The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit investigated a two-vehicle crash in Polk City on Sunday that resulted in a fatality. Here are the preliminary details:
Around 2:53 a.m. on December 4, 2022, the PCSO ECC received a 911 call from the area of S.R. 33 south of Mount Olive Road regarding the crash. When first responders arrived, they found 32-year-old Britney O’Neal of Winter Haven unresponsive. They performed CPR while she was transported to a local hospital, but she ultimately succumbed to her injuries. O’Neal was driving a red 2011 Chevy Malibu northbound on SR 33 when a grey 2012 Hyundai Genesis being driven by 30-year-old Kurtis Holzapfel southbound crossed the center line and entered into the northbound lane apparently to enter into the Best Buy warehouse.
O’Neal attempted to avoid striking the Hyundai but the cars collided nearly head-on. Airbags deployed in both vehicles. Holzapfel was wearing a seatbelt, but O’Neal was not. The investigation is ongoing.
Winter Haven, Florida – The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for a hit & run driver who killed a pedestrian In Winter Haven. According to an FHP report the suspect vehicle was traveling eastbound on Lake Howard Drive, east of 15th Street NW, where the pedestrian was on foot crossing the roadway. The suspect vehicle collided with the pedestrian who suffered fatal injuries at the scene of the crash.
Following the collision, which appears to have occurred around 6:50pm Saturday evening, the suspect vehicle fled the scene and was described as possibly a silver Dodge Caliber with Virginia plates.
Anyone with information regarding this crash is asked to call *FHP or Crime Stoppers at **TIPS
MELISSA MCELROY (AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS BECKY), 44, PASSED ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2022 SURROUNDED BY HER FAMILY AND HER LIFELONG FRIEND. MELISSA WAS BORN ON APRIL 18, 1978 IN LAKE WALES TO HENRY AND MARY (CAIRNES) MCELROY JR. SHE WAS OF PENTECOSTAL FAITH.
In a world where you can be anything, BE KIND.
Melissa is survived by her husband Jose Garcia, her three sons Jason McElroy, Brian and Tyler Chaney, her parents Henry and Mary McElroy Jr., mother-in-law Facilita Garcia, sisters Mary Milton (Todd) and Carla McElroy, brother Henry McElroy III (Christan), sister-in-laws Caty (Aaron) and Samantha Garcia, brother-in-law Alejandro Garcia (Ana). Melissa is also survived by her nieces Samantha, Charley, Katy, Maylen, Gracie, Nyra, Alessandra, Karen, Nora and Alondra and nephews Henry IV, Lucas and Isaac, three great nieces and three great nephews whom she spoiled and adored: as well as her lifelong friend, Telecia Lane and a large extended family.
Melissa loved her sons, family and friends dearly. She had a sweet and kind spirit that will be remembered and missed. Melissa graduated from Frostproof High School in 1997 and worked at Cargill and Citrosuco for much of her adult life. The past several years she took great pleasure in babysitting and spoiling her great nieces and nephews.
The immediate family will have a private service on November 29, 2022. Friends and extended family are invited to celebrate Melissa’s life on January 8, 2023 starting at 3 p.m. at the Frostproof Community Center on Wall Street. Please come and share your memories of Melissa with her family.
*Celebration of Life updates can be found on Melissa’s Facebook page and her sister Mary’s Facebook page.
Welcome, World Travelers! The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is Pure Holiday Fun!
by James Coulter
Sigh, yes! I know, I know! I said I was going to get around to reviewing Disenchanted. But the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special premiered Thanksgiving weekend and I’mgoing on vacation this week. So given the choice between watching two full-length movies to review one movie properly or watching a less-than-an-hour-long holiday special based on my favorite Marvel franchise, that choice is a given! (I promise my next review will be Disenchanted!)
Did I mention that Guardians is my favorite Marvel franchise? Because it is! The only thing better than the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie is its sequel Vol. II. And you bet Cosmic Rewind has become my favorite attraction in Disney World, if not Epcot Center. (I even wrote a review on that ride!)
So, when I heard there was going to be a Guardians holiday special, you know I was looking forward to it. That special made its premiere this Thanksgiving weekend on Disney Plus. Now the question remains: is The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special the best, or is it the best?
As anyone who’s seen the Guardians movies know, Peter Quill was kidnapped by space pirates called Ravagers when he was a child. When he was initially captured, young Peter wanted to celebrate his earth holiday of Christmas, but the Ravager leader,Yondu, being opposed to any “sentiment”, did not approve. Since then, Peter has never celebrated the holiday.
Cut to present day, and, upon hearing that story, the Guardians want to cheer up Peter by giving him the best Christmas ever. They decide to do so by giving him the best present ever. And what do they consider getting him? His favorite Earth hero, the legendary Kevin Bacon. Will the Guardians succeed in their mission in finding Bacon for Peter’s Christmas gift?
This special is rather short and to the point. So, the review of it will be equally short and to the point. Essentially, the Guardians of the Galaxy go to Earth to find Kevin Bacon. Wacky hijinksensue!
What makes Marvel movies work so well is how character-driven they are. These are not films with characters in them. Rather, they are about characters who appear in movies. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is all about the characters—all of whom are so well-rounded, energetic, and animated that they work well in any scenario, even outside of their standard action-adventure superhero storylines.
This is the reason why the Avengers work equally-well fighting in action scenes as they do hanging out in a café eating shawarma at the end of The Avengers or chilling out in a cabin in the middle of the wilderness during Age of Ultron. These characters are so relatable that they work well simply bouncing off each other in casual settings. So, having Marvel superheroes starring in a Christmas special where they do nothing else other than try to make it through the holidays makes for great entertainment even without them engaging in high-octane action scenes.
The Guardians of the Galaxy work well for such a casual storyline, as these characters and their movies already had a healthy level of comedy to them. Because, well, they’re the Guardians of the Galaxy! Two of their main characters are a snarky gun-toting racoon and a talking tree that can only say its name. It would be weirder if these characters only took themselves seriously. So, of course a Christmas comedy special was right up their alley.
Again, there’s not much to this movie. The Guardians want to cheer up their leader, so they go to Earth to get him Kevin Bacon as his Christmas present. Again, wacky hijinks ensue. And of all the characters to go on this mission, Drax and Mantis are the most apropos. One is an alien whose species is biologically and culturally incapable of grasping metaphorical language, and the other is a telepathic bug person whose isolatedupbringing makes her socially naïve and awkward. So, of course, seeing these aliens without any grasp of Earth culture bumble their way through Hollywood in search of an actor they assume to be a legendary hero is pure comedic gold.
What makes their wacky antics even wackier is that, despite their sheer ineptitude, they are both insanely super-powered compared to the average earthling—excuse me, Terran! Believe me when I say that seeing these two plow through cops by Drax deflecting bullets with his bulletproof skin and Mantis subduing people by controlling their minds and placing them in trances legit made me feel intimidated by these two. No spoilers, but I legitimately felt worried and concerned for Bacon, who, despite being pursued and kidnapped by two space aliens, acted cool as a cucumber throughout the special.
I won’t go into too much detail with this review, as the special is rather short and saying any more about how it plays out would be giving too much away. Let’s just say that this special has as much heart as it does laughs—and let’s say the heart-warming moments truly are! Oh, and, of course, it has some real sweet tunes. What Guardians film would be complete without them?The opening song not only works as a real catchy earworm, but also a comedic riot as it’s written by an alien with a gross misunderstanding of Christmas and Earth culture.
In short, while The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special isn’t going to make the pantheon of great holiday classic specials like Rudolph or Grinch or Charlie Brown, it certainly is a special treat in and of itself and certainly worth the watch, especially if you’re a Marvel fan—and especially if you’re a Guardians fan! It’s not a Christmas feast, but it is a sweet piece of peppermint—short yet sweet and savory in its own small way!
A Davenport woman was killed Saturday, November 26, 2022, when the vehicle she was riding in was involved in a crash with another vehicle in Winter Haven.
At about 5:42 pm, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire Rescue were dispatched to the crash on Cypress Gardens Boulevard, in front of the Hill Nissan car dealership.
Upon the arrival of first responders, 76-year old Jean Worme was found deceased.
The PCSO Traffic Homicide Investigations learned that the victim had been a front passenger in a white 2023 Nissan Rogue that was being test driven by 86-year old Clifford Worme, and the vehicle was making its return to the dealership.
Based on evidence and witness statements, investigators say that the Rogue was traveling east on Cypress Gardens Boulevard and began a left turn into Hill Nissan, crossing into the path of a red 2007 Nissan Murano that was traveling in the westbound lanes.
Mr. Worme only suffered minor injuries. The rear passenger in the Nissan Rogue, who was a Hill Nissan sales representative, and the driver of the Nissan Murano were both uninjured.
All of the people involved in the crash were wearing seatbelts.
The westbound lanes of Cypress Gardens Boulevard were closed for about four hours.
Beltone Hearing and Diversity Healthcare Celebrate Ribbon Cutting
by James Coulter
Do you or your loved one have a problem hearing? Do you feel you or they might require a hearing aid or any other product to help them understand others?
Or perhaps you’re a man who requires attention for your male-related health issues? Or you’re someone who identifies as LGBTQ requiring treatment in a comfortable, non-judgmental environment.
Whether you need better hearing or healthcare sympathetic to your unique needs, the new facility for Beltone Hearing and Diversity Healthcare can assist you.
Located at 1011 East Main Street, the new facility provides convenient access for patients in the downtown area. There,patients can enjoy personable healthcare that can attend to their hearing problems or male-related or LGBTQ-related health issues.
Both healthcare providers celebrated the grand opening of their facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Northeast Polk Chamber of Commerce on Monday morning. Two ribbon cuttings were hosted for each provider.
Beltone Hearing is a nationwide service that helps patients with their hearing problems, be it hearing loss or tinnitus, with high-quality products ranging from hearing aids to closed-captioned telephones.
“At Beltone, you get a hearing partner who is with you every step of the way,” their website states. “Your Beltone hearing care professional will take the time to get to know you to ensure personalized care that’s tailored to your needs and lifestyle. You can count on Beltone whenever and wherever you go.”
Beletone Hearing has been in the Haines City area for 20 years. Chris Fisher, Hearing Instrumental Specialist, purchased it from the previous owners five years ago. He moved it to its current location earlier this year in January.
Previously, Beletone was located at MidFlorida Eye Specialists for 18 years. When the Eye Specialists decided to expand their facility, Fisher decided to move Beletone to their facility in the downtown area.
“We wanted to bring more downtown and see what we can do to revitalize and grow the area,” he explained. “We are growing along with Diversity Healthcare. We are trying to get more space and [help] revitalize the Haines City area. It is great to see more businesses move into the area. We are glad to be part of the Haines City family and see the city grow.”
Diversity Healthcare shares the same facility. They are a primary healthcare provider with a focus on men’s and LGBTQ health issues. No matter your gender, sex, or orientation, you are guaranteed to receive friendly, personable care in a judgment-free environment.
“We provide comprehensive patient-centered healthcare,” their website states. “People who come to Diversity Healthcare can expect polite, friendly, helpful staff members who relate to each person as an individual, recognizing their history, relationships, culture, sexual identity, and specific individual needs.”
Clay Reedy, a Nurse Practitioner, opened their practice on September 12. As the first and only healthcare provider focused primarily on the healthcare needs of the LGBTQ community, he is excited about opening their new facility and sharing it with Beletone Hearing.
“We are glad to be in this new building, we are sharing the wealth of this new building, and we are glad you are all here,” Reedy said. “I am excited about this facility. It is a beautiful building with comfortable space and we are excited about being here in Haines City.”
Beltone Hearing and Diversity Healthcare are located at 1011 East Main Street, Haines City, FL 33844. For more information, call 863-421-4415.
The Traffic Homicide Unit from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate a fatal crash that occurred Tuesday morning, November 22, 2022, which shut down part of a busy Lakeland highway for about three hours.
The crash was reported to the Emergency Communication Center at about 5:58 am. PCSO deputies and Polk County Fire Rescue responded to the scene on US 98 North, near the intersection of Mann Road.
Upon their arrival, a pedestrian, 27-year old Marcus Sullivan of Lakeland, was pronounced deceased.
The driver of the silver 2011 Honda CRV that hit Mr. Sullivan was uninjured.
Detectives reported that it was dark and cloudy at the time of the crash, with no street lighting, and only a moderate amount of light from local businesses. Mr. Sullivan was wearing a dark shirt and light-colored pants.
Evidence and witness statements from the scene indicate that Mr. Sullivan was pushing a grocery cart in the northbound lane of US 98, near the median. The Honda was in the same lane and approached Mr. Sullivan from behind.
At this time, it does not seem likely that the driver will be cited or charged.
Welcome, World Travelers: “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” Dares to Be Stupid!
by James Coulter
Originally, I was going to review Disenchanted on Disney Plus; however, since I still have not watched the original Enchantedmovie, I decided to postpone the review of its sequel until next week. Until then, here’s a review of a great movie NOT made by Disney and NOT on Disney Plus.
Do I need to sell Weird Al Yankovic? He’s Weird Al, the most prolific parody songwriter of our time. There’s no one else like him. Go ahead: name a parody songwriter greater than him. You can’t! Because he’s the greatest! From “My Bologna” to “Party in the CIA”, all his songs slap and everyone likes them. In fact, I think it’s impossible to hate him. You may not like his style, but it’s hard to actively dislike him or his work. That’s how great his music is.
So, when I say there’s a parody movie about him streaming free on Roku, do I need to sell it to you? It’s a satirical biopic about one of the greatest satirical songwriters. Of course, it’s going to be comedy gold because everything Weird Al touches turns into pure comedy gold. So, what more can I say other than “go watch it”?
Well, I guess I technically need to write a formal movie review. So, is Weird: The Al Yankovic Story any good, or…ah, that’s a trick question! Of course, it’s good. It’s better than good, and here’s why:
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story tells the story about the life and career of Weird Al Yankovic, from taking accordion lessons as a child to being discovered and promoted by Dr. Demento to his inevitable rise as a Billboard chart-topping musical superstar. Of course, as this movie is a parody—and, really, what better way to tell the story about the world’s greatest parody songwriter than with a parody musical biopic?—there’s far more fiction than truth to the story. While most celebrity biopics are infamous for taking the truth and exaggerating it to fit a narrative more dramatically, this film takes only the tiniest sliver of truth and uses it to veer wildly off the rails into the realm of the absurd.
For example, Weird Al was inspired to become a musician after being sold his first accordion from a traveling salesman; however, his father did not get into a bloody fistfight with that salesman because he disapproved of his son playing “the devil’s squeezebox”, nor did Al ever get busted for playing in polka parties as a teenager. Also, while Madonna did, indeed, approach Weird Al to have him make a parody of one of her songs, that request did not result in a steamy love scene in his mansion or in her becoming a clingy girlfriend.
Like a good parody, this movie follows the conventional storyline of a celebrity musician biopic, with the usual character and story beats followed to a tee, and exaggerates it to the point of absurdity, taking a normal situation and fouling it all up beyond recognition: from his disapproving parents forbidding him from following his dreams and living his true self, to skeptical music agents (one played by Weird Al himself) berating him for being a weirdo with no talent, to him boldly declaring that his life’s dream is literally to take songs other people have written and change the words to them.
Perhaps the most shining example of satire comes from the act where Weird Al decides to stop writing parody songs and write original music. What “original” song does he decide to pen? “Eat It!”, which Al sincerely asserts is “100 percent original.” Later in the film, the joke becomes even more absurd when Al receives a call from his agent informing him that Michael Jackson has released a “new” song, “Beat It!”, which is like Al’s “original” song. This news enrages Al into a steaming fit, as he rants about how other people will now assume he wrote his song as a parody to “Beat It!” despite his song being written first. (The fact that this is not what really happened at all in real life only makes this scene even more knee-clappingly hilarious!)
What makes this movie work is its absolute sincerity. This movie may be a total fabrication of Weird Al’s life and career, but it plays that fabrication 100 percent straight. At no point do the actors turn to wink at the camera. This film is 100 percent serious about its portrayal of events not being 100 percent serious. As Tony Goldmark from the Escape From Vault Disneypodcast mentioned in his review:
“Weird‘s primary joke is that it doesn’t even try to be accurate. It uses what really happened as the loosest of jumping-off points and then careens further and further into Looney Tune Land. It’s like the cinematic equivalent of a late-2000s Colbert Reportsketch, playing itself up as something constantly trying to gaslit you with lies but doing such a patently-ridiculous job at it that we can’t help but laugh at it, which, of course, is the joke.”
This absolute sincerity, while mostly highlighting the absolute absurdity, also lends itself to providing real pathos for some honestly heartfelt moments. This fact becomes most evident near the end. I will not spoil anything, but let’s just say there’s a reason why his father was so disapproving of Al becoming a musician. There’s also a long-running joke about one of Al’s biggest fans being a South American drug cartel that serves as a pivotal plot point in the movie and results in an ending that is so far from reality it lets you know, without a doubt, the film is a parody.
In short, this movie is great. If I had a nickel for every time I reviewed a non-Disney movie that ended up being one of my absolute favorites of the year, I would have two nickels, which isn’t much but it’s weird it happened twice. (The first time was RRR.) What else can I say but…stop reading this and go watch Weird: The Al Yankovic Story!
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 9-1-1 call this morning at approximately 8:11 amto a north Lakeland neighborhood (Plantation Ridge development) about an arsonist who was throwing a “Molotov cocktail”-type incendiary weapon at a residence.
When a deputy arrived (8:12:32) he witnessed the man getting into an older-model Chevrolet pickup truck and fleeing the area. The deputy attempted a traffic stop, but the truck did not stop, and fled south on US 98. Given the arson charges, the deputy attempted a precision immobilization technique (PIT) on the fleeing truck on US 98/Florida Avenuethe attempt did not result in the immobilization of the truck. The truck fled on I-4 west-bound with deputies in pursuit.
In the area of the west bound on-ramp to I-4 from Branch Forbes Road in Hillsborough County, the fleeing truck slowed because of damage sustained by the PIT maneuver, allowing deputies to block and ram the truck ending the pursuit.
30-year-old Luke Neely of Lakeland exited the truck. He was in possession of an “AR-style” rifle. Polk deputies immediately engaged him, firing at Neely, incapacitating him. Deputies then disarmed him, including another firearm he had on his person, and began treating his wounds. He was transported to an area hospital with gunshot wounds. We are told the wounds are non-life threatening.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the deputy involved use of force because the incident occurred in Hillsborough County. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office crime scene unit is assisting with the investigation at the scene. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the arson and fleeing-to-elude incidents occurring in Polk County. Attached is a photograph of roof damage of a residence caused by the Molotov cocktail.
“We are in the early stages of this investigationwe thank the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for independently investigating this use of force and we appreciate the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office assistance with the scene investigation. One of our deputies sustained a wrist injury, but other than that, the only person who was injured is the arsonist who fled from our deputies and threatened them. For this I am very thankful.” –Grady Judd, Sheriff
Neely was arrested by the PCSO in 2016 and charged with disorderly conduct, using a firearm under the influence of alcohol, and resisting arrest. He was Baker Acted by the PCSO in 2020.
