Lakeland woman dies from injuries from recent crash, driver of crash to be charged with DUI Manslaughter
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit was informed on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, that a Lakeland woman had passed away from her injuries, three days after she was involved in a two-vehicle crash. The driver who caused the crash has now been charged with DUI Manslaughter. 47-year-old Jeannie Parnell was being treated at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, but succumbed to her injuries. She was a front-seat passenger of a blue 2019 Ford Mustang that was driven by 53-year-old Terri Spivey, also of Lakeland. The crash occurred on Sunday, June 7th, at about 9:30 p.m., on U.S. 98, just north of Banana Road in Lakeland. The driver of the second vehicle, a gray 2004 Mercury Mountaineer, was driven by 41-year-old Linda Dorman of Lakeland. According to the preliminary investigation, Dorman’s Mountaineer was stopped behind other vehicles for a traffic light on southbound U.S. 98, when it was struck from behind by Spivey’s Mustang. Neither Parnell nor Spivey were wearing seat belts. Despite the activation of the front airbags, Parnell’s head struck the windshield causing severe head trauma.Ms. Dorman told deputies that she was not injured. During the on-scene investigation, investigators noted that Spivey exhibited bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred mumbled speech, and a moderate odor of alcoholic beverage when she spoke. A Field Sobriety Test was performed, and it was determined that Spivey was impaired, and she was arrested. After she was transported to the jail, a breath test was performed in which Spivey provided two breath samples that resulted in a .214 and a .211. The legal limit is .08. Spivey was initially charged with DUI with Serious Bodily Injury, DUI with Property Damage, DUI over .150, but following the passing of Parnell, Spivey’s first charge has been upgraded to DUI Manslaughter. The Florida Department of Transportation assisted deputies with rerouting traffic due to U.S. 98 being closed for about 4-hours. The crash remains under investigation.
DJ Melvin Celebrates 50th Birthday And 30 Years As
Open Format DJ
By James Coulter
He’s a little bit country. And he’s a little bit rock
‘n roll. He’s a little bit R&B, with a little bit of Latin in his soul.
From pop and hip-hop to country and electronica, DJ
Melvin Rios plays a little bit of everything and anything through his venue
Next Level Entertainment.
Whether you’re hosting a wedding, birthday party, or
quinceanera, if you have a particular musical taste, DJ Melvin can play it for
you.
His diverse music selection allows him to
“accommodate your music preferences with relative ease”, as his
website claims. And with his ability as an “open format DJ” to change
songs on a fly, you’ll never know what you might hear next.
“I play every single [kind of] music,” he
explained. “To do that, you have to have a lot of knowledge about music to
jump from this world to that world…but you have to be able to mix it so it
doesn’t feel like a disaster in between, so I take a lot of pride doing that
together, to take people on a music journey.”
One Facebook reviewer hired DJ Melvin to play music at
their wedding reception at a garden ballroom. The result was one of their best
days ever.
“Melvin is really awesome,” the reviewer
wrote. “He made sure everything went well during the wedding. He knows how
to make the party lively and fun. Thanks to him we had a great time that night.
I’ll definitely recommend you guys to people I know looking for a superb
professional service.”
DJ Melvin owes the secret to his success to treating
every performance as though he were performing at his own event. In fact, he
even hosted his own event recently at Balmoral Resort Florida in Haines City to
celebrate his 50th birthday. He entertained a small group of friends for his
special day, as well as played some wicked tunes for them.
“I take pride of my work and treat the event as
if it were my own,” he said. “Every job that I do, I pretend it is
for me. And I take pride of it and make it as successful as I can, or to surpass
my customers’ expectations.”
Born in Puerto Rico, DJ Melvin has been living in
Winter Haven since 1989. He loved music ever since he was a little boy. His
brother in the Air Force would often send him vinyl records, and when he moved
away to California, his brother gave him all of his records.
At home, DJ Melvin started playing a single turn
table, mixing the music with 8-track tapes. One of his first vinyl records was
a single of Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration.”
His enthusiasm for music inevitably became a career.
He started working as a DJ at age 17 at a roller skating rink. His more than 30
year career would have him tour events and night clubs not only in Florida, by
throughout the United States.
“Now I am turning 50 years old, and I have been through
every type of technology from vinyl to CDs to laptops with an external hard
drive,” he said.
He eventually decided to settle down in Panama City
and work at Club La Vela, the largest night clubs in the United States.
When his father figure passed away, he returned to
Polk County to move in with his mother, as he was the only person in his family
not married, and thus available to assist her.
Other people would ask him to host their weddings and
parties. This led him to creating his own venue, Next Level Entertainment, in
2014. He is now a preferred vendor at more than 10 venues throughout Polk
County.
Sergio Aponte, a close friend of his, considers DJ
Melvin to be a very loyal friend whose loyalty extends toward his clients. In
an industry like his with a lot of competition, that Next Level Entertainment
can stand out so well is a testament to his level of quality service.
“He always brings a variety in music, always make
sure everyone is having a good time,” Aponte said. “He is always
high-spirited, never negative, always trying to give everybody a good time,
share the moment with him, and give variety for everyone at every one of the
events.”
Since starting his business five years ago, DJ Melvin
has received rave reviews on social media, especially five star reviews. He
even won the title of Best DJ in Central Florida in the 2020 Awards on WeddingWire.
Perhaps his best reward is being able to help others.
At least four times a year, he performs pro-bono for a charity of his choice.
One venue he frequents every year is the Bartender Bash for Citrus Boys and
Girls Club, which he has been attending for the past three years.
While many events have been canceled due to COVID-19,
he expects to return to dropping his beats once events start up again.
“It is the passion and love for music,” he
said. “I love to entertain people, in every age or category you can think
of. And I see people having a good time and smile. Music can be a getaway for
people that either brings them happiness or even if you are shy, it breaks them
out of their shell sometime.”
Running Reckless Runs Reckless For First Time Since
COVID-19 Crisis
by James Coulter
For nearly three months, Mike Parker and his fellow
bandmates have been unable to run reckless as Running Reckless. Now that local
bars and other venues are re-opening following the COVID-19 outbreak, their
band were able to play their first gig in a long time.
Running Reckless performed for a live audience for the first time in months on Saturday evening at Balmoral Resort Florida in Haines City. Their performance managed to draw in a sizeable crowd.
Normally, the band is booked solid for several months
during normal circumstances. However, since the COIVD-19 outbreak and the
stay-at-home order shutting many of their venues down, Mike and his bandmates have
experienced a major gap which they’re now starting to fill up once again, he
said.
“Obviously, we have been out for the last three
months, and we didn’t have an opportunity to play and keep those dates…but
now that we are open, we had several calls and we expect it to be as strong as
it ever was,” he said.
Mike, the lead vocalist and promoter, considers
Running Reckless “not your run of the mill cover band.” His band
plays everything from popular rock to classic and hard rock. They tour
throughout Polk County, as well as Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco.
Recently, their band of four is experiencing a
re-grouping. They are currently searching for a drummer, with someone else
filling in for them during their performance on Saturday.
Mike and his bandmates always strive to play the best
music for the best people. Now that they are able to go out and perform once
again, they expect to fill their book with dates real soon, he said.
“Amazing music, amazing people, and ALWAYS bring
a great time and a great show!” one reviewer on Facebook wrote.
“Definitely one of my top favorite local bands!”
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Running Reckless was invited to perform at Balmoral
Resort Florida by Amber Pearce, Senior Event Manager of Feltrim Sports. The
band won first place last year during a Battle of the Bands event hosted at
Tanners Lakeside.
Since this was the first time Running Reckless has
performed since the outbreak, the band advertised their performance as a
“comeback”, Pearce explained.
“This is their first gig that they played since
COVID-19 started, so they were excited to come out and play with people
again,” Pearce said. “They are one of my favorite personal bands here
in the area, so when I contacted them and asked if they can come out and play,
they were really excited to come and play.”
The Balmoral Bar and Grill hosts live music every
Thursday, Saturday, and occasional Friday. The performances allow guests to
enjoy a bite to eat while being entertained with live music.
Running Reckless is a favorite band of hers and of the
regulars at Balmoral. The band plays a diverse variety of covers that are not
normally played by most other local bands, Pearce said.
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“They do a very good job of representing the
music and it is entertaining to watch,” she said. “You need three
categories to make a band successful: they have to be entertaining, they have
to be good at their instruments, and they need to have a good following. I love
and respect them.”
Now that many local businesses are re-opening,
especially local theme parks, Balmoral Resort Florida is starting to see more
guests returning for vacation rentals.
Recently, the resort has hired a new chef who has
transitioned the Bar and Grill to a high-end menu with affordable pricing.
Currently, an 11,000 square-foot indoor event center is being constructed to
host weddings and other larger events. The new facility is expected to be
opened by September, Pearce said.
“Our overall expectations will be to be able to
provide a great opportunity for families to come out to the resort and enjoy
family vacation in rental homes,” she said. “We provide a great place
for people to be able to come and be with their family and still adhere to COVID-19
rules.”
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is on the scene of a deputy involved shooting that occurred this morning in the SE Winter Haven unincorporated area. Deputies responded to the scene after a 36 year old white male stabbed his mother–she has been transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. As deputies were searching for the suspect, he came out and fired at deputies with a handgun. Deputies returned fire and the suspect is deceased. No deputies have been injured.
We will bring you more information as it becomes available.
Spray painting on the side of a not-for-profit Church Thrift Store? Not cool! In the video, you see two vehicles (possibly Dodge Challenger and the other a minivan) drive past the store and turn to the side of the building at 197 Central Ave W. They run up and spray paint the wall and then run back to the waiting vehicles. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Detective Cobb at 863-401-2256.
Okay, so we know it’s a long shot due to the pictures being blurry, but we’ll try. The two women pictured below went to the Family Dollar located at 5890 Lucerne Park Rd and decided they needed to snag 3 boxes of Pampers. Baby shower gift? Doesn’t matter. They didn’t pay – period. The woman in the black tank top is approximately 6 feet tall and has multiple tattoos on her arms. They left in a gray 4-door SUV style vehicle. Know who either of them could be? Contact Detective Cobb at 863-401-2256.
POSTPONED: After a great deal of consideration, research and monitoring of data, the City of Winter Haven City Commissioners agreed to postpone the Rock N’ Freedom Fest event celebrating Independence Day, to a family event on Labor Day weekend. More information to come as new plans are developed. Call Parks, Recreation and Culture Department at 291-5656 with questions.
Betty Sue Byrd passed away peacefully on Monday, March 23, 2020 at Medical Center in Lakeland, Florida. She was preceded in death by her parents, Onita Young and James Young and two brothers, Benny Young and Robert Young. Mrs. Byrd gave her life to the Lord at an early age. She was an evangelist at God’s Revival Center by Faith in Wahneta, FL. She dedicated her life to evangelizing and spreading the gospel of the Lord. If you needed a direct prayer line, you called her and she would pray with you; it didn’t matter if it was day or night. Serving the Lord was her passion. She wanted you to know the Lord, and live for him like she did. She spoke throughout the years at several churches, nursing homes, prison and street ministries.
Services will be held June 27th, 11am at God’s Revival Center By Faith located at 504 Ave A East Wahneta, Florida
She is survived by her daughter, Stephanie Byrd, (Davenport, FL); sister, Loretta Elmore (Jessie) (Auburndale, FL); Godson, Michael Sharpe (Lake Wales, FL) and a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends that loved her very much.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested five people early Saturday morning, June 6, 2020, for their part in more than 30 car burglaries in the south Lakeland/Highland City areas.
The suspects arrested consists of four juveniles and one adult:-
Antony Campbell, 20, of Lakeland.–
Brent Johnson, 16, of Bartow–
Jakari Lowery, 14, of Lakeland–
Dre’ Vontae Jenkens, 16, of Lakeland–
Jontavios Oner, 14, of Lakeland
Among the items taken from the victims were electronic devices, money, and three firearms.
“Detectives saw this trend of burglaries occurring and not only put a stop to it quickly, they were also able to catch all five of the suspects who participated.”– Grady Judd, Sheriff Security video was obtained from the first series of car burglaries that showed the suspects using a red Dodge Charger to get to the various neighborhoods they hit. On Saturday morning, deputies conducted a traffic stop on the Dodge Charger with all five suspects inside. The Charger was impounded and a searched. Found inside of it were gloves and masks (matching those that were seen in security video), and two of the three stolen firearms. All five suspects are being charged with: Armed Burglary of Conveyance (3 counts), Burglary of Conveyance (30 counts), Grand Theft Firearm (3 counts), Petit Theft (14 counts), Marijuana Possession, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Campbell also faces additional charges of Grand Theft and Driving While License Suspended/Revoked. Antony Campbell’s criminal history consists of 9 prior felonies and 7 misdemeanors, and was in prison in 2019 for similar charges. Dre’ Vonte Jenkins was previously charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are likely for Campbell (contributing to the delinquency of a minor) and for the juveniles who violated the youth protection ordinance (curfew).
Local Hair Salons Get Back To Styling Hair Upon
Re-Opening
by James Coulter
After more than a month, Melanie Brown and her fellow
hairstylists are back to work cutting and styling hair at their salon,
Melanie’s Cutting Edge in Winter Haven.
However, with the threat of COVID-19 still looming, they
have needed to take extra precautions to ensure the safety of their clients and
themselves.
Currently, they attend to only one client per stylist
at a time. In-between clients, they keep their doors locked and require their
other clients to wait patiently in their cars.
Everyone wears a mask, and after they finish with a
client, they thoroughly sanitize the chair and sink before attending to their
next client.
“We give them enough time,” Melanie said.
“Whereas I used to take in walk-ins, now we only take appointments only so
we can keep one person in the store per stylist.”
Melanie and her staff have been taking these extra
precautions for the past week and a half. In their second week, they finally
permitted two people to come in at a time and for others to wait in the lobby.
On May 8, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis permitted hair
salons, barbershops, and nail salons to re-open. Before then, they were required
to close down along with other non-essential services due to the statewide
stay-at-home order.
After having her salon closed for seven weeks, Melanie
and her fellow stylists are exceedingly glad to return to work doing what they
love best. With so many people having forgone haircuts during the quarantine,
their business has been booming since then.
“We have all been non-stop with
appointments,” she said. “We have done very well. God has blessed us,
along with other hair salons. That people have been waiting to get their hair
done for so many [week]…we are all busy.”
Dawn Miller of Cuttin Up Salon in Winter Haven has
also been busy styling and cutting hair. Her salon has also taken extra
precautions attending to their clients—or rather, client, as they only take in
one customer at a time.
Every stylist wears a mask, and only one client is
allowed in the building at a time. After every appointment, they thoroughly sanitize
their chairs and sinks. No new customers are allowed in while they clean.
“It is nice to have the salon back since the
COVID situation,” Dawn said. “It’s a little bit of a challenge,
especially with sanitation and protocol.”
With so many people unable to get a haircut before or
during the quarantine, their business has been busy, especially with seasonal
customers coming down for the summer.
“We are super busy,” she said. “It is
beyond our expectations due to people getting their hair done. We have been
keeping super busy, especially since this is a slower time of the year, usually
people go home.”
As for Melanie, she receives new messages and phone
calls daily from clients old and new. She updates her Facebook page daily to
ensure that people know that her salon is open and ready for business. She even
stays up late scheduling her appointments to ensure her books are full.
“I take my book every night and I am up until one
in the morning making appointments just to keep our books full, and to help
people because we all need to get back on our feet and we are trying to make
our clients happy and get them all in,” she said.
Though times are tough, she and her fellow stylists
believe in sticking together and helping others with their challenges. As a
local businesswoman, she especially believes in supporting local businesses,
especially in a time when many are forced to close due to the COVID-19
outbreak.
“We are supporting our community and small
businesses going,” she said. “I want to say we are all in this
together, and we should all support each other, whether it is a small business
or restaurant and another thing is I am about small businesses.”
