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Fred Vegas Smokers Win Grand Champ at Smoke on the Water

by James Coulter

Chris Salsberry and his team traveled from South Carolina to Winter Haven to escape the cold and enjoy the Florida weather.

They also arrived to compete among the best of the best barbecue teams at the annual Smoke on the Water. They managed to prove themselves as the best by winning first place as overall grand champions.

“We came down to Florida and had a great time,” he said. “It was a great competition and a great state. We wanted to come down from South Carolina and be with some of the best of the best.”

Chris owes the success of his team, the Fred Vegas Smokers, to their consistency and love of the craft. This was their first-time attending Smoke on the Water, and their first visit did not disappoint.

“It is fantastic,” he said. “It was a great contest with a great reputation.”

Brant Williams and his team, Piggin Whiskey, won second place as reserve champions. As with the first-place-winning team, they arrived in Florida on account of the colder weather up North and due to Smoke on the Water’s overall great reputation as a barbecue competition.

Williams claims owing his success to the “love” he puts into the barbecue is cliche. Rather, he owes his victory to “teamwork, consistency, and the ability to find that perfect balance of flavors that makes great BBQ.”

They traveled from Arkansas to compete in Smoke on the Water. The competition’s reputation preceded it, and it more than met their expectation, Williams said.

“We came to Florida to compete because these are some of the first contests to kick off the 2023 season. And being that it was cold back in our home state of Arkansas we saw it as an opportunity to enjoy some Florida sun,” he said. “We had a blast! Already looking forward to coming back next year!”

Smoke on the Water is the annual fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of Polk County, with proceeds going towards the Citrus Center in Winter Haven.

“Children need to have a place where they are physically and emotionally safe,” their website states. “In addition to providing a caring environment, we offer daily access to a broad range of programs that promote the education, health, social character, service, and leadership of the youth we serve.”

Smoke on the Water is hosted at the Cirtus Center alongside Havendale Boulevard and near Lake Cannon in Winter Haven. The annual event, hosted last Friday and Saturday, included vendors, live musical performances, and even a ski show performed by the Cypress Gardens Ski Team.

The main event is the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS)-sanctioned competition with categories including brisket, chicken, pork, ribs, and overall. More than 80 teams nationwide attended this year’s festivities.

Haven Local Shop Celebrates Grand Opening

by James Coulter

Tea towels with logos of iconic Winter Haven businesses and eateries. Some with the exact longitude and latitude of the town.Orange-shaped and colored key chains. Wooden plaques in the shape of the state of Florida. Citrus-scented hand and body lotions.

All of these items and more can be found at the Haven Local Shop, Winter Haven’s newest hometown store with a hometown flare. Not only will you be able to find Winter Haven and Florida-themed merchandise at the boutique, but also other products and items created by Winter Haven locals.

Whether you’re looking for a bag of locally-roasted coffeeprovided by Haven Roasters, or you’re interested in buying some jewelry, lotions, clothing, and other products made for Winter Haven locals by Winter Haven locals, the Haven local shop has a menagerie of merchandise to make any resident of the Chain of Lakes proud.

“We want to keep alive the history and culture of Winter Haven,” said store owner Lynsey Lane. “I think the local part is what makes us stand out. Local is in our name. Most everything we carry in our shop will relate in some way to our community…just keeping it all right here and keeping with the same feel that we have for our roaster. Whatever we do, we want to bring love and light to our community and to people who come into the doors, so that is our heart in it.”

Lynsey Lane and her husband own Haven Roasters. They started the roaster and coffee shop two years ago. Originally, they had planned on opening a second location. However, when the original owner of the Haven Shop decided to sell the store, Lane and her husband jumped at the opportunity to expand their brand through a new venue.

“This opportunity opened for the shop,” she said. “We were asked if we were interested in taking over…We thought it would grow our brand and sell cool gifts to our community, and also [bring together] a bunch of local vendors and makers.”

The Haven Local Shop celebrated its grand opening on Saturday. From the moment you walk up to the door and see the Haven Local Shop name and orange logo, you will know this store caters to customers who love their hometown, and that fact will be made even plainer when you see all of the merchandise themed to citrus, water skiing, and Cypress Gardens.

“So we have a lot of really fun ideas…to integrate a lot of products that people can purchase that will allow them to throw back to fun memories of Cypress Gardens and the water skiing and the orange industry built our town and help keep that history alive,” she explained.

The Haven Local Shop is located at 329 W. Central Ave., Winter Haven, FL, United States, 33880. For more information, call 863-297-8027, or visit their Facebook at: https://m.facebook.com/HavenLocalShop/

Greater Winter Haven Chamber Of Commerce- Join us in Downtown Winter Haven on March 4th for a day full of FREE family fun. Guests can look forward to games, entertainment, character meet & greets, activities and so much more.

Location: Central Park Downtown Winter Haven

Start time: 11:00 am

Speed is believed to be a factor in a fatal motorcycle crash that occurred early Saturday morning, January 28, 2023 in Winter Haven.

Traffic Homicide detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash which occurred at about 1:51 am on Cypress Gardens Boulevard near Cypress Gardens Road.

26-year old Freddie Wardlaw, III of Winter Haven, was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was the driver of a blue 2004 Suzuki Sport motorcycle.

According to detectives, evidence and witness statements revealed that Mr. Wardlaw was traveling west on Cypress Gardens Boulevard at a high rate of speed and struck a curb while entering a slight curve in the roadway, and struck the Mid Florida Credit Union sign.

Mr. Wardlaw was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, but suffered blunt force trauma injuries.

The westbound lanes of the boulevard were closed for approximately three hours.

A crash involving two vehicles on Thornhill Road in Winter Haven early Sunday morning, January 22, 2023 resulted in the death a Bartow man.

Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, along with Polk County Fire Rescue, were dispatched at 5:15 a.m., to the crash scene near the intersection of Thornhill Road and Sugar Creek Road.

Upon arrival of first responders, a 63-year-old Bartow man was found deceased. He was the driver of a blue 1999 Mercury Grand Marquise.

The second driver, 37-year-old Keith Lawson of Bartow, was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. He was driving a red 2002 Ford Explorer.

Based on evidence and interviews at the scene, Traffic Homicide investigators determined that the 63-year-old man was traveling north on Thornhill Road, while Mr. Lawson was traveling south. Mr. Lawson swerved across the center, double-yellow line of Thornhill Road and crashed into the front driver’s side of the Grand Marquise.

Detectives are investigating if excessive speed, impairment, and/or distracted driving are factors in the crash; this investigation is on-going. A small portion of Thornhill Road was closed in the area of the crash for approximately three hours.

Winter Haven Police are on the scene of an officer-involved shooting that occurred earlier today. No officers are injured and the suspect has non-life-threatening injuries and has been taken to the hospital for treatment.

The incident location is 2316 Isle Royal Court SE in Winter Haven. Near Holiday Inn and Boston Market.

The events unfolded during a domestic disturbance call at the residence. Officers responded to the resident after a witness called stating 35 year-old Nathan Armstrong (DOB 3-15-87) was stabbing a female in the residence.

When officers arrived, they immediately entered the residence finding Armstrong in the residence continuing to stab the victim. The officer commanded Armstrong to drop the knife, however he continued to stab the victim. In order to stop Armstrong, the officer fired his service weapon striking Armstrong in the leg. Once Armstrong was secured, officers immediately started rendering aid to Armstrong and the victim.
Both were taken to the hospital where they remain with non-life-threatening injuries.

“Our officer saved this victim’s life,” said Winter Haven Police Chief David Brannan. “Had our officer not taken the immediate action to stop Armstrong, the outcome for the victim could have been much worse.”

This is very early in the investigation with limited information available.
The Tenth Judicial Circuit Task Force, overseen by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, is handling the investigation.

In about a span of one week, detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested five local men and a 16-year old male juvenile for possession of child pornography.

Investigations of the suspects began after detectives received tips from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the passing of child pornography on the internet.

“The images and videos located during this investigation are horrific. We are committed to protecting our children from those who possess, trade, and distribute child pornography. These men are a part of a worldwide underground child pornography distribution market – the demand for this vile material harms children and ruins lives. I appreciate the hard work our detectives did that was necessary to file these charges. Working to keep our children safe is the most important thing we do.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

The following are the six most recent arrests for possession of child pornography, which is a Felony of the Third Degree. However, the charges are enhanced to a Felony of the Second Degree if the suspect possesses 10 or more images of child pornography and at least one image contains any of the following criteria: image depicting a child younger than the age of 5, image depicts sadomasochistic abuse of a child, image depicts sexual battery of a child, image depicts sexual bestiality involving a child, or there is a video involving the sexual exploitation of a child.

Alejandro Manuel Resto Rodriguez, 20, from Winter Haven.

A NCMEC tip was sent to the PCSO in regards to child pornography being transferred via the Discord instant messaging platform. On December 5, 2022, PCSO detectives determined that Rodriguez had downloaded and viewed child pornography on his cell phone. An initial search of that device revealed 94 files of children between a few months old to eight years of age engaging in lewd acts. 

Rodriguez was charged with 94 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography.

Jonathan Omar Baez Rivera, 18, from Haines City.

A NCMEC tip was sent to the PCSO in regards to child pornography was transferred via the Instagram platform. On December 6, 2022, detectives met with Rivera and it was learned that he had also used the Snapchat platform to view child pornography. During an initial search of Rivera’s cell phone, 17 files were found which showed children between one and nine years of age engaged in sexually explicit lewd acts. 

Rivera was charged with 17 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography.

Ian James Vache, 47, from Lakeland.

A NCMEC tip was provided to the PCSO regarding child pornography uploaded via a Google email account. On December 7, 2022, detectives met with Vache and he admitted to seeing child pornography online, but denied downloading it. However, and initial search of Vache’s cell phone revealed 160 files that showed children, some younger than six months of age, engaged in lewd acts. 

While on scene, detectives also found a glass pipe containing methamphetamine. 

Vache was charged with enhanced possession of child pornography (160 counts), possession of methamphetamine (F3) and possession of drug paraphernalia (M1). 

Vache’s prior criminal history includes Battery, Narcotics, Trespassing, DUI, and Driving While License Suspended/Revoked. 

Marco Cepeda, Jr., 24, from Lakeland

PCSO detectives received a NECMEC tip about child pornography having been uploaded on a Dropbox account. On December 7, 2022, detectives met with Cepeda at his residence and located a digital storage device in which seven child pornography images were found during an initial search. 

Cepeda was charged with seven counts of possession of child pornography.

Cepeda has a prior criminal history which includes battery on a law enforcement officer and battery on Fire/EMS.

Emanuel Paulino-Correa, 18, from Poinciana.

A NCMEC tip regarding the uploading and sharing of child pornography via the Kik instant messaging app was provided to the PCSO. On November 30, 2022, detectives executed a search warrant at a residence in Poinciana and recovered a cell phone in Paulino-Correa’s bedroom. A search of the phone revealed 30 images of children engaged in sexual conduct. 

Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Paulino-Correa, and located him that same day.

Paulino-Correa was charged with 30 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography.

Eric Dickerson, Jr., 16, from Davenport

A NCMEC tip was provided to the PCSO regarding child pornography uploaded via a Google account. Detectives met with Dickerson and a parent at their residence on December 8, 2022. During a search of his desktop computer, 25 files of children engaged in sexual conduct were discovered. 

Dickerson was charged with 25 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography.

During each of these investigations, other electronic devices owned by the suspects are taken, and a forensic search is conducted on them. If any additional child pornography is located during the search, the suspect will be charged accordingly.

Winter Haven, Florida – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Winter Haven Police Department have arrested Polk County Fire Rescue Captain Matthew Aaron D’Alto, 31, of Bartow charging him with 2 counts of Traveling To Meet A Minor and 2 counts of Unlawful Sexual Activity with Certain Minors. The arrests came back on November 9 & November 15, 2022. This past week Polk County Courts combined the two arrests into one case. According to reports the victim is a cadet in training. “ Fire Rescue Cadets is a youth organization sponsored by Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) and chartered under the Florida Fire Chiefs Association (FFCA). PCFR is designated as the chartered organization. Membership is open to all young adults who are 14 years old and have completed the eighth grade or is 15 years of age and not yet 19.”

According to Deputy County Manager Halman, “Aaron D’Alto resigned following his arrest last month. Had D’Alto not resigned, we would have conducted an administrative inquiry; after which, his employment would have been terminated.”

Below is a copy of the affidavit: It should be noted that this is an unedited report of facts by the Winter Haven Police Department. These facts are up for question and everyone is entitled to question the validity of facts by law enforcement in a court of law. The Daily Ridge does not rewrite these facts as some meanings or interpretations could be in error and change context. We hope readers appreciate being able to read the information and come to their own understanding and conclusions:

“On November 8, 2022, I responded to the Winter Haven Police Department in reference to a Sexual Battery on Juvenile call for service. I was advised the sexual battery had occurred at the Lake Maude Nature Park, 1751 7th Street Northeast, Winter Haven, around April of 2022.

I made contact with victim, REDACTED who advised REDACTED advised a requirement for the program was to complete 8 hours a month volunteering at Fire Stations within Polk County. REDACTED advised cadets would need to contact a fire station of their choice and obtain approval from the Captain on shift to complete a ride along.

REDACTED advised in the past she had volunteered at Station 37, located at 1201 Cypress Parkway, Poinciana, where she worked along the side of the Fire Captain (Defendant), Aaron D’Alto. REDACTED stated during her time as a cadet at Station 37, she and D’Alto would communicate through Tik Tok messages about video games. REDACTED stated during their communication, D’Alto asked for her phone number since he was unable to send GIF’s through the Tik Tok messages. REDACTED then provided her phone number to D’Alto, who then texted her back from phone number REDACTED. The victim, REDACTED, advised her and D’Alto initially texted about video games. Around mid-May, ” REDACTED and D’Alto made arrangements to meet at the Lakeland Square Mall, located at 3800 US Highway 98 North, to watch a Doctor Strange movie together. On May 26th, REDACTED and D’Alto drove separately to the Lakeland Square Mall, watched the movie together, ate at Chipotle, and then visited iPanic Escape Room. A photograph of the victim, REDACTED, and D’Alto was taken by the iPanic Escape Room staff and was later posted on their Facebook page, iPanic Florida. REDACTED advised there was no sexual contact during their time together at the Lakeland Square Mall. REDACTED advised after May 26th, the text message conversations began to become more sexual in nature. REDACTED and D’Alto arranged to meet in the late evening hours of May 28th, at the Applebee’s Grill and Bar, located at 201 Cypress Boulevard Southwest. REDACTED had arranged to drive her personal vehicle and park in the Applebee’s parking lot. D’Alto would then pick her up in his red Dodge Ram (REDACTED) and then ride with D’Alto to the Lake Maude Nature Park. REDACTED stated once at the park, D’Alto parked his vehicle in the shaded areas. REDACTED and D’Alto then moved to the back seat with intentions to engage in sexual intercourse. REDACTED advised D’Alto and her began to kiss, where he then began undress.

(Editors note: We are REDACTING the specific details of the alleged sexual encounter between the victim and defendant).

After the sexual intercourse, they placed their clothing back on and began to drive back to Applebee’s. REDACTED advised they did stop at the CVS, located at 400 6th Street Northwest, where D’Alto entered and purchased a Plan B pill for REDACTED. REDACTED advised she took the Plan B pill that night. REDACTED continued to advise of two similar incidents with D’Alto that occurred at a later date in Saddle Creek, Lakeland (Polk County Sheriff’s Office Case 22-47019).

During the above interview, REDACTED provided a total of 166 screenshots of D’Alto’s and hers text message conversations. In the screenshots, D’Alto and REDACTED are seen arranging the trip to Lake Maude Nature Park. In several of the screenshots provided there were photographs of D’Alto sent from his behalf.

On November 8th, myself and Polk County Sheriff’s Office Detective Foster, made contact with D’Alto at his residence, Bartow. During the consensual interview, D’Alto knowing REDACTED is a cadet. D’Alto advised REDACTED would do many ride alongs at station 37. D’Alto denied ever hanging out with REDACTED outside of the station on their personal time.

D’Alto was shown the Panic Escape Room photograph and advised that he and had made their own plans to watch the Doctor Strange Movie at the Lakeland Square Mall. D’Alto advised after the movie they went to the Escape Room and recalled being with her that day.

D’Alto confirmed his phone number being REDACTED and stated no one else has had access to his cellphone.

Due to the investigation above, I found probable cause to charge D’Alto with one count of Unlawful Sex with Certain Minors, one count of Traveling to Meet a Minor.

On Saturday, December 10, 2022, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Polk County Animal Control will host its annual Pet Fest at their facility located at 7115 De Castro Road in Winter Haven (just off the Polk Parkway Winter Lake Road exit). 

Pet adoptions are FREE and include spay/neuter, rabies vaccination, microchipping, and the county license. 

For those who already have pets, TLC Petsnip will be there offering $10.00 vaccinations for dogs (while supplies last) and Fi Nano is donating FREE microchips for pet owners.

Tons of vendors will be on-hand, including food and drink trucks and pet-friendly products. Kids’ activities include: face painting, pony rides, and train rides.

Santa Claus will also be there for “Pets with Santa” photos.

For more information call 863-577-1762 or visit our website.