overall is 7 percent. On May 13, 4.7 percent of new cases** tested positive.
The Florida Department of Health also releases a list of long-term care facilities in Florida associated with COVID-19 cases with active cases and number of deaths in each facility in order to provide real-time data. The list of long-term care facilities with active COVID-19 cases is available here. The list of long-term care facilities with deaths in available here. To date, 814 individuals that were staff or residents of a long-term care facility have died.
There are a total of 43,210 Florida cases** with 1,875 deaths related to COVID-19.
Since 11 a.m. on May 13, forty-eight people have died who tested positive for COVID-19 in Calhoun, Charlotte, Collier, Dade, Hendry, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, St. Johns and Suwannee counties.
Florida recently partnered with private laboratories around the state to expand COVID-19 laboratory testing capacity. This partnership will increase the number of tests conducted each day and ensure Floridians receive the critical health information they need in a timely manner.
Expansion to private laboratories changes the COVID-19 testing landscape in Florida. Private laboratories are running tests as they receive swab samples from practitioners. Testing and reporting times vary among commercial and DOH laboratories. Demographic information may be updated during investigations. This daily report reflect the state’s efforts to accurately and transparently share information.
More information on a case-by-case basis can also be found here.
For more detail on Florida resident cases, please visit the live DOH Dashboard here.
* Florida residents that are diagnosed with COVID-19 and isolated out of state are not reflected on the Florida map.
**This percentage is the number of people who test positive for the first time divided by all tests, excluding people who have previously tested positive.
***Total cases overview includes positive cases in Florida residents and non-Florida residents tested in Florida.
More Information on COVID-19
To find the most up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, please visit the Department of Health’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage. For information and advisories from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), please visit the CDC COVID-19 website, this website is also available in Spanish and Creole. For more information about current travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State, please visit the travel advisory website.
For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-866-779-6121. The Call Center is available 24 hours per day. Inquiries may also be emailed to [email protected].
About the Florida Department of Health
The Florida Department of Health, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.
Fourteen suspects were arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, at a gambling and rooster/cock-fighting event in Mulberry. Deputies responded to 107 Cesara Drive, and observed the male suspects gambling, rolling dice, and exchanging cash around a wooden table. A 10-year-old child was also present. On the ground around the table, deputies observed bags of a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine. Nearby they saw evidence of a recent cock-fight, and they requested that detectives from the PCSO Agriculture Crimes Unit respond to the scene.
Ag Crimes detectives obtained a search warrant for the property, and located seven dead roosters laying on the ground approximately 25 feet from where the gambling was occurring. Nearby, detectives found a disassembled fighting ring, a scale for weighing roosters before fighting, and chairs for people to sit and watch the fighting. Where the ring was set up, there were fresh feathers on the ground and stuck to the sides of the ring. Inside a shed on the property, detectives found rubber boxing gloves used to train roosters to fight, knives that are strapped to roosters’ legs for fighting to the
death, and performance-enhancing drugs for roosters. A 55-gallon metal trash barrel contained burned bodies of dead roosters.
There were over 100 live roosters individually housed, and a total of 481 roosters and chickens were removed from the property during the investigation.
The resident of the property, 32-year-old Jonathan Adam Simouth, told detectives that a fight occurred earlier that evening, and gambling with dice took place after. Detectives found a trafficking amount of cocaine, and two loaded firearms (an AK-47 and a 12-gauge shotgun). Simouth is being charged with:
• Armed trafficking in cocaine (FL) • Owning animals for fighting (F3) • Operating a property for animal fighting (F3) • Illegal gambling (M2) • Possession of drug paraphernalia (M1) • Contributing to the delinquency of a minor (M1)
Simouth’s criminal history includes prior arrests for Aggravated assault, Improper display of a firearm, Marijuana possession, DUI, DWLSR, No valid DL, and Fraud.
“We received a call for service regarding a cock-fighting event, and found so much more, including a small child in the presence of cocaine and firearms. This is egregious on several levels. I’m glad we were able to shut this down.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
