Live Music Around Winter Haven: January 29 – February 3
Winter Haven is turning up the volume with a packed lineup of live music to close out January and kick off February. From local favorites and country vibes to a major charity event and intimate lounge sessions, there’s something for every music lover this week.
Korey Ketchum Music
Fans of acoustic and country sounds can catch Korey Ketchum at two popular local spots this weekend:
Friday, Jan. 30 – The Twisted Prop Bar & Grille, 6–9:30 p.m.
*Located just on the edge of Winter Haven. This spot is perfect for a late-night live music fix.
Cypresswood Pub
Cypresswood Pub continues its strong run of live entertainment with a full weekend of music:
Thursday, Jan. 29 – Casey Howell Duo, 6–9 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 30 – Prime Country, 6–9 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 31 – Blind Ambition, 6–9 p.m.
1099 Clubhouse Rd in Winter Haven
Tanners Lakeside – Charity Event
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 – Straight Up Boutlaw 2 Homecoming & Family Reunion
Tanners Lakeside will host a special live music charity event benefiting the Ronald McDonald House. The event features live music, food trucks, raffles, giveaways, and more, all in support of a great cause. A perfect way to enjoy live entertainment while giving back to the community.
1006 S Lake Howard Dr in Winter Haven
Sage Sessions at Sage Cocktail Lounge
Sage Sessions continues its popular weekly music series:
Every Tuesday Tuesday, Feb. 3 – Laura the Singer, 6–9 p.m.
Enjoy a relaxed evening of live music, cocktails, and great vibes at Sage Cocktail Lounge, located at
99 3rd Street NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881
Whether you’re looking for a lively weekend crowd, a meaningful community event, or a laid-back Tuesday night soundtrack, Winter Haven’s live music scene has you covered.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit has arrested an Eagle Lake man for 46 counts of possession of child pornography, enhanced (F2), and three drug-related charges, after receipt of a cyber tip led them to serve a search warrant at his home.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) tip received by the PCSO indicated that hundreds of files possibly containing children being sexually abused had been uploaded and saved to a Google cloud account in the area of Eagle Lake. A PCSO detective reviewed the files and determined that 46 of the files did contain child pornography and were uploaded from an IP address located within the Ranches at Lake McLeod neighborhood. The files depicted children between the ages of four and ten years old being sexually abused by adult men and/or being displayed in a sexual manner.
During the investigation, detectives positively identified Isaac F. Khan (DOB 4/11/2001) as the owner of the cell phone number and email address associated with the Google account in the tip. They obtained a search warrant and responded to Khan’s residence on Marksman Road; there they learned from his grandparents that he was at work at McDonald’s in Wahneta. They took him into custody at the McDonald’s.
During an interview, Khan told detectives that he was “addicted to pornography” and had downloaded thousands of files but denied any contained images of children. During the search of his bedroom, detectives seized 10 cell phones, a hard drive, an iPod, a flash drive, MDMA, marijuana, and a grinder.
He was also charged with one count possession of MDMA (F3), and one count each possession of marijuana and paraphernalia (M1).
Detectives will conduct a thorough analysis of the electronic devices seized and he will be appropriately charged if any additional illegal files are found.
Khan attended a first appearance hearing this afternoon where a judge assigned $25,000 bond per child pornography charge ($1,150,000 total), and $7,000 total for the three drug-related charges.
“My detectives are the very best in the business – they jump into action and conduct a thorough investigation each time they receive a cyber tip regarding children being sexually abused. So far there are no indications that this suspect had any contact with children, but the fact that he was uploading such despicable images is extremely concerning, and he belongs in jail.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Author: T. Michael Stavres, City Manager, Winter Haven, Florida
In recent months, I’ve had many conversations with residents, business owners, and civic groups about local government finances—especially the piece property taxes play in supporting them. While the topic can feel abstract or confusing, one theme consistently resonates with people: property taxes help pay for the everyday services we as citizens rely on without even thinking about them.
Consider a few simple questions:
• If you’ve ever had to call 911 because of an emergency at your home or business and the police responded, did they hand you a bill when the situation was resolved?
• If the fire department came to your home for a medical emergency or to extinguish a fire, did anyone pull out an iPad and ask you to “tap to pay”?
• When you backed out of your driveway to go to work, school, or the grocery store, did you stop at a toll booth to cover the cost of the road, traffic signals, or stop signs?
• When you took your children or grandchildren to a neighborhood park, was there an attendant collecting a fee to use the playground?
The answer, of course, is “no”.
That is because these services, and many others, are funded collectively through property taxes, rather than charging residents a fee every time they need help, drive on a road, or enjoy a public space. Property taxes ensure these services are available to everyone, all the time.
In practical terms, property tax revenue allows a city to staff and equip its police and fire departments with trained professionals, modern equipment, and adequate resources. It keeps roads maintained and safe. It ensures parks are clean, welcoming, and safe places for children and families. It also allows cities to address the natural wear and tear that comes with daily use of infrastructure and public facilities. When those revenues are reduced, cities don’t stop needing roads, parks, or emergency services. Instead, maintenance gets delayed, repairs are deferred, and small problems become larger and more expensive ones. Over time, degradation accelerates.
Compounding the issue, proposals to eliminate or sharply reduce ad valorem taxes would likely make Florida even more attractive to new residents, placing greater demand on local services and infrastructure while simultaneously reducing the revenue needed to support them.
Another reality that deserves attention is that costs associated with providing municipal services are rising, even when cities work hard to control spending. Cities are not immune to increased costs for equipment, fuel, insurance, and construction.
Winter Haven is experiencing one of the lowest crime rates in its history. In 2025, the city opened its fourth fire station and began construction on a fifth. These are not luxuries; they are essential investments that allow us to protect residents, respond quickly to emergencies, and maintain quality of life.
In Winter Haven, the general fund budget is $78.3 million. Of that, $31.5 million comes from ad valorem property taxes. Meanwhile, police, fire, and code compliance operations total $34.7 million—meaning public safety alone costs $3.2 million more than property tax revenue generates. That balance has to be offset with additional non-property tax revenue sources. That is before expenses for roads, parks, and other services are even considered.
Some current ideas around property tax reform wisely prohibit reductions in public safety services. No one wants to live in an unsafe community. But when tax revenue already falls short of covering those costs, a serious question remains: what gets cut instead?
Do we reduce road maintenance? Park upkeep? Youth and recreation programs?
Ironically, eliminating or underfunding those non–public safety investments often unintentionally increases demand on police and fire services. Children with fewer recreational opportunities are more likely to find trouble. Poorly maintained roads lead to more accidents. Deferred maintenance creates risks that ultimately require emergency response.
Property taxes are not an abstract line item in a budget. They are the mechanism that allows cities like Winter Haven to function smoothly, safely, and reliably every single day—often without residents ever having to think about it. The challenge before us is not simply how to lower taxes, but how to ensure that any changes do not undermine the very services that make our communities safe, livable, and strong.
A substitute teacher was arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Tuesday morning, January 27, 2026 while in a school parking lot.
At around 10:29 am on Tuesday, a Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputy who is assigned to Lake Alfred Polytech (925 N. Buena Vista Drive, Lake Alfred) as a school resource officer, as he was attempting to back out of his parking space.
The substitute teacher was identified as 44-year old Micah Alan Dyal of Haines City.
A Field Sobriety Test was administered to Dyal, and he showed multiple obvious signs of impairment, including the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath.
Micah Dyal was subsequently arrested and transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center where he was charged with DUI.
Dyal consented to a blood draw, and the sample will be submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for testing to determine blood-alcohol content and/or drug use.
“This substitute teacher was drunker than Cooter Brown at school while he was supposed to be teaching our children. We gave him an education when we took him to jail.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Polk County Public Schools provided the following statement:
“We commend our school staff for noticing that something was off, and not allowing this individual to proceed to the classroom yesterday. What a terrible decision and unacceptable behavior from someone working on a campus. This person will no longer have any involvement with PCPS.”
Notice is hereby given that Lake Wales Storage intends to sell the property described below to enforce a lien under the Florida Self Storage Facility Act, Statutes (section 83.80-83.809). The owner will sell at public auction on or after February 11,2026 at 10:00 am at storageauctions.com
Units belonging to the following:
Robert Mitchell/Unit 406
This sale will be continued on such succeeding sale days thereafter as may be necessary to be completed. Unless otherwise noted units contain household items.
Three-vehicle crash near Davenport Tuesday morning leaves one driver dead
Three vehicles were involved in a fatal crash that occurred Tuesday morning, January 27, 2026, just north of the city of Davenport.
At around 6:04 am, deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the crash on US 17/92 near Bargain Barn Road.
Upon arrival, they found three vehicles had been involved in the crash. Each vehicle was only occupied by a driver.
Two of the drivers were not injured, but the third driver was deceased in his vehicle.
Deputies secured the scene and closed down US 17/92. The roadway remained closed for about four hours.
The three drivers who were involved were: •Jose Luis Velazquez, 47, of Haines City (Deceased). He was driving a silver 2014 Infiniti Q50. •Steven Scott King, 61, Haines City. He was driving a black 2014 Jeep Cherokee. •Yaicel Espinosa Pacheco, 40, Orlando. He was driving a red 2006 Sterling dump truck. Mr. King and Mr. Pacheco had been wearing their seat belt, but Mr. Velazquez was not.
At the time of the collision, Mr. Pacheco (dump truck) was southbound on US 17/92. The other two vehicles were northbound on US 17/92.
There were no independent witnesses of the crash, nor any video.
Evidence showed that there was contact made between the two northbound cars, which caused the Infiniti to enter the southbound lane, in front of the oncoming dump truck.
Additional investigation and processing of evidence will be conducted, and any charges are pending the outcome of the investigation, which remains ongoing.
Chris Singleton: Healing Division Through Unity by James Coulter
With a new year comes new opportunities to bring about new beginnings through change. One motivational speaker who recently spoke at a local high school has a bold vision to bring about said change in the lives of young people.
Former MLB player Chris Singleton is on a mission: to make the world more united than it was on the day that took his mother’s life.
“The mission for me is that we realize the fact that everyone’s got stories behind the reason of why they are like what they like,” he told an auditorium of students at Lake Region High School.
“See, most of the time people don’t open up…because people won’t understand,” he said. “And when you share your story, you might realize…I am more like this person than I thought.”
In 2015, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton was one of nine people killed during a shooting at Emmanuel Church in Charleston, SC. The shooter wanted to divide people and start a race war. Chris seeks to do the opposite and bring people together.
“Before I said love is stronger than hate and forgive my mother’s killer, I did not have anything on my mind about what I am going to say,” he said. “So sharing those words, I think it was a higher power putting that on my heart, and I see why now: because now that’s my whole life’s mission. It just fuels me to keep pushing forward and be the opposite of the guy who took my mom. His mission was division and hate. My mission is unity, love, and resilience.”
Chris visits schools nationwide to spread his message of hope and unity. He recently appeared at Lake Region High School to participate in its Weekend of Wellness event.
The event’s centerpiece was a school assembly, where he addressed more than 3,500 students and staff. And while kids these days are usually glued to their phones, when Chris speaks, they listen.
“Once I start speaking, they see how passionate I am about this mission,” he said. “They open their hearts. And so when their hearts are open, I share a message of unity, a message of peace, resilience, and they always gravitate toward that.”
Chris’s message is simple yet poignant: love is stronger than hate, unity holds better than division, and no matter what problems you are going through, there’s always someone who cares.
“Kids are coming up afterwards, taking pictures,” he said. “Some of them, you can look in their eyes that they are going through something, whether it is a parent struggling with addiction, whether it is losing a loved one…But you know what? When you get knocked down, we don’t stay there. We stand up,and we keep moving forward, and we honor the people that we lost, that we loved. I want kids to know that they are not alone when they go through tough stuff. When they heard me share my story, they could tell that I genuinely care, too.”
Millions of Americans are living with low vision, a visual impairment that can turn everyday moments – recognizing a friend’s face across the street, reading a recipe or checking a text message – into unexpected challenges.
Low vision isn’t a natural part of getting older, though the conditions that cause it do become more common with age.
Whether low vision is affecting you or a loved one, Low Vision Awareness Month (February) is a perfect time to have your eyes examined for signs of eye diseases and to take steps to make daily life easier if you are experiencing low vision.
Consider this information from the National Eye Institute to make the most of your vision and improve your quality of life.
Understanding low vision
You may have low vision if you can’t see well enough to read, drive, recognize faces, distinguish colors or see screens clearly.
Many different eye conditions can cause low vision, but the most common causes are age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can cause vision loss in people with diabetes.
The most common types of low vision are:
-Central vision loss (not being able to see things in the center of your vision)
-Peripheral vision loss (not being able to see things out of the corners of your eyes
-Night blindness (not being able to see in low light)
-Blurry or hazy vision
Diagnosing low vision
Your doctor can check for low vision as part of a simple, painless comprehensive dilated eye exam.
He or she will ask you to read letters that are up close and far away and will check whether you can see things in the center and at the edges of your vision.
Then eye drops are used to widen your pupils and check for other eye problems – including conditions that could cause low vision.
Low vision is usually permanent, but glasses, medicine or surgery may help with daily activities or slow progression.
Living with low vision
If you have low vision, you aren’t alone. There are steps you can take to make life easier.
For minor vision loss, simple adjustments like using brighter lights, wearing anti-glare sunglasses and using magnifiers can help. Changing the settings on your phone and computer to increase contrast, make text larger or have the device read out loud may also help.
If your vision loss is getting in the way of everyday activities, ask your eye doctor about vision rehabilitation. These services can give you skills and resources to help manage your daily life and keep your independence. Examples include:
-Employment and job training
-Environmental modifications, like improving lighting and contrast
-Assistive devices and technologies, like magnifiers, filters and screen readers
-Adaptive strategies for daily living and independent living skills training
-Emotional support, like counseling or support groups
-Transportation and household services
Finding the right vision rehabilitation services and support may take time, but working closely with your eye doctor or care team is an important first step. Discuss your needs and goals for living with your visual impairment so they can help identify the best services for you.
Barbie has been everything from a doctor to an astronaut. She’s been many shades and skin colors. She’s even been in a wheelchair. Now, her newest doll has Barbie being something completely different: a person with Autism.
A Barbie with Autism
Earlier this month, Mattel unveiled its first Barbie doll with Autism. The doll includes many features and accessories that reflect traits commonly associated with people with Autism:
• Posable Elbows and Wrists: The doll’s flexible joints allow her to mimic common stimming movements, such as hand flapping, which many people with Autism use to self-regulate their emotions or manage their sensory input.
• Sideward Eye Gaze: Her eyes are slightly averted to reflect how some people with Autism avoid direct eye contact.
• Headphones: The doll wears noise-canceling headphones that many people with Autism wear to reduce sensory overload and stay focused.
• Fidget Spinner: The doll uses a fidget spinner, a type of stim toy used by many people with Autism to help manage stress and support concentration.
• Tablet: The doll uses a tablet featuring an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) app, similar to devices some people with Autism use to communicate through symbols.
• Sensory Sensitive Fashion: She wears a loose, soft A-line dress designed to minimize fabric-to-skin contact, reflecting common sensory preferences.
Mixed Reactions from Autism Community
Mattel created the new doll through a close 18-month collaboration with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), a non-profit disability rights organization run by and for people with Autism that advocates for the rights of the autistic community.
“As proud members of the autistic community, our ASAN team was thrilled to help create the first-ever autistic Barbie doll. It is so important for young autistic people to see authentic, joyful representations of themselves, and that’s exactly what this doll is,” said Colin Killick, ASAN Executive Director.
However, while the new doll received praise from some people with Autism, as Daily Dot reported, other individuals on social media were less than enthused, claiming the dolls could perpetuate negative stereotypes.
“On one hand, I’m so happy this is being released. On the otherhand, I fear it’s going to reinforce stereotypes of what we look like and how we act, as well as reinforce beauty stereotypes vs. who gets support,” wrote Kit Author on Blueksy.
“As someone with Autism, I find it offensive that a complex and challenging condition is reduced to a handful of plastic accessories and some flexi joints. What next? Autistic Ken with nerdy glasses and a trainspotter log book?” wrote Steve Bower on Bluesky.
One Spectrum, Many Experiences
Toys and other media that aim to represent diverse identities, especially within marginalized communities, rarely pleaseeveryone. Even people with shared life experiences can have very different lives and perspectives within those experiences.
This is especially true for Autism, which is described as a spectrum disorder: a wide range of traits and symptoms all rooted in the same underlying condition but with varying severity and presentation. In other words, people with Autism often experience it differently. Some people experience some symptoms more severely. Others experience other symptoms less severely.
Everyone experiences Autism differently because everyone is different. There is no single “autistic experience.” That’s why representing people with Autism in media, or in toys like Barbie, can be challenging: a character or doll might reflect one person’s lived experience but not another’s.
For example, as someone with Autism, I can relate to this Barbie doll’s difficulty with eye contact and her use of stimming to manage emotions. But while I use regular headphones to tune out the world, I’ve never used noise‑canceling ones. And I’ve never needed an app to help me communicate.
Throughout her 60‑plus years, Barbie has reflected many different kinds of people. Part of that diversity includes the many ways individuals experience their identities. A doll that resonates deeply with one person may not reflect another—and that’s okay! Because we’re all different.
The Town of Lake Hamilton is inviting residents and visitors to come together for a Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Community Celebration on Friday, January 31, beginning at 12 p.m.
The MLK Parade will follow the designated route through town. Community members are encouraged to line the route and show their support as the parade makes its way to Gunter Park, where the celebration will continue.
Map provided by Town of Lake Hamilton
Following the parade, attendees can enjoy a variety of activities at Gunter Park, including food, live music, entertainment, vendors, and family-friendly fun. The event will also feature a guest speaker, honoring the legacy and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
This free, public event is designed to bring the community together in celebration, reflection, and unity.
Residents are encouraged to arrive early, review the parade route map in advance, and join the Town of Lake Hamilton for an afternoon of remembrance and community spirit.
