What did you want to be when you grew up? Chances are, the answer to that question changed many times as you grew older. You probably still don’t know who you are even now that you’re an adult.
Personal identity, like childhood, like life in general, is a chaotic experience, and that is a truth portrayed quite humorously in the debut children’s book of a local Central Florida author.
In her debut novel, “The Most Important Thing in the World”, Kelly Sanford takes young readers on a humorous yet often heartfelt journey through the wilderness of Florida with a guinea pig and her eclectic group of animal friends.
Emma is a guinea pig with an identity crisis, the pet of a Tolkien-obsessed boy. Certain she is either a dragon or a German shepherd, she sets off with an iguana and a duck on a journey of self-discovery to learn who she is.
“In an adventure that is at times heartwarming, heartbreaking, and hilarious, these friends learn that true clarity comes when one refuses to be shaped from the outside in and instead tells their own story from the inside out—however unexpected that story may be,” Sanford wrote.
Since its debut, “The Most Important Thing in the World” has received rave reviews, its often compared to the works of Beverly Cleary and Roald Dahl. This “instant classic” was recently selected as the featured middle-grade novel on Reedsy Discovery.
Sanford is no stranger to her writing receiving such accolades. A journalist who has covered the yachting industry for the past 18 years, she has also been a Royal Palm Literary Award winner and a proud member of the Florida Writers Association.
Normally an author who leans more toward an adult audience, Sanford was inspired to write her children’s book several years ago to cheer up her then middle school-aged daughter after losing a friend.
“This story came alive when my daughter was going through all the difficult social-emotional learning that comes with adolescence,” she explained. “Raising kids today, they start asking themselves very difficult questions very early in life. I wrote this story hoping to dial down the noise and to guide my daughter through her adolescence by encouraging her to seek fewer answers from her devices, and more answers through analytical thinking and living a life of doing real things—not online things.”
The book was one-part inspired by Sanford’s daughter and her friends (as well as favorite characters from other popular stories), and other-part inspired by the local Florida wilderness. Sanford even spent some time in the Everglades and other parts of the Florida outdoors to help the natural setting in her book “come to life.”
The book has a clear message about personal identity and self-discovery that proves especially relevant at a time when many young people are starting to question their own identities. Sanford proudly claims that her book’s relevancy to current issues about identity was “100% intentional”, yet she also claims that her story pushes “no agenda.”
“It’s an age-appropriate story about what identity really means and the perils of arbitrarily branding ourselves and others. But it’s all done at a level a kid can understand,” she explained. “Kids spend way too much time looking for answers on their screens and not enough going through the ups and downs of life to develop resiliency and clarity. I see way too many kids growing up fragile and afraid of everything they can’t control.”
“The Most Important Thing in the World” is sold in paperback, e-book, and audiobook on Amazon and other book distributors. It available statewide in any public library affiliated with the Indie Florida digital lending program. Paperback copies are on the shelves in the libraries of Lake Placid, Sebring, and Avon Park. It is available for sale at the Blueberry Patch in Lake Placid and Gatorama in Palmdale.
For more information, visit Sanford’s website at: https://www.kellysanfordwrites.com
To learn more about Kelly Sanford and her book, listen to the first podcast episode of the newest podcast, “Chattin on the Ridge,” where she in interviewed as a guest: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/XnUze9h8Iyb
On Wednesday, April 12, 2023, Polk County Sheriff’s Office Safe Schools deputies arrested 39-year-old Ivy Mechelle Smith of Lakeland for battery on a school employee (F3), disrupting a school function (M2), and trespassing on school grounds (M2).
At around 11:00 a.m., Smith arrived at Medulla Elementary School (850 School House Road) in Lakeland and once in the main office area, she began yelling and cursing at the school staff. She was asked to calm down and stop cursing as there were several students nearby.
Smith was upset because her child had received discipline referrals from a teacher and wanted her child removed from the teacher’s classroom.
A school administrator heard the disruption and approached Smith. Smith demanded that her child be placed in another class. The administrator asked Smith to calm down, stating they would arrange a meeting to discuss her child’s behavior and the potential to be placed in another class. Smith then told the school administrator she was there to retrieve her child and walked past school staff toward the classrooms.
The school administrator followed Smith, telling her to stay in the main office and follow the proper procedures to check her child out of class. Smith continued to yell at the school administrator. She then pushed the school administrator and attempted to open a set of locked hallway doors.
When Smith realized she could not open the locked doors, she left the school building and jumped over a gate to flee from the school.
Smith then called the PCSO Emergency Communications Center. She told the Telecommunicator she was at the CVS (510 South Florida Ave.) in Lakeland and would wait for a deputies.
“There is a right way and a wrong way to present concerns to school administration. This is an example of how to go about it the wrong way. Our teachers already have the difficult task of educating our children, and we will never allow anyone to come on our school campuses in this manner, assaulting staff and disrupting classes. That conduct is a guaranteed trip to the county jail.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Smith was transported to the Polk County Jail and later released after paying a $1,500 bond.
According to the investigation so far, PCSO received a 911 call around 9:53 p.m. from the area of SR 60 West near the intersection of Coronet Road. When first responders arrived, they found 27-year-old Laura Gonzalez of Lakeland who had sustained life-threatening injuries. She was transported to an area hospital where she later died from her injuries.
Gonzalez was the passenger of a blue 2002 Saturn; the driver was 32-year-old Antonio Gutierrez of Lakeland. Gutierrez suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital where he is being treated.
Gutierrez was traveling west on SR 60 West, when for unknown reasons, he lost control of the vehicle. The Saturn crossed the outside lane and a right-hand turn lane before it struck a metal street light on the passenger side door. After striking the street light, the car flipped onto its roof and stopped in a ditch on the north side of the road.
The impact caused the street light to break and fall onto the roadway.
Impairment does not appear to be a factor in the crash. This investigation is on-going.
A portion of the roadway was closed for approximately 3 hours during the investigation, which remains on-going.
Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, along with Polk County Fire Rescue, were dispatched at about 2:36 p.m., to the crash scene on U.S. 17-92 North near the intersection of Ernie Caldwell Boulevard.
Upon arrival of first responders, 56-year-old Leonardo Pereira of Orlando was found deceased. He was driving a silver 1999 Infiniti I30t.
The second driver, a 43-year-old Felicien Blot of Kissimmee was uninjured. He was driving a white Freightliner Cascadia semi with a refrigerated trailer. His passenger was also uninjured.
Based on evidence and interviews at the scene, Traffic Homicide investigators determined that Pereira was traveling east on Ernie Caldwell Boulevard while the Freightliner was traveling south on US 17-92 North.
Pereira attempted to turn left onto US 17-92 North. He failed to stop at the intersection and pulled directly into the path of the Freightliner. The front of the Freightliner struck the driver’s side of the Infiniti.
The roadway in the area of the crash was closed for approximately 4 hours during the investigation, which remains on-going.
Update: Lakeland Police Advise Quetnie Was Located Safe
Have you seen Quetnie Hyacinth Stephen?
Quetnie, age 55, was last seen walking at approximately 7AM this morning near Summer Landing Drive in Lakeland. Approximately 5’ 8” & was last seen wearing a yellow and multi-colored dress with a pink & blue bandana covering her head.
Quetnie has medical issues that require daily medication.If you have any information on her whereabouts, please call 911 or the Lakeland Police Department at 863-834-6966.
Have you seen Quetnie Hyacinth Stephen?
Quetnie, age 55, was last seen walking at approximately 7AM this morning near Summer Landing Drive in Lakeland. Approximately 5’ 8” & was last seen wearing a yellow and multi-colored dress with a pink & blue bandana covering her head. pic.twitter.com/k3mqlkvsi9
More than 700 children joined their families at the Visit Central Florida Visitor Center at Davenport for their annual Easter Egg Hunt event last Saturday.
Several egg hunts were hosted that morning for various age groups ranging from toddlers to pre-teens. Participating children were able to scout the playground area for plastic eggs filled with goodies.
More than 700 children participated in these egg hunts, where more than 4,000 plastic eggs were collected within the first two hours, explained Dennis Budde of Visit Central Florida.
Other festivities that day included vendors, face painting, chalk drawing, and a bounce house. For the past three years, the event has been a big success for the Visitor Center, Budde said.
“It more than exceeded our expectations,” he said. “They [local residents] know it is here, so they come in. We have been blessed. We had good help. We have great volunteers. And the people are really nice to work with.”
The Visitor Center will be hosting its kitten and puppy cuddle in June, and their back-to-school giveaway in August, where they will hand out more than 400 backpacks filled with school supplies.
For more information about upcoming events, visit their website at: https://visitcentralflorida.org/
PCSO investigates a three vehicle crash in Davenport; a father and 8-year-old daughter deceased
The PCSO Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating a three-vehicle crash that occurred in Davenport on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 that resulted in the deaths of 28-year-old Christopher Roque-Pabon and his 8-year-old daughter, Crisyareiliz Roque. Crisyareiliz was a student at Lake Point Academy in Clermont. Roque-Pabon was driving a white 1995 Toyota Tercel.
Also involved were: 53-year-old Miguel Perez Diosdado of Haines City who was driving a white 2020 Ford F150. There were four passengers in the vehicle. 50-year-old Pedro Lopez of Haines City who was driving a silver 2006 Toyota Corolla. There was one passenger in his vehicle.
PCSO received a 911 call around 6:07 a.m. that morning from the area of US Hwy 27 just south of US 192. When first responders arrived, they found Roque-Pabon and his daughter deceased in his vehicle.
Diosdado, Lopez, and their passengers were transported to area hospitals where they are being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
According to the investigation so far, Roque-Pabon was driving southbound on US 27 when, for unknown reasons, he veered to the southeast. The Tercel lost traction and began to rotate before it crossed the grass median and entered the northbound lanes of US 27.
The Tercel entered the inside northbound lane and into the path of Diosdado’s F150. The front of the Tercel crashed into the front driver’s side of the truck. Upon impact, the truck rotated and stopped in the center northbound lane. Lopez, who at the time was travelling in the center northbound lane, was unable to avoid crashing into the truck. The Corolla glanced off the truck and then crossed the east side shoulder where it struck an embankment along the edge of the highway.
Neither Roque-Pabon nor his daughter were wearing seatbelts.
Diosdado was wearing his seatbelt; the passengers in his vehicle were not wearing seatbelts.
Both Lopez and his passenger were wearing their seatbelts.
“My heart aches for this family who has lost a father and his little girl. Fatal traffic crashes are devastating. In the blink of an eye, a happy and healthy loved one can be instantaneously taken from this world. Please, drive safely and wear your seatbelts.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
The investigation is ongoing. Northbound US 27 in that area was closed for approximately five hours.
Very bad crash in Four Corners area of northeast Polk County. Reported to be 5 vehicles involved, about four people seriously injured, and 2 fatalities. On NB US 27, just south of US 192. Happened at about 6:07am Tuesday (April 11). Please avoid the area. #PCSO#TrafficAlertpic.twitter.com/Qy4VaLRSrf
— Polk County Sheriff 🚔 Grady Judd (@PolkCoSheriff) April 11, 2023
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a vehicle vs. pedestrian crash that occurred this morning, April 8, 2023, at approximately 5:35 a.m. on County Line Road near Gateway Blvd near Lakeland. A pedestrian is deceased. The driver called the Emergency Communications Center and reported he may have hit something in the roadway. There are no other injuries. Drivers should avoid County Line Road. Northbound traffic is closed at this time. The roadway was blocked for several hours .
Polk County Parks & Recreation is bringing some egg-citing news, Egg-A-Palooza is back this year at Poinciana Community Park!
Egg-A-Palooza will start at 10am on Saturday, April 8, 2023. This free community event will feature music, food trucks, games, and photos with the Easter Bunny.
Egg hunts will begin promptly at the times listed below.
Easter Egg Hunt Times:
10:30 a.m. – 2-3 year olds 10:45 a.m. – 4-5 year olds 11 a.m. – 6-9 year olds 11:15 a.m. – 10-12 year olds
Don’t be late, make sure to bring your bag or basket to collect candy and prizes! For more information, please call (863) 534-6911
📍 Poinciana Community Park 5109 Allegheny Rd Kissimmee, FL 34759
Across 16 Florida counties thieves rented, then systematically stole and resold, large outdoor equipment: loaders, stump grinders, trenchers, & mini-excavators from The Home Depot
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Organized Retail Crime Detectives, working with the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, Ashley Moody, Attorney General, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, developed and charged six suspects during an investigation that started in late 2021 when Home Depot organized retail crime investigators, working with law enforcement, developed information regarding rental equipment not being returned to their stores in the central and southeast Florida areas.
The equipment thefts, involving Toro Dingo utility loaders, stump grinders, trenchers, and mini-excavators (and the trailers they sit on) affected 16 counties within Florida, including 12 judicial circuits.
The investigation began in late 2021 when Home Depot investigators began reviewing large equipment overdue rentals and found a pattern of activity in the southeast region, which includes the Tampa and Orlando area stores. The overdue rentals and thefts had several similarities: they were one-day rentals by renters with Orlando addresses, and the GPS devices installed in the units were disabled within hours of the equipment leaving the store. The stolen equipment was then posted on social media sales sites, such as Facebook marketplace.
The investigation revealed that a total of 61pieces of equipment and the trailers they were on were stolen, at a loss to the Home Depot of $1.1 Million. The six suspects identified have been charged with least 50 of those fraudulent rentals and thefts. The total depreciated net book value of equipment and trailers identified throughout this investigation was determined to be nearly $600,000.
The thefts occurred in the following counties: Brevard, Broward, Duval, Hernando, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Seminole, St. Johns, and St. Lucie.
“We appreciate the hard work and cooperation from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution—because of the multi-county theft and fraud that occurred in this case, we could not have held these thieves appropriately accountable without their state-wide resources. Organized retail crime is a serious problem in Florida. It drives up the cost of goods and we all suffer through higher prices. These brazen thieves made a living systematically stealing. They made the mistake of stealing in Polk County—our detectives are among the best in the nation investigating organized retail theft. We will absolutely hold them accountable and put their butts in jail and then prison.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “The suspects in this case went to great lengths and long distances to execute this elaborate construction rental scheme—stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in heavy construction equipment. They thought they were being clever by using stolen identities and smashing the GPS trackers on the equipment, but it wasn’t enough to outsmart Sheriff Judd’s deputies, FDLE and my Statewide Prosecutors.”
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said, “Organized retail theft has real-life impacts on our hard-working citizens who pay more for goods because of theft. I appreciate FDLE’s Orlando Regional Operations Center special agents and analysts that worked to recover a portion of the stolen property. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, in partnership with Attorney General Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, will continue to fight these crimes.”
The first reported theft occurred on October 26, 2021, at the Home Depot store number 8545 on US Hwy 1 in Sebastian, FL. The main suspect, Byron Paul Johnson (DOB 3/27/1987) of Orlando, completed a one-day rental form for a Toro Dingo TX427 using his Florida Driver’s license. He then listed an “auger for sale” on Facebook marketplace, and a witness answered the ad due to the fact that his own auger had recently been stolen and he wanted to meet with the seller (Johnson) to see if the listed auger was his. The two arranged to meet, at which time the witness recognized that the auger was a rental from Home Depot. The witness observed Johnson and three other black males attempting to remove the equipment from the trailer, but they were unable to do so. They then appeared to become nervous and suddenly left in a white truck. The witness reported the incident to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, including the tag number of the truck. IRSO deputies responded to the Home Depot and confirmed the equipment had just been rented by Johnson. They issued a warrant for his arrest, charging him with grand theft; he was arrested on that warrant in January 2022 in Orange County and later released after posting bond.
Johnson was tied to several thefts via video surveillance, social media messages, and text messages. He often used his own identification when completing the rental agreements and his own Facebook page to post the equipment for sale. Johnson told the unsuspecting buyers that he was a “construction worker going out of business,” or “my father passed away and I need money.”
His co-defendants (listed below) used identification stolen during vehicle burglaries or victims of identity theft. Investigators saw several of the co-defendants with Johnson in store surveillance video filling out the rental forms.
Johnson was arrested in Polk County on January 27, 2022, after PCSO detectives who were conducting surveillance saw him renting equipment at the Home Depot in Winter Haven, and made a traffic stop. He was taken into custody for DWLSR and transported to a Sheriff’s Office substation to be interviewed. He was released from jail after posting bond, but failed to appear in court. In June 2022, a Polk County warrant was issued for failure to appear.
During the investigation, detectives identified Johnson’s girlfriend, Natasha Tacathy Anderson (DOB 5/30/1995) of Orlando, as part of the theft ring. They also found evidence of his orchestration of thefts by other associates of theirs.
Ivan Ramirez (DOB 2/14/1987), the owner of Smiley’s Heavy Equipment Services, LLC, in Bradenton, coordinated several fraudulent rentals and thefts of Home Depot equipment with Johnson, and then purchased the stolen equipment from him at a much lower cost than retail.
Byron Johnson directed a criminal organization to steal and make fraudulent sales of unreturned rental machinery from The Home Depot stores. His girlfriend Natasha acted as a coordinator, advising Johnson of potential buyers and letting him know where rentals were available. Johnson paid friends, family members, and other acquaintances to act as “look outs” when meeting potential buyers, to do counter surveillance when making the fraudulent rentals, to use their personal vehicles or rental cars, and asking them to deliver the stolen equipment when he was unavailable.
On August 6, 2022, PCSO detectives were contacted by a Home Depot investigator who was watching “On Patrol: Live” (a show that airs footage from camera crews who do ride-alongs with law enforcement agencies). The episode that aired on August 5th showed Volusia County deputies following a white SUV that was pulling a trailer with a Toro Dingo TX427 on it. The truck refused to stop, but then broke down on Interstate 95 in Daytona Beach. The driver – Johnson – was arrested by Volusia deputies on his active Polk County warrant for failure to appear. In the video, he puts himself in the backseat before getting out of the SUV. There are three children in the SUV as well. The Toro Dingo on the trailer was the one that was stolen by Johnson in Jacksonville in December 2021. Johnson is currently serving a 1.5 year sentence in Florida state prison for felony fleeing to elude and child neglect based on this arrest. He is scheduled to be released in January 2024.
The suspects who were arrested and charged during this investigation are:
Byron Paul Johnson, DOB 3/27/1987; 846 23rd St, Orlando (currently in FL state prison – charged via Polk Co. warrant):
· Grand theft over $100,000
· Scheme to defraud
· 9 counts dealing in stolen property
· Unlawful possession of personal identification
· CRIMINAL HISTORY: Grand theft, child neglect, fleeing to elude, resisting arrest, DUI, DWLSR
· CRIMINAL HISTORY: Possession of: cocaine, meth, controlled substance, synthetic cannabinoid, marijuana, and paraphernalia; petit theft
Michael Tyrone White, DOB 10/16/1989; 1912 Rockwell Rd, Orlando (arrested March 31, 2023, currently in Orange Co. jail):
· Grand theft over $20,000
· Scheme to defraud
· Dealing in stolen property
· CRIMINAL HISTORY: Battery, assault on public education employee, possession of cocaine, possession of synthetic cannabinoid, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, tampering with evidence, criminal mischief, fleeing to elude, resisting arrest, grand theft of a motor vehicle, racketeering, unlawful use of two-way communication device, DWLSR
Marquiel De’Shai Joseph, DOB 11/5/1991; 1760 Bright Meadow Ct, Orlando (arrested February 20, 2023 on Orange Co. charges, still in Orange Co. jail):
· Grand theft
· Scheme to defraud
· CRIMINAL HISTORY: Battery on school employee, battery on LEO, aggravated battery, aggravated stalking, robbery, burglary with battery, burglary, grand theft of a firearm, grand theft of motor vehicle, carrying concealed weapon, possession of weapon by convicted felon, fraud, grand theft, petit theft, possession of meth, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, DWLSR
Ivan Flores Ramirez, DOB 2/14/1987; 3304 17th Ave W, Bradenton (arrested in Manatee Co. March 31, 2023, bonded out April 3, 2023):
