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Segway Rider Dies After Colliding with Car on US 92

Allison
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Segway Rider Dies After Colliding with Car on US 92

 

A man on a Segway electric scooter was killed in a crash Friday evening, October 24, 2025, east of Lakeland.

Units from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire Rescue were dispatched at 8:08 pm, to the crash scene on US 92 at Fairway Avenue.

The crash occurred between the scooter and a 2000 Toyota Avalon XLS.

When first responders arrived on scene, the scooter operator, identified as 31-year old Joshua Caleb Carpenter of Lakeland, was deceased.

The driver of the Toyota was 60-year old Andrew Almaraz of Winter Haven. He was not injured, and fully cooperated with the investigation by the PCSO’s Traffic Homicide detectives.

The preliminary investigation showed that the Toyota was traveling west on US 92 at the proper speed.

The traffic light was green as the Toyota approached the intersection with Fairway Avenue.

At that time, the victim attempted to drive the scooter north across US 92, while in or near the crosswalk, and crossed in front of the oncoming Toyota, which had the right-of-way. 

Mr. Carpenter was wearing dark clothing, and had no helmet.

Due to the investigation, the westbound lanes of US 92 were closed for approximately four hours.

No criminal or civil charges are anticipated at this time, but the investigation is ongoing.

 

Trunk or Treat Scheduled for October 25 at Lake Eva Park

Allison
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Trunk or Treat Scheduled for October 25 at Lake Eva Park

Haines City Parks & Recreation:

Trunk or Treat | Presented by Miracle Toyota – Haines City
Sat. Oct. 25th | 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Lake Eva Park

Trunk or Treat is tomorrow! Here is all of the important information you will need to know to have the best time ever!

  1. The trunks (vendors) will be set up in the great lawn, 3rd Street parking lot, and around the tennis courts/screened in pavilion. This will allow for public parking in the Aquatics Center parking lot. Additionally, parking is available at the Lake Eva Event Center parking lot, the Community Center parking lot, and along Ledwith Ave. (and any other open streets).
  2. While lines will form because the vendors will be set up around the perimeter of the park, there is no designated starting or ending point for this event. Feel free to walk about the park to each vendor at your leisure. The Haines City Parks & Rec tents will be set up in front of the bandshell and will be giving out trick or treating bags, candy, water & juice pouches, and donuts (while supplies last).

NEW THIS YEAR

  1. There will be an inflatable haunted house in the middle of the park. Step inside (if you dare) for a frightfully fun experience that’s perfect for all ages.
  2. The screened-in pavilion will be set up with festive photo backdrops — the perfect spot to snap those fang-tastic costume pics with family and friends!

Reminder: the event kicks-off at 9:00 a.m., but will be here until 11:30 a.m.. Make your way to Lake Eva Park whenever you’re ready!

A big thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible:
Miracle Toyota – Haines City
Iceberg Home Services
StoreRight Self-Storage

This Day in History October 24, 2003 – The Concorde Makes its Final Commercial Flight

Allison
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This Day in History October 24, 2003 – The Concorde Makes its Final Commercial Flight

The following is an article from history.com:

“The supersonic Concorde jet makes its last commercial passenger flight, traveling at twice the speed of sound from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to London’s Heathrow Airport on October 24, 2003. The British Airways jet carried 100 passengers, including actress Joan Collins, model Christie Brinkley and an Ohio couple who reportedly paid $60,000 on eBay for two tickets (a roundtrip trans-Atlantic fare typically cost about $9,000). A large crowd of spectators greeted the plane’s arrival in London, which coincided with two other final Concorde flights from Edinburgh and the Bay of Biscay.

Photo source Wikipedia

The Concorde, which was developed jointly by the British and French governments, began commercial service in January 1976. A significant achievement in aviation technology and design, the sleek, delta-winged planes could make the trip from New York to London in around three and a half hours, traveling at 1,350 miles per hour. The Concorde became a symbol of speed and luxury, although it was not without its problems. Some who lived under its flight path criticized the enormous noise it produced. And, tragically, on July 25, 2000, an Air France jet crashed after takeoff from Paris, killing all 109 people on board and four others on the ground. All Concorde flights were grounded for over a year after the incident.

Citing rising operating costs and reduced ticket sales, British Airways retired its Concorde fleet in October 2003. Air France, the only other Concorde carrier, had permanently grounded its jets in May 2003. However, the allure of the Concorde was so powerful that when the airlines auctioned off spare parts from their fleets shortly after their retirement, many items sold for significantly more than their suggested price. For example, a blanket valued at $100 sold for $2,000, a door sold for $33,000, and a needle nose sold for $550,000.

In August 2020 Virgin Galactic announced plans to partner with carmaker Rolls Royce to develop a supersonic passenger plane capable of flying three times the speed of sound. And in June 2021, United Airlines announced plans to return a supersonic trans-Atlantic airliner to the skies. The 88-seater jets, produced by the U.S. start-up firm Boom Supersonic, could slash flight times in half—making a flight from London to Newark, N.J. in three and a half hours.”

Events This Weekend in Polk County

Allison
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Events This Weekend in Polk County

Get ready for a fun-filled weekend across Polk County with family-friendly festivals, Halloween celebrations, and community events for all ages!

Friday, October 24

• Boogie and Family Costume Bash – Enjoy music, costumes, and fun at the Oakland Auditorium in Haines City from 6–9 p.m.

• Mulberry Harvest Festival – Celebrate the season in downtown Mulberry from 4–7 p.m. with food, vendors, and entertainment.

• Greater Winter Haven Youth Baseball’s Trick or Treat Smell My Cleats event at Sertoma Park at 6 p.m.

Saturday, October 25

• Tanners Lakeside Halloween Party – Join the Halloween fun with all-day specials at Tanners Lakeside in Winter Haven.

• Calvary Baptist Church Fall Festival & Trunk or Treat – From 3–6 p.m., enjoy games, treats, and activities for the family.

• Trunk or Treat at New Horizon Church – Bring the kids for candy and community fun from 5–7 p.m. in Haines City.

• Bartow Tire Collection Event – Dispose of old tires responsibly at C. Wilson Equipment Co. from 8 a.m.–12 p.m.

• Touch-A-Truck – Explore big rigs and emergency vehicles at Winter Haven Regional Airport from 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

• Trunk or Treat at Lake Eva Park from 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Sunday, October 26

• Kairos Church Trunk or Treat – Join in after both morning services for candy, games, and photo ops at 5624 Cypress Gardens Blvd, Winter Haven.

Welcome, World Travelers! Frozen Ever After Getting New Animatronics

Allison
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Welcome, World Travelers! Frozen Ever After Getting New Animatronics

Welcome, World Travelers! Frozen Ever After Getting New Animatronics
by James Coulter
 
For the first time in forever, the nearly decade-old Frozen Ever After attraction is set to appear brand new with new animatronic figures and other refurbishments.
 
Located at the Norway Pavilion in Disney’s EPCOT Center, Frozen Ever After has been enchanting guests since its debut in 2016. Now, the attraction is set to close for much-needed refurbishments in early 2026.
 
The biggest change will be the animatronic characters, which currently use rear projection mapping for the characters’ facial expressions. However, while initially innovative for the time, these features have experienced “technical difficulties” over the years.
 
As That Park Place reports:
 
“Over time, guests and observers have reported problems with the projection system. For instance, faces have gone dark (displaying blank or black screens) during portions of the show, making the heads appear empty. Some observers have also remarked on alignment issues.
 
Additionally, lighting conditions and visual contrast between projected faces and mechanical bodies can create an unnatural effect. Guests have noted a certain uncanny valley effect, even when the animatronics are working as designed.”
 
The figures are planned to be upgraded with sculpted, physical faces, like the animatronic figures used within Frozen attractions at Hong Kong and Tokyo Disneyland.
 
These figures will utilize new technology, like all-electric motors, 3D printing, that has been developed by Disney Imagineering since the attractions first opened nearly ten years ago.
 
A lot has changed since then, but even when the attraction was new, many of its features proved innovative at the time, specifically for the Elsa animatronic character.
 
As Mallory Heinz Ledet, Public Relations Manager, wrote on Disney Parks Blog:
 
“To build the attraction and make it feel like the enchanted Frozen story, it all came down to one wrist. Elsa is known for her magical, ice-forming hand gestures; for her Audio-Animatronics figure to handle the fluid movements just like Elsa does on screen, Imagineers needed enough space to run cables and motors down her arms and hands. They figured out how big Elsa’s wrist needed to be and scaled everything else in the attraction to match.”
 
Frozen Ever After can still be enjoyed in its current iteration from now until early next year at Disney’s EPCOT Center.

In Loving Memory of Maria Carmen Hurtado Garcia

Allison
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In Loving Memory of Maria Carmen Hurtado Garcia

Maria Carmen Hurtado Garcia

August 3rd, 1958 – October 19th, 2025

Visita

Oct 27 from 5-7pm

Oak Ridge Funeral Care

1001 E Grace Ave in Haines City

Misa

Oct 28 at 2pm

St Ann Catholic Church

1265 Robinson Dr in Haines City

Joint-Use Fire Rescue Station Planned for Polk County and City of Bartow

Allison
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Joint-Use Fire Rescue Station Planned for Polk County and City of Bartow

Joint-Use Fire Rescue Station Planned for Polk County and City of Bartow

by James Coulter

A new joint-use fire rescue station will soon be built near Bartow, now that an agreement has been approved for architectural & engineering services.

At their regular meeting on Tues. Oct. 21, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) voted unanimously to approve an agreement for architectural & engineering services for a proposed fire station near Bartow.

The 20,000-square-foot facility is planned to be built at 2421 Smith Lane in Bartow. It will be used by both the county and the City of Bartow.

“The project is intended to improve community service by reducing emergency response times and enhancing firefighter safety,” wrote Tabatha Shirah, Senior Procurement Analyst.

Fleischman Garcia Maslowski has been contracted for $799,930.85 for architectural & engineering services, which includes “conceptual and construction documents, including floor plans, exterior elevations, landscape plans, cost estimates, and all specifications required for approval, bidding, construction administration, and project closeout.”

The project is expected to be completed within 730 days, “yet the agreement will stay in place through completion of the construction.”

New Horizon Church Hosting Trunk or Treat in Haines City

Allison
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New Horizon Church Hosting Trunk or Treat in Haines City

Join New Horizon Church for a fun-filled evening at their annual Trunk or Treat event on Friday, October 25th from 5 to 7 p.m.!

Families are invited to bring their little ghosts and goblins to enjoy a safe and festive night of candy, decorated trunks, and community fun.

The event will be held at 400 Orchid Drive in Haines City. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate Halloween with neighbors, laughter, and sweet treats.

Crespo and Narewski Named to All-FCSAA Team as Polk State Heads to Miami Tournament

Carl Fish
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Crespo and Narewski Named to All-FCSAA Team as Polk State Heads to Miami Tournament

Polk State College Press Release

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025 — Janessa Crespo (from Davenport, Florida) and Marie Narewski hope their trip to Miami culminates in an FCSAA championship for Polk State Soccer, but if nothing else, they will return home with individual accolades.

Crespo and Narewski were each named to the All-FCSAA Team on Wednesday afternoon. Both are among the state’s top five scorers.

A native of Davenport, Crespo enters the FCSAA Tournament as its leader in assists with 10 – the most for a Polk State player since 2022. Crespo ranks in the top 10 nationally in that category. The sophomore also ranks fifth in the state in goals (7) and third in points (24).

A freshman from Germany, Narewski leads Polk State with nine goals on the season. A clutch performer, Narewski scored critical 87th-minute goals against Miami Dade College to salvage a draw on Sept. 11 and to beat then No. 6 Eastern Florida State College on Sept. 16. She also ranks fourth in the FCSAA in points (22) and fifth in shots (33).

“Janessa and Marie have had outstanding seasons and really carried us offensively,” Polk State Head Coach Dee Shivraman said. “This is a testament to their hard work and consistency. In addition to being outstanding players, they’re outstanding people and have been a real joy to coach.”

For Polk State to keep its season alive and have a chance to reach the national NJCAA Tournament, the Eagles will need to win two matches in Miami. Polk State begins the tournament against No. 1 Daytona State College, the reigning national champion, on Thursday.

The winner will play either Miami Dade or Eastern Florida State for the FCSAA championship on Saturday.

All-FCSAA Team

Janessa Crespo, M, Davenport, Fla.

Marie Narewski, D, Wiesbaden, Germany

Haines City Police Searching for Driver in 10th Street Hit-and-Run Crash

Carl Fish
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Haines City Police Searching for Driver in 10th Street Hit-and-Run Crash

By Carl Fish

HAINES CITY, Florida — A bicyclist was injured early Wednesday morning following a crash at the intersection of 10th Street South and East Hinson Avenue in Haines City.

According to Haines City Public Information Officer Brooke Hart, “I confirmed with the patrol sergeant that it is being worked as a hit and run at this time. It’s still under investigation. Victim was transported to a local hospital.”

Haines City Police Department officers, along with Haines City Fire Department and Polk County Fire Rescue, responded to the scene shortly after 5:30 a.m. The call was cleared approximately 45 minutes later, according to Polk County Fire Rescue dispatch data.

The crash occurred near several well-known local businesses, including Circle K and Maryland Fried Chicken, and temporarily affected early morning traffic in the area.

Anyone with information about the crash or the driver involved is urged to contact the Haines City Police Department. Investigation is ongoing and we will update if any further information becomes available.

Investigation Into Polk State College Administration Officially Underway, College Declines To Provide Details
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