Lakeland, FL — Lakeland Fire Department (LFD) responded to a mobile home fire on Pine Ridge Drive yesterday (Mar. 1) evening at approximately 9:45 PM.
Initial reports indicated two individuals were possibly entrapped inside the residence. Fire crews arrived to find heavy fire involvement in the carport area and immediately began suppression and search operations. One adult victim was located deceased within that area. Search operations continued due to reports of a second occupant unaccounted for.
Fatal Fire In Lakeland
Following a secondary search and LFD confirmation that no additional victims were inside the residence, the remaining occupant was accounted for and confirmed to have evacuated prior to LFD arrival.
“Our firefighters arrived to challenging fire conditions and immediately began suppression and search operations. Despite their efforts, one life was lost. We are thankful the second occupant was able to escape safely,” said Fire Chief Douglas Riley. “Any loss of life is tragic, and we understand how deeply this loss affects the family and others connected to them.”
The fire was brought under control, and the incident remains under investigation with the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Lakeland Police Department.
PCSO deputies arrested a Dundee woman who critically injured a motorcyclist with her vehicle then fled the scene at approximately 5:39 p.m. on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the intersection of W. Central Avenue and 2nd Street NW in Winter Haven.
According to evidence and witness statements, 55‑year‑old Cresenciana Maziniswas traveling eastbound in a Honda CRV on W. Central Avenue at a high rate of speed. Mazinis failed to stop—or even slow down—for one red light and two stop signs. At the same time, a 2001 Harley‑Davidson motorcycle was entering the intersection southbound on 2nd Street NW when the Honda struck the right side of the motorcycle.
The impact redirected the motorcycle, and the rider was fully ejected, landing on the hood of the Honda and being carried approximately 25 feet before falling to the ground.
Mazinis immediately exited her vehicle and fled the scene on foot. Witnesses attempted to stop her, but she refused and continued walking away. 911 callers provided a description, and Winter Haven Police officers located her about two blocks from the crash. She attempted to avoid officers before being detained. She provided no information at the scene, stating she had somewhere else to be, and later complained of a leg injury. She was transported to a local hospital, treated, and released into the custody of law enforcement.
First responders found the motorcyclist lying in the grass. He was airlifted to a local hospital with severe injuries, including multiple broken bones in his legs and feet and a traumatic head injury. He was not wearing a helmet.
Mazinis was arrested and charged with reckless driving with serious bodily injury (F3) and leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury (F2). She was also charged with violation of probation for a prior 2024 trespassing case. Because she refused to sign the citations issued to her, deputies added an additional misdemeanor charge of refusal to sign citations (M2).
“This driver left a man on the ground with life‑threatening injuries and tried to flee from her responsibility. We are grateful for the witnesses who stayed at the scene and immediately called 911 with a description of the driver — their quick actions helped our deputies and the Winter Haven Police Department locate her and make sure she was held accountable.” — Grady Judd, Sheriff
Put on your green and head to Downtown Bartow for a fun, free community celebration as Saint Paddy’s Unparade kicks off March Friday Fest March 20.
The evening begins with the Saint Paddy’s Unparade — an informal, just-for-fun march where the community gathers and walks together from Nye Jordan Park to downtown to start the festivities. This is not a formally organized parade — there’s no registration and no fees — just friends, families, festive costumes and plenty of Irish spirit making their way downtown together.
Event Details:
📍 Unparade Meet-Up Location: Nye Jordan Park
🕔 Lineup Begins: 5:00 p.m.
🚶♂️ March to Downtown: Shortly after lineup
🎉 Friday Fest: 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
📍 Downtown Location: 180 S. Central Ave., Bartow
🎉 Sponsored by: Spath Jewelers
Once participants arrive downtown, Friday Fest will be in full swing featuring craft vendors, shopping, dining and live music by the Daniel Burns Band. Visitors can enjoy the charm of Downtown Bartow while celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day with the community.
Whether you choose to walk, watch or jump in along the way, everyone is welcome. Grab something green and celebrate Saint Paddy’s Day the Bartow way.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives received information about a package containing Xylazine that had been intercepted by U.S. Customs in New York. The package had been shipped from India and was addressed to a residence on North Socrum Loop Road in unincorporated Lakeland, Florida.
Xylazine—commonly known as “tranq”—is a veterinary sedative frequently found mixed with fentanyl for street sales. The package contained eight boxes labeled “Xylaxine,” containing glass bottles filled with liquid Xylazine—a total of 240 grams of the substance.
On February 26, 2026, detectives executed a search warrant at the home on North Slocum Loop Road and spoke to 35 year old Ashley Wimbrow. Ms. Wimbrow told detectives that she was involved in dog breeding and said that she used the Xylazine to perform surgical procedures on dogs for monetary compensation, with fees ranging from $10 to $100 depending on the size of the animal and the nature of the procedure. Ms. Wimbrow indicated that she has been engaged in these surgeries for approximately one year. She explained that she uses medication (Xylazine) to sedate the dogs for procedures such as “tail docking” (the removal of the dog’s tail to shorten it), and “ear cropping,” (a procedure intended to make the ears stand upright).
Ms. Wimbrow told deputies that she did not, and has never had a license to practice veterinary medicine. She said that she did not know she needed a license. Deputies confirmed that she did not have a veterinary license.
Inside the home, deputies found five dogs inside uncleaned separate dog crates with fresh and dried feces and puddles of urine. The room emitted a strong ammonia odor. The dogs were a smaller than the standard-sized breed of pit bulls, referred to as “pocket bullies.”
Wimbrow signed a form to transfer custody of the dogs to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. They were transported to Polk County Animal Control where they will be medically evaluated. There were no indications suggesting dogs were involved in dogfighting. The dogs will eventually be made available for adoption through a reputable animal rescue organization.
Ms. Wimbrow was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance (F3), possession of drug paraphernalia (M1), animal neglect by confining the dogs to their crates without a wholesome exchange of air (M1), and practicing veterinary medicine in the state of Florida without a valid active license (F3).
The investigation was a joint effort between the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa office of Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
“Fortunately, we found no evidence of ‘tranq/fentanyl’ trafficking. Unfortunately, we discovered that animals were being subject to unsafe surgeries and dogs were being confined in an unhealthy environment. No one should be performing medical procedures on animals without proper training or licensing.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Polk County I.T. Division Staff are searching for a strong, well-rounded developer with command of both front-end and back-end technologies and a keen eye for problem-solving. The senior full stack developer position, which is based in Bartow, includes designing and building scalable web applications, mentoring junior developers and contributing to architectural decisions, among other things. To learn more about the position or apply, visit: https://www.polk-county.net/about/careers/
Polk County’s employee benefits include:
Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Florida Retirement System (FRS) Pension/Investment Options
A routine traffic stop by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office led to the arrest of a 35-year-old man with a lengthy criminal history and several new charges.
Deputies stopped a vehicle driven by David Reback after learning his driver’s license was suspended for multiple failures to pay traffic fines. During the investigation, deputies discovered that Reback had just been released from Florida State Prison.
The deputy conducting the stop recognized Reback and realized he was the same individual who had fled from him just days earlier on Interstate 4. Authorities say Reback was taken into custody and transported to jail on several new charges.
Sheriff Grady Judd addressed the arrest, stating, “He got to go to jail for a whole lot of new charges, and it appears that due to his recklessness and carelessness, he’s on his way back to state prison.”
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Reback has a long history of committing a variety of crimes.
Judd added, “If you see this guy, crime’s not far away.”
BARTOW – After five decades of representing Polk State College, thirty-five of those years as its general counsel, Don Wilson is handing off the long-standing client to a fellow attorney in his office. But retirement isn’t part of the plan, far from it.
Instead, Wilson is redirecting his focus to real estate transactions, estate planning, and probate work, while also devoting more time to one of his lifelong passions: photography.
“I have not retired from the practice of law. I don’t want people to think I’m sitting at home,” said the Bartow native. “This was a wonderful opportunity to be able to pass along an important client like Polk State College to a colleague (David Carmichael).”
Wilson’s roots in the legal profession run deep. His grandfather, also an attorney, founded the firm of Boswell and Dunlap in the early 1900s. Still, Wilson said he doesn’t recall his parents pushing him toward law or any particular career.
Even so, he seemed to know his path early on. As a student at Bartow Elementary School, Wilson’s class was asked to draw what they wanted to be when they grew up. “All the other boys drew policemen and cowboys. I drew a little man in a black suit,” he laughed.
After graduating from the University of Florida College of Law, he took a job in Miami. It was an interesting time in legal history as the Florida Public Employees Relations Act passed in 1975.
Before this there was no system for public sector employee unions. Wilson sees this as an important part of legal history since every case set new precedent under the new legislation.
He returned to Bartow to work at the family’s firm where he remains today. In addition to acting as general counsel to Polk State College, Wilson also represents the Polk County School Board in employment and real estate matters. Additionally, he was a founding member of the Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees and served as Chairman of that board and is on the Board of the University’s Foundation.
“The most important thing a lawyer can hope for is that he represents his clients effectively and is known for being fair and competent,” he said.
While Wilson’s father worked in the citrus industry, he nurtured a strong passion for music and photography, an interest that left a lasting impression on his son.
“My father was a serious amateur photographer, and I grew up working with him taking pictures and developing prints. I did most of the pictures for the annual and school newspaper when I was in high school. When digital photography came along, it opened up a whole new world for me. I began traveling and photographing wildlife and nature,” Wilson said.
That passion continues to grow. Later this year, Wilson plans to explore the back roads of Tuscany with his camera in hand. This summer, he’s headed to the Alaskan wilderness to photograph bears.
Polar bears in Churchill, Canada
He also captures images of native Florida wildlife on his property in Homeland where his family has deep roots. The homesite he and his wife, Holly, acquired 1987, is within sight of where his two sets of great, great grandparents settled around 1860. Sadly, Holly passed away three years ago after 38 years of marriage.
He has traveled all over the world to photograph some of the most interesting places and the animals.
Wilson says hello to a camel in Egypt.
“Nothing compares to Africa. There the lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards and most of the other animals are “habituated” – meaning they don’t fear vehicles,” he explained. “The animals acceptance of nearby vehicles allows us visitors to observe and photograph the famous African animals at a much closer range than would be expected. It is a wonderful experience”
Wilson meets a Northern White Rhino in Africa.
At 75, Wilson shows no signs of slowing down, just shifting gears.
Notice is hereby given that Lake Wales Storage intends to sell the property described below to enforce a lien under the Florida Self Storage Facility Act, Statutes (section 83.80-83.809). The owner will sell at public auction on or after March 11,2026 at 10:00 am at storageauctions.com
Units belonging to the following:
Janice Leise/ Unit 234
This sale will be continued on such succeeding sale days thereafter as may be necessary to be completed. Unless otherwise noted units contain household items.
Get a Free Prom Outfit from Project Prom at Lakeland Square Mall! Here’s How! by James Coulter
If you’re a high school student (or the parent of one) who’s looking for a hot new prom outfit, then come on down to Project Prom at Lakeland Square Mall.
All you have to do is show your student I.D. and sign a pledge promising to stay away from drugs, alcohol, and other risky behavior that night, and you can pick up your own suit or dress.
Best of all? It’s absolutely free.
Project Prom is being run by InnerAct Alliance, a non-profit organization whose mission, according to their website, is to “reduce the abuse and underage use of harmful substances along with involvement in other risky behaviors.”
“Over the past 40 years, InnerAct Alliance has become known as Central Florida’s most trusted voice in substance abuse prevention,” their website states.
Angie Ellison, Executive Director for InnerAct Alliance, has been involved with the organization for 25 years. She appreciates being involved in helping her community however she can.
“One of the things I love about it is that you have a lot of flexibility and the ability to see what the needs are in the community and serve those needs,” she said.
She remains invested in her organization’s Project Prom initiative, not only for providing local students with access to prom outfits that they may otherwise be unable to afford, but also for ensuring that those students stay away from engaging in risky behavior like drunk driving.
“One of the things I was shocked about when I moved to Polk County is that none of the proms are in Polk County,” she said. “They [the students] get on I4 and drive either to Orlando and Tampa, which only adds more risk to that entire process…So, there are a lot of risks around prom time.”
As such, students receive outfits in exchange for signing a pledge promising to avoid risky behaviors and substances like drugs and alcohol. They are also informed by volunteers about the risks of such behavior and substances.
“Our kids talk to every kid that comes in and talks to them about making sure that the night is a wonderful memory that they can talk about for the rest of their lives, versus a nightmare where somebody either loses their life or is permanently injured or maimed, where they have a negative memory associated with that night rather than a dream.”
Project Prom is located at Lakeland Square Mall at 3800 US Hwy 98 N. in Lakeland. The store will be open on Sat. Mar. 7 and Sat. March 21 from 11 AM to 4 PM. Learn more at: inneractalliance.org/project-prom.html
LAKELAND, Fla. – Florida Polytechnic University and National Chin-Yi University of Technology (NCUT) in Taichung, Taiwan, are partnering to amplify their international research momentum and build new solutions for today’s evolving technological landscape.
Florida Polytechnic University
The two institutions signed an agreement that allows for mutual exchanges of faculty for academic engagement, graduate and undergraduate students for study and research opportunities, and joint programs that strengthen connections between academia and industry. Potential collaboration areas may include mechanical and electrical engineering, advanced manufacturing, and technologies of the future.
The agreement was developed following an international trade and business development leadership mission to Asia in October 2025. Dr. Devin Stephenson, Florida Poly’s president, joined Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly and Secretary of State Cord Byrd on the mission to Taiwan and Japan to cultivate strategic global alliances.
“This partnership is a natural fit for two universities committed to applied, industry-driven STEM education,” Stephenson said. “We look forward to the mutual benefits this collaboration will bring to our faculty, students and research endeavors as we work together to advance academic excellence.”
Dr. Devin Stephenson, Florida Poly’s President
Florida Poly is the state’s only university exclusively dedicated to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), positioning it as an emerging leader in STEM education and innovation. NCUT complements this focus as a distinguished tech institution celebrated for its strengths in engineering fields, with emphasis on practical, hands-on learning.
“We are excited to partner with Florida Poly to advance academic exchanges and research cooperation that benefit students and faculty at both institutions,” said Dr. Kuen-Suan Chen, president of NCUT.
Dr. Kuen-Suan Chen
The new partnership supports Florida Poly’s strategic goal of expanding its global engagement while creating opportunities for students and faculty to engage in cutting-edge research projects and academic exchanges. The five-year agreement takes effect immediately, with the opportunity for renewal to support continued collaboration.
About Florida Polytechnic University: Florida Polytechnic University is ranked the No.1 public college in the South for five years in a row and No. 3 best value public school in the South by U.S. News and World Report. It is a top 30 public engineering program without a Ph.D. in the nation for five years in a row. Florida Poly is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and a member of the State University System of Florida. It is the only state university dedicated exclusively to STEM and offers ABET-accredited degrees. Florida Poly is a powerful economic engine within the state of Florida, blending applied research with industry partnerships to give students an academically rigorous education with real-world relevance. Florida Poly’s iconic Innovation, Science, and Technology Building,designed by world-renowned architect Dr. Santiago Calatrava, has won more than 20 global awards and was named one of the 16 most breathtaking buildings in the world. Connectwith Florida Poly.
About National Chin-Yi University of Technology: Founded in 1971, National Chin-Yi University of Technology (NCUT) is a national university located in Taichung City, the second-largest city in Taiwan. With its 80-acre green and modern campus, NCUT is recognized as one of Taiwan’s Top 10 Universities of Technology and is the only national university of technology in central Taiwan specializing in engineering and electrical engineering. It has five colleges: Engineering, Information Technology, Management, Humanities and Creativity, and General Education, composed of 16 departments and graduate institutes. NCUT offers comprehensive programs at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. NCUT now enrolls approximately 12,000 students, including about 1,000 international students. In the 2026 THE Interdisciplinary Ranking, NCUT is placed in the 251‒300 range globally and ranks ninth in Taiwan. In the QS 2026 Asian University Rankings, NCUT is ranked 309 in Asia and 22nd in Taiwan. NCUT hopes to establish student and faculty exchange programs with international universities and collaborate on joint academic publications. NCUT has a well-equipped Language Center and warmly welcomes international students to study Mandarin. NCUT has partnered with various international institutions in the past, and looks forward to welcoming more global partners. Today, NCUT has grown into a comprehensive technological university committed to cultivating global, industry-ready professionals.
