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Miss Florida 2018 Crowned At RP Funding Center in Lakeland

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Miss Florida 2018 Crowned At RP Funding Center in Lakeland

Miss Florida 2018 Crowned At RP Funding Center in Lakeland

by James Coulter

Ever since she was a little girl, Taylor Tyson, 23, from Jupiter, FL always dreamed of being crowned Miss Florida.

She often attended beauty pageants when she was young, and just as she considered many former Miss Florida and Miss America winners as role models, so too did she aspire to be a similar role model for young girls.

Her dream finally became a reality on Saturday evening when she was crowned at the 2018 Miss Florida Competition at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.

“I still can’t believe it,” she said. “When my name was called on stage, it felt straight out of a dream, but it was everything that I imagined and more.”

Taylor shone bright as the Florida sun during the competition and its three categories.

For the talent portion, she exhibited her talent as a classically-trained pianist with more than 20 years of experience by performing the Mephisto Waltz by Franz Liszt.

In the lifestyle and fitness portion, she was able to showcase the best physical shape of her life upon competing a year ago.

And within the interview portion, she expressed her interests as a political science major by discussing funding for the disabled, specifically how the non-profit organization, For The Kids, helped her local community over the past 12 years.

Ever since she was a young girl, she had been engaged within talent competitions for scholarship programs, and she had since been competing within the Miss Florida program for the past three years.

Being able to win this year’s competition allowed her to achieve a lifelong dream of becoming an inspiration for young girls that she always aspired to be when she was growing up herself.

“[This allowed me] to be somebody who is filling the role that I as a younger girl looked up to, somebody who is involved in the community with academic goals who seeks to be a light to others, and that is something I am proud of,” she said.

Up until this point, she has had as many failures as she had successes, but she never allowed her failure to let her down, but rather motivate her to continue moving forward.

“It doesn’t matter what goes wrong in your life, what matters is what you make of it,” she said.

Helping her through this dream every step of the way has been her parents, without whose sacrifice she would not have been able to make it as far as she has.

“My parents have sacrificed so much to allow me the upbringing that I have, to inspire the goals that I have in my life,” she said.

Now that she has been crowned Miss Florida, she is anticipating serving the role she has been provided faithfully in an effort to make her home state a much better place.

The scholarship she has received through this program since starting three years ago has allowed her to graduate from college debt-free.

Upon finishing her current role, she aspires to one day fulfill a promising career as an attorney and legal analyst.

Until then, she will be assuming her role as Miss Florida by participating within several events across the state, and later competing within the upcoming Miss America competition this September.

“It is the greatest honor for me as a woman to receive this,” she said. “This competition encourages you to be the very best version of yourself, and it encourages you to be a very well-rounded person, so it’s not about looks or talents, it is who you are holistically.”

Man Arrested In Polk County For DUI Crash Is Osceola County Dispatcher

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Man Arrested In Polk County For DUI Crash Is Osceola County Dispatcher

Polk County Sheriff’s Office Press Release

On Saturday, June 30, 2018, PCSO deputies arrested 39-year-old Michael Gonzalez of Kissimmee, for one count Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs (M-1).
According to the affidavit, around 9:30 p.m. that evening, deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash in the area of the Poinciana Parkway & Cypress Parkway in Poinciana, involving a Nissan Murano stuck in a ditch and surrounded by water. The vehicle had to be towed out of the ditch so the driver (Gonzalez) could exit the vehicle. Once he exited the vehicle, Gonzalez exhibited several signs of impairment before and during field sobriety tests. Gonzalez gave two breath samples at the PCSO booking facility, both of which displayed a breath alcohol level of .142. He was booked into the jail, and has since been released after posting $500 bond.
No other people were in the vehicle with him and no other vehicles were involved.
Gonzalez told deputies he has been a full-time dispatcher for the past two years at the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

 

Tech Tuesday: How to Reduce Telemarketing and Robo Calls

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Tech Tuesday: How to Reduce Telemarketing and Robo Calls

By : Kip Kirchberg

I work in a profession where my phone is the lifeline of my business. I cannot begin to count the number of calls I get from Marketers or Robo callers trying to refinance my home, get me better car insurance rates, or tell me my computer is infected with a virus. According to robocallindex.com 4.1 billion robocalls were placed in the first four months of 2018. That’s equates to about 12.5 calls per person, so I am not alone.

Well I have finally found a way to stop most of the calls and fight back against unwanted Robo calls. I utilize an app from Itunes called RoboKiller. Now this app is not free but in my opinion well worth the $2.99 per month or the $24.99 annually to keep me from answering unwarranted calls.

The app essentially filters all calls and checks the caller ID against a database to determine if the call is from a robot, spam, or a scammer. If the caller ID is not listed in the database the call will forward to your phone and complete as normal. If the caller ID has been flagged the call will forward to greeting of your choice and be sent to your personal spam box for future review.

Believe it or not there are actually some robo calls I want to get on my phone. Like a reminder from my Dentist for my semi-annual cleaning, drug store pickup reminder, or any other automated call I want to receive. Well RoboKiller will allow you to review blocked calls and whitelist numbers for the robo calls you want to receive.

For me the best part about the app is Answerbot. The answerbot will answer calls and play a user chosen recording like a Number Disconnected message or play an interactive response message. The interactive response is so good that some scammers sometimes think they are talking to a real person and simply waste their time by talking to a machine. These calls can be very entertaining and are captured for your listening pleasure in RoboKillers Spam box.

If you are like me and heavily rely on your phone for your business do yourself a favor and give RoboKiller a try. It is free for the first 30 days and if you like it sign up month to month or pay annually for a discount.

The app is available on Itunes and Google Play.

Here is an example of RoboKillers Answerbot at work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzas2QW4t4c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohP94NlvNWc

16th Annual Guest Bartender Bash Raises $50,000 For Boys & Girls Club

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16th Annual Guest Bartender Bash Raises $50,000 For Boys & Girls Club

16th Annual Guest Bartender Bash Raises $50,000 For Boys & Girls Club

by James Coulter

From the outside, the building at 650 6th Street SW in Winter Haven could easily be mistaken for any warehouse or industrial building.

But on the inside, Venue 650 is Winter Haven’s newest and biggest event venue, sporting an industrial chic style and providing enough space inside and out to facilitate more than 300 guests.

Winter Haven’s newest and hippest venue served as the location for the city’s hippest and most popular annual fundraiser, the Guest Bartender Bash

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Last Thursday evening, more than 300 guests mingled within this spacious facility, providing more than enough room for the nearly two dozen vendors that evening serving drinks and food.

Various local businesses set up their own booths to serve various cocktails and finger foods, including The Catering Company’s fried buffalo wontons, Spectrum Studio’s pineapple jalapeno fruit cocktail, and Ovation Bar and Grill’s barbecue nachos.

Having recently opened their second location in Winter Haven, this was the very first year that Ovation Bar and Grill participated in this year’s bash.

Cory Beckwich, Ovation’s catering events manager, had been involved with various events such as Smoke on the Water at the Boys and Girls Club of Polk County, for whom the proceeds raised during the annual bash benefit.

 

As such, Beckwich recommended that Ovation become involved with the fundraiser as a way to contribute to and become involved with the local community that they became a part of.

“When I heard this was for the club, I told the owner that we should jump on board, and it was awesome,” he said. “What better way to help than to raise money?”

This year also proved to be the very first time that other local businesses became involved with the event, as was the case with The Bike Shop.

Bike Shop owner, Stewart Mackie, and his team served up a special coffee cocktail with rum and tonic water.

Mackie had previously visited the event many times before, but this was the very first time that he had actively participated as a vendor.

“Raising money for the kids is what I love,” he said.

April Larence, owner of Spectrum Studio, had visited the event last year, and loved it so much that she and her team decided to also participate by serving sweet yet spicy fruit drinks with pineapple and jalapeno at their tropical bar.

“It is wonderful this year,” she said. “We have connections with some of the people who do the event. It was a lot of fun last year, and we wanted to do it again.”

For the past 16 years, the bash has been the main end-of-the-year fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of Polk County, raising money for the end of its fiscal year as to help keep their facility open during the summer months.

 

The bash had its start at Tanner’s Lakeside before eventually being hosted by other local businesses such as Grove Roots last year and Venue 650 this year.

“They recently renovated this venue, and very generously made it available for us tonight, and people are raving about it,” said Kerry Wilson, former Boys and Girls Club president and board member. “So we’re having a great turnout and great support from the community.”

This year’s event raised more than $50,000, ensuring that the club will continue to provide a safe place for local children during the summer months.

“We will end up in the black because of this event this year,” Wilson said. “What great is to see so many people who believe in the notion of the boys and girls club and continue to support us every year.”

For more information about the Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida, visit their website at: http://www.ccbgc.com

Lakeland Man Charged With Manslaughter After Punching & Killing Another Man Friday

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Lakeland Man Charged With Manslaughter After Punching & Killing Another Man Friday

Lakeland, Florida – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office have arrested Travis Barlow, DOB: 3/18/1983, and charged him with Manslaught. On June 30, 2018 Barlow is accused of punching and killing Adam Hoffman,   during a domestic dispute.

The following is an excerpt from the arrest affidavit:

On June 30, 2018 at 7:37 pm the Polk County Sheriffs received a call for service at (redacted location) in Lakeland, Florida in reference to an altercation where the victim, Adam Hoffman, was punched by the suspect, Travis Barlow. The reportee notified law enforcement the victim was unresponsive and not breathing. Deputies responded to the scene as well as Polk County EMS. EMS attempted life savings measures on scene, but had to transport the victim to Lakeland Regional Health for further treatment. Upon arrival at Lakeland Regional Health life saving measures on the victim were continued. Medical tests determined the victim had a brain bleed that was bleeding into the spinal cord. Medical staff also completed test for brain activity on the victim. After further testing the victim was declared brain dead. The victim’s brain dead status was reported to the District 10 Medical Examiner’s Office. 

According to affidavit earlier in the day the victim, Hoffman, had went to the residence of the suspect earlier in the day. The suspect was not home and the victim eventually left. It is unclear why the victim went to the suspects residence, but it appeared to be related to a domestic dispute. The follow excerpt from the arrest affidavit is what occurred next after the suspect, Travis Barlow, arrived home:

Suspect Travis became upset and attempted to call the victim from (redacted) phone and his phone, but the victim did not answer any call. Approximately 10 minutes later, the victim called (redacted) phone, which was answered by Suspect Travis.

During the phone call between Suspect Travis and the victim, the two got into a verbal argument about the victim coming over without permission. Suspect Travis told the victim to come back over  (To Suspect Travis’s) house in order for the two to fight. These messages were also sent from Suspect Travis to the victim via text message. These text messages also reveal the victim apologized initially and refused to go back to the Suspect’s residence.

During the exchange between Suspect Travis and the victim, the two argued via text message about fighting each other, which the victim sent Suspect Travis his address. The last text message exchange was sent from the victim to Suspect Travis stating he was sorry.

At approximately 15:30 pm, Suspect Travis arrived at the victim’s residence along with (redacted) As Suspect Travis arrived at the victim’s residence, Suspect Travis parked his vehicle and started to walk towards the victim’s residence. As Suspect Travis approached the victim’s house, witness (redacted) confronted him. Witness (redacted) reported to detectives she told Suspect Travis not to bring this altercation to her house due to her child being present. Also at this time, Witness (redacted) was present. Witness stated the victim was telling Suspect Travis he was sorry and did not want any problems with Suspect Travis.

Witness stated Suspect Travis told the victim he would respect the wishes of (redacted), and would leave without causing any further altercation, but told the victim “your ass is mine Hoss”. Suspect Travis got into his vehicle and started to drive away. The victim then started to walk back towards the residence when Suspect Travis stopped his vehicle and exited. Witnesses (redacted), (redacted) and (redacted) observed Suspect Travis exit his vehicle, walk towards the victim (whom was turned away from the approaching suspect), and grab his by the arm. Witnesses (redacted), (redacted) and (redacted) stated Suspect Travis turned the victim around by his arm and punched him twice on the head. The victim immediately fell to the ground on his stomach. Witnesses stated Suspect Travis then walked back to his vehicle, got in, and left the scene.

Witness (redacted) ran to the victim and found the victim was gasping for air. Witness (redacted) turned the victim over to his back and noted the victim was taking short-fast breaths, the victim’s eyes were not focused, and then soon there after the victim started to turn purple. Witness stated the victim became unresponsive and was not breathing. Witnesses called 911 and CPR was started on the victim until Deputies arrived on scene. Once EMS arrived, they took over on life saving efforts and eventually transported the victim the Lakeland Regional Health. 

Interviews with all witnesses at the scene were consistent with each other’s about the events that took place and how the victim sustained his injuries.

Based on the information provided by the witnesses, Deputies responded to Suspect Travis’ residence and located him as well as (redacted). Detectives then responded to Suspect Travis’ residence where both he and (redacted) agreed to speak with detectives at the Northwest Command Center.

Post Miranda interviews were then completed with Suspect Travis and (redacted). Suspect Travis stated while the victim was at his residence he was disrespecting his (redacted). The suspect stated his (redacted) asked the victim to leave the residence at which time the victim went to the suspect’s neighbor’s residence. The suspect stated when (redacted) arrived home from work he observed the victim at his residence and intoxicated. He stated (redacted) advised the victim that he needed to leave the residence at which time the victim left.

The suspect confirmed he and the victim had phone conversations and text message conversations about fighting each other. The suspect invited the victim to come to his residence where they would settle their dispute but the victim refused. The suspect stated the victim provided him with his address for the two of them to meet up and fight.

The suspect stated he responded to the victim’s residence and parked across the street from the victim’s residence. He stated there were approximately four to five other people at the residence when he and (redacted) arrived. He stated when he reached the driveway of the residence a female approached him and told him she did not want any fighting at her residence. He advised the victim that if the fight did not happen at the residence he would get him another time. He stated that he and (redacted) returned to their vehicle and began to drive away when he believed he heard a female say “I thought you were going to do something? No one’s calling the cops.” The suspect stated he then exited his vehicle and he and the victim began walking towards each other. Once in front of each other he struck the victim in the face one time with his a closed fist. He stated the victim fell to his knees and then onto his stomach. He returned to his vehicle and he and (redacted) left the residence.

 

A witness that accompanied suspect Travis Barlow to the victims home confirmed Barlow’s version of the blow that killed the victim, which was different than the 3 witnesses at Hoffman’s residence.

Detectives determined they had enough probable cause to arrest Barlow. The suspect drove 35 minutes to the victims residence to continue their dispute and to fight him. After 3 witnesses stating that the victim was walking away and was spun around and stuck in the head twice. They declared the victim to be defenseless at this time.

Barlow was taken to Polk County Jail. He will have his first court appearance today.

 

Hundreds Rally In Lakeland Demanding That “Families Belong Together”

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Hundreds Rally In Lakeland Demanding That “Families Belong Together”

Hundreds Rally In Lakeland Demanding That “Families Belong Together”

by James Coulter

Just as a great melting pot once forged the bronze swan statue at Lake Mirror in Lakeland, so too has the Great American Melting Pot forged the great country of America.

This message of inclusivity and diversity was made loud and clear on Saturday evening during a rally in Lakeland as a part of the nationwide Families Belong Together rally.

More than a hundred protesters rallied at Lake Mirror carrying signs announcing solidarity with immigrant families and against the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policies.

The rally started in front of the swan statue overlooking the Frances Langford Promenade before making its way to Munn Park within Downtown Lakeland.

As protesters marched with their signs, they shouted chants such as “refugees are welcome here” and “immigrants not hate make America great” in English as well as Spanish.

While the protesters mostly received positive feedback through cars honking in solidarity, a few hecklers would shout “go home” or “build the wall” at them.

Even with heavy rain earlier that day with a gray overcast and slight drizzle that evening, nearly a hundred protesters attended the rally that evening to show their support for immigration and opposition towards xenophobia.

“This is certainly exceeding expectations,” said Fidel Arbolaez of Polk County Florida For a Just Future, which helped spearhead the rally.

Attending the rally were many concerned citizens, as well as members of local political advocacy groups and labor unions such as the International Workers of the World (IWW).

Joey Leach, an IWW member, believes that, contrary to popular belief, immigration does not affect the employment or wages of American worker. He also recognizes that many of the issues that his fellow laborers face are also shared by many undocumented workers, which is why he stands in solidarity with them.

“These people coming from other countries are not affecting our labor status in this country, they are not affecting the unemployment numbers at all, [and] they are not here to take American jobs,” he said.

Bob Doyel, candidate for State Senate District 22, previously attended a similar rally earlier that day in Clermont, with him and his fellow protesters braving an hour of rain as they stood along Highway 50.

Having served as a family court judge for more than 16 years, he cares greatly about how immigrant families are being treated at the border.

“Whether it rains or not, the main thing is for us to speak loud and clear that we don’t like the damage that the federal government is doing to children and families,” he said.

This small gathering in Lakeland was one of several hundred rallies hosted nationwide in protest of President Donald Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policies.

More than 700 protests were hosted in cities and towns across the country, with the main rally being hosted in Washington D.C. and drawing in thousands of attendees on Saturday.

The Families Belong Together rally, organized in part by the left-wing political advocacy group MoveOn.org, served as a response to the strict immigration policies being implemented by the current administration.

This “zero tolerance” approach towards immigration, as promoted by President Trump and carried out by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, prosecutes illegal border crossings as criminal offenses, as reported by The Washington Post.

Upon being apprehended at the border, immigrant adults are detained within federal jails while their children are separated from them and taken into custody at shelters operated by U.S. Health & Human Services (HHS).

As such, this “zero tolerance” crackdown has increased the number of parent and child separations at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Washington Post reports: “The number of migrant children held in U.S. government custody without their parents has surged 21 percent in the past month.”

The separation of immigrant children from their parents especially received national attention a month ago following reports of more than 1,500 immigrant children being misplaced by the U.S. Government. Also sparking controversy was the news coverage of Casa Padre, a Texas detention facility converted from a Wal-Mart currently housing more than 1,400 children.

These “zero tolerance” immigration policies have led to a political backlash from left-wing politicians and immigrant rights groups and advocates, sparking numerous protests such as the “Families Belong Together” rally.

Such a backlash has prompted government officials to address these immigration policies and the problems associated with them.

A California judge recently ordered U.S. border authorities to reunite separated children with their families within the next 30 days. Even President Trump himself signed an executive order ending the practice of separating parents and children detained at the border.

Arbolaez hopes that these rallies help spur further change. Considering the sheer numbers that attended this local rally, he believes there is more than enough support nationwide to hopefully prompt such change.

“I am really glad that people are braving the possibility of getting rained on just to stand up and fight for human rights that every human being on this earth deserves,” he said.

Agape Mission Market Opens in Lake Wales

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Agape Mission Market Opens in Lake Wales

Agape Mission Market Opens in Lake Wales

By Allison Williams

The new Agape Mission Market opened at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Lake Wales in May. This is a farmer’s market-style pantry, where local individuals and families are offered not only non-perishable goods, but also fresh fruits and vegetables and proteins.

Brooklynne Atwell is the Manager of Development, Community & Volunteer Relations for Polk County Ministries/Catholic Charities of Central Florida.

Originally there was a food bank. For a number of reasons, this shut down and this new concept was developed.

“We decided to open this new concept that we have in Orlando and it’s been really successful,” Atwell said. “Serving more food more efficiently, we are out here in the community now rather than at a warehouse.”

The Agape Mission Market is much more than a standard food pantry. With the wide variety of fresh fruits, veggies and meats available on a regular basis, people who come in are also given the opportunity to shop for what they want and need.

Ken White, Director of Agape Mission Market transformed the space into the successful market that it is today.

“Since we opened, we have seen 220 families, which equates to about 615 individuals,” White said. “We have given away right around 10,000 pounds of food in that first month.”

White pointed out that Lake Wales is second in the ranking in the United States as far as food insecurity. He defined this as “someone who doesn’t have the quantity and quality of nutritious food they need.”

The uniqueness and freshness of the market makes it stand out. The market also allows the opportunity for those with dietary restrictions to shop and pick out what best suits them.

“We try to push a more nutritious lifestyle to the individuals we serve,” White said.

Everything that comes into the Agape Mission Market is by donation.

Food has come in from the Postal Food Drive, from the Publix program called Food for Sharing, from local farmers and even from local residents and those who have gardens. The frozen meat selection mostly comes from Feeding Tampa Bay.

The market has seen the number of volunteers grow in the short time it has been open. There have been 123 volunteers come through to lend a helping hand since it started.

 

–(John Paige,Food Stock Volunteer and his wife Peggy Paige, Food Shopping Volunteer are regular volunteers)

Mary Hellen Boodham is the front desk volunteer.

“We do great things here for those in need,” Boodham said. “People come in and I greet them, I give them any updates that we have, then I give them a sign in sheet to fill out.”

Boodham is the first face people see when they walk through the doors. She meets and greets families and keeps them occupied after sign-in until it is their turn to meet with Ramon Francisco, Family Stability Case Manager.

Francisco’s duty is to sit down with people, get to know them and find out ways in which they need help. This goes beyond just providing food. He is there to guide them and help them, whether it is with paying rent or utility bills, with employment or with other services.

“If I’m not able to help them here with our services I will definitely find the information for them to go somewhere else and help them with that,” Franciso said. “The purpose of the family stability program is to try to get the families to get out of the dependence of these kinds of services.”

He helps people build stability and become more independent.

Bethany McBride, Agency Relations Coordinator helps White with the day-to-day functionality of the market. She is in direct contact with the volunteers who come through and also does data tracking.

The Agape Mission Market is growing so much in such a short period of time. Future plans are to implement a senior center later in the summer. The idea is to make the location a “one-stop location.”

Agape Mission Market hours:

Tuesdays and Thursdays

9:00 a.m.–11:00 & 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

The market is also open the first and third Friday of every month from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Market location:

644 S 9th Street

Lake Wales, Florida 33853

Website:

https://cflcc.org/polk-county/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/CCPolkMin

Members of Catholic Charities encourage you to consider donating or becoming a part of this wonderful cause. Donations are always accepted and can be dropped off at the market location or coordinated with Atwell. To contact Atwell regarding donations, the market or volunteer opportunities, please call her at 407-284-7112 or email her: [email protected] or [email protected]

Polk County First Responders Continue Fight Over Unpaid Raises

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Polk County First Responders Continue Fight Over Unpaid Raises

Polk County First Responders Continue Fight Over Unpaid Raises

 International Association of EMTs and Paramedics Press Release: 

(Polk County, FL) – EMTs and paramedics at Polk County Fire Rescue in central Florida are preparing for arbitration in their fight with management over the county’s refusal to pay wage increases, a part of their current contract.

The EMS professionals, members of International Association of EMTs and Paramedics (IAEP) Local R5-917, are currently covered by a collective bargaining agreement ratified in 2017 which promises raises for all employees covered by the agreement.  Management has refused to implement some of the increases, stating only some employees were supposed to receive the increases, which forced the employees to take legal action.

“We’re not talking about huge money here,” said National Representative Michael Marasco, who works closely with IAEP Local R5-917. “We just want what is fair for our first responders. They make major sacrifices to keep their patients and community members safe, the least we can do is ensure they get the wages they deserve.  The tax payers of Polk County need to be aware that their money is being spent to fight against fair wages for their first responders.”

Polk County Commissioners voted to approve the agreement following negotiations in 2017, including the wage increases for all EMS professionals within the department.  The IAEP will now move forward to arbitration to enforce the contract and fight for the wages promised to the first responders who have not received them.

“It’s unfortunate that we’re forced to take action against an issue like this,” said IAEP National Director Philip Petit. “These men and women dedicate their lives to the safety of their community, whether it is sacrificing time spent with friends and families on holidays, or staying late after a shift to ensure their patients get the care they need. Our first responders deserve the funds they are owed.”

Polk County Fire Rescue provides emergency medical services to Lakeland, Auburndale, and all cities within Polk County, Florida.

 

Alert Citizen Helps Police Capture Burglary Suspect

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Alert Citizen Helps Police Capture Burglary Suspect

Winter Haven Police Department Press Release

An alert citizen helps track down a suspect in a vehicle burglary, but other items found were troubling.

On July 1, 2018 at approximately 3:20 p.m., an alert citizen saw 34 year-old Melinda Ann Pugh (Woodstock Ave., Lakeland) inside of a van at Big Tom’s Diner on Havendale Blvd. The witness personally knew the owner of the van and that she was inside eating at the time.

The witness saw Pugh leave the parking area and head towards Walgreens a couple of blocks away. The witness followed Pugh and called police. A bag that Pugh was carrying was located on the property of T-Mobile, which is next to Walgreens. The bag was identified by the witness as the same bag Pugh had been carrying while she was inside of the van and when she walked from the parking lot.

Ultimately Pugh was located inside of Walgreens and taken into custody.

Now for the interesting part – what was found inside of the bag. A couple of items that were positively identified from the victim’s van at Big Tom’s Diner, but also multiple door keys, a door handle and accessories that all had Spring Haven Retirement Center tags on them.

Officers made contact with Spring Haven Retirement Center management and found that Pugh had signed herself in earlier in the day. She indicated she was there to see a resident, however that resident moved from the facility more than a month ago. It is still unclear how Pugh obtained the Spring Haven property.

During the ride to the Police Department, Pugh slipped one of her hands from the handcuffs and when officers attempted to remove her from the vehicle, she started pulling away. She was removed from the vehicle and was told to stop resisting. To which she replied, “You want to see resisting?” She then lunged towards officers and struck one in the chest. She continued to tense and attempt to pull away, but was ultimate led into the holding cell with additional effort.

Pugh was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with Burglary of an Unoccupied Vehicle (F3), Resisting Officer with Violence (F3), Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer (F3) and Petit Theft (M2).

“This is a perfect scenario where an alert citizen gets all of the right information for our officers to make an arrest,” said Chief Charlie Bird. “Not only was the property returned to the rightful owner, but it is obvious that Pugh had the ability to victimize residents at Spring Haven Retirement enter as well.”

God’s Grace

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God’s Grace

By Carl Fish

Hi my name is Carl,

It is only by the Grace of God that I’m able to write to you today. You see like so many people I have had my trials and tribulations that could have forever changed my life. It could have been that time that I broke into the local school with friends when I was a boy. It could have been that time when I lied about sorting cans when I was a boy just to get paid fast to buy some candy. It could have been when I stole that inappropriate magazine when I was a very young teenager. It could have been that time when I got drunk at 16 just to be cool. It could have been that time I smoked pot with my cousin, just because I succumbed to peer pressure. It could have been the many times I road home from a party with my best friend, when we were both drunk. It could have been that time when I was extremely tired driving home from work and spun my car 460 degrees and narrowly missed a telephone pole. It could have been the time I wrote a check that I didn’t have the funds in the bank to pay. It could have been the numorous times I allowed myself to be distracted and narrowly missed the dark figure walking near the side of the road. It could have been the many, many times that I allowed my arrogance to hurt my family and those people I care about. It could have been that It is only by the Grace of God that I’m able to write to you today. You see like so many people I have had my trials and tribulations that could have forever changed my life. It could have been that time that I broke into the local school with friends when I was a boy. It could have been that time when I lied about sorting cans when I was a boy just to get paid fast to buy some candy. It could have been when I stole that inappropriate magazine when I was a very young teenager. It could have been that time when I got drunk at 16 just to be cool. It could have been that time I smoked pot with my cousin, just because I succumbed to peer pressure. It could have been the many times I road home from a party with my best friend who was drunk. It could have been that time when I extremely tired driving home from work and spun my car 460 Degrees and narrowly missed a telephone pole that would have surely killed me. It could have been the time I wrote a check that I didn’t have the funds in the bank to pay. It could have been the numorous times I allowed myself to be distracted and narrowly missed the dark figure walking near the side of the road. It could have been the many, many times that I allowed my arrogance to hurt my family and those people I care about. It could have been those times when I did my friends wrong.

It is only by the Grace of God, that I have not been a headline in a paper or a mugshot on the wall. Or inevitably worse. Y

So please remember when you read a story and you see someone who has made a mistake that it could have been me or maybe you, that is in that position. Only by th Grace of God and the blood of Jesus are we forgiven and given numerous more chances in life, to get it right.

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