Man Steals Star Wars Virtual Game Consoles From Walmart

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March 29, 2019

Man Steals Star Wars Virtual Game Consoles From Walmart

Release by Winter Haven Police Department:

If you have ever heard the theme song to the show Benny Hill, this is the video for you. (And if you haven’t, do a quick search and listen before watching the video) We just didn’t want to be in violation of copyright laws so there’s no sound. He took 2 Star Wars virtual game consoles from Walmart (7450 Cypress Garden’s Blvd) And it’s HOW this busy guy did it that makes this video so unique. Know who he is? Call Heartland Crimestoppers at 1-800-22-6TIPS (8477). Remember – Benny Hill Theme Song. You Are Welcome.

HCPD arrests five in ‘Operation Dry Spring’

Haines City

Staff Reporter

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March 29, 2019

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HCPD arrests five in ‘Operation Dry Spring’

HAINES CITY, FL – Five people were arrested Wednesday afternoon and evening for selling alcohol to minors following an investigation initiated by the Haines City Police Department called “Operation Dry Spring”.

Underage members of the Police Department’s Explorers program went to various locations – large and small – throughout the city, attempting to buy alcohol.

Those arrested were:

Salvador Gamez-Calderon, 47, of Davenport

Martha Garcia, 56, and Margaret Garcia, 64, of Kissimmee

Nur Alam, 37, of Haines City

Luz Velez-Nunez, 49, of Davenport

Nine of the 13 locations that sold alcohol were found to be in compliance. It was the first arrest for each of the five, making it a second-degree misdemeanor. Arrests were made at:

La Tapatia, 1102 U.S. 17/92 N.

City Foods, 21 N. Eighth St.

La Placita, 201 N. 10th St. (two arrests)

Video Latina, 1719 E. Hinson Ave.

“The good news is that most of the businesses proved to be ethical and conducted themselves the right way and in accordance with the law,” Chief Jim Elensky said. “We’re a growing city and we’d like to see all of our businesses succeed, but profiting by selling alcohol to minors is something we will not tolerate.”

Businesses in compliance were:

Sunoco, 35855 U.S. 27

Murphy’s USA, 36115 U.S. 27

Walmart Liquor, 36205 U.S. 27

Dollar General Market, 35922 U.S. 27

Liquor Five, 38 Maxcy Plaza Circle

7-Eleven, 38409 U.S. 27

Publix Liquors, 39883 U.S. 27

BP, 500 U.S. 17/92 N.

One Stop Foods, 505 U.S. 17/92 N.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office is Conducting Two Death Investigations Related to Mobile Home Fire in Bartow

Staff Reporter

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March 29, 2019

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Polk County Sheriff’s Office is Conducting Two Death Investigations Related to Mobile Home Fire in Bartow

PCSO Press Release:

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is conducting two death investigations related to a mobile home fire early this morning in Bartow.

Preliminary information indicates our ECC received a 911 call around 3:45 a.m. on Friday, March 29, 2019, in reference to a mobile home on fire, located behind a home, at 4630 Fighter Road – cross streets are Bomber Road and US Hwy 17.

It is believed an elderly couple are still inside the mobile home and did not make it out.

PCSO will conduct the death investigations.

We will bring you more information as it becomes available.

Sheriff Grady Judd & Deputies Will Deliver Bicycle To Lake Wales Boy Recovering From Battling Leukemia After His was Stolen

Lake Wales

Staff Reporter

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March 28, 2019

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Sheriff Grady Judd & Deputies Will Deliver Bicycle To Lake Wales Boy Recovering From Battling Leukemia After His was Stolen

Here is Dailyn with his bicycle that he received for Christmas. The bicycle was reportedly to the PCSO. Today Sheriff Grady Judd and deputies will be giving him a new one!

Lake Wales, Florida – We have written several times in the past about Dailyn Campbell, a young Lake Wales boy battling acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In our first article Dailyn was in need of a bone marrow donor . His mother was a match for him and he had transplant surgery in September of 2018. Then classmates at Bok Academy in Lake Wales raised around $2,000.00 in honor of Dailyn. A portion of that money was presented to him and his family and the other portion was donated to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Since that time Dailyn has been in recovery. According to reports Dailyn was given a bicycle for Christmas, but hadn’t been able to ride it yet due to his recovery. Unfortunately that bicycle was reportedly stolen. Deputies with the PCSO are investigation the theft.

According to the public information office of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office a new bicycle is being presented to Dailyn this afternoon by Sheriff Judd personally. We will bring you and update after that happens. We also believe that the story will also appear on ABC Action News.

Learn How To Survive Homework At Free Workshop At Huntington Learning Center

Lakeland

Staff Reporter

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March 28, 2019

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Learn How To Survive Homework At Free Workshop At Huntington Learning Center

by James Coulter

Is your child having problems with their report card? Does making them do their homework feel as difficult as pulling teeth? Wish there was a better way for them to complete their school work without all the headache and hassle?

If you and your children are looking for better ways to get their homework done, then visit the Huntington Learning Center on Sat., Apr. 6, at 2 p.m. for their workshop: “Homework: A Parent’s Guide For Survival.”

This workshop, which is free and open to the public, will teach both parents and children tips and techniques on getting their homework accomplished on time, all while ensuring that their hard work earns them good grades.

Parents will learn how they become more involved with their children’s school so that they understand what their school expects of them and how their children can meet (and potentially exceed) those expectations as to improve their grades.

Meanwhile, students, specifically high school students, will learn how to take their big assignments and break them down into smaller pieces that will allow them to accomplish their big projects on time without wasting time.

“A lot of time, they will have a research paper that is not due for three to five weeks, and that feels like a long time for them, so they don’t get started right away, and then they put it off until it is too late to do that amount of work,” said Kristi Andersen, Huntington Learning Center Director. “And so we are going to teach those high schoolers how to break down those assignments and do those pieces so they stay on track.”

High school students will also be instructed on how and when to get their ACT/SAT scores on time for college admissions. Andersen advises them to take the tests early on in their high school career so they can apply for college when they need to later on.

“Junior year is when you need your ACT and SAT scores, they cannot wait until their senior year because the admission deadlines are mid-year, so they need to be looking at that score their junior and sophomore year,” she explained.

With hundreds of locations in states across the country, Huntington Learning Center is dedicated towards helping students improve their academic skills through tutoring programs personalized towards their individual needs.

“With our tutoring program, our programs here start with a comprehensive academic evaluation, where we can identify our students’ strengths and weaknesses,” Andersen said. “We develop a program that is personalized to them to help fill in those skill gaps.”

Their Lakeland locations regularly hosts workshops and other community events, at least three per month, to help provide parents and students with techniques to improve their educational experiences.

On April 11, they will be hosting an ADHD Workshop that will discuss attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, how the disorder affects education, and offer strategies as to how children with the disorder can better learn.

Huntington also offers a summer reading program that serves almost as a book club for children, recommending books that they can read over the summer to help them retain the education they received during the school year while also enhancing their reading skills.

“Reading comprehension is an issue,” she said. “That affects every subject, so if we fill in those reading skills, then homework becomes more successful, and school time becomes more successful. We average two years of reading and math growth in our learning center programs.”

“Homework: A Parent’s Survival Guide” will be hosted on Sat., Apr. 6, at 2 p.m. at the Huntington Learning Center, located at 6655 S Florida Ave. Site 5, Lakeland, FL 33813.

For more information, visit their website at: https://huntingtonhelps.com/

Polk County Sheriff’s Deputies Investigating Suspicious Death Near 80 Ft. Rd. In Bartow

Bartow

Staff Reporter

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March 28, 2019

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Polk County Sheriff’s Deputies Investigating Suspicious Death Near 80 Ft. Rd. In Bartow

Polk County Sheriff’s Office Press Release

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit is investigating the murder of 21-year-old Joseph Wayne Witherington of Lakeland. Witherington’s body was found in an orange grove off of Mud Lake Road (cross street 80 Foot Road) in Alturas, around 7:45 a.m. on Thursday, March 28, 2019, by grove caretakers who were in the area.

Preliminary investigation reveals that Witherington was killed and left in the grove by an unknown suspect or suspects.

“If anyone has information about the violent death of this young man, you can and will remain anonymous AND be eligible for a CASH reward by contacting Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477), or submit a tip through their website or mobile app. Someone knows what happened to Joseph and how he ended up in that orange grove, and one way or another we will identify and arrest whoever is responsible. You might as well make some money – call Crime Stoppers.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

This is the only information we are releasing this evening. If we are able to release more tomorrow, we will do so.

Dump Truck Carrying Sand Overturned on U.S. 17/92

Haines City

Staff Reporter

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March 28, 2019

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UPDATE: U.S. 17/92 is now reopened.

Dump truck carrying sand overturned on U.S. 17/92

U.S. 17/92, Baker Avenue and Lowery Avenue are completely shut down after a truck carrying sand overturned in the area of Baker Avenue and 1307 U.S. 17/92 N. There are no serious injuries, but roadways may be shut down for some time.

The truck and sand will have to be completely removed from the roadway.

Will bring you updates as they become available.

4 Month Long Investigation Leads to Arrest of Tennessee Man for Years of Sexual Abuse to Children Under 12 Years of Age

Staff Reporter

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March 27, 2019

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4 Month Long Investigation Leads to Arrest of Tennessee Man for Years of Sexual Abuse to Children Under 12 Years of Age

A four-month investigation that started in Winter Haven has resulted in the arrest of a man in Knoxville Tennessee for horrific acts towards children under the age of 12. (Under F.S.S. 119.071 the information pertaining to the identity of or any information that would lead to the identity of the victims is confidential.)

On 3-25-19, Winter Haven Detectives travelled to Knoxville to serve an arrest warrant on 37 year-old Manuel Tavis McGhee (DOB 3-4-82). On 3-26-19, working with the Knoxville Police Department, McGhee was taken into custody and charged with two counts of Sexual Battery on a Child Under 12 Years of Age (F.S.S. 794.011(2)(A) (Capital Felony). The charges stem from repeated sexual abuse on two children when McGhee lived in Winter Haven.

The investigation started in late 2018 when a complaint came from the mother of one of the victims (hereby referred to as Victim A) stating that her daughter informed her of abuse and named McGhee as the suspect. Investigators responded to the Winter Haven home on 11-20-18 after Victim A (15 years-old) told her mother that McGhee had sexually abused her from the time she was five to 11 years of age.

McGhee had since left the Winter Haven area at the time Victim A revealed the crime.

A forensic interview was conducted and the girl revealed extremely horrific and explicit details of the abuse she incurred from the age of five. She stated that the abuse took place in Winter Haven and also in other locations within the County. She also told investigators that her brother (hereby referred to as Victim B), who is a couple of years older than her, had endured the same type of abuse throughout those same years. It was also revealed that two separate reports were made to the Lakeland Police Department regarding Victim B and two other victims in Lakeland in the year 2013. Both incidents were reported and investigated with formal charges ultimately dropped. (Lakeland Police reports 2013-0056 and 2013-8239).

As Winter Haven investigators were reviewing the Lakeland reports, it was revealed that McGhee said that he was accused of similar acts in 2006 while he was in the Army stationed at Ft. Bragg. Winter Haven investigators obtained a copy of the incident report and found that McGhee was charged and arrested on 15 counts of sexual battery on a child. The incidents were very similar to the incidents that occurred in the Winter Haven case. Through the investigations, Winter Haven Detectives learned that the Army contacted the Cumberland County N.S. Superior Court where the incidents had occurred and showed interest in prosecuting McGee since he was a soldier at the time and that some of the alleged abuse occurred in McGhee’s living quarters. The Cumberland County Superior Court turned over their prosecution to the U.S. Army, however during the military review, the case was dismissed due to lack of evidence and McGhee’s denial of all allegations.

Based on McGhee’s history that Winter Haven investigators uncovered, Victim A and Victim B were interviewed on 12-11-18. It was revealed by Victim B that the abuse had started when he was 8 or 9 years old (2009-2010) in North Carolina. The description of the abuse mirrored what Victim A reported.

Victim B stated that the abuse continued in Lakeland and Winter Haven. When the abuse in Lakeland to Victim B was made aware to his parent, it was reported to investigators, however during the interview, Victim B became extremely scared of what McGhee was going to do to him, so he didn’t disclose details in the interview.

However, during this interview with Winter Haven Detectives in Dec. 2018, Victim B disclosed the details since McGhee had moved away and he didn’t feel threatened anymore. (To reiterate, these were details that were not revealed during interviews by Lakeland officials in 2013)
Winter Haven Detectives didn’t stop there. Based on information gained from reviewing the case in North Carolina, they travelled to Georgia to make contact with another victim who was identified in the North Carolina report. This victim reported that when she was nine years-old ( in 2007), McGhee abused her and the pattern was identical to the other victims that were interviewed. A sibling of this victim also detailed abuse in a separate interview with Winter Haven Detectives.

Based on the totality of the statements made by numerous victims across multiple agencies, Winter Haven Detectives obtained a warrant for the arrest of Manuel Tavis McGhee. He was taken into custody in Knoxville TN and is awaiting extradition back to Florida.

“I can say one thing – that I am so proud of our Detectives and their tenacity to ensure that there are no more children that this monster can hurt,” said Public Safety Director Charlie Bird. “The path of emotional and physical destruction he caused is reprehensible and we will do everything within our power to make sure he will never be able to hurt another child again.”

Everything Is Awesome At LEGO Movie World In LEGOLAND Florida

Staff Reporter

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March 27, 2019

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Everything Is Awesome At LEGO Movie World In LEGOLAND Florida

by James Coulter

“Everything is awesome!” is what guests will be saying when they visit the attractions within the new themed land at LEGOLAND Florida Resort.

LEGO Movie World offers the “ultimate movie-to-theme park experience” with rides and attractions themed to “The LEGO Movie” film franchise.

The new land will make guests feel as though they have shrunk down to the size of a LEGO figure and passed through the rainbow portal into Bricksburg, the home city of Emmet, the main character of “The LEGO Movie.”

There guests can enjoy high-flying adventures with their favorite LEGO Movie characters within an immersive environment that includes three attractions, a themed play area, gift shop, eatery, and character meet-and-greet.

The marquee attraction is “Masters Of Flight”, which allows guests to take flight upon Emmett’s newest flying invention, the Triple Decker Couch, through fantastical locations from “The Lego Movie”, including Cloud Cuckoo Land and Middle Zealand.

This hanging simulator attraction, though similar to other attractions such as “Soarin” from Disney’s Epcot Center, is the first of its kind to utilize a 180-degree turn that immerses the riders within a full-dome virtual screen.

The new land will also allow guests to fight against an alien invasion with water cannons in the “Battle Of Bricksburg”, take a wild ride that spins, drops, and soars with “UniKitty’s Disco Drop”, and climb and slide aboard the play area within “Benny’s Spaceship.”

After playing around on the new attractions, guests can then refuel themselves with tacos and other treats at “Tacos Everyday”, browse around for LEGO Movie merchandise at the “Awesome Store”, or meet and greet their favorite characters at “Emmet’s Super Suite.”

LEGO Movie World recently opened on Wednesday, March 27, with a grand opening ceremony, which featured a special performance by That Girl Lay Lay of “Catchy Song” from “The Lego Movie 2.”

The new land is based upon “The LEGO Movie” franchise, which includes the titular film and its sequel, the latter of which was released earlier this year. The first film, when it released in 2014, experienced massive success within the box office, grossing $469 million worldwide.

Since then, LEGOLAND Florida has wanted to create attractions based upon the popular movie, and the release of the sequel earlier this year provided them a convenient time to open up such a themed experience, explained Keith Carr, Project Director for Merlin Entertainment.

Creating the new land, especially the technological innovations for the first-of-its-kind marquee attraction, “Masters Of Flight”, required a lot of “blood, sweat, and tears,” but the end result more than exceeded initial expectations, Carr said.

“This is by far the most aspirational and fully immersive land we ever released, so we are very happy with what we have here today,” he said. “We made a commitment to invest in LEGOLAND Florida Resort every year, and we held to that promise, and we continue to look forward to investing yearly.”

The LEGO Movie World is the latest expansion to LEGOLAND Florida Resort in Winter Haven, and is by far the biggest investment to the family-friendly theme park since it first opened in 2011.

Since opening eight years ago, the 150-acre theme park has experienced massive expansion with the inclusion of a water park, a themed hotel, a themed lakeside resort, and several other themed lands including Heart Lake City and Ninjago.

Aside from experiencing massive growth itself, the park has also facilitated economic growth and development, not only within the local community of Winter Haven, but within Polk County as a whole, explained Rex Jackson, General Manager.

In 2016, an independent study revealed that the introduction of the park in 2011 has added a billion dollars in economic impact both directly and indirectly to the surrounding city and county, Jackson said.

“Everything has been awesome,” he said. “I think the future for the resort remains bright. We will continue this expansion, we will continue to grow each and every year, and we will add new exciting things in the future.”

Key to the park’s success has been tapping within a niche demographic. While most other themed attractions focus either on the entire family as a whole (Walt Disney World) or on older children and adults (Universal Studios), LEGOLAND Florida focuses on young children ages 2 to 12.

Helping to solidify their success within this demographic has been the overall recognition and loyalty toward the LEGO brand, which has been inspiring the creative side of children for more than 80 years, explained Brittany Williams, Senior Public Relations Manager.

“Obviously, LEGO is a huge brand that withstands the test of time,” she said. “The kids who played it growing up are now the parents of children, and we have a lot of creative people on our teams that help bring children’s imagination to life, and I think that has made us so successful.”

For more information about LEGOLAND Florida Resort, visit their website at: https://www.legoland.com/florida/

Lake Wales Man Charged With DUI After Crash Into Another Vehicle On Hwy 27

Lake Wales

Staff Reporter

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March 27, 2019

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Lake Wales Man Charged With DUI After Crash Into Another Vehicle On Hwy 27

Lake Wales, Florida – According to an arrest report from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office a Lake Wales man has been arrested and charged for DUI after allegedly running into another vehicle. On Tuesday, March 25, 2019 deputies took Judson Seay, 26, of Lake Wales into custody. Seay was allegedly the driver behind the wheel of a truck that struck another vehicle from behind.

On March 25, 2019 at approximately 8pm deputies responded to Hwy 27 and Alturas Babson Park Cutoff Road in Lake Wales, for a two vehicle crash. According to reports deputies made contact with Seay the driver of a white Chevrolet Z71 truck. Deputies observed his speech to be slurred, his eyes to be slightly blood shot and glassy, and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath and person.

Seay was transported to Lake Wales Hospital by Polk County Rescue unit. Deputies noticed Seay reportedly swayed and lost his balance at one point (it should be noted that Seay had been in a wheel chair prior to allegedly agreeing to submit to a field sobriety test). According to reports Seay failed the sobriety test and deputies charged him with DUI. He was taken into custody and transported to Bartow for booking.

Upon arrival at booking deputies began a 20 minute observation period and then had Seay perform a breathalyzer test. The first breath sample taken allegedly showed Seay’s breathe alcohol level to be 0.197 G/210L and the second sample taken allegedly showed be 0.199 G/210L. The breathalyzer test was taken just after 1am on March 26, 2019. Approximatly 5 hours after the crash.

Seay has been arrested twice prior for DUI once as a minor and another time in 2012 as an underage drunk driver. Seay was sentenced to 10 months of probation for that occurrence. Seay has a court date March 27, 2019 in regards to this current arrest.

It is believed that two other victims were transported for medical attention from the crash without life threatening injuries.

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