2025) — This morning’s water main break at the intersection of U.S Highway 27 and Citrus Ridge Drive in Davenport has been repaired and water service has been restored to residents in the Royal Ridge Regency Ridge and Prestwick Village subdivisions Crews continue working to repair minor damage to the roadway caused by the break Copyright © 2025 Polk County Government The mission of Polk County Public Schools is to provide a high-quality education for all students — Drivers are being asked to find an alternate route after a water main break in Davenport Friday morning Officials from Polk County Utilities said the eight-inch line break occurred at the intersection of US Highway 27 and Citrus Ridge Drive Regency Ridge and Prestwick Village subdivisions will experience low to no water pressure There are currently an estimated 1,000 customers impacted so officials ask that drivers avoid the area if they can as crews make assessments and I feel like that's part of where the system failed" Henry Betsey Jr. is facing charges for marrying three Florida women in three different counties at the same time. Now saying the system that handles marriage licenses kept them in the dark Latest Polk County News from ABC Action News Report a typo Davenport reading specialist, Haines City guardian are finalists for Polk school awardsLakeland LedgerHeather Carlson is the finalist for Polk County Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year from District 2 and Lenord Washington is the finalist for School-Related Employee of the Year a reading interventionist at Citrus Ridge: A Civics Academy in Davenport has been named Teacher of the Year three times at the school level Carlson has had a significant impact on the academic gains of Citrus Ridge students communicating with families and special events Washington is a school safety guardian at Sandhill Elementary in Haines City Washington sings the national anthem for Sandhill’s Veterans Day Celebration He’s also been known to go above and beyond to assist parents and community members in need Polk County Public Schools is recognizing finalists from all seven districts and the overall winners will be announced at the Inspire Awards The district previously announced the finalists from District 1 and District 7 a paraeducator Crystal Lake Elementary School was the finalist for School-Related Employee of the Year District 2 includes 19 schools in Northeast Polk County: Join us for a 12-hour food drive Friday, 6am to 6pm, in Redding or Chico. Help stuff a RABA or B-Line bus at Les Schwab with food donations! LIVE UPDATESCitrus Heights man sentenced nearly 5 years for arson at Paradise's Ridge Lifeline Churchby Hannah Gutierrez has been sentenced to four years and eight months in state prison for his role in a fire at the Paradise Ridge Lifeline Church in December 2023 PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Paradise's Ridge Lifeline Church targeted in arson attack; suspect arrested and facing felony charges Police were dispatched to the church on December 28 where they discovered the front glass window shattered by a rock which they quickly contained to the north section of the building A taxi driver played a crucial role in the arrest who contacted police after Chance requested to be dropped off at a church to "finish some business." Chance later called the taxi driver to pick him up from the scene The driver reported smelling smoke on Chance when he entered the vehicle prompting the driver to return to the church Paradise Police and the fire department were already on the scene Chance confessed to the authorities and was subsequently arrested police responded to a report of a customer exhibiting "strange behavior" at a Best Western Hotel next door on December 25 Authorities said hotel staff requested Chance be removed from the premises Officers subsequently booked Chance into Butte County Jail and instructed him not to return to the hotel The Best Western reported that Chance was found sneaking into the premises on December 27 leading to his arrest and subsequent booking into Butte County Jail on trespassing charges the Best Western Hotel contacted Paradise Police after hearing a loud crashing sound emanating from the Ridge Lifeline Church area Chance was initially found mentally incompetent to stand trial and received treatment at a state hospital to recover competency pleading and being found guilty of felony charges including arson He has been sentenced to four years and eight months in state prison Chance had previously been convicted of the arson of his home outside of Butte County A restitution hearing is scheduled for early February where the church is seeking compensation to repair the damage left by the fire Ramsey added that Chance will now be listed on the California arson registry for his crimes — Just like most people who live in Davenport John Graham can tell you some traffic horror stories “An ambulance was trying to go north or south on either side and cars had nowhere to pull over,” he recalled Land that was once orange groves continues to be developed rapidly which is why Graham and others are speaking up He lives about a mile south of I-4 near the intersection of U.S A new development of town homes is taking shape as is a 7-Eleven convenience store which will be abutted by additional retail space Publix has the green light to build a new location on the northwest corner of the intersection Graham fears the additional traffic could further isolate his neighborhood “I think the worst case scenario is emergency services will not be able to serve the community,” he said lives in the area part-time and has similar worries “It’s gotten a little overwhelming in that area,” she said the Director of Polk County’s Land Development Division the county is requiring developers to improve the intersection he said the county will not allow the 7-Eleven store to open or for the new town homes to operate at full capacity until the road improvements are complete “The roadway improvements are required as part of private development occurring adjacent to the intersection and are being constructed by private developers “The intersection improvements have been permitted by Polk County and the Florida Department of Transportation however the work is being completed by the developer.” “Polk County staff is aware of the delays in construction and understands the concerns and frustrations from residents in the area and has been diligently working with both developers in an attempt to get construction completed as soon as possible,” Ziskal added Ziskal said once the improvements are made it will add capacity to roadways in the area county documents suggest the roads in the area are rated “F” for failing which is why people like Graham think it’s past time for bigger infrastructure fixes there DAVENPORT — More than 1,470 "pioneers" of Citrus Ridge: A Civics Academy toured their new school Monday but some students were turned away when the campus reached capacity on the first day of classes for the Polk County School District A couple of hours after classes began at 8 a.m. the K-8 school in Davenport was almost 100 students over its 1,400-student capacity and a line of parents waited to register even more children Principal Kathy Conely said she is working on a plan that includes portables and hiring more teachers to accommodate the influx of students from other over-capacity schools 89 teachers and four teaching positions to fill we'll probably need even more teachers," Conely said was built to alleviate the overcrowded schools in northeast Polk County The school's website read Monday: "Citrus Ridge is now at capacity As you register your student your registration form will be date and time stamped your student MAY NOT be able to attend Citrus Ridge for the 2016-2017 school year Your student will be assigned to another school in the district School Board Policy 4.014 authorizes the superintendent to make administrative assignments This placement may present an unexpected inconvenience to your family; however Rosa Pollard of Davenport tried to enroll her fourth- and fifth-grade children at their originally zoned Loughman Oaks Elementary last week but was told to bring them to Citrus Ridge on Monday to enroll them there "Nobody at the school could help us and nobody seems to have an answer," Pollard said "I don't know when my children will be able to start school — it's horrible said she expected it to reach capacity and the district will work quickly to get students into classrooms "With the recent growth that we have experienced since our economy has taken a turn for the positive .. it's just a blessing to be able to build this school in just one year to meet the need," Cunningham said which encompasses 19 Northeast Polk County schools and is running for another term in the Aug pastor of Hurst Chapel AME Church; Tim James a business owner and superintendent of New Direction Academy in Haines City; and Kevin Kitto She said parents and students Monday seemed to be happy overall with the new school "It's a beautiful campus for our northeast Polk County families," Cunningham said "I'm excited that we have the opportunity to teach our children civics and leadership — lifelong lessons that will allow them to go on to do great things." School officials touted Citrus Ridge as the first civics academy in Florida and one of eight in the country Students will participate in civics-focused curriculum including mock government simulations and community service projects to build skills such as collaboration And middle schoolers can participate in the Civics Leadership Academy which offers electives including speech and debate and engaged citizenship through service learning students' first projects will focus on Zika prevention "They'll design things on computers then send them to 3D printers They'll be making bat houses," Conely said so (students) will research where they can place the bat houses to help control mosquitoes." The school also features band and music rooms a media center with research stations and an agriculture classroom with a greenhouse Conely gave the agriculture class as another example of the civics curriculum — a place where students will grow food they can donate to organizations that feed the hungry "I'm so excited about all the great things this school is going to be about," Conely said "It's about making great citizens and connecting kids with the world." Conely has more than 30 years of experience as an educator most recently serving as principal of Lake Gibson Middle for four years and principal of Wendell Watson Elementary before that for six years Her experience in both elementary and middle schools made her a good fit for Citrus Ridge "She has given so much of herself over the last couple months to get this building open — I don't think people understand what goes into each day," Byrd said "She was able to open these doors to the community and I'm excited to have a leader such as Ms Conely joked she still needs a map to navigate the 200,000-square-foot Students are split among the building's three floors — kindergarten through second-graders on the first third to fifth-graders on the second and middle schoolers on the third They're also color coded by their uniforms — navy blue While the school is organized in some ways parents want it to be more organized when it comes to enrolling their children and scheduling their classes In addition to some students not being able to enroll about a dozen or more students with scheduling issues waited in the media center Monday morning Teachers and staff are doing everything they can who was in the hallways with other members of district staff helping parents and students with any issues "The commitment our staff has and the commitment our community has to bring their children here and trust them with us is exciting," Byrd said "What keeps me excited about what is occurring here is that through everything our teachers have smiled the entire way "A teacher didn't have a kid on her roster but said 'I will take this child,' " Byrd gave as an example of how teachers and staff are trying to remedy the situation Conely said she expects everything to "settle out" at Citrus Ridge in about a week But it could take a couple more weeks for things to be settled districtwide They are still recruiting teachers for about 150 vacant positions which will be filled with substitutes in the meantime They also are arranging bus transportation for transfer students part of the Opportunity Scholarship Program as well as in the leadership at Citrus Ridge Monday preparing for the first day and said she would probably work late into the evening again "Seeing the faces of the kids this morning makes all of the hard work worth it," she said — Madison Fantozzi can be reached at madison.fantozzi@theledger.com or 863-802-7547 — Shelters are open across the Tampa Bay area in anticipation of Hurricane Milton which is making its way across the Gulf of Mexico All residents should check their local county's website to ensure they have all information for shelters Officials said shelters will close for intake at 2 p.m FDEM: Know Your Zone HAINES CITY — The Haines City Police Department announced that 6-year-old shooting victim Elizabelle Frenel died Saturday night were all fatally shot Friday night at the Citrus Ridge Apartments in Haines City The suspect in what now is a triple-murder The announcement on the death of Elizabelle was expected after Haines City Police reported Saturday that the girl was on life support at Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando and pronounced brain dead Normil and Guillume also were killed by gunshot wounds to the head A GoFundMe account has been established for the victims. To visit the page, CLICK HERE. "Because of Cherizard's cowardly actions — and they are nothing short of cowardly — a family now has to bury three members including a young child who had her whole life in front of her," Chief Jim Elensky said "Our team is doing everything we can to bring this person to justice and help provide closure for this family through this absolutely horrific tragedy Our thoughts are with them as we continue this investigation." The Haines City Police Department has teamed with the U.S There have been no further details released on Cherizard's whereabouts though South Florida law enforcement agencies are on high alert after the 2011 Nissan Altima he fled the shooting scene in was spotted near Boynton Beach via a tag reader at a toll plaza just after midnight early Saturday morning It was announced Sunday that a reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of Cherizard call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip via the web or cellphone at www.P3tips.com HAINES CITY — Haines City Police are reporting that a 6-year-old girl who was among three people shot at the Citrus Ridge Apartments on Friday night is considered brain dead Chief James Elensky said the search continues for Ernst Cherizard who is suspected in the shooting deaths of two women and the girl a clue emerged overnight as Haines City Police reported that the burgundy 2011 Nissan Altima that Cherizard fled the scene in was spotted near Boynton Beach via a tag reader at a toll plaza just after midnight “Everybody needs to be on the lookout,” Elensky said The vehicle Cherizard is in has the Florida tag GZN C82 arrived at Citrus Ridge Apartments for a welfare check a confrontation ensued and Cherizard fired a handgun two other shooting victims — 23-year-old Eli Junia Normil Both Normil and Guillume died from gunshot wounds to the head Cherizard and Normil were in a relationship and had two children together Haines City Police said the girl was flown to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando where she underwent surgery Elensky told the Orlando Sentinel that the girl “will most likely die,” adding that she is on life support and considered “brain dead.” In a video news conference at the scene of the shooting Friday night Elensky said the girl had been shot three times “It’s disgusting to say the least,” Elensky said when asked about the child being injured “… We need to find him before he kills anybody else.” Cherizard took to Facebook to acknowledge the incident and closed by apologizing to his children “Daddy is so sorry with all my heart cuz I can’t believe this happened” make no mistake about it — this man is a monster,” Elensky said in the release unarmed females is nothing less than being a coward To shoot a truly innocent 6-year-old child is disgusting and beyond comprehension "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the first responders who did everything they could at the scene If anyone has any information about Cherizard's whereabouts they are asked to contact the Haines City Police Department at 863-421-3636 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at 800-226-8477 (TIPS) DAVENPORT – Bella Citta Elementary School opened its doors to nearly 1,000 students on Aug. 10 but Polk County Public Schools officials are already talking about adding middle school grades to the East Polk campus – the fastest- growing area of the county and one of the fastest in the nation assistant superintendent for facilities and operations, said the addition of buildings to house three more grade levels – sixth through eighth – would accommodate an estimated 465 more students She said it would cost between $18 million and $20 million to be paid from impact fees, and would have 21 classrooms Did you know? Alturas Elementary could close because of low enrollment Previously: Polk County Public Schools purchase desk shields to combat COVID More: Polk County lawmaker proposes teaching social media literacy in Florida schools The Polk County School Board discussed the issue at a work session Tuesday. The addition of middle school grades would help alleviate conditions at nearby Citrus Ridge: A Civics Academy which opened in 2016 and has more than 1,100 students in kindergarten through eighth grade The building would be tucked onto a corner of the current campus and would be multiple stories School Board member Lisa Miller was concerned that there was not enough space on what’s left of the 25-acre campus to house all the things that middle schoolers need video production and a gymnasium.  “We start building and we want to make sure there's capacity for all of the programs, so if they come to the table and there's workforce programs or other things that we need, we don't tell them, ‘Sorry, there's no room you'll be in a closet for your TV production class or for your robotics,’” Miller said. "I want to make sure that it's built. If we're going to do it, it's long-term planning.”  Usher said they don’t have to worry about including a retention pond for drainage because Bella Citta was built within the confines of the Bella Citta neighborhood and uses its drainage system "So, usually, we buy bigger property when we have to do on-site retention, but we have this property, so it's more of that land that we can use,” Usher said.  who was also concerned about traffic in the community of homes and apartments said she wasn’t ready to vote on the issue Tuesday “I would like more time – I just I'm not sure that I'm ready to vote on this right now,” Miller said "I don't know what the urgency is or what the other board members feel like but trying to plan for what we know is rapid growth I just want to make sure that we make the best decision financially.” School Board Vice-Chair Kay Fields agreed with Miller. Both board members said a five-minute conversation during a work session just hours before an evening vote to approve the plan wasn’t enough time and asked that it be pulled off the School Board meeting agenda that night.  "I know that there's no way for us to have a good conversation in five minutes,” Fields said adding that pulling a topic “as important as this” from the vote would allow Usher to prepare detailed responses to all their questions including providing architectural site plans and options Miller also asked whether the planning committee had looked at moving the elementary students from Citrus Ridge and turning that school into the area’s middle school.  But Superintendent Frederick Heid was opposed to that idea saying he wants to keep both schools as neighborhood schools where teachers would get to know each student and their needs “What took place with Bella Citta and Citrus Ridge to date – there is no place for that in public education,” Heid said “We try and create community schools. And, so, if there's enough physical space at Bella Citta, it needs to be an honest conversation about expanding that school to a K-8...the ability to maintain that student in one school setting throughout those most critical years when they're building relationships and we understand who those students are Heid said as a former middle school teacher and administrator about six months’ worth of relationship time is lost as teachers and administrators try to get to know a new batch of students “So while the concept of turning Citrus Ridge into a middle school and expanding Bella Citta to be a larger elementary school we're handing kids off in middle school to another group of individuals who have no connection to those children or their families,” Heid said.  School Board Chairwoman Lori Cunningham wanted to proceed with Tuesday night’s vote saying they had enough information to move forward the School Board needs to get back into the habit of meeting with county commissioners to publicly discuss growth and development issues. That annual meeting was suspended last year because of COVID.  “If you pay attention to County Commission meetings and see the amount of development they approve for new homes apartments....I really believe we’re going to need to approach the county if they’re going to want to continue to expand and allow this much development for housing,” Cunningham said. "Once Davenport High School went in every piece of land within a crow’s fly is being developed. There’s some point in time when we need to have a greater percentage of our impact fees I know there's a schedule to increase that if they’re going to go ahead and approve every housing development that comes before them. This is a drop in the bucket to the schools and the capacity that we’re going to need.” School Board member Lynn Wilson, who is a certified public accountant said the school district needs to partner with the business community and plan ahead "Talking to developers, I believe they would believe that we’re way out of touch when it comes to forecasting growth The board came to a consensus to pull the item from Tuesday night’s vote and will revisit it at the next School Board work session and meeting on Nov Ledger reporter Kimberly C. Moore can be reached at kmoore@theledger.com or 863-802-7514 Follow her on Twitter at @KMooreTheLedger.  LAKELAND — Four new cases of COVID-19 were reported Wednesday and Thursday at Polk County Public Schools even as the state reported fewer than 100 new infections among Polk County residents for the fourth time in four days Polk County Public Schools reported one case at Chain of Lakes Elementary School and Denison Middle School in Winter Haven The case involved one person who traveled to both campuses according to an email sent to School Board members Other cases were reported at Jewett School of the Arts in Winter Haven Purcell Elementary in Mulberry and Citrus Ridge Academy in Davenport.  The district sent messages Wednesday to parents and employees of Chain of Lakes and were to send messages to Purcell and Citrus Ridge on Thursday afternoon The district does not disclose whether cases involve students or staff members. The new cases come after parents at Boone Middle School in Haines City and Bartow High School's Summerlin Academy were notified Monday and Tuesday of positive cases at those schools At a School Board meeting this week, Superintendent of Schools Jacqueline Byrd said the cases at Boone and Summerlin involved students who attended classes while awaiting the results of COVID-19 tests. In an automated telephone message sent to parents throughout the district Wednesday Byrd implored parents to keep children at home if they're ill or were recently tested for COVID-19 and awaiting the results The Florida Department of Health’s daily update showed 75 new positive test results for the county That followed a report of 108 new cases the previous day and gave Polk an average of 81.8 cases for the past five days the county averaged nearly 280 new cases a day during July The department reported two more deaths of Polk County residents related to COVID-19 though the state agency doesn’t list the date of death Those deaths increased the total for Polk County to 425 The positive rate for tests released Thursday was 5.34% the target threshold set by the Department of Health The overall positive rate since the beginning of the pandemic remains at 14.8% The state agency has record 16,569 infections of Polk County residents The new cases included one patient listed as age 0 and another age 10 The median age of newly reported cases was 39 compared with 40 for the cumulative median age The Department of Health recorded 10 additional hospitalizations of Polk County residents for treatment of the illness 1,811 residents have required hospital treatment for COVID-19 since March Polk County hospitals had 145 patients diagnosed with the illness according to a dashboard updated by the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration That marked a decline of eight from Wednesday The agency showed that 10.1% of adult intensive-care unit beds were available in the county The figure does not account for surge capacity at hospitals The Department of Health reported an additional 135 deaths statewide linked to COVID-19 the 12th straight day with fewer than 5,000 new cases Florida’s total of 611,911 infections ranks second behind California according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Of the 425 COVID-related deaths for Polk County residents 229 — or 53.9% — have involved residents of long-term care facilities Highlands Lake Center accounts for 31 of those deaths according to a weekly update from the Department of Health The other elder-care centers in Polk County with 10 or more reported death are Winter Haven Health and Rehabilitation and Consulate Winter Haven 20; Valencia Hills Health and Rehabilitation 19; Oak Haven Rehabilitation and Nursing Center 12; and Brandywyne Health Care Center and Bartow Center Avon Park Correctional Institution in southern Polk County has recorded 229 positive tests for COVID-19 among inmates and 51 among employees according to a daily update from the Department of Corrections Polk Correctional Institution in Polk City reported 210 positive tests for inmates and 33 for staff members Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518 Crews are responding to a crash involving a school bus in Polk County on Ronald Regan Parkway at Champions Gate Blvd A bus transporting students from Citrus Ridge: A Civics Academy and other vehicles are involved Action News has learned Polk County Fire Rescue transported 12 patients from the school bus and three from other cars involved to area hospitals A Polk County Schools sent another bus to transport the other students home The original version of this story inadvertently left Haines City High School off of this list DAVENPORT – A dozen Polk County Public Schools are being noticed at the state level for what they are doing to improve student behavior with state officials labeling them model schools PCPS officials said that schools would typically receive bronze silver or gold award levels based on their collected data named Florida Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports model schools, received the "resilience" award for the ongoing challenges and difficult work during COVID.  How did they get here? 11 Polk County schools are 'Positive Behavior' models. Here's what they have to do • Combee Academy Of Design And Engineering • Loughman Oaks Elementary School  this is the first year being recognized by the state. Citrus Ridge was founded in 2016 as one of two schools in the nation — and the only traditional public school in Florida — that utilizes a civics-based curriculum The school was created with the support of former U.S Dennis Ross and in partnership with the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship More like this: 21 struggling schools in Polk County make Florida governor's list to receive extra funding In case you missed it: Polk schools ditch hybrid learning for on-campus or Polk Virtual School instruction only And: Polk State awarded Hispanic-Serving Institution designation for student population growth One of the main PBIS tools Citrus Ridge implemented in 2019 is a “house system,” considered a “best practice” by national education experts. Citrus Ridge was the first K-8 school in the Polk County system to use a house system with Caldwell Elementary in Auburndale also implementing the program with positive results.  It divides the school and randomly places Citrus Ridge's nearly 1,800 students into houses — like at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books and movies — which closer-knit learning communities that help students faculty and staff members from all grade levels build relationships and develop leadership and teamwork skills.” The houses are also subdivided into families for even more personal attention among peers.  Citrus Ridge Principal Nikeshia Leatherwood said she created the house system to encourage positive classroom behavior facilitate relationship-building and allow students to associate with members of the school community they may never otherwise have an opportunity to meet. Each house includes students of all ages and grade levels who will remain with their house for as long as they attend Citrus Ridge Leatherwood said after observing students for a year she noticed some didn’t seem to have a sense of belonging — they were attending school because they had to and many were getting lost in the shuffle.  “The purpose of PBIS is to promote a positive school culture where reduced discipline infractions is a byproduct of those efforts,” Leatherwood said. “PBIS benefits ALL students by emphasizing the teaching and reinforcing of positive behaviors rather than focusing on negative behaviors As we continue to work with our students and community we expect to see greater improvement in all areas including academics and student safety.”  students meet to discuss ways they can demonstrate the character traits of their house to make their own positive impact on society They receive points when they “display citizenship Students participate in campus competitions allowing them to earn additional points for their houses and cultivating a spirit of camaraderie on campus. At the end of the year the best house in the school is named.  The houses at Citrus Ridge are:   represented by Amelia Earhart and an airplane.  represented by Rosa Parks and a lion.  represented by Sacagawea and a compass.  represented by Roberto Clemente and open hands.  represented by Walt Disney and a light bulb.  State disciplinary reports show it is working with reduced rates of major incidents on campus Citrus Ridge had 28 major incidents ranging from alcohol possession to physical attacks Law enforcement became involved six times and injuries resulted from seven incidents. Bullying was the top problem There were four each for disruptions on campus and physical attacks. That’s down from the 2017-18 school year, when the school had 50 major incidents all of which were reported to law enforcement 27 resulted in injuries. Only one bullying incident was reported that year.  with more than 1,000 students, had 80 major incidents last year with 37 reported to law enforcement. Rochelle School of the Arts has about 850 students and had 12 incidents three of which involved law enforcement. Daniel Jenkins Academy of Technology with four reported to law enforcement.  “Our school’s vision is to develop productive citizens for an ever-changing global society,” Leatherwood said.  Students return to classes Aug. 10.  Follow her on Twitter at @KMooreTheLedger.   EVACUATION ZONES: How to find out if you're in an evacuation zone Evacuations are taking place across the Tampa Bay area as Hurricane Milton heads toward Florida’s west coast Hillsborough has issued a mandatory evacuation order for zones A and B and for all mobile homes and manufactured housing throughout the county starting at 2:30 p.m The special-needs shelters are only for residents with medical issues that require electricity assistance or who have cognitive issues that would not be supported in a general population shelter Pinellas has issued evacuation orders for health care facilities in zones A assisted living facilities and hospitals in those zones 25 nursing homes and 44 assisted living facilities The county is encouraging voluntary evacuation for residents in Zone A B and C and mobile homes in advance of possible mandatory orders Monday Sarasota County is calling for evacuations of zones A as well as all those living in manufactured communities or a mobile or boat home Manatee has called for evacuations of zones A and B — and all residents or visitors in RVs or mobile Homes Pasco has ordered mandatory evacuations for everyone in zones A,B and C as well as those who live in manufactured or mobile homes or RVs and anyone who is in a low lying area prone to flooding The county is opening hurricane shelters ahead of Milton The following shelters will open Monday at noon: Hernando is issuing mandatory evacuations starting Tuesday at 8 a.m Residents should seek safe shelter by Wednesday at noon All residents living in coastal and low-lying areas Shelters should be utilized as a last resort Residents are advised to seek shelter with family or friends that reside in a safe structure pet-friendly public shelter will open Tuesday at 8 a.m The following public shelters will be open at noon on Tuesday across Polk County: DAVENPORT - Though two years has passed since a wreck took four lives time still hasn't healed the pain for their families and friends and it's like it happened just yesterday," said Anna Perez More than 40 family members and friends gathered at 6:15 p.m Thursday under the reddening sun for a vigil on the northeast corner of the intersection where it happened - U.S garden stones and solar powered lawn lights honors Lopez her unborn child Jacob and her 11-month-old daughter Layla Pinto-Tijerino -- all of Davenport The memorial also includes four Florida Department of Transportation markers bearing the deceased's names and warning motorists to "Drive Carefully." got her son's last - unfinished - handmade birthday card two years ago He always made us laugh," Perez said with wet eyes simply showed photos of her smiling daughter and grandchild didn't have words to describe Lucero Tijerino flipped through a photo album of her friend taking pictures of herself making faces While Barbara Pandolfo spent Wednesday evening spreading ant killer at the memorial saw 11 drivers make illegal U-turns at the intersection Candace Pandolfo has been gathering signatures in hopes of persuading FDOT officials to install a traffic light there she would have been alive," Barbara Pandolfo said "Hopefully we can get a light here because (they) really didn't have to die." public information director for FDOT District 1 said the agency studied that intersection in 2009 but the site didn't meet the requirements for a traffic signal at that time People have since brought it to the agency's attention youth pastor at Ridge Assembly of God - nearby on U.S 27 - said a few words and prayed at the vigil his words translated into Spanish by Thermaliz Seiascia even though I didn't know them," McDonald said He encouraged people to continue to petition for an traffic signal at the intersection take charge of others and prevent themselves or others from driving after drinking or taking drugs "We want to be together as a chain to try to prevent this," Seiascia said 27 in a 2000 black two-door Oldsmobile Alero At Citrus Ridge Drive the Oldsmobile turned left into the path of a northbound 2000 tan Chrysler Town & Country minivan Tijerino and her unborn son died at the scene died later that night after surgery at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando Coe was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center and stabilized with non-life threatening injuries his passenger 18-year-old Claudia Aguitte-Castillo and her 5-month-old son Romeo Estevez all survived the crash and were treated at Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center after a blood test by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed he had marijuana in his system at the time of the crash He still faces three counts of manslaughter by driving under the influence and misdemeanor charges of possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia According to the Polk County Clerk of the Courts Felony Division Phil Attinger may be reached at 863-401-6981 or phil.attinger@newschief.com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page BARTOW — On Tuesday, Polk County commissioners will consider two amendments that would pave the way for future high-density Commissioners will hold public hearings for two related items submitted by applicant Mike Rich with Elevation Development The first is a large-scale comprehensive plan amendment to modify the current 15% residential cap in land marked as an employment center in the North Ridge Selected Area Plan in Davenport.  EMS station coming?: Lakeland commissioners agree to sell land to Polk County for new EMS station Trash talk: Polk County to begin hauling trash in southwest area on July 1; weekly recycling to resume the North Ridge SAP was created "to shape this area into a better organized urban area."  the North Ridge SAP restricts residential uses in areas marked as an employment center to just 15% of the land use area Density is to be kept between five and 15 units per acre.  But staff notes that there has been "a tremendous demand for increased commercial and retail development along US 27" and that "the intersection of I-4 and US 27 is being developed with apartments close to or exceeding 20 units to the acre."  the multifamily cap would be "increased to an unspecified amount with the approval of a Planed Development."  if a developer constructs parallel connections to two or more intersecting roads to US 27 the cap can be raised to allow for a density of up to 25 units per acre with just a staff review The second item is an amendment to the land development code that modifies the 15% multifamily cap touched upon in the first item.  The changes were approved in June by the Planning Commission on a 7-0 vote.  a high-density apartment or condo complex could come to the North Ridge area including without any public input if a developer built out the required intersecting roads.  Denied: Polk commissioners reject zoning changes for Imperial Lakes, killing plan for 800 apartments Land Development Director Benjamin Ziskal presented the proposal to county commissioners at the Friday agenda study Commissioners pushed for details on the project such as how many stories a developer would pursue for a complex at this density but Ziskal said no plans have been received for a specific project at this site In a December letter to county employee Margo White Bart Allen with the Peterson and Myers law firm said that Elevation Development "owns real property located in the southeastern corner of the signalized intersection of Citrus Ridge Dr County commissioners will vote on whether to submit these changes to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for questions and comments the proposal will return for a final vote on September 6 Maya Lora can be reached with tips or questions at mlora@gannett.com A new 57,008-square-foot Publix grocery store is slated for U.S 27 at Minute Maid Ramp Road Two in Davenport according to Polk County Development Review Committee records which is comprised of county planners who guide developers through applicable building codes such as fire road improvements and infrastructure needs The new commercial strip will sit on the north side of Minute Maid Ramp Road Two no building is more than 65,000 square feet so the shopping center will not require Polk County Planning Commission approval “There may be a hearing in the future for a Development Agreement on the offsite road,” Peterson said improvements and extra turn lanes and traffic lights may be required and that would trigger the need for a hearing which is the road that continues on the east side of U.S is under a currently approved agreement and is in the process of being widened 27 southbound are part of the road improvement plan Water and wastewater infrastructure would be available for the project through Polk County utilities A site plan submitted to Polk County shows a liquor store next to the Publix store and four retail rental units in addition to two large outparcels along U.S The plans also show the Publix pharmacy will have a drive-thru window The property is owned by Mahalak Automotive LLC on the south side of Minute Maid Ramp Road Two The project engineer listed in county land development records is David Holden of Quigg Engineering Inc and the developer is Shagbark Properties LLC of Tampa Neither Holden nor Shagbark could be reached for further details More stores in Kentucky Florida powerhouse Publix challenging Kroger. What we know The parcel is part of the Holly Hill Grove and Fruit Co The land use is listed as timber and commercial The shopping center is to be developed on 12.89 acres and expected to host two outparcels in addition to the Publix Super Markets Inc grocery store and another retail store for a total of four buildings and a parking lot on the site It sits about one mile south of I-4 and two miles north of the Publix store at Holly Hill Road BARTOW — The Polk County School Board on Tuesday approved $22 million to add a middle school to the Bella Citta Elementary School campus in Davenport and also discussed how it is spending nearly $500 million in federal COVID-19 relief money.  The expansion plan at Bella Citta allows students to remain on one campus for their kindergarten through eighth-grade years as part of a tight-knit community which many studies show helps with behavior and social issues It will also alleviate overcrowding at Citrus Ridge: A Civics Academy “This site is bigger than a standard elementary school site,” Angela Usher assistant superintendent for facilities and operations is 20 acres and can accommodate performance and fine arts classrooms along with a gymnasium because the school district is not required to build a retention pond for runoff water The Bella Citta community already has a pond for that.  But School Board member Kay Fields was concerned that too much would be squeezed onto the campus.  "I love the idea of a K through eight school “My concern is whether or not there's enough space to accommodate that with all of the things that need to be in place for middle school students.”  Fields was the lone dissenting vote.  Book controversy: Polk parents, educators speak about book bans as review committees are formed Lake Wales Charter Schools: 'The total package': Mississippi educator Wayne Rodolfich chosen as superintendent Photo scandal: Charter school company director and consultant step down after S&M photos surface senior director of federal programs for the school district presented the board with results from a community survey regarding how the district is spending or will spend $428,569,814.00 in federal money sent to the school district for relief from the COVID-19 pandemic “There have been three major pieces of federal legislation which have impacted education,” Baldwin said during the afternoon work session “The first one was passed in March of 2020 right as the COVID pandemic was starting out.” The first pot of money included nearly $30.7 million The bulk of it — $12 million — was spent on staff compensation while another $8 million was spent on the computers and technology that students and teachers needed to work from home Out of 550 people who responded to the school district’s survey in December with teachers and other school-related staff making up the bulk of the rest Common feedback included using the money for: • Instructional Options/Opportunities the school district received $122.5 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act/Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief professional development and to hire additional staff while another $21.3 million bought digital software The district has until September 2023 to spend the remainder of the money Polk County Public Schools is waiting on another $275 million to be distributed by the state The Florida Department of Education must approve the district's spending plan District officials are hoping to spend nearly $80 million on new HVAC systems for schools which pull in fresh air and cool or heat it as it filters it School Board chairwoman Sara Beth Wyatt said the district would like to bank some of that last pot of money because they know it will be needed later.  "We're trying to budget wisely and knowing that we can spend them later 'cause the ramifications of COVID and shutting down schools is going to last far beyond the next six months and we want to make sure that we can put those mental health supports and things like that into place long after COVID because there's there's still going to be remnants of it for years to come,” Wyatt said.  10 April 202413:30(UTC)Last modified12 April 202405:42Illustration: East Point EnergyTwo inaugural projects in Texas announced following the company’s acquisition of East Point Energy strengthening Equinor’s broad energy portfolio in the US an energy company focused on high-value growth in renewables with the ambition to be a leader in the energy transition has approved its first two US battery storage projects following the acquisition of East Point Energy in summer 2022 The two projects have a combined total capacity of 110 megawatts (MW) providing a valuable source of energy security for the Texas grid once operational Construction has already begun on the Sunset Ridge Energy Center in Frio County Texas; and the Citrus Flatts project in Cameron County Texas is being prepared for implementation Sunset Ridge marks the first battery storage project for East Point Energy in Texas and will be connected to the distribution network of South Texas Electric Cooperative (STEC) The 10 megawatt (MW)/20 megawatt-hours (MWh) battery storage project will strengthen reliability and enable STEC to better serve its customers during peak demand The commercial operation date for Sunset Ridge is expected in the second half of 2024 Citrus Flatts will be a 100 MW/200 MWh battery storage project and will be connected to the transmission network American Electric Power The project is expected to reach commercial operations in early 2026 Citrus Flatts and Sunset Ridge are planned to be commercialized by Equinor’s wholly owned energy trading house Sunset Ridge and Citrus Flatts will operate on a fully merchant basis in Texas’ ERCOT power market and are expected to deliver real base project returns towards the higher end of Equinor’s guided range for renewables of 4-8% “Energy storage is essential to balance the supply with the increasing demand for energy in Texas We’re excited that our projects will support a more renewable and affordable grid for the Cameron and Frio communities and the ERCOT market at large,” says Andrew Foukal The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Equinor and has a project pipeline of approximately 3 GW of battery storage projects across the United States Battery Energy Storage Systems will play a critical role in the energy transition The battery systems strengthen the grid by storing energy often including surplus power generated from solar and wind which is particularly useful during extreme weather events and power outages By storing electricity and releasing it when energy demand is at its peak these systems improve grid resiliency and increase affordability for ratepayers “We aim to build a robust and diversified battery storage portfolio with an opportunity to scale by leveraging the capabilities of East Point Energy and maximizing synergies with Danske Commodities,” says Christian Lie Hansen vice president of onshore renewables Americas and chair of the East Point Energy board “Our ownership in East Point Energy creates a solid basis for building a material and profitable battery storage position across attractive US power markets delivering on our market-driven power producer strategy.” Equinor’s US renewable energy portfolio also includes offshore wind projects Equinor is also a partner in Bayou Bend CCS located in Southeast Texas and has been active in upstream oil and gas in the US since 2004 Equinor has been present in the US since 1987 and is developing a broad energy portfolio We are active in the Gulf of Mexico as the 5th largest equity producer of oil and gas We also produce natural gas and natural gas liquids onshore from the Appalachian Basin We have acquired a stake in the joint venture Bayou Bend CCS with an ambition to further develop low-carbon value chains around hydrogen and carbon capture and storage Equinor is one of the largest offshore wind developers in the US The United States is an attractive growth market for Equinor Renewables with an ambition to install 12-16 GW of renewables capacity globally by 2030 Equinor has been building a commercial portfolio in battery storage since 2021 focusing on the UK and the US – two of the most advanced markets for battery storage globally where we have strong positions as a company and our largest offshore wind positions We have entered these markets through investing in two local battery storage companies Noriker Power in the UK and East Point Energy in the US Our battery position is further strengthened through our Polish onshore renewables company which is now diversifying beyond solar and onshore wind and organically developing a sizeable battery project pipeline Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Counties across the Tampa Bay area are opening emergency shelters ahead of Hurricane Milton We'll post them below and update the list as we get new information Pinellas County to open three additional shelters Pinellas County will open three additional general population emergency shelters at 9:30 a.m Wednesday for residents to seek safety from Hurricane Milton General population shelters do not accept pets; however three County emergency shelters do welcome pets A full list of available Pinellas County emergency shelters can be found at disaster.pinellas.gov The County Information Center is open around the clock to answer resident questions at (727) 464-4333 Pinellas ounty announced the opening of two more emergency shelters as of 3:30 p.m. at Melrose Elementary at 1752 13th Ave. South in St. Petersburg and Belleair Elementary at 1156 Lakeview Road in Clearwater Special needs and pet-friendly shelters are available. The complete shelter list can be found at disaster.pinellas.gov More than 5,000 people are currently in shelters in Pinellas County Shelters are also at Clearwater Fundamental Middle (1660 Palmetto St. Clearwater) and Lealman Innovation (4900 28th St For more information, click here Pasco County is opening hurricane shelters for anyone who needs to leave their home ahead of Hurricane Milton and has nowhere else to stay.  All shelters are accepting family pets.The following shelters will open Monday Learn more about what to bring if you’re sheltering with your pet: mypas.co/PetHurricanePrep 2024) – Manatee County is buttoning up for Milton’s arrival later today Citizens are urged to rush their final preparations to completion and be ready to shelter by this afternoon when the initial arrival of Tropical Storm winds are expected the bridges to the barrier islands have been closed to through traffic Manatee Avenue westbound across the causeway and bridge is closed at the end of Perico Island Cortez Road westbound bridge traffic is stopped at 127th St The bridges are open for Emergency Access Only Westbound Manatee County Public Works staff is also prepared to barricade and close the following bridges as conditions warrant:  These closures are to protect infrastructure that experienced flooding damage during Hurricane Debby Motorists should expect these closures to be in place until Hurricane Milton passes and the inspection staff has had a chance to evaluate potential damage Other roadways may also be impacted due to flooding and storm surge As more citizens evacuate ahead of the storm Manatee County is opening six additional shelters at 10 a.m.: Electa Lee Magnet Middle School (4000 53rd Ave Robert Willis Elementary School (14705 The Masters Ave. Annie Lucy Williams Elementary School (3404 Fort Hamer Rd. that hosted almost 6,000 persons overnight There is still space available at the already opened locations:  Virgil Mills Elementary School (7200 69th St Myakka Elementary School (37205 Manatee Ave. B D Gullett Elementary School (12125 44th Ave McNeal Elementary School (6325 Lorraine Rd. A special needs shelter will also be opening for those who have pre-registered. If you haven’t registered yet, please do so at mymanatee.org/needs Lake Manatee Dam levels have been lowered to 35.9 feet allowing staff to moderate flows through the dam projected rainfall amounts from Hurricane Milton may require flows from the dam to increase to match inflow rates residents in potentially impacted areas will be notified in advance Debris collection has been halted in Manatee County following a flurry of activity to collect more than 5000 tons of debris since Helene Trash haulers assisted in the final sweeps yesterday Trash and recycling pickups are suspended through Friday Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly through the day and into the overnight periods when the potential landfall of Milton is anticipated Heavy winds and rains are expected for most of the evening and into Thursday.  Storm surge impact is expected to be the greatest along our coastal communities from 6 a.m While rainfall amounts and storm surge will fluctuate greatly depending on exactly where the storm comes ashore citizens are advised to be patient and not venture out until it is safe to do so 2024) - Hillsborough County is opening three more shelters for residents in Evacuation Zones A and B and all mobile and manufactured homes as well as those whose homes are vulnerable to storm surge and flooding and those that may be more susceptible to wind damage.  This brings the total to 11 general public shelters and three special-needs shelters opened in advance of Hurricane Milton's expected arrival.   The new shelters will open at 10:30 a.m.  today at the following locations.   Mulrennan Middle School (NOT pet friendly)  Lockhart Elementary Magnet School (NOT pet friendly)  Collins PK-8 School (NOT pet friendly) Hillsborough County will open Middleton High School this afternoon as a safe haven in advance of inclement weather for residents who were impacted by Hurricane Helene The forecast calls for heavy rain and wind on Sunday afternoon through Sunday night Residents who need transportation assistance to Middleton High School should call 833-HC STORM or 833-427-8676 to make arrangements The storm information and helpline is open until 7 p.m.  Hillsborough County shelters information. Based on the current projections and estimated time of Hurricane Milton’s arrival to Polk County the following public shelters will be open at noon on Tuesday Three pet friendly shelters will also be open noon on Tuesday Pet owners must bring shot records for their pets an airline-approved carrying case or crate and pet food Special Needs shelters will also open at 7 a.m for those residents with special and/or medical needs Special needs shelters are temporary emergency facilities capable of providing care to residents whose medical condition(s) may require the use of electrical equipment cognitive or medical conditions who may require assistance from medical professionals Although special needs shelters provide more care than a general shelter they do not provide the level of care found in a medical facility The Special Needs shelters are located at: please monitor your local news media or call the Citizen’s Information Line at (863) 298-7500 (locally) or toll-free 866-661-0228 Mandatory evacuation orders have been announced to start at 8am on Tuesday 2024. Residents seeking safe shelter are encouraged to arrive at their planned location by 12pm on Wednesday Mandatory Evacuations have been issued for all areas west of US 19 public shelters will open at 8am on Tuesday o    Special Needs Clients o    General Population *If you are needing the Special Needs Shelter and have a pet transportation from either your house or shelter location for your pet is done through Animal Control with Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Please call Hernando County Public Information Center (PIC) at 352-754-4083 to arrange pick up 7am on Tuesday and then open 24/7 until further notice. A 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 is in order for all residents in Citrus County residing in campers or any structure not capable of withstanding sustained winds of up to 110MPH We encourage residents to prepare and take action NOW Do not focus on the Tampa Bay area as the place of impact 𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡 𝗔𝗧 𝟴𝗔𝗠 𝗧𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬: 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 (General Population) - 185 West Citrus Springs Blvd. 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 (General Population) - 600 West Highland Blvd. 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 (Special Needs) - 2927 North Forest Ridge Blvd. 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 (Pet Friendly) - 3630 W Educational Path Citrus County Transit provides transportation at no cost to an open shelter or other safe location within Citrus County Citrus County Commissioners have a road problem They’re the county’s residential streets, particularly in the communities of Pine Ridge and Citrus Springs which were built decades ago and are now deteriorating gradually the county has increased annually the amount it spends on residential road resurfacing But the one thing Commissioners haven’t done is develop a plan that gets ahead of the road repaving problem while finding a long-term funding source to pay for it Commissioners agreed during a Tuesday morning workshop to tweak the project formula so that more money pours into areas with the worst roads Citrus has 1,523 miles of residential roads the worst in the county (with higher ratings being worse) The county doesn’t pave worst-to-first; a density rule gives higher priority to streets with houses on them which potentially leaves the worst rated roads out because no one lives there whose District 3 encompasses the largest share of poorly rated roads of the five Commission districts said the density rule means the worst roads with few homes will only deteriorate further “The 7’s are always going to jump the 9’s to direct a larger share of the total funding to District 3 Public Works Director Mary Jensen said the county needs about $38 million annually to resurface and maintain all county roads, including collector roads that are funded through a partnership with the state Currently, the county adds $2 million annually through a bump in the property tax rate Commissioners said they’d like to move toward a formula that “blends” other fees and taxes so that the property tax rate can be reduced Commissioner Jeff Kinnard suggested that the board should stick with the current funding plan through 2024 Commissioner Rebecca Bays said the county could borrow the money “I don’t think borrowing money is a bad thing I don’t know how we get ahead of the curve at this point Doing it at $9 million a year doesn’t fix it Mark Svestka, representing the Pine Ridge Civic Association said the county funding has been at least half of what it should be for residential resurfacing Mike Wright is a former reporter with the Citrus County Chronicle where he had covered county government and politics since 1987 Mike's skills as an investigative reporter earned him first-place awards in investigative writing Mike also helped the Chronicle win the Frances Devore Award for Public Service in 2002 Citrus County created a “gas tax” back in the 80’s Check out Alachua County’s pavement management system which we have just implemented Details are in the 5/23/23 agenda packet We reworked the algorithm to include areas of inequity I believe this is a model other counties could benefit from This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL © Copyright by Extensive-Enterprises 2025. All rights reserved. STAFF LOGIN With four new schools joining the list the past two days confirmed COVID-19 cases on the campuses of Polk County Public Schools have jumped to 96 Reported on the PCPS COVID-19 web page Thursday night (click here to visit the web page) 10 new cases were identified at eight school sites The school district is reporting 90 cases but not accounting for a few listings where two separate schools are listed on the same line of a case report two new cases were identified at Kathleen High School while individual cases were reported at Bartow High Polk City Elementary and Highland City Elementary The combined cases at Lakeland High/Harrison School for the Arts lead all Polk County campuses with a district-high 16 The Jean O'Dell Learning Center for special education students is next with six followed by the combined cases reported on the Bartow/Bartow IB/Summerlin Academy campus and Garner Elementary in Winter Haven with five PCPS COVID-19 casesTo date: 96 cases at 51 district schools • Lakeland High/Harrison School for the Arts (16) • Jean O’Dell Learning Center (6) • Bartow/Bartow IB/Summerlin Academy (5) • Lakeland High/Harrison School for the Arts (1) • Jean O’Dell Learning Center (3) • Lakeland High/Harrison School for the Arts (2) • Lakeland High/Harrison School for the Arts (6) • Lakeland High/Harrison School for the Arts (4) • Jean O’Dell Learning Center (1)  • Walter Caldwell Elementary (1)  • Bartow High/Bartow IB/Summerlin Academy (1)  2021Singer Chris Brown allegedly struck a woman in Tarzana last week prompting a battery investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department a source told Eyewitness News.LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Singer Chris Brown allegedly struck a woman at his home in Tarzana last week after which officers responded to a radio call in the 19600 block of Citrus Ridge Drive Brown was not present when police arrived at the home claimed that Brown struck her during an argument and the case will be submitted to the Los Angeles city attorney's office for filing consideration The city attorney's office and a spokesperson for Brown did not immediately respond to requests for comment Chris Brown's massive birthday party is broken up by LAPD after hundreds of revelers descend on Tarzana home After receiving complaints of loud music that lasted into the early morning hours on May 6 Los Angeles police broke up a birthday party for Brown that was held at the same Tarzana home You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience growth renewables with the ambition to be a leader in the energy transition The two projects have a combined total capacity of 110 MW Construction has al-ready begun on the Sunset Ridge Energy Center in Frio County Sunset Ridge marks the first battery storage project for East Point Energy in Texas and will be connected to the distribution network of South Texas Electric Co-operative (STEC) The 10 MW/20 MWh battery storage project will strengthen reliability and enable STEC to better serve its customers during peak demand The commercial operation date for Sunset Ridge is expected in 2H24 Citrus Flatts will be a 100 MW/200 MWh battery storage project and will be connected to the distribution network American Electric Power Citrus Flatts and Sunset Ridge are planned to be commercialised by Equinor’s wholly owned energy trading house *Sunset Ridge and Citrus Flatts will operate on a fully merchant basis in Texas’ ERCOT power market and are expected to deliver real base project returns towards the higher end of Equinor’s guided range for renewables of 4 – 8% “Energy storage is essential to balance the supply with the increasing demand for energy in Texas We’re excited that our projects will support a more renewable and the ERCOT market at large,” said Andrew Foukal The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Equinor and has a project pipeline of approximately 3 GW of battery storage projects across the US BESS’ will play a critical role in the energy transition “We aim to build a robust and diversified battery storage portfolio with an opportunity to scale by leveraging the capabilities of East Point Energy and maximising synergies with Danske Commodities,” added Christian Lie Hansen Equinor’s Vice President of Onshore Renewables Americas and Chair of the East Point Energy board “Our ownership in East Point Energy creates a solid basis for building a material and profitable battery storage position across attractive US power markets delivering on our market-driven power producer strategy.” The Spring 2024 issue of Energy Global starts with a guest comment from Field on how battery storage sites can serve as a viable solution to curtailed energy before moving on to a regional report from Théodore Reed-Martin looking at the state of renewables in Europe This issue also hosts an array of technical articles on electrical infrastructure Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/energy-storage/11042024/equinor-announces-first-battery-storage-projects-in-usa/ Lantana Capital Ltd has been appointed as the mandated sell-side advisor for the public auction of Heliosphera SA's bankrupt solar panel factory in Tripoli Embed article link: (copy the HTML code below): Already a member? Sign in here -- Two women were killed and one child was injured Friday in a shooting at a Haines City apartment complex Police say two people related to one of the women arrived at the apartment to check on her One of the relatives returned and got into a fight with Cherizard Once police arrived at the apartment complex they found two other people who had been shot--another woman and a 6-year-old child The child was taken to a hospital in "extremely critical condition," police said who left the apartments in a burgundy 2011 Nissan Altima with Florida tag GZN C82.  Anyone with information is asked to contact the Haines City Police Department or call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477 Several local students recently graduated from Grantham University through the university's online degree and certificate programs Master Healthcare Administration; Yaser Marrero AS and BS Computer Science; and Minerica Sulivan AS Criminal Justice and BS Criminal Justice Homeland Security; Theodore Houston AA Criminal Justice and AAS Medical Coding and Billing; Daniel Kallmeyer BS Multidisciplinary Studies; Keydalisse Cruz-Sanabria AS Computer Science and BS Multidisciplinary Studies BS Business Management and Master Healthcare Administration BS Engineering Management; Russell Chewning AA and BA Criminal Justice; Walter Coleman BS Multidisciplinary Studies; and Jacqueline Smith AS and BS Computer Science and Brandon Hiddemen Master Business Administration; Gustavo Hernandez BS Multidisciplinary Studies; and Angel Tovar Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District recently held its annual speech contest themed "Healthy Soils are Full of Life,” as part of its initiative to disseminate the value of Florida's soil and water conservation 10th grade at Kathleen Senior High School; second place was Katie Hernandez sixth grade at Citrus Ridge Middle School; and third place was Mariah Clements sixth grade at Citrus Ridge Middle School and Natania Ramerez eighth grade at Citrus Ridge Middle School Winners of the 15th annual Marilyn Newell Youth Music Festival held April 22-23 were recently announced second place was Cory Johnston and third place was Jacob Gmitter and Zilong Liddle second place was Jacob Gmitter and third place was Anjali Soni first place was John Butz and second place was Tison Savage second place was Moriah Quint and third place was Kim-Ann Vo and Beatrice Dalov seventh grade home-schooled student in Lakeland was honored by the Duke University Talent Identification Program for exceptional scores on the ACT or SAT Albritton will be recognized during a ceremony at the University of South Florida in Tampa on May 8 DAVENPORT | Friends who helped build a roadside memorial to four people killed in a wreck on U.S 27 two years ago couldn't bring themselves to dismantle it Friday The Florida Department of Transportation had sent a letter to the family of Lucero Tijerino giving them until Friday to remove the collection of teddy bears garden stones and mulch from the northeast corner of the U.S 27 and Citrus Ridge Drive intersection in Davenport It's just really hard," said Candace Pandolfo whose daughter Barbara Pandolfo was friends with the family involved in the crash Family and friends of the victims created the memorial at the site of the Sept But FDOT said only the official memorial markers can remain on the intersection's northeast corner Those markers are circular aluminum signs on 5-foot steel posts bearing the names of 17-year-old Lucero Tijerino her 11-month-old daughter Layla Pinto-Tijerino The FDOT memorial markers can stay in place for a year — or longer if the family requests it — as long as the state doesn't need to clear that portion of the right-of-way to expand the road or for other construction The DOT said roadside memorials are not permitted because they are a distraction for drivers If the family and friends don't remove the memorial