Watson Clinic Breaks Ground For Urgent Care South

Lakeland

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August 9, 2019

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Watson Clinic Breaks Ground For Urgent Care South

by James Coulter

South Lakeland residents will be able to seek immediate medical attention for minor injuries and illnesses once Watson Clinic builds and opens its Watson Clinic Urgent Care South facility next year.

Opening in January of 2020, Watson Clinic’s new facility, which will be adjacent to its main facility at North Park Frontage Road in Lakeland, will allow patients to have their minor health ailments treated without the need of an appointment, even after hours and on weekends, and especially through the convenience of same-day online appointment scheduling.

“Our walk-in care options – including our Urgent Care Main and XpressCare Highlands facilities – have become increasingly popular over the past few years,” says Watson Clinic Managing Partner Dr. Steven Achinger through a press release. “Our new Urgent Care South location will expand upon the level of convenience and expertise that our community demands and deserves.”

Dr. Achinger, along with several other Watson Clinic staff members and city officials, broke ground for the new facility during a ground-breaking ceremony hosted through the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz commended Watson clinic for its “wise strategic decision” to open its newest facility. He expects that the new clinic will help improve the health of local residents by providing them with immediate medical care for minor health problems.

“Watson Clinic has provided [an] unbelievably high quality of care to the citizens of Lakeland Florida since its inception and it continues to do so and beyond our city limits,” he said. “They are a wonderful partner with our city, and we are very, very grateful that you are here. For us, it is a strategic wise decision to see the quality of healthcare improve in our facility from a great group of citizens.”

Since 1941, Watson Clinic has strived to tend to the needs of its patients through 100-percent physician-led, physician-directed medical care, Dr. Achinger said. Such a commitment toward patient care has allowed them to grow in past years and become recognized as the most respected medical group in the Southeastern United States, he said.

Currently, their Lakeland group consists of 320 board-certified physicians and providers, with a highly-trained staff of over 1,700 employees working over 40 medical specialties from pediatric to geriatric care.

“The growth we have seen since that time tells us that we are doing something right,” he Dr. Achinger said. “We continue to grow as Lakeland grows, and we want to continue to provide the highest quality care for you and your families.”

Watson Clinic South is located at 1033 N Parkway Frontage Rd, Lakeland, FL 33803. For more information, call 863-647-8011, or visit https://www.watsonclinic.com/locations/1600-lakeland-hills-blvd-lakeland-fl.html

Root Beer Float Day Hosted By Courtyard Marriott In Winter Haven

Winter Haven

Staff Reporter

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August 8, 2019

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Root Beer Float Day Hosted By Courtyard Marriott In Winter Haven

by James Coulter

Courtyard by Marriott allowed local residents and visitors to raise a glass of root beer and vanilla ice cream to help raise money for Children’s Miracle Hospital on Tuesday.

In celebration of Root Beer Float Day on August 6, Marriott International hotel chains nationwide sold root beer floats with proceeds going towards local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

The annual event is hosted as a way to pay tribute to the hotel chain’s founders, Bill Marriott, Sr. and his wife, Alice, both of whom received their start selling root beer from two stands in Washington D.C., Marriott’s website states.

Marriott International hosts various fundraising events and initiatives throughout the year to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Last year alone, Marriott raised more than $15,000 through its fundraising efforts, its website states.

“We wouldn’t be the organization we are today without the support of Marriott as our longest-standing corporate partner,” said John Lauck, president and CEO, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals through a press release. “Marriott associates and guests are among the most passionate fundraisers we have.”

Courtyard by Marriott in Winter Haven used that event to not only raise funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Miracle Hospital, but also to allow the local community to become better acquainted with the hotel which opened earlier this year.

The overall event in Winter Haven was a slow start, but eventually picked up steam later following the end of the workday, with many people expressing interest of visiting for a float after work, explained Desiree Howell, Director of Sales for Courtyard by Marriott in Winter Haven.

Courtyard by Marriott is an upscale hotel that offers high-end amenities not often found in most other limited-service hotels, including a full bar, bistro, and market.

“We have not had a hotel with this caliber in Winter Haven, so we are excited about bringing in the Marriot name into Winter Haven,” Howell said. “The closest one is 25 miles away, so a lot of our travelers are excited that we have opened.”

Recently, the hotel has become a LEGOLAND Florida Resort Partner, which not only allows it to be listed upon the theme parks website, but also offers it the privilege of the hotel to be recommended to park guests in the off-chance that their own accommodations are filled, Howell said.

Howell feels confident that her company’s presence within the community will help stimulate the local economy. The fact that LEGOLAND Florida Resort is currently expanding its own accommodations with the LEGO Pirate Hotel proves that, she said.

“They are adding additional 150 rooms to their resort, so that will put 468 rooms in the market just through LEGOLAND,” she said. “So I think this market will grow mostly because of LEGOLAND being here.”

Courtyard by Marriot is located at 6225 Cypress Gardens Blvd, Winter Haven, FL 33884. For more information, call 863-292-3000, or visit their website at: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcocw-courtyard-winter-haven/

4 Polk County Residents Arrested In Statewide Racketeering & Money Laundering Ring

Staff Reporter

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August 8, 2019

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4 Polk County Residents Arrested In Statewide Racketeering & Money Laundering Ring

PCSO Press Release:

On Wednesday, August 7, 2019, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Identity Theft Strike Force Unit arrested four Polk County suspects and charged three other suspects who live in Miami via warrant – all of them have been working together since January 2019 committing racketeering, money laundering, and fraud at Gap, Inc. stores in 15 different Florida counties, using stolen credit cards from Chase Bank customers.

The investigation began in March 2019 when the Southeast and the North Florida Organized Retail Crime Managers for Gap, Inc. contacted PCSO in relation to the fraudulent transactions. PCSO detectives were provided with and reviewed the video surveillance and electronic journals from Gap, Old Navy, Athleta, and Banana Republic stores in 15 different Florida counties, and identified six suspects. The suspects were buying merchandise at the stores with stolen and/or fraudulent Chase Bank credit cards, then returning the merchandise to different Gap, Inc. stores and receiving refunds on their own personal credit cards.

The statewide prosecutor for the Office of the Attorney General Ashley Moody will be prosecuting the suspects, who are being charged with racketeering, conspiracy to violate the racketeering act, money laundering, cheating/gross fraud, grand theft, and dealing in stolen property. PCSO detectives obtained arrest warrants for six suspects, and a 7th was identified and arrested on August 7th while the arrest warrants were being served.

“Since the beginning of the year, these felons worked together to steal victims’ credit card information and used those credit cards to steal from retail stores. The four suspects in Polk are also receiving government assistance. We thank the professionals at Gap, Inc. for working with us to fight this kind of crime and the Statewide Prosecutor’s Office for their strong support. Racketeering and money laundering are very serious felonies. We will hold these criminals accountable.”–Grady Judd, Sheriff

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Retail theft hurts all consumers, as businesses often must build these losses into their budgets and pass costs on to consumers. Thanks to the great work of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and my statewide prosecutors, this organized retail crime ring is dismantled and the suspects will face justice. Criminals must know that fraud of any kind will not to be tolerated in our state, and I will continue to work with Florida’s great law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute criminals.”

The total confirmed loss is $87,500:

$63,430 loss for Gap, Inc., of which $4,108 occurred at the Lakeland Old Navy store
$24,070 loss to Chase Bank

The 67 stores that were hit are located in the following counties: Polk, Alachua, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Leon, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Sarasota, and Seminole. There were 568 total fraudulent transactions, 15 of which occurred at the Old Navy store in Lakeland, Polk County.

The 151 Chase Bank victims live in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The four suspects living in Polk County are:

Hakeem Leonard Abraham, DOB 11/27/1989, of Terranova Drive in Winter Haven; he has 8 prior felonies and 11 prior misdemeanors, including armed robbery, grand theft, resisting arrest, soliciting a prostitute, burglary, criminal mischief, drug possession, and disorderly conduct. He works with all six suspects in Polk and Miami. He and his girlfriend Britney Peacock moved to Polk County from Miami about a year ago.

Otis Bernard “Bee” Williams IV, DOB 12/18/1996, of Emerald Avenue in Lake Wales; he has 10 prior felonies and 8 prior misdemeanors, including kidnapping, aggravated battery on a pregnant woman, sexual battery, assault, domestic violence, drug possession, grand theft, dealing in stolen property, and VOP. He is the owner of Designer Kuts Barber Shop located at 217 North 1st Street in Lake Wales. His live-in girlfriend is Devonna Moore.

Devonna O’Shea Moore, DOB 4/11/1997, of Emerald Avenue in Lake Wales. Her live-in boyfriend is Otis “Bee” Williams.

Britney Peacock, DOB 4/9/1990, of Terranova Drive in Winter Haven. Her live-in boyfriend is Hakeem Abraham. When detectives arrived at Abraham’s house to serve his arrest warrant, Peacock was there and was recognized as the suspect seen on video surveillance committing crimes with him. She’s being charged with criminal conspiracy to violate racketeering act (F-1). She has 3 prior felonies and 3 prior misdemeanors, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and battery domestic violence.

Abraham, Williams, and Moore were also arrested on August 7, 2019, and booked into the Polk County Jail. They have all been charged with:

Racketeering (F-1)
Criminal conspiracy to violate racketeering act (F-1)
Money laundering (F-2)
Dealing in stolen property (F-2)
Cheating or gross fraud (F-3)
Grand theft (F-3)

The three suspects living in Miami are:

JD Jones, Jr., DOB 11/14/1987, of Southwest 149th Terrace in Miami; he has 49 prior criminal charges, including attempted murder, attempted strong arm robbery, battery, grand theft of a motor vehicle, drug possession, assault, resisting arrest, DWLSR, discharge of firearm on school property, disorderly conduct, tampering with evidence, grand theft, and illegal use of credit cards.

Jones has a Polk County warrant for his arrest, for:

Racketeering (F-1)
Criminal conspiracy to violate racketeering act (F-1)
Money laundering (F-2)
Dealing in stolen property (F-2)
Cheating or gross fraud (F-3)
Grand theft (F-3)

Calvin Andre Pinckney, Jr., DOB 02/06/1990, of NW 14th Avenue in Miami; he has 13 prior criminal charges, including grand theft, forgery, grand theft of a motor vehicle, fraud, identity theft, criminal use of personal ID, resisting arrest, and DWLSR.

Sha’quella Jewel Sykes, DOB 08/13/1992, of NW 77th Terrace in Miami; she has 14 prior charges, including trafficking in counterfeit devices, criminal use of personal ID, forgery, credit card fraud, resisting arrest, grand theft, possession of stolen credit card, and retail theft. She is currently on federal probation.

Pinckney and Sykes have Polk County warrants for their arrests, for:

Racketeering (F-1)
Criminal conspiracy to violate racketeering act (F-1)
Money laundering (F-2)

Original Release:

Sheriff Grady Judd will brief the media at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 8, 2019, about a statewide racketeering and money laundering investigation that resulted in seven (7) arrest warrants. Four of the seven suspects live in Polk County and have been arrested.

Detectives worked with Organized Retail Crime Managers for a major retail chain to identify the suspects responsible for 568 fraudulent transactions at 67 different stores in 15 Florida counties. There are 151 confirmed credit card victims in 15 different states. The total financial loss is $87,500.00.

The four Polk suspects are in the Polk County Jail and will have a first appearance hearing at 1:00 p.m. this afternoon. The three other suspects out-of-county have Polk County warrants for their arrests.

Man Has Pants Stolen By Masked Gunmen After Being Shot Outside Howard Johnsons In Lakeland

Lakeland

Staff Reporter

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August 7, 2019

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Man Has Pants Stolen By Masked Gunmen After Being Shot Outside Howard Johnsons In Lakeland

Lakeland Police Department Release

On Sunday, August 4, 2019, at approximately 10:33 a.m., officers responded to the Howard Johnson, located at 939 W Robson Street, in reference to a person who had been shot. Upon arrival, officers made contact with a 37-year-old male who advised that he was approached by two masked men, armed with pistols. The men shot the victim and then took his pants that contained personal items and a large amount of cash before fleeing the area. The victim was transported to Lakeland Regional Health for medical treatment.

The two suspects had waited approximately two hours in the parking lot for the victim to leave his room

and go to his vehicle.

The suspects are believed to have been traveling in a red/burgundy 2018-2019 Nissan Murano.

If you have any information on this incident, please contact Detective Alejandro Urra at 863.834.8951. To

remain anonymous, and possibly be eligible for a reward, contact Heartland

Crime Stoppers Florida. You can call 1-800-226 TIPS (8477), visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and

click on “Submit A Tip,” or download the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.

All 40 Lanes Filled At Cypress Lanes For Inagural Humane Society Bowlarama

Winter Haven

Staff Reporter

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August 7, 2019

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All 40 Lanes Filled At Cypress Lanes For Inagural Humane Society Bowlarama

by James Coulter

All 40 bowling lanes at Cypress Lanes were sold out and filled for the first-ever Bowlarama fundraiser hosted by the Humane Society of Polk County on Sunday.

During the inaugural fundraiser, attendees could have the proceeds of their bowling game go directly towards benefiting the Humane Society of Polk County, one of the only no-kill animal shelters in Central Florida.

The event also allowed attendees to donate towards a good cause by purchasing tickets for various raffles and 50/50 drawings for prizes donated by local businesses and charities. They could also enjoy a complimentary buffet with food items including pizza, chicken wings, sub sandwiches, Italian-style meatballs, and cocktail hot dogs among many other appetizers.

Overall, for this being the very first event hosted at Cypress Lanes, Bowlarama drew in a full house with every single lane being completely sold out within the first hour, explained Lisa Baker, Humane Society Executive Director.

“It exceeded our expectations,” she said. “Our goal is to raise money for the animals and to get the community involved. This is a fun way for people to get involved who like to bowl, who just love animals, to come out and participate. This is another new way to do that.”

The Humane Society of Polk County recently opened their new fourth location along Dundee Road in Winter Haven, down the street from Cypress Lanes. Proceeds from this event will go towards covering its operating expenses. Approximately $1,500 a day goes towards operating the shelter, explained Beth Koon, Humane Society President.

The Humane Society regularly hosts many fundraising events throughout the year and within the county. So popular have these events proven that many people focus their schedules one them, Koon said.

“What we aim for is that we have many fundraisers throughout the community, and people actually set their calendars by our fundraisers, because we love to have fun and raise money for the animals,” she said.

Not only was this event their first bowling event, but also their first event not-specifically targeted towards adults, explained Tracey Greene, Past Humane Society President.

Greene herself participated that afternoon, not only as a member of the Humane Society, but also with her participating team from Today and Tonight Magazine, which helped promote the event.

“We are a big supporters of the humane society for our 16 years, and it is one of our favorite organizations to be a part of, and we are out here enjoying fellowship with others who love animals,” she said.

With people playing in every single lane, the inaugural Bowlarama more than exceeded initial expectations, setting the bar even higher for a bigger, better event next year, Greene explained.

“This is a great event for us, and we hope that more people will join us next year so we have a bigger turnout,” she said. “Even if you didn’t bowl, you can have something to enjoy the event and the food buffet.”

Humane Society of Polk County is located at 3195 Dundee Rd, Winter Haven, FL 33881. For more information, call 863-324-5227, or visit their website at: https://www.humanesocietyofpolkcounty.org/

More Than 3,000 Children Given School Supplies And Groceries At Summerpalooz

Staff Reporter

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August 7, 2019

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More Than 3,000 Children Given School Supplies And Groceries At Summerpalooza

by James Coulter

Many low-income residents in Lakeland now have book bags filled with school supplies for their children and refrigerators filled with fresh food for their families after attending Summerpalooza on Saturday.

Hundreds of children and their families lined up in the Jenkins Arena at the RP Funding Center for a chance to fill up grocery carts filled with fresh produce and other groceries donated by local organizations and businesses such as Publix.

Young attendees that day could also prepare themselves for their first day of school with free haircuts, hair designs, nail polishing, and even massages provided by volunteers. They and their families also received a free meal including a hot dog and drink.

More than 3,000 local residents pre-registered for the annual back to school event hosted by New Beginnings High School in Winter Haven, with more than 3,500 attendees turning out that day, explained CEO Ashlee Wright. Such a huge turnout was a major increase of last year’s event, which saw more than 1,000 families attendee.

With so many people attending this year, it was fortunate that the event was being hosted within the RP Funding Center, a much larger venue than last year’s location at Simpson Park Community Center.

For Wright, there’s nothing she loves more than seeing local families, especially with young children, walk away with food and supplies that they otherwise would have done without. Being able to make a big difference in her community like that is always worth it, she said.

“It is great to service the community and make sure we are showing love,” she said. “I love seeing the little babies when they get these groceries and the backpacks. There is nothing like it in the world…We look forward to next year and more community support to make it bigger and better.”

More than a dozen local organizations participated with booths set up within the arena, allowing attendees to peruse their many services. Participating that day were such organizations as the PACE Center for Girls, the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK), and even the Aerospace Discovery at the Florida Air Museum.

Carol Cali, Director of Marketing for Sun N’ Fun, and her colleauges attended the event for the first time that year to offer children an opportunity to hop inside the cockpit of one of their planes and talk with local pilots and mechanics. As her organization is dedicated to youth education, she felt that the event was an ideal opportunity to provide outreach for their museum and youth programs.

“We think it is absolutley fantastic, we love to have it be the start of many opportunities to work together with the community at large,” she said. “I think when talking with the different parents, they seem to be very happy…for us getting the word out about the opportunities we have in the community.”

Jesikynn Pfeiffer, Outreach Coordinator for PACE Center, attended that day with her organization to offer encouragement to young girls with their mirror, which included inspiring words etched in the corner.

As her organization helps at-risk young women pursue an education within a safe learning environment, they had a great opportunity to reach out to many prospective students, with at least ten people expressing interest, she said.

“We have been coming to this event since it started, and it is a great way to reach the community,” she said. “We already received ten referrals. So we might be able to change the lives of then more girls in the county.”

Help Winter Haven Police Department Identify Walmart Thief

Staff Reporter

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August 7, 2019

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Help Winter Haven Police Department Identify Walmart Thief

Release by Winter Haven Police Department

Do you know anyone with a new Vizio 36″ Speaker? This guy took one from Walmart (7450 Cypress Gardens Blvd.)… you guessed it, without paying. Grabbed the speaker and walked out of the auto area without a glimpse at the cash register.
If you recognize him, call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477) Callers are guaranteed anonymity and could be eligible for a CASH reward.

Elderly Kissimmee Man Arrested In Death Of His Elderly Wife

Staff Reporter

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August 6, 2019

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Elderly Kissimmee Man Arrested In Death Of His Elderly Wife

PCSO Press Release:

On Monday, August 5, 2019, PCSO detectives arrested 85-year-old Jose Tavera of Kissimmee (the mailing address is Kissimmee, but the residence is on the Polk side of Poinciana) and charged him with first degree murder in the death of his 90-year-old common-law wife.

The PCSO Emergency Communications Center (ECC) received a call around 5:50 a.m. on August 5th, in reference to a suspicious person standing in the middle of the roadway at Marigold Avenue and Bell Tower Crossing in Poinciana. The person was described by the caller as an older male wearing a white T-shirt.

When deputies arrived on-scene, they made contact with the man, identified as Jose Tavera. He had blood on his shirt and hands, and could not tell deputies where he lived, and was not making sense. While PCFR transported him to a local hospital, deputies responded to his home on Martin Lane in Kissimmee.

When deputies arrived at his home, they found the garage door up, and the door leading into the home partially open. Deputies announced their presence but received no response. They entered the home and found Hilda Roman deceased in the master bedroom. There were no signs of forced entry.

Hilda was laying on her back, wearing a nightgown, with obvious trauma on her face, head, arms, and wrists. There was a wooden side table on top of her. She had bruising and lacerations consistent with being beaten. According to family members, Hilda and Jose are not legally married but have lived together for over 60 years.

Detectives interviewed Tavera and observed dried blood under his fingernails on both hands, and he appeared to be shaken and upset.

During the interview, Jose told detectives he was not under the influence of any medications, was healthy, and that he knew what day it was. He said he didn’t have a home and just walked the streets. He also said he did not have a phone or a car. He said he did not know Hilda Roman. When he was asked what was on his fingernails, he said it was paint and explained a guy called him to do a painting job in Orlando. When he was asked what phone the guy called him on, he changed his story and said the guy ran into him on the street. Jose could not provide any further details regarding the painting job. Jose was shown photographs of Hilda and the residence located on Martin Lane in Kissimmee – he said he had never seen Hilda before and he did not know the residence. Jose then said that detectives were trying to accuse him of something happening at that residence. When asked what detectives were trying to accuse him of he said, “I’m not a murderer.” Jose then stopped responding to questions.

Tavera was arrested and charged with first degree murder and booked into the Polk County Jail.

Tavera has been Baker Acted and is in a local medical facility, and as such, he does not have a mugshot.

Tech tuesday: How the Cloud allowed Hacker to obtain sensitive consumer information from Capitol One and How you can protect your organization

Staff Reporter

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August 6, 2019

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How the Cloud allowed Hacker to obtain sensitive consumer information from Capitol One and How you can protect your organization.

It is no surprise that many organizations are moving their on premise data infrastructure to the cloud. With ease of management, lower costs, and less infrastructure overhead it just makes financial sense. Reading headline news you will see that the latest data breech exposed the personal information of approximately 106 million of Capitol One’s customers. It is reported that this data was accessed from Capitol One’s Cloud instance of AWS web services by utilizing an exploit that was caused by a misconfigured firewall. The question is how or could this breech have been avoided?

Executives and Information Technology leaders have recognized that there is financial and operation advantage of moving server infrastructure offsite and into the cloud. The simple fact that you no longer have to manage hardware such as process servers, storage infrastructure, and the dreaded backups is reason enough for most to leverage cloud infrastructure. To further drive the decision, the cloud has enticed organizations to make the move by making it appear overall cheaper and creating a win/win for the business.

Because of the reduced overhead of managing on premise physical infrastructure many organizations are able to reduce staff or redirect staff to work on automation projects that will streamline business process and increase overall profitability. While on the surface this appears to be a win for the organization it can ultimately have negative impacts on the business.

The harsh reality is many Information Technology professionals simply do not understand how cloud infrastructures work. Most see it as this great pie in the sky that can reduce operational duties, which it can. However, if your cloud infrastructure is not setup properly your organization could be exposed to greater cyber risks. This is exactly how Capitol One suffered a cyber-breech.

The Cyber attacker took advantage of a misconfigured open-source web application firewall in Capitol One’s AWS instance. The misconfiguration in the web application firewall allowed the attacker to take advantage of a vulnerability that allowed the attacker to trick the firewall into executing metadata scripts to request data from the server. This led to the exfiltration of data that affected customers. Reported so far are 140,000+ social security numbers and 80,000+ account numbers of US based customers.

At the end of the day it is a little unknown fact that setting up cloud infrastructures require intimate knowledge of how cloud infrastructures function. Information Technology professionals that work with cloud infrastructure typically have direct knowledge of how cloud security works, what services/systems are exposed to the internet, and how to protect the environment.

The best method to ensure your systems are safe and secure in the cloud is to have someone with specialized cloud infrastructure knowledge. If you are looking for support or would like someone to take a second look at your cloud infrastructure, please feel free to reach out for a free consultation.

You can reach me at [email protected] or 863-734-8060.

Convicted Felon Behind Bars After Leading Authorities On Wild Ride Through City

Staff Reporter

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August 6, 2019

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Convicted Felon Behind Bars After Leading Authorities On Wild Ride Through City

Release by Winter Haven Police Department:

On 8-5-19 at approximately 10:30 p.m., Winter Haven Police received information that a vehicle with convicted felon 22 year-old Jaquel Fleming (Bentley Oaks Blvd, Auburndale, FL) had fled an earlier traffic stop that was attempted by the Auburndale Police Department. Officers had been made aware that the occupant was Fleming, a convicted felon, and had a warrant for his arrest on Aggravated Battery and Armed Burglary charges from Auburndale.

Winter Haven officers spotted the black Nissan Juke traveling at a high rate of speed entering the city limits of Winter Haven at Hwy 92 and Hwy 17. Officers kept a safe distance while keeping a visual on the vehicle as he traveled south on Hwy 17 with speeds exceeding 90 mph. As the vehicle approached the intersection of Havendale Blvd. and Hwy 17, the light was red for southbound traffic. Fleming jumped the curb driving erratically around vehicles and ran the red light continuing south on Hwy 17. There were no crashes at this location.

Fleming then turned right at Ave. L SW, traveled down 8th St and then to Lake Howard Dr., when numerous officers in the area activated emergency lights in another attempt to initiate the traffic stop. At this point, Fleming turned off his headlights while continuing to travel at a high rate of speed through the intersection of Ave. D and Hwy 17 and on through the City. With the assistance of the Polk County Sheriff’s Officer air unit, the pilot continued to inform officers on the ground of where Fleming was traveling and also reported the traffic conditions ahead. Fleming continued speeding through red lights and stop signs where he struck a vehicle at 6th St NW and Central Ave. There was minor damage and no injuries to the other driver. Fleming then continued driving erratically throughout the City until he crashed into a fence and a fire hydrant at 3rd St NE and Ave Q NE.

Fleming, the sole occupant of the car, ran from the vehicle ignoring all commands to stop. Inside of the vehicle on the driver’s seat officers found a loaded Smith and Wesson 40 caliber handgun.

A perimeter was set up with Winter Haven and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and with the assistance of K-9 Bane and his partner Officer Doyle, Fleming was located inside of another vehicle at a residence located on 2nd St NE. Fleming was then taken into custody without further incident.

“This is a perfect example of how cooperation between agencies helped to capture the bad guy,” said Public Safety Director and Police Chief Charlie Bird. “With our agencies being on the same radio channel, there was no time lost trying to decipher where the vehicle was. Auburndale, PCSO and our officers were all communicating together, which was paramount to the successful outcome.”

Fleming, who is a convicted felon, was booked into the Polk County Jail on Winter Haven charges of Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon (F.S.S. 790.23(1)(A) F2; Fleeing to Elude LEO with Lights/Sirens Activated (F.S.S. 316.1935(2) F3: Resisting Arrest W/O Violence (F.S.S. 843.02) M1; Knowing Driving While License Suspended/Revoked (F.S.S. 322.34(2) M2; and Reckless Driving 1st Offense (F.S.S. 316.192(2)(A) M2

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