Do you know where Tykell Dennis is?
Winter Haven Police and Tykell’s family are asking for anyone who knows of Tykell’s whereabouts to call.
She was last seen at her grandmother’s residence on MLK Blvd. She could possibly be in the area of Crowford St. in Lakeland.
Anyone who has information of her whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Maldonado at 863-837-0946.
Winter Haven Police-
Winter Haven Police Asking For Public’s Help In Locating Missing Teenager
Have you seen 16 year-old Makayla Seay?
Makayla was last seen at her 5th St SE residence after having a verbal altercation with a family member. She possibly left with someone in a gold or tan Chevy sedan, possibly an Impala.
Anyone with information on Makayla’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Lozado at 863-662-0166.
The Light Prince: Grail – Tyler’s Journey
by J.C. Alexandre
Tyler doesn’t have an easy life living in a family of success stories. His mother is a doctor. His father is a lawyer. His older brother went to college on an athletic scholarship. And his younger brother always makes the honor roll. Yet the only success Tyler ever had was with video games.
With the start of a new school year, Tyler hopes to turn his luck around. He aspires to make the team and make the grade. He even made friends with the new girl in town, Amber. Will she be able to help him achieve the same success as the rest of his family? He’ll need to overcome temptations from some real losers at school to do so.
Chapter 1: The Call of Adventure
His footsteps, echoing against the stone floor and walls, broke the silence of a thousand years. The brave hero strode through the foyer of the ancient shrine, which sat atop the precipice of a snowcapped peak. He had ridden his horse along the mountainside trail, and when the path became too steep to safely tread on horseback, he climbed the remainder of the way on foot.
His fairy companion hovered near his shoulder. Her glowing, pale blue aura illuminated his path as he ventured into the darkness of the ruins. A moonbeam streaming through the crevices lit a dais on the far end of the room. In its silver light glistened the blade of a sword protruding from an altar. His blue eyes widened, fixing on the illustrious weapon. At last, his search was over.
Like the highest note of a flute, his fairy friend chirped, “Look, there it is! The Sword of Heroes!”
The hero followed the sparkling sprite to the sword in the stone. He wiped the sweat from his blonde brow and studied the artifact. He grabbed the hilt with his leather-gloved hand; yet despite exerting every ounce of his strength, it would not budge.
“Hey! Listen!” The fairy exclaimed in protest. “Have you forgotten? The three gems we retrieved from the other three shrines? It is as the Goddess foretold: you must present them before you can retrieve the Sword of Heroes.”
The hero reached into his satchel and withdrew three gems. He inserted each of them into the slots carved on the stone altar. The first, the Ruby of Valor, crimsoned red. The second, the Sapphire of Love, illuminated blue. And the third, the Emerald of Truth, glowed green.
With the last glowing stone set, the sword shone with a white-hot light. The hero averted his gaze, reached for the hilt, and drew it as easily as a knife drawn from felled quarry.
He held his newly acquired weapon aloft, carefully studying the blade. His fairy companion hovered near his face with similar awe. Suddenly, the floor beneath his feet trembled, and a loud metallic screech shrieked behind him.
A titanic gold effigy sat atop a stone plinth. Its metal joints and limbs roared as its round body sat up from its slouched position and its head lifted from its shoulders. Its eyes, etched upon its metal visage, fixed themselves on the hero.
“Well done, brave hero,” its voice reverberated from the unmoving slot of a mouth. “You have procured the Sacred Gems of Virtue and used their power to retrieve the Sword of Heroes.”
The statue stood and lifted its six arms; each hand held the curved blade of a scimitar.
“Now you must prove yourself worthy of wielding that legendary blade. Defeat me in combat, and you will have proven your prowess.”
The golden giant raised a sword and flung it downward. The warrior leapt away as the attack struck the ground. Landing on his feet, he aimed the Sword of Heroes at his giant foe. The gilded adversary heaved its six scimitars above its head. Without showing any fear or hesitation, the hero launched himself forward.
Before he could land a blow, the hero froze in place. He remained suspended motionless in the air, his feet nearly a yard off the ground, his blade mere inches from the giant’s head. His metal foe likewise remained frozen, as did his fairy companion far behind him. His surrounding environment faded to black, and in blue glowing letters, appeared the words, “Pause.”
*****
“I’d advise you to focus less on your video game and more on your breakfast. Your cereal is getting soggy.”
The young voice broke Tyler’s concentration. The teenager dropped his handheld game and scowled at his younger brother, sitting opposite him at the kitchen table. He rolled his eyes and slipped the game into his jean jacket pocket. Wiping the messy brown hair from his green eyes, he shoveled the milk-drenched cereal into his mouth.
“So, what about you, Paul?” Tyler asked with his mouth full. “Shouldn’t you be eating breakfast rather than working on your model?”
Paul remained fixated on his replica of the International Space Station. The young boy with a blonde, bowl-cut attended to the model with tweezers and paintbrush.
“That’s why I scheduled my morning routine to eat breakfast first before working on my project,” Paul replied, applying the final touches.
Tyler studied the model from his seat. “I still find it hard to believe you built that thing, let alone won first place at science camp.”
“Indubitably,” the young boy said, dipping the tip of his brush into the acrylic paint before raising it to the model ever so carefully. “It is imperative this model is in pristine condition when I present it to my teacher today. I told her about it during orientation, and she assured me she would award me extra credit if I showed it to her.”
“Like you need extra credit.” Tyler shook his head with a chuckle. “You already get straight As in every subject, and you’ve earned honor roll every year since you started elementary. I’m surprised you’re in fourth grade this year. I’d figure you’d skip a few grades.”
“I’m sure you’d be able to attain similar academic achievement if you focused more on your studies and less on your video games,” his younger brother replied.
“Yes, Mom!” Tyler rolled his eyes with a sarcastic tone. “Speaking of which, it’s awfully quiet around here since she and Dad left early. They were long gone when I woke up.”
“Mother has double duty at the hospital this week, and father has very important cases to attend to,” Paul replied. “Not to mention he’ll be attending a lawyer’s conference later this month. He’s going to be presented a very prestigious award for his career.”
“Guess the two of us will have the house to ourselves,” Tyler said before spooning more cereal into his mouth. “Not for nothing, I like being home alone, but I just wished they didn’t need to work so much.”
“Technically, they don’t need to,” Paul replied. “They choose to work extra hours because—”
“Yeah, yeah!” Tyler sighed. “I heard it all before. They choose to work hard so we can all have a better life. That’s why we can afford to live in a nice house in a good neighborhood. It’s how they can afford to send you to summer camp. And it’s why Rick can afford to go to a fancy big-name college.”
A weeks-old photo hung on the refrigerator. It featured him, his parents, and his two brothers. The oldest posed center frame wearing his basketball jersey. They all stood in front of the main building of a prestigious university.
“Not that he needs the money.” Tyler resumed eating his breakfast. “He’s getting a free ride there with his scholarship.” He pointed to Paul with his spoon. “I’m sure you’re going to get a free ride, too, with all of your good grades. Heck, you’re probably going to go to college before me with how much of a little Einstein you are.”
“I’m certain you can earn a scholarship as well.” Paul set his brush in a glass of water before twisting the lid onto his paint jar.
Tyler chortled. “Not with my report cards, I’m not.”
“Don’t belittle yourself like that.” Paul sorted his paints into their container. “At least your average rose from a C+ to B- last year.”
Tyler shook his head. “A B- isn’t going to earn me a scholarship.”
“Well, there’s still athletic scholarships.” Paul carried his glass to the sink to empty the paint water. “You just need to make a team this year.”
Tyler slammed his spoon into his empty bowl before carrying it to the sink. “Yeah, just like I did last year. And the year before that. And every other year prior.”
Paul turned the water on to rinse their dishes. “Try not to be so pessimistic. Performance is just as much about perception as it is perseverance.”
Tyler raised an eyebrow. “Why do you always have to sound like you’re twenty years older than you actually are, huh, Charles Wallace?”
“What can I say?” Paul shrugged. “I’ve taken initiative to expand my vocabulary. I consider the endeavor quite adventitious.”
Tyler kept his eyebrow raised with a sly smirk. “Initiative? Endeavor? Adventitious? Man, you’ve really been using that word-a-day calendar Grandma gave you for Christmas, huh?”
A horn blaring from outside interrupted him. Tyler sprinted out the kitchen as fast as his sneakers could carry him and snatched his backpack before bolting out the door to his awaiting bus, leaving his brother to wait for his bus when it arrived later that morning.
###
“Tyler’s Journey” is a side-story to the fantasy novel, “The Light Prince Grail.” The story follows Tyler’s life before he and Amber ventured into the fantastical world of Arden. It details his many personal struggles and how they influenced his decisions in the novel. His story will help readers learn more about themselves as they do about him.
“The Light Prince: Grail” and “Tyler’s Journey” are available in paperback and e-book on Amazon. For more information, visit the author’s website at: jcalexandre.com
by James Coulter
Have your lights burned out? Is your wiring getting tiring? Whether you’ve blown a fuse or your equipment has short-circuited, City Electric Supply has anything you need to fix your electrical problems.
City Electric Supply is a family-owned electrical wholesale business that supplies all your electrical needs, whether you need a new fuse, generator, electrical outlet, wiring, cords, or cables. Unlike regular retail stores, they provide you with personalized service, which means you’re treated as a person and not as a number.
“Our ‘customer service first’ core value has allowed us to grow continually for over 30 years while keeping our founding principle of empowering people to make local business decisions,” their website states.
City Electric Supply operates more than 537 locations nationwide in 30 states and with more than 3,400 employees. Started in 1951, and operating in Florida since 1983, their commitment to placing customers first has allowed them to remain in business for nearly half a century.
“In a ‘time is money’ world, outperforming service expectations sets City Electric Supply apart,” their website states. “When it comes to in-depth customer service and products in the residential, commercial, and industrial markets, no other wholesaler surpasses City Electric Supply!”
Mike Bertone, Regional Manager, recently opened their new location in Lake Wales. He noticed there was a gap between the Sebring and Winter Haven areas, so he decided to open the Lake Wale location to fill that gap and meet customers halfway.
“We saw Lake Wales as an up-and-growing community here,” he said. “We had a location in Sebring. We did a lot of deliveries up this way coming down from Winter Haven at that location. Plus we had a lot of contractors here in Lake Wales. So, we thought it would be more convenient to get a location up in here.”
Their Lake Wales location celebrated its grand opening on Tuesday morning with vendors showcasing their products and a food truck providing refreshments. Since opening a few months ago, the new store has experienced a warm reception, and they hope to continue going strong.
With more than 32 years of experience under his belt, Bertone has the know-how to know how to give customers what he needs. He expects that he and his staff will be able to service the Lake Wales area.
“It is a personalized hometown service you will get from us. We have knowledgeable staff that has been with us for a while,” he said. “So far, we had the door open for a few months, and the branch is doing very well. So, with our turnout today, we are excited to see it growing.”
City Electric Supply is located at 1750 Longleaf Blvd Suite 5&6, Lake Wales, FL 33859. For more information, visit: https://www.cityelectricsupply.com/branch/775
by James Coulter
Appalling, immoral, and possibly illegal. Those words were used to describe the city’s process to approve plans for a major manufacturing plant in Lake Wales.
During public comments at the Lake Wales City Commission meeting on Tuesday, Catherine Price, a Lake Wales resident, raised concerns many residents allegedly had about a proposal for a plastic pipe plant planned for a 100-acre site near Hunts Brothers Road and 11th Street.
The proposed plant will manufacture corrugated pipes, typically used for stormwater projects, produced from recycled plastic pellets, as Lake Wales News reported. When completed, it is expected to employ 65 workers during its primary shift, with three shifts operating 24 hours a day.
“Because the finished pipes would be stored in the open rather than inside warehouses, the plant requires a Special Exception Use Permit,” LakeWalesNews.net reported. “The location of the plant is adjacent to several recently-approved residential projects, one of which proposes to build townhomes on property adjacent to the site. It is also only a short distance from both the municipal limits of Highland Park and Highland Park Manor, an unincorporated residential community.”
Due to the nature of the production of these pipes and the plant’s proximity to residential properties, concerns have been raised about the environmental impact, as well as noise, light, and traffic. However, during her comments, Price focused on the alleged lack of transparency over the city’s process to approve the project.
Originally, a special session of the Planning and Zoning Board meeting to approve the special permit for the plant was to be hosted at 5:30 pm on Jan. 12, around the same time as the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Park Avenue Market redesign.
The announcement for the meeting had been made that Monday, Jan. 9, and the time being adjacent with the groundbreaking ceremony raised a “red flag” for Price. Upon checking the agenda for the meeting, she discovered the discussion for the pipe plant project was the only item.
That Wed., Jan. 11, during a City Commission work session, several of the city commissioners were allegedly unaware of the pipe plant proposal until they read about it in an article the LakeWalesNews.net published earlier that week, Price claimed.
“City Manager James Slatton informed all of us that the decision on the planning and zoning meeting on Thursday would be a final decision for this project,” she said during her comments. “He said he planned a press conference on Friday to announce this to the public.”
Price requested permitting plans to see how the plant had been re-zoned. She received some correspondence about the project, which date as far back as 2021.
“So, some of the city and economic development officials have been aware of this project for a year and a half, yet the people who will have to live around the plant and whose property value and health will be affected by the plant just found out about it,” she said.
“The way that this has been handled, in my opinion, by the people of the city is pretty appalling. It is immoral. It lacks transparency. And it is possibly illegal,” she said. “We, as the citizens of the City of Lake Wales call on our city commissioners to hold city staff accountable for this behavior and protect the safety and wellbeing of our citizens first and foremost.”
Catherine Price, the wife of Bok Tower Gardens President, David Price, had previously served as Chairwoman of the Polk County Healthcare Alliance from 2007 to 2010. She ran as a candidate for Florida Senate District 26 in 2018.
Price has remained vocal about similar annexations of property into the city limits. In a tweet posted on the City of Lake Wales’s Twitter, she had allegedly claimed that “people are not aware of the annexations and rezoning.”
She had recently experienced major pushback for her public comments during a City Commission meeting on Dec. 20, as Mayor Jack Hilligoss had threatened to have her arrested over a dispute to comments being reduced from five to two minutes and being limited to residents living inside the city limits, as reported by the Polk-News Sun.
**The Planning and Zoning special board meeting was abruptly canceled late Wednesday afternoon!**
Over the weekend February. 4, 2023, The City of Davenport held its annual Taste of Davenport event located at the Tom Fellows Community Center. The venue was packed from wall to wall. There were over 250 tickets sold, tickets included unlimited food samples and drinks.
One local resident said “people are grubbing” while standing in line for some of the delicious food at the Tijuana flats table. There were over two dozen of vendors from Davenport and neighboring cities who participated in this event.
There were a variety of food and tasty treats. This was a few of the vendors first time attending the Taste of Davenport. Such as Chef Roberts G of New World Chefs Realm LLC. mentioned he will return next year for sure and that was he excited to be a part of an amazing event.
The taste of Davenport was the perfect mix of good music, an array of different food samples and tasty treats. There was even music from live saxophonist and violinist. “This is an event you do not want to miss next year the food here is phenomenal,” said another local resident. Davenport’s next event will be the highwaymen March 3-4 this will also be taken place at the Tom fellows community center, 207 North Blvd. Davenport, FL for more information visit www.mydavenport.org or call 863-588-1130.
We thank Beyonca West Augustin, Marketing & Communications, with the City of Davenport for information and photos
On Tuesday, January 8, 2023, at approximately 6:09 a.m., a silver F-150 truck was traveling northbound on South Florida Avenue approaching the intersection of Belmar Street. At the same time, a marked Lakeland Police Department SUV was traveling southbound on South Florida Avenue, and behind it, a Mitsubishi SUV. According to a witness, the Ford truck began to pass another vehicle at a high rate of speed, entering the center lane against the solid yellow, no-passing lane. At some point, the truck collided with the police SUV and then also with the Mitsubishi. After the collision, the F-150 continued traveling north a short distance before exiting the roadway and colliding with the building identified as the Waller Center.
The Lakeland Police Department Patrol Unit, Polk County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department arrived on the scene to begin life-saving measures. The driver of the F-150 was declared deceased at the scene by medical personnel. The officer and driver of the Mitsubishi were transported to the hospital for minor injuries.
Members of the Traffic Homicide Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation. The roadway was shut down for approximately five hours while the scene was processed for the ongoing investigation.
This remains an open investigation. If anyone has any additional information regarding the crash, please contact investigating Officer Camilo Almeida at [email protected].
The Ford F-150 operator (deceased) was identified as:
Troy Davison
Age 52
Boca Raton, FL
The Lakeland Police Officer was identified as:
Andrea Smith
The Mitsubishi operator was identified as:
Lebrun Washington
Age 59
Austell, GA
Watch Out For Phishing Emails Appearing To Be From The City of Winter Haven
The Winter Haven Police Department was made aware of a phishing email that is landing in business and citizen inboxes claiming to be from someone at the City of Winter Haven.
If you will look at the image below, you will see the things that will tell you immediately that you should be suspicious.
First, the misspelling of “My Nane is”. The most important thing to note is the email address is @cityofwinterhaven.com.
Any City of Winter Haven emails come from @mywinterhaven.com. A subtle difference that could be overlooked easily.
We want to remind everyone that, unless you personally know the sender of an email, always be wary of unsolicited emails and delete when they look odd. And of course, never EVER click on links or provide any personal or financial information.
When in doubt, give the organization a call to check or you can call our Crime Prevention Unit at 863-291-6178 to assist.
PCSO Press Release
Detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office executed search warrants Monday of the vehicle driven by suspect 21-year-old Alex Greene (DOB 8/16/01) just prior to the crash that ended the pursuit.
During the search of the Chevrolet Silverado that Greene initially used to flee from agents from the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), and Lakeland Police Department, the following were recovered: 28 grams of Cocaine, 4,178.9 grams of marijuana, a Glock .357 handgun, a Glock .45 handgun, and $2,813.00 in US currency. Greene was also in possession of $5,833 cash found on his person.
The Toyota Camry that Greene carjacked from an elderly victim at Andrea’s Family Restaurant was also searchednothing appeared to have been left in the vehicle by Greene.
Prior to Greene’s death, he had an outstanding PCSO warrant for: Residential Burglary (F3), Conspiracy to Commit Burglary (F3), and Trespassing with Larceny (M1), following a January 2023 investigation in Lake Alfred.
Greene’s criminal history spans back to 2013 when he was a pre-teen. Arrests of Greene since that time include: Battery (Nov. 2013); Battery (Jan. 2014); Marijuana Distribution and Marijuana Possession (January 2015); Fighting and Disorderly Conduct (March 2015); Hit & Run and Resisting (March 2016); Possession of Marijuana and Drug Paraphernalia (April 2016); Robbery, Larceny, Battery, Criminal Mischief, and Disorderly Conduct (May 2016); Battery (Dec. 2016); Weapon Possession (Jan. 2017); Possession of Marijuana and Drug Paraphernalia (July 2018), Assault and Fleeing to Elude (August 2022); and numerous Violations of Probation and Failures to Appear in Court.
Greene was under investigation by the Lakeland Police Department for his involvement in the mass shooting on January 30th, 2023 that occurred in the city of Lakeland. Greene was under surveillance by Special Agents from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), special agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and members of the Lakeland Police Department when he exited a residence in Eagle Lake and entered the white Chevrolet Silverado. An FDLE agent and ATF agents, activating their emergency equipment on their undercover vehicles, attempted to stop Greene as he left the residence. Greene did not stop. Greene fled the area, followed by Captain Eric Harper of the Lakeland Police Department. Greene refused to stop and Captain Harper initiated a pursuit of GreeneFDLE and ATF did not engage in a pursuit. Captain Harper successfully executed a pit maneuver on the suspect just east of Andreas Family Restaurant located at 1498 Havendale Boulevard.
Greene fled on foot. While fleeing, Greene carjacked an elderly female’s vehicle and attempted to carjack the vehicle. Captain Harper placed himself to the left of the driver’s side area of the vehicle and drew his agency issued firearm yelling commands to the suspect to “stop” and “show me your hands.” Captain Harper was also loudly identifying himself as a police officer. The suspect refused to comply with the verbal commands.
Greene then placed the silver Toyota Camry in drive, and drove vehicle towards Captain Harper, quickly accelerating (attempting to run over Captain Harper). Captain Harper discharged his firearm six times into the driver’s side area of the vehicle. While engaging the threat, Captain Harper was able to successfully move himself out of the path of the oncoming vehicle. The vehicle being operated by the suspect then struck a parked vehicle in the Andrea’s parking lot narrowly missing Captain Harper. Greene continued to flee west bound onto Havendale Boulevard before finally crashing into an unoccupied business at 1598 Havendale Blvd.
In addition to his outstanding warrant, Greene would have been charged with multiple felonies, including fleeing to elude, attempted murder of a LEO, Possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, robbery and carjacking, resisting arrest, and possession of drugs with intent to sell.
The investigation is ongoing by the 10th Judicial Circuit Officer-Involved Deadly Incident Task Force.
City of Winter Haven – We are looking to fill an opening on our Cultural Arts Advisory Committee. The person selected will serve a term that expires on September 30, 2024. For more detailed information on this Committee, please get in touch with Natalie Wilson, Special Events Coordinator, at (863) 291-5656 or [email protected].
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