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Crawlin On The Lake Raises Proceeds, Awareness to Keep Local Lakes Clean and Beautiful for 2nd Year

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Crawlin On The Lake Raises Proceeds, Awareness to Keep Local Lakes Clean and Beautiful for 2nd Year

Crawlin On The Lake Raises Proceeds, Awareness to Keep Local Lakes Clean and Beautiful for 2nd Year

by James Coulter

For nearly 30 years, Keep Winter Haven Clean and Beautiful has been keeping its shores and waters within the Chain of Lakes “clean and beautiful” through its annual Project Eagle event in April.

After postponing its clean-up event last year due to the COVID-19 crisis, Project Eagle is once again prepared to go out on the lakes to clear their waters of litter and debris this April. For its second year, Tanner’s Lakeside hosted a fundraiser to help raise funds and proceeds for the annual clean-up.

Several hundred people assembled outside the local eatery along Lake Howard’s shores for an afternoon of live music, spirits, and fried gator. Attendees could participate in 50/50 raffles and lotto hat drawings for a chance to win prizes donated by local businesses.

All the while, participants could listen to live music performed by Robert Jennis and the Josh Blevins Band, allow their children to frolic in the water slide and bounce house, and enjoy barbecue dinners with all the fixings, including actual fried alligator.

“It has been a beautiful day,” said Melanie Culpepper Brown, Event Coordinator. “Even with coronavirus and everything going on, it has been a great turnout.”

Melanie Brown serves on the board for Keep Winter Haven Clean and Beautiful and many other local boards and associations. As someone who coordinates and hosts many local fundraisers, she is more than experienced in raising funds and awareness for such local causes.

She is more than excited for Project Eagle to host their clean-up event this year on April 24 after being unable to host it last year. Two years ago, more than two tons of garbage was cleared from the lakes in under four hours, one volunteer explained.

After a year’s hiatus, Project Eagle is more than likely to clear even more garbage from the lakes this year, Brown said.

“[Our expectation is] getting our lakes cleaned up, putting the community back together, getting everybody out, and just getting together again to make this thing work,” she said. “So we are ready for a great year because we haven’t been able to clean up the lake in two years.”

Rhonda Todd, President and Executive Director of Keep Winter Haven Clean and Beautiful, Inc., was more than pleased with the turnout for the fundraiser on Saturday afternoon and the hard work and effort done by Melanie to move it forward.

“This had gone above and beyond,” she said. “The crowd is ready to support events to help our community, so we are extremely excited and happy about today…The proceeds from today will

go towards Project Eagle so we can go out into our community in our lakes and clean it up and keep our community the treasure and jewel it is today.”

As for the upcoming Project Eagle event, Todd is more than certain that it will be a huge success. After a year’s absence, both she and her team are more than ready to head out on the lakes to clean them up.

“It will be the same and better because people are ready to get out and support our community and continue the efforts to keep Winter Haven clean and beautiful,” she said. “We will keep our waterways clean and protecting our environment to keep Winter Haven clean and beautiful.”

Greg Gay, Volunteer and Sponsor, has been attending Project Eagle since it first started. He has seen generation after generation step up to do their part to keep their local lakes clean, and he is more than willing to venture out once again this year to do the same.

“This is…a real worthy cause, to keep the lakes clean and beautiful,” he said. “We couldn’t do it last year, so it means there’s twice as much trash to pick up this year, so hopefully we can get tons and tons of trash out of the lake, make it cleaner, prettier, and healthier.”

Polk County Sheriff’s Office Divers Recover Stolen Truck From Polk City Lake

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Polk County Sheriff’s Office Divers Recover Stolen Truck From Polk City Lake

Polk City, Florida – Members of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Underwater Search & Recovery team found & recovered a stolen pickup Tuesday morning. The dive team was spotted by readers, who contacted the Daily Ridge, in Mudd Lake just West of Polk City. . According to Brian Bruchey, Public Information Officer with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the pickup truck was stolen from Orange County.

No additional information is available at this time regarding how the pickup came to be in Mudd Lake

Balmoral Resort To Bring Irish Spirit With Shamrocks and Shenanigans

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Balmoral Resort To Bring Irish Spirit With Shamrocks and Shenanigans

Balmoral Resort To Bring Irish Spirit With Shamrocks and Shenanigans

by James Coulter

After nearly a year of COVID-19 putting a lid on the Irish spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, Balmoral Resort is helping unleash some Irish fun with their upcoming Shamrocks and Shenanigans on Sat., Mar. 20.

Balmoral Resort will be hosting its inaugural St. Patrick’s Day celebration with an afternoon of Irish food, music, and dance. A great lineup of Irish entertainers will help invigorate the luck of the Irish through song and dance. Among the performers that day will be The Byrne Brothers, a troupe of Irish jig dancers who regularly perform at Disney Springs.

A specialty menu will be serving traditional Irish cuisine like bangers and mash, Irish stew, and shepherd’s pies. Also being offered that day will be appearances by a bagpipe player and walk-around leprechaun character.

This all-Irish event was inspired by the resort’s all-Irish owner, Garret Kenny, who is from Dublin, Ireland. He wanted to help bring some Irish spirit this year following most previous holiday events being postponed or canceled last year due to COVID-19, explained Amber Pierce.

“This is our first time we have hosted this event,” she said. “We are excited to potentially make this a tradition. I think it is a day to bring out your family, be outside, and enjoy something fun with entertainment. And people can afford to learn something about Ireland.”

Balmoral Resort opened its Feltrim Sports Village in 2019 and its Event Center late last year. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, many planned events at the resort last year had either been postponed or canceled. Since then, events have been hosted to help draw people to their facilities.

Pierce is excited about the upcoming Shamrocks and Shenanigans. She especially cannot wait to see the jig dancers. As for safety measures, she assures that their open-air facility, especially the pool area at the clubhouse and grill, has enough space to accommodate guests safely.

“Our expectations going forward is to be able to provide a safe and fun environment for people to come out here at an open-air facility, so we feel like we can socially-distance people properly,” she said. “We are excited for the opportunity to host an event that could bring people together and keep them together in a safe environment.”

Their next big event will be the Battle of the Bands, to be hosted on Apr. 17. From noon to 9 p.m., ten local bands will have the opportunity to perform their best music for a chance to win up to $1,250 in a first-place prize.

Shamrocks and Shenanigans will be hosted all-day on Mar. 20. Admission is $15 per person. The event will be hosted at the Bar and Grill at Balmoral Resort, located at 124 Kenny Blvd, Haines City, FL 33844. For more information, visit their website at: https://www.feltrimresorts.com/balmoral-resort

ARREST MADE IN FELONY BATTERY OF CONVENIENCE STORE EMPLOYEE

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ARREST MADE IN FELONY BATTERY OF CONVENIENCE STORE EMPLOYEE

UPDATE ON INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE ON JANUARY 29, 2021.

The original release is included below

LAKELAND, FL (March 12, 2021) – Sadly, the victim mentioned in the press release below succumbed to his injuries on March 7, 2021. The 58-year-old man had remained hospitalized since the assault and had never regained consciousness. The findings of an autopsy, conducted on March 9, 2021, determined the cause of death to be trauma to the head, and the manner of death was classified as a homicide. Mandel Baker, age 35, is now facing an additional charge of Manslaughter (F2). Baker remains incarcerated in the Polk County Jail. 

LAKELAND, FL (February 1, 2021) – Lakeland Police have made an arrest in the felony battery of a convenience store employee that took place on Friday, January 29, 2021. Mandel Baker, age 35, has been charged with Felony Battery with Great Bodily Harm.  

On Friday, January 29, 2021, at approximately 5:36 p.m., officers were called to the Food Mart/Mobil Gas Station, located at 1615 West Memorial Boulevard. Inside they found an adult male motionless on the floor with a laceration to the head. According to a witness, a man, later identified as Baker, had been in the store just prior asking for cigarettes. Baker had asked the store clerk to give him cigarettes for payment at a later date. The clerk denied Baker’s request. Baker then approached another store employee with the same request, and he was denied again. Baker then ran toward the employee punching him in the face. The victim, age 58, fell back and hit his head on the hard floor surface, sustaining critical life-threatening injuries. He was transported to Lakeland Regional Health for treatment. At last update, the victim remains in critical condition. 

Using surveillance footage and citizen tips submitted through Crime Stoppers Florida, Baker was identified and arrested on Saturday, January 30, 2021. Baker’s booking information can be found at https://www.polksheriff.org/inmate-profile/2103567

If you have additional information related to this case, please contact Detective Biko Duhaney at [email protected] or (863) 834-5918. Or if you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Heartland Crime Stoppers Florida:

* 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.

The name of victim is being withheld in accordance with Marsy’s Law. 

Polk County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Tampa Woman After Violent Retail Theft

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Polk County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Tampa Woman After Violent Retail Theft

A Tampa woman was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office early Saturday, March 13, 2021, after she sprayed a store employees with a chemical spray while trying to get away during a retail theft, and then fled from deputies.

31-year-old Nikita Lindsey’s evening ended at the Polk County Jail with: three-counts of Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon (F3), and one-count each of Robbery with a Weapon (F1), Fleeing to Elude (F2), Possession of Alprazolam (F3), and Driving While License Suspended/Revoked (DWLSR) (M2). She was also issued citations for: Running a Traffic Light, Operating a Motor Vehicle in the Wrong Direction, And Operating a Vehicle at Night without Headlights Activated.

“Nikita Lindsey is in the Polk County Jail right now without bond. She came to Polk County from Tampa to commit crimes here, so she can just stay here for a bit longer. And that’s a good thing…she’s a violent person with no consideration for the safety of others. She’s a dangerous person who needs to be kept away from the general public. ” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

Nikita Lindsey entered into the Burlington store in the Posner Park Shopping Center near Davenport, just before closing time at 11:00 PM on Friday, and things quickly worsened.

According to the arrest affidavit, when an employee offered to assist her, Lindsey warned her that she would slap the glasses off of her face if the employee didn’t move.

Lindsey tried to push a shopping cart full of stolen merchandise out of the store, but the wheels locked, and she intentionally sprayed two of the employees with a chemical spray.

Three employees went outside thinking that Lindsey was leaving, but she turned the vehicle around and accelerated directly toward the women.

A responding deputy located Lindsey’s Dodge Journey mini-van and attempted a traffic stop, but Lindsey accelerated and sped off through heavy traffic with her headlights off and she ignored a red traffic light. Due to the amount of traffic, the deputy did not pursue the vehicle, but it was found abandoned with a flat tire nearby.

Deputies spread out and were able to find Lindsey nearby as she was about to enter into an Uber vehicle.

Detectives described Lindsey’s minivan as being loaded with suspected stolen items from various department stores (Burlington, TJ Maxx, Ross, etc.). Many of the items still had price-tags and anti-theft devices still attached. It was estimated that the value of the merchandise recovered was worth about $7,000.

Nikita Lindsey’s prior criminal history consists of five felonies and twelve misdemeanors, including previous charges of Robbery, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Resisting, Drug Possession, and numerous charges for DWLSR and Violations of Probation.

Winter Haven Public Safety Department Launches New Initiative To Protect First Responders And Citizens

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Winter Haven Public Safety Department Launches New Initiative To Protect First Responders And Citizens

The Winter Haven Public Safety Department has launched a new initiative that is certain to protect first responders and citizens while preventing property damage and injuries – and actually already has.
The Department has purchased portable speed bumps (or traffic calming devices) designed to be utilized at traffic crash scenes or where emergency vehicles are blocking roadways. Florida law requires drivers to slow down and move over when emergency vehicles are in the roadway, but it doesn’t always happen. This tool helps with that endeavor.
When emergency vehicles are on scene of a traffic crash, structure fire, fire alarm and many other scenarios, oftentimes drivers approaching from either direction don’t always slow down and in many cases end up risking the safety of personnel and other drivers. These devices are now deployed at a safe distance away from the emergency vehicles to ensure drivers from both directions are diverted away from the first responders.
The lightweight design allows for first responders to deploy and retrieve them quickly with minimal effort. Unrolled, each one is more than 9 feet long, 9 inches wide, 2 inches tall and sport a bright yellow paint job. They are held securely in place by a rubber matting. They work great on concrete, asphalt, gravel and many uneven surfaces.
Just this week, the devices were deployed at a crash scene on Cypress Gardens Blvd. Traffic was quickly and safety diverted around the scene allowing traffic to flow at a safe speed and distance ensuring the safety of all members and other drivers.
Anyone who would like to receive more information on this invaluable tool Winter Haven Public Safety personnel are using, contact Jamie Brown, Public Information Officer at [email protected].

Lake Wales Man Arrested After Police Find Stolen Rifle & Large Amount Of Drugs During An Unrelated Investigation

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Lake Wales Man Arrested After Police Find Stolen Rifle & Large Amount Of Drugs During An Unrelated Investigation
Suspect Johnny Hamilton

20-Year-Old Lakeland Man Dies After Motorcycle Accident in Auburndale

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20-Year-Old Lakeland Man Dies After Motorcycle Accident in Auburndale


On Thursday, March 11, 2021, at approximately 6:52PM, officers with the Auburndale Police Department were dispatched to a traffic crash with injuries involving a 2020 Harley Davidson Motorcycle and a 2020 Cadillac XT4 at the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and Main Street in Auburndale.
The preliminary investigation indicates the Cadillac XT4 operated by Michael Stambaugh, 44 from Auburndale was turning north from Magnolia Avenue onto Main Street and had a yellow turn signal. The Harley Davidson operated by Vincent Dewert, 20, from Lakeland, was behind a vehicle which was stopping for the yellow traffic light. The motorcyclist traveled around the vehicle into the path of the Cadillac XT4. The collision propelled the motorcycle into the southbound lanes of Main Street into a 2016 Ford F150 which was stopped at the intersection.

Dewert was transported to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation is continuing at this time. Anyone with information or that witnessed the crash, is asked to contact the Traffic Homicide Investigator, Officer Presley Hart at 863-965-5555.

Dundee Ridge Middle School Teacher Charged Multiple Felonies After Stealing More then $66,000 From Her Grandmother

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Dundee Ridge Middle School Teacher Charged Multiple Felonies After Stealing More then $66,000 From Her Grandmother

On March 12, 2021, after a several month long investigation, Polk County Sheriff’s Office Fraud detectives arrested 40-year-old Laura Pollard Ramos of Winter Haven, who is a Dundee Ridge Middle Academy teacher, for:

·        Grand theft of a person over 65 years of age (F2)

·        Scheming to defraud over $50,000 (F1)

·        Fraudulent use of a credit card (F3)

·        3 counts Criminal use of personal ID (F3)

Ramos was made the power of attorney for her grandmother in 2013, due to her grandmother’s declining health. At that time, the victim’s monthly bills averaged $550.00 (for lot rent, cable television, electric, water, and alarm). The victim did not have any credit cards, and spent between $200-$400 cash per month on incidentals/spending money. Ramos, as the power of attorney, wrote checks from the victim’s account and withdrew cash from the ATM for her as needed. There was a second signer on the account as well, who died in September 2018.

In October 2020, the victim received a PayPal credit card bill in the mail in her name that she didn’t know about. She alerted other family members (without Ramos’ knowledge), who then discovered that the elderly victim’s bank account had been emptied, and had a negative balance. The victim’s family reported the suspicious activity to PCSO, who began an in-depth investigation. Her concerned family members deposited their own money into her account to keep her from having to file for bankruptcy. The victim’s only income was Social Security.

During the investigation, detectives learned that the 83-year-old victim sold her home in early 2018, resulting in $80,000 being deposited into her account. According to a financial review, detectives discovered the account had a second signer, a woman who died in September 2018. Checks and withdrawals made prior to the second signer’s death were generally very consistent. There were occasional $200.00 cashed checks (the victim did not have any active credit or debit cards and she generally used cash), and monthly payments for the victim’s bills (mentioned above) consistent for approximately one year.

After the sale of her house, the victim maintained a balance of about $71,000.00, and she stayed within a couple of thousand dollars of this through October of 2018.

In November of 2018, after the death of the second signer to the account, a series of payments to PayPal, restaurants, Epcot, stores, and many other locations were identified. Prior to this date, there were direct payments to 3-6 different services per month. In November, this increased to nearly 50 transactions per month.

Between November 2018 and November 2019, the victim’s account reduced from $66,836 to a negative balance of -$193.00.

The victim passed away in February 2021.

“This suspect is the lowest of the low – betraying the trust of her own grandmother, taking advantage of her during a great time of need by completely wiping out her life savings. She’s despicable. And she’s a teacher on top of it – someone who is entrusted with shaping and molding young, impressionable students. What an awful role model she is.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

Detectives submitted subpoenas and gathered documentation of payments to the following entities:

·        Bank of America

·        PayPal credit

·        Capital One credit

·        Hot Topic

·        Planet Fitness

·        Badcock

·        Epcot

·        Nissan

·        Publix ATM cash withdrawals

Over time, Ramos depleted her grandmother’s bank account, and opened three different credit cards in her grandmother’s name, maxing all of them out. She withdrew over $18,000 cash from ATMs; paid credit card bills which she used at restaurants and bars; paid her car payments; made Amazon purchases; and paid for entertainment inside and outside Polk County. Ramos has been employed by Polk County Public Schools since 2008. She’s currently a 6th and 7th grade U.S. History teacher at Dundee Ridge Middle Academy. Please direct any inquiries about her employment to Polk County Public Schools.

Lake Wales Is Your Florida Choice For Business And Family

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Lake Wales Is Your Florida Choice For Business And Family

Lake Wales Is Your Florida Choice For Business And Family

by Kevin J Kieft

Lake Wales is a great place to visit, to live and to plant your business. Florida and Lake Wales have clear advantages for your business, and it is a great place to live and grow your family.

However, sometimes it’s best to reflect on the things you love and understand why you truly love them, not only so you can better appreciate them without taking them for granted, but also to better explain to other people why they should consider it for themselves.

So here are some reasons why Lake Wales is the best community, why more residents and businesses should consider moving here, and what we at the Chamber of Commerce have done to make it an even better place:

Why Businesses Should Come Here

First and foremost, Florida is the best state to start a business. With no personal income tax, a low corporate tax rate, flexible business regulations, and state incentives for small businesses, the state offers the most lenient economic environment.

In 2018, the CATO Institute, in its “Freedom in the 50 States” report, ranked Florida as the #1 state with the highest economic freedom. As its website explains: “Lacking an individual income tax and featuring a hot climate…the state attracts more than seniors, as others vote with their feet for good weather and the increased opportunity afforded by Florida’s freer society.”

As for Lake Wales, the city offers the three most important things for any business: location, location, location. Located in the center of the state, the city resides on the intersection of Highway 27 and State Road 60, and is only 20 minutes away from I4, thus providing easy access to markets in all directions.

Furthermore, the city has developed new industrial and manufacturing land perfect for new businesses and industries. One such ideal location is Lake Wales Commerce and Technology Park, which is a shovel-ready park that has been placed into private hands, making preparations for prospective businesses easier.

Our city and state’s ease of doing business, convenient location, and new developments have already attracted new businesses to the area such as Pamlico Air, Alsim, and The Fence Outlet. Hopefully, further developments from the Chamber and EDC will help draw in many more.

Why People Should Live Here

The most obvious reason to move to Florida is the weather. Being able to experience 70-degree weather in the middle of winter is a huge draw for many potential residents. Being a good hour-and-a-half drive from the coast in either direction is another great plus, and a big selling point that I often mention to potential businesspeople at trade shows and other important conventions.

As with new business, the three most important things every new resident considers is also location, location, location. Being located in Central Florida, we are only an hour’s drive away from Orlando and Tampa, and nearly a day’s drive from Miami and the Keys.

The central location is a huge bonus. This is the real Florida here. It is not a hectic tourist town like Orlando. You get more of the real Florida experience here where you are close to everything. So that is a big bonus to move here to Lake Wales.

Whether you want to escape to the big city for the evening, or the sunny south for vacation, Lake Wales has something to offer in every direction, which is why many people have been coming to the city from every direction.

Here in Lake Wales, home values are going up, and new housing is being developed here and all throughout the county. As such, we here at the Chamber and EDC have been pushing for residential development to give people options to choose the home of their needs.

Residential development is vital to economic development. You need those rooftops and people with spending power to track the retail power. So, both developments go hand-in-hand. If you don’t have the rooftops, or people willing to spend that retail establishment, then new residents and businesses will not come.

The best support we receive at the Chamber to aid residential development is from the business community. Everybody wants the community to do well. They are pushing for increased quality of life, pushing for the city to be as efficient as possible, so that support from the business community has really made the difference.

We here at the Chamber and EDC are always working hard to make Lake Wales a better place to live and work. We know what makes our community great, so we know what to do to make it even greater for new residents and businesses. Together, we can improve out community and draw in more people who will love it just as much as we all do.

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