The holiday spirit arrives in Bartow as the Polk County History Center hosts its 15th Annual Festival of Wreaths and Silent Auction beginning November 8, 2025.
Visitors can explore the beautifully decorated wreaths adorning the museum’s historic halls at 100 E. Main St., Bartow, each one creatively crafted by local artists, businesses, and community groups.
The festive display runs through December 12, offering guests a chance to bid on their favorite wreaths during the silent auction. Proceeds benefit programs that preserve Polk County’s rich history and support educational outreach.
Whether you’re searching for holiday inspiration or simply want to enjoy the season’s charm, the Festival of Wreaths is a must-see event that celebrates creativity, community, and holiday cheer. Don’t miss your chance to take home a stunning wreath while supporting a great cause this holiday season.
Polk County is packed with fun, family-friendly events this weekend! From festive markets to art walks and community celebrations, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Here’s a look at what’s happening:
🎨 15th Annual Festival of Wreaths
Saturday, Nov. 8 — Polk County History Center, 100 E. Main St., Bartow
Kick off the holiday season at the Polk County History Center’s annual Festival of Wreaths. Browse beautifully decorated wreaths and holiday displays while enjoying the historic charm of downtown Bartow.
🎖️ Veterans Day Ceremony & Parade
Saturday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m. — Veterans Memorial Park, 701 W. Lime St., Lakeland
Honor our nation’s heroes during Lakeland’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony and Parade. The event features a community parade, patriotic tributes, and guest speakers recognizing local veterans.
🐾 The Greatest Showmutt: Auction for Animals
Saturday, Nov. 8, 6 p.m. — SPCA Florida, Lakeland
Support a great cause at this entertaining evening fundraiser for SPCA Florida. Guests can enjoy a fun, themed auction while helping raise funds for local animal care and adoption services.
This safety-focused family festival offers fun activities, giveaways, and demonstrations promoting bike and pedestrian safety. Perfect for kids and families who love the outdoors.
Watch the streets of downtown Bartow come alive with colorful chalk art! Local and visiting artists will transform sidewalks into vibrant works of art during this creative community event.
🧵 36th Annual Cypress Lakes Village Holiday Craft Fair
Shop handmade crafts, décor, and unique gifts from local vendors at this long-running holiday craft fair. A great way to find early Christmas treasures.
🐦 Nature Fun-Day: Art & Conservation
Saturday, Nov. 8, 9:30 a.m.–12 p.m. — Polk County Nature Venue
This family-friendly program combines art and environmental education, giving participants the chance to create nature-inspired artwork while learning about conservation.
🛍️ Holiday Vendor Market
Saturday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. — St. Vincent Ferrer School, Kenwood
Browse a variety of local vendors and artisans at this indoor market, featuring handmade gifts, food items, and seasonal crafts.
🌙 Lakeland First Friday
Friday evening, Nov. 7 — Downtown Lakeland
Start your weekend early with live music, local vendors, and extended shopping hours during Lakeland’s popular First Friday celebration. Each month features a new theme and plenty of downtown fun.
🌟 Enjoy Your Weekend!
Whether you’re honoring veterans, supporting local artists, or shopping for holiday gifts, Polk County offers plenty of ways to celebrate community this weekend.
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge was built in Washington during the 1930s and opened to traffic on July 1, 1940. It spanned the Puget Sound from Gig Harbor to Tacoma, which is 40 miles south of Seattle. The channel is about a mile wide where the bridge crossed the sound. Sleek and slender, it was the third longest suspension bridge in the world at the time, covering 5,959 feet.
Photo source Keystone/Getty Images
Leon Moisseiff designed the bridge to be the most flexible ever constructed. Engineers of the time believed that the design, even though it exceeded ratios of length, depth and width that had previously been standard, was completely safe. Following the collapse, it was revealed that the engineers had not properly considered the aerodynamic forces that were in play at the location during a period of strong winds. At the time of construction, such forces were not commonly taken into consideration by engineers and designers.
On November 7, high winds buffeted the area and the bridge swayed considerably. The first failure came at about 11 a.m., when concrete dropped from the road surface. Just minutes later, a 600-foot section of the bridge broke free. By this time, the bridge was being tossed back and forth wildly. At one time, the elevation of the sidewalk on one side of the bridge was 28 feet above that of the sidewalk on the other side. Even though the bridge towers were made of strong structural carbon steel, the bridge proved no match for the violent movement, and collapsed.
Subsequent investigations and testing revealed that the bridge was vulnerable to vibrations generated by wind. When the bridge experienced strong winds from a certain direction, the frequency oscillations built up to such an extent that collapse was inevitable.
A replacement bridge opened on October 14, 1950, after more than two years of construction. It is the fifth longest suspension bridge in the United States, 40 feet longer than the original. Construction of the new bridge took into account the lessons learned in the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, as did that of all subsequent suspension bridges.
Today, the remains of the bridge are still at the bottom of Puget Sound, where they form one of the largest man-made reefs in the world. The spot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in order to protect it against salvagers.”
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 November 20,2025 at 10:00 am at storageauctions.com
Units belonging to the following:
Janice Leise/Unit 1091
Johnnie Coleman/Unit 1017
*Hearts of Gold Uniform Boutique (Deshawn Mitchell)/Unit 1108
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. *Business Goods.
Local Law Firm Holding 13th Annual Event for Families in Need
WINTER HAVEN, FL, November 3, 2025 —Brooks Law Group invites the community to their 13th annual Turkey Giveaway on Saturday, November 22nd, at 9:30 AM, where they will be donating 350 Thanksgiving turkeys and dinner items to families who cannot afford one. Turkeys will be available at the firm’s office at 123 First Street North, Winter Haven. The firm recommends arriving at 8:30 AM to secure a spot in line, as the turkeys are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
“This event is one that both our team and the community looks forward to all year long,” says Brooks Law Group’s founder and managing partner Steve Brooks. “It takes a huge effort to put this on, but it’s worth it to give back and make sure that every family has a great Thanksgiving.”
Brooks Law Group will again be joined by Restaurants Against Hunger and Freedom Tour, who graciously donate the side items for a complete Thanksgiving dinner. Local radio station 97.5 WPCV will return to the event for a live broadcast.
Brooks Law Group kindly asks that those who can afford a turkey please let those in need have the donated turkeys. Donations will be limited to one per household. During the giveaway, Brooks Law Group staff will be available to speak with those in line.
Brooks Law Group is a personal injury, auto accident, motorcycle accident and wrongful death law firm, serving individuals across the state of Florida with offices in Winter Haven, Tampa, Auburndale, and Lakeland. The firm has been practicing law and serving people for more than 30 years. For more information visit www.brookslawgroup.com or call 1-800-LAW-3030.
More Than $207k Approved for New Mulberry Fire Rescue EMS Station
by James Coulter
A new fire rescue EMS station in Mulberry is closer to being constructed now that county commissioners have approved $207,090 for architectural and engineering (A&E) services.
At their regular meeting on Tues. Nov. 4, the Polk County Board of Commissioners (BoCC) approved a consultant services authorization (CSA) with CMHM Architects for Architectural and Engineering to provide services toward a new fire EMS Station.
The Willow Oak Fire Rescue EMS Station Building is slated to be constructed on county-owned property located at 4145 Willis Road in Mulberry. Approximately $207,090.00 in funds are currently budgeted and available within the Emergency Medical Millage Fund to help finance the A&E services.
Commissioner Martha Santiago commended county staff for locating the property for the project: “I know this was a long-time pursuit to find land. I thank you for sticking to it and finding a location.”
On November 4, 2025, PCSO deputies responded to the Target located at 5000 Grandview Parkway in Davenport in reference to a retail theft.
Upon arrival, deputies spoke with a Target loss prevention associate who stated he observed two female suspects enter the store at 7:29 p.m. Surveillance footage showed both women retrieving shopping carts and then making rapid selections throughout the store including bedding, decorations, clothing, and makeup. The associate reported that the suspects attempted to conceal the merchandise by placing Target shopping bags over the items in their carts before heading toward the exit. They were detained in the loss prevention office until deputies arrived.
The total value of the merchandise stolen was $2,487.70.
The suspects, identified as sisters 19-year-old Afnane Kamel and 32 year-old Hala Kamel, spontaneously offered to pay for the items in an attempt to avoid legal consequences. Both later admitted to deciding together to steal the merchandise while inside the store.
Afnane and Hala were arrested and charged with Grand Theft (F3) and Conspiracy to Commit Grand Theft (M1). They were transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center without incident.
“When you walk into a store and try to leave with nearly $2,500 worth of unpaid merchandise, that’s not a mistake—that’s a crime. Thanks to a vigilant associate who saw something and said something, our deputies were able to respond quickly and make the arrest.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Florida Department of Corrections probation officers conducted a Halloween sexual offender/predator compliance initiative and probation checks for the weeks leading up to, and on, October 31, 2025. The operation was aimed at ensuring compliance with Florida’s registration laws for convicted sex offenders and sex predators (FSS 775.21 & FSS 943.0435) within Polk County* and probationers complying with their regulations.
There are 1,431 Sexual Offenders, 158 of whom are sexual predators, registered in Polk County. These offenders and predators are checked every quarter by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to ensure they are in compliance with Florida’s sexual offender/predator registration laws. The state requires checks at least once a year.
During the weeks leading up to Halloween, 140 offenders/predators were contacted and checked for compliance with probation conditions and sexual offender/predator registration laws; 14 sexual offenders or predators were arrested, and two warrants were served out-of-state, for failure to comply with registration laws; another 16 offenders or predators were arrested for probation violations.
Sexual offenders/predators on probation are supervised by the Department of Corrections, and their probation stipulates they are prohibited from engaging in Halloween activities such as having contact with children, distributing candy/treats, or having Halloween decorations.
On Halloween, detectives and probation officers confirmed the compliance of 348 offenders and predators, and made 297 searches.
“I am proud of our deputies and probation officers for their hard work to ensure that these sex offenders and predators are complying with their court-mandated registrations and requirements. This is time consuming, but absolutely necessary. Our simple message is this — if you’ve been placed on the sex offender/predator registry, we will keep track of you, and we will hold you accountable for any violations, period.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
16 Arrests/warrants for failure to comply
• Terrell Denson (9/2/1973) – Sexual predator arrested for failure to comply with sexual predator registration laws. He is required to report all changes in employment within 48 hours and failed to do so. Denson is designated a sexual predator based on prior convictions for sexual battery on a child under 12 years old. He has several prior convictions for failure to properly register as a predator.
• Mario Smith (10/5/1975) – Sexual predator arrested for failure to comply with sexual predator registration laws. He failed to maintain his FL driver’s license (it was suspended) and failed to report his residence. Smith was convicted of sexual battery on a child between 12-15 years old in 2003, and convicted of producing/directing/promoting sexual performance by a child in 2015. He has a prior conviction for failure to comply with sexual predator registration laws.
• Travis Thompson (12/2/1982) – Sexual predator arrested for failure to comply with sexual predator registration laws. In September, he failed to report his new permanent residence to the FL DHSMV within 48 hours, as required. Thompson was convicted of sexual battery on a child between 12-15 years old, sending harmful material to a minor, use of a computer to seduce a child, and has prior convictions for failure to comply with sexual predator registration laws.
• Hardey Albritton (11/20/1980) – Sexual offender arrested for two counts of failure to comply with sexual offender registration laws. He failed to report to the Sheriff’s Office that he had vacated his permanent residence and was registering himself as “transient” and failed to report to the FL DHSMV to register the same. Albritton was convicted in Virginia in 2002 for aggravated sexual battery and has lifetime sexual offender registration requirements in VA and FL.
• Charles Denson (12/22/1980) – Sexual offender arrested for 2 counts failure to comply with sexual offender registration laws. Denson failed to register a vehicle within 48 hours and provided false registration information. Denson was convicted in 1999 for lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 16 years old.
• Moises Rodriguez (1/27/1949) – Sexual offender arrested for 2 counts failure to comply with sexual offender registration laws. He failed to complete mandatory sexual offender registration during two different months in one year, and failed to report an active social media account. Rodriguez was convicted in 2020 for offender using coercion to commit commercial sexual activity.
• Jule Vandoorn (6/6/1972) – Sexual offender arrested for failure to comply with sexual offender registration laws. He failed to report two different residences to the FL DHSMV. Vandoorn was convicted in 2010 for lewd and lascivious sexual battery on a victim between 12-15 years old. He has a prior conviction for failure to comply with sexual offender registration laws.
• James Hutchins (11/26/1947) – Sexual offender arrested for failure to comply with sexual offender registration laws. He failed to complete his quarterly registrations. Hutchins was convicted in 2006 for sexual battery on a victim under 12 years old and has prior convictions for criminal solicitation of a child under 12 years old.
• Elmer Hayes Jr. (4/7/1973) – Sexual offender arrested for 2 counts failure to comply with sexual offender registration laws. He failed to report an active social media account within 48 hours of activating it and failed to report it on several mandated registrations. Hayes was convicted in 2000 for lewd and lascivious molestation of a child between 12-15 years old.
• Larry Jones (1/30/1952) – Sexual offender arrested for 2 counts failure to comply with sexual offender registration laws. Jones is registered in Illinois as a sexual offender. He failed to report to FL and IL authorities his new FL address within the required time frames for both states’ registration laws. Jones was convicted in 1972 in Illinois for murder and rape.
• Bugsianta Williams (7/1/1972) – Sexual offender arrested for 4 counts failure to comply with sexual offender registration laws. He failed to register four social media accounts, and his new phone number. Williams was convicted in 2005 in Louisiana for indecent behavior with juveniles, and has previous convictions in Lake Co and Polk Co (FL) for failure to comply with registration laws.
• Joseph Sifonte (4/26/1984) – Sexual offender arrested for 3 counts failure to comply with sexual offender registration laws. He failed to register four vehicles with the FL DHSMV. Sifonte was convicted in 2012 for traveling to meet a minor for sex.
• Leon Leffingwell (4/30/1970) – Sexual offender arrested for failure to comply with sexual offender registration laws. He failed to register a social media account. Leffingwell was convicted in 2002 in Indiana for child molestation.
• Joseph Gambrell (3/14/1964) – Sexual offender arrested for 3 counts failure to comply with sexual offender registration laws. He reported living at a residence in close proximity of schools or daycares, which is prohibited. Detectives spoke with people living there, who had no idea he had used their address – they confirmed he has never lived there. He has been living at a different residence, which he has never reported to authorities. Gambrell was convicted in 2007 for lewd and lascivious exhibition on a victim under 16 years old.
Two other sexual offenders, Kenneth Russell and Elijah Cannon, were found to have failed to comply with sexual offender registrations laws, both of whom are in jails in other states – warrants were served charging them accordingly.
16 Arrests for violation of probation
• Tommy Carrera (10/25/1967) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 2017 conviction for lewd and lascivious battery on a victim between 12-15 years old. He violated his probation by failing a drug screen.
• Allen Hunter (5/20/1963) – He was designated a sexual predator based on a 2002 conviction for lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim between 12-15 years old. He violated his probation by possessing pornography.
• William Kenna (9/6/1977) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 2019 conviction for unlawful sex with a minor. He violated his probation by having unregistered internet identifiers.
• Peter Murphy (12/17/1992) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 2017 conviction for use of a computer to lure a child for sex, and soliciting a child for sex. He violated his probation by having unregistered internet identifiers.
• Juan Rojas (3/24/1984) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 2017 conviction for use of a computer to lure a child for sex, and soliciting a child for sex. He violated his probation by having unregistered internet identifiers.
• Clarence Williams (5/16/1969) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 2010 conviction for produce/direct/promote sexual performance by a child and he has a prior conviction for failure to comply with sex offender registration laws. He violated his probation by having unregistered internet identifiers.
• Donald Brown (2/27/1943) – He was designated a sexual predator based on a 2013 conviction for sexual battery of a victim under 12 years old. He violated his probation by having unregistered internet identifiers.
• Thomas Clingerman (2/27/1943) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 2010 conviction for lewd and lascivious battery on a victim between 12-15 years old. He violated his probation by failing to follow officers’ instructions.
• Jose Ortega (8/30/1994) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 2024 conviction for traveling to meet a minor for sex. He violated his probation due to having an out-of-county warrant.
• Joseph Little (9/24/1967) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 1990 conviction for child molestation. He violated his probation by failing a drug test and has a prior conviction for failure to comply with sex offender registration laws.
• Brian Mitchell (5/23/1988) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 2021 conviction for lewd and lascivious battery on a victim between 12-15 years old. He violated his probation for viewing pornography and by having unregistered internet identifiers.
• Antron Pompey (1/15/1985) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 2003 conviction for lewd and lascivious molestation of a chld under 16 years old and false imprisonment of a minor. He violated his probation by having unregistered internet identifiers. He has prior convictions for failure to comply with sex offender registration laws.
• Michael Levieux (8/27/1968) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 1996 conviction for criminal sexual assault. He violated his probation by failing to register his cell phone and email address. He has prior convictions for failure to comply with sex offender registration laws.
• Jeffrey Brown (11/10/1972) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 2022 conviction for lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim under 12 years old. He violated his probation by having unregistered internet identifiers and failing to register a vehicle.
• Oscar Gauntlett (9/21/1955) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 2015 conviction for lewd and lascivious conduct against a victim under 16 years old. He violated his probation by having unregistered internet identifiers.
• Eric Olson (6/29/1995) – He was designated a sexual offender based on a 2021 conviction for solicit/possess/view child pornography. He violated his probation by having unregistered internet identifiers.
Several of these VOP arrests are pending further investigation and more charges are pending the outcomes.
*Convicted sex offenders and sex predators are required by Florida law to register and maintain updated information regarding the following identifying information: name; social security number; age; race; sex; date of birth; height; weight; tattoos or other identifying marks; hair and eye color; photograph; address of legal residence (or temporary residence); electronic mail addresses; Internet identifiers and each Internet identifier’s corresponding website homepage or application software name; home telephone numbers and cellular telephone numbers; employment information; driver’s license or Florida ID information; the make, model, color, vehicle identification number (VIN), and license tag number of all vehicles owned. The law specifies time frames during which notifications of any changes to the above information must be made.
“I know this might be hard to believe but there are actually people in this world who like being in jail so much, they just find a reason to go back!! You know people like this guy, Kevin Berrios who either likes jail a whole lot or is just dumber than a box of rocks or should I say “rock!!”
It all began yesterday as Berrios was released from Ivey‘s Iron Bar Lodge at approximately 3:30 in the afternoon, and within 20 minutes he encountered Deputy Haney who was driving down Camp Road. Dep. Haney was on his way to bring someone else to jail, when Berrios, who was walking down the road, decided to throw a rock at Dep. Haney’s patrol car!! That’s right folks…in broad open daylight this guy decides to throw a rock at a Deputy driving a marked patrol car!!
You can probably guess how things went from there, as they were pretty close to the jail already, so Deputy Haney got out of the car and asked Berrios why he would throw a rock at a patrol car!! With no good reason as to why, one could only assume he wanted to go back to the Lodge and that’s exactly where he went!!
After Deputy Haney dropped everyone off at the jail, he brought his vehicle over across the street to Fleet to get a loaner, when he noticed a few other vehicles that appeared to be damaged by rocks!! General Crimes Unit Agent Dylan Cervenak was called to follow up with the investigation to see who could’ve possibly been dumb enough to do that type of criminal mischief!!
After reviewing the surveillance video, Berrios was observed exiting the jail, casually walking across the street to our Fleet Maintenance Building, and picking up some objects that he hurled towards 2 patrol cars!! After that he headed down Camp Road and made the even dumber decision to throw a rock at Deputy Haney’s vehicle!! In total he caused approximately $3,700 worth for damage to all of the vehicles.
So now Berrios finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place as he is back with his friends at Ivey’s Iron Bar Lodge on No Bond!! While he is probably in a different bed, I can guarantee you he is still experiencing the same sorry accommodations and a one star dining experience!!
Hopefully while he’s in there he can figure out what not to do next time he gets out of jail, because the plan he had this time didn’t end very well for him!!
A big thanks to Deputy Haney and Agent Cervenak for another job well done!!
