Students and staff at Babson Park Elementary can feel much safer during the school day now that an automated external defibrillator (AED) has been donated and installed at their cafeteria.
On Tues. Nov. 12, 2024, Culpepper’s Cardiac Foundation (CCF) donated their 55th AED at Babson Park Elementary. The device was installed in the school cafeteria with a safety presentation provided by Eric Shimkus of Polk County Fire and Rescue.
Elizabeth Tyler has served at the school for 22 years, having served as its principal for 11 years (and 11 other years as assistant principal). She was honored to have the AED donated to her school.
“We are honored to receive the AED from the Culpepper’s Cardiac Foundation,” she said. “Having an additional AED in the cafeteria will benefit everyone who visits our campus. The passion to help our community save lives was evident by the whole CCF team.”
Along with the AED, CCF also included a fire extinguisher in their demonstration. This addition was provided to honor JoLynn Willis, a five-year-old girl who recently lost her life, as Melanie Brown Culpepper, CCF founder, explained.
“Last evening was the [first] time bringing the importance of a fire extinguisher to your vehicles as I wanted to add this to our CCF Demonstration in honor of Jolynn,” she wrote. “She was a [little] girl we lost this week due to a car fire and has touched the hearts of our community.”
Melanie started CCF four years ago following the untimely passing of her late fiancée, Michael Culpepper, who passed away from cardiac arrest.
Not wanting anyone else to suffer a similar fate, Melanie started her non-profit to raise proceeds to install AEDs across Polk County.
Since then, her organization has donated more than 55 AEDs at local establishments like Tanner’s Lakeside, Old Man Franks, and Caribbean Bay in Winter Haven.
CCF will be hosting its annual fundraiser, Saving Lives Matter, on Sat. Nov. 30. 2024 at Tanners Lakeside in Winter Haven. Learn more on their Facebook page at facebook.com/honoringculpepper
Our beloved David O’Daniels at the young age of 52 has gained his wings on Oct 18th surounded by family and loved ones. He is survived by his parents Karla Kloft and Jerry O’Daniels – his children Priscilla, Allen, Karly, and Rachel – his grandchildren and his sister Kelly Brown.
Slow down! You’re in a school zone. And soon there will be red light cameras and speed limit detection systems to give you a ticket if you break the rules of the road.
At their regular meeting on Tues. Nov. 19, Lake Wales city commissioner voted unanimously to approve the second reading of an ordinance to authorize the use of red light cameras and other traffic infraction detectors in school zones.
Lieutenant Ed Palmer, Patrol Commander for the Lake Wales Police Department, has explained in previous meetings and workshops how the city has experienced an increase in traffic fatalities and violations, especially within school zones.
As such, the city intends to set up red light cameras, traffic infraction detectors, and speed limit detection systems in school zones to deter traffic violations.
If red light cameras are implemented, these cameras would monitor school zones for potential traffic violations. When a violation is detected, a vendor will have 30 days to review it. If approved, a citation will be sent to the violator, who will have 60 days to either pay the fine or fight it.
During public comments, Danny Krueger, a resident and former city commissioner, spoke out against the proposed cameras, claiming they served as a potential violation of civil liberties.
Krueger claimed that such systems would only increase government surveillance and potentially violate a citizen’s right to privacy. He claimed having an officer on duty in school zones would be more effective and less invasive.
Commissioner Carol Gillespie acknowledged that proposal like this had their pros and cons, yet she insisted that the pros outweighed the potential cons.
“Your own private right to drive as fast as you want gives way to the safety of children who want to cross the street,” she said.
Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson claimed that a similar controversy surrounded officers hiding behind billboards to chase after speeding vehicles. However, he insisted that the proposed systems were “fair” and in compliance with the courts and system.
Students and staff at Babson Park Elementary can feel much safer during the school day now that an automated external defibrillator (AED) has been donated and installed at their cafeteria.
On Tues. Nov. 12, Culpepper’s Cardiac Foundation (CCF) donated their 55th AED at Babson Park Elementary. The device was installed in the school cafeteria with a safety presentation provided by Eric Shimkus of Polk County Fire and Rescue.
Elizabeth Tyler has served at the school for 22 years, having served as its principal for 11 years (and 11 other years as assistant principal). She was honored to have the AED donated to her school.
“We are honored to receive the AED from the Culpepper’s Cardiac Foundation,” she said. “Having an additional AED in the cafeteria will benefit everyone who visits our campus. The passion to help our community save lives was evident by the whole CCF team.”
Along with the AED, CCF also included a fire extinguisher in their demonstration. This addition was provided to honor JoLynn Willis, a five-year-old girl who recently lost her life, as Melanie Brown Culpepper, CCF founder, explained.
“Last evening was the [first] time bringing the importance of a fire extinguisher to your vehicles as I wanted to add this to our CCF Demonstration in honor of Jolynn,” she wrote. “She was a [little] girl we lost this week due to a car fire and has touched the hearts of our community.”
Melanie started CCF four years ago following the untimely passing of her late fiancée, Michael Culpepper, who passed away from cardiac arrest.
Not wanting anyone else to suffer a similar fate, Melanie started her non-profit to raise proceeds to install AEDs across Polk County.
Since then, her organization has donated more than 55 AEDs at local establishments like Tanner’s Lakeside, Old Man Franks, and Caribbean Bay in Winter Haven.
CCF will be hosting its annual fundraiser, Saving Lives Matter, on Sat. Nov. 30 at Tanners Lakeside in Winter Haven. Learn more on their Facebook page at facebook.com/honoringculpepper
I will be honest: I don’t normally watch musical biopics. The last one I watched was Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and I watched it because 1) it was about Weird Al, and 2) it was made in the most Weird Al way possible.
Thing is, as much as I love music, I’m not that wild about the actual musicians who make them. So while I like the songs made by Pharrell Williams (especially “Happy”, which is a real bop), I don’t really care much about the guy himself.
But you know what I do like? LEGOs! I love LEGOs. I used to play with them all the time as a little boy. And you bet your bricks I loved The LEGO Movie. It was one of the best animated movies of the last decade.
So, when I learned that Pharrell Williams was having his biopic directed as an animated LEGO movie, my interest was immediately piqued. But was the hype worth it? Does this movie take creative liberties with its creative premise? Or does it lack the creative spark worthy of making it a Lego movie?
Piece by Piece tells the life story of musician Pharrell Williams, from his childhood growing up in Virginia Beach, to him winning a school talent show that landed him his first gig at a local record studio, to him creating beats for other popular musicians before eventually becoming a popular musician himself and releasing his signature song, “Happy.”
And that’s pretty much the movie in a nutshell, or rather, in a brick container. It’s essentially your run-of-the-mill documentary about an influential musician, with interviews from him and other figures in his life including family, friends, and fellow musicians.
However, undeniably the movie’s biggest selling point is the choice to film it all as an animated LEGO feature. Piece by Piece was produced by Pure Imagination Studios, which manages to animate the movie with the same charm as Illumination animated the original LEGO movies.
Filming the biopic in LEGOs was certainly a bold and creative choice, especially for a movie about a creative individual like Pharrell. The animation style evidently highlights the artist’s unmistakable creative vision in quite a creative style.
For example, one of the earliest scenes in the film is young Pharrell daydreaming while staring into a fishbowl. Later, he daydreams while listening to music, claiming he can see the color of the music playing from the speaker. The entire sequence captures the young artist’s chromesthesia quite vividly.
I’ll mention a few of my favorite scenes and moments from the movie. The first involves the young artist growing up and attending school. Pharrell explains his school experience wasn’t the best. He often struggled to pay attention in class, socialize with other students, and do well in his studies. As someone who grew up Autistic, I empathize with his experience.
Another touch I enjoyed was how the movie touched upon his religious experience. Pharrell was inspired by his church and pastor to pursue his career in music. Later in the film, he returns to his pastor to explain the trouble he’s been experiencing in his career, and his pastor offers him words of encouragement.
Perhaps even more interesting was how Pharrell received equal motivation from both his church and from Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, emphasizing how much the sacred and the secular played an important role in shaping and influencing him.
Admittedly, if the movie has a flaw, it’s with its marketing. Currently, the movie has not performed well in the box office. Perhaps this is due to the film being unable to decide who, exactly, it is for. On the one hand, the movie is created using LEGO, giving it a kid-friendly vibe. But on the other hand, the film cover the life and career of an artist who, while not unsuitable for children, is certainly more geared towards adults. The result is a film that is to “kiddish” for adults and too “adult” for children.
Overall, if you’re a fan of Pharrell Williams or LEGOs or both, you’ll most likely gain some enjoyment from Piece by Piece. And even if you’re not a fan of either, well, it’s a relatively enjoyable film to watch nonetheless. However, you’re probably better off watching this movie on streaming or as a rental.
The PCSO Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating a two-vehicle crash that occurred in unincorporated Bartow around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday evening, November 19, 2024, involving a semi tractor-trailer and an SUV. The driver of the SUV was killed. Preliminary details are as follows:
The 24-year-old female driver of a 2013 Honda CRV appears to have been heading south in the right lane on US Hwy 17 and going straight through the intersection with Ernest Smith Blvd. despite having a red light. At the same time, a 2019 Freightliner semi-truck with an attached empty trailer was stopped at the red light on US Hwy 17 southbound, in the same lane. The Honda crashed into the rear of the stopped semi, causing significant damage and intrusion into the SUV. It rotated 90 degrees to the west and came to a stop in the right turn lane of Hwy 17.
The driver of the Honda and her passenger, her 2-year-old daughter (she will be two on Dec. 4th), had to be extricated from the vehicle. Due to her age, the child was airlifted to Tampa but appears to have suffered very minor injuries and is expected to recover. Her mother was transported to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. The 36-year-old driver of the semi was not injured. Everyone involved was properly restrained within their respective vehicles.
The investigation is ongoing and the roadway was shut down for approximately four hours.
Silvestre Martinez Castillo of Frostproof passed away Saturday, November 16, 2024 at AdventHealth Lake Wales under the care of Vitas Hospice.
He was born February 27, 1963 in Brownsville, Texas to the late Juan and Maria Castillo; he moved to Frostproof from Texas in 1978. Chivo was a truck driver and of the Christian faith. Chivo enjoyed listening to music, going for walks, going dancing, and eating anything sweet especially ice cream. He was proud to live in Frostproof and knew many people in the town. Chivo was a strong and independent man.
Chivo was preceded in death by his brothers, Juan Castillo and Ricardo Castillo; sister, Raquel Henson; nephew, Carey Juan Henson; and brother-in-law, Victor Garcia. He is survived by his daughters, Laura (Zane) Sullivan of Frostproof, Cassandra Castillo of Avon Park, and Tera Castillo of West Virginia; sisters, Rosa (Eric) Moreno of Frostproof, Diana Garcia of Frostproof, Aurora (Alfred) Martinez of Bakersville, California; brothers, Amado (Dalia) Castillo of Ohio, Juan Castillo of Frostproof, Gilbert (Ashley) Castillo of Frostproof, and Jarvis (Maggie) Castillo of Avon Park; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
A visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. until the funeral service at 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at Marion Nelson Funeral Home in Frostproof with Rev. Kelly Galati officiating.
On November 19, 2024 Polk County Fire Rescue responded to a vehicle vs bicycle accident at Recker Hwy & Crosstower Drive in Winter Haven.
PCFR was dispatched around 7:37 a.m. Upon arrival, crews transported one Trauma Alert (TA) patient from the scene via Aeromed with facial injuries.
PCFR Public Information Officer Katelyn Hoverkamp did confirm that the person on the bicycle was an adult, not a child. (we had questions asking about age of bicyclist).
Winter Haven Police Department also responded to the scene and Jamie Brown, Winter Haven Public Safety Department’s Public Information Officer advised a 60-year-old male was riding his bicycle on the sidewalk and when he rode out onto the road, he hit the side of a vehicle as the vehicle was turning.
As of this afternoon, the trauma alert patient is in stable condition.
On November 18, 2024 at 2:10 p.m. Polk County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a semi truck versus bicycle crash in the area of 4008 Rifle Range Road in Wahneta.
Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) crews also responded to the scene at 2:11 p.m.
Upon PCFR crew arrival at 2:15 p.m., one patient was transported via Aeromed. The patient (bicyclist) who was transported by air to LRHMC was a 26 year old woman. She had non-life-threatening injuries.
No additional injuries were reported. No additional patients were transported. PCSO cleared the scene around 3:40 p.m.
Patrol worked this crash, so additional details regarding the crash are not available at this time.
BARTOW, Fla. (November 19, 2024) – Bill Braswell, Michael Scott and Becky Troutman were sworn in as Polk County commissioners during today’s investiture ceremony at the Polk County Administration building. Braswell and Troutman were sworn in by Stacy M. Butterfield, CPA, Polk County’s Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. Scott was sworn in by Daniel F. Pilka, Esq.
Braswell, who represents District 3, was reelected to his third term on Nov. 5 after facing no opposition. Scott claimed the District 5 seat in the Republican primary for his first term. Troutman claimed about 63% of the votes in the general election to become the District 1 commissioner.
Additionally, Rick Wilson was selected to succeed Braswell as board chair. Martha Santiago will serve as vice chair during the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Braswell retired from the Air Force after 22 years of service. Veterans’ issues and veteran services are a priority for him. As a blueberry farmer, Braswell says he understands the significance of urbanization of agricultural lands as Polk County continues to grow and the need for a balanced approach to planning and development. Water quality and water conservation are also a priority for Braswell.
Scott is a Polk County native. He attended the University of South Florida, earning a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, a master’s in Civil Engineering and a master’s in Engineering Management. As a commissioner, Scott plans to focus on providing a better roadmap for growth of the county, preserving the county’s rural areas, providing residents with more transparency regarding upcoming developments and optimizing county operations to provide value to all residents.
Troutman manages two businesses, one specializing in school psychology and one in interior decorating. The Lakeland resident also has worked as an educator, a school psychologist and a realtor. As a commissioner, Troutman plans to pursue partnerships and foster economic growth, guide intentional growth aligned with Polk County’s identity, preserve land and natural resources for future generations, keep residents and businesses safe and manage infrastructure to provide efficiency.
