“The Beautiful Addiction” Teaches How To Fly Fish Near Your Home

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October 22, 2019

“The Beautiful Addiction” Teaches How To Fly Fish Near Your Home

by James Coulter

There are more than 500 lakes in Polk County. Chances are you’ve probably fished in one of them. But have you ever tried fly fishing?

Fly fishing may sound tricky, but the technique is simple enough that anyone can learn it within the span of a weekend. You can do exactly that when you pick up a copy of the newest book published by a local fishing instructor with more than 20 years of fly fishing experience.

In his book, “The Beautiful Addiction: Learning to Fly Fish Near Your Home”, Chris O’Byrne, Director of Fly Fishing Schools at The Andy Thornal Company in Winter Haven, teaches the basics of fly fishing using laymen’s terms, witty anecdotes, and lively illustrations.

The book offers a short and simple read, ensuring that anyone, from novices to experts, can learn enough about fly fishing that they’ll be out on the water casting lines in only a few short days, O’Byrne said.

“I intend it to be easily read within a weekend,” he said. “[It’s] for someone to pick up a book on a Friday and catching fish on Sunday evening.”

O’Byrne conveys more than 20 years of his fly fishing experience into this short read of a book, offering his own expertise in simple language that anyone can understand. No matter what your fishing level may be, this book will help you learn the basics on your own and get you out on the water as soon as possible, he said.

“Everyone in North America is within a short drive of bass and bluegill. This book will teach them no matter where they are,” he said. “It is not aimed at a specific location or exotic species, anyone can catch these fish on the fly.”

Ever since his father first taught him how to cast a line, O’Byrnehas spent most of his life out on the water. Fishing came naturally to him, and so, too, did fly fishing.

“When I started to exhibit some of the signs that I was ready for a fly rod, he handed me a fly rod and taught me,” he said.

His main career has been as a school coach and physical education teacher for the past 20 years. Though he previously took a brief reprieve from fly fishing, he returned to the sport in 1998.

He received his Flycaster Certification from Fly Fishers International in 2010. Since then, he has logged over 600 hours teaching in many different settings, including ten years teaching classes through the Andy Thornal Company in Winter Haven.

Since 2005, he has been sharing his fly fishing experience through his writing with blog posts and even a monthly fishing column in Coastal Angler, as well as in Florida Sportsman and Fly Fisher. Over the years, he has collected notes on various tips, tricks, and methods. Having accumulated more than a decade’s worth of research, he was inspired to compile everything he knew in one handy-dandy guide.

“When I started seriously teaching fly fishing, I began taking notes of other people’s ideas…and a whole lot of questions from my students, from beginners to advance anglers. So somewhere in 2014, the computer file began to look like a book,” he said.

Since 2017, O’Byrne has been slowly chipping away at his book. Aside from his own research, he also solicited advice from other people in the industry and began studying other books and fishing guides. He also received assistance in his writing through the Lakeland’s writer’s group, Writer’s 4 All Seasons.

“So in terms of the writing, it has been a real adventure, not just…putting words on paper and getting people to cast a certain way, but also to come back with anecdotes, make the book interesting, not just informative,” he said.

He has since published his book through Pepper Tree Press in Sarasota. The book includes illustrations from proffesional illustrator and fly fisher, Pete Chadwell, who has also created illustrations for fishing magazines and books.

O’Byrne hopes that everyone, regardless of whether they have fished or not, gives his book a try. He expects fishers to learn more about the sport and try a different aspect of it, while non-fishers can attempt to try something new. Either way, he hopes that his book will provide an enjoyable read.

“I try to hold a mirror up to the fly fishing life so that people who have been fishing for a while can enjoy that,” he said. “Anybody in the country can use The Beautiful Addiction to quickly catch fish on the fly.”

The Beautiful Addiction: Learning to Fly Fish Near Your Home” is available on Amazon: https://www.featherwater.com/shop

The book can also be purchased at the Andy Thornal Company, located at: 336 Magnolia Ave #2904, Winter Haven, FL 33880

For more information, visit O’Bryne’s website at: https://www.featherwater.com/

Florida Polytech Opening New Simulation Facility For Self- Driving Vehicles

Lakeland

Staff Reporter

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October 22, 2019

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Florida Polytech Opening New Simulation Facility For Self- Driving Vehicles

by James Coulter

Self-driving vehicles are the future, and Florida Polytechnic University is helping Florida drive closer to that future with a new simulation facility opening on their campus.

Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland will soon be able to perform testing and verification of autonomous vehicle technology in real-time through a new large-scale Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) simulation facility being constructed on campus.

The state-of-the-art facility is being developed with funding through a $350,000 grant awarded to the university through the National Science Foundation (NSF). Once completed in the near future, the facility will provide real-time simulation that will better allow for the development and testing of complex embedded systems, according to a press release.

“I thank the National Science Foundation for their support of Florida Polytechnic University’s research and development of autonomous vehicle technology,” said Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. “Autonomous vehicle research is critical to the future of transportation in the state of Florida, and I look forward to Florida Poly’s continued leadership in this space.”

Dr. Arman Salgorzaei, assistant professor of electrical engineering, has been overseeing the development of the new facility as the grant’s lead investigator. He joined the university three years ago, and is currently serving his fourth year.

As someone involved with the advanced initiatives within the new facility, Dr. Salgorzaei has high expectations for the new self-driving vehicle technology that will be tested and verified there through real-time hardware-in-the-loop simulation.

“During the past few years, our team worked on fundamental research to come up with a mathematical framework for testing and verification of connected autonomous vehicles which verifies safety and security before they can be used by the public,” he said. “This facility will give us room to test and check our framework, as well as generate scenarios to check the safety and security of those vehicles in a more realistic environment.”

Several projects will focus on the capabilities of self-driving vehicles under various conditions. One project will focus on how different environmental factors such as electromagnetic fields will affect and influence the decision-making of these vehicles.

Another project will focus on the “language of driving”, checking to see how vehicles interact with human drivers and other self-driving vehicles. The third project will focus on security and privacy, testing to see how well they can withstand potential attacks by hackers and other outside forces.

Two years ago, the university began undergoing the testing and verification of self-driving vehicles through virtual computer simulation. This new facility will offer simulation that combines the virtual and real world, permitting more realistic test results, Dr. Salgorzaei said.

“The big problem with other testing environments such as real-world testing is that they are not really safe, they are costly, and we cannot perform different forms of test cases. So to reduce costs and increase the safety of the testing process, we use hardware in the loop testing environments.”

Not only will this new facility allow for the testing and verification of self-driving vehicles within the real world, but the testing there will also provide valuable experience for graduate and undergraduate students, as well as an opportunity to collaborate with other universities.

“Students have access to real hardware and projects that they can use in other industries and universities,” he said. “We also hope that we can work with other universities to bring their algorithms and test them in our facility and work together to make future self-driving vehicles safe and secure enough that they can be used in public.”

Local Artist Takes Root In Best Of Show At Bartow Art Cornucopia

Bartow

Staff Reporter

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October 22, 2019

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Local Artist Takes Root In Best Of Show At Bartow Art Cornucopia

by James Coulter

When most people pull out loose roots in their backyards, they usually see weeds. Diane Everett, on the other hand, sees an award-winning art piece.

She received an Azalea root from a friend in church. She later cleaned it off and began chipping away at it until she created a makeshift wooden structure.

“I took it out of the ground, cleaned the dirt off, and there is something magical that happened,” she said.” I saw something in the root, and I [decided that I] can present it in a way that other people can see it too.”

What she ended up creating was a sculpture of several women of different sizes, shapes, and ages. Together, they represented women banding together into collective womanhood to celebrate their femininity.

Her art piece, “We, Women,” won Best of Show at the 2019 Art Cornucopia, hosted by the Bartow Art Guild at the Bartow Public Library. The sculpture is currently being displayed among several dozen art pieces on the second floor of the library, and was awarded a ribbon during the art reception last Friday evening.

Everett has been creating artwork such as this for two years, and has been an artist and craftswoman all of her life. She has been participating within the Bartow Art Guild as a member for three years.

To be able to win first place in the competition came nothing short of a surprise for her. She currently serves on the school board, from which she will retire in three years and six months. Afterwards, she plans on committing to her art fulltime.

“I can’t believe it,” she said. “I am thrilled. It is a privilege and I am glad to get good art out there because it is important, and I appreciate it.”

More than three dozen art pieces are currently on display within the Bartow Public Library as part of the Art Cornucopia Art Show hosted by the Bartow Art Guild. The Guild hosted the reception and award ceremony for the art show on Friday evening.

The remaining winning art pieces and artists are as follows:

2nd Place: Preston Stafford

An old woman sits hunched over a bowl of beads as she strings them into a necklace within the glowing rays of sunlight streaming through her window. Both the soft light and dark shadows exhibit a sharp contrast within the pencil sketch.

“When you look at it, there is a lot of strong contrasts with the darks and the lights,” he said. “You look at small pieces that may not make sense because they are not quite finished; but when you look at the entire thing, your brain puts it all together and you can see the image.”

Stafford started drawing when he was four years old. He recently joined the art guild earlier this spring to participate within the annual art show, in which he entered his black and white pencil sketch.

This particular sketch of his was inspired by artists such as Rembrandt, who specialized in creating contrasts between light and darkness within their portraits. This contrast inspired his own work, and allowed him to win second place.

“I was so extremely happy when I got off the elevator and saw that ribbon,” he said. “It was a pleasure to draw it, and I’m glad someone recognized it enough that I put a lot into it.”

3rd Place: Dana Daydoge

When Daydoge met a former Lake Alfred city commissioner dressed up in his finest hat, she knew right away that she wanted to paint him. What resulted won her third place.

Her watercolor paintings are more fractured in their apperance, making them look and feel almost like stained glass windows. What results is an art style truly unique to her.

Daydoge has been involved with the Bartow Art Guild for longer than she can remember. As a member of several guilds throughout the county and state, she loses track of how many and how long the has been a part of, she said.

For her, painting watercolors such as her award-winning piece are more than an outlet for her creativity. They are a way for her to relax and retreat from the outside world.

“It allows me to leave this world, to go to another time and place,” she said. “It is like meditation sometimes.”

4th Place: Mary Ann Blosser

Blosser created her portrait of a heron using a reference photograph she received from the Frostproof Art Gallery. She received permission from the artist to use it, and now she won fourth place for her entry. She also received People’s Choice for another entry of a butterfly.

Blosser has been a member of the guild for the past three years. She has participated in several workshops and has received plenty of advice from her fellow guild members since then.

From birds to butterflies, Blosser loves to craft her own creations based upon the creations of the Creator Himself, as she is highly inspired by nature and natural landscapes.

“I love what the Lord creates,” she said. “I love wildlife and landscape.”

Swan City Hair Celebrates Grand Opening With Ribbon Cutting

Staff Reporter

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October 22, 2019

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Swan City Hair Celebrates Grand Opening With Ribbon Cutting

by James Coulter

When you need a haircut, you don’t just want to find a place where you can get your hair trimmed. You want to find a place where you can take a quiet break from it all, a place to sit back and relax as you have your hair cleansed, exfoliated, and trimmed to your liking.

Swan City Hair offers just that. Located along South Florida Avenue, Lakeland’s newest hair salon offers a wide variety of hairstyling and beauty services, including hair coloring techniques. All of these services are provided in a hospitable setting that places customer comfort first, as it should be.

“In a true quality hair salon, quality should not only be seen and felt in the technical services, but also in the way business is generally conducted and people are treated,” its website states. “This quality must be produced daily with consistency.”

Aimee Dearing, the owner, is an American Board Certified Hair Colorist. She has more than ten years of experience providing such services as trimming, coloring, pedicures, and waxing. She previously offered these services as a worker. Now she’s providing them as the owner.

Dearing opened her new salon after purchasing it from the previous owner. She has since taken the old hair salon under her new management, refurbished and rebranded it, and opened it as her own business, Swan City Hair.

“It is really exciting to have my own place and continue to do what I do,” she said. “We are very experienced hair colorists. I am a board-certified colorist. So we have a lot of expertise and training that we do, we can try styles, and we love making people feel good.”

Styling hair runs within her family. Her great grandmother was a stylist who owned her own salon. So Dearing wanted to take up the family tradition by not only becoming a stylist herself, but opening up her own place.

Her new salon not only allows her to continue practicing her craft, but also offers customers a quiet reprieve from the outside world where they can relax while she and her other stylists attend to them and their needs.

“We have a very nice, calm, quiet experience here,” she said. “It is not very crowded. It is not loud and crazy. It is a very nice, calm experience for the ladies…I just want to be able to serve the Lakeland community. I really love it here, and I love doing hair and doing what I do every day.”

Swan Hair City officially opened last Thursday afternoon with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, with the ribbon cut by Lakeland Mayor, Bill Mutz.

Mutz himself did not know that the new business had been opened by Dearing, whom he had known as a friend ever since she was young. He is happy that the salon is under her new management, and thus in good hands.

“We are so glad to take a business that existed, spruce it up, and take it to the next level, and that is what you have done here,” Mutz said. “It offers all of us an opportunity for men and women to be able to come here. It is a very convenient location. So welcome and congrats. We wish you the very best.”

Joe Tedder, a Chamber Board Member, was also excited for the new salon opening. He joked that he would be an ideal customer, as it would only take less than ten minutes for him to have his hair styled.

“What a wonderful story of you working here and taking a jump to be a business owner,” he said. “That is what this Chamber is about, supporting businesses, being there for people to take that risk, the best success in the world, and we wish you the best.”

Swan City Hair is located at 4406 Florida Ave S #23, Lakeland, FL 33813. For more information, call 863-616-1100, or visit their website at: https://swancityhair.com/the-salon/

Homicide Investigation at Cambridge Cove Apartments in Lakeland

Lakeland

Staff Reporter

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October 22, 2019

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Homicide Investigation at Cambridge Cove Apartments in Lakeland

LAKELAND, FL (October 22, 2019) – On Monday, October 21, 2019, at approximately 3:55 p.m., officers were dispatched to Cambridge Cove Apartments, located at 1700 Cambridge Cove Pass, in reference to a shooting. Once on scene, they found a 19-year-old male in the parking lot that had been shot, with critical injuries. Lakeland Fire Department and Polk Fire Rescue arrived on the scene and began providing medical support. At 4:13 p.m., the victim was declared deceased by on-scene medical personnel.

According to witnesses, the victim, who was from out of town, was meeting someone in the parking lot of the apartment complex. Detectives believe that the victim knew his assailant; however, no suspect has been confirmed at this time.

At this time, detectives are asking anyone with information related to this case to call Sergeant Jason Perez at 863.834.8972 or email [email protected].

Additional updates will be released as more information becomes available.

34-Year-Old Marlon Tyrone Burgess Wanted For Attempted Murder

Staff Reporter

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October 22, 2019

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34-Year-Old Marlon Tyrone Burgess Wanted For Attempted Murder

Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives are looking for an attempted murder suspect: 34-year-old Marlon Tyrone Burgess is at large and is wanted for the attempted murder shooting of another man around midnight last night in the Dawn Heights Drive area in Lakeland. According to information gathered and witness and victim statements, Burges shot a 20-year-old man after they met at another location in Winter Haven and Burgess drove the two of them to the area. The two got out of the car and then Burgess shot him multiple times. They have known each other for about 3 or 4 months. The two were arguing according to the victim. The victim is in an area hospital in stable condition.

Burgess fled the scene in a 2013 white Dodge Challenger with a red stripe down the middle of the top of the vehicle (see attached photo). He may still be using the Dodge Challenger. Burgess is likely armed and is considered dangerous. His address is unknown. Anyone with information about his or the car’s whereabouts is encouraged to call local law enforcement, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200, 9-1-1 if it is an emergency, or Detective Det. Brittany Wright @ 863-499-2400, or if you have any information on his whereabouts and would like to remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward please call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477) or leave a web tip by clicking on the “Contact Us” box on our Facebook page or go to www.P3tips.com. The Heartland Crime Stoppers website is www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com.

Burgess was released from Florida State Prison in April of this year after serving a 15 year sentence for robbery with a weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, resisting an officer with violence, and battery on a law enforcement officer.

“Burges is dangerous. Please help us get him off the street and send him back to prison where he belongs. Please do not attempt to confront him. Call law enforcement.” Grady Judd, Sheriff

Lakeland Police Department Traffic Unit is Investigating a Car Vs Pedestrian Accident That Happened in the Early Morning Hours

Lakeland

Staff Reporter

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October 22, 2019

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Lakeland Police Department Traffic Unit is Investigating a Car Vs Pedestrian Accident That Happened in the Early Morning Hours

LAKELAND, FL (October 22, 2019) – On October 21, 2019, Lakeland Officers responded to Memorial Boulevard near the intersection of Interlachen Parkway at approximately 3:16 a.m. in response to a traffic crash involving a single vehicle and a pedestrian. Just prior to the crash, the pedestrian, later identified as 53-year-old Earl Kendall, was walking westbound on East Memorial Boulevard, in the outside travel lane. Kendall was wearing dark clothing and walking in an area not marked for pedestrian traffic. At the same time, a Chrysler 300 was traveling westbound on US 92 in the outside lane of travel. The driver, 49-year-old Eugene Haynes, saw Kendall in the roadway and swerved to the inside lane to try to avoid hitting him. Kendall also attempted to avoid impact but darted into the path of the Chrysler and was struck by the vehicle. Haynes immediately pulled over and remained at the scene.

The Lakeland Police Department Patrol Unit, Polk County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department all arrived and began to provide life-saving measures. Earl Kendall was declared deceased by on-scene medical personnel.

Members of the Traffic Homicide Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation. The roadway was shut down for approximately 3 1/2 hours with the assistance of the Florida Department of Transportation. The scene was photographed and processed for any follow-up investigation. At this time, neither speed nor impairment appears to be a factor in this crash. However, this remains an open investigation.

Driver identified as:

Eugene Haynes

DOB: 7/6/1970

Haines City, Florida

Vehicle: 2010 Chrysler 300

Pedestrian identified as:

Earl Dale Kendall (deceased)

DOB: 6/19/1966

Lakeland, FL

Update Regarding Tornado Damage in Polk County

Lakeland

Staff Reporter

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October 20, 2019

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Update Regarding Tornado Damage in Polk County:

All roads that were temporarily closed due to tree damage, downed power lines, and power line repairs are now open.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has established a mobile command center at the Mt. Tabor Baptist church, 3504 Mt Tabor Rd, Lakeland, FL 33810. Specially assigned deputy sheriff’s will be patrolling the areas damaged by the tornado overnight in northwest Polk County and during the day tomorrow to assist residents and provide security.

For tomorrow:

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Weekend Inmate work program will be focused on working in the damaged areas beginning tomorrow morning–two crews of weekend work inmates will be transported to the areas of Mt. Tabor Road and the neighborhood to the south, and the Kathleen Middle School area. Inmate work crews will be helping to clear debris and assist in removing fallen trees in the areas. The work crews should be on site by around 8:30 a.m. and will work through the morning and afternoon.

Weekend work inmates are sentenced by the courts to report to work on the weekends in lieu of being sentenced to serving in jail. It is an alternative to incarceration program.

North Lakeland Hit By Tornado Caused By Tropical Storm Nestor

Lakeland

Staff Reporter

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October 19, 2019

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North Lakeland Hit By Tornado Caused By Tropical Storm Nestor

Lakeland, Florida – An EF-0 tornado is believed to have touched down near Lakeland Linder International Airport and then followed a path across Interstate 4 going North into the Kathleen area.

Photos posted on Facebook, by Andrea Anderson show campers toppled over, debris in the roadway around Duff & Galloway Rd and the roof of Kathleen Middle School has damage.

An EF-0 tornado has wind speeds between 65-85 mph. The Polk County National Weather Service has Polk County under Tornado Watch until noon on Saturday.

Lakeland Electric message to customers: ” 10/19/2019 at 2AM: Late Friday night we experienced tornado damage in the western portion of our system. Currently, there are 9,461 customers without power in our service territory. Lakeland Electric crews are out restoring power as quickly and safely as possible. Line crews are facing multiple broken poles and wires down as they work to restore power.

You can stay informed with our outage map at www.lakelandelectric.com/outagemap and follow us for more updates.

Remember, do not go near fallen power lines or attempt to pull out debris from under or near fallen power lines – it is never safe to assume that a power line has no electricity. ”

We will update this article as more information is received.

Winter Haven Public Safety To Celebrate Florida City Government Week

Staff Reporter

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October 17, 2019

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Winter Haven Public Safety To Celebrate Florida City Government Week

Winter Haven Police Department Release:

Starting Monday, October 21 and running through October 26, Winter Haven Public Safety will celebrate Florida City Government Week by highlighting the various areas of Public Safety and interacting with the community in a variety of ways.

Starting Monday, October 21, there will be displays set up in the Winter Haven Public Library for Police, Fire and Code Compliance. These displays will highlight various aspects of the areas with literature, photos and even some times for meet & greets with members. These displays will be on hand until Friday, October 25.

Also, members will be participating at a variety of businesses throughout the week to include

Coffee With A Cop at Richard’s Coffee – Monday, Oct. 21, 7:30 – 9 am
Paint A Pumpkin with Public Safety at Chick-fil-A – Tuesday, Oct. 22, 5 – 7 p.m.
Lunch With Public Safety at Olive Garden (coupons will be handed out) – Wednesday, Oct. 23, 11:30 am – 1 pm
Supper with Public Safety at McDonalds (6th St NW) (Free Happy Meal with purchase of adult meal) Thursday, Oct. 24, 5:30 – 7 pm

Friday, we bring back our extremely popular Tweet The Public Safety Beat. We will give citizens a virtual ride along with Code Compliance, Police and Fire for a full day of interaction as our members work the calls through the day.

Saturday, we finish the week out with a Prescription Pill Take Back event at the Police Department from 10 am – 2 pm. There will also be “Behind The Scenes Mini Tours” for anyone who would like to see just what happens behind the doors of a Police Department. Stop in anytime between 10 am – 2 pm.

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