Today at approximately 1:54 p.m., Polk County Fire Rescue, Dundee Fire Department, Haines City Fire Department, Lake Hamilton Police Department and Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residential structure fire located in Lake Hamilton. Upon arrival, crews observed the residence was fully engulfed and worked quickly to extinguish the fire.
PCFR transported two patients from the scene, one bystander that attempted to determine if an individual was inside, and one PCFR employee as a precautionary measure. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Florida State Marshal’s Office, PCSO and Lake Hamilton PD.
Welcome, World Travelers! The Barbie Movie: Life in Plastic is Fantastic!
by James Coulter
It’s the end of July. Two of the hottest movies are playing in theaters. One of them is Oppenheimer, a dramatic biopic of the man who helped build the atomic bomb. So, you know which movie a self-respecting, red-blooded cis-hetero white dude like me is going to see?
That’s right! The Barbie Movie!
Barbie is a girl who needs no introduction. For more than 60 years, she has remained the doll most played with by little girls, to the point where she has become synonymous with American girlhood. So, it was only a matter of time until the little doll made her big debut on the big screen with her titular movie. But will it prove to be made of plastic and fantastic? Or will the film bomb bigger than the atomic bomb playing in the neighboring theater?
Barbie lives a perfect life in Barbieland. She wakes up every morning in her dream house. She gets dressed in her best clothes. She goes driving in her pink car. She goes to the beach to flirt with Ken. And then she and the other dolls finish the night off with a dance party. Life couldn’t be more perfect for the perfect doll.
Or is it?
Lately, Barbie has been experiencing existential dread about her “perfect” life—so much so that it starts affecting her and Barbieland. When she wakes up with “flat feet”, she learns she must travel to the real world to find out what’s going on. With Ken by her side, she travels to the real world, but will they find the answers they seek?
The Barbie Movie looks fabulous! Barbieland itself looks like a little girl’s toy set coming to life. Everything from the houses to the cars and even the smaller props appear perfectly toy-like and set to scale to the toys they’re based on. The movie crew evidently went to extreme measures to ensure the scenery looked perfectly pink—to the point where it actually created a real worldwide shortage of pink paint.
Moreover, the Barbie characters do an excellent job pantomiming how toys are played with, to the point where it feels like an invisible girl is playing with them. When Barbie gets into the shower, she bathes herself with no water. For breakfast, she pretends to eat her food. And when she goes downstairs to get into her pink car, she floats off her balcony, almost like how a little girl would lower the doll in real life.
Both Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling do an excellent job of playing Barbie and Ken respectively. Will Ferrel, Michael Cera, and Kate McKinnon also act like their hilarious comedic selves. And America Ferrera, while not playing a major role, delivers a superb soliloquy about the complexities and contradictions of being a woman.
The main story is The Lego Movie meets Legally Blonde. The crux of the film deals with identity. Both Barbie and Ken experience major character arcs in which they grapple with who they are both as toys and as people. Barbie starts to feel her perfect life isn’t all that perfect, and she learns the importance of not having to be perfect. Ken, meanwhile, feels inadequate always playing the “and Ken” part of his “Barbie and Ken” relationship, and learns to be his own man with his identity separate from Barbie.
Of course, as Barbie has served as a symbol of womanhood, the movie inevitably has a feminist message. When Barbie ventures into the real world, she discovers it isn’t as ideal as Barbieland. She learns that being a real woman is much more complex and complicated than her perfect life in her perfect world. Through her journey, the “perfect” role model for little girls learns to be her ordinary self and not always strive to be extraordinary.
Of course, also inevitably, the film’s feminist message has stirred up quite the controversy and instigated a culture war. One right-wing political pundit even burned a Barbie doll before his 40-minute polemic against the movie. Many male critics (and I use this term generously) have accused the movie of pushing a “woke” and “anti-male” agenda and hating men. This could not be further from the truth. As a man who watched this movie, I can attest this movie is not “anti-man.” Quite the opposite. And the proof lies with Ken.
In the movie, Ken undergoes a character arc that mirrors Barbie’s. He considers his relationship with her inadequate and feels he’s not getting enough respect in Barbieland. He, like, Barbie, goes on a journey of self-discovery, and while that journey has him pick up some unfortunate toxic masculine ideals, he inevitably sheds those ideals by learning that he can be his person outside of Barbie—that he can be, as his new slogan puts it, “Kenough!”
In the end, The Barbie Movie is quite the hilarious romp that simultaneously both tickles your funny bone and tugs at your heartstrings. Girls young and old who grew up playing with the doll will experience both a love letter to a childhood classic and a thoughtful deconstruction that explores what it means to be a woman. Overall, life in plastic proves to be simply fantastic!
One minor disclaimer: though the movie is based on a little girl’s toy, it is rated PG-13. Though the movie isn’t completely inappropriate to show little children, the more adult themes will go over their heads and some of the jokes are rather suggestive. There are even several words you’d never imagine hearing someone say in a Barbie movie. They’re not swear words, by any means, but unless you feel like explaining to your child what a “gynecologist” or the “patriarchy” is—let alone what’s a penis, vagina, or genitalia!—perhaps consider watching this movie without the little one.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Davenport Police Department investigators are seeking a homicide suspect in Davenport killing; $5,000 reward offered
Polk County deputies are seeking information related to the homicide of a 35 year old Davenport woman that occurred in the area of Fuller Street West in Davenport during the early morning hours of Saturday, July 29th.
Davenport Police Officers responded to the neighborhood when a woman called about an unresponsive woman in a vehicle. The Davenport Fire Department also responded to the scene and subsequently transported the victim to Advent Health-Heart of Florida Hospital. The victim was declared deceased by medical staff on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 0422 hours. Based upon her injuries, she is believed to be the victim of a homicide.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office homicide detectives are assisting the Davenport Police Department by conducting the investigation.
Anyone who has any information about the killing is encouraged to contact Heartland Crime Stoppers in one of four ways:
1. CALL 1-800-226 TIPS (8477) 2. DIAL **TIPS from your cell phone 3. VISIT the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip,” 4. DOWNLOAD the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
You will always remain anonymous and you are eligible for a cash reward if your information leads to an arrest. Your information will be forwarded to law enforcement for follow up. If an arrest is made based on your tip, you are eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,000. Because this crime is a homicide, the reward is $5,000.
“We need the help from the public about what happened early Saturday morning. Someone knows somethingso if you saw something, or if you have heard anything about this crime, please call Crime Stoppers. Help us put the person responsible for this crime behind bars.” -Grady Judd, Sheriff
LAKELAND, FL (July 31, 2023) – On Sunday, July 30, 2023, at approximately 1:55 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 1800 block of Olive Street for a traffic crash involving a single vehicle. At the scene, officers located an unresponsive male inside the vehicle, a gold 2006 Nissan Armada. The Lakeland Police Department, Polk County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department all arrived on the scene to begin life-saving measures. Despite the efforts of first responders, the 23-year-old male driver was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Based on information gathered thus far in the investigation, officers believe the Nissan SUV was traveling eastbound on Olive Street at a high rate of speed when it passed a vehicle traveling in the same direction on a double yellow line. The SUV entered a grass median and impacted a closed road sign on the side of the road. As the vehicle reentered the roadway, the driver lost control, causing the SUV to impact a utility pole and a fence before overturning on the south side of the roadway.
The driver of the SUV was identified as Samuel Romero, age 23, from Lakeland.
Members of the Traffic Homicide team responded to the scene and took over the investigation. The crash remains an open investigation. Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to contact Traffic Crash Investigator Officer Tyler Anderson at [email protected].
LAKELAND, FL (July 29, 2023) – On Saturday, July 29, 2023, at 1:51 a.m., a shooting occurred outside the Jade Fox Lounge, 3010 Lakeland Highlands Road. Two officers, working an off-duty detail at the business, were already on scene when a disturbance erupted in the parking lot, and the shooting occurred. One victim, a 25-year-old male, was transported to the hospital by a personal vehicle. Despite the best efforts of emergency medical professionals, he was pronounced deceased a short time later. The second victim, a 48-year-old female, was transported by ambulance with critical injuries and remains hospitalized.
Jamilah Johnson, age 23, was taken into custody, and a firearm was also recovered at the scene. It was later learned that the gun had been reported stolen in 2015. At this time, Johnson has been charged with Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Detectives are actively working to gather all evidence to determine if any additional persons were involved in the shooting.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have information to contact Detective Neal Robertson at [email protected].
Persons who wish to remain anonymous can contact Heartland Crime Stoppers:
* Or download the free “P3tips” app on a smartphone or tablet.
Tipsters will always remain anonymous when they send a tip through Crime Stoppers, and they are eligible for a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest.
This remains an open and active investigation. The victims’ names are being withheld in accordance with Marsy’s Law. No additional information is available at this time.
BARTOW, Fla. (July 25, 2023) – FCC Environmental Services Florida, LLC and GFL Solid Waste Southeast, LLC have been selected to provide curbside residential solid waste collection services to Polk County Oct. 1, 2024 through Dec. 31, 2029. The current waste collection contracts end on Sept. 30, 2024.
FCC will service Area 1 of Polk County. Area 1 encompasses about 65,000 dwelling units in the northwest quadrant of the county. The first year of the contract is valued at $16.9 million. FCC currently services this quadrant.
GFL will service Area 2 of Polk County. Area 2 encompasses about 65,000 dwelling units in the northeast quadrant of the county. The first year of the contract is valued at $22.3 million.
The two contracts differ in value because of the size difference between the two areas. GFL drivers will log more miles than the FCC drivers.
Polk County Waste & Recycling will service Area 3, which encompasses the southern portion of the county. The county’s residents are less condensed in Area 3, south of SR-60, and Waste & Recycling will service about 13,000 dwelling units.
City staff in the Lake Wales Public Works department are working on three projects that include replacing antiquated water lines, increasing water flow and converting select neighborhoods to the City’s central sewer system.
The enhancements are part of the Public Works Department’s master plans for water, stormwater and waste water. The multi-year plans are designed to target expansion, stormwater quality and increase water reusability.
“Our master plans are key to us growing responsibly,” Public Works Director Sarah Kirkland said.
Old galvanized and cement water main pipes are being replaced with flexible pipes. Additionally, new service water lines are being installed up to residential and commercial property lines.
“We’re not having to dig up streets as we install the new flexible lines,” Chief Water Plant Operations Manager Jose Perez said. “We can run a water line from one corner of a roadway to the next block with minimal disruption to motorists.”
Another benefit to homeowners in select areas is the relocation of water meters from the back of houses to the front.
Crews are installing the new water main pipes along HWY 17 between Lincoln Avenue and Mountain Lake Cutoff Road. Installations are also taking place on Belleview Drive and Santa Maria Road. More installations will take place on portions of Lakeshore Boulevard and surrounding streets including: Wildabon Avenue; Osceola Avenue; Hillside Avenue; 8th Street; 9thStreet; Tower Boulevard; Highview Drive; and Tower Lane.
Another big project almost complete is the conversion of septic to sewer which includes the installation of various force main sewage lines down Bukmore Road, Sunset Drive and HWY 17 near Belleview Road.
“The installation of the additional force main lines will transfer sewage effectively from existing and new residential properties to the City’s waste water facility for treatment,” Kirkland stated.
Residents in the Bel Ombre sub division and along portions of Grove Avenue near 4th Street and Hillcrest Avenue will migrate off septic systems. More conversions are scheduled to take place in the coming years.
On July 24, 2023, at about 0100 hours, members of the Auburndale Police Department (APD) responded to the Walmart located at 2120 U.S. Highway 92 West regarding an in-progress armed robbery.
Upon arrival, APD officers learned the victim arranged to meet the suspects to sell them a cell phone. During the transaction, one of the suspects produced a handgun and held it to the victim’s head and chest stating, “I will kill you” and forcefully stole the cell phone.
The victim was able to provide very good descriptions of the vehicle, the firearm, the suspects, and a partial tag number. Investigation through law enforcement technology indicated the suspects may have been going toward Davenport, and all information was immediately shared with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP). PCSO observed the vehicle on Interstate 4 (I4) eastbound near exit 55. A traffic stop was conducted by PCSO without incident.
The victim was taken to the traffic stop on I4 and positively identified the two suspects. The firearm and the victim’s cellular phone were recovered from the vehicle.
APD detectives have charged Pedro Pablo Rivera (H/M, DOB: 02/26/2002) from Orlando, FL with robbery with a firearm, a life felony, and felony petit theft. Also charged in this case is Maria Velazquez-Almanza (H/F, DOB: 01/16/2004) also from Orlando, Fl with robbery with a firearm, a life felony, improper exhibition of a firearm, and petit theft.
As a result of their traffic stop, PCSO has charged Rivera with possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of cannabis under 20 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia. PCSO charged Velazquez-Almanza with six additional misdemeanors for traffic and cannabis possession related charges.
As a reminder, APD suggests business transactions with unfamiliar people should take place during business hours, and even consider making such transactions in the police department lobby or other such location in public view.
The Florida Highway Patrol is reporting one local woman killed and another facing DUI Manslaughter charges following deadly crash early Sunday morning.
At approximately 4:10am a sedan, driven by Quarpaesha Prather, was traveling eastbound on SR-400 in the outside lane approaching Galloway Road. At the same time another sedan, driven by the victim, was traveling eastbound on SR-400 ahead of the first vehicle. Prather’s vehicle overtook and collided with the rear of the victims vehicle. The impact caused the victims vehicle to rotate and overturn onto the South shoulder of the highway where the victim was ejected and suffered fatal injuries. Post-impact, Prathers vehicle also traveled to final rest along the south shoulder. FHP Troopers later arrested Quarpaesha Raquel Prather for DUI Manslaughter and delivered her to the Polk County Jail.
The Florida Highway Patrol does not release the name of victims pursuant to Marsy’s Law.
A 44 yr old in the victim’s vehicle was transported for medical attention.
