Winter Haven Considers Land Use and Zoning Change to Property to Accommodate HVAC Company
by James Coulter
A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) company could be arriving to Winter Haven if less than an acre of land has its zoning and land use designation amended.
At their regular meeting on Monday evening, Winter Haven city commissioners considered two ordinances that would have changed the zoning and land use of less than an acre of land.
The two ordinances would change the property’s land use to Neighborhood Support and its zoning to Commercial- Highway (C-3). If changed, the property would be able to accommodate a proposed HVAC company.
The subject parcel, which is less than an acre, is located at 2400 Avenue E, SW. It currently contains a 13,716-square-foot storage/warehouse building and a 1,210-square-foot office building, which was built in 1972.
“The subject property is surrounded by single-family residential across Avenue E, SW to the north; single-family residential across 24th Street, SW to the east; CSX railroad tracks to the south; and a warehouse and office building to the west,” the city staff memo states. “Additionally, across the railroad tracks to the south is vacant property zoned C-3.”
Upon reviewing the two ordinances, city staff concluded that “the subject parcel is not well suited for residential uses” and that “no additional demands on public infrastructure are expected at this time.”
Sarah Case, Owner of Next Level Planning and Permitting,addressed concerns from staff. She claims the building currently on the land is being utilized as a storage facility, and that the ordinances were proposed as a financial lender would not be able to loan to a proposed construction that was “non-conforming use.”
She further clarified that no other intense development to the property, such as additional buildings, parking spaces, or stormwater retention, would be made if the ordinances were approved.
City commissioners did not vote on either ordinance. Both will be voted on during their second reading at the next meeting scheduled for Mon. Oct. 28.
Lake Wales residents can expect to see their solid waste collection fee increase by $3.17 if the city approves a five-year contract with a solid waste service.
At their regular meeting on Tuesday, Lake Wales city commissioners voted unanimously to approve the first reading of an ordinance that would enter the city into a five-year contract with Republic Services for solid waste collection.
The City of Lake Wales entered into a franchise contract with Republic Services in 2011. The contract allows Republic Services to offer the collection of domestic solid waste, recyclable materials, and yard waste for residents.
However, as the contract has expired, the city is planning to enter into a new contract with Republic Services for five years, with the option of a five-year extension “by mutual agreement.” The city had received two bids submitted by Republic Services and the Trash Taxi. Upon review, city staff recommended entering into the contract with Republic Services.
Through the new contract, the monthly residential fee from Republic Services will increase by $8.46, increasing from $17.05 to $25.51 per month (and $10 for an additional cart). As such, the city’s monthly residential fee will see an increase of $3.17, increasing from $23.62 to $26.79 (and $15 for an additional cart).
Commissioner Robin Gibson inquired if the new contract included provisions for recycling, as he did not recall seeing any mention of recycling. Dorothy Abbot, Director of Finance, clarified that Page 14 of the contract includes a recycling incentive.
Abbot also mentioned that, despite the residential fee increase, she and her team were working to ensure that residents do not experience “sticker shock”, as city staff was looking into alternatives for the future.
End Date: 10/09/2024 End Time: 02:48 PM EDT End Location: 1 NE Avon Park Executive Airport / Highlands County / FL End Lat/Lon: 27.596 / -81.5177
Survey Summary: Tornado damage was first noted to Oak Tree Inn along U.S. Hwy 27 where portions of its roof were blown off and deposited in an area of trees to its rear. Large tree limbs were also snapped in the vicinity. An intermittent damage path continued off to the north-northwest west of U.S. Hwy 27 where two single-wide trailers along S Hart Avenue suffered awning damage while a piece of large metal roofing of unknown origin had been deposited between them. The final damage point presumed to have been associated with the tornado was several large oak branches snapped near State Route 64/W Main Street, with the tornado dissipating thereafter.
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EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:
EF0…..65 to 85 mph EF1…..86 to 110 mph EF2…..111 to 135 mph EF3…..136 to 165 mph EF4…..166 to 200 mph EF5…..>200 mph
Wales, Fla. (October 17, 2024) –Scenic Highway between Stuart Avenue and East Orange Avenue in Lake Wales will be closed temporarily, beginning Tuesday, October 22. Construction will near completion in approximately 90 days. Construction activities are weather-related dependent.
Crews will be reconstructing and resurfacing the intersection of Park Avenue and Scenic Highway. Road improvements include ADA accessible sidewalks and curbs, high-visibility crosswalks, stormwater drainage and gateway features.
Detours will be in place routing traffic through the downtown historic district. Motorists will be directed to exit Scenic Highway on either Central Avenue or East Orange Avenue connecting via Wetmore Street. Signage will be in place to direct motorists through the detours.
Freight trucks are encouraged to detour off Scenic Highway at Mountain Lake Cutoff Road or Hunt Brother’s Road via US HWY 27.
Motorists are encouraged to use caution when traveling through the construction detours and surrounding streets.
Lake Wales Main Street is set to host its upcoming Spooktacular Halloween Bash—and it’s sure to be a graveyard smash!—now that the city has approved its special event permit.
At their regular meeting on Tuesday evening, Lake Wales city commissioners voted unanimously to approve its consent agenda, which includes an item about a special event permit for the Spooktacular Halloween Bash.
The Halloween-themed event hosted by Main Street Lake Wales will be hosted on Sat. Oct. 26 from 11am to 2pm along Stuart and Park Avenues in Downtown Lake Wales. The event will offer trick-or-treating opportunities in select Downtown Lake Wales businesses.
The special permit allows for the temporary closing of the following city streets throughout the event:
• A portion of Stuart and Park Avenues from First Street to Scenic Highway (SR17).
• The alley between Stuart Avenue and Park Avenue from SR17 to First Street.
• Market Street at Central Avenue.
Furthermore, as City Manager James Slatton wrote in the agenda item, the special permit will also have the Streets Department, “close the streets and parking lots, provide additional trash containers and at the conclusion of the event they will empty the trash containers and transport them back to the storage location.”
The event will cost approximately $368 for in-kind services by the City. Main Street will pay a portion of that cost at 25 percent or $92.
For more than a decade, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) has been hosting its Haunted Jail Tour at the old county jail. Now, the PSCO is hosting the Haunted Jail Tour for one final year.
Located at 455 North Broadway in Bartow, the facility that is now the Lawrence W. Crow, Jr. building served as the original county jail, from its construction in 1962 up until it closed in 2000.
However, despite the old jail closing more than two decades ago, many of its residents–or rather, their resident haunts–have never left. Officers who work in the building have reported strange unexplained phenomena, from apparitions, strange sounds, and sudden chills.
Sgt. Justin Carr claims that many officers have seen or heard jail doors closing. “[That] is particularly frightening,’ he explains, “because some of these doors are on the track-gear assembly where an individual cannot close [them], and yet for some reason, there have been individual cases where a door has closed as if something paranormal drove it.”
One of the jail’s most famous haunts is Calvin, the ghost of a prisoner who allegedly died in the jail during the 1960s. Many officers have reported seeing this apparition either with their own eyes or on security footage. Both the basement and the second floor especially have been locations where the most paranormal happenings have allegedly occurred.
“The second floor, in particular, there is something about it,” he said. “Its [the] lighting being as poor as it is, just strange drafts, strange feelings that come across your skin, seeing something in the corner in your eyes, moving and making noise and there is no explanation for it, just strange cold chills come across you and a few times where you hear voices and no one is in the building anymore.”
“I was there after dark at times and…watched a hallway appear to get longer,” he said. “I could see [it] stretch in front of me. [At] the same time, you get goosebumps, [and] chills over you. It is a frightening experience but it is a real thing. Some things going on up there. No other way to describe it in my opinion.”
Sgt. Justin Carr recently appeared on the Chattin on the Ridge podcast to discuss this year’s Haunted Jail Tour and the many actual haunts that have haunted the old building. Listen to the full episode on Acast: https://shows.acast.com/chattin-on-the-ridge/episodes/ep-45-haunted-jails-barrel-racing
The Haunted Jail Tour will be hosted in Bartow will be hosted on Fri. and Sat. Oct. 18 and 19 and Oct. 25 and 25 from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm. For more information, visit the PCSO Facebook page.
During a five-day-long undercover human trafficking operation, which began on October 2, 2024, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Vice Unit arrested 157 suspects involved in illegal acts related to soliciting prostitutes, offering to commit prostitution, or aiding and abetting prostitutes. Three other suspects were arrested for traveling to sexually batter juveniles.
PCSO detectives were joined by detectives from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Auburndale Police, Clermont Police, Davenport Police, Haines City Police, Lakeland Police, Lake Wales Police, St. Cloud Police, Tampa Police, Winter Haven Police Department, and Winter Haven Fire departments. The Office of the State Attorney 10th Judicial Circuit, State Attorney Brian Haas, members from the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), and social services organizations One More Child and Heartland for Children were also on-hand. Special thanks also to the Florida Human Trafficking Victims’ Fund for their assistance.
Those who travelled to commit prostitution were screened by detectives and the social services organizations to determine if they were being trafficked or exploited by others, and were offered services by the social services organizations at the operation. During this investigation, four possible human trafficking victims were identified of the 47 prostitutes who showed up to the undercover location offering to commit prostitution.
There were 96 suspects arrested for soliciting a prostitute and traveling to the undercover location to negotiate having sex in exchange for money; 14 other suspects were arrested, and of those, one was charged with human trafficking, a life felony.
Detectives charged a total of 35 felonies and 201 misdemeanors during the investigation. The suspects’ criminal histories included a combined total of 327 felonies and 455 misdemeanors, with charges such as premeditated murder (two suspects – nolle prosequi), attempted murder, vehicular homicide, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated battery, and sexual assault.
“The approach of Hurricane Milton caused us to end our investigation earlier than planned, but it’s still amazing that in such a short amount of time we were able to put 157 people in jail, and three child predators. Sixteen percent of the suspects we arrested are here illegally, but were offered free medical, food, travel, and housing, compliments of the U.S. taxpayers – meanwhile hurricane victims are still waiting, and praying for help.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Detectives identified and arrested one suspect for human trafficking after one of his victims arrived at the undercover location and trusted law enforcement enough to tell her story.
Travis Hutchinson, 25, from Davenport, is charged with human trafficking (F1), forcing one to prostitute (F3), deriving proceeds from prostitution (F2), and battery strangulation (F3). His victim was driven to the undercover location by a friend. The victim traveled from Colombia to Mexico, where she walked across the border and was flown to Orlando. She was told she needed to pay off her $6,000 debt to the coyote(s) who transported her to the U.S. She was then given to Hutchinson, who created all of her online ads and communicates with all the “clients” who pay her to have sex with them. The payments either go directly to Hutchinson, or if she collects the money he immediately takes it from her, and only allows her to keep a portion of it with which to pay for food and lodging. Hutchinson threatens her and physically abuses her – she had marks on her neck from recently being choked by him. He forced her into prostitution through intimidation, fear, and physical abuse, and held onto the documents she received when she arrived in the U.S. The victim was rescued during this investigation and is in the custody of social services and rescue organizations.
Some interesting notes from the operation:
· 25 of the arrested are suspected of being in the country illegally; Those who are here illegally are from Cuba, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Venezuela.
· 26 suspects told detectives they are married.
· 9 suspects told detectives they receive government assistance.
· 10 suspects brought illegal drugs to the location: cocaine, MDMA, and marijuana.
· 10 firearms were brought to the undercover location
· 131 suspects were from outside of Polk County, including 9 states and the United Kingdom: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
· The oldest person arrested is 61 years old while the youngest is 15 years old.
Three suspects were either active duty military or veterans; three suspects worked at Disney World; three suspects were previously arrested by PCSO during similar sting operations. Several suspects left either their wives or fiancées at home – the women thought their partners were either at work, or going to a store or the gym.
Three other suspects communicated with and solicited who they thought were children online – they showed up to an undercover location in Polk County at separate times to sexually batter children. One of these suspects also works at Disney World.
THOSE THREE SUSPECTS ARE:
1. 28-year-old Branden Orr, DOB 6/20/1996, of Kissimmee, FL. Orr sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. Orr told the decoy that he had been “stood up” and was bored, and then said he wanted to take the “girl” to Disney. He said if he came to her house they could watch a movie, cuddle, make out, and have sex. He traveled to the undercover location and when detectives approached to take him into custody, he tried to run – detectives deployed a Taser and he was arrested. He told detectives that he is a lifeguard at Disney World’s Art of Animation Resort, and that he is engaged to be married.
Orr was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
· Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
· Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
· Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
· Resisting arrest (M1)
Brandon Orr
2. 34-year-old Michael Gillis, DOB 8/31/1990, of Eden Prairie, MN. Gillis sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old boy. Gillis told the decoy that he is 24-years-old, and the conversation immediately became sexual in nature. His online profile displays the quote, “be chill, looking for younger guys.” He sent the “boy” pornographic images and described the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child. He took an Uber to the undercover location and was taken into custody. He brought condoms. He gave detectives a false name and had to be identified after being fingerprinted, at which time his true identity was known, including his recent arrest in Bloomington, Minnesota for soliciting a child online to engage in sexual conduct. He was arrested there on August 8, 2024, and released the next day after posting $85,000 bond. He was released from the Polk County Jail after posting $72,000 bond, and is on a GPS monitoring system here. He told detectives that he is a videographer and was in Orlando for work.
Gillis was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
· Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
· Use of a computer to seduce a child (F2)
· Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
· Lewd/lascivious conduct (F3)
· Resisting arrest (M1)
· Giving false info to LEO (M1)
Michael Gillis
3. 30-year-old Ezequiel Mejia, DOB 4/10/1994, of Haines City, FL. Mejia sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. He told the decoy that he wanted to be her boyfriend but that doing anything else with her could get him into “very big trouble.” He brought condoms with him when he arrived at the undercover location. He told detectives that he is an electrician, and married with a 7-year-old daughter, and his wife and child are in North Carolina due to the approaching hurricane. He has been in the country illegally from Mexico for 10 years. PCSO notified ICE and he is on an ICE hold in the jail.
Mejia was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
· Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
· Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
· Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
Aerial spraying for mosquitoes in Polk County was originally scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 25-27; due to delays, spraying is set to begin tonight at 8 p.m. and stop Thursday morning. There will be no aerial spraying for mosquitoes on Halloween, Thursday, Oct. 31; however, spraying will resume the night of Friday, Nov. 1.
Spraying is scheduled from dusk to dawn; approximately 8 p.m. through 5 a.m., while most residents are indoors.
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Original post:
Polk County Government Florida –
Due to the recent storms, Polk County is experiencing areas of increased standing water due to flooding. In the coming days and weeks, you may notice more mosquitoes than normal. Some “floodwater” species of mosquitoes, which are more aggressive in nature, may be out and noticeable during the day.
In the interest of public health against mosquito-borne illnesses, Polk County Mosquito Control would like to assure residents that we are constantly out in the field preforming inspections, as well as performing treatments via helicopter and truck.
Please note that, during this time, it may take longer to respond to normal requests. We appreciate your patience as we work through these requests to bring the number of mosquitoes back to a more tolerable level.
Remember to protect yourself from mosquito bites by:
Staying indoors when possible, during peak mosquito times, which is usually around dawn dusk and through the evening.
Repairing all screens on windows and doors. Do your best to keep the mosquitos outside.
Wearing approved mosquito repellants that contain DEET, picaridin, or other products
Wearing long sleeves and pants to cover as much bitable areas as possible
Dumping out any standing water you can, such as from buckets, tubs or watering cans.
Visit https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/prevention/index.html to learn more about ways to prevent mosquito bites.
The Auburndale Chamber of Commerce is excited to present FALL-O-WEEN!
This family fun event will take place on Thursday, October 24, from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. The event will be located in the Historic Depot Park (NW side of the Downtown City Park) and along West Park Street. Performances are scheduled for 7pm and 8pm.
Come for a night of food, games, and treats! There will be food trucks/booths, a candy trail, music & dance, and various games!
The Auburndale Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Auburndale High School to hold Fall-O-Ween festivities and the Bloodhound Bash! The Bloodhound Bash Parade will begin at 5:00pm.
For more information, please contact the Chamber at (863) 967-3400 or email [email protected]
Sheriff Grady Judd will brief the media at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, Thursday, October 17, 2024, at the PCSO Sheriff’s Operations Center, 1891 Jim Keene Blvd in Winter Haven, about a five-day-long multi-agency undercover investigation, “Operation Autumn Sweep” that focused on human trafficking, during which 157 arrests were made of suspects who solicited prostitutes and those who offered to commit prostitution, and other suspects who committed crimes related to prostitution.
Among the arrests, four victims of human trafficking were identified and offered services, and one suspect was charged with felony human trafficking.
Of the 157 arrested, 25 are in the country illegally.
Three additional suspects were arrested for soliciting who they though were children online, and charged with traveling to meet a minor, attempted lewd and lascivious battery on a minor, and use of a computer to seduce a child. One of those suspects works at Disney World; one is in Florida for work, and out on bond from the same charges in another state (soliciting a child online); and the third is in the country illegally
