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Tenoroc High School Student Arrested for Bringing Loaded Gun to School

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Tenoroc High School Student Arrested for Bringing Loaded Gun to School
Tenoroc High School Student Arrested for Bringing Loaded Gun to School

On Wednesday, January 24, 2018, PCSO School Resource deputies arrested 16-year-old Terrika Nichole Whitfield (DOB 1/5/02), a freshman at Tenoroc High School in unincorporated Lakeland, and charged her with:

  • possession of a firearm by a juvenile delinquent (F-2)
  • possession of a weapon on school grounds (F-2)
  • possession of a concealed firearm (F-3)
  • possession of a firearm with an altered/removed serial number (M-1)
  • disruption of a school function (M-2)
  • resisting arrest (M-1)
  • VOP (M-2)

According to the affidavit, Whitfield was seen by students with a gun tucked into her waistband. Some students reported it to school administration staff, who immediately reported it to the School Resource Deputy. The deputy responded to Whitfield’s classroom and searched her – the gun was not on her at that time. When asked, Whitfield told the deputy she did not have a backpack. The teacher then pointed out Whitfield’s backpack to the deputy. A 9 mm handgun was found within the backpack, with one round in the magazine, and one round in the chamber. The serial number was scratched off of the gun.

At the time the gun was found, Whitfield became aggressive, cursing and yelling at everyone. She was taken into custody and transported to the JAC.

She’s currently on probation for battery on a LEO and assault.

Whitfield’s criminal history includes prior arrests for: battery, battery on LEO, battery on education employee, petit theft, possession of marijuana & paraphernalia, VOP.

“The school staff and our school resource deputy did an outstanding job quickly locating and confiscating the weapon. Given the seriousness of this student’s criminal history and current charges, we are going to do everything we can to make sure the criminal justice system holds her accountable.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

The following statement was issued by the Polk County School Superintendent:

“We thank Tenoroc High’s students, staff and school resource deputy for acting quickly when reports surfaced of a weapon on campus. Through their efforts, the firearm was recovered before anyone could be threatened or injured. We will continue to cooperate with our partners in law enforcement to ensure our schools are safe places for learning.” – Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd

 

More Than 200 Quilts To Be Displayed At Lakeland Quilt Show

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More Than 200 Quilts To Be Displayed At Lakeland Quilt Show

More Than 200 Quilts To Be Displayed At Lakeland Quilt Show

by James Coulter

When people think of quilting, they imagine little old ladies sitting in a circle by a fireplace in wooden cabins more than 100 years ago.

However, not only is the art of quilting still alive, but it is a hobby that is done by people both young and old, as any member of the Lakeland Ladies of the Lake quilting guild can attest.

More than 200 quilts of various colors and styles will be displayed at the annual Quilts by the Lake show on Friday and Saturday in Lakeland.

The show will be hosted at First Presbyterian Church in Lakeland, and will allow quilters and non-quilters alike the opportunity to see and even buy quilts, quilting material, and other merchandise including jewelry.

All proceeds will go to support local charities including the Tampa Veteran Hospital. Lunch will be provided by the local Boy Scouts, with volunteers provided by the local ROTC.

This will be the fifth annual show hosted by the Ladies of the Lake quilting guild, which originally started displaying their quilts at the Living Art Festival in Bartow before starting their own separate show, explained founding member Jacki Anderson.

“As it grew, so did we…so we started to do our own quilt show,” she explained.

Started in 1995, Ladies of the Lakes is a non-profit organization started by quilters within the Lakeland area to provide them a place, according to their website, “where they could come to be with friends and to have a great time while doing something they loved.”

To help their members improve in their hobby, the guild invites speakers and historians from to come and share their knowledge and expertise through the guild’s education program.

The guild also provides them the opportunity to give back to their community by creating quilt pieces for local hospitals, nursing homes, and other non-profit organizations such as the Florida Baptist Children’s’ Home and the Quilts for Project Linus.

Since its inception, the guild has not only continued to grow in size with new members, but also in scope with members ranging in age and expertise, from the youngest members being in their teens to the oldest being in their late 80s.

Jacki Anderson, one of the guild’s founding members, became involved with the group because she wanted to meet with fellow quilters to share and grow in her own craft.

She especially appreciates how their education programs brings in speakers and other quilt experts from across the country to their town to help share their knowledge with others and thus further their own education.

She would often visit a local fabric store where she would make some of her best quilts, and she has been quilting with the friends she has made there ever since.

“I love the camaraderie,” she said. “Even though we all have different ideas for what a quilt should be, we have a great time when we get together and share our knowledge.”

Aside from allowing fellow quilters a place to share their love of quilting, Anderson encourages other people to check out their own guild to expose themselves to different quilting techniques as to “move outside their boxes and try new things.”

The Quilts by the Lake show will be hosted on Fri., Jan. 26 and Sat., Jan. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, located at 175 Lake Hollingsworth Dr. in Lakeland.

The guild itself host their meetings on the third Thursday at the church from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information, visit their website at http://www.ladiesofthelakes.org/

Cooking On The Ridge: Bacon Jalapeno Popper Puffs

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Cooking On The Ridge: Bacon Jalapeno Popper Puffs

Cooking On The Ridge: Bacon Jalapeno Popper Puffs

Ingredients

Directions

  • Prep 15 m

  • Cook 30 m

  • Ready In 1 h 15 m

  1. Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels. Crumble or finely chop. Drain fat from skillet, reserving 1 tablespoon.
  2. Mix cream cheese, creme fraiche, green onions, and lime juice together in a bowl. If mixture seems too thick, add enough water to thin it to your preferred consistency.
  3. Place skillet over medium-high heat. Add cold water, butter, reserved bacon fat, and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer; reduce heat to medium. Pour in flour all at once. Stir to mix and mash with a wooden spoon until dough starts to pull together, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat; transfer dough to a mixing bowl and let cool for about 5 minutes.
  4. When dough is cool, whisk in 1 egg. Mixture will separate slightly. Continue whisking in first egg until mixture pulls back together. Repeat with the second egg. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add diced jalapeno, bacon pieces, shredded cheese, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly with a spatula. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  5. Heat oil in deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
  6. Using a small scoop, scoop out rounds of dough. Drop rounds of dough into hot oil and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Work in batches if necessary. Transfer to a cooling rack.
  7. serve with dipping sauce garnished with a few green onion slices.

Students Flock to Aerospace Center for Excellence in Lakeland to Receive a Hands-On Learning Experience

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Students Flock to Aerospace Center for Excellence in Lakeland to Receive a Hands-On Learning Experience

Students Flock to Aerospace Center for Excellence in Lakeland to Receive a Hands-On Learning Experience

By Allison Williams

Sitting on the South side of Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, the Aerospace Center for Excellence offers a variety of educational programs for students including those who love aviation, or anyone pursuing an aerospace career. Officially formed in 2013, the non-profit organization has dedicated twelve buildings on property to education.

Richele Floyd, Education Director at Aerospace Center for Excellence, otherwise known as ACE, grew up with an interest in aviation and loves being able to share her passion with others.

“I love educating the youth on the different opportunities in aviation,” Floyd said. “ACE is home to year round aerospace educational programs including student tours, summer camps, workshops, programs for teachers, and even school outreach.”

Since its formation, the Aerospace Center for Excellence has become the world leader in producing teenage private pilots touting a total of 63 to date. Approximately $2 million is contributed toward education annually, including $432,000 in scholarships.

Also sitting on the Aerospace Center for Excellence campus is Aerospace Discovery, Florida Air Museum, and the Lakeland Aero Club which is the world’s largest high school aviation club. Many know of the SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-in and Expo which is the largest convention in the State of Florida and the second largest Fly-In in the United States.


Donovan Richards is the Vice President of the Lakeland Aero Club. This program is a non-profit club. Richards believes having this program is a great opportunity for high school-aged kids.

“It’s just a really awesome opportunity that club members can grow up with,” Richards said. “There are at least 30-40 kids here every day after school. We’ve got five different restoration rebuild projects that we are working on and we have students who are learning how to fly here. It’s definitely an awesome program and partnership with ACE.”

This year, the campus will host the 44th Annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In and Expo. “A fly-in is where aviation enthusiasts from all over the world come to meet and network, but it is the highly anticipated airshow that brings in the general population.” Floyd said. People usually either fly in or drive and many even camp on-site for this six-day event. This year’s Fly-In and Expo will be April 10-15, 2018 with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds on the airshow schedule.

Many of ACE’s programs offer kids’ first flights. This is offered to children who are interested in aviation but maybe have not yet had the opportunity to fly. They are often flown in private planes piloted by volunteers to get the experience.

The Aerospace Center for Excellence is a not for profit organization. A team of volunteers play an essential role throughout the campus. The Buehler Aerospace Skills Center is utilized by individuals who build exhibits for the museum. Any time aircraft maintenance is needed on property, the aircrafts are sent to this building to be worked on as well.

Also on property is a Boeing 727 aircraft. One half of the plane is a classroom and the other half is a conference room. A program that the Aerospace Center for Excellence takes pride in is Transition to the Sky. People with exceptionalities are given the chance to experience a life-like flight situation. They are taken to the airport and go through the steps to board a plane, like ticketing and gate assignment. They are then taken to the Boeing 727 aircraft on property to board. The plane is a live aircraft so this gives the children a real-life experience. They can hear the aircraft’s engines roar.

Floyd said new programs are always being added. “We recently received a grant from the George W. Jenkins Fund within the GiveWell Community Foundation and now have a portable planetarium that we can offer,” Floyd said. The planetarium is an inflatable dome with a projector inside. The planetarium is an educational tool and is able to portray things like constellations, the solar system, and ocean currents.

The more opportunities the Aerospace Center for Excellence offer, the more students and the community will be able to learn about the world of aviation.

The Aerospace Center for Excellence is located at 4175 Medulla Road, Lakeland, Florida.

Phone number: 863-644-2431

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, medication reviews by pharmacists, 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 for the whole family. The health fair will be held in the Hunt Building at Lake Wales Medical Center, 410 S. 11th Street. Pre-registration is not required. Doors will open at 9 a.m.

HOSPITAL ADJUSTS VISITATION RULES DURING FLU SEASON

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HOSPITAL ADJUSTS VISITATION RULES DURING FLU SEASON

HOSPITAL ADJUSTS VISITATION RULES DURING FLU SEASON

 

Lake Wales, FL – In an effort to protect patients and the community from the flu virus, Lake Wales Medical Center announced today it is changing its visitation policy for the remainder of flu season.

Effective immediately, no one under the age of 14 will be allowed to visit patients at the hospital. Additionally, no one with cold- or flu-like symptoms can visit. This includes those with fever, sore throat, cough, or shortness of breath, as well as a rash or diarrhea.

“Our focus is on protecting our patients and our visitors,” said hospital spokesperson Maryemma Bachelder. “We’ve seen an increase in flu cases, similar to much of the rest of the country, and we are taking these steps to help prevent it from spreading further. Anyone who is immunosuppressed or otherwise at increased risk should refrain from visiting people in the hospital during flu season. Children and the elderly are particularly susceptible.”

The hospital’s visitation policy limits the number of visitors per patient to two at a time.

The hospital encourages community members to wash their hands frequently, especially throughout cold and flu season, and to use hand sanitizer when hand washing isn’t available.

Brittney Fields Named Employee of The Month for Lake Wales Medical Center

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Brittney Fields Named Employee of The Month for Lake Wales Medical Center

 

Brittney Fields Named Employee of The Month for Lake Wales Medical Center

 

Lake Wales, FL – Brittney Fields, from Information Systems, was named employee of the month for December at Lake Wales Medical Center. Brittney, who has worked for the hospital since 2014, was honored for consistently going above and beyond to help ensure the hospital’s computers and associated systems are running correctly. Her efforts are often lauded during the hospital’s daily safety huddles, and she’s mentioned frequently as a person who is hardworking, honest, caring and thoughtful. “Whenever we have a problem in our department, she is on it,” one coworker said.

Bok Tower Goes To The Dogs During Dog Days Of Winter

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Bok Tower Goes To The Dogs During Dog Days Of Winter

Bok Tower Goes To The Dogs During Dog Days Of Winter

by James Coulter

Bok Tower Gardens is a scenic place for guests with two legs to take a stroll, and last Sunday provided the same opportunity for guests with four legs.

Dog owners and their furry four-footed friends were permitted on Sunday at Bok Tower Gardens for its annual Dog Days of Winter event.

Bok Tower hosts two events every year, once in the winter, and once in the summer, allowing guests to bring their dogs and walk with them through the scenic landscape.

For many guests, this was one of many visits that they previously enjoyed at the gardens with their furry companions.

Allison Post has been participating for the past three years with her own two dogs, her Chihuahua, Zelda, and her Terrier-Pomeranian, Leia, both named after the fictional princesses from the Legend of Zelda and Star Wars respectively.

This year she brought along her friend, Cat Edbauer, and her golden retriever, Precious Pheobe, to enjoy the scenic view on the plateau looking over the landscape of surrounding Lake Wales.

Post loves being able to enjoy the lush landscaping with her pets, as well as the opportunity to meet fellow pet owners.

“I love the conservation and dedication to keeping the grounds pristine but also taking into account the local flora and fauna,” she said. “[And] getting to meet other people who love their dogs as much as they love mine.”

For other pet owners, this was their very first time visiting the gardens with their canine companions.

Martha Lee, who volunteers for Canine Companions, a non-profit organization that helps trains service dogs, decided to visit the gardens this year as a way to treat the dog she’s currently training, Yuri, a 11-month-old yellow Labrador retriever.

While she has been to Bok Tower for many years on her own, this was her first year attending a dog day event, which more than met her expectations and inspired her to visit again another time.

“We wanted to bring them out to have an experience while they are training,” she said. “We want to take them out to as many places as possible and to meet other dogs on a beautiful day.”

For guests who have visited the gardens before, the event allowed them the opportunity to enjoy the native scenery with the pets they love and care for.

Linda Kratovil, a member of Bok Tower Gardens, has been attending every year for the past four years, this year bringing along her two dogs, Caine and Ricky, both mixed breeds.

She loves visiting the gardens and the tower, especially during the outdoor concerts, but she also loves being able to do so with her dogs during events such as this.

“We love bringing the dogs out and they enjoy coming out and walking along the different paths,” she said. “They can interact with other dogs, we can interact with other people and their dogs, and enjoy a nice day.”

This year provided guests and their dogs an opportunity to have their photographs taken in front of the iconic Bok Tower by a professional photographer and download the photos on-line for free.

Guests could also have their pets blessed by Deacon Sam Knight from Sprit Catholic Church during a special blessing of the pets on the oval lawn that afternoon.

 

At the visitor’s center were about were half a dozen vendors selling merchandise and advertising services, from dog treats to animal sitting services.

One such vendor was Robyn Fredericks of Nice 2 Be Natural, which sells homemade dog treats made from all-natural ingredients such as meat, fruits, and vegetables without any artificial preservatives.

As someone who has attended several pet events throughout the city and county, she loves Bok Tower for its lush landscape that is most ideal for walking pets during a nice day.

“It is a lovely event with a lot of dogs who enjoy treats,” she said. “It is a time for pet owners to come together and mingle and have fun, and dogs can come out here when they usually can’t come any other time.”

This year’s event managed to draw in a record number of dogs and guests compared to the event last year, and hopefully future events will bring in even more, said Melissa Roth-Giffen, Director of Visitor Services.

“It is a different day for people to experience the gardens, and it is a way to bring their furry friends…and allow them time to spend time together,” she said.

Another dog day event is planned for this summer. For more information, visit their website at: https://boktowergardens.org/

PCSO Arrests Courier For Leaving The Scene Of a Crash 

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PCSO Arrests Courier For Leaving The Scene Of a Crash 

PCSO Arrests Courier For Leaving The Scene Of a Crash

On Wednesday, January 17, 2018, Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested 20-year-old Jaquarius Collins for leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage (M2) and leaving the scene of a crash with unattended property (M2).

Collins was employed as a PCSO civilian member during the time of the crash. Collins was driving an agency van, a 2002 Ford F150 Econoline van, in the parking lot of the Central County Jail when he struck another agency car, a parked 2012 Chevrolet Impala, and left the scene.

According to the affidavit, witnesses told deputies that they saw a Sheriff’s Office van pull into a parking space at the Central County Jail located at 2390 Bob Phillips Road in Bartow, and hit the Impala. Witnesses saw Collins walk around his van and the car to check for damage. Shortly after Collins went inside to deliver mail, he went back into his vehicle and left.

Collins admitted to deputies that he did hit the car while he was trying to park the van and that he decided not to report it. He told deputies that he was involved in a vehicle crash approximately two weeks prior driving an agency van and was afraid he would be disciplined for this crash.

“We hold our employees accountable for their actions. If Collins would have been honest and reported the incident instead of leaving the scene without notifying his supervisors, he wouldn’t have been charged.” Grady Judd, Sheriff

Collins resigned from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on January 17, 2018.

 

Collins was booked into the Polk County Jail on the above charges.

Haines City Attempting to Located Suspect Who Left Denny’s Without Paying

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Haines City Attempting to Located Suspect Who Left Denny’s Without Paying

FROM Haines City Police Department

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again… it doesn’t matter how old you are, or how much it cost… stealing is stealing! We are attempting to identify this man, who not only stole a $5 tip left on the table next to him, but then got up and left Denny’s without paying. If anyone knows who he is, please contact Haines City Police Department.

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