(This story was changed to include new information.) Polk County's major power companies made headway again bringing power back to tens of thousands of county residents left in the dark by Hurricane Milton Lakeland Electric had 12,300 customers without power Sunday at 9 a.m This was down from 21,500 since the same time Saturday and from 86,000 the morning after Milton swept through the area on Thursday Lakeland Electric reiterated Saturday night on its Facebook page that the remainder of its restorations might go slower because of flooding "Customers with damaged electrical equipment or those currently contending with flooding may be unable to safely receive power until the floodwaters recede or their equipment undergoes assessment and repair by a qualified electrician," the municipal-owned utility said "We estimate power will be restored Friday, October 18 to all customers able to safely receive power. More detailed estimated restoration times for all customers are now available on the outage map by zone." "All of Combee Settlement will be restored Tuesday," it said customers who are currently flooded will be restored on Friday Duke Energy had 17,198 Polk County customers without power Sunday morning a dramatic fall from 65,000 immediately after the hurricane and 38,000 on Saturday afternoon Duke said Saturday that it expects to have all of its Polk County customers restored by Sunday night TECO appeared to be down to about 6,000 outages in Polk scattered between the Winter Haven area and the Mulberry area TECO said Saturday that it expects to have all of its Polk County customers restored by Tuesday McKeel Academy, Lake Wales Charter Schools and Polk StateThe Schools of McKeel Academy will remain closed Monday and Tuesday "Our facilities department continues to actively mitigate campus restoration across TSMA from the aftermath of Milton," the Lakeland charter school system said "Please continue to check your email of record for any additional information from your child’s teacher or school."  But Lake Wales Charter Schools will be open Monday A post on the Facebook page for Bok Academy one of the schools that's part of the system said "LWCS is not following the schedule for Polk County School Board schools and by extension the Polk State Collegiate High School The school canceled classes on Saturday "as crews continue to clear debris and ensure the safety of all College locations ahead of returning to normal operations Monday." The college postponed its FallFest on Saturday 15 groundbreaking for its Haines City-Davenport campus and Oct 15 open house on the Winter Haven campus are also postponed The Polk County school district will need more time to get schools into shape Polk County Public Schools said in a 5 p.m email and phone message to parents and teachers on Saturday that the district will be closed Monday and Tuesday as it continues getting schools ready "Three factors are impacting our ability to safely reopen our schools: We must have adequate power "Our utility partners are doing an amazing job and working around the clock to restore power But total or partial outages persist at more than 30 school sites "Our facilities staff have been tirelessly working to prepare our campuses But we need more time to finish necessary repairs and cleanup work School kitchens must be fully operational and able to accept delivery of new food items "We are also learning that some of our school-based staff are unable to return Monday due to their own difficult storm-related circumstances." The district said all available district employees will return on Monday to their district offices and work sites Those sites have power and have been cleared for staff will return Tuesday to help prepare for students to return on Wednesday "Any staff members facing major challenges after the storm should speak with their supervisors regarding their return to work," the district said we anticipate being short-staffed on some essential personnel Duke Energy said Saturday that it expects to have all Polk County customers without power restored by Sunday night Duke Energy Florida said it had whittled the number of customers without power statewide from about 1 million to 580,000 as of noon Saturday. In Polk County, the number without power was about 38,000, according to the Duke outage map “It’s only been a few days since Hurricane Milton tore through the state leaving behind unimaginable destruction and more than a million of our customers without power,” said Todd Fountain Customers who experienced extensive damage or flooding may require additional time for restoration and be prepared for extended outages Meanwhile Tampa Electric Co. said it too was making substantial progress the company reported 8,928 outages in Polk County "We will have essentially all customers restored in Polk County by Tuesday at 11:59 p.m.," a spokeswoman said via email Lakeland Electric's restorations slowed late Friday and into Saturday as the municipal-owned utility began its more difficult problem areas After restoring power to three-quarters of the 86,000 customers knocked out by Hurricane Milton in the first two days Lakeland Electric's power outage map on Saturday morning still listed about 21,000 customers without electricity at 8 a.m the outage map showed 20,500 customers without power In a statement on Facebook Saturday morning the outages are becoming increasingly challenging and time-consuming We are transitioning from repairing outages that restore power to thousands of people at a time to outages that restore power to hundreds of people at a time "We anticipate areas that are not flooded in Combee Settlement Orangedale and Highland City having power restored on Tuesday Bartow reports 1,700 customers still without powerAbout 11 p.m Bartow Electric said it still had 1,700 customers without power via a Facebook post Bartow credited crews totaling about 150 people from across the United States for assisting in the recovery effort Alabama; Osmose Utilities and Davey Tree Group Crews currently are working in the areas of Lyle Parkway State Road 60 East and various other locations around town The City of Bartow is operating a Call Center from 8 a.m Saturday for reporting non-emergency storm-related issues regarding city services City staff will be answering calls to the centralized number and forward service requests to the proper areas of the Bartow Call 863-534-0134. Issues also can reported online at cityofbartow.net/487/Report-a-Problem  If a situation poses an immediate danger to health and safety Distribution sites for water and food have been set up in several Polk County locations to help residents who were left without resources because of Hurricane Milton Distribution sites will be open from 9 a.m During the county’s most recent update Friday afternoon director of Polk County emergency management in Bartow and the recovery is now underway in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton and you do not need to call the hotline to schedule an appointment for debris pickups,” Womble added The county has to follow FEMA guidelines when it picks up debris so the county will be reimbursed appropriately for its expenses by the federal agency This means residents must separate furniture and storm debris from vegetative debris The items should be placed in front yards and not blocking roads nor driveways “We will be opening and announcing soon some sites where you can self-haul your debris,” Womble said “But more importantly we will begin to pick up countywide We will touch every part of Polk County to make sure the debris is picked up.”    the Hurricane Milton residential debris hotline is 833-843-1920 The county is expecting to provide residents with information in the next couple of days about the routes for debris pickup “We'll have a dashboard where you can get more information about the debris collection process Womble also said normal Polk County solid waste trash collection will resume Monday on the normal schedule He also urged residents to practice food safety especially if the power has been out in their refrigerator during an outage Food such as milk or eggs may no longer be fresh enough to consume “If you're not sure if that food can stay at proper temperature you could get sick from food-borne illness.”   He also said several agencies and non-profit organizations approached Polk County government about needing volunteer assistance If residents want to volunteer with cleanup and recovery efforts or food distribution they can call a volunteer registration hotline at 863-519-7411 He said local organizations started a food distribution Friday and more sites especially in the hardest hit areas of the county Polk County Public Schools said late Friday in an email to parents that it still hasn't made a decision on whether to return to classes on Monday "We will not have an answer until sometime this weekend — perhaps even Sunday," the email said The district said its staff began inspecting schools "as soon as the sun came up" on Friday 'Never seen it like this': Floodwaters invade homes, cover roads in Northwest Polk "Even if power is restored today or tomorrow to all school sites," the district said "we still have other critical areas of operation to consider." Those include ensuring schools can prepare food safely with necessary refrigeration sanitation and water service; completing post-storm inspections and cleanup of our campuses; and having enough staff available to resume school operations "Please remember that many of our teachers and school staff members are dealing with the storm’s impact and disruptions to their daily lives," the email said school and district leadership teams will be reaching out to check on them "We are working to reopen schools as quickly as possible but we must make sure our campuses can function properly and safely." There's a four-way race among Republicans for the open Florida House seat in District 49 vacated by three-term Rep Republican voters in District 49 will choose between Jennifer Kincart Jonsson Shawn McDonough and Randy Wilkinson in the Aug The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Ashley Herrmann in the Nov 5 general election to represent District 49 The district covers much of Polk County west of U.S extending north to the Combee Settlement area east of Lake Parker Mail-in ballots have already been sent to voters and may be requested through Polk County Supervisor of Elections Office through Aug with the traditional precinct voting on Aug Only registered Republicans may cast a ballot in the state House District 49 primary of Lakeland is the vice president of A-C-T Environmental & Infrastructure Inc. a Bartow business her family has owned and operated since 1987 The company provides services including waste management remediation of contaminated areas and environmental compliance "I never expected to run for public office it was not on my bucket list of things to do," she said "I'm the best person to represent the community for conservative values." Jonsson graduated from Lakeland High School before earning a bachelor's degree in health science and a master's in public health from University of Florida Kincart Jonsson said working her way up through the family business has given her a wealth of experience to best serve District 49 residents As a Christian constitutional conservative staunchly supports the 2nd Amendment and pro-law enforcement and first responders "I want to be a champion for Polk County," she said The affordability of housing amid rapid increases in home and flood insurance is a key issue She wants to ensure the legislature continues work to limit frivolous lawsuits while bringing new companies and competition into the state to lower rates Kincart Jonsson said she did not have a specific legislative proposal as she wants to further learn the history of how Florida homeowners wound up in this situation what has been tried and what's already failed Kincart Jonsson said she plans to be a strong advocate for workforce education encouraging the idea that there are two paths to success Her own family has experienced finding skilled workers in several trades Teens and young adults need to know there are viable she hopes to increase awareness of the state's Bright Futures Scholarship Program which offers a variety of scholarship programs to students who meet the minimum standards in grades and lower some of the barriers to participating in the program I grew up with orange trees in my backyard," she said "I want to protect Polk's charm and history." At a glance: Polk County School Board elections: See our stories, read their answers Her endorsements include Lakeland Professional Firefighters West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association Kincart Jonsson has raised more than $255,000 from more than 400 donors according to filings with Florida's Division of Elections Noteworthy individual donors include Stephen Baylis; Publix's Vice Chair Hoyt Barnett the daughter of the district's current representative; developer Wesley Beck of Aspyre Properties of Florida; Albert Cassidy of Cassidy Corp.; Harrell's LLC and several Harrell family members; and Thomas Oakley has worked as a professional mediator in Florida since 2012 and owns her own mediation services business She is certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a mediator in family law dependency and county and circuit civil court Mediators are hired to help two or more parties resolve legal disputes after reaching an impasse McArthur is the co-founder and president of Collaborative Professionals of Central Florida Helping Hands and Crisis Cleanup to help in post-hurricane disasters This is McArthur's first campaign for political office She said she personally spoke with Bell about the possibility of running for District 49 and decided to move forward with a campaign after much prayer Some of the key issues highlighted by McArthur in a previous Ledger interview were homeowner insurance costs all of whom attend or have graduated from public schools "I want us to protect our children from indoctrination,” she previously told The Ledger “I really want us to focus on the quality of education the things that will help them prepare for their next phase in life The Ledger was unable to schedule an interview with McArthur ahead of the primary despite multiple attempts She did not respond to a candidate questionnaire sent to all candidates in the race McArthur puts an emphasis on issues including protecting the country's southern border and preserving Florida's Heartland Florida House District 48 Six Republicans contend for chance to take open seat West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association and Earn the Vote Action McArthur has raised more than $79,000 from 221 contributors according to documents filed with Florida's Division of Elections Noteworthy individual donors include Publix's Vice Chair Hoyt Barnett daughter of the district's current representative; developer Wesley Beck of Aspyre Properties of Florida; Pamela Mutz Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz's wife; Polk County School Board member Rick Nolte; and Vic Story Jr. president and board chair of The Story Companies in Lake Wales is a co-owner of the real estate company S&D Real Estate with his wife He has described it as one of the largest non-franchise real estate agencies in Polk with more than 90 agents In the community, McDonough is a former youth pastor who has served as chairman of Heartland For Children; a board member for ROAR Florida (previously Noah's Ark) a Lakeland nonprofit; and volunteered with Boy Scouts of America troops He's also worked extensively for the Lakeland Association of Realtors This is McDonough's second attempt at running for political office having previously launched a six-week campaign in 2002 challenging Randy Wilkinson for his seat on the Polk County Commission "I'm focused on bringing back strong representation to this District 49 seat," he said "I am a regular guy who is fed up with the high cost of insurance: home insurance and car insurance U.S. House District 15: US Rep. Laurel Lee faces two Republican challengers for her seat McDonough said he's spent most of the past nine months on the campaign trail knocking on doors across the district his three main issues are stopping inflation illegal immigration and addressing the state's insurance crisis "I've applied for a job of representing about 184,000 people in our district," the candidate said This is the people's opportunity to have their voice be heard." McDonough said in the controversial debate about banning books in Florida's schools he has one unanswered question: Can a student check out the Bible It's a question that represents his viewpoint on schools and religious believes I would like to make sure the Bible is available in the media center and teachers are aware it's available," he said McDonough said he also wants to raise awareness and "make it honorable" for children who pursue training in the trades as opposed to going to college The candidate said he wants to see classes focusing on basic skills and financial planning courses more available in high schools "The difference is I’m the true outsider that’s committed to win and stopping our seat from being stolen by Tallahassee’s special interests," he said "That is right what is happening before voters' eyes." His endorsements include Bikers for Trump, Conservative Watch USA, Bikers for 45, and the National Rifle Association, according to his campaign's Facebook page. Noteworthy individual donors to his campaign include Ron Clark P.A.; Lakeland developer Gregory Fancelli; Bradley Lunz of The Lunz Group in Lakeland; Joe Ruthven; and Linda Wiggs wife of Lakeland's former mayor Howard Wiggs "I’m the candidate with experience in elective office and is versed in a range of relevant fields," he told The Ledger Wilkinson originally filed to run as the eighth candidate in District 48 He said the decision was made for a multitude of reasons based on his experience in Polk County Key issues Wilkinson said he would focus on if elected include the high cost of property and auto insurance in Florida Wilkinson is in favor of home rule to grant municipalities more control "We need to reverse what the governor and legislature did They put many strictures on counties making their own regulations," he said if they want to raise impact fees 25% they can do it Wilkinson said he voted in favor of one of the highest proposed raises to impact fees — and said he voted to keep the higher fees "It didn't really impact people buying homes prices are already going up so steep," he said "We have people moving in every day from New York Let them pay for this infrastructure they'll need." Wilkinson said he thinks local municipalities have to be empowered to say no to developers when necessary he feels local municipalities should be allowed to charge the impact fees they deem necessary and uphold plans for future growth management "We are arresting too many people in Polk County," he said Individual donors include Tom Mims and Charles and Vicki Cook of Frostproof Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545 The monument to Confederate dead in Munn Park represents entwined histories One is a reminder of the great American sins of slavery and the century of racial injustice that followed The other is an honor to those whom several of Lakeland's founders fought beside before settling this hard landscape the City Commission will decide where to move the monument — to Roselawn Cemetery where former Confederate soldiers are buried a plot that contained part of a black neighborhood with a history as old as Lakeland when Wilbert Combee hitched a wooden cart to his ox Mary and Lizzie — in the flatbed of the wagon and started out from their home in Edgefield County “Wilbert heard there was a place in the central part of the state where a man could settle and farm,” reads the Combee family history “They traveled over the hundreds of dust-choked hostile miles from South Carolina by ox cart and didn’t stop until they reached the tree-tangled unnamed wilderness that later became known as Polk County.” according to a newspaper story on the Combee family in the 1920s Hampton Combee enlisted in The Third Seminole War fighting the Native Americans and escaped slaves as they made small but deadly raids on places like a farm near Fort Meade The settlers reciprocated by killing Seminoles After Florida seceded from the Union and entered the Civil War Combee joined the First Florida Calvary Company K A Confederate pension applied for by Sarahan in 1902 shows Combee fought under Gen and the battles of Chicamauga and Missionary Ridge The record shows that when the Confederacy surrendered Combee had returned home to Polk County on sick furlough he found his wife and two children with only a little bedding and a piece of rented land not even a house to live in,” the 1920s story states Combee then cleared land without the benefit of power tools built a home on three acres in the area of what is now Merrick Lane and Combee Road — on the east side of Lake Parker — and began to farm “It is said he was a very strict businessman and when customers asked to buy his vegetables on credit hang down your head and cry,’ ” the family’s history reads Family records and the widow’s pension application show Combee eventually amassed nearly 360 acres His great-great-grandchildren still live and work in Lakeland Combee was one of more than 400 Confederate veterans who wound up in Polk County following the Civil War working hard to scrape a living from the soil build railroads and help to shape the area into what it is today About 25 years after the Combee family’s arrival government’s Internal Improvement Fund of Florida induced Abraham Munn and his brother-in-law stretching from where Memorial Boulevard is today to what is now the Lake Morton area including a park in the center of the business district that now bears his name a member of the Annie Darracott chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy a group dedicated to keeping the Confederate monument in Munn Park She recently presented the City Commission with a list of more than 115 Confederate veterans who became notable residents in the Lakeland area president of the first town council and the city’s third mayor who took the petition for the monument to city leaders who built the 1902 Bowyer building at Pine Street and Kentucky Avenue homesteaded the land where Florida Southern College now sits Life in early Lakeland was not big city living Women visiting their friends at the Tremont Hotel had to fend off fleas brought by the hogs rooting and sleeping under the hotel when the sidewalks were made of wooden boards One woman who stepped off the train to see Lakeland’s sites found her long skirts invaded by the vermin And Blinky wasn’t the first alligator to roam Lakeland’s streets whose home faced Orange Street and the rear of his property ran down to the lake and when he opened the door he found a large alligator demanding admittance,” R.E “The banker hurriedly closed the door and telephoned for the police Herbert Drane helped to build a railroad line from Kissimmee to Tampa with one of Abraham Munn’s sons convincing Henry Plant to build a station in Lakeland And that’s when things really began to grow but the train could bring people and products to town Lakeland’s 34 adult white men voted to incorporate but served for a little more than a month before resigning it took the back-breaking work of black men to build it According to local historian LaFrancine Burton a crew of black railroad workers set up a camp on the southern shore of Lake Wire in 1883 with some of them eventually moving a quarter of a mile south to settle in an area that was bounded by Lake Beulah and Lake Hunter John’s Baptist Church was founded the following year at the corner of S It was the first school for Lakeland’s black children Amos Stewart served as the school’s first supervisor and teacher This community eventually found work in the citrus and phosphate industries which provided incentive for black families to migrate here,” Burton wrote The community that grew in the area was eventually named for his family affiliated with Foster Memorial Methodist Church principal and teacher at Flanagan Hall on West Orange Street He chaired many civic and philanthropic organizations “the most famous negro in America,” Booker T came to Lakeland to speak to 2,000 black and white spectators hard work and morality.” A park was named in his honor Education was vital to these early leaders in order to lift their children out of poverty the Colored Ministers Alliance asked the City Commission to extend the school year beyond four months “provided the people raise the money.” It was common then for school boards to require communities to build schools and furnish funding a 12th-grade education was not provided until 1928 Students who wanted to attend high school had to go to Tampa Because black people were not allowed to shop in downtown Lakeland because of Jim Crow laws a thriving business community sprouted up in Moorehead and also along North Florida Avenue the city decided to destroy about 200 homes on 35 acres to make room for The Lakeland Civic Center “During that time period in American history that’s how they dealt with the blacks and the blight,” said Gow Fields who became a City Commissioner in 1992 and was elected mayor in 2009 “There would be no objection to spending taxpayer dollars the secretary of the local branch of the NAACP said it was a continuation of the oppression of black people “If someone decides they want to keep you in your place Thomascina Holte remembered a yard filled with fruit trees and a beautiful garden She was forced out of Moorehead and told The Ledger in 1996 that the city paid her a little less than $8,000 for her four-bedroom home An RP Funding Center parking lot sits there now Audrey Figgs family's home in Moorehead was taken by eminent domain positively" opposed to the Confederate monument being placed on land that once belonged to a thriving black community "We didn't give our land up for that," Figgs said Moore can be reached at kmoore@theledger.com or 863-802-7514 Floridians have something to celebrate on Labor Day: lower gas prices AAA said the recent drop in gas prices can be attributed to weaker oil prices softer demand for gasoline and fewer major refinery outages than last summer with many people hitting the roads to head back home gas prices are down 15 cents from a month ago and down 49 cents from a year ago The number of drivers on the road is up 9% compared to last year a driver on Interstate 95 in Martin County said he had to prepare by strapping down and covering his luggage on his truck with a tarp “It's supposed to rain up Daytona,” said Martinez Drivers may be getting rain on their rides today but they’re also getting cheaper gas prices A relief being felt statewide, as average gas prices in the Sunshine State sits at around $3.33 per gallon West Palm Beach has the most expensive gas in Florida this Labor Day Weekend The cheapest gas in the state is in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach area at $2.95 a gallon These cheaper prices make Martinez want to hit the road more often it makes you want to travel more,” said Martinez — Drivers are seeing only a slight relief at the gas pump this week Gas is averaging at $4.29 per gallon as of Thursday morning according to AAA down from an average of $4.36 per gallon one week ago dropping under $100 a barrel after setting a 13-year high on March 6 at $130.50 "Why we aren't seeing that same price drop at the gas pump?" RELATED: Check gas prices in your area Getting gas from the source to the pump is a complex process with a lot of moving pieces Larger companies are able to lock in prices months in advance closer to the source said their prices are a direct reflection of prices set down south at Port Everglades Fernandez said they are in contact with the port several times a day to figure out how much a tank of gas is going to cost and when they can get it He said 6 months ago they talked half as often Fernandez said they are buying half as much gas at one time "It’s not that they are trying to gouge," Fernandez said He said prices at the pump aren't declining as fast as the price per barrel of oil because gas stations owners must prepare for their next shipment how long can I make this tanker last before I have to spend another $40,000 on a tanker," Fernandez said Florida Atlantic University Associate Professor of Economics William Luther said by the fall prices could be back to where they were prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine Luther said it's demand and supply pressures that push the prices of gas He said expanding oil supply and easing sanctions on countries like Venezuela could ease the supply pressures "I think that there are a lot of supply constraints at the moment that look like they are going to ease up," Luther said But there's a lot of uncertainty surrounding these decisions which he predicts will lead to more volatility in the coming weeks "OPEK seemed pretty open to increasing supply when oil was $127 per barrel They might not be so open when its $100 per barrel is thinking about easing sanctions on Venezuela and that's an easier political decision to make at $127 per barrel but at $100 per barrel maybe not so much," Luther said has lived long enough to see the world go from people using horses to ride into downtown Lakeland to watching humans launch into space their rockets streaking a white column across the blue sky beyond his family’s homestead “I’m one of the original Combees that settled this area around 1850 so that would make me around 6th generation,” Combee said sitting in his cousin Anne Weeks’ lakefront home I didn’t know of one that depended on someone else to help them out and help them along the way was a Confederate veteran who had worked hard as a farmer and rancher a home and horses before his death at the turn of the last century but lost all his money in the Great Depression in the 1920s “Didn’t have a dime — he went up to get it and they said your money’s gone,’ ” Combee retold of his grandfather’s trip to the bank When Grandpa would get up out of his chair to go somewhere he’d pat his rear end to see if he had his billfold He had his ‘bank’ — that’s where he kept his money and for years and years and years I would see him count his money Sam Combee built their three-bedroom Cracker shack for the family in exchange for allowing him to live there It had a roof made out of felt or tar paper — not shingles or tin “You could look at it and tell that some folks that weren’t well off — we called ‘em poor folks — owned the house because they couldn’t afford the paint,” Combee said We were out of the weather and we had shelter And I really didn’t know the difference between a mansion and a shack.” Combee and his brother were expected to pull their weight around the farm including chopping firewood for the wood stove and fireplace using a hoe to keep the dirt yard cleared of grass Combee learned to plow with the family’s horse when he was 10 years old Combee rose when the rooster crowed at dawn to feed and milk the cow and his mother would churn the cream to make butter large wooden boxes with doors on the front and insulated on the inside with metal — the precursor to today’s refrigerators Combee’s mother would order 100 pounds of ice which was delivered to their home every Wednesday “So I want to tell you how proud my mother was When the iceman pulled up — she didn’t say to him ‘We don’t need any ice today.’ And I thought she handled that pretty well.” although he went barefoot for the first few years They did their homework by kerosene lantern until they got electricity in 1945 “Very interesting to a country boy like me because we had some discipline there that I appreciated We had a learning situation where it seemed that everybody was supposed to succeed everybody had to learn to write and everybody had to learn what we called arithmetic — they call it math He made friends there that have lasted throughout his lifetime They would camp by whatever lake or river they had fished in with the boys sleeping in the car and their parents sleeping outside Combee remembers his father having only one shotgun shell to use on one trip — he couldn’t afford a second shell They came upon a flock of what they called curlews and what today are called ibis I gotta kill more than one and I’ve only got one bullet one shell.’ So he got 'em all together and he killed three of those birds with one shot.” A trip to town was an event and one that the family would make on Saturdays to pay bills He said he never saw his mother pay a bill with a check “A lot of times they’d buy us a hamburger — they were 5 cents — you could get a hamburger for a nickel and they’d have enough money where they could buy us a hamburger for lunch,” Combee said “And I kind of looked forward to those trips in town You didn’t get to buy anything but you saw everything." hired black workers to help them with the farm but the black workers would have to eat on the porch ‘How would I like to be treated that way and what have they done to deserve this kind of treatment?’ ” Combee said "It was kind of hard for a child to understand that I was old enough to know that there was not something right about not treating your fellow man like you would want to be treated .. I took the opposite view and I’ve never been sorry that I did.” The severe thunderstorm warning from the National Weather Service for Polk County has ended stated the following in a hazardous weather outlook that extends into Monday night: Numerous thunderstorms are expected throughout the day today During the late morning through the afternoon and evening there is potential for some strong to severe storms capable of producing strong gusty winds Note: The warning has been extended one hour to 11 a.m The National Weather Service in Ruskin has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 11 a.m Southeastern Pasco County in west central Florida Eastern Hillsborough County in west central Florida Northwestern Polk County in central Florida severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Temple Terrace to near East Lake-Orient Park to near Riverview to near Greater Sun Center PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS: For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building LAKELAND — Polk County law-enforcement officials have in custody a Pasco County man thought to be the Christmas Day killer of a 59-year-old Combee Settlement resident had been sought by detectives in connection to the Dec Jackson was found by neighbors with a single gunshot wound to the head in his mobile home at 2422 E Rayha was taken into custody in Polk County on Wednesday A daily list of first appearances in court indicated Rayha was being charged with first-degree murder — a capital offense — robbery with a firearm armed burglary and failure to register as a sex offender Polk County Sheriff's Office and Lakeland Police Department officials directed questions about the arrest to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office The Pasco Sheriff's Office did not provide additional information to The Ledger An official with the State Attorney's Office said information about the arrest and allegations would be unavailable until a later date An affidavit for the arrest of a woman named Carla Ann Bolin who detectives said sometimes goes by Carla Rayha Bolin had been charged as an accessory to a capital crime after the crime took place for providing a getaway vehicle The affidavit says detectives found a single .380-caliber shell casing in Jackson's residence next to his body Detectives also located video footage that captured a man's entry into Jackson's home at 5:59 p.m Surveillance video at another location showed a green station wagon leaving the area where the crime took place Other surveillance video obtained from Lakeland Gas Station at 2456 U.S 92 — near the scene of the crime — showed the suspect enter the green station wagon near the time the murder was committed An anonymous tipster said Rayha and Bolin owned a green station wagon and had often visited the mobile home park where Jackson was killed The tipster warned detectives that the couple might be armed Polk County and Pasco County detectives visited the couple's Dade City home on Dec 28 and checked Rayha's registration status as a sex offender They also verified through cell phone tower activity records that Rayha had been near the crime when it took place While searching the Dade City residence with a warrant the next day detectives located multiple .380-caliber rounds and then a Ruger LCP .380 handgun hidden in the ceiling above the master bedroom closet Detectives noted the serial number was partially scratched off An analysis from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Crime Laboratory indicated the shell casings recovered from the victim's home matched casings obtained after firing the Ruger handgun Rayha's first appearance before the court was Friday An arraignment hearing is planned for March 20 Christopher Guinn can be reached at Christopher.Guinn@theledger.com or 863-802-7592 Ledger Editor Laura Davis contributed reporting faced life in prison on charges of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl who had been convicted of sexual performance of a child in Texas in 1988 was found not guilty by a jury on April 20 Rayha was charged with fatally shooting Russell Jackson of Lakeland in his Combee Settlement trailer during what prosecutors described as a robbery Rayha again faced a life sentence Wednesday before a jury on charges of first-degree murder robbery with a firearm and burglary of a dwelling while armed with a firearm Assistant State Attorney Bonde Johnson told jurors in opening statements that all the evidence points to Rayha as the killer A gun wrapped in a glove and hidden in the ceiling was found in Rayha's Dade City home Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators determined a bullet that struck Jackson's head was fired from that same Ruger LCP .380 handgun Video footage captured a man's entry into Jackson's home at 5:59 p.m Surveillance video at nearby businesses showed a green Saturn station wagon leaving the area where the crime took place 92 — close to the shooting scene — showed a man enter the green station wagon near the time the murder was committed An anonymous tipster said Rayha and his girlfriend owned a green station wagon and had often visited the mobile home park where Jackson was killed Johnson explained cellphone records showed that at the time of the shooting Rayha was in the area of Peachtree Street where Jackson lived Johnson said that Bolin will testify that Rayha handed her a black box filled with money and drugs after the shooting said the evidence wasn't there to convict his client He said cellphones records picked up the couple's trip from Dade City to Lakeland because they were visiting friends on Christmas And Wells described Rayha's girlfriend as a shaky witness who will "do what she had to do to minimize her own punishment." "Pay attention to what you don't hear," Wells said "We feel confident the state has not met the burden of proof." Testimony in the case will continue Thursday before Senior Circuit Judge Dennis Maloney Rayha is expected to be in court on a separate charge in March Four months after his April 2017 acquittal for sexual battery on a child under 12 he was charged with failure to register as a sexual offender A pre-trial conference in that case is scheduled for March 12 John Chambliss can be reached at john.chambliss@theledger.com or 863-802-7588 Melony Bell announced plans to run for a different office a candidate has emerged seeking to succeed her in next year’s election has entered the race for Florida House District 49 will run next year for Polk County supervisor of elections rather than seek a fourth term in the Florida Legislature submitted her paperwork to the Florida Division of Elections on Monday District 49 covers much of Polk County west of U.S Challenging Lori Edwards State Rep. Melony Bell to run for Polk supervisor of elections McArthur has a bachelor’s degree in history from Boise State University and earned a certificate in alternative dispute resolution She said she has lived in Florida since 2007 a professional mediator in Florida since 2012 Mediators are hired as neutral parties to help resolve legal disputes after two sides reach an impasse McArthur is a married mother of five children ranging in age from 9 to 20 She is a vice president of the Republican Women’s Club of Lakeland and is president of the Collaborative Professional Association of Central Florida After living for years inside the current boundaries of District 49 McArthur said she now resides just outside the district after the sale of her family’s longtime home She expects to move back into the district soon Florida law requires legislators to reside in the districts they serve Florida House District 51 Democrat from Davenport files to challenge Josie Tomkow said she had heard rumors that circulated for months about Bell’s possible run for supervisor of elections and this was something that honestly I vacillated with but she encouraged me to be very prayerful about this,” McArthur said I just felt like this was something — I went through much prayer to be honest with you — I felt compelled to do.” McArthur mentioned homeowners’ insurance costs She said that all of her children attend or have graduated from public schools For 2028-2030 term Lakeland's Jennifer Canady chosen to be Florida House Speaker McArthur said she hesitated to use the buzzword “indoctrination” but agrees with conservative leaders that it is happening in some schools “I want us to protect our children from indoctrination,” she said Four of the Florida House districts include parts of Polk County R-Polk City — are seeking re-election next year Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13 BARTOW — Patrick Jon Rayha couldn't avoid life in prison a second time of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Russell Jackson on Dec in Jackson's Combee Settlement trailer in Lakeland The conviction came nearly two years after Rayha was acquitted of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl The jury deliberated for about 2½ hours before convicting Rayha of the murder charge Senior Circuit Judge Dennis Maloney is scheduled to sentence Rayha at 10:30 a.m He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison shook his head at the jury after Maloney read the conviction Assistant State Attorney Bonde Johnson said surveillance video DNA collected during a search and evidence that a bullet found in Jackson's head was fired from a gun discovered in Rayha's Dade City home all pointed to Rayha as the killer argued that there were too many holes in the testimony Johnson countered that it couldn't be anyone else "How improbable would it be that it could be anyone other than the defendant Investigators said Jackson was killed in his home then later found by some friends who stopped by to see him Video footage captured a man's entry into Jackson's home on Dec None of the cameras ever captured the man's face but an anonymous tipster said Rayha and his girlfriend where detectives searched Rayha's home and found a gun wrapped in a glove hidden in the ceiling Wells attempted to discount much of the case He noted detectives said the gun that was found had the serial number scratched off of it but the gun tested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement had a serial number And he downplayed Rayha's DNA on the glove he was acquitted of sexual battery on a child under 12 he was convicted of sexual performance of a child in Texas in 1988 Aldine Combee Park is essentially three parks in one The northern section of the 19.5-acre park is a recreational zone with four well-maintained youth baseball fields arranged in a clover pattern The western segment serves as a picnic area screened pavilion sits amid shade-casting oak trees It's the southern sector of Aldine Combee Park that makes the place distinctive That's where visitors will find a horse arena a clay expanse that hosts rodeo competitions many weekends throughout the year located in the Combee Settlement area just outside Lakeland's eastern boundary is one of three county facilities where rodeos are held recreation superintendent Derek Harpe said who served as a county commissioner from 1956 until his death in a vehicle accident not far from the park site in 1971 He was one of many descendants of a family that ranks among the earliest white settlers in what is now Polk County A marker near the park's entrance features a picture of Combee wearing Combee served as "monarch" of Sesame Grotto an organization that for years held an annual rodeo to benefit cerebral palsy patients has covered seating on two sides and another covered area for announcers An array of metal-framed holding pens for the animals runs along one end of the arena Harpe said local organizations conduct rodeo competitions involving both children and adults The Combee Rodeo Association regularly hosts events at the park the only people to be seen in Aldine Combee Park were two county workers A small creek divides the rodeo area from the baseball fields home to the East Lakeland Dixie Youth Baseball League and a replacement opened to the public earlier this year The spacious pavilion is available on a first-come The cost is $75 for the first four hours and $15 per hour after that and reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance [ Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518 LAKELAND – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the public’s help in finding the killer of a 59-year-old Lakeland man four-door station wagon in the area with a possible suspect “It’s a bad neighborhood,” said Alonzo Rhodes Neighbor Joe Camp said he simply knew him as “Russ” and called him a good neighbor and he didn’t strike me as the type of guy who was doing drugs,” Camp said Seminole and Highlands counties dating to December 2002 He was most recently arrested in October for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon His last drug-related charge was in March 2014 when he was arrested by the Haines City Police Department on charges of possession of cocaine and paraphernalia Although the Sheriff's Office is not releasing the cause of death said Jackson was killed in a violent manner “He had a lot of company in and out,” 1-year resident Melissa Strickland said There was always people fighting and arguing over there.” Norris said he and his wife have had their lives threatened; he’s had projectiles thrown at him and found hypodermic needles in his yard “There’s so many I can’t keep up,” Norris said I won’t go to the mailbox without being armed.” Norris said deputies are doing all they can but that the area known as Combee Settlement is large and adequately patrolling it may be difficult Norris said he’s thought of trying to become part of the Sheriff’s Office’s Citizen’s Assisted Patrol but is afraid to ask neighbors for support and added that being seen in the vehicle could put a proverbial target on his back “I’ve had my life threatened at my own front door,” Norris said “I’ve had people come in my front porch and wouldn’t leave People have stopped us while we were walking and not let us go through We’re afraid to go around the neighborhood and try to get people involved.” Horstman agreed there are a high volume of calls received from the area Anyone with any information about the vehicle or the incident is asked to call the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200 To remain anonymous and be eligible for a $3,000 reward call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 800-226-8477 (TIPS) but to take a man's life on Christmas Day is unfathomable,” Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement “We need the community's help to identify this cold-blooded killer sooner rather than later Mike Ferguson can be reached at Mike.Ferguson@theledger.com or 863-4016981 Neil Combee is the youngest member of the Polk County Board of Commissioners The lack of generational diversity among the five-member elected body was a talking point during a recent commission workshop The topic emerged as the members discussed a tricky item: Their own salaries and whether they should give themselves a modest raise in the coming months.   Polk County Commissioners, who serve a growing population of more than 700,000 residents That rate is based on a 2000 ballot referendum overwhelmingly approved by voters that cut commissioner pay in half By the way: Risking litigation, Polk Commissioners approve new invocation policy Opioid settlement money: After national settlement, Polk County to receive $17 million to address opioid crisis Similar-sized counties in Florida consider the elected commission role a full-time gig and pay their officials significantly more has more than half of Polk's population but pays commissioners more than twice as much: $91,821 a year Polk's commissioners earn less than commissioners in Flagler County which has a population of just over 100,000.  What Polk County pays its commissioners is a reason why younger individuals don't pursue a seat and why they're typically filled by retirees older business owners or wealthy people with ties to development, Commissioner George Lindsey said at the Nov He makes a fair point, according to local political science and public policy experts "Low salaries might contribute to less people running for commission and that would include younger people and even more broadly blue color hourly workers who have to worry about making a living," said Aubrey Jewett a professor of political science at the University of Central Florida "If you have lower salaries it does make the position a lot less attractive for people to run." If residents want to see more diversity in its commission representation and a broader candidate pool each election cycle, the pay rate needs to be adjusted to a level that's on par with similar-sized counties Polk residents 'deserve better.': Commissioners fed up with trash collection contractor Other news: Brightline Orlando-Tampa train project gets show of support from Polk 'A small victory': After opposition, Polk commission alters Hancock Crossing plan Following the charter change approved by voters in 2000 county commissioners can adjust their salaries at the end of the year based on the U.S Consumer Price Index or the general pay increase given to county employees This formula has allowed commissioners to gradually increase its pay by 20 percent since 2000 If commissioners want to pursue a more drastic increase that would put its pay more in line with other counties and reinstate the full-time designation, that would require a charter change by voters during an election.  Commissioner Combee said he wouldn't vote to raise his own salary but supports putting the matter back on a ballot more attractive people run for the commission," he said "I don't want to vote to raise my pay, I don’t think it will be a bad idea to put a question on the ballot related to pay." Commissioner Martha Santiago said she'd like to see more diversity among commission candidates and believes raising the pay would make the role more enticing.  "I'm always looking out to encourage younger generations to go into this so we can continue to move this county forward Let's raise the salary so people behind us can be motivated." She doesn't view her position as a "part-time" job and believes that designation should change she favors slight increases voted on by the body as opposed to putting a measure before voters "Let's keep increasing the salary based on (the charter) and then down the road we can have discussion about putting it back it on the ballot. Maybe in 2024," she told The Ledger.  Commissioner Bill Braswell is apathetic on the issue The amount of the pay increase commissioners are able to approve each year is equal to about $50 a month "That's what I'm about to spend on lunch today," he said. "Why even bother?" As for putting it on the ballot — "that's a waste of time," he added "Getting 60 percent of voters to approve a pay increase for commissioners is virtually impossible," he said "This is a losing battle either way." But if voters are unwilling to take action to make the commission seat more attainable to a broader portion of the population there's less room to complain about who ultimately occupies those seats a political science professor at the University of South Florida who specializes in local government policy "You want the commission to be representative of the entire population," he said Other Polk County news: Polk fire captain terminated for moonlighting with Frostproof More: Polk County awards $10.5 million in COVID money to 42 entities What's next?The Polk County Commission was slated to vote on a slight pay increase at its Dec Commissioner Braswell will be absent and Combee stated at a Nov The change requires a unanimous commission vote to pass Commissioner Lindsey suggested bringing the matter back for a vote at a January or February meeting Any change to pay approved by the commission in 2022 wouldn't take effect until January of 2023.  who works in residential development, has served on the commission since 2012 and will be unable to run again in 2024 due to term limits he wants to do what he can to boost commission pay to keep the county from falling "further and further behind." to this role," he said at the November meeting.  Dustin covers Polk County government and county-wide issues.  He can be reached at dwyatt@gannett.com or on Twitter @LLDustin_Wyatt — Drivers who have visited the gas station lately to fill up their tanks know that fuel prices continue to rise in Florida Gas prices in the Sunshine State increased another 6 cents last week setting a new 2022 high of $3.51 per gallon according to numbers released Monday by the American Automobile Association (AAA) RELATED: Check gas prices in Florida The highest gas prices in the state are currently in Palm Beach County with an average of $3.63 Prices in Florida right now are 90 cents more than at this time last year and the highest since July 2014 The least expensive gas prices in the state are in the Panhandle with the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach area at $3.42 and Panama City at $3.44 a gallon Florida's fuel prices are still slightly below the national average of $3.53 Rudi Reid said she is only filling up her SUV a gallon or two at a time in an effort save to save some cash "I can't remember the last time I filled up my gas tank," Reid said "It would be over probably $100 to fill up my gas tank." Charles Mackey stopped at a Mobil gas station in Riviera Beach and pondered ways to save "You do have to do a little bit of planning," Mackey said "Maybe I'll take my motorcycle and bike to work a couple days out of the week." Experts said the potential Russian invasion of Ukraine is putting strains on the energy market which suffered its first week of losses last week After reaching a new 2022 high of $95.46 per barrel on Monday That resulted in the equivalent of a 5-cent drop at the pump "It's hard to get too excited about the recent oil price drop because prices could easily rebound if Russia invades Ukraine," said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins "If an invasion occurs and oil prices spike that will most certainly drag gas prices higher too Other factors include the higher demand for fuel as the pandemic subsides but global production is not nearly where it was back before the pandemic," Jenkins said TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility announced on theirX account that work will begin Monday Flaggers will be on-site to help with the flow of traffic but paving is not expected to start until the beginning of March Report a typo — It's not just gasoline that has people paying more at the pump The cost of diesel is currently more than $5 at most locations in Palm Beach County AAA said the average price of diesel is currently $5.35 a gallon in Florida A year ago the average price was $2.96 in Florida but it's getting very high," driver Ivan Mesa said Filling up his work truck these days has turned into a painful experience for Mesa and his contracting business The price for diesel hit a national high of $5.32 a gallon and it's running even higher in South Florida high demand and the lack of an ability to produce as much as we need," Patrick De Haan with GasBuddy.com He said diesel is a much heavier oil product and not as widely refined as unleaded gasoline This is making it much more vulnerable to a spike in demand as supply chains race to get back on track following the pandemic maybe buying heavier products to yield more heavy things like diesel," De Haan said "But it does take time and in the interim we have — very quickly — falling supply of diesel." This means these high prices will not go away soon because the demand to get supply chains back is too strong And while it's usually big trucks that use diesel fuel De Haan said the price of diesel is something everyone should be watching "You may go to the pump and not pay the diesel price but when you go to the grocery store those groceries are priced based on how long and how much money it takes to get there," De Haan said — Gas prices in Florida continued a summertime climb hitting a new statewide average high for the year at $3.84 a gallon according to the American Automobile Association (AAA) The average price of gas in Palm Beach County was $3.95 on Monday while it was $3.91 in Martin County The price was a little bit less in Okeechobee County at $3.79 we've seen gas prices shoot up 30 cents a gallon," Mark Jenkins of AAA said SPECIAL SECTION: Fuel Frustration Industry analysts point to two primary reasons for the price jump: oppressive heat affecting Gulf Coast refineries and a cut in production by OPEC station owner Alex Fernandez said he's trying to keep up with the rising prices for every delivery he receives "All the oil that's already in the ports has been paid for already," Fernandez said so this is all for future pricing but it affects us on a day-to-day basis." Analysts are suggesting the price of gas may have hit its peak and could start retreating as demand slows near the end of summer "The big wild card remains hurricane season," Jenkins said "If we have a big hurricane that threatens refineries along the Gulf Coast that can cause a big spike in gas prices." Gas prices have hit a new record high in Florida AAA said the average price for a gallon of regular is $4.47 WPTV drove around Wellington Friday and found a Shell station selling gas for $4.99 a gallon What's really catching people off guard this time around is the slower but steadier increase in prices At the end of February and beginning of March But the prices started climbing again in April and people at the pump said that this time when is it coming down?" asked a driver named Lilly Big difference everywhere you go," said driver Davion Cross AAA said Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a contributor to the record-breaking prices Gas prices were already expected to breach $4 per gallon before the conflict in Ukraine began Oil prices plunged when stay-at-home orders were announced at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic Crude oil was trading at negative prices momentarily causing suppliers like OPEC to lessen production Although the price of crude oil is on the rebound suppliers have yet to bring production back to where it was pre-pandemic The sanctions on Russia also aren’t helping the price Russia is one of the largest oil exporters in the world and although the United States received less oil from Russia than countries like Europe it’s a trickledown effect when other countries are working to phase out one of their primary suppliers Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried issued an emergency rule Wednesday allowing gas stations to sell gasoline containing ethanol and it is usually only sold in the winter months But the decision gives an indication that the prices are not expected to drop in the coming weeks A couple things you can do to save money: pay with cash as it almost always knocks a few cents off And drive conservatively and avoid accelerating quickly For the latest gas prices in our area, click here. — The month of November means a jump in fuel prices as Florida's gas tax returns Florida's month-long gas tax holiday ends at midnight meaning prices will likely increase 25 cents as early as Tuesday Lawmakers approved the October gas tax holiday last spring in response to a surge in prices this year Drivers shared their frustration Monday about the cost to fuel up their tanks increasing who was filling up her gas tank in West Palm Beach another month or two would be nice," driver Jimmy Riley said RELATED: Check the latest gas prices in your area West Palm Gas station owner Alex Fernandez said some gas stations may delay the price hike by a day or two He said his station received a gas delivery Monday "We won't feel our change coming till mid-week — or towards the end of the week — because that will be our next load," Fernandez said The average price of gas in Florida on Monday was $3.29 This is about 47 cents cheaper than the national average "My advice to people is if you can (fill up your tank) today we don't know what's going to happen with the market There could a spike in the gas and that changes everything."