Some children rummage around pumpkin patches for their pumpkins. However, several lucky children took a splash in the pool for the chance to play around with Halloween pumpkins.
Gandy Pool hosted its annual Great Pumpkin Splash event on Friday evening, allowing children to enjoy early, splish-splashy Halloween fun with various poolside activities, including cornhole, cup throw, pinatas, and several floating pumpkins in the pool.
Located next to the Kelly Recreation Center in Lakeland, Gandy Pool hosts various special family-friendly events throughout the year to help draw residents to the pool.
Even for late October, the evening’s splendidly warm and sunny weather drew in several dozen children and their families to the local pool.
“The turnout is better than last year,” said Brandon Frable, lead lifeguard at Gandy Pool. “We had a lot more kids than last year. They are slowly pouring in. I am just happy people turned up. I am just happy people turned up because I put in all this effort. But I feel relieved.”
Brandon has been serving as a lifeguard at the Lakeland pool for nearly four years. He enjoys being able to host events like this to help families take a dip in the pool and enjoy the city’s local public amenities.
“I just enjoy lifeguarding, working with kids, just working here,” he said. “What do I love most? I don’t know because this is my second time doing this. It is just something I do. I don’t know why. It is fun. I love planning things out and working with others. It is nice putting on something for the kids year-round and giving them a little bit of fun.”
A fog-laden graveyard. A twisting tunnel with chains and evil masks. Wailing and moaning echoed throughout. Every sin written on its walls. Then, the heat cools down and the light intensifies. The sky parts and a cloudy scene appears. A dazzling palace atop a cloud glimmering with crystal and gold.
These scenes were some of the glimpses of the afterlife attendees were able to see during the Heaven and Hell Tour hosted by Revive Church Lakeland at their annual fall festival on Wednesday evening.
Aside from the heaven and hell tour, which offered guests a glimpse of their potential afterlife, attendees could also play around on bounce houses, go trick or treating with trunk or treat in the parking lot, and enjoy free food like hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, and even chili.
Revive Church Lakeland has been hosting a fall event for the past 25 years, hosting it as a fall festival over the past six years. John Thomason, one of the church members, has been helping host it during that time.
The fall festival is held to serve as an outreach for the church, allowing it to connect with residents they otherwise would not get in contact with and to show them that the church cares about its community, he said.
Not only did this year’s event experience a significant turnout, but many attendees were even able to commit themselves to the Christian faith through it and even express interest in becoming church members, Thomason said.
“So far, it has been going very well,” he said. “We had some challenges, but we have been able to overcome them. We have a good amount of people out. Some people have accepted people as their Lord and Savior. So, the people I talk to are having fun.”
Pastor Jason Seager appreciates being able to reach out to members of the community and provide them with a fun fall time, all while showing them the love of God and sharing the Christian faith with eager participants.
“I am pleased. I feel this is going to be the highest turnout we had in a while,” he said. “We do this to just show God’s love to our community. We started this several years ago to build relationships with people we normally do not cross paths with. Since then, it has grown to what you have seen today. The opportunity to connect with our friends and neighbors and let them know we are here for them.”
Revive Church Lakeland also hosts an annual Easter event with an Easter egg hunt. The church also provides community outreach through its preschool and youth ministry.
For more information about the church and its upcoming events, visit its Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/revivechurchlakeland
Leo’s Live Receives AED from Culpepper Cardiac Foundation
by James Coulter
As the owner of The Caribbean Bay in Winter Haven, Nancy Cooley knows how busy an establishment like hers can be, especially during live musical performances. Most anything can happen, which is why business owners like herself need to be prepared for anything. For that reason, she donated an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the establishment of a close friend and fellow business owner.
Nancy has been close, long-time friends with Leo Goncalves, owner of Leo’s Live in Lakeland. She knows his establishment can be just as hectic as her own and that an emergency can easily arise. So, as she received an AED to install at her establishment, she donated an AED to Leo to install at his own.
Culpepper Cardiac Foundation
“Leo is a good friend of mine,” she said. “He comes to my bar. He has the same bands that I do. I know he is busy. I figured it would be a great place if he had one here…It feels wonderful [to give back to an organization that gave to me]. I am 100 percent behind it.”
Nancy Cooley was a previous recipient of an AED donated by the Culpepper’s Cardiac Foundation, a local non-profit organization that raises proceeds and awareness for heart health, which includes donating AEDs to local businesses. Cooley wanted to give back by becoming a sponsor herself, and she chose Leo’s Live to be another recipient.
Leo Goncalves, owner of Leo’s Live, was proud to receive the donation and have the AED installed at his establishment. He has not experienced an incident at his venue that would require such emergency equipment, but he remains grateful to be prepared in case of such an emergency.
“I am very happy to have it donated,” he said. “We have not had incidents, but you never know. It would be wonderful for her to try to save people’s lives. We recommend more people to have this.”
His daughter, Jackie, had previously taken medical classes in high school, so she knows how to use such a device in case of a cardiac arrest or a similar emergency. She appreciates Culpepper’s for donating it to her father’s business.
“I think it is great we have it here,” she said. “I think it is great that an AED is here. It should be everywhere. I think it is great that she [Melanie] goes around and has them put up because you never know what will happen. We appreciate it.”
Following the untimely passing of her fiancee, Michael Culpepper, from cardiac arrest, Melanie Brown Culpepper started her organization to raise proceeds and donate AEDs throughout the county. She has since donated more than 20 AEDs to local businesses including the Carribean Bay, Old Man Frank’s, and Tanner’s Lakeside.
Currently, she started a website, CulpepperAED.com, through which visitors can download a mobile app to locate nearby AEDs in their vicinity in case of a cardiac arrest or other such emergency.
“I am happy it [AEDs are] continuing to go out to the public and community,” she said. “I appreciate everyone for donating and sponsoring and coming out and helping because without them I cannot do all of this. We need everybody in the community to help us so we can keep putting them out.”
Polk County Parks & Rec: Located down Lake Arbuckle Road in Frostproof, the Lake Arbuckle Park and Campground is a great spot to duck away and enjoy local Florida nature.
The park includes over 30 shaded camping areas for guests to enjoy stays while checking out boating, kayaking, and pier fishing.
If you’re in the Frostproof area, it’s a great place to explore rivers and inlets in the cooler autumn weather!
Lake Arbuckle Park & Campground 2600 Lake Arbuckle Road Frostproof, FL 33843
For a full list of Polk County Campgrounds, visit https://www.polk-county.net/parks-and-recreation/campgrounds
Thanks to an alert school employee who saw something and said something, and social media, an 18-year-old who was in possession of a realistic-looking fake gun on a private school campus was arrested within 2.5 hours of being spotted in Lakeland.
Adrian Araujo-Garcia of Lakeland went to the Resurrection Catholic Church and private school on Old Hwy 37 in Lakeland around 12:15 p.m. this afternoon, Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and was seen by a school employee who was on her lunch break in the school parking lot. The employee saw him at the front of the church, and then saw him walk to a silver Honda Civic in the parking lot. The employee saw Araujo-Garcia open the door and retrieve a silver handgun, appearing to insert a magazine into it. He got into the car and it left the parking lot.
The employee immediately called 911 and told another employee to put the school on lockdown. Descriptions of the suspect and vehicle, as well as video surveillance images of both, were sent out to the media and posted on PCSO social media accounts. Adrian himself saw the photos on social media, and called the Sheriff’s Office while deputies were en route to the home where the car was registered (one of his relatives).
Adrian told deputies that he went to the church to pray, and that when he got into the car, he saw the silver-colored toy gun in the backseat and retrieved it. He said that it appeared to be “jammed” so he picked it up and got into the front seat with it and began manipulating it to “clear the jam” and fired it into the front floorboard.
Deputies retrieved the gun, a realistic looking plastic replica of a Glock model 18 handgun, with a white slide and removable magazine, which from a distance is nearly indistinguishable from a real firearm.
“I thank the staff and leadership of the Resurrection Catholic Church school for making sure there is a school resource deputy on campus to help protect their students and faculty from harm. I also sincerely appreciate the person who let us know they saw who they believed was a man in the parking lot with a gun. Our deputy immediately responded and there was a quick and thorough response from Lakeland Police Department officers and Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies. There was a deputy there in seconds as opposed to a 911 call and response that can take minutes. We were able to identify the suspect within 90 minutes and we had him in custody within 2 ½ hours. We cannot emphasize enough to people how important it is that if they see something, or hear something, to say something to law enforcement so we can investigate and keep people safe.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.
Adrian Araujo-Garcia was arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct (M2) and Disturbing/Interrupting School Function (M2).
Brevard County-based Health First Health Plans Expands Three Decades of Experience and Service to Central Florida
A New Low-Cost, Locally Serviced Health Plan Option Now Available
When you need car repairs – you naturally want someone who understands your particular make and model. When you need a shoulder replacement – you look for an experienced surgeon who specializes in … well … shoulders.
When you’re looking for a health plan, doesn’t it make sense to seek a company that’s locally-owned and operated, backed by decades of experience, staffed with your neighbors – customer service agents who live near you (not out of state or country) who will provide the very best knowledge of local medical providers and available services?
Central Floridians have been asking for a better option, and now they have one.
With more than 60,000 members and nearly three decades of local customer-centric experience, Brevard County-based Health First Health Plans will expand its low-cost health insurance services to five new Central Florida counties.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, Health First Health Plans’ services, which will also include access to the AdventHealth network, will now be available in Lake, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, and Polk counties.
Enrollment officially opened on Wednesday, Nov. 1, during the federal Marketplace Open Enrollment period. Plans will provide more low-cost Individual and Family Plan options for Central Floridians to stay healthy. These plans are available to those who need health insurance and do not have coverage available through an employer or government programs such as Medicare or Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act makes income-based subsidies and reduced out-of-pocket expenses available to assist with the costs of comprehensive health coverage.
Officially launched in 1996, Health First Health Plans, one of the very few not-for-profit health plans in the state of Florida, has provided a variety of high-value, low-cost services, including a network of more than 4,000 providers and dozens of acute care and office-based medical services in Brevard, Volusia, Indian River, Flagler, and Seminole counties.
The expansion of services is geared toward meeting the needs of a rapidly growing region for families and individuals seeking high-quality, low-cost health plans and services … all provided by fellow Central Floridians.
“Health First Health Plans has proudly served more than 60,000 members – our friends, family members, neighbors, and associates across Central Florida and the Space Coast for more than 25 years. It’s no secret that the Central Florida region is one of the nation’s fastest-growing destinations and, as our state grows, we too want to help meet the needs of our communities with services to help keep Florida healthy and well,” said Matt Gerrell, Health First Health Plans president.
Health First Health Plans president Matt Gerrell
“We’re excited to offer a variety of plans and options for cost-conscious individuals and growing families in these new communities, all tailored to meet their needs with a personal, convenient, and connected level of care and service. Perhaps most importantly, our valued members will be served by local, Central Florida-based customer service representatives and agents. From a customer satisfaction standpoint, it just makes sense that our Central Florida-based members will always be speaking with fellow community members when asking questions about benefits or requiring assistance with upcoming appointments or procedures,” Gerrell continued.
Health First Health Plansare designed tomanage healthcare needs with access, ease, and excellence with plans to fit every budget, wellness goal, and lifestyle. Depending on the chosen plan, physical and mental health benefits include fitness allowances, pediatric dental care, mental health treatment, and even virtual health and urgent care options.
Health First Health Plans is part of Health First, Florida’s only fully integrated delivery network system which consists of a medical group, four hospitals, and wellness services.
Early Wednesday morning a Chevy Trax, was traveling northbound on North Broadway Avenue and stopped for a red traffic signal at the intersection of SR-60. The vehicle then attempted a right turn onto SR-60 and collided with a bicyclist traveling westbound. The adult female bicyclist suffered fatal injuries and has been identified as 51 yr old Bartow woman. The driver, a 65-year-old Bartow man, was uninjured during the incident.
The FHP following Marsy’s Law does not release victims names.
This article is a collaborative effort between DailyRidge.com and D-R Media & Investments LLC
It might be unusual that two Polk County news outlets both have a D and an R at the head of their name.
What’s even more unusual is that The DailyRidge.com and D-R Media & Investments LLC are joining hands to share resources and extend their reach for the betterment of the community.
The DailyRidge.com, a locally owned and operated independent hyper local media company, will remain independent, as will D-R Media & Investments LLC, an extension of a family-owned newspaper business that owns the Winter Haven Sun, Polk News-Sun and Four Corners Sun in Polk County.
Understanding that the reporters for both news outlets were seeing each other at various community events and meetings on a regular basis, the companies suddenly realized that maybe they could create something sweet that would benefit the community they served: A partnership where both news outlets would remain independent, yet exchange stories and share advertising opportunities, creating a wide outreach for businesses and individuals who enjoy local news.
“We believe an informed citizenry is the best way to create sustainable great communities to live in. We admire the work the Daily Ridge does and are pleased to partner and expand the important civic information we all need,” said Dunn-Rankin.
“D-R Media & Investments LLC exists to help make the communities we serve a better place through quality journalism, helping locally owned businesses grow, events, and early-stage investments,” said owner David Dunn-Rankin.
D-R Media is owned by a fifth-generation Florida family. Their papers stretch from Lake Placid in the South and go north up US 27 to Wildwood covering America’s best small towns and include papers in Polk (Lakeland, Winter Haven, Four Corners as well as papers in Sumter, Lake and Highland counties.
DailyRidge.com is a hyper local media company focused on educating citizens by providing “Fast, Factual, and Free non-partisan news,” said Carl Fish, co-owner of the company.
“We try and showcase stories about citizens, leaders, and laws or regulations that affect our community,” Fish says.
The Daily Ridge originated in December of 2006 when two friends, Kip Kirchberg and Carl Fish, who felt the Polk County Ridge Area had a serious lack of factual unbiased news, joined hands to launch their online news outlet The Daily Ridge.
“Our contributors are everyday citizens, and our writers are from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Kip Kirchberg.
“As Polk County is larger in population than several entire states, we see a continuing need for more local news,” Kirchbergsaid.
Kip Kirchberg, Founding Partner of Daily Ridge, said “The Daily Ridge family is thrilled to announce our strategic partnership with D-R Media that is likely to revolutionize the way users consume news and information. D-R Media has a strong foothold in the printed news and information industry who has a great reputation for delivering quality journalism. The Daily Ridge is a smaller yet very successful organization with over 17 years knowledge of delivering digital hyper local news, entertainment, and community information. This Partnership will allow us both to reach a wider audience by leveraging more distribution options, while expanding coverage to provide readers more local news.”
A Lake Alfred man died Tuesday morning, October 31, 2023, after he was involved in a two-vehicle crash in Winter Haven.
39-year old Adam Walling was transported to a local hospital for injuries that included head trauma, but he was pronounced deceased shortly after arriving.
The crash occurred at about 9:17 am; deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and members from Winter Haven Fire Department responded to the crash on Martin Luther King Boulevard NE at Jewett Street.
According to preliminary findings of the PCSO Traffic Homicide Investigations, Mr. Walling was driving a white 2007 Honda motorcycle east on Martin Luther King Boulevard, while a white 2005 Ford Expedition was heading west.
The Ford Expedition began making a left turn (south) to Jewett Street to enter the Buckeye Ridge neighborhood, and in doing so, crossed in front of Mr. Walling’s motorcycle which had the right-of-way.
PCSO detectives believe Mr. Walling laid his motorcycle down and became separated from the bike.
Mr. Wolling slid under the front part of the Ford Expedition. He was not wearing a helmet.
Neither the driver, nor the passenger in the Ford Expedition were injured in the crash.
Martin Luther King Boulevard was reopened for traffic after approximately three hours, but the investigation remains ongoing.
Halloween is around the corner. It’s the ideal time to watch scary movies, whether you prefer classic horror flicks like Frankenstein or Dracula, slasher flicks like Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th, or captured footage films like Paranormal Activity or The Blair Witch Project.
However, as much as we love the same-old Halloween favorites, sometimes you want to watch something with new frights. And what better way to do so than uncovering some underrated scary movies from the past? Here are a few underrated cult classics I highly recommend watching this Halloween:
#1: House (1977)
Toho Studios | Not Rated (contains Blood, Gore, and Frightening & Intense Scenes)
Where to Watch: HBO Max (Streaming), Amazon Prime (Streaming), Hulu (Streaming), Sling TV (Streaming), Vudu (Rent), Apple TV (Rent)
A young teenage girl and her friends visit her estranged aunt for summer vacation. However, upon their arrival, strange things start occurring with each of them disappearing one by one. The young girl is now forced to uncover the mystery of the old house and discover why her estranged aunt was estranged to begin with. Can she and her friends survive their stay at the haunted house, all while avoiding ghost cats, man-eating pianos, and other bloody horrors?
Produced by Toho Studios of Godzilla fame, and directed by a director who previously worked on television commercials, this Japanese cult classic shifts tones between being a whimsical teen comedy and a chilling horror movie. The jarring tonal shifts create an overall haunting, blood-chilling experience with vivid visuals and splendid special effects. Each of the girls meets a bloody, gory, and creatively fitting demise that is sure to remain lingering in the deep recesses of your subconscious.
#2: The Company of Wolves (1984)
The Cannon Group | R (for Sex & Nudity, Blood & Gore, and Frightening & Intense Scenes)
Where to Watch: YouTube (Streaming), Amazon Prime (Streaming), AMC Plus (Streaming), fuboTV (Streaming), Roku Channel (Streaming)
A young girl on the cusp of adolescence falls into a fever-induced dream where she imagines herself as Red Riding Hood. Despite her deep woodland village being ransacked by wolf attacks, one of which took the life of her older sister, she nevertheless ventures into the woods to visit her grandmother. Played by the late Angela Lansbury, her granny delights her with old folk stories about wolves, through which the young girl not only learns about the strange goings-on, but also her own budding womanhood.
This movie is best described as Labyrinth meets Twilight. Framed as a story taking place within a young girl’s dream, the movie exudes an overall surreal dream-like feel, where things don’t always appear as they seem, and where events play fast and loose with the timeline of the classic setting. With equal parts blood and gore, and equal parts romance and sexual tension, this story serves as a vivid exploration of a young girl’s subconscious as she develops her own sexual awakening as a young woman. Fans of werewolves and supernatural romance are encouraged to give this film a watch.
#3: Viy (1967)
Artistic Association | Not Rated (contains Frightening & Intense Scenes)
Where to Watch: Tubi (Streaming), Amazon Prime (Streaming), Roku Channel (Streaming), Google Play (Rent)
Based on a classic Russian folktale, this Russian movie tells the story of a seminary student who ends up killing a witch who tried to kidnap and torment him. He is promptly summoned by a wealthy gentleman who wants him to conduct the last rites over his late daughter. Plot twist: she turns out to be the witch! Now the young man must survive three nights in an old church praying over her body, which comes to life every night to enact her revenge on him.
At little over an hour long, this short film is quite short compared to other horror movies. However, what little run time it has is packed with plenty of scary and spooky moments with special effects that are quite impressive for the 1960s Soviet Union. Each night the dead witch torments the young priest in new and blood-chilling ways, with him narrowly avoiding his demise thanks to his protective circle. The third and final night serves as the epic finale with horrors so horrific, that it’s best described as a living nightmare come to life.
#4: Return to Oz (1985)
Walt Disney Pictures | PG (for Frightening & Intense Scenes)
Where to Watch: Disney Plus (Streaming), Amazon Prime, (Rent) Apple TV (Rent), Vudu (Rent)
Do you fondly remember the classic 1939 Wizard of Oz? Well, this movie is absolutely nothing like it!
Set shortly after the events of the original movie, Dorothy is sent to a sanitarium for her “delusions” about Oz. She narrowly escapes receiving shock treatment and is swept away by a thunderstorm back to Oz. However, the land is nothing as she remembers from her first visit. The Yellow Brick Road has turned to rubble, the Emerald City is in ruins, and her old friends have gone missing. She must make new friends and avoid new enemies to uncover the mystery behind what happened to the once-enchanted land of Oz.
Again, this movie is nothing like the colorful, whimsical 1939 musical. While technically not a horror movie, Return to Oz is a dark, twisted take on the Oz stories (as adapted by the Walt Disney Company, of all places) with plenty of scares to frighten viewers both old and young. Many of its biggest scares come from its villains, including the demented Wheelers, the head-stealing witch Mombi, and the eerily Claymation-animated Gnome King and his followers.
#5: The Halloween Tree (1993)
Hanna-Barbera | Not Rated
Where to Watch: YouTube (Rent), Google Play (Rent), Apple TV (Rent), Amazon Prime (Rent)
Four young children prepare to go trick-or-treating, only to discover that their other friend has been sent to the hospital for appendicitis. Now they must go on a time-traveling adventure to track down his lingering spirit and save it from the villainous Moundshroud, who seeks to claim it for his own. All the while, the children learn about the meaning behind their costumes by visiting the mummies of Ancient Egypt, the druid witches of pre-Christian England, and the stone gargoyles of Notre Dame.
Based on a story by Ray Bradbury, this animated special by Hanna Barbara has the late author himself deliver narration with iconic lines lifted straight from the pages of his book. The villain of dubious motivation, Mr. Mountshroud, is played by the late Lenord Nimoy, who delivers a classic and haunting performance. This special is equal parts entertaining and educational, as it touches upon the origins of Halloween and its many iconic monsters. A delightful watch to introduce to young viewers who are not ready for the bigger scares in other horror movies.
