The Creative Kids Market, hosted by the Lake Wales Arts Council, is open today (Saturday, 7/13) until 1 PM.
Over 50 vendors are in place offering their artistic wares. Everything from handmade terrariums, pottery, paper arts, yarn and wood craft, nature craft, drawing some paintings, crochet work, photography, jewelry, and so much more available for purchase. The Lake Wales Arts Council is located at 1099 Hwy. 60 E.
Food trucks in the parking lot allow you the option of getting lunch while you’re there.
The Polk County Fire Rescue responded to a call for assistance involving a side by side (all terrain vehicle) near Sam Keen Rd. Friday night. The call came in at approximately 10:36 pm. Approximately 10 units responded to the call. Initial reports indicated the side by side had flipped on to its side in the woods near the location. Trapping and injuring occupants.
According to Lauren McCall, Polk County Fire Rescue Public Information Officer, it was confirmed to involve multiple trauma alerts. In total three patients were involved (initial reports were 4 involved, but that subsequently changed as the scene was thoroughly assessed). “Confirmed three helicopters on scene. Two from Aircare and one from Aeromed”, PIO McCall would go on to say.
PCFR would not confirm the ages of the victims or specific injuries, but at least one juvenile was involved according to units on the ground at the time. One of the above mentioned helicopters transported one of the victims to a Central Florida area children’s hospital.
The victims were transported a short distance by ambulance from Sam Keen Rd. to S.R. 60. The roadway was closed in both directions to allow for the helicopters to land and transport the injured patients.
At this time no additional information has been released and we don’t expect any additional to be released.
If something does change we will update this article.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a deputy involved shooting. The incident took place at the Oakwood Estate’s (a 55+ mobile home community) off Spirit Lake Rd. in Winter Haven. The suspect was shot & killed by a deputy.
Editors Note: We inaccurately stated the suspect fired on the deputy. We meant to say when the deputy fired at the suspect. We apologize for the confusion and the appearance of the suspect being armed. This was not our intent. As we stated below, we were not aware of if the victim had any weapon.
Deputy Involved Shooting At 55+ Community In Winter Haven
According to Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd, at approximately 9:30pm a white male came to the community and got into some type of disturbance with his grandmother. During this disturbance law enforcement was contacted. The suspect apparently then hit his grandmother with a vehicle. Knocking her to the ground. The suspect then attempted to flee the scene and “T-Boned” a deputy searching for the address, according to Sheriff Judd. The suspect then jumped out of the vehicle and a confrontation ensued between the deputy and the suspect. The deputy shot the suspect, who was deceased at the scene according to Sheriff Judd.
The shooting took place on Sprucewood St. in the Oakwood Estates, Mobile Home Community
“This is all the information we are going to release tonight”, said Sheriff Judd. We expect we will have names and more information tomorrow according to Sheriff Judd.
The grandmother was taken by ambulance to a Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center.
At this time we are not aware if the suspect was armed when he fled his crashed vehicle and then proceeded to get into a confrontation with the deputy, which ultimately ended his life.
We will update this information as more is released tomorrow afternoon.
Sheriff Grady Judd
Around 1am this morning, Sheriff Judd gave a short video regarding what transpired in the incident.
According to the Lake Wales Police Department two females, pictured below, entered the Kohl’s on Highway 27 on July 8th 2024. They distracted the employee and filled two bags with $1,457.00 worth of make-up from the Sephora section. It appears to be one black female with long braids wearing a blue long sleeve top with black bottoms. The second subject appears to be a light skinned pregnant female wearing a Nike sports bra with black bottoms. They left in a white sedan.
If you have information pertaining to this case or the identity of this person, please contact the Lake Wales Police Department at 863-678-4223 ext 2005. Or, if you would like to remain anonymous and be eligible for a CASH REWARD through Heartland Crime Stoppers: call 1-888-400-TIPS (8477) or from your cell phone, dial **TIPS, or visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit a Tip”, or download the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
33 year-old man has been arrested and charged with three counts of Exposure of Sexual Organs following two incidents in a Winter Haven Walmart parking lot.
Trinell Alexander Webster (DOB 2-9-91, REDACTED, Dundee FL) drove to Walmart (355 Cypress Gardens Blvd.) on June 30 at 6:45 p.m. and again on July 6, 2024 at 7:43 p.m. and parked beside the vehicles where the female victims were sitting.
On June 30, an adult female was sitting in her vehicle waiting for a family member to exit the store when a blue Toyota Corolla pulled in next to her vehicle. After a couple of minutes, she glanced over at the driver and saw him with a cell phone in one hand and he was masturbating with the other hand. The victim immediately pulled her vehicle from the spot into another parking spot and the Corolla left. The victim didn’t immediately contact law enforcement because she was “in shock” at what she just observed.
On July 7, a mother and her 17 year-old daughter were sitting in their vehicle waiting for a family member to exit the store when a blue Toyota Corolla pulled in next to their vehicle. As with the June 30th incident, the male was seen with a cell phone in one hand and his penis in the other hand. Law enforcement was called, however the Corolla had left prior to their arrival.
A tag number was obtained in the second incident by the victims and Webster was found to be the owner. On July 9, Webster was interviewed and he placed himself in the parking lot of Walmart on both occasions stating that after driving home from his work in Brandon, he sometimes “decompresses” by driving around the Walmart parking lot before going home.
The adult from the July 7th incident posted a message on social media regarding the incident and she immediately received an inbox message from another female who encountered the exact same thing in the same parking lot. She identified herself and ultimately detectives were able to make contact with her for an interview. It was confirmed that her encounter involved the same vehicle and same description of the male inside of the car.
Webster was taken into custody for the July 7th incident and booked into the Polk County Jail for two counts of Exposure of Sexual Organs. An additional charge for Exposure of Sexual Organs was filed after the victim of the June 30th incident was interviewed.
“We believe there are possibly more victims who encountered this criminal and we encourage them to contact us immediately,” said Police Chief David Brannan. Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of this type of crime is encouraged to contact the Winter Haven Police Department at 863-401-2256.
Juania Lilly, 51, a Florida Department of Corrections officer, was arrested following an investigation into using a fraudulent handicapped placard at the Publix in Highlands City on Thursday.
On July 11th at approximately 9:30 AM, a Sheriff’s Service Officer (SSO) for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was conducting parking enforcement duties when he discovered Juania Lilly’s car parked in a disabled/handicap parking space in front of Publix. He asked Lilly if the placard was hers, and she claimed it was her mother’s. The SSO ran the placard number, and the information came back to a person who is not Lilly’s mother. The owner of the placard stated she had lost it in April of 2023. He also observed that the placard was expired, but the date had been altered to make it look valid.
A Deputy Sheriff was called in to assist in the investigation, who interviewed Lilly – she told the deputy that she had obtained the placard because the original owner left it in Lilly’s car and that she (Lilly) works as a part-time Lyft driver in addition to working at the Polk Correctional Institute, a state-run prison in Polk County. She denied telling the SSO that the placard belonged to her mother.
Juania Lilly was arrested and charged with:
Unlawful Display of a Disabled Parking Permit (M2)
Unlawfully Altering a Motor Vehicle Registration (F3)
Failure to Deliver Lost Property (M2)
False Information to a LEO during a Felony Investigation (M1)
“It’s very disappointing when a public servant not only refuses to cooperate with a law enforcement investigation, but outright lies. She also committed a felony when she decided to alter and use someone else’s handicapped placard. Now she’s going to be held accountable for her crimes.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Staff at the Florida Department of Corrections were notified of the arrest.
Update: As of 1:50pm the suspect has been apprehended by law enforcement! It may be several hours before all details are released per PCSO. We will update at that time!
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office currently has a neighborhood partially blocked in Babson Park. The neighborhood is around Babson Park Dr. Area which is in West Babson Park.
According to Carrie Horstman, Polk County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Office, the initial reports are that a suspect may have pulled a gun on a family member, then went into the home. These were statements from a witness. It does not appear that anyone else is in the home. They currently are trying to communicate with the suspect, to confirm they are even still in the home.
The incident is being treated very seriously by deputies and a perimeter has been set up around the home. K-9 units, drones and close to a dozen deputies are now on scene.
Update: As of 12:30pm deputies have widened the search for a possibly armed suspect. They are now searching the wooded areas around the Babson Park Drive neighborhood. They currently have the Sheriff’s Office helicopter search as well as multiple K-9 units in the ground searching.
This is a developing situation and we will update as more information is released.
There are a number of eateries, restaurants, and cafés in Lake Wales that have french fries on the menu. Since today is National French Fry Day, you have the perfect opportunity to indulge!
Which way will you go? Straight or curly? Crinkle cut or waffle fry? Cheese or ketchup? Or maybe poutine? What’s your favorite way?
Consider supporting your favorite local business today and partake in an order of french fries today!
City of Winter Haven, FL – SAVE THE DATE! You are cordially invited at the 10th Annual 7 Rivers Water Festival on September 14th at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park!
From 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, enjoy a fun-filled day with interactive activities, family entertainment, and valuable lessons on water conservation.
As we splash into a full decade of dedication to water resources in the Polk County region, we are refreshing our look in order to enhance the strength of our mission Join us as we engage the community within the Polk County region to foster a sense of stewardship of our precious natural resources for the 10th year in a row! We invite municipalities, organizations and vendors to help cooperatively present methods of conserving our water supply while lessening environmental impact through responsible water use and environmental awareness.
Bring the whole family and engage in hands on educational activities about the diverse connections that tie us all to the water quality and quantity of our local lakes, streams and drinking water.
This festival is brought to you by The City of Winter Haven, Polk County Utilities and The City of Lakeland. We are thrilled to host this festival for the 10th year in a row.
Exhibitor/Vendors & Sponsors If you are interested in being an exhibitor/vendor, sponsor, please fill out the attached registration: 7 Rivers Water Festival Vendors Registration (https://www.mywinterhaven.com/DocumentCenter/View/1739/7-Rivers-Water-Festival-Vendors-Registration)
If you have any questions, please reach out to:
Elliott Santiago-Lugaro
Phone: (863) 292-8044
Date: September 14, 2024 Time: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM Location: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, 275 S Lake Silver Dr NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881
The Lake Wales Arts Council and The Art Barn Studio will host the second annual Creative Kids Market on Saturday, July 13 from 10 AM – 1 PM. The event will be held at the LWAC building, 1099 State Road 60 East in Lake Wales.
The Creative Kids Market is a unique opportunity for children and teens to set up their own booths and sell handmade crafts, artwork, baked goods, and more. Through this event, young vendors can explore and learn new artistic skills or hone their favorite ones. There’s an educational process as well, as costs, pricing, packaging, and customer service tactics will be part of the experience.
Around 50 youth vendors are expected to display their wares, and they will likely be eager to show off their hard work to the public. The event is free to attend and the public is encouraged to come by and find their favorite handcrafted items.
In addition, there will be live music, food vendors, and family-friendly activities throughout the day.
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to support young artists and discover one-of-a-kind treasures. Mark your calendar, bring some cash, and join in for a day of creativity, inspiration, and fun at the Creative Kids Market!
