LAKELAND — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal collision involving a bicyclist and an Amtrak train Monday afternoon, October 27, on the CSX tracks that run parallel to US 92 near Eastside Drive.
According to Polk County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Brian Bruchey, deputies were dispatched at approximately 3:37 p.m. after receiving reports that a train had struck a man riding a bicycle on the tracks.
On Tuesday, PCSO released an update identifying the victim as 65-year old Joseph Gordon Evju of Lakeland (Editors Note: Initial information from PCSO was in error.)
Investigators determined that an Amtrak train traveling from Miami to Tampa, carrying 191 passengers, was approaching the crossing at approximately 77 miles per hour. The crossing arms were down and fully engaged.
According to the sheriff’s office, Vest maneuvered around the lowered crossing arms and entered the tracks. Detectives say he either did not hear or ignored the train’s horn just moments before the impact.
No passengers or crew members on the train were injured.
If your doctor has concerns about your cholesterol levels, you may be familiar with statins. This is a class of medications that can help reduce your body’s cholesterol production, lowering your risk of heart attack or stroke.
However, up to 30% of adults in the United States have some degree of statin intolerance, according to research published in the “Journal of Clinical Lipidology.” Possible signs or symptoms of statin intolerance are muscle aches and cramps, fatigue, weakness, elevated liver enzymes and the onset of diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance.
As a result, nearly one-third of patients (29%) discontinue their statin within the first year, according to findings published in the “American Journal of Cardiology.” Unfortunately, patients with statin intolerance are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including higher rates of coronary heart disease and recurrent heart attack.
Lowering Bad Cholesterol
A diagnosis of high cholesterol involves measuring low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is commonly referred to as “bad” cholesterol because it leads to the accumulation of plaque in your arteries. Plaque reduces your blood flow, which can cause damage to your cardiovascular system.
Bloodwork is the best indicator of your cholesterol levels, since you may not experience any symptoms of high cholesterol until you already have damage and buildup in your arteries.
To help create your treatment plan, talk to your doctor about your medical history, including whether you’ve had a heart attack or any heart procedures, such as a stent placement or bypass surgery. You’ll also review current medications, recent lab results and notes on any symptoms you may be experiencing.
Your doctor is likely to recommend a series of steps to reduce your cholesterol. Some common recommendations include a healthy diet low in saturated and trans fats and high in fiber, especially fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
It you’re not already getting regular physical activity, your doctor will likely encourage you to get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, find ways to include more movement in your everyday lifestyle and, if necessary, work toward shedding extra weight.
Lifestyle changes can help but may not make a big enough impact to reduce cholesterol to a recommended level. In those cases, doctors rely on cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins. Statins can be highly effective at reducing bad cholesterol, making them a powerful tool to reduce the risks associated with heart disease.
When Statins Are Intolerable or Aren’t Enough
For a variety of reasons, including intolerance to the medication, other health conditions or interactions with other medications, statins may not be the right choice for everyone.
“While statins remain the gold standard for cholesterol lowering, I often see patients who either can’t or won’t take a statin, as well as patients who require further LDL cholesterol reduction,” said Guy L. Mintz, Director of Cardiovascular Health & Lipidolology at Northwell Health System. “For those patients, I prescribe non-statin medications, such as NEXLETOL (an oral prescription medication with the cholesterol lowering agent bempedoic acid) and NEXLIZET (a combination of cholesterol-lowering medicines bempedoic acid and ezetimibe). I am comfortable using NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET, along with a healthy diet and exercise, to reduce LDL cholesterol in adults with high blood cholesterol levels and to reduce risk of heart events. Non-statins are another important therapeutic tool in our lipid lowering toolbox.”
The Auburndale Police Department, in partnership the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Auburndale Fire Department , is excited to host this family-friendly event with one mission: bringing joy through the Toys for Tots Foundation. Entrance Fee: One new, unwrapped toy to benefit Toys for Tots.
Event Highlights:
Cyber Truck Rally & Light Show
Food trucks
Meet and connect with local law enforcement & firefighters
Fun for kids and families—making memories while giving back
Attention Cyber Truck Owners!
Want to show off your ride and connect with other owners? We’re calling all Cyber Truck enthusiasts to bring your trucks and be part of the excitement. For details, please contact 863-965-2020.
Let’s light up the night, bring the community together, and most importantly—make the holidays brighter for children in need!
One Movie Later: Top 9 Horror Movies Streaming for Free
by James Coulter
We all love marathoning old horror movies on Halloween, but not all of us have the spare change to afford a top streaming service like Netflix or HBO Max.
Fortunately, there are plenty of free streaming services like Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel. Best of all, they have plenty of great horror flicks worth binge-watching.
From cult classics to big box office blockbusters, here are some of the top-rated, most-watched horror movies currently streaming for free:
1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Platforms: Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel
MPAA: R Run Time: 1hr 23m
Ratings: 89% (Rotten Tomatoes) 7.4/10 (IMDB)
The granddaddy of slashers. When a van of teens gets lost in the middle of nowhere, an eccentric rural family offers to have them for dinner—or, rather, with the help of the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface, to have them as dinner. 50 years later, horror fans still watch this beloved classic, as it remains one of the most-streamed legacy horrors each year.
Critical Highlight: “The slasher that started it all… and still leaves viewers chilled to the bone.” — Paste Magazine
2. The Babadook (2014)
Platforms: Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel
MPAA: NR Run Time: 1h 34m
Ratings: 98% (Rotten Tomatoes) 6.8/10 (IMDB)
A modern-day urban legend. When a young boy claims to be haunted by a monster in his home, both he and his mother go on a downward spiral into paranoia. For the past decade, this film has remained universally acclaimed and cited by both horror outlets and fans as one of the most psychologically effective horror films.
Critical Highlight: “A monster movie that’s really about emotional trauma… layered, complex and just so goddamned dramatic.” — Paste Magazine
3. Paranormal Activity (2007)
Platforms: Pluto TV
MPAA: R Run time: 1h 26m
Ratings: 83% (Rotten Tomatoes) 6.3/10 (IMDB)
We all know the story: A family hears strange things happening at night. They decide to have a video camera record footage overnight. What they discover truly shocks them. This found footage flick spawned an entire film franchise, and every October, Pluto TV runs a complete month-long marathon of the movies.
Critical Highlight: “Sustained scares and relentless atmosphere… no wonder audiences keep coming back for more.” — Pluto TV editorial
4. The Descent (2005)
Platforms: Tubi, Pluto TV
MPAA: R Run time: 1h 39m
Ratings: 87% (Rotten Tomatoes) 7.2/10 (IMDB)
A young woman and her friends decide to explore a creepy old cave. What could possibly go wrong? You know, aside from them uncovering unsettling artifacts from ancient times, as well as a previous cave expedition gone wrong. This spooky spelunking spectacle is often cited by horror fans as one of the best movies of the century and remains highly rated on Tubi.
Critical Highlight: “Even at home, the film still plays like gangbusters…the theater walls themselves seemed to close in on you.” — Mashable
5. Match (2025)
Platforms: Tubi
MPAA: NR Run Time: 1h 39m
Ratings: 87% (Rotten Tomatoes) 7.2/10 (IMDB)
They say you should always be careful with online dating. A young woman learns that lesson the hard way after a dating app matches her with a serial killer. Now she needs to ditch her first date before he throws her in a ditch. This Tubi original has gone viral, being heralded by horror sites as “the first Halloween treat.” Those with weak stomachs are advised, as the gory practical effects will make you lose your lunch.
Critical Highlight: “Such an amazing surprise and the first Halloween treat of 2025… A classic slasher with so many brilliant practical effects. Rarely do Tubi Originals reach such heights.” — Heaven of Horror
6: Hellraiser (1987)
Platforms: Tubi
MPAA: R Run time: 1h 34m
Ratings: 72% (Rotten Tomatoes) IMDB: 7/10
This film’s antagonist may be named “Pinhead”, but don’t go calling him that as an insult. Or rather, don’t go trying to solve his puzzle box. He might leave you torn to pieces–quite literally! Hellraiser and its main villain, Pinhead, remain classic modern-day horror icons, and the film remains one of the most replayed on Tubi.
Critical Highlight: “Makes Nightmare on Elm Street look like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.” — The Houston Post
7. Train to Busan (2016)
Platforms: Pluto TV
MPAA: NR Run time: 1h 58m
Ratings: 94% (Rotten Tomatoes) 7.6/10 (IMDB)
What could be worse than a train commute? How about a train commute during a zombie outbreak? That’s a sticky, scary situation one Korean man and his daughter find themselves. Will they survive the zombies on the way to Busan? Or will they end up zombies themselves? This international critical sensation has received high votes and ratings on streaming sites, having been consistently voted #1 on user polls.
Critical Highlight: “Delivers a gripping tale of survival… masterfully builds tension and delivers frights that cater to thrill-seekers’ tastes.” — Ranker, Paste Magazine
8. Possessor (2020)
Platforms: Tubi
MPAA: R Run time: 1h 43m
Ratings: 93% (Rotten Tomatoes) 6.5/10 (IMDB)
An assassin’s work isn’t easy. Fortunately, one elite assassin has her job made easier with brain-implant tech, allowing her to possess and kill her targets. However, one hit job has her struggling to control their body and her own. Cronenberg’s body horror never appeared more horrible and body-twitching. No wonder it’s top-rated by Paste and JustWatch.
Critical Highlight: “Cronenberg isn’t just looking to provoke with blood and guts—like all good dystopian fiction, Possessor offers disturbing and timely observations about the world we already live in.” — The Atlantic
9. Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Platforms: Tubi
MPAA: R Run time: 1h 45m
Ratings: 54% (Rotten Tomatoes) 5.4/10 (IMDB)
So, you’re an indie rock band. You made a deal with the devil. He gives you fame and fortune. You give him a virgin sacrifice. There’s only one problem? That cheerleader you sacrificed? She wasn’t a virgin. And now she’s back for vengeance. And a taste for human flesh. A critically panned box-office bomb on initial release, this film has since been reevaluated as a cult horror classic, praised for its social bites as well as its literal ones.
Critical Highlight: “A wicked black comedy with unexpected emotional resonance, one of the most purely pleasurable movies.” — Slate
On Sunday morning (10/26) at around 8:20 am, a PCSO deputy was dispatched to the Circle K store at 8324 US 98 North in Lakeland, following a retail theft.
A store employee reported the theft was carried out by a male and female who fled from the store in a gray 2017 Hyundai Elantra.
The vehicle was located a short time later, and both suspects were captured.
They were identified as 43-year old Brenda Michelle Sasnett and 35-year old Richard Jared Allen. Both are from Lakeland.
Sasnett was driving the vehicle at the time it was stopped, however her license was not valid due to it having been suspended.
Allen and Sasnett were taken to the Sheriff’s Processing Center and both were charged with retail theft. Sasnett was additionally charged with DWLSR.
Richard Allen’s prior criminal history includes: Unlawful Possession five or more Identification, Providing False Name to LEO, Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Introduction of Contraband to a Detention Facility.
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (October 27, 2025) – A deadly crash early Monday morning on US-98 claimed the life of a Spring Hill man, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The incident occurred around 6:08 a.m. when a Kia K5, driven by a 24-year-old Davenport man, was traveling northbound on US-98, just north of County Road 54. For reasons still under investigation, the Kia crossed into the southbound lane and collided nearly head-on with a Dodge Caliber driven by a 47-year-old man from Spring Hill.
A Toyota Corolla, driven by a 26-year-old Spring Hill man traveling behind the Dodge, was unable to stop and struck the rear of the Caliber.
The 47-year-old driver of the Dodge Caliber was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Kia suffered serious injuries, while the driver of the Toyota was uninjured. The crash remains under investigation by FHP.
Halloween is right around the corner, and you still haven’tdecorated your house. Even worse, you don’t have the spare change to go on a Spirit Halloween shopping spree.
What do you do?
Fear not. You can still get your house decorated for spooky season with some simple crafts. Best of all, they can be made with cheap dollar store items, so you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank.
From mummy-wrapped pumpkins to floating sheet ghosts, here are 8 affordable DIY Halloween crafts:
1. Floating Sheet Ghosts
Time: 5-10 minutes each
Cost: $0-$3 each
What’s a haunted house without ghosts? You don’t even need a seance to summon any. You can make your own with old sheets and string. Just drape an old white sheet or trash bag over a small ball or balled-up piece of plastic or paper. Tie the “neck” tight with twine, string, or yarn. Draw eyes and a mouth with a black marker. Then hang from a porch or tree using a fishing line.
2. Gauze-Wrapped Mummy Pumpkins
Time: 10–15 minutes each
Cost: $1–3 per pumpkin (pumpkin costs may vary)
Jack o-Lanterns are scary. Mummies are scary. So what can be scarier than mummy jack o-lanterns? All you need to do is wrap a small pumpkin with strips of gauze, attach the gauze with glue or tape, then draw faces using a black marker or even googly eyes. Voila! Place them on your front porch, and you have a spooky mummified jack o-lantern to delight any mommy or mummy.
3. Giant Spider and Egg Sacs
Time: 15–30 minutes
Cost: $1–$6
Spiders are scary. Giant spiders are scarier. But a giant spider that laid eggs? Now that’s the scariest. Fortunately, this spider is made from yarn. Make the spider from a ball painted black with black pipe cleaners for legs. Then make the egg sacs by wrapping cotton balls with yarn and adding small plastic spiders. Place them around your yard, especially among bushes, and you have a real fake spider infestation.
4. Ghostly mason jar luminarias
Time: 10–20 minutes for several
Cost: $0.50–$3 per jar
A glass jar might not be able to trap a real ghost, but it can certainly contain fake glowing ghosts. Either paint ghosts on jars with white paint and black marker or drape white tissues inside. Add some cheap tea lights (solar-powered are ideal). Then set them around your front porch and steps.
5. Spider Web Table Runner
Time: 20–40 minutes
Cost: $1–6
If you want to decorate the inside of your house with webs, you can choose not to dust and wait for a spider to weave real cobwebs. Or you can make your own from white yarn. Simply lay the yarn on black poster board in concentric circles and connect the spokes with glue or tape. Then glue on plastic spiders. Try lightly misting the yarn with diluted glue for a firmer web that stays put.
6. PVC Pipe Tombstones
Time: 20–40 minutes
Cost: $1–$8 total
If you want to make your front yard look like a graveyard, you could “borrow” some tombstones from the local cemetery. However, if you’re looking for a simpler (and more legal) decorating tip, try making your own tombstones. Cut some tombstones from poster board, foam, or cardboard. Paint them gray and draw some epithets with a black marker. Then use wooden stakes or PVC pipe to push into the ground. Weatherproof with a quick coat of clear spray or lean tombstones against heavier objects for wind resistance.
7. Monster-Covered Candy Jars
Time: 15–20 minutes each
Cost: $1–4 per jar
What do you do with all of the candy your little monsters collect trick-or-treating? Why not store them in monster-covered candy jars? Cut up monster shapes with colored felt or craft foam. Then draw or glue on shapes to make the faces. Don’t forget to add some googly eyes. Now you have a monster-covered jar to protect your Halloween candy.
8. Bleeding Candles
Time: 15 minutes for several candles
Cost: $1–5 for supplies
Candles can melt, but have you ever seen one bleed? You can when you make your own bleeding candles. Melt red wax (preferably from old crayons) and drizzle it over white candles to make bloody drips. For a gory effect, add a few nail heads pressed into the candle. Set them in candle holders, and be sure to use precaution when lighting them.
New Roundabout and Other Traffic Improvements Planned on North Galloway Road in Lakeland by James Coulter
A new roundabout is one of the many proposed traffic improvements planned for N. Galloway Road in Lakeland now that a construction contract has been approved by Polk County commissioners.
At their regular meeting on Tues. Oct. 21, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) voted unanimously to approve a construction contract with Jax Paving Industries of Florida.
The contract will be for several traffic improvements planned for N. Galloway Road in Lakeland. These improvements include a new roundabout, along with street lighting, drainage, and the overall maintenance of traffic.
“The project will increase the safety of the intersection and will improve traffic congestion in the area,” wrote Ken Brush,Procurement Contracts Manager.
The project will cost an estimated $3,063,097.56 (which includes $145,861.00 added to the contract for allowance work), and is expected to be completed within 210 days (with allowance time for 31 days).
To help cover the costs of this construction, $1,063,098.00 will be transferred from the county’s Transportation Trust Fund.
Commissioner Martha Santiago commended county staff for their hard work and effort in moving this construction project forward.
Two residents spoke during public comments to thank commissioners for the proposed traffic improvements and for planning to manage potential stormwater runoff from the project.
David Brown voiced his support of the proposed roundabout because it would reduce traffic problems and accidents on that road, and he praised commissioners for addressing runoff that could have affected his property.
“I am here to thank you for the foresight to do it and the heart to bring it to pass,” he said.
Shannon Tuberville, who owns the parcel at the southeast corner of the proposed roundabout, also praised the project for improving traffic safety and for addressing potential stormwater runoff.
He had reached out to commissioners Bill Braswell and Becky Troutman on the subject, and he commended them for their effort in addressing his concerns and those of his neighbors.
“In my opinion, you did what you were elected by the people to do,” he said. “You were accessible, you were sensitive to my concerns, and you were solution-oriented. I can’t think of any better representation from my elected officials, and I truly mean that.”
A transformer malfunction at the Coca-Cola facility in Auburndale led to the release of approximately 486 gallons of transformer oil on Thursday morning, according to a pollution notice filed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. on October 23, 2025, when a TECO transformer experienced a mechanical failure. The oil spill was fully contained on-site, with no risk to nearby waterways or stormwater spillways, according to the report. The release was reported to the State Warning Point at 4:40 p.m. the same day.
Environmental remediation contractor ACT was hired by TECO to manage cleanup operations at the site, located at 705 Main Street, adjacent to Coca-Cola’s large bottling and distribution plant. The facility, one of Polk County’s major industrial employers, sits just south of Derby Avenue in Auburndale’s industrial corridor.
Officials confirmed that the release did not extend beyond the property and posed no public safety threat. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection classified the report as an initial notice under case number 20259116.
The Auburndale plant is operated by Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, which oversees beverage production and distribution across much of Central Florida.
Residents or environmental agencies seeking further information about the cleanup process can contact the Polk County TECO Environmental Response Line at (863) 219-1658.
HAINES CITY — The Haines City Police Department is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred early Sunday morning in the area of Avenue I and 12th Street North.
According to Public Information Officer Brooke Hart, no officers were injured during the incident, and there is currently no threat to the community.
Police have not yet released details about the circumstances leading up to the shooting or whether anyone else was injured.
Further updates will be provided as additional information becomes available, the department said.
