Virginia Pearl Ford, 86, of Winter Haven, Florida passed away May 26, 2024 at her daughter Sharon Knowles’ residence. She was born on August 24, 1937, in Pilot Point, Texas to William and Nona (Balthrop) Bevers.
In Loving Memory of Virginia Pearl Ford
Virginia is survived by: her daughters Shelia (William) Vegter, Lenora (David) Berch, Sharon (Troy) Knowles, her grandchildren Jenny (Skyler) Ford, Rebecca (Juan) Tarquino, Matthew (Marianne) Vegter, Jacob (Alyssa) Vegter, Jeric Heflin, Kyle (Kelly) Heflin, Melody (Kevin Adams) Gantt, Amy Bush, Danielle (Joseph) Grimes, Brady Knowles, 21 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by: her husband Dewey E. Ford, her parents William and Nona Bevers, and all 5 of her siblings: Cleo, LaVern, Eugene, Elton, and Janelle.
Virginia was born and raised in Pilot Point, Texas. She married the love of her life, Dewey, on August 17, 1952 at Union Hill Baptist Church after the Sunday morning services. About a year after they were married, they moved to Winter Haven, Florida where they started their family business of Ford’s Auto Trim Shop. Virginia worked at The Haven Hotel, and Polk Community College, and later worked at Winter Haven Oaks, where she made many life long friends. Both Dewey and Virginia retired in the 90’s. The churches Virginia was a member of throughout the years were Southside Baptist Church, Hope Baptist Church, and Faith Baptist Church. She was an active member in her church choirs. She loved to participate in her church and help out in any way she could. Virginia will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Doyce Edward Transue, a beloved Father, Grandfather and Husband passed away May 24th 2024 at home in Dry Branch, GA surrounded by family.
In Loving Memory of Doyce Edward Transue
He was born in Winter Haven, Florida on October 17th 1937 and raised by his parents, Ira & Audrey Transue. He was one of 7 siblings, being a twin to Dorothy Transue. He attended school in Winter Haven, and then continued his education of his senior year in the United States Army. He served as a Tank Sargent there for 3 honorable years. After years of service to his country, he then met Marilyn Monk Transue and was married for 32 years. He had a successful career as a Meat Manager & Butcher at Winn Dixie and stayed with the company for 42 years, where he won many achievement awards that recognized his loyalty and work ethic. He retired at 62, but continued to always keep busy and worked for 6 years as a butcher for a small family business.
He was an avid gardener and outdoors man, and his favorite times were spent planting seeds, growing vegetables and flowers. He loved boiled peanuts, fried chicken gizzards and most of all going fishing. He enjoyed catching then, frying up his bounty. He was a country man through and through, and he lived simply and happily. Full of wisdom and living humble to the end.
He was above all a dedicated father to his children, Jamie, Tracy, Jason and Adam, raising them with integrity and love. His hardworking nature provided the perfect example of persevering for what you wanted out of life. He kept friends and family laughing with his witty sense of humor, stories of life and lessons to his children and grandchildren.We will miss you and will carry on the Transue pride and values through your children and grandchildren.
Never Forget – “Leave it better than you found it.”
Doyce’s children are Jamie Warren Transue, Tracy Renee Transue Mills and her husband, Richard Mills, Jason Edward Transue, Adam Doyce Transue, and his wife Petina Boevé Transue. Grandchildren include Mallory Baker Transue, Summer Noahlanee Schallenberg, Sterling Leilani Mills &Oskar Diederik Transue. Siblings are Lillian Kitchens, Alzada Sluss, and Roger Transue.
On June 4, 2024, crews were dispatched to a vehicle fire in Haines City. The call came in at 11:29 am. Location: HWY 27 & Paradise Island Pl in Haines City right near Lake Hamilton.
Crews were dispatched to the scene at 11:32 am with the first unit arriving on scene at 11:37 am. The first unit on scene was EN046 (PCFR). Also on scene was BC005 and HCEN2.
Image provided by Natasha Phillips
The crews got water on the fire at 11:39 am and it was extinguished at 11:43 am.
Battalion Chief on scene confirmed there were no injuries.
Winter Haven Group Recognizes Women for Their Quick and Decisive Action in Saving Elderly Woman from Vicious Multiple Dog Attack
by In-Gauge of Polk County
“In-Gauge of Polk County, in Winter Haven, Florida recognized two women for their quick and decisive actions that saved the life of a 72-year-old woman, who was being viciously attacked by two pit bull terriers, at its monthly meeting, Tuesday, May 14th.
The incident occurred the evening of April 29th, in Brandon, Florida. While in her kitchen, preparing dinner, Cierra Medina heard screaming coming from the street in front of her house. Looking out the kitchen window, Cierra saw her 72-year-old neighbor on the ground being attacked by two pit bull terriers. One dog biting and tugging at the woman’s left arm the other clamped on to the woman’s right leg, pulling in the opposite direction.
Retrieving her 9mm pistol, Cierra rushed out the front door of her house to the woman’s aid, firing one round into the ground, hoping to frighten the dogs into releasing their grip on the victim. Regrettably, the dogs were undeterred and continued to attack the woman. Attempting to fire another round, Cierra discovered her gun had jammed.
It was then Cierra was joined by Kristy Parks, who lives across the street and also responded to the screams for help. Kristy, armed with a .380 took aim and fired one round, point-blank, into the larger, more aggressive dog’s frontal chest. The dog was unaffected. As the dog turned, pulling backward on the woman’s thigh, Kristy fired a second shot broadside into the dog’s chest. Being struck a second time, the dog broke its grip and backed off. Both dogs stood back growling at the two rescuers.
As Kristy held the dogs at gunpoint, prepared to fire again, Cierra assisted the victim inside a chain-link fence and gate. With all three safely inside the closed gate, Cierra helped the victim into her home where Cierra administered first aid until law enforcement and EMS arrived.
The victim was transported to Tampa Regional Hospital Trauma Center for the treatment of her injuries.
Cierra and Kristy were each presented with Citizen Hero Awards, a STOP THE BLEED emergency blood loss control kit and a gift certificate from the Wild West Arms Gun Store, for the replacement of the two guns confiscated by law enforcement as evidence.
Cierra and Kristy received official STOP THE BLEED training and were certified during the May 14th meeting.
May was National STOP THE BLEED Month. Being a licensed STOP THE BLEED training provider, In-Gauge of Polk County conducts free, open-to-the-public STOP THE BLEED training clinics throughout the year.
The victim’s name is kept anonymous under Florida’s Marsy’s Law.”
Bartow, Fla. (June 4, 2024) – This week, Polk County Fire Rescue will deploy two additional advanced life support (ALS) ambulances to help with the county’s increased call volume.
In 2023, Polk County Fire Rescue responded to 125,000 calls for service, of which 102,091 were medical emergencies where ALS ambulances were needed. The ambulances will provide additional capacity in the high-performance system to address the growing call volume in the county and realign the EMS workload distribution.
The two ALS units will cover the area surrounding Medulla Station 02 and Saddle Creek Station 39 in Lakeland. They will be staffed with paramedics and emergency medical technicians.
“We are excited to strategically add the two ambulances, increasing our capacity to 44 ambulances. The units will also address the growing call volume and transport needs in the South Lakeland/North Mulberry areas and East Lakeland/West Auburndale areas,” said Fire Chief Hezedean A. Smith, D.M.
The Braun ambulances were purchased in 2022 with the department’s general vehicle replacement fund and are scheduled to be inspected/delivered by July. During that period, the department is also set to receive an additional six ambulances. They will be used to replace older ambulances, which will transition as reserves for peak times and as needed.
On the evening of June 3, 2024 a call came in for a vehicle vs bicycle accident. The call came in at 7:43 pm and three units arrived on scene at 3RD ST SE/CYPRESS GARDENS BLVD SE.
Units assigned: -MD229
-WHBC1
-WHEN6
Details are limited at this time. According to PCSO, it was reported as vehicle vs cyclist. EMS transported one patient for apparent minor injuries.
Remember, when on the road, always keep an eye out for pedestrians and cyclists and when walking or riding a bicycle, always be vigilant and look out for other vehicles.
J.C. Reviews: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is Big, Loud Fun!
by James Coulter
As with the new Planet of the Apes movie, I also watched this film unprepared, not having seen any of the previous Godzilla or King Kong movies. Then again, in my defense, I feel these movies aren’t exactly hard to grasp.
Godzilla is a giant lizard that smashes things. King Kong is a giant ape that smashes things. Their crossover movie was about the two giants smashing each other. And now their new movie is about them teaming up to smash a bigger ape and lizard.
So, how does their new blockbuster crossover hold up? Did it prove to be another smashing success? Or did it only crash under its enormous weight?
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire starts with the two giants having gone their separate ways. Godzilla remains on the surface fighting off new threats while King Kong has ventured into the Hollow Earth in search of other giant apes like him. Meanwhile, a human child from the tribe on Kong’s old island has dreams and visions involving the two creatures.
Upon delving deeper into the Hollow Earth, Kong finds a tribe of other giant apes led by an even bigger, meaner ape, one with a giant ice-breathing lizard at its command. The two plan on invading the surface and wreaking havoc.
Now, Kong, with his new mechanized arm, must team up with Godzilla to fend off this new diabolical duo. Will they set aside their differences and work together to defeat this new threat? And how much damage will they make doing so?
As I mentioned before, I didn’t even bother watching the other Godzilla or Kong films before watching this movie because I felt confident enough that the premise was easy enough to follow.
And, for the most part, it was.
Sure, there were human characters from the previous movies. But let’s be honest: they’re only flat cardboard cutouts that only serve to provide exposition about what Godzilla and Kong are doing and why they are doing it. Otherwise, they’re rather expendable. One of them even gets eaten alive during the movie.
The only human character with some significant development is the young tribal girl. Her story is about how she doesn’t feel like she fits in with the rest of the other human characters, which mirrors how Kong feels out of place even with his own kind. And her dreams and visions reveal that she plays an important role in assisting the two giants in their fight against the main antagonists.
Otherwise, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is truly an exemplar of style over substance. It truly is one of those movies you need to turn your brain off to enjoy. Because, in the end, as I mentioned before, these movies are about two giant creatures smashing things.
And, boy, do Godzilla and Kong smash a lot of things in this movie. They smash Rome. They smash Rio de Janeiro. They even smash the pyramids. They smash giant serpents and moths and other apes and lizards. They smash and smash and smash. And, honestly, it’s a smashing good time.
Unlike Kingdom of the Plants of the Apes, which presents itself as a smarter, more serious film, Godzilla x Kong knows it’s a big dumb movie and revels in offering big dumb fun.
Interestingly enough, I accidentally paid to watch a 3D version of this film. But it was a happy accident. The 3D truly enhanced the larger-than-life visuals of the movie, and this movie truly needs to be seen on the big screen—especially in IMAX in 3D—to be appreciated. Overall, catch this movie while you can while it’s still in theaters. Because it’s big, bold fun
J.C. Reviews: The Last Airbender – Not the Best Re-Incarnation of Avatar
by James Coulter
Long ago (specifically, in 2005), an animated series was released on Nickelodeon called Avatar: The Last Airbender. The cartoon was praised for its stunning action, dynamic characters, a masterful balance of comedy and drama, and a compelling storyline that tackled serious topics and spanned three seasons.
Then, everything changed when M. Night Shyamalan attacked! (Or rather, directed a lukewarm live-action movie adaptation in 2010.)
Since then, the Avatar franchise has attempted to regain its glory with the spin-off animated series Legend of Korra, a series of comic books, and three planned animated movies.
Now, more than a decade after the last attempt to adapt the animated series into live action, a new live-action series has been produced on Netflix, which recently released the first season out of three. But will this series make up for the mistakes of the past? Or is it doomed to repeat it?
The Last Airbender takes place in a fantasy world of four nations, each based on the elements of earth, fire, water, and air. Peace among the nations is maintained by the Avatar, a savior figure who is constantly re-incarnated to help maintain balance among the elements.
Then everything changed when the fire nation attacked!
The Fire Lord, leader of the Fire Nation, attacks the Air Nomads to kill off the next incarnation of the Avatar and to ensure victory in his quest for world domination.
Nealy 100 years pass, and a young airbender named Aang is found frozen in ice. This boy is none other than the fabled Avatar, and he must now set off on a quest to master the other three elements to defeat the Fire Nation. With his new friends, Sokka and Katara, will Aang succeed in his mission to master the four elements and restore peace to this war-torn world?
I fondly remember watching the original animated series during my college years. I consider it one of my favorite cartoons of all times—if not the best! I also remember watching the live-action movie in 2010, and while I didn’t hate it, I was still disappointed with how poorly the animated series was translated into a live-action film.
I will give the new Netflix live-action series credit: it’s not as bad as the 2010 live-action movie. That’s not a compliment. Being better than the worse thing ever is not a goal. It is the bare basic minimum. While the live-action series doesn’t get everything wrong about the cartoon like the movie did, that doesn’t make the new series better or even good.
As with most fantasy-based shows, the visuals are phenomenal. The VFX team evidently placed a lot of effort into making the various settings and locations within the animated world of Avatar look true to life in this live-action adaptation. And many of the characters resemble their animated counterparts, almost as if these characters have stepped out of the cartoon and into the real world.
Another admittedly “good” aspect are “some” of the changes this adaptation made with the original source material. Rather than simply film a scene-by-scene recreation of the original animated series, the live-action Airbender takes a few creative liberties to better flesh out some characters and help blend multiple story arcs from the 20-episode first season of the animated series and condense them into eight episodes. As such, The Last Airbender almost feels like the live-action One Piece series in that it tries to be its own story rather than simply retelling an old one.
The key word there is “some.” Because as stunning as the characters and their setting look in live-action, most of their acting, especially that of the child actors, comes across as rather flat and wooden–almost as if these characters were fleshed out into three dimensions but their actual characters were reduced to one. If anything, the animated characters feel more “animated” and “lively” that the real-life human beings playing them in live action.
And while some of the changes are understandable and even commendable, most of the other changes do a real disservice to the original series. For example, in the cartoon, Aang the Avatar starts out as an immature child (because he is) who cares more about having fun but through the series learns to take his responsibility as the Avatar more seriously. In the live-action series, Aang already takes his role as Avatar seriously and cares more about fulfilling his duty than having fun. As such, his character development from the animated series is lost.
Another annoying change is with Sokka. In the original cartoon, Sokka is a sarcastic wisecracker who considers himself all that with a bag of chips. He’s also a real misogynist who believes men are tougher than women, and it’s only after he gets his butt kicked by some tough women that he learns to humble himself and accept women as equally capable as men. The live-action series ditches his sexism, and so goes another motivation for character development.
Overall, I’d recommend watching the original Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series. The cartoon is currently streaming on Netflix, and it still holds up even after two decades. Sadly, the new live-action series, much like the live-action film before it, feels like a hollow imitation that makes the characters and story feel flatter and less two-dimensional than the actual cartoon it’s based on.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Billie Harold McDuffie, Jr. (37, Winter Haven) to 18 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, possession of device making equipment, possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered McDuffie to forfeit a cellphone, two black card encoders, and two desktop computers, which McDuffie used to commit the offenses in this case. McDuffie entered a guilty plea on February 15, 2024.
According to court documents, McDuffie met a 15-year-old child victim online and enticed her to engage in sexually explicit conversations via cellphone and social media. For five months, McDuffie repeatedly engaged in sexual contact with the child victim, even after she confirmed that she was a minor. An online tipster notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation of McDuffie’s sexual misconduct with the child.
On July 21, 2022, a search warrant was executed at McDuffie’s residence, where agents found McDuffie and the child victim. Agents returned the child to her family and arrested McDuffie.
During their search of McDuffie’s residence, agents also found evidence of fraud committed by McDuffie. Evidence included blank check paper, packets of stolen identities, multiple fraudulent debit and credit cards, fraudulent driver licenses, card encoders, and printers.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
