Hope Equine Rescue Celebrates Ribbon Cutting In Winter Haven

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August 6, 2019

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Hope Equine Rescue Celebrates Ribbon Cutting In Winter Haven

As seen in Winter Haven Daily Print Publication

by James Coulter

Approximately 6,000 to 10,000 horses are housed by rescue services at any given time in America, according to data by the Unwanted Horse Coalition. One such rescue in Winter Haven is doing its part to ensure that their horses are given a good home.

Located in Winter Haven, Equine Hope Rescue operates a 10-acre ranch where it keeps at-risk horses and donkeys of all breeds and sizes, taking care of them and helping them find a good and loving home.

The organization had been in operation for nearly a decade. Upon outgrowing its original Auburndale farm, they moved to a new location off of Dundee Road in Winter Haven, where they currently house 40 horses.

Having been at their new location for more than a year, Equine Hope Rescue celebrated its ribbon cutting last Thursday during an open house hosted by the Northeast Polk Chamber of Commerce. Guests could take a tour of the facility, as well as enjoy light refreshments and participate within raffle drawings.

Dani Horton, President of Equine Hope Rescue, has been raising horses with her family all of her life, and has been a breeder and national competitor for several years. Nearly a decade ago, her family had been contacted by concern citizens about horses that were mistreated and need of a new home.

“I started doing some research, and found that there was no place in this area for those horses to go,” she said. “There wasn’t anything here to take care of those horses that were unwanted or abused or neglected. So I think I would do a horse rescue.”

Her rescue started with a couple horses, and now currently takes care of nearly 40 horses. Helping her organization are a dedicated team of 180 volunteers, all of whom go above and beyond to help care for the horses. All of their operations are funded through private donations, with no state or federal government funding.

“We have an amazing team,” she said. “We work really, really hard to do the best that we can for the horses in our community…We take the resources that we have, and utilize the best that we can with them, so I am glad that you are done with us tonight, to see what you do, to see our team, and see our horse.”

Many of the horses at their facility are sent to them through the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Sometimes these horses are lost or abandoned, while other times they are retrieved through a criminal case, explained Deputy Sheriff Laurie Smith.

Without Hope Equine Rescue, these horses would be placed in auction. By taking in these at-risk horses and helping find them new homes, the rescue provides a valuable service to the local community, Smith said.

“Dani is always accommodating and takes in the horses that we take in, whether it is a criminal case or a lose animal or just an abandoned animal,” she said. “The program is absolutley amazing, and we really appreciate everything equine does for Polk County.”

Helping ensure that these horses get a second chance is Adoption Director Cat Madden. She goes through the applications to ensure that the homes and horses are right for one another, she said.

Whenever they receive horses from the Sheriff’s Office, the animals are often underweight and mistreated with severe issues. Fortunately, her organization helps take good care of them to make sure they are healthy once again and ready for adoption.

“I love it all,” she said. “I love coming out here to clean the stalls, and water buckets so the horses have clean stalls to stand in, also the grooming aspect, training, and also contacting the people who are looking to adopt them. We have a nice facility that is unbelievable, it is awesome.”

Hope Equine Rescue is located at 3805 High St NE, Winter Haven, FL 33881. For more information, call 863-287-7503, or visit their website at: https://hopeequinerescue.com/

Officer Involved Shooting in Winter Haven While Suspect Flees Custody

Winter Haven

Staff Reporter

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August 5, 2019

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Officer Involved Shooting in Winter Haven While Suspect Flees Custody

WHPD Press Release:

On August 4, 2019, at approximately 2:07 a.m., Winter Haven officers responded to a suspicious vehicle call at Cambridge Square Apartments (208 Cambridge Sq. SE, Winter Haven). When officers arrived, they located a silver Volkswagen Passat with four occupants inside.

One officer approached the driver’s door while another officer was standing at the front of the vehicle. As the officer at the driver’s door attempted to make contact with the driver, 23 year-old Douglas Davis, Jr. (DOB 9-21-95,115 Ave. E SE, Winter Haven) started acting strangely and reached down under his seat.

The officer attempted to get Davis out of the car when he hit the gas forcing the car into the path of the officer standing at the front of the vehicle. Fearing for his life, the officer fired through the windshield striking a backseat passenger in the shoulder.

The driver fled the area at a high rate of speed ultimately coming to a stop after the car was disabled when it jumped a curb at the corner of Ave. F SW and Fourth St SE, approximately a quarter of a mile away. Davis and two of the passengers ran from the vehicle leaving the injured back seat passenger inside of the vehicle. Officers located one juvenile female hiding in nearby bushes and a second juvenile male turned himself into the Winter Haven Police Department. Davis has still not been located and a warrant for his arrest has been obtained.

The injured male who was in the backseat was transported to Lakeland Regional Health with non-life-threatening injuries.

As per procedure, the officer is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is conducting the criminal investigation and Winter Haven Internal Affairs is conducting the policy investigation.
The officer involved is Vic Ramos, 28 years-old, and has been employed with the Winter Haven Police Department since December of 2017.

** Photos obtained from Walmart of Davis just prior to the initial encounter at Cambridge Apartments.

More Than 500 Bags Of School Supplies Given At Inagural Blast Off Bartow Back to School Bash

Bartow

Staff Reporter

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August 5, 2019

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More Than 500 Bags Of School Supplies Given At Inagural Blast Off Bartow Back to School Bash

by James Coulter

More than 500 local children won’t be going back to school empty-handed thanks to the book bags of school supplies given to them during the inaugural Blast Off Bartow Back to School Bash on Saturday.

Countless children and their families gathered at the Carver Community Center last Saturday to wait in line for a chance to receive a book bag filled with donated school items. They also received a brown paper bag with a hot lunch consisting of hot dogs, chips, and drinks.

After receiving their free school supplies, attendees could engage in various other activities, including playing around in bounce houses, listening to live musical entertainment, playing basketball and Zumba exercises, and listening to storytellers.

More than a dozen local organizations set up booths and vendors within the gymnasium, where attendees could peruse and check out their goods and services. Participants included the Bartow Public Library and the Grant Career & Technical Education (GCTE) Center.

The event was the first collaboration between three major local organizations—Snapping Turtles, All For One, and Endless Abilities—as well as a few small local churches. As most local organizations often host a back to school event each year, these three decided to combine their efforts and provide one large community event, explained Shandrin Tollie, President of All For One.

The rainy forecast that day may have hampered their plans for grander outdoor activities, but overall, the very first event that Saturday went off without a hitch, drawing in hundreds of local residents from across the community, Tollie said.

“The rain always is an issue; but beyond that, the turnout is great,” he said. “Parents are out with the kids having fun…I am satisfied [with] this being the first one, and the future looks bright…The more we do this, the more people will get involved, and we are going to try to make it really big.”

Anthony Nettles, Polk County President of Snapping Turtles, has been hosting his own back-to-school event with his organization. Being able to team up with two other local organizations not only tripled their community outreach, but also furthered their own mission statement, he said.

“It has more than exceeded our expectations,” he said. “It is for our goal and our mission to give back to the community, and we are doing just that.”

Resheka Harris, CEO of Endless Abilities, works through her organization to further their goal of fostering community inclusion for individuals with disabilities, aiding them, their families, and their caregivers on their path for independent living.

As with the other participating organizations that day, she and her organization wanted to combine their efforts to help provide local children with school supplies and offer them a fun summer diversion before the upcoming start of the school year.

The end of July saw more than 400 people pre-register for the event, with more than 500 expected to have attended that day, Harris said.

“I am enjoying it so much so that I am not even tired,” she said. “I just feel like I am enjoying myself with everyone else. I am happy to be out here today.”

Eye Specialists Of Mid-Florida Opens New Location In Auburndale

Auburndale

Staff Reporter

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August 5, 2019

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Eye Specialists Of Mid-Florida Opens New Location In Auburndale

by James Coulter

Auburndale residents no longer need to drive all the way to Lakeland or Winter Haven for their eye care needs now that Eye Specialists Of Mid-Florida has opened a new location in their hometown.

Eye Specialists Of Mid-Florida opened its eighth Polk County location with its newest branch in Auburndale, located in the former location of Kerry’s Clock Resturant along US Highway 92.

Connie Richards, CEO, said that her company’s newest branch will offer the same level of quality service, excellent patient care, and a wide selection of eyewear that their customers have come to expect with overall greater accessibility through their new location.

“We have a lot of patients in this area that we wanted to serve,” she said, claiming that their expectations are to provide “the convenience and access to our patients, for them to be able to come in and visit us, to be able to take it up a notch here in Auburndale in this building and just serve our patients and hopefully get new patients.”

Eye Specialists Of Mid-Florida celebrated their grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Auburndale Chamber of Commerce. Following the cutting of the ribbon, guests could take a look around the new facility and help themselves to some light refreshments.

For the past 50 years, Eye Specialists of Mid-Florida has been providing patients with a wide selection of eyewear, including prescription and non-prescription, as well as services for ophthalmology, optometry, and cataract surgery.

“Our eye doctors and staff are committed to providing the highest quality and most technologically advanced eye care in a compassionate, friendly, comfortable atmosphere,” their website states.

Their new Auburndale branch is built upon the former location of Kerry’s Clock Resturant, which was sold and demolished less than a year ago. Dr. Daniel Welch, Managing Partner, said that his company became interested in the location once it became available.

“We wanted to expand our service area to all of the local patients in the area,” he said. “It is a very busy spot [in a] high traffic area. People are moving in. Someone was just telling me that there are several hundred families moving in each month into this area.”

Dr. Welch has been with Eye Specialists for the past 35 years since 1980. Having worked with them for that long, he knows that his fellow staff and colleagues are committed to providing customers and patients with only the best care available.

Dr. David Loewy, who has been working with the company for 32 years, likewise attests to his company’s overall commitment towards optimal patient care, which he expects to help offer in their new location.

“We are hoping to bring our level of eye care to Auburndale and serve the community,” he said. “Our mission is to provide high quality and the most technological advanced eye care with compassion and integrity.”

As the new location resides within the former location of Kerry’s Clock Resturant, a portrait of the old restaurant, along with other local landmarks, have been posted within the office to maintain a feeling of paternity for the local community.

“The city itself is beautiful, and we thought it would be a good position for us,” Richards said. “We are very involved in the local community that we serve, so we get involved in fundraising, supporting sports event, participating within the chamber of commerce. We are very active in all that.”

Eye Specialists Of Mid-Florida is located at 202 Magnolia Ave, Auburndale, FL 33823. For more information, visit their website at: https://www.eyesfl.com/

Pedestrian Struck and Killed in Mulberry Saturday Night

Staff Reporter

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August 5, 2019

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Pedestrian Struck and Killed in Mulberry Saturday Night

PCSO Press Release:

The PCSO Traffic Unit is investigating a traffic fatality that occurred Saturday night in Mulberry during which an adult pedestrian was struck and killed.

Preliminary information so far is as follows:

Around 9:20 p.m. on Saturday, August 3, 2019, the PCSO ECC received a 911 call from 48-year-old Joseph Lauriano of Tampa, who said he was driving his red Dodge Ram pickup truck westbound on SR 60 near Bailey Road when he struck a man who was walking across SR 60, propelling the man into the grass median. When first responders arrived, the pedestrian was deceased.

The pedestrian was 46-year-old Miguel Hernandez of Mulberry. He and a 12-year-old boy were walking across SR 60 near the intersection with Bailey Road and were in the inside lane when another driver, who was in front of the Dodge truck, swerved into the outside lane to avoid hitting them both.

Lauriano, who was behind that car and also driving in the inside lane, also swerved in an attempt to avoid hitting the pair, but was unable to avoid hitting Hernandez. After he was struck, he was propelled into the grass median. The boy was not injured.
Lauriano immediately stopped to render aid and dial 911. The first driver who swerved also stopped and gave her statement to deputies.

Hernandez and the boy are not related but both live in trailers within a trailer park nearby, and were walking to a food truck on the opposite side of SR 60.

Hernandez was wearing dark clothing. There is no cross walk where they were crossing the highway.

Impairment on the part of Lauriano is not suspected. The investigation is ongoing. The westbound lanes of SR 60 were closed for approximately four hours in that area.

National Weather Service Issues Flood Warning For Parts Of Polk County

Polk County

Staff Reporter

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August 2, 2019

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National Weather Service Issues Flood Warning For Parts Of Polk County

Areal Flood Warning

New Alert

POLK FL- 722 PM EDT FRI AUG 2 2019

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR… SOUTHEASTERN POLK COUNTY IN CENTRAL FLORIDA…

* UNTIL 915 PM EDT.

* AT 719 PM EDT, DOPPLER RADAR AND AUTOMATED RAIN GAUGES INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS PRODCUING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER THE AREA. THE RAIN WILL CAUSE FLOODING. AUTOMATED GAUGES IN THE AREA HAVE REPORTED 4 TO 9 INCHES OF INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE… LAKE WALES, CROOKED LAKE PARK, HILLCREST HEIGHTS, HIGHLAND PARK AND BABSON PARK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS, COUNTRY ROADS, FARMLAND, AND OTHER LOW LYING SPOTS.

PLEASE REPORT FLOODING TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY

Sheriff’s Deputies Respond To Calls Of Shot’s Fired At Poinciana Walmart – Determine No Shots Fired

Poinciana

Staff Reporter

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August 2, 2019

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Sheriff’s Deputies Respond To Calls Of Shot’s Fired At Poinciana Walmart – Determine No Shots Fired

Poinciana, Florida – The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of shot’s being fired at the Walmart on Pleasant Hill Rd. in Poinciana. According to Jacob Ruiz, Public Information Officer for the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, they received multiple calls of shots fired at the Poinciana Walmart. Deputies responded and cleared the store and made contact with several subjects who were involved in an altercation. At this time it has been determined that an altercation took place where a firearm was possibly brandished, but there were no shots fired and there are no injuries, deputies are still investigating.

We will update this article as more information is released.

Two Winter Haven Boxing Club Members Qualify For State Championships

Winter Haven

Staff Reporter

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August 2, 2019

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Two Winter Haven Boxing Club Members Qualify For State Championships

by James Coulter

One is a boxing coach from Clermont with more than 12 years of experience under his belt. The other is an up-and-coming with less than six years of experience.

Both boxers traveled to Tampa to fight in one of the biggest matches in the area. Both walked away with the chance to move on to the state championships later this year.

Two Winter Haven Boxing Club members won their respective matches on July 27 at Saturday Night Brawl, hosted at the Yuengling Center by Alessi Promotions.

James T Taylor, 36, from Clermont, and Iron Alvarez, 25, Lakeland, both won big that evening against their opponents, and have thus qualified to compete in the upcoming state championships later this year.

Under the guidance of their coach, Marco Fazzini, both of the boxers have been able to fine-tune their boxing prowess and skills, allowing them to achieve their victory that Saturday evening.

“I think they both did well…through their hard work and [by] listening well [to me] in the corner,” Fazzini said. “We have some big wins, we are going to box soon and hopefully earn in September and keep fighting.”

Here is the profile and story behind both winning boxing club members:

James T. Taylor

When Taylor stepped into the ring to face his opponent, he did not know what to expect. Most professional matches allow participants to learn about their opponent beforehand. But for this match, Taylor knew nothing beforehand, neither his strengths, nor his weaknesses.

However, while Taylor may have entered the match without being well-informed, he was still well-prepared, having trained hard before hand to ensure that he was on his A-game.

Once the bell rang starting the match, Taylor took some time to study his opponent’s moves and patterns. Once he had a good impression of his opponent, he was able match him and his moves quite flawlessly.

“First time I had seen [him], I could get a visual of how he moves, and then I got in the ring with him and feeling him out a little bit, and I could tell that I could pick him apart and overpower him,” he said.

Taylor quickly noticed that his opponent couldn’t deflect his attacks from the left, so he quickly spammed attacks from that direction, and in no time flat, he had won via knockout.

“J.T. seemed to have rushed into the fight, but he learned to pick up his rhythm and he took the guy out pretty easy the second round,” his coach, Fazzini, said.

Born and raised in Columbus, GA, Taylor has been boxing since 2004. Over the past 15 years since then, he has gained enough experience boxing professionally that he opened his own gym in Clermont.

Even serving as a coach himself, Taylor proves that you can still teach an old dog new tricks as he joined the Winter Haven Boxing Club five years ago. Since then, like iron being sharpened by iron, he began to improve his skills under the watch of coach Fazzini.

“I liked the way he coached,” Taylor said. “I have much respect for him, and I decided this is the person I was going to use to help me get to where I need to be with, and I have been working with him ever since. It has been one of the best partnerships thus far.”

Iron Alvarez

When Alvarez faced his own opponent during his match, this Lakeland native only had about six years of boxing experience under his belt. Nevertheless, through eight wins by knockout, he was able to gain victory and qualify for the state championship this December.

“Everyone had expected a good and long fight from [my opponent] because he has more experience than I do; but I trained hard and often, and I overcame him,” he said.

As someone who started shadowboxing in his basement, he quickly entered the boxing scene six year ago when he joined the Winter Haven Boxing Club under the tutelage of Fazzini. Since then, he has learned more about the sport and gained enough skills for his big fight on Saturday.

“When I started boxing, I didn’t know anything about it. Now I know,” he said. “I love the training here. We treat each other like family.”

Since becoming a full-time boxer two years ago, he has spending whatever free time he has after work training hard in the gym. Since then, he has gained muscle as well as prowess, to the point where there is no challenge he does not feel he cannot overcome.

“I face no challenges because I love it boxing, I love training hard,” he said. “I became stronger, not losing any weight. [I will] keep on training, fighting, and winning until I become a world champion.”

Ongoing Drainage Repairs Keep Old Berkley Road Closed Another Week

Staff Reporter

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August 2, 2019

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Ongoing Drainage Repairs Keep Old Berkley Road Closed Another Week

(August 2, 2019) — Polk County will keep Old Berkley Road in northern Auburndale for another week to complete the replacement of a failing drainage pipe beneath the roadway just north of the Lake Tennessee boat ramp. Stormy weather and material delivery issues have prolonged repairs. Through traffic continues to be detoured to CR 655 (Berkley Road) via CR 559A (C. Fred Jones Blvd.) and Gapway Road to bypass the work zone. The boat ramp will remain open during repairs, but access will be limited to the south side approach along Old Berkley Road. Minor traveling delays are expected. Motorists should add extra time to trips through the area. Call Bill Skelton with the Polk County Roads & Drainage Division at 863-535-2200 for further details.

Bartow Officer Helps Injured Osprey and Releases Back Into Wild

Bartow

Staff Reporter

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August 2, 2019

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Bartow Officer Helps Injured Osprey and Releases Back Into Wild

Bartow PD Release:

While on routine patrol duty on Wednesday June 26, 2019 Officer Arturo Gonzalez came upon an injured Osprey in the roadway at Georgia Street and Hwy 17 South. We were put in touch with Cathy and Lloyd Terry who work with Raptor Center of Tampa Bay, a rehabilitation center for large birds of prey. The injured Osprey was taken to the Raptor Center to be rehabilitated. The injured bird spent several weeks in recovery, and this week was healthy enough to be released.

Officer Gonzalez was honored yesterday to assist in the release of the Osprey back into the wild. The magnificent bird was released by the Bartow Civic Center.