Winter Haven Police needs help in identifying the subject in the video who took a Dollar General worker’s phone.
On Sept. 17, 2021, the victim was working in an aisle at the Dollar General (381 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven) when she put her phone on top of some merchandise. As she assisted a customer who was in the aisle, she was away from her phone for a short time. The suspect enters the store, walks past the phone and looks at it. He then turns around and takes the phone immediately leaving the store. The phone is a red IPhone 11 Pro valued at approximately $500.
If you recognize this suspect, please contact the Winter Haven Police Dept. at 863-837-9459.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Heartland Crime Stoppers:
Call 1-800-226 TIPS (8477)
From your cell phone, dial **TIPS
Or visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip,”
Or download the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
You will always remain anonymous when you send a tip through Crime Stoppers and you are eligible for a cash reward if your information leads to an arrest.
Winter Haven Police Department: Good Deed This morning, one of our Lieutenants was in the area of Havendale Blvd. and Hwy 17 when a minor traffic crash occurred. One of the vehicles, driven by Pastor Dan Wade (pictured here with his lovely wife) ended up with a flat tire and he was unable to move the vehicle from the roadway. Just then, the two kind Samaritans jumped out of their truck and went to changing the tire so the vehicle could be moved. (Word is they have been seen in the area in the past assisting other motorists in need.) Way To Go!!!!!
A two vehicle crash occurred Monday afternoon in unincorporated Haines City, and resulted in the death of one of the drivers.
The victim was identified as 80-year old Moss Flannery of Lake Wales; he died at the scene. The other driver involved in the crash was 63-year old Donald Pruitt of Haines City; he was not injured.
The crash happened at about 5:18 PM on Monday, September 28, 2021, on Hatchineha Road at H.L. Smith Road. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire Rescue responded.
Mr. Flannery was the driver of a white 1993 Ford Ranger pick-up truck, and Mr. Pruitt was driving a red 2003 Chevrolet C4500 truck with a flatbed trailer.
Based on evidence and witness statements, Mr. Flannery’s Ford was travelling north on H.L. Smith Road, while Mr. Pruitt’s Chevrolet was eastbound on Hatchineha Road. The Ford approached the intersection, but did not come to a stop at the stop sign, and proceeded into the intersection and into the path of the oncoming Chevrolet which had the right-of-way.
The Chevrolet struck the Ford in the driver’s door area. The impact caused the Ford to roll over on its roof.
Both drivers had been wearing their seatbelts.
No charges are anticipated at this time, but the crash remains under investigation.
The roadway was closed for approximately three hours.
Lake Wales High School Raises School Spirit and Hometown Pride with Homecoming Parade
by James Coulter
After being hampered by the ongoing pandemic for more than a year, Lake Wales High School (LWHS) raised school spirit and hometown pride during its annual homecoming parade last Thursday evening.
Several dozen float units and hundreds of students, faculty, and staff took to the streets in Downtown Lake Wales to celebrate their Highlander football team’s homecoming game. The parade was led by the grand marshal, Beverly Riley, who is this year’s LWHS support staff.
The school color guard and marching band kicked the parade off. Also participating were representatives from school sports teams, student councils, and other clubs and organizations including the Drama Club, National Honors Society, INTERACT Club, and Sista 2 Sista.
The parade began at Polk Avenue Elementary on 1st Street, making its way through the downtown and Lake Wailes Park area before ending at Legion Field on Lake Shore Blvd. Countless local residents lined the streets to watch the parade, with children rushing to collect candy.
Following the parade, LWHS hosted a powderpuff game with the junior and senior classmen competing against each other. The event marked the end of the school’s spirit week, which hosted various school activities throughout including themed clothing days.
Alexis Lough, a senior on the Executive Board, was one of the many students who helped organize and participate at the event. She appreciated being able to see so many people come out to revel in their school spirit, especially after the nearly yearlong pandemic.
“[I loved] seeing all the children smiling, having fun…[and] just showing a lot of spirit bringing life back to the school,” she said. “That is why I think it was the best. Since COVID, we have been out for so long. We were not able to do things we were able to do in years past. [I’m excited] for the football team, for us to win, as always…and all of us to have fun and respect each other.”
Donna Dunnson, LWHS Principal, participated that evening along with her other administrators and staff. After COVID threw a massive monkey wrench into last school year, she was excited to finally be able to host events such as this for the students.
“The kids have had a great time this week, they have really risen to the occasion, they had fun and have been attending to their academic time as well,” she said. “What I like is that it is all of the schools all together and seeing what the kids come up with. They are all very creative. We are trying to do the best we can, pushing through to give kids as normal as possible experience this week, and they are doing great.”
Jan Lewis, who serves as this year’s class sponsor, was especially pleased by spirit week. Over the past four days, the school hosted theme days and activities on the plaza during lunch. The weeklong festivities concluded with the pep rally on Friday evening.
“Spirit week has been awesome,” she said. “We have our first pep rally in a long time since a year and a half. We are taking it outside because of COVID. My executive board has worked so hard, this has all been student led, and they worked so hard to pull this spirit week off.”
Dorialys Paulino, Co-President of the Executive Board, worked hard with her team of fellow students to host that evening’s parade and powderpuff game. She has been involved with the board since her freshmen year. She always strives to raise school spirit with these events, and she loved that they were able to host something after the pandemic hampered their fun last year.
“We worked really hard to put this spirit week together,” she said. “I think we have a great [football] team who works together and plays hard and puts everything on the line so I am hoping for the best of course. I loved the parade because it is a tradition that we do every year and sadly we didn’t get one last year and it was good to have it back and bring the community together.”
A Tampa man has been charged with Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle when he was spotted by Winter Haven officers on Sunday.
Fifty-one year-old Joe Ricky Kimble of Tampa was driving through the City just before midnight when officers spotted the vehicle that had been reported stolen out of Lakeland. Officers followed the vehicle confirming it was stolen earlier in the day. A traffic stop was conducted in front of RaceTrac on Lucerne Park Rd. at Hwy 27.
Kimble was identified when he produced his license, which was determined to be suspended since January of 2020. On the floor of the vehicle was a broken glass pipe that tested positive for Cocaine.
Kimble was taken into custody and charged with Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle (F-3), Possession of Cocaine (F-3), Knowingly Driving While License Suspended (M-2) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M-1).
Kimble’s front seat passenger, 59 year-old Barbara Williams of Bartow, was also taken into custody on two outstanding warrants.
Camp Mack Resident Celebrates Birthday by Winning Three Awards At 2nd Annual Fire On The Lake
by James Coulter
Jay Roberts had a very happy birthday last Saturday. Not only did he celebrate by participating in the second annual Fire on the Lake at Camp Mack, but he also won—not one, not two, but three awards. Not only did he win People’s Choice, but also first place in the homestyle chili and verde categories.
Roberts has lived at Camp Mack, A Guy Harvey River Resort,near Lake Kissimmee State Park for the past five years. This was the first year that he participated in its annual chili cookoff, Fire on the Lake. After seeing how great the event was last year, he decided to join this year’s event, and he won big time.
“I can honestly say that the competition was great,” he said.”This is my first time competing. It feels great. I had some real good help to get me through it. The people I competed againstare great people. My own chili is good. I love to cook.”
More than 12 teams from across the county and state arrived at Camp Mack last Saturday for the second annual Fire on the Lake, an International Chili Society (ICS)-sanctioned event. Participants were able to compete for awards in the traditional red, verde, and salsa categories. Proceeds went toward the Lake Wales Care Center. The winner of the traditional red category was Jonathan Evevin.
Even despite these uncertain times, this year’s event received an exceptional turnout, said Kevin DeNall, EVP for Camp Mack. Even four ICS world champions participated, he said. Overall, the good weather that weekend, along with the good cooks participating, made this year’s event a success, he said.
“It is certainly the cooks that come out to make sure we have good chili,” DeNall said. “Always good to bring people out. The camaraderie on the stage was the best.”
Camp Mack, A Guy Harvey River Resort, will be hosting two events next month: The Pickled Pink Playoff on Oct. 15 and 16, and their Rock and Bruise BBQ Fest, Oct. 22 and 23.
“Both are great venues,” DeNall said. “Camp Mack is a great venue to enjoy yourself and your groups and friends and be on the outside by the waterfront.”
For more information, visit: https://guyharveycampmack.com/
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 37-year old Jason Robinson on Saturday, September 25, 2021, and charged him with 1st Degree Murder, for the death of his girlfriend. Robinson received six other criminal charges at the time he was booked-in.At about 8:30 PM on Saturday, Robinson’s mother contacted the Auburndale Police Department and reported that her son had just told her that he had killed his girlfriend. The Auburndale officer then requested PCSO deputies do a well-being check on the girlfriend at the couple’s residence on US 98 North, near Keen Road, in unincorporated Polk County. When a deputy arrived at the couple’s RV, he made contact with the suspect outside, who provided a false name and date of birth. The deputy recognized Robinson however, due to looking up his photograph prior to arrival. As the deputy began to detain Robinson with handcuffs, Robinson violently attacked the deputy. Robinson managed to remove the deputy’s radio and Taser, and attempted to choke the deputy. Two witnesses saw the struggle and came to the aid of the deputy, and assisted with securing Robinson in handcuffs. “I can’t express my gratitude enough to the two witnesses who jumped in to aid my deputy during a violent fight with a very violent man. Had they not gotten involved, this could have been much worse than it already is. I’d also like to extend our condolences to the family of the victim.” Grady Judd, Sheriff. Other deputies arrived on scene and began searching for Robinson’s girlfriend. They noticed two chairs and a small table sitting on a pallet next to the RV door, with freshly disturbed dirt on the pallet. The deputies located the victim buried under the pallet, and at that point, the PCSO Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Unit responded to continue the investigation. Robinson was charged with following: 1st Degree Murder (FC), Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (F2), Battery on a LEO (F3), Tampering with Evidence (F3, 2-counts), Resisting with Violence (F3), Depriving an Officer with Means of Communication/Protection (F3), and Give False ID to LEO (M1). Jason Robinson’s prior criminal history includes 19 felonies and five misdemeanors in the state of Florida. He has been incarcerated in Florida state prison on four occasions (2005, 2007, 2008, and 2020), and was released most recently in January of 2021. Among his Florida charges are: Kidnap/False Imprisonment, Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Sex Offender Violations, numerous Batteries, False Information to LEO. Robinson also has an extensive criminal history in Illinois, Delaware, Mississippi, and North Carolina.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 37-year old Jason
Robinson on Saturday, September 25, 2021, and charged him with 1st Degree
Murder, for the death of his girlfriend. Robinson received six other criminal
charges at the time he was booked-in.
At about 8:30 PM on Saturday, Robinson’s mother contacted
the Auburndale Police Department and reported that her son had just told her
that he had killed his girlfriend. The Auburndale officer then requested PCSO
deputies do a well-being check on the girlfriend at the couple’s residence on
US 98 North, near Keen Road, in unincorporated Polk County.
When a deputy arrived at the couple’s RV, he made contact
with the suspect outside, who provided a false name and date of birth. The
deputy recognized Robinson however, due to looking up his photograph prior to
arrival.
As the deputy began to detain Robinson with handcuffs,
Robinson violently attacked the deputy. Robinson managed to remove the deputy’s
radio and Taser, and attempted to choke the deputy.
Two witnesses saw the struggle and came to the aid of the
deputy, and assisted with securing Robinson in handcuffs.
“I can’t express my gratitude enough to the two witnesses
who jumped in to aid my deputy during a violent fight with a very violent man.
Had they not gotten involved, this could have been much worse than it already
is. I’d also like to extend our condolences to the family of the victim.” Grady
Judd, Sheriff.
Other deputies arrived on scene and began searching for
Robinson’s girlfriend. They noticed two chairs and a small table sitting on a
pallet next to the RV door, with freshly disturbed dirt on the pallet.
The deputies located the victim buried under the pallet, and
at that point, the PCSO Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Unit responded to
continue the investigation.
Robinson was charged with following: 1st Degree Murder (FC),
Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (F2), Battery on a LEO (F3),
Tampering with Evidence (F3, 2-counts), Resisting with Violence (F3), Depriving
an Officer with Means of Communication/Protection (F3), and Give False ID to
LEO (M1).
Jason Robinson’s prior criminal history includes 19 felonies
and five misdemeanors in the state of Florida. He has been incarcerated in
Florida state prison on four occasions (2005, 2007, 2008, and 2020), and was
released most recently in January of 2021. Among his Florida charges are:
Kidnap/False Imprisonment, Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly
Weapon, Sex Offender Violations, numerous Batteries, False Information to LEO.
Robinson also has an extensive criminal history in Illinois, Delaware,
Mississippi, and North Carolina.
Downtown Bartow Falls Into Fall With Fall Festival
by James Coulter
If you’re looking for delicious bread prepared with flaky melt-in-your-mouth pastry and decadently-flavored filling, try Braided Bread. You won’t find it at your local grocery store or online. You can only purchase it at select fundraisers and events like last weekend’s fall festival.
Lori Malcomb often attends such events, which are hosted by Main Street Bartow, to sell her wares. 40 percent of her purchases go towards a cause like the Bartow Church Service Center. Malcomb likes to attend events like the Bartow Fall Festival to help spread awareness about their fundraisers. Most of all, she loves being able to participate in the local community.
“I love the people,” she said. “I love seeing the families out. I am so happy. Bartow is a great community. The people are very nice with a lot of families. I also like seeing all the dogs and the children and the people and mainly talking with everybody.”
Last weekend’s Bartow Fall Festival proved to be a huge success. Even in spite of these uncertain times, hundreds of residents and visitors flocked to Downtown Bartow to peruse the dozens of vendors along Sumerlin and Central Avenue and shop at the many local businesses and restaurants.
Everything from natural honey and honey products to handcrafted snowmen and holiday decorations were on display Saturday from local vendors. People could also pick a fresh pumpkin from a pumpkin patch and peruse many classic cars at the new car show.
Randy Filyaw of Filyaw Unique Creations was one of the many vendors. She and her husband have been making their handbags and woodwork respectively for the past three years, and attending at local events such as the fall festival for five to six years.
While she considered the weather to be slightly hot, especially during the afternoon, and while she thought the event could have been better advertised, nevertheless, Randy considered the festival to have received a good turnout. She loves being able to sell her products in person at such events.
“I like the people coming out and buying our stuff,” she said. “It is easier for them to come out and see it then buying it online. It is easier to sell when you are out in public.”
Main Street Bartow has been partnering with Sunflower Barntiques to host the annual fall event. Overall, this year’sevent experienced a decent turnout with attendees shopping the vendors and downtown shops. Linda Holcolmb, Executive Director of Main Street Bartow, has high expectations moving forward with their upcoming events, including the holiday market in December.
“The turnout has been wonderful,” Holcomb said. “The streets have been packed. The people have been buying, shopping, and the vendors seem to be very happy. We had a full show today.Last year was the first year we were able to do a show after the pandemic. The crowds this year were as good as they were last year. Probably the fact that people were coming to the downtown seeing what we have to offer, shopping in our retail stores, eating in our downtown eateries. I love seeing the community coming out into the downtown.”
For more information about upcoming Main Street Bartow events, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/MainStreetBartow
Welcome, World Travelers! Is Disney World Getting Too Expensive?
by James Coulter
Last month, Disney announced it would be discontinuing its FastPass service. Using the new Disney Genie+ app, Disney guests can now make reservations for their favorite rides and attractions for Lightning Lanes, allowing them to skip long lines. The difference? It’s going to cost them!
As SFGate reports:
“Under this new system, Walt Disney World guests can pay $15 per day, and Disneyland guests can pay $20 per day for access to a ‘Lightning Lane,’ replacing what used to be a Fast Pass line. Those fees add up: for a family of four, it would cost $80. However, that flat fee only includes some of the park rides and attractions. Many of the more in-demand rides, like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, will have an additional, as-yet-undisclosed per-ride fee.”
No longer will Disney fans have the privilege of skipping long lines for free. Now, if they want to make a reservation for their favorite ride, they will have to pay for it, with some rides requiring them to pay extra.
Not surprisingly, many Disney fans were displeased by this news. On the Disney Parks YouTube channel, the video announcing these changes received more than 21,000 dislikes (as of Sep. 15) and plenty of unfavorable comments. One comment wrote: “Disney needs to spend more time ‘imagineering’ new rides and less time ‘imagineering’ new fees. Another wrote: “This is the best Universal Studios commercial ever, even better [than] the ones they create.”
Disney replacing free Fastpasses with a paid service like Genie+ should not be the least bit surprising. In recent years, the company has been making rather unpopular changes that have made the overall park experience much more expensive.
In 2018, Disney discontinued free parking for hotel guests. Now resort guests will have to pay anywhere between $15 to $25 per night for standard overnight parking. This year, Disney announced it would also be discontinuing its Disney’s Magical Express service, which allowed guests free transportation between the parks and the airport.
All of these changes are only making what was already an expensive vacation even more so. When Disney World first opened 50 years ago, admission cost $3.50 for adults and only $1 for children; now, a one-day ticket to the Magic Kingdom can cost anywhere between $109 to $154. And that’s only for park tickets!
Currently, the cheapest “room” on resort property is a tent or pop-up campsite at Fort Wilderness Resort—priced at only $123 a night! The most affordable hotel room is at the All-Star Movies, Music, or Sports Resort for $197 per night. (The most expensive room is at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa for $712 per night)
AllEars.net recently published an article estimating the overall cost for a two-night, three-day trip for a family of four in 2022. In total, an average trip would cost $1,538.80 for tickets,
$447.20 for hotel rooms, $440 for food, and $125 for merchandise. All for an overall total of $2,551!
With the median American household income being around $68,703, according to 2019 U.S. Census data, the average trip to Disney World would cost 3.7 percent of the average family’s annual income, with more expensive trips costing between 4.35 to 7.25 percent, AllEars.Net reports.
Meanwhile, Disney operates Golden Oak, an upscale luxury residential community, where people can buy their own house for the “low” price of $2 million—with some of the pricier mansions costing as much as $16 million. The ultra-wealthy can enjoy their own mansions with pools and private chefs, while the poor can barely afford a tent at the campgrounds.
Is it possible to visit Disney World on a budget? Yes. There are plenty of blogs and websites that can teach people how to do precisely that. And, in the end, a Disney World vacation is not a vital necessity. Unlike healthcare or groceries, the average family can survive without visiting Disney.
Still, for a company that prides itself in appealing to families of all types, it’s in rather poor taste for Disney to enact such new fees and changes that only make it more expensive for families, especially lower and middle-class families, to visit the parks—and such changes are especially disingenuous during a time of financial hardship following a pandemic that has created labor shortages and eviction crises.
When Walt Disney first opened Disneyland in 1955, he wanted somewhere where everyone could have fun. He was inspired to build it several years prior after being forced to watch his two daughters ride a children’s carousel while he sat alone on a park bench. He didn’t want people to feel excluded like that. Instead, he wanted someplace where parents and their children could have fun together.
Several years later, when he opened Disneyland, park admission was only $1, and the park itself, unlike other establishments, wasn’t racially segregated. Disneyland was truly a place that people of all backgrounds could enjoy, regardless of their age, race, or income. The Disney Parks were never perfect, but they at least attempted to be inclusive. Sadly, with recent changes making them more expensive, the parks are quickly becoming a playground exclusively for the wealthy.
