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Polk Teenager Struck & Killed Late Friday Night

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Polk Teenager Struck & Killed Late Friday Night

Polk County Sheriff’s Office

The PCSO Traffic Unit is investigating a traffic fatality that occurred in Lakeland late Friday night January 5, 2017, during which a pedestrian was struck and killed by a car.

Preliminary Information is as follows:

Around 10:22 p.m. on Friday, January 6, 2018, a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe being driven by 36-year-old Rodney Schmitz of Lakeland was heading westbound on Knight Station Road in Lakeland, near the 3600 block when it struck pedestrian 18-year-old Charles Goode of Lakeland, who was walking westbound on the roadway.

Physical evidence shows Goode was walking with his back to oncoming traffic when he was struck. Polk County Fire and EMS also responded and pronounced the pedestrian deceased at the crash site.

The investigation is ongoing.

The roadway was closed during the investigation for approximately 5 hours.

Woman Killed On Hwy 27 During Police Chase

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Woman Killed On Hwy 27 During Police Chase

Press Release Lake Wales Police Department

 

On January 6, 2018, at approximately 7:30 AM, officers of the Lake Wales Police Department responded to C Street in Lake Wales in reference to a family disturbance. Upon arrival, officers began their initial investigation.  During the investigation, Jacoiya Jabera Jackson left the scene in a vehicle. Officer Harmon relayed to Officer Hampton, Jacoiya’s license was suspended.  Officer Hampton headed in the direction Jacoiya had left and tried to catch up to her.  As this was unfolding, Officer McVey learned Jacoiya had battered the victim during the disturbance.  Officer Hampton was able to catch up to Jacoiya at U.S. 27 and Chalet Suzanne Road.  Officer Hampton attempted to initiate a traffic stop on Jacoiya just north of this intersection using his lights and siren.  Jacoiya fled northbound on U.S. 27 for a short distance before crashing just north of the intersection at Waverly Road after attempting to avoid colliding with another vehicle.  Jacoiya was ejected.  Officer Hampton rendered aid, however Jacoiya died as a result of her injuries at the scene from this single vehicle crash. Further investigation from Officer McVey revealed Jacoiya had driven to C Street to confront the victim.  Jacoiya had not only battered the victim, but had threatened to kill the victim in front of the victim’s four-year-old child with a knife she was holding.  During the disturbance, the victim attempted to call 911 for help.  Jacoiya committed a strong-armed robbery and deprived the victim from the use of 911 when she forcibly removed the victim’s phone from her hand and tried to take it with her.  The victim did sustain minor injuries from the battery and the victim’s children are safe.

 

Jacoiya was driving a grey 2012 Hyundai.  Her license has been suspended since January 4, 2010.  Jacoiya has a criminal history to include failure to appear on driving on a suspended license, petit theft and retail theft.  Jacoiya was 26 years of age and from Sanford, Florida.  Jacoiya’s family has been notified.

 

The traffic homicide investigation is being conducted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.  The criminal investigation is being conducted by the Lake Wales Police Department.

Polk County Citrus Still Struggling After Hurricane Irma

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Polk County Citrus Still Struggling After Hurricane Irma

Polk County Citrus Still Struggling After Hurricane Irma

by James Coulter

Three months after Hurricane Irma, Florida’s citrus industry, especially in Polk County, continues to struggle and recover.

Approximately 70 percent of the state’s citrus crops was lost during the storm, with an estimated $760 million in total losses, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services as reported by CNBC.

As such, this season’s crop is expected to be the smallest since the 1940s, producing 50 million boxes (90 pounds each) of oranges and 4.65 million boxes of grapefruit for the current season, according to estimates by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as reported by Orlando Weekly.

The numbers are just as bad in Polk County, especially for the Hunt Bros. Cooperative outside of Lake Wales, one of the largest citrus grower cooperatives in the state with 5,000 acres of citrus groves in Polk and Collier County.

While its fresh-fruit packing facility would otherwise be packing 30,000 cases of citrus a week, Hunts Bros. is currently packing only 10,000 cases per week due to the crop loss in the wake of the hurricane, said Co-Owner Daniel Hunt.

Fortunately, their Polk County groves managed to fare much better than their groves in southwest Florida, which were impacted the most with an 80 percent loss for their red grapefruit crops and 75 percent lost for their Hamlin oranges, Hunt explained.

In contrast, the Hamlin oranges in their Polk County groves experienced a loss of 50 to 60 percent, he said.

“We have groves in southwest Florida, and we have groves up here in Polk County,” he said. “So how groves are impacted depends a lot on where they were located and also the variety…There was fruit loss up here, but not as much as the loss down there.”

Prior to the storm, citrus crop estimates were looking much better than in recent years, especially in light of the state’s problem with citrus greening, Hunt said.

“They were estimated up from what we had a year ago, and that trend led to some optimism,” he said. “We were really encouraged with how the crops were responding to some of the [greening] treatments that the research has led to, but of course, with the storm coming in, that was thrown out the window for this season.”

In previous years, many citrus crops managed to withstand hurricane damage due to the state’s overall geographic diversity, with groves in the south being hit the hardest, while more inland areas remained relatively unscathed.

Unfortunately, Hurricane Irma managed to hit both growing regions, thus having a much greater impact on the citrus industry, Hunt said.

“This storm unfortunately took out the entire state,” he said.

Fortunately, help is on the way for the state and its citrus industry in the form of emergency relief from the federal government.

Last month, Congress approved $2.6 billion for a Florida agriculture aid package to be included with its $81 billion disaster spending bill, though growers within the state will have to wait another four months until they receive it, the Highlands News-Sun reported.

While the citrus industry is expected to recover, the overall loss of crops, and with it, revenue loss, proves to be the biggest obstacle towards that recovery, Hunt said.

“The crop loss will make us lose revenue, which goes to crop care for next season,” he said. “That is the biggest obstacle: the loss of crops, the loss of revenue to continue to produce a viable crop for years to come.”

Lake Wales Police Asking for Public Assistance Identifying Suspect

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Lake Wales Police Asking for Public Assistance Identifying Suspect

***Missing Teenager in Winter Haven***

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***Missing Teenager in Winter Haven***

Have you seen Jada Allen?

Jada Allen left the Winter Haven Library without permission from her guardian. Jada has not contacted her guardian and didn’t return to classes today at Winter Haven High School. She is 16 years old, 4’11” with brown hair, brown eyes and was last seen wearing a burgundy jacket, blue jeans and carrying a black backpack.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Detective Cooper at 863-401-2256 or 9-1-1.

Free Baseball Clinic 2018 Ages 7-12

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Free Baseball Clinic 2018 Ages 7-12

PCSO In Need of Substitute School Crossing Guards

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PCSO In Need of Substitute School Crossing Guards

PCSO is seeking qualified men and women in various locations in Polk County who desire to work as a substitute crossing guard.

The locations would include Highland City, Bartow, and the Combee and Crystal Lake areas of Lakeland. The substitute should be available to work for one hour and twenty minutes in the morning between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., and for 45 minutes in the afternoon between the hours of 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. when scheduled to work a crossing.

School Crossing Guard services are provided by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office through funds provided by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners. This vital program provides adult crossing guards at selected hazardous school crossings to ensure the safety of our elementary school children walking to and from school.

Anyone interested in applying for a position should contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at (863)534-7330.

FWC uses prescribed fire as best management tool for maintaining wildlife habitat

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FWC uses prescribed fire as best management tool for maintaining wildlife habitat
January “Outta’ the Woods”
By Tony Young
 
Tony Young 
FWC uses prescribed fire as best management tool for maintaining wildlife habitat
Forest fires caused by lightning once played a major role in forming and maintaining much of Florida’s palmetto-pine flatwoods, sandhills, scrub, prairies and wetlands ecosystems. Many species of wildlife benefit greatly from fire. Historically, Native Americans, farmers and ranchers practiced controlled burning to clear land and initiate new plant growth for wildlife and livestock. But over time, as more people moved into Florida, development began to take over and fragment many natural areas. As the “concrete jungle” spreads, it has become more difficult to perform prescribed burning.
Prescribed fire is the best and most cost-effective tool the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) wildlife managers have for managing wildlife habitat, especially large tracts. Safely-controlled prescribed fire techniques to improve and maintain habitats for deer, quail, turkey and many other wildlife species, have been used on lands within the wildlife management area system since the establishment of Florida’s first wildlife management area – Babcock/Webb – 75 years ago.
Prescribed burn
Prescribed burns are conducted by highly-trained and professional staff when weather conditions are just right, and they benefit many game and imperiled wildlife species. FWC photo. 
How fire helps
Some people worry that animals are harmed by prescribed fire. However, the slow-moving flames of carefully planned burns allow animals time to find shelter or move away from the approaching fire. Fire enables habitats to produce enough of the right kinds of food for wildlife by promoting nutritious, tender new growth of plants as well as increasing the production of seeds and fruit. This new growth attracts many insect species, which are great sources of protein for birds such as turkeys and quail.
Another benefit of conducting periodic controlled burns is that it reduces the danger of devastating wildfires developing because the buildup of underbrush on the forest floor has been removed. Prescribed fire is the best way to eliminate such flammable debris, which helps lower the risks of wildfires forming and reduces their intensity if they do occur. Burning also allows animals to be able to move through areas that would otherwise be impassable and unusable to wildlife.
Controlled burns release and recycle nutrients back into the soil and allow more sunlight to reach the ground. This stimulates seeds to sprout, which produces tender, low-growing vegetation that provides food and appropriate shelter for wildlife. Prescribed fire also reduces the number of parasites and pests such as ticks and mites.
What is involved in doing a burn?
Rigorous training and mandatory safety gear ensure that safety is the top priority for burn crew staff and the public on every prescribed burn the FWC conducts. Controlled burns are planned months in advance by skilled teams of experienced wildlife biologists and land managers who identify and prioritize areas that need it the most. Each burn unit has a specific plan, or “prescription,” that describes the area to be burned, optimal weather conditions, humidity levels and wind direction, personnel and equipment needed, and specifics necessary to conduct a safe and effective burn. When weather conditions are appropriate, the FWC obtains a burn authorization from the Florida Forest Service and notifies people living nearby before starting a burn.
The fire is contained within the area to be burned by plowing fire lines and using natural firebreaks such as rivers and swamps. This helps prevent the fire from getting away and burning unintended areas. Different techniques are used depending on the location and size of the area. A burn on a small area can be conducted using drip torches. ATVs and truck-mounted torches are used on larger areas. In wetter areas, they are commonly mounted onto swamp buggies and airboats to get the job done. On very large-acreage tracts, aerial controlled burning is done using helicopters.
Aerial burning
On large-acreage tracts of land, helicopters are used for prescribed burns. FWC photo.
Best times to burn
The FWC conducts prescribed burns at various times of the year to produce the best-desired results. Burning during the spring and summer months increases the growth of native grasses and cuts back on most young hardwoods. Burning during the winter is less damaging to shrubby plants such as palmetto and gallberry.
How often a burn is conducted differs depending on the type of habitat and desired outcome. The longer the time between burns, the thicker the hardwood vegetation will become, which over time crowds and shades out beneficial grasses and wildflowers. For this reason, most prescribed-burn professionals have the philosophy of “burn when you can.” And if you vary when you burn adjoining blocks of land, together, they will provide a greater mix of food and cover for wildlife.
What to expect during and after a burn
Prescribed burns, unlike wildfires, are short-lived. They generally are started in the late morning and are burned out and over by late afternoon. During a prescribed burn, you may see tall columns of smoke, as well as slow-moving flames in the distance below the tree tops. By contrast, wildfires often engulf and kill mature trees and produce walls of flame and dense smoke. When conducting a prescribed burn, the FWC makes every effort to minimize impacts to the public. You might see smoke plumes travelling high into the air, where they quickly dissipate. It is normal for the area around a burn to smell smoky for a day or two. There is also ash after a burn. It may get on your clothes, but it’s nothing to worry about and easily washes off.
Right after a prescribed burn, the area may appear charred and bare but will attract deer and turkey, which can often be found in a burned area the very next day. A few weeks to months following, the area will be lush with all kinds of thriving wildlife. By using prescribed fire as a management tool, the FWC can keep Florida’s wildlife populations and their habitats healthy.
Right after a burn
Three weeks after a burn
Immediately after a burn (top). Three weeks after a burn (bottom). FWC photos.

PCSO Deputies Arrest iPod Thief Seen in Video Surveillance Taking Child’s iPod from Publix Counter

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PCSO Deputies Arrest iPod Thief Seen in Video Surveillance Taking Child’s iPod from Publix Counter
On Wednesday, January 3, 2018, PCSO deputies arrested 26-year-old Nancy Carrizal of Lakeland and charged her with petit theft (M-1) and tampering with evidence (F-3) after she was positively identified as the suspect seen in a video stealing a young boy’s iPod from a checkout counter at Publix.
 
According to the affidavit, the theft was reported to PCSO on December 18, 2017. The boy’s father told deputies that his son and wife went to Publix on Shepherd Road in Lakeland during the evening hours of December 17th, and that his son set his iPod touch valued at $250.00 on the counter while his mother was checking out. The boy walked over to the scales to weigh himself, and accidentally left the iPod behind. When he walked back to the counter, the iPod was gone. He asked the woman who was in line behind them if she saw it – she told the boy no.
 
When they got home, the boy’s father contacted Publix, who told them nobody had returned it. The boy’s father called PCSO the following morning to report the theft, and Detectives reviewed the store’s video surveillance, which showed the customer who was in line behind the boy and his mother (the same woman the boy asked), grabbing the iPod and taking it.
 
The video was posted on the PCSO Facebook page on December 30, 2017, and numerous tips were received that the suspect was Nancy Carrizal. Detectives contacted Nancy, and she confirmed she was the person seen in the video, and arranged to meet with detectives to return the iPod. She told detectives she made a mistake and thought it was her phone. She said the iPod was dead and was sitting in her junk drawer, that she’d been sick, and that she was planning on contacting law enforcement after the holidays and when she felt better.
 
When PCSO retrieved the iPod from her, detectives presented it to the victim, who turned it on – at that time they discovered all of the iPod’s contents had been erased and it had been reset to its original factory settings on or around December 18, 2017.
 
Nancy was placed under arrest, and was released after posting $1,500.00.
 
“This Grinch was caught red-handed stealing a child’s property one week before Christmas. When confronted about it, she lied. She had an opportunity to return it to him right after she took it, when he asked her if she saw it. Now she’s facing two criminal charges. Hopefully she’s learned her lesson.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

Pedestrian Struck & Killed By Amtrak Train In Haines City

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Pedestrian Struck & Killed By Amtrak Train In Haines City

Haines City, Florida – Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives are conducting a death investigation of 11-year-old Yazmin White of Haines City who was hit by an Amtrak Train on Wednesday, January 3, 2018, around 4:45 p.m., at the intersection of Hwy 1792 and Bates Road in un-incorporated Haines City.

Preliminary information indicates White was leaving Carmelita’s located at 2670 Hwy 1792 in Haines City, walking through the woods, and attempted to cross directly over the railroad tracks. The Amtrack passenger train, with 12 passenger cars and two engines, was traveling southbound towards Winter Haven at approximately 68 MPH on the tracks, when the conductor observed a female attempting to cross the railroad track. The conductor told detectives he blew the horn repeatedly while also applying the brakes. Yazmin White did not make any indication that she was aware the train was approaching her. He told detectives she was looking down at her phone while walking. Evidence indicates White was wearing headphones at the time of the accident. She was declared deceased on-scene.

No charges are pending. There were no road closures during the time of the incident. I do not have any photos from the scene.

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