Lake Wales, Florida – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that they are conducting a death investigation in East Lake Wales. The investigation began earlier this morning on Walk In Water Rd. Near a trail entrance.

Multiple readers saw a white pickup truck at the scene. Almost a dozen sheriff’s deputy vehicles and crime scene units we’re investigating the incident.

This is a developing story and we will update as soon as available.

Austin Nicholas Velasquez

Austin Nicholas Velasquez was born in Lake Wales, Florida on January 4, 1997.

He is survived by his wife Harley Jane Velasquez, parents Christopher and Kimberly Velasquez, brother Cameron Velasquez, paternal grandmother, Annetta Jo Velasquez, maternal grandparents Julia Jordan and William Lamar Robinson and six cousins.

Austin graduated from Avon Park High School in 2015 where he was a member of the wrestling team and National Honor Society. After graduation, Austin attended South Florida State College and pursued a degree in criminal justice. After completing the Criminal Justice Academy in 2018 he began working for the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office. Austin most recently worked as a team member at Anderson Arms in Avon Park manufacturing ammunition. Austin was creative and always found pleasure in creating things with his hands.

On September 19, 2019, Austin married his beautiful high school sweetheart, Harley Shafer in a private ceremony. They lived in Avon Park and cherished spending time together with their family and friends. Austin was an affectionate young man that dearly loved his family as well as his cat, Elon.

Throughout the years Austin enjoyed target shooting, hunting, fishing, snorkeling, riding ATVs and attending church at Grace Bible. He loved going to Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando, watching scary movies with his wife and watching UFC events with his dad.                                                                     

Austin had accepted Jesus Christ as his lord and savior.                               

Jesus called Austin home to become an angel on April 7, 2022 when he died in a fatal car accident in Okeechobee, Florida. He is free now, and although our hearts are broken, we know we will meet again in heaven.

A celebration of his life will be held on April 14, 2022 at 4:00 PM at Grace Bible Church, Sebring.

Detectives with the PCSO Organized Crime Unit, working together with the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC), the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), and the Florida Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, Ashley Moody, Attorney General, conducted a comprehensive Florida RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization) Act investigation that resulted in 41 members and associates of the “Sex Money Murder” criminal gang enterprise being arrested or charged. The investigation was initiated in March of 2021 when, based on information obtained from historical on-going criminal investigations, detectives uncovered an extensive criminal network associated with the Sex Money Murder gang. 

Out of the 41 identified during the investigation, 12 are charged with racketeering (see Florida Statutes Chapter 895 Florida RICO—Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization—Act) for their role in directing members in organized criminal activity, such as illegal drug sales, robberies, introduction of contraband into prisons, conspiracy to commit murder, and coordinated attacks on other gang members. The RICO charges are first degree felonies punishable as a life felony based upon specific provisions in FSS 874.04 (Gang-related offenses; enhanced penalties). In some cases, criminal gang members were in the Florida state prison system or in the county jail conducting and coordinating gang business.

The 41 suspects are charged with a total of 121 felonies and 40 misdemeanors. The suspects’ previous criminal histories include 1,147 felonies, 161 misdemeanors, and 205 felony convictions; an average of 28 felonies, 4 misdemeanors, and 5 felony convictions each.

“All you need to know about this gang is in its title: Sex Money Murder. We are not going to put up with these gangs brazenly coordinating and committing crimes in our communities. They are an organized criminal enterprise, ruthlessly focused on violence, theft, fraud, and profiting from the human misery and violence of the illegal drug trade. Our message to other gang members in Polk County and throughout Florida: don’t throw your life away on gangs. If you do, we will catch you, and you will go to prison for a long, long time.” –Grady Judd, Sheriff

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This massive law enforcement operation eliminated the main state leadership of a notorious, nationwide gang operating across Florida. Our law enforcement heroes put in countless hours and risked their own safety to take down gangsters who demonstrated a complete lack of respect for human life. Because of these officers and my Statewide Prosecutors, we are all safer, and their actions will have far-reaching, positive implications on communities across the state.”

“FDC is proud to work in concert with our law enforcement partners as part of our of public safety mission,” said FDC Secretary Ricky Dixon. “This partnership represents an ongoing effort and our commitment to identifying and preventing criminal activity from occurring within our walls. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring a safe environment for those entrusted to our care and furthering public safety for all Floridians.”

FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingensaid, “Meticulous investigative work led to the identification of local and statewide gang leadership ensuring this Blood-affiliated criminal gang can no longer terrorize our communities. Thank you to our FDLE agents, Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Statewide Prosecution for making Florida safer.”

The investigation has been able to identify the ranking structure and numerous members of the gang, operating both inside and outside of prison and in the county jail, in Polk County, in various other areas of the state of Florida, and in North Carolina. Detectives uncovered multiple instances of coordinating crimes, directing and coordinating gang activities, recruitment of new gang members, discussing bond payments, and gang financing, including setting and collecting gang dues.

Detectives served six search warrants throughout the investigation in Lakeland (2), Winter Haven, Mount Dora, Orlando, and Lake City.

Illegal drugs, firearms, and currency seized:

·      21.45 Pounds of Methamphetamine 

·      2,595 grams of cocaine 

·      3,051 grams of cannabis 

·      249 grams of MDMA 

·      719 grams of Synthetic Cannabis 

·      7.86 grams of Fentanyl (one gram can kill hundreds)

·      28 grams of Mushrooms 

·      8 grams of Alprazolam 

·      52 grams of Oxycodone 

·      1846 grams of Promethazine 

·      18 firearms

·      $17,514.00 in US currency

The total street value of the drugs confiscated is over $1.5 million.

Two suspects have warrants for their arrests:

Hernando Thompson, Jr., 36, of Orlando has a Polk County warrant for his arrest forRacketeering (F1), Conspiracy to Racketeer (F1), Directing Criminal Gang Activity (F1) (3 counts). Thompson is the Sex Money Murder gang leader of Florida.

Xavier Ulysse, 27, of Lake Wales has a Polk County warrant for his arrest for Conspiracy to Commit Murder (F1). He attempted to arrange the murder of a gang member who robbed one of the leaders.

Sex Money Murder

The Sex Money Murder gang is a criminal gang which became a subset of The United Blood Nation. The gang was founded by Peter “Pistol Pete” Rollock, who is revered as the “Godfather” of the criminal gang—he is currently serving life in federal prison. The Sex Money Murder gang’s primary focus was initially street-level drug dealing, aggravated assaults, and murders to further their criminal organization. 

As members of Sex Money Murder were arrested and incarcerated, they indoctrinated new members from other regions into the gang who were also in prison. This enabled the gang to spread throughout the east coast and into central Florida as more and more prisoners became members and then were released from prison.

According to the current investigation, in late 2018 and into 2019 and 2020, Polk County, and neighboring counties within the state of Florida began to experience a string of home invasion robberies and other violent and property crimes associated with members of the Sex Money Murder gang. Based on information developed by detectives, a wire investigation was initiated of the identified secretary of Polk County for the Sex Money Murder criminal gang, Cerenia Mixon. This ultimately allowed for the monitoring of communications for the leader of Polk County, Andree Romeus. Information obtained from monitoring those communications ultimately allowed for the monitoring of communications associated with the number one and number two ranking members for the State of Florida, Hernando Thompson and James Roundtree. 

Communications were often heavily coded in an attempt to thwart any efforts to monitor criminal activity. Subsequently, detectives were able to identify a vast network of communications by the Sex Money Murder gang ranging from the street to within various prisons around Florida. Detectives worked with the Florida Department of Corrections to identify inmates and confirm gang affiliations while monitoring communications where instruction and direction was provided from leadership both within the prison and from the leadership on the street on how the gang should operate. Communications also revealed discussions on physical attacks on members in bad standing and an attempt to kill a gang member. 

Florida RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization) Act

In Florida (FSS Chapter 895 Sections 895.01-895.06), a racketeering offense (RICO) occurs when an unlawful organization commits or attempts/solicits/conspires to commit coordinated illegal activities such as murder, money laundering, embezzlement, extortion, weapons offenses, burglary, theft, bribery, and other crimes. In Florida, RICO is charged as a first-degree felony and it can result in 30 years imprisonment and significant monetary fines. In cases related to organized gang crimes in Florida, according to Florida Statute 874.04—Gang-related offenses; enhanced penalties—first-degree felonies can be enhanced to a life felony, meaning for RICO gang crimes the sentence can be up to life in prison upon conviction. 

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) was designed to prosecute individuals engaging in organized crime. A person can be charged with racketeering if they engage in a pattern of racketeering—such as committing at least two racketeering activities within a ten year period. 

The following is a list of those arrested, the circumstances of their arrests, and details of the six search warrants, in chronological order:

May 31, 2019. One arrested:

Quandavize Street, 24, of Lakeland

·      Attempted first degree murder

·      Robbery with a firearm (3 counts)

·      Armed burglary with assault

·      Shooting into an occupied vehicle

·      Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

·      Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon

·      Introduction of contraband into a jail facility

July 1, 2019. One arrested:

Artavious Smith, 21, of Lakeland

·      Attempted first degree murder

·      Robbery with a firearm (2 counts)

·      Armed burglary with battery

·      Shooting into an occupied vehicle

·      Possession of a firearm by a delinquent

August 6, 2019. One arrested:

Jaquel Fleming, 25, of Auburndale

·      Armed burglary with battery

·      Burglary 

·      Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

·      Resisting arrest 

·      Leaving the scene of a crash with property damage

·      Fleeing to elude

·      Fleeing to elude – reckless driving

·      Knowingly driving with a suspended license

Undercover operation at 425 Van Fleet Dr. E., Bartow, July 21, 2021. 719 grams of synthetic marijuana was seized. Four arrested:

Marcus Mitchell, 19, of Lakeland 

·      Unlawful use of a two way communication device 

·      Conspiracy to intro contraband into receiving facility 

·      Trafficking synthetic cannabis 

Telly Nance, 34, of Bartow 

·      Unlawful use of a two way communication device 

·      Conspiracy to intro contraband into receiving facility 

Deondre Powell, 25, of Lakeland 

·      Trafficking synthetic cannabis 

·      Unlawful use of a two way communication device 

A male juvenile* was also arrested for possession of marijuana. 

Search warrant at 3625 Kathleen Rd Lot #7, Lakeland, September 24, 2021. Over 20 pounds of methamphetamine, 8 grams of alprazolam, 52 grams of oxycodone, and 1,712 grams of Promethazine were seized. Four arrested:

Dashawn Bather, 25, of Lakeland 

·      Possession of cannabis 

·      Possession of drug paraphernalia 

·      Violation of probation

Laconia Blake, 31, of Lakeland 

·      Trafficking Oxycodone 

·      Possession of alprazolam with intent to sell 

·      Possession of MDMA 

·      Possession of a structure/vehicle to sell narcotics 

·      Possession of drug paraphernalia 

Antoine Cruz, 25, of Winter Haven 

·      Possession of alprazolam with intent to sell 

·      Possession of a structure sell narcotics 

·      Possession of drug paraphernalia 

Destiny Daniels, 28, of Lakeland 

·      Trafficking Oxycodone 

·      Possession of structure/vehicle to sell narcotics 

·      Possession of paraphernalia

October 5, 2021. Two arrested:

Daniel Jackson, 29, of Winter Haven 

·      Possession of cocaine 

·      Aggravated assault on law enforcement (2 counts) 

·      Aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer

·      Resisting arrest with violence 

·      Resisting arrest 

Crameshia Jackson*, 26, of Winter Haven

·      Resisting officer without violence 

October 12, 2021. Over 367 grams of methamphetamine; 160 grams of MDMA pills, 15 grams of marijuana, and one handgun seized. One arrested:

Dornell Anglin, 26, of Haines City 

·      Possession of cannabis with the intent to sale 

·      Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon 

·      Tampering with physical evidence 

·      Resisting arrest 

·      Fleeing to elude 

Undercover operation at 2000 S.R. 60 E., Lake Wales, October 12, 2021. Over 112 grams of methamphetamine, a handgun, and $2,790 seized. One arrested:

Jamarr Cole*, 37, of Lake Wales 

·      Armed trafficking in Methamphetamine 

·      Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon 

·      Grand theft firearm 

·      Carry concealed firearm 

·      Unlawful use of a two way communication device 

·      Possession of paraphernalia

Undercover operation at 131 Scottsdale Loop, Lakeland, October 13, 2021. One arrested:

Jasmine Weber, 28, of Winter Haven

·      Defraud financial institution 

·      Fraudulent use of credit card 

·      Petit theft 

·      Criminal use of personal ID 

Flagler County, October 24, 2021. Two firearms seized (one previously reported stolen. Two arrested:

Maclindell Hardy, 29, of Fayetteville, NC 

·      Grand theft of a firearm

·      Possession of cannabis 20 grams or less

·      No valid DL

Jonathan Fleming, 33, of Wilson, NC 

·      Conspiracy to Racketeer

·      Carrying a concealed firearm

Fleming, the leader of the North Carolina “Sex Money Murder” gang was in Florida attending a mandatory national meeting for the illegal enterprise. The gathering occurred in Osceola County. 

Undercover operation at 1035 Reynolds Rd., Lakeland, December 9, 2021. 0.66 grams of fentanyl seized (one gram can kill hundreds). One arrested:

Carlos Mercado*, 24, of Lakeland

·      Sale of fentanyl 

·      Negligent child abuse 

·      Unlawful use of a two way communication device 

·      Possession of drug paraphernalia 

Undercover operation near the intersection of Reynolds Rd and Ned Engle Blvd., Lakeland, January 4, 2022. Over 7 grams of fentanyl (one gram can kill hundreds), 37 grams of marijuana, and a handgun seized. Two arrested:

Demarrius Faniel*, 30, of Lakeland 

·      Possession of cannabis over 20 grams 

·      Possession of cannabis WITS 

·      Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon 

·      Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon 

·      Possession of paraphernalia 

·      Violation of probation 

Anteria Bell*, 28, of Lakeland 

·      Trafficking in fentanyl 

·      Possession of cannabis over 20 grams 

·      Possession of cannabis WITS 

·      Possession of structure to traffic narcotics 

·      Knowingly driving with a suspended license 

·      Possession of paraphernalia 

Search warrant at 2461 Avenue C SW, Winter Haven, January 7, 2022. Over 90 grams of MDMA, 28 grams of mushrooms, 134 grams of promethazine, 3 grams of methamphetamine, and 249 grams of marijuana were seized. Three arrested:

Danyell Coggins, 47, of Winter Haven 

·      Possession of methamphetamine 

·      Possession of drug paraphernalia 

John Davis, 40, of Winter Haven 

·      Trafficking phenethylamine 

·      Possession of methamphetamine 

·      Possession of cocaine 

·      Possession of heroin 

·      Possession of drug paraphernalia 

·      Possession cannabis over 20 grams 

Wandy Noel, 30, of Winter Haven 

·      Knowingly DWLSR 

Assisted FDOC Probation and Parole Services with a routine probation check at 3655 Peregrine Way, Lakeland, January 31, 2022. Three arrested: 

Horatio Walker, 24, of Lakeland 

·      Racketeering

·      Conspiracy to Racketeer

·      Tampering with a Witness (gang enhanced)

·      Violation of probation 

Raquan Thompson*, 22, of Lakeland 

·      Possession of cannabis 

·      Possession of drug paraphernalia 

Tyreke Thompson*, 20, of Lakeland 

·      Possession of cocaine 

·      Possession of cannabis 

·      Resisting without violence 

·      Possession of drug paraphernalia 

·      Violation of probation 

February 3, 2022. Two arrested:

Kayshia Jenkins*, 35, of Lakeland 

·      Possession of suspended driver’s license 

Kalaysha Wilson, 22, of Lakeland 

·      Possession of cannabis 

·      Possession of drug paraphernalia 

·      Violation of probation 

Undercover operation at 1502 Recker Highway, Winter Haven, February 1, 2022. Over 40 grams of marijuana seized. One arrested: 

Andree Romeus, 30, of Winter Haven 

·      Racketeering

·      Conspiracy to Racketeer

·      Directing Criminal Gang Activity (3 counts)

·      Possession of cannabis over 20 grams 

·      Possession of cannabis WITS 

·      Possession of drug paraphernalia 

·      Possession of a structure to sell narcotics 

·      Knowingly driving with a suspended license 

March 10, 2022. Over 30 grams of marijuana and $4000 seized. One arrested:

Leroy Scarlett, 29, of Bartow 

·      Possession of cannabis over 20 grams 

·      Possession of cannabis WITS 

·      Possession of paraphernalia 

Search warrant at 975 Hyde Park Blvd #201, Lakeland, April 8, 2022. One arrested: 

Cerenia Mixon, 22, of Lakeland 

·      Racketeering 

·      Conspiracy to Racketeer 

·      Directing Criminal Gang Activity (2 counts)

Search warrant at 416 E. Pine Ave, Mount Dora, April 8, 2022Over 512 grams of cocaine, 485 grams of marijuana, and 3 firearms (one was stolen) were seized. One arrested:

Tonisha Fisher, 36, of Mount Dora 

·      Racketeering

·      Conspiracy to Racketeer

Search warrant at 4407 Sugar Loaf Way, Orlando, April 8, 2022. Over 1,535 grams of marijuana and one fully automatic handgun were seized.

By Carl Fish

Lake Wales, Florida – On April 4, 2022 the Lake Wales Charter School Board held a special meeting to discuss 3 items. One of those items was the implementation of the National Education Equity Lab (NEEL) dual enrollment class during the first semester of the 2021/2022 school year!

The National Education Equity Lab (NEEL) touts itself in the following manner: “We empower colleges to take a more active role in developing and inspiring the next generation of leaders. In partnership with pioneering universities including Howard, Princeton, Stanford, Wharton, University of Pennsylvania, Wesleyan, Cornell, Georgetown, Arizona State University, Barnard and Harvard (inaugural course), we deliver and support online college credit-bearing courses into teacher-led high school classrooms across the country. By enabling high school students from historically underserved communities to take actual college courses from college professors, students can build the skills — and confidence — needed to apply to and thrive in college. Participating students earn widely-transferable college credits, at no cost to them — and have access to mentorship and hands-on support.” (Link to National Education Equity Lab: https://edequitylab.org)

The program was first suggested by a Henry McCance, board member of the Lake Wales Charter School Foundation. He did so in an email that appears self explanatory. Here is a copy of that email:

During the teaching of the dual enrollment course it was determined by a LWHS teacher working with course that a certain reading assignment had storylines with cartoon drawings of items which many would consider pornographic. This teacher immediately brought it to Ms. Donna Dunson, LWHS Principal. Principal Dunson advised the board, in the April 4th meeting, that students were advised they did not have to do those two assignments. Within 24 hrs Principal Dunson reached out by email to the NEEL program to express her concerns with these particular items in the course material. She did not cancel the program outright as it would have been unfair to pull the whole course when it only had a few weeks remaining.

The board at one point asked Robin Gibson if they had any say in the curriculum. Gibson’s eventual reply is that they did not. It’s since been revealed that the board may have had the ability to have impute on this matter.

In the April 4, 2022, LWCS Board meeting board member Rusty Ingley made a motion that the board do a third party administrative investigation to look into “what happened from beginning to end”. The board unanimously agreed to that motion.

According to an email sent by LWCS Board Chairman, Danny Gill, on April 8th (to the Daily Ridge) which was a previous email to Dr Rodolfich on April 7, 2022 he advised the following: “I’m not sure if you watched the special board meeting last Monday but I wanted to give you an update. The Board had many concerns and questions regarding Donna Dunson’s implementation and lack of vetting process of the material used for the NEEL fall course. The Board was not aware of the program being implemented until late in the semester and the use of inappropriate material. The Board was appalled and voted to have an independent administrative investigation regarding the internal control breakdown at the high school. The administrative investigation will most likely be conducted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the material was turned over to them. The hope is that the breakdown can be investigated, identified and measures put in place to make sure this never happens again. I do not have a timeline on the process but feel that their department is very efficient.” The complete email is here:

The Daily Ridge reached out to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office regarding their department doing administrative investigations. They advised from time to time the do get requests from school boards, city commissions and other agencies to do administrative investigations. When particularly asked about this investigation we were advised they are not doing this investigation, per Scott Wilder, Director of Communications.

The Daily Ridge has reached back out to the charter school board acting superintendent Alricky Smith to find out if they have an alternative to the Sheriff’s department to do this investigation.

We will update if we are advised in the next step of the investigation process.

From: Rodolfich, Wayne
Sent: Friday, April 8, 2022 4:38 PM
To: Danny Gill; dailyridge.com
Subject: Please Release Statement

Good afternoon Daily Ridge News,

Please release this statement:

Dear Parents, Students, and Educators of the Lake Wales Charter School System, 

I am communicating about my announcement yesterday at a Lake Wales High School faculty meeting of my intent to retain Donna Dunson as the LWHS principal. This meeting was part of my 7 school tour over the last 2 days to meet with principals and teachers. At the time of the announcement, I was not aware that Ms. Dunson had submitted her resignation earlier this school year nor that her resignation had been acted on and accepted by the Board. I did not contact Acting Superintendent Alricky Smith, nor did I formally request a discussion with the Board prior to making the announcement. Additionally, the process for applications for the LWHS principal position had been opened and closed. I am publicly acknowledging my misunderstanding of the policies and my inability to make such decisions before my contract begins on July 1, 2022.

Sincerely,

Dr. Wayne Rodolfich

Incoming LWCS Superintendent

By Kip Kirchberg

The Daily Ridge reached out to Lake Wales Charter School to understand why they would not accept Donna Dunson’s rescinding of her resignation.

Alricky Smith the Interim Superintendent shared his official email response to Donna Dunson below. Link to view email in large format:

Based on information provided it appears that Donna Dunson submitted her resignation on August 6, 2021 in which it was accepted. Interim Superintendent Alricky Smith asked the HR Director to take the necessary steps to fulfil the vacant Lake Wales High School Principal position for the 2022-2023 school year.

The posting provided 44 new applicants to be considered and vetted for interview by the Superintendent. Alricky Smith shared in the email that if Dr. Wayne Rodolfich made a formal request to reopen the posting it would allow Donna Dunson to re-apply and be considered for nomination.

Per Lake Wales Charter School policy (LWCS BP#2021-003) the Superintendent may only recommend nomination or re-nomination of Administrative Staff and Program Directors.

The Superintendent may not promise or imply permanent or guaranteed employment. Ultimately the Superintendent recommends an appointee and the Board Confirms the appointee with an approval.

As witnessed in the Superintendent selection for Dr. Wayne Rodolfich a committee recommended he be appointed as the new Superintendent. As part of the confirmation process the Board voted to accept the nomination. Once the nomination is approved by the board the Board Chair, Danny Gill, enforces what the board voted in favor of and ensures proper policies and procedures are followed.

Here is the Link to previous article about Donna Dunson’s resignation.

By Kip Kirchberg

Recently on social media Donna Dunson announced that she spoke with Dr. Wayne Rodolfich, Lake Wales Charter Schools new superintendent, and he asked Donna if she would consider staying onboard as Principal for another school year. Donna quickly accepted the offer from Dr. Wayne Rodolfich and released a statement to students that was shared on social media explaining that she would be back for one more year.

Comments on social media flooded in showing support for Donna’s return. Many parents even expressed that they were excited for the following school year knowing she would be at the helm as principle.

Donna’s return from retirement was short lived. A statement from Donna Dunson was posted on social media that acting Superintendent Alricky Smith and board Chair Danny Gill had declined her offer to rescind her resignation.

Donna gave her best wishes in an email that was posted to social media stating she hopes the system will return to its original core values to create an environment where both teachers and students can flourish.

Based on comments left on social media it appears that the parental community is split between two groups. One group is made up of an outside political group looking to influence the schools curriculum, staff, and board. The other group is made up of parents who have children in the school or are a member of the Charter School system.

While on the surface it appears to be very clear that lines have been drawn in the sand, I for one know the Lake Wales Community is better than this. Both sides need to come together and determine some common ground that will allow them to move forward together and once again unify the community.

Lake Wales, Florida – The Lake Wales Charter School Board has called a special meeting to discuss :

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL EQUITY LAB
Request Board approval of the Implementation of the National Equity Lab. – Here is a link to National Equity Lab: https://edequitylab.org

GENERAL COUNSEL CONTRACT
Request approval of the terms of the General Counsel Contract. – It was pointed out by board members at the March 28th meeting that a contract for services wasn’t available for review.

LWCS BYLAW CHANGES
Request Approval of the changes to the Bylaws. – Bylaws are the legally binding rules that outline how the board of a nonprofit will operate. While they are unique to each organization, nonprofit bylaws generally have a similar structure and use.

Board of Trustees “Special” Meeting Monday, April 4, 2022 – Time: 5:00pm – Place Lake Wales High School (Auditorium)

Lake Wales, Florida – The Polk County Fire Rescue & Polk County Sheriff’s Office is currently on scene what is being described as a traffic collision in Lake Wales. The incident is taking place at Betsy Lane & Friedlander Rd. in the Highland Park Manor.

The original call came in at 6:19pm. According to initial information the incident involved a child/pediatric patient (4 yrs old we believe). At the time a helicopter medical transport was being requested.

Update: According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office a child was hit by a car. As a precaution they were transported via helicopter, but it doesn’t appear injuries are life threatening. We will update if more information is released.

Q&A With Tammy James

by James Coulter

Tammy earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Georgia State University and working on the certificate to Master’s degree in Public Administration at the University of South Florida. She has over twenty years of experience in the Private and Nonprofit sectors leading Finance and Operations teams.

She is currently working as a Strategic Advisor with World Wildlife Fund, concentrating on financial stability and sustainability, conservation impact, and development coaching. Tammy James and her husband, Stephen, purchased a family friend’s home in 2016. Stephen is the third generation to call Lake Wales home.

Tammy James is currently running for mayor of Lake Wales against Jack Hilligoss and Curtis Gibson. We recently sat down with her to ask questions about pertinent local issues and her position on them. Here is what she had to say:

Q: The City of Lake Wales is predicted to triple in size in the next 10 years with 8,500 new homes approved in the city limits. What are your plans for the city to facilitate this growth?

A: Lake Wales has been discovered as an extraordinary place, something we’ve known all along. Rapid growth is a significant challenge, and we will need to take a strategic approach to managing future development. Additional services are needed for our city to remain the place we love to live in. It will require us to set, and enforce, high development standards. Lake Wales is the beneficiary of the vision of Edward Bok and Frederick Olmsted who helped make us a City in a Garden. To ensure that new development meets that standard, as mayor I will ensure the coordination of the Development Services department, the CRA, Mainstreet, and the Chamber of Commerce to partner with developers to ensure they are sharing and supporting that vision.

Q: Concerns have been raised about waiving impact fees, especially in light of the approval of new development. These fees are necessary to fund any potential infrastructure. How do you think the city should address this issue?

A: Impact fees are necessary and provide the funding for new infrastructure required by growth, so that current residents aren’t asked to subsidize new ones. Consideration is given to those who are redeveloping areas with pre-existing infrastructure. The city is currently considering adding a “mobility” fee” to help pay for transportation impacts, a move I support. Impact fees rates are continuously reviewed and have been recently increased, but remain lower than in the surrounding areas.

Q: Another prescient concern is education, especially about potential overcrowding and understaffing. How will overcrowding be addressed? Will developers be required to set aside “so much” land for schools? Will you put pressure on the Polk County School Board to allocate funds to the Lake Wales Charter Schools?

A: While the Mayor and Commissioner do not have direct authority with the Charter School system, education is an essential element of a “livable city.” Strengthening the partnership with the County and the school system is necessary. The City can set requirements for large projects, and setting aside acreage for school sites is a serious possibility. The understaffing of schools is not unique to Lake Wales. and uniting the community behind the Charter School system ensures that they can continue to provide an excellent education for our students.

Q: Finally, there’s infrastructure. Many citizens have voiced concerns about Chalet Suzanne Road and their desire to see a sidewalk there. Others want existing streets to be repaved such as the road in front of Spook Hill Elementary. What plans and priorities towards infrastructure do you want the city to implement?

A: Mobility is a required element of a livable city and providing access to mobility is a factor in assuring that our housing remains affordable as well. Mobility includes the issues of safety, congestion, maintenance, and various modes of transportation walking, driving, public transportation, and vehicles. Partnering with county, state, and Federal governments to seek funding for new sidewalks, turn lanes, and similar projects. Strategic planning for infrastructure that will be needed for the future is essential and should be continuously reviewed. I recently attended a luncheon with business leaders where the message was “The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself.”