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FREE HOSPITAL HEALTH FAIR SET FOR FEB. 3

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FREE HOSPITAL HEALTH FAIR SET FOR FEB. 3

FREE HOSPITAL HEALTH FAIR SET FOR FEB. 3

 

Lake Wales, FL – Lake Wales Medical Center will hold a free community health fair, on Saturday, Feb. 3, from 9 a.m. until noon at the hospital.

Participants can take advantage of a variety of free health screenings, including blood pressure, blood sugar, BMI, vision, peak flow respiratory testing, memory screening, blood oxygen levels, balance screening, information on plastic surgery and bariatric surgery, and chair massages. The bloodmobile also will be on site to accept blood donations.

A variety of physicians and other community healthcare providers will participate, providing information and answering questions. The event is free and will be held in the Hunt Building at Lake Wales Medical Center, 410 S. 11th Street. Pre-registration is not required. Check-in starts at 8:30, and doors will open at 9 a.m.

Haines City Woman Charged WIth Conspiracy to Commit Fraud in Excess of $50,000

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Haines City Woman Charged WIth Conspiracy to Commit Fraud in Excess of $50,000

Winter Haven Police News Release:

WINTER HAVEN – A Haines City woman has been charged with Conspiracy to Commit Fraud in Excess of $50,000 and three counts of Use of Another Person ID Without Consent. A warrant has also been obtained for her 23 year-old daughter for Grand Theft and Obtaining Property by Fraud in Excess of $100,000.

On 1-29-18 Winter Haven Police responded to the Winter Haven Honda dealership (6396 Cypress Gardens Blvd. SE, Winter Haven) in reference to a fraud. The sales manager reported that on 1-25-18, 48 year-old Norma Castro (DOB 5-3-69, 717 Garnette Ave, Haines City) and her daughter, 23 year-old Keisha Nicole Garcia-Castro came to the dealership to purchase two vehicles. According to the women, they wanted to purchase  the vehicles to use as Uber vehicles. The two vehicles were chosen (2018 Honda Accord, valued at $42,958 and 2017 Honda Pilot, valued at $57,441) and the sales associate collected copies of both drivers’ licenses.

A credit application was completed by Nicole. The credit application returned satisfactory and the women were able to leave with the two vehicles. As customary for the dealership, the women were contacted a few days later to see how the vehicles were performing and if there were any issues. Norma stated everything was well and, in fact, they would like to purchase another vehicle for the Uber business. On Saturday, 1-27-18, the pair arrived at the dealership at 5:30 p.m. to pick up a 2018 Honda Accord, valued at $42,958.

On Monday, 1-29-18, the dealership was contacted by LifeLock regarding the application for the first two vehicles. LifeLock advised the information that was entered had been flagged due to identity theft. When this information was received, the dealership contacted authorities. On the same day, Norma was already scheduled to come to the dealership and when she arrived, Winter Haven Police were there waiting for her.

When officers started to interview Norma, she was asked about the two vehicles purchased a few days earlier. She indicated that the vehicles were at the Haines City residence with her daughter. The two vehicles were located at the residence, but Nicole was not located. Due to the fact that the two vehicles were obtained through a fraudulent transaction, both vehicles were towed and returned to Winter Haven Honda. The Honda that Norma drove to the dealership was also returned.

During an interview with Norma, she indicated that she had her daughter fill out the paperwork for the third vehicle and she had no idea what was on the credit application. A search of Norma’s purse revealed a stack of paperwork including a BrightHouse bill in Norma’s name. There were other documents with information to include names, birth dates and social security numbers. When asked about the papers, Norma initially said they were family members, however she was unable to name any of the names on the paperwork. Ultimately, she said she was holding the paperwork for her daughter, who told her it was all for her friends. Norma advised she lied during the interview because she didn’t want to get her daughter in trouble.

Norma was booked into the Polk County Jail on one count of Conspiracy To Commit Fraud (F2) and three counts of Possession of Another ID Without Consent (F3).

A warrant for the arrest of Keisha Nicole Garcia-Castro was obtained on charges of Grand Theft of $100,000 or more (F1) and Obtaining Property by Fraud More Thank $50,000.
Nicole is currently on five years probation for a Fraud charge in April 2016.

Anyone with information on Garcia-Castro’s whereabouts is asked to call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477). Callers are guaranteed anonymity and could be eligible for a CASH reward.

Frostproof Prepares For Orange Blossom Festival

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Frostproof Prepares For Orange Blossom Festival

Frostproof Prepares For Orange Blossom Festival

by James Coulter

Do you love vintage cars? Good food? A good way to spend a Saturday morning?

You can enjoy all of this and more at the 16th Annual O’Hara’s Orange Blossom Festival and Classic Car Show at Sat., Feb. 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This free public event will showcase a diverse array of vintage cars to be parked within the downtown Frostproof area.

Aside from looking at cars, guests can also peruse 70 vendors offering food, arts, crafts, and other merchandise showcasing the best and the brightest of Frostproof.

Participating in this year’s event will be the local elementary school and a new business, Florida Wild Flower Studios, an art gallery on Wall Street that will be providing their own music and art at the festival.

Since its inception, the event has grown from a local small town event to a statewide attraction that has drawn in crowds and visitors from all throughout the state, explained Kelly Banks, Frostproof Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.

Having worked with the Chamber to help to put on the event for the past three years, Banks has witnessed as the event has grown exponentially in size and scope.

“We have nearly doubled the vendors in the time that I have worked with it,” she said. “It is beginning to grow and become well known.”

The Orange Blossom Festival had its roots planted by Bob O’Hara, the late owner of O’Hara Restorations, which has been hosting the event along with the city and chamber.

What started as a local affair has since become well-known throughout the state, bringing in new visitors to the town, Banks explained.

For newcomers, the event allows them to visit a small town located amidst the scenic lakes and oranges trees, while locals can enjoy a convenient time to meet, congregate, and enjoy good food, music, and camaraderie.

This year’s event is expected to draw in even more visitors with the new vendors, a larger size and scope, and especially with its beautiful weather forecast, she further explained.

“The car show gets people to come in who don’t normally come into Frostproof,” she said. “It is a great day for people to visit our town and see what we have to offer.”

For more information, visit the Frostproof Chamber of Commerce website at http://www.frostproofchamberofcommerce.com/

Lake Wales Little League Volunteer Umpire Selected for Little League World Series

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Lake Wales Little League Volunteer Umpire Selected for Little League World Series

Lake Wales Volunteer Umpiring at The Little League World Series

by James Coulter

Being an umpire is by no means the most popular occupation in the world of sports, but like any hard job, someone has to do it.

For the past 21 years, Lake Wales resident Danny Gill has been tasked with the big responsibility of making close calls during little league baseball games, with his ultimate decision pleasing half the crowd while aggravating the other half.

“There are no second guesses,” he said. “You make the call, it’s your call…Not everyone is going to like it. 50 percent will like it, 50 percent will not like it.”

Managing to keep calm under such pressure has allowed him to umpire little league for as long as he has, with this year allowing him to be the second person from Polk County selected to umpire the Little League World Series.

Little League was founded in 1939 with the first World Series held in 1947. The headquarters has always been in Williamsport, PA which will be the site for the 71st World Series being held August 16-26. Gill will be one of 16 umpires selected from around the world to call the games.

“It is a tough road to get to the World Series,” he said. “I am the second umpire from our county to ever be selected, and little league has been going on for the past 79 years.”

As a young child, Gill played in the Lake Wales Little League program. He has always loved the game and has continually been involved as a coach, volunteer and for the last 20 years as an umpire.

As a little league player, he played many positions but mainly catcher and third base. While not one single moment stands out to him, he fondly remembers playing the big games with the city and league championships on the line.

Currently, when not serving as a licensed funeral director and co-owner at Marion Nelson Funeral Home and Johnson-Nelson-Gill Funeral Home in Lake Wales, he’s been volunteering for the local little league for the past 30 years. Gill started umpiring 21 years ago when his oldest son was 7 and the league asked for volunteers to call the pitching machine games. “They wanted parents to help umpire games, and that is what got me started,” he said.

Going from a local umpire to someone umpiring at the Little League World Series is quite a tough road to travel, which requires several recommendations and evaluations on all levels and divisions.

However, for someone to rise in the ranks and be selected for such a major task, especially as the second person to do so in the 64 years Little League has been in Polk County, is quite the proud accomplishment.

“I am completely humbled and honored to have been selected, and I am hoping to represent LW little league and our county well,” he said. “It is an unbelievable feeling to know that I have been selected after all these years.”

Overall, the greatest reward for him will be the sheer serendipity that he has received being able to play and volunteer for little league baseball for most of his life.

“I loved the camaraderie and the simplicity and the game itself,” he said. “I just thoroughly love the game of baseball, so being a part of it and still being involved in it brings me a lot of joy.”

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Lake Wales Little League is proud & honored to announce that Danny Gill has been selected as one of 16 umpires for the 2018 Little League World Series in Williamsport Pennsylvania.  Way to represent Danny, as a lot of work and volunteer hours went into this honor.  We are proud of you.

Get Healthy At The Central Florida Health Expo Friday Feburary 9th

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Get Healthy At The Central Florida Health Expo Friday Feburary 9th

Get Healthy At The Central Florida Health Expo

by James Coulter

Whether you’re young or old, it’s never too early or too late to start thinking about your health.

Anyone seeking information on achieving a healthier lifestyle is welcome to find it at the upcoming Central Florida Health Expo at International Market World Flea and Farmers Market in Auburndale on Feb. 9.

As “the area’s premier event for health-conscious adults”, this free public event will showcase vendors from within the local healthcare industry to help provide information on healthy living.

Guests can receive free health screenings, demonstrations, health insurance information and enrollment, as well as win door prize drawings or donate blood.

This year’s event will showcase up to 20 to 30 different vendors from the healthcare industry, including BayCare Medical Center, to help educate and enlighten guests through actual members within the medical services industry.

“It offers a chance to chat with someone in the healthcare industry…[and] opportunities to talk with healthcare professionals,” explained David Kiessling, Advertising Account Executive for Central Florida Media Group.

When not learning about healthy living, guests can put their new healthy lifestyle to the test by walking around the market and perusing the area’s largest selection of farm fresh produce, as well as enjoying the shopping and entertainment that the market has to offer.

“Everything begins with healthy eating,” Kiessling said. “So people will come into the area, they buy their fresh produce on Fridays, and then they wander over to our health fair area and talk with the vendors there.”

This year’s event will be the fifth health expo event hosted by the Central Florida Media Group, with two similar events hosted last year.

Each event has drawn in large turnouts, mostly thanks to the market’s venue, with an overall 1,200 visitors to the marketplace, and about 300 to 400 making their way over to these events, Kiessling said.

Many of these guests come from local senior living facilities, with many of these guests seeking better medical advice for healthier living within their advance age, he said.

“We do see a lot of home healthcare workers that bring out their patients for the day to just get out of the house and it is an inexpensive opportunity to get away for the day,” he said. “We always have a lot of interest from the vendors and a nice turnout from the residents in the area.”

Aside from expecting a larger turnout at this event, mostly due to their advertising through their publications and sponsors, the Central Florida Media Group plans on expanding their outreach with a new event in Lake Wales.

The Central Florida Health Expo will be hosted within International Market World Flea and Farmers Market at 1052 US 92 W. in Auburndale, within the “Big Yellow Building” of Bldg. K.

The event will be hosted all day on Fri., Feb. 9, 2018, from the time that the market opens until its closing, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, visit the Central Florida Media Group website at: https://centralfloridamediagroup.com/

PCSO Detectives Arrest Elite World Gymnastics Coach for Possession of Child Pornography

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PCSO Detectives Arrest Elite World Gymnastics Coach for Possession of Child Pornography

PCSO Detectives Arrest Elite World Gymnastics Coach for Possession of Child Pornography

PCSO Press Release:

On Tuesday, January 30, 2018, Polk County Sheriff’s Office computer crimes detectives arrested 21-year-old Alexander M. Katchalov of Lakeland after receiving a tip that he was uploading images and videos of child pornography online. He was arrested and charged with 22 counts of possession of child pornography (F-2).

A search warrant was executed on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, at the Elite World Gymnastics training complex located at 5350-5390 State Road 33 North in Lakeland. Alexander’s parents, Mikhail and Irina Katchalov own the complex – they all coach adults and kids in some capacity with the youngest being 3-years-old. Detectives seized electronic devices used by Alexander, and located 21 videos and 1 image depicting boys and girls between the ages of 3-12 being sexually battered or displayed in a lewd manner.

“Make no mistake, those who view, possess, buy, and trade child pornography are complicit in the crime against the child depicted in the images. Our primary concern in this investigation is to find out if there are any local victims. Our forensic experts will be searching the devices we have seized today to determine the scope of illegal material that he possesses or has transmitted. It makes all of us angry that someone who has regular access to graphic child pornography also has regular access to children. We encourage anyone who has reason to believe that there has been any inappropriate contact between Alexander Katchalov and a child to contact us.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

The investigation is on-going and additional charges are pending. Katchalov was arrested, charged, and booked into the Polk County Jail on the above charges.

Katchalov is scheduled for first appearance hearing today around 1:00 p.m

“We are committed to protecting our children from those who possess and distribute child pornography. These men are a part of a worldwide underground child pornography distribution system – the demand for this vile material harms children, and ruins lives.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

Para and Teacher Arrested At Bartow Special Needs School After Reports of Child Abuse

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Para and Teacher Arrested At Bartow Special Needs School After Reports of Child Abuse

Bartow Police Press Release:

On January 29, 2018, Bartow Police Detectives were informed of a possible Child Abuse that occurred at the Jean O’Dell Learning Center.  At that time, Detectives immediately responded to the school to investigate.

During the investigation, it was revealed that a para educator employed by the Polk County School Board used abusive physical contact on three separate students during class sessions.  These actions were observed in part by a school nurse and a classroom teacher.  The school nurse ultimately reported these actions which led to the law enforcement response.  The teacher did not report the actions as required by law and was subsequently arrested for failure to report child abuse (FSS 39.205).

Synopsis of the incident is as follows:  The para educator, identified as Shelby Faulk BF 3/6/86 from Winter Haven, FL, is employed by the Polk County School Board and has worked at the Jean O’Dell Learning center for approximately 4 years.  The Jean O’Dell Learning Center is a school for special needs children.  All of the victims involved are students at the Learning Center.  During the month of December 2017, Faulk was working as a para educator and tasked with the care of juvenile students.  One of the juvenile students wears a special jacket with D rings in order to secure him to a seat on the school bus for health reasons.  Out of frustration in the classroom, Faulk used the student’s medical use jacket and pinned the student to the ground by placing a chair leg through the D rings and then sitting on the chair.  Although this did not injure the juvenile student, it rendered him unable to move.  She held this student down for an extended period of time.   During the same month, Faulk repeatedly pinched and pushed another juvenile student as a discipline measure because the student was “acting out”.  In January of this year, Faulk repeatedly pushed another juvenile student multiple times with both of her hands.  This caused the student to fall to the floor.  No injuries were reported on any of the students.  It should be noted that none of the actions taken by Faulk were approved by school administration.  There are protocols in place if the need arises to restrain students.  These were not them.  Faulk was arrested on 1/30/18 for the following offenses:  Negligent Child Abuse without bodily harm and False Imprisonment of a child, both of which are felonies.

The teacher assigned to the classroom, Julio Torres H/M 7/20/63 from Lakeland, FL, was present in the classroom while all of the aforementioned actions occurred.  He failed to report any of the actions by the para educator.   He was arrested on 1/30/18 for failure to report child abuse.

Bartow Police Detectives are working closely with Polk County School Board Staff to determine if there are any other incidents involving the two Defendants.  At this time, there are no indications that any other abuse has occurred.  The parents of the involved children are being notified by school administration.

Booking Photos are not available at this time.

Cooking on the Ridge: Game Day Deviled Eggs

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Cooking on the Ridge: Game Day Deviled Eggs

Cooking On The Ridge: Game Day Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

Directions

  • Prep 15 m

  • Cook 15 m

  • Ready In 2 h 10 m

  1. Bring water to a boil over high heat and stir in the vinegar. Carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water.
  2. Return eggs to a boil over medium heat and boil for 15 minutes.
  3. Transfer the eggs to a colander set in the sink, and run cold water over the eggs for about 5 minutes to chill.
  4. Peel the eggs under a light stream of cold water and set aside in cold water to finish chilling, about 10 minutes.
  5. Slice the eggs lengthwise; scoop the egg yolks into a bowl.
  6. Mash the egg yolks with a fork, then stir in the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth; stir in the Dijon mustard.
  7. Mix in sweet pickle relish, onion powder, and bacon bits; stir with the fork until the yolk mixture is thoroughly combined.
  8. Fill each egg white half with the yolk mixture using a spoon.
  9. Dust the deviled eggs with paprika and transfer to a platter.
  10. Cover the platter with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and the flavors have blended, at least 1 hour.

In-Gauge of Polk County Conducting a FREE Ladies Only Personal Protection – Self-defense Class

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In-Gauge of Polk County Conducting a FREE Ladies Only Personal Protection – Self-defense Class

In-Gauge of Polk County Conducting a

FREE Ladies Only

Personal Protection – Self-defense Class

In-Gauge of Polk County will be conducting a free, ladies only, Personal Protection – Self-defense Class Saturday, February 3rd.

As a community service In-Gauge of Polk County, a private, non-profit, NRA affiliated organization, will be conducting a free, ladies only, Personal Protection – Self-defense Class Saturday, February 3rd.

As part of our personal protection training program, In-Gauge of Polk County will be conducting a FREE ladies only Personal Protection – Self-defense class (classroom training only / no firearms involved).

Date: Saturday, February 3rd

Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Location: Winter Haven, near the Southeast Plaza Publix.

Location address provided at time of registration.

Seating is limited. Pre-registration is required. Admission is free. No walk-ins permitted.

Official NRA books and printed material available for purchase.

Class is for women only.

For information or to register for the class call: 206-1996 or send an email to: [email protected]

Public Notice

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Public Notice

 

Public Notice

Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Good Company Realty DBA Sanda Andrews and intends to register the said name with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, Tallahassee, FL and /or Clerk of the Circuit Court of Polk County, FL

Good Company Realty, dba

Sanda Andrews, Realtor-Broker Associate

373 Melbourn Dr., Haines City, FL 33844

 

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