Lake Wales, Babson Park & surrounding communities, you’re invited!
Join us for a fun-filled Trunk or Treat at Webber International University on Friday, October 30th!
Bring the kids, wear your costumes, and enjoy an evening of candy, decorated trunks, and community fun! We would love to see our local families come out and celebrate with us!
Location: Webber International University parking area. Webber is located at 1201 N Scenic Hwy Babson Park, FL 33827
When: Friday, October 30, 2026
Come join the fun and help us make this a great community event!
The closing of the Lake Alfred Hardee’s caught some longtime customers by surprise this week, with several residents saying they will especially miss the restaurant’s breakfast and biscuits.
A notice posted on the restaurant door says the Lake Alfred location permanently closed effective September 18. Customers are being directed to Hardee’s restaurants in Dundee and Auburndale.
“We sincerely appreciate your business and support over the years, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” the notice reads.
Those other two restaurants have something in common with the now-closed Lake Alfred location. All three have been operated by Phase Three Star LLC, an independent Hardee’s franchisee.
News of the closing quickly generated reaction from Lake Alfred area residents.
“Going to miss them biscuits,” one resident wrote.
Another wrote, “Nooooo the breakfast was so good,” while another resident said he and his wife went to the Lake Alfred restaurant almost every Sunday for breakfast.
The exact reason for the Lake Alfred closing has not been publicly announced.
DAVENPORT, Fla. — Two people were killed and two others seriously injured in a nearly head-on crash late Saturday night on US 17/92 near West James Street, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred at approximately 11:55 p.m. Saturday, September 19.
According to FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins, a Honda sedan driven by a 41-year-old Davenport man was traveling southbound on US 17/92 when, for reasons still under investigation, the vehicle entered the northbound lane.
The Honda collided nearly head-on with a Nissan sedan driven by a 37-year-old Kissimmee man.
The Nissan was also carrying a 34-year-old Winter Haven man and a 45-year-old Kissimmee woman.
All four people involved suffered serious injuries and were transported to area hospitals.
Gaskins said the 37-year-old Kissimmee driver and the 45-year-old Kissimmee woman later died from injuries suffered in the crash.
The 41-year-old Davenport man and 34-year-old Winter Haven man remained seriously injured in the information released by FHP.
Photos from the scene show both vehicles with extensive front-end damage and debris scattered across the roadway. Airbags can also be seen deployed in at least one of the vehicles.
The Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate what caused the Honda to enter the northbound lane.
LAKE WALES, Fla. — Lake Wales Police are investigating a serious single-vehicle crash that occurred around noon today in the area of Burns Avenue and Sherwood Drive.
The incident initially came across emergency dispatch as a medical emergency, which is why Daily Ridge did not immediately pick it up as a vehicle crash. Dispatch information later indicated that a vehicle had left the roadway and crashed through a shed.
Crash Burns Avenue
A witness who posted about the crash on a local message board said an older black pickup truck ran off the road, went through a shed and then through a fence. The witness said the driver was unconscious and appeared to have a head wound when they stopped to help.
Lake Wales Police Lt. Figueroa confirmed to Daily Ridge that officers are conducting an investigation into the crash. Burns Avenue remains open. LWPD have not released the name of the person involved or current medical condition. Lt. Figueroa confirmed the truck went through the shed. However he advised it also struck a trailer and then a fence.
Daily Ridge will update this article with additional information when more details are officially released.
MasterCraft Boat Company, a subsidiary of MasterCraft Boat Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: MCFT) and the best-selling towboat brand, has announced that the 2026 MasterCraft Pro Ski Tournament will be held at a brand-new venue on Champions Lake in Auburndale, FL from September 18–20. The MasterCraft ProStar will serve as the official ski boat of the tournament as competitors take on slalom, jump, and, new this year, trick skiing. The world-class venue and exceptional skiing conditions provide competitors with the ideal setting to deliver their best performances.
As the official ski boat, the ProStar will take center stage, powering the Men’s and Women’s slalom, jump, and trick events and showcasing the full versatility and performance that has made it the gold standard in competitive waterskiing. The MasterCraft ProStar is a purpose-built, precision-obsessed waterski boat refined for today’s elite skiers and engineered for the demands of competition. Featuring perfected ergonomics, a meticulously designed hull, and a thoughtfully crafted layout, the ProStar delivers the most respected pull in the industry.
“This year marks an exciting evolution for the MasterCraft Pro Event as we introduce a new venue and expand the competition to include trick skiing alongside slalom and jump, said Krista Schipner, Senior Vice President of Marketing at MasterCraft Boat Holdings. “The ProStar has long been the boat of choice for the world’s top waterski athletes, and we’re proud to have it serve as the official ski boat for the event. As we continue to grow the MasterCraft Pro Event, our goal is to create a bigger platform for competitive waterskiing, showcase the incredible talent in the sport, and bring more fans into the experience.”
Featuring the world’s top waterski athletes, including Freddy Krueger, Freddie Winter, Joel Poland, Karen Truelove and Ali Garcia, who will all compete for some of the season’s highest scores, the event will bring three days of nonstop competition to Champion Lake and give fans the opportunity to experience the action in person.
Krueger, a world-record holder and one of the most accomplished waterskiers in the sport, will bring his extensive competitive experience to this year’s expanded tournament. “MasterCraft’s heritage is competition. The MasterCraft Pro gives us the opportunity to show the world, and ourselves that we are continuing to put out the best boats in the world,” said Freddy Krueger, MasterCraft Athlete. “Anyone can make an ad saying they are the best. The Pro is MasterCraft’s proving ground helping us to keep getting better every year.”
TWBC will stream the action live, giving fans everywhere the opportunity to tune in and follow the competition.
To register, please go to https://www.mastercraft.com/mc-pro and download the USA Waterski Entry Form, W-8 or W-9, and waiver. Please email the completed documents to Chris Bischoff at [email protected], then Chris will forward you the payment link.
For those unable to attend the event, it will be webcast on TWBC, so everyone can watch. To get more details, visit www.MasterCraft.com and follow along on Instagram, YouTube, X, and Facebook.
About MasterCraft:
MasterCraft is a world-renowned innovator, designer, manufacturer, and marketer of premium performance sport boats. Founded in 1968, MasterCraft has cultivated its iconic brand image through a rich history of industry-leading innovation, and more than five decades after the original MasterCraft made its debut, the company’s goal remains the same – to continue building the world’s best ski, wakeboard, wake surf, and luxury performance powerboats.
About MasterCraft Boat Holdings, Inc.:
Headquartered in Vonore, TN, MasterCraft Boat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCFT) is a leading innovator, designer, manufacturer and marketer of recreational powerboats through its five brands, MasterCraft, Crest, Balise, Chaparral, and Robalo. For more information about MasterCraft Boat Holdings, and its five brands, visit: Investors.MCBH.com, www.MasterCraft.com, www.CrestPontoonBoats.com, www.BalisePontoonBoats.com, www.ChaparralBoats.com, and www.Robalo.com.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a crash that occurred on Thursday evening, September 17, 2026, on US 27 at McFee Drive in the Four Corners area of Davenport.
Deputies were dispatched to the scene at about 7:55 pm.
It was reported that a juvenile on a scooter was struck by a vehicle.
Upon arrival of first responders, the victim was found with serious injuries, and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. He succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
The victim was a 14-year-old male who lived in the area and attended the 9th grade at Davenport High School. He was riding a NIU Kick electric scooter at the time of the crash.
The other person involved in the crash was a 38-year-old Orlando man who was driving a black 2026 Ford Explorer. He remained at the scene.
According to the investigation, the Ford Explorer was traveling north on US 27 in the center lane. As the Ford approached the intersection with McFee Drive, the northbound traffic had a green traffic light. The victim was traveling from west to east in the crosswalk, and went into the path of the oncoming Ford.
Northbound US 27 was closed for approximately three hours.
No charges are anticipated at this time, but the investigation remains ongoing.
On Thursday, September 17, 2026, a PCSO deputy sheriff conducted a traffic stop in Waverly on a Jeep that he observed swerving in the southbound lanes of U.S. Hwy 27, and after a check of the registered vehicle’s owner revealed a suspended license due to previous DUI arrests.
As the deputy approached the driver, 76-year-old Charles Ducking of Lake Wales, he detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage, and noticed that Ducking had slurred speech and watery eyes.
When the deputy asked Ducking for his driver’s license, Ducking responded, “Well, I can’t show you my driver’s license cuz it’s suspended cuz DUI. And I have been drinking a little bit right now.” Ducking then showed the deputy a silver thermal cup containing a brown liquid and stated, “This here is my rum I’m drinking.”
A traffic deputy responded to the scene to conduct a DUI investigation, and immediately recognized Ducking from his previous DUI arrest in May. During a search of the vehicle, deputies found a small orange container with cocaine inside of it. Ducking told deputies that he had just “done a line” of cocaine 10 minutes prior.
Ducking displayed several indicators of impairment during field sobriety tests, and his breath alcohol content measured at .094 and .095 (.08 or higher is considered legally impaired).
Ducking was arrested in Lake Wales by PCSO deputies on May 22, 2026, and charged with DUI. During that investigation, his breath alcohol content was .106 and .102. He was released from jail on May 25th after posting $250.00 bond, with the conditions that he not possess or consume any alcohol. He has nine other arrests in Polk County dating back to 2001 (which was for DUI). He was also arrested in Gadsden County in 2016 for DUI.
Ducking was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
• DUI 4th or subsequent offense (F3)
• Possession of cocaine (F3)
• Driving while license suspended (M2)
• Possession of paraphernalia (M1)
“While we appreciate Charles Ducking’s cooperation during the traffic stop, the fact of the matter is, he is lucky he hasn’t yet killed someone or himself while driving drunk and high on drugs. He has tempted fate too many times, and he needs to make some serious changes in his life before it’s too late. I am proud of my deputies for their proactive patrolling to find impaired drivers and get them off the road.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
The Auburndale Police Department is hosting a OneBlood drive on Tuesday, September 22nd from 8:00am-1:00pm. All donors will receive a $20 eGift card and a Cancer T-shirt.
Appointments are not required, but encouraged, however, they allow us to plan for the drive to ensure that it runs as smoothly as possible. Walk-ins are always welcome!
How do you prepare? -Make sure that you drink plenty of water. -Eat a well-balanced, iron-rich meal (especially in the morning, before donating) -Bring an ID with you on the bus! -Make sure to limit your caffeine intake the morning before the drive.
Details: Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026 8:00am-1:00pm 2 Bobby Green Plaza Auburndale, FL 33823
Big red bus will be parked at the old SunTrust parking lot across from the Police Department
For those who loved our Haunted Jail Tours in the past, we’ve created a brand-new scare! This year we present: SHERIFF’S HAUNTED TRAIL TOUR!
As you may know, the old jail in Bartow where we held our haunts has been torn down. Boo!
Thanks to our determined detention staff, this new haunted trail is going to knock your socks off. It’s located on property near the Central County Jail in Bartow (that’s scary enough, right?) but we promise to let you out when the fun’s over.
We are accepting donations for admission: $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids 10 years old and under.
The trail tour will be up and running on two weekends: October 16 & 17 and October 23 & 24, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. all four nights.
