LAKELAND — “Road closed” signs abound in Polk County following Hurricane Milton The Polk County Sheriff’s Office closed a section of Campbell Road in North Lakeland on Saturday not in response to flooding but because part of the street had vanished into a hole The small chasm appeared to be yet another consequence of the hurricane operated three industrial pumps Saturday morning connected to large hoses running into sewer pipes and a manhole The pumps were moving sewage to another lift station to prevent backflow into nearby houses The contractors brought in three pieces of heavy equipment The square hole jutted into the eastbound lane of the two-lane road in the Kathleen area A man living in a house on Jordan Heights Lane fumed Saturday morning as he surveyed the scene said that the lift station has caused persistent problems for him and other residents of the Indian Bluffs neighborhood The man pointed to shreds of toilet paper in his yard and the one next door “Everyone over there needs firing,” the man said The lift station creates a constant stench he said that sewage regularly backs up into the home’s bathroom Jessica Rivera-Gutierrez has lived since 1991 at a house on Campbell Road adjacent to the lift station Electricity: Duke Energy says all Polk customers will be restored Sunday. TECO says Tuesday I don’t know if it’s because the electricity goes out and once the electricity comes back up it starts to pump at such a severe rate that it just kind of explodes itself She pointed to a discolored area of her front yard that was all smelly water yesterday (Friday) and the day before,” she said Residents communicating in an online group describe the chasm as a sinkhole but Rivera-Gutierrez said a worker told her husband that the hole formed from pressure coming out of sewer pipes Polk County sends crews out periodically to repair the lift station Some residents used to complain regularly to the county but eventually either gave up or moved away “I’m sure they’ve received probably thousands upon thousands of phone calls since that thing’s been there.” More: Floodwaters invade homes, cover roads in Northwest Polk She added: “We’ve gotten to the point we’re Another nearby lift station seems to function well if they’re just doing minor repairs and it keeps cracking and cracking,” she said Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518 Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | 1/28/2025 9:54:00 PM | Tyler Woolbright -- North Park Men's Volleyball hosted their home opener against the Lakeland Muskies on Tuesday night falling in straight sets (27-25 The Vikings had moments in their home-opening match but fell victim to 15 service errors Lakeland's Elie Weinrich led all players with 10 kills and Jakob Donohue had a pair of solo blocks a kill by the Muskies' Sage Xiong and three NPU errors ended the evening as the Muskies took a straight-sets victory Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here FREE FAMILY FRIENDLY COMMUNITY EASTER EVENT Easter Egg Hunts for children ages [3-10 yrs old] We would love to have you and your family join us on the campus of Northside Assembly Church for a morning of food Free parking is available across the street at North Lakeland Elementary School Learn More Our Website will be reviewed and tested on an ongoing basis utilizing assistive technologies by users who have knowledge of and depend on the performance of these technologies About Us | Contact Us | Email Preferences | Help | Donate Subscribe Log In href="/section/business" aria-current="page" href="/section/opinion" aria-current="page" href="/section/sports" aria-current="page" href="/section/arts-culture" aria-current="page" href="/section/suburbs" aria-current="page" href="/section/neighborhoods" aria-current="page" href="//marketplace.dailymemphian.com/" aria-current="page" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-daily-memphian-23209873738" href="/section/suburbsarlington" aria-current="page" href="/section/suburbsbartlett" aria-current="page" href="/section/suburbscollierville" aria-current="page" href="/section/suburbsgermantown" aria-current="page" href="/section/suburbsmillington" aria-current="page" href="/section/suburbslakeland" aria-current="page" href="/section/suburbsnorth-mississippi" aria-current="page" googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1575557230823-0'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1575558347846-0'); }); Lakeland By , Special to The Daily Memphian Updated: April 18, 2025 8:40 PM CT | Published: April 18, 2025 3:58 PM CT googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1576080080820-0'); }); Getting a baseball diamond for recreational use has long been a passion of Lakeland Mayor Josh Roman, pictured here in a file photo. 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Follow her on Twitter at @HaggertyNancy Lakeland-Hawthorne-Waldwick's Joe Foody (86) protects the puck against Ramsey-Indian Hills in the opening round of the North Jersey Public Co-Op Tournament at the Ice Vault in Wayne 2/24/25Brian Bobal | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Donovan Hugel | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comThe 2024-25 season has been a real struggle for the Lakeland-Hawthorne-Waldwick tri-op program and it has taken time for those systems to come into place Inconsistency and mishaps have popped up frequently Through it all though there have been consistent positives one of the most experienced coaches in the state and trust that those systems will come together the 15th-seeded Lancers shocked second-seeded Ramsey-Indian Hills (13-10) 3-2 the Lancers (10-15-1) pulled off the biggest one We thought we should have been seeded higher so it was nice to come in here and get a win.” There were high hopes at the beginning of the season that the Lancers would compete right away in the Stripes division of the Big North Conference It had made one of the splashiest moves of the offseason by hiring one of the state’s all-time winningest coaches in Larry Mahurter After years away and a stint coaching at St Mahurter returned to the Passaic County program It took time for everything to come together though Four of the Lancers’ first seven losses came by one goal It was a frustrating time as the losses piled up Things began to take a turn in the Silver Cup tournament The Lancers held off River Dell-Westwood-Emerson in the first round and then shutout top-seeded Wayne in the semifinals but there was now proof that with Mahurter‘s systems figured out the Lancers could be successful ”The players had to see it work first hand,” Mahurter said ”If they just stayed within the system then we could find success through winning Early in the year we kept on losing for stupid reasons and were making silly mistakes at the wrong times We’re buying into it now and it’s showing.” Mahurter has a history of coaching winning programs but it had been a while since he won a playoff game The last time he coached a team to a playoff win was with St “The last couple of years my team’s haven’t fared well in the playoffs,” Mahurter said Anytime your senior class advances it’s a great feeling as a coach.” Mahurter has had to deal with a struggle of his own Going from a private program to a public is difficult but having two players like Giordano and Sami Essabbar has made that transition easier Essabbar scored both of the Lancers’ goals in the third period the first of which put his team in the lead for good Those two lead the Lancers in scoring this season “I’ve been playing with him for four years There’s a common theme between Giordano and Essabbar’s scoring Giordano has registered a point in all 10 of its wins Essabbar has a point in nine of its 10 wins its two best forwards have shown up and each logged career-high years They’ll hope to keep that performance up against a similar foe in the sectional quarterfinals Defending Co-op group state champions and 10th-seeded Morris Knolls-Hills also pulled off a first-round upset The Golden Eagles beat the Lancers on its way to a state title last year On Thursday the Lancers will look for revenge “Absolutely awesome that we get to keep playing,” Essabbar said “We’re excited for a big game on Thursday.” Donovan Hugel can be reached at dhugel@njadvancemedia.com. 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All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices — One person died after a train and pickup truck collided in north Lakeland Tuesday afternoon The Polk County Sheriff's Office said the crash happened around 3:25 p.m on tracks parallel to Kathleen Road between Deeson and Spivey Roads The driver of the pickup truck died in the crash The sheriff's office said the cargo train was not hauling anything and investigators don't believe any other occupants were in the pickup truck Sheriff's deputies asked the public to avoid the area as the investigation into the accident is underway 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 Lakeland Prep’s junior volleyball star has made history by becoming the first athlete from the school to commit to a Division 1 athletics program a 3-year starting libero for the Lakeland Prep High School Varsity volleyball team has committed to play at the University of North Carolina Greensboro That makes Ella this weeks Lakeland Prep athlete of the week Burd’s accomplishments on the court are impressive She has helped lead the Lady Lions to a dominant 37-4 overall record since their inaugural varsity season in 2022 where the team fielded all freshmen players Lakeland Prep has remained undefeated in district play over the last three seasons boasting a remarkable 31-0 district record “Ella is an excellent leader on and off the court She exemplifies what it means to be a Lakeland Lion,” said Brady Benjamin Burd’s success is not confined to athletics embodying both academic and athletic excellence Her leadership extends beyond Lakeland Prep as she also plays for the Memphis Metro Elite Black one of the top travel volleyball teams in the country Burd travels to major tournaments in cities such as Dallas showcasing her skills against elite competition Burd only began playing volleyball three years ago in July 2021 making the Lakeland Prep Middle School team as an eighth grader her talent has caught the attention of college coaches across the country Burd’s profile has garnered nearly 1,300 views from coaches at over 200 universities and she has attended six prospect and talent ID camps expressed their pride in Ella’s accomplishments She has worked very hard and seized all the opportunities she has been provided to become the best she can be in the pursuit of her dreams and goals.” from a newcomer to the sport to a Division 1 commit Lakeland Prep’s legacy is now marked by her historic achievement as she continues to make both her school and her community proud Avelo Airlines will drop another flight route out of Lakeland Linder International by the end of this month Avelo will stop its route between Lakeland and Charlotte North Carolina's Concord-Padgett Regional Airport as of April 28 It is the same date that service stops to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester The Ledger has not been able to immediately reach Avelo Airlines The flight schedule change was confirmed by Airport Director Kris Hallstrand "It was a very poor performing route with low passenger loads," she said Since Avelo started operating at Lakeland Linder in June, it has discontinued four of its first set of eight routes: Connecticut's Bradley International Airport.Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.This leaves the low-budget carrier with services to seven cities from Lakeland In a February presentation at the Lakeland Economic Development Council Avelo founder and CEO Andrew Levy expressed disappointment in the routes to Charlotte and Manchester to a traffic crash near the 1200 block of U.S The location is near West Bella Vista Street both a 2010 red Toyota sedan and a 2001 black Honda motorcycle were traveling southbound and for unknown reasons the motorcycle struck the back of the Toyota causing the driver to separate from the motorcycle The driver of the Toyota came to a controlled stop and remained at the scene The Lakeland Police Department Patrol Units Polk County Fire Rescue and the Lakeland Fire Department arrived on the scene to begin life-saving measures The driver of the motorcycle was taken to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center for treatment LPD identified the motorcycle driver as Guelsy Oritz of Lakeland did not show any apparent injuries The investigation remains open. Anyone with additional information regarding the crash should contact investigating Officer Travis Payne at Travis.payne@lakelandgov.net North Lakeland man charged with stabbing his wife to death during fightLakeland LedgerA Lakeland man was arrested on Tuesday after police say he stabbed his wife to death According to a news release from the Lakeland Police Department Tuesday at a residence on North Fork Drive in North Lakeland across North Socrum Loop Road from the Sandpiper neighborhood Police received a 911 call from Deljie Tyson during a fight while she was acting erratic Tyson was still at the scene when police arrived and Green was found on the kitchen floor with multiple apparent stab wounds Police said two knives and a handgun were found nearby but it didn't appear that the gun was fired Tyson also had a stab wound on his arm and a small cut on his finger Polk County Fire Rescue and Lakeland Fire Department attempted life-saving measures on Green and took both Green and Tyson to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center One dead: Gunfight ensues after gang member fatally shoots his own girlfriend by accident, Polk sheriff says LPD said Tyson was charged with second-degree murder with a weapon He retained a lawyer and refused to speak with detectives about the details of the incident The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Troy Smith at troy.smith@lakelandgov.net The Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency is looking to purchase two homes on North Kentucky Avenue City commissioners are expected to vote Monday on a proposed purchase agreement for the Lakeland CRA to buy 914 and 918 N "This is purely an opportunity purchase," said Valerie Vaughn Kentucky was built in 1925 and is 698 square feet Gospel Inc., a Lakeland-based nonprofit that provides housing to formerly homeless, purchased both properties in 2014 for a total of $100,000, according to documents online at Polk County Property Appraiser's office. The Property Appraiser's Office estimates the two buildings have a just market value of $153,947 Vaughn said the two homes were rented out by Gospel Inc who were given notice and have already moved out city staff will have a 90-day due diligence period to assess whether the properties are suitable for their intended uses Vaughn said this will include bringing in Emily Foster Lakeland's senior planner who specializes in historic preservation to evaluate the structures to see what condition they are in Reconnect and nurture neighborhoods: Lakeland looks at first draft of Downtown West plan The CRA will consider whether the houses have historic value and are structurally sound and whether they could be relocated to another site She suggested the buildings could potentially be moved to one of the empty lots in the CRA's landbank Commissioner Bill Read asked whether the city had any estimate on how much it might cost to move the structures but they are considered historic and should ideally stay within the Parker Street neighborhood Commissioner Chad McLeod asked Vaugh what Lakeland CRA hopes to do with the two properties in the future Vaughn said the land would fall under the area included in the Mass Market Master Plan which was drafted approximately four years ago She said the CRA is in the process of updating the Mass Market plan with new ideas and concepts which will be presented to its advisory board at its September retreat The refined development proposal will be presented to city commissioners later in the year Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545 A 44-year-old motorcyclist was killed early Friday evening on Deen Still Road north of Lakeland The Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that the crash happened about 6:20 p.m of Polk City drove a black 2001 Mustang to pick up her daughter at a school bus stop on Melody Lane at Deen Still Road about a mile and a half west of State Road 33 Lally made a U-turn to go the opposite direction on Melody Lane When Lally made the U-turn, a 2009 Ducati motorcycle traveling west on Deen Still Road crashed into her vehicle The motorcycle was driven by 44-year-old Michael Goodman of Mulberry Charley, Frances, Jean: Polk County releases documentary recalling trio of hurricanes in 2004 Lally told deputies that she looked ways before making the U-turn and did not see any oncoming traffic The investigation in the accident is ongoing Timmy Riche (14) of West Milford-Pequannock celebrates his score with his teammates Sean Hughes (36) and Joe Barroquerio (5) of West Milford-Pequannock during the boys ice hockey Passaic County Final between West Milford-Pequannock and Passaic Tech at the Ice Vault in Wayne 2024.Mile Djordjiovski | For NJ Advance Media .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Donovan Hugel | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com2025 Big North Silver Cup Final3-West Milford-Pequannock-Pompton Lakes (9-12-1) vs 4-Lakeland-Hawthorne-Waldwick (9-13-1)Thursday BRACKET In the quarterfinal round the Highlanders were stuck in a tight and back and forth game with sixth-seeded Paramus-Mahwah-Lyndhurst In the end it was able to prevail in overtime 6-5 In the semifinal round the Highlanders looked like a new team It was dominant in a 9-2 upset of against second-seeded Tenafly-Cresskill-Leonia It was the second time in the span of nine days that it scored nine goals in a single game The Lancers trailed 3-0 at the first intermission in its quarterfinal matchup with fifth-seeded River Dell-Westwood-Emerson but then the offense showed up in the third period and then Ryan Giordano netted the game winner in overtime The Lancers’ momentum continued into the semifinal with a 4-0 upset of top-seeded Wayne and Foody combined for all the scoring while Kyle Puzio was a perfect 28-for-28 in goal Lakeland celebrates a score during the Lakeland at River Dell boys high school ice hockey game at the Ice House in Hackensack The Silver Cup final will mark the fourth time that the Highlanders and Lancers will have played one another this season 6 Kyle Gregory tied the game on the power play in the third period and then with just three seconds left in overtime Joe Barroquerio put in the game winner for the Highlanders in a 7-6 win 20 it was the Lancers who trailed early in the third period and then tied the game Neither side could score in overtime in what wound up as a 4-4 tie The most recent matchup was in the Passaic County Tournament quarterfinals on Jan The two sides combined for four goals in a span of just one minute in the third period and played into overtime again Less than five minutes into the sudden death period Sami Essabbar scored on the power play to hand the Lancers a 7-6 win Timmy Riche (14) and Sean Hughes (36) of West Milford-Pequannock jump into the glass and celebrate the score with their fans during the boys ice hockey Passaic County Final between West Milford-Pequannock and Passaic Tech at the Ice Vault in Wayne What more could we ask of these two teams whenever they play one another this year A combined 34 goals in three prior matchups championship-starved West Milford and Lakeland will meet for a fourth time this season in the Silver Cup final Both teams pulled off major upsets in the semifinal round The Lancers upset top-seeded and favorite Wayne and did it in impressive fashion in a 4-0 final Shutouts have not been a usual thing for the Lancers this season and Tuesdays was just its second of the season Could that be a sign that the blue line has started to play its best hockey of the season Anything is possible when these two teams play but it could certainly be a good sign for the Lancers it definitely looks like West Milford has found a nice rhythm since the calendar turned to February The Highlanders have won three straight games and are averaging eight goals per contest Offense should continue to be the name of the game if its walk away with its first ever Silver Cup championship What cursed the Highlanders in its 7-6 loss to the Lancers in the PCT quarterfinals were penalties in overtime That gave its opponent a leg up at a crucial time and it cost the Highlanders a crucial victory Another key will be how either team plays with a potential multi-goal lead Both teams have blown leads against one another this season which have wound up playing crucial parts in the final results The blue lines and goaltenders will need to be locked in the whole night what this game is going to come to is the play of both teams' star players and Van Allen combined for 13 of the Lancers' 17 points the last time it beat the Highlanders Essabbar scored the game winner in overtime and Weisse had 13 of the teams' 16 points If both teams' group of core scorers show up and produce then this game should likely follow the same path as the first three Hugel’s pick: Lakeland-Hawthorne-Waldwick 5 Bobal’s pick: West Milford-Pequannock-Pompton Lakes 5 Donovan Hugel can be reached at dhugel@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X at @donohugel. The N.J. High School Sports newsletter now appears in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) Flash flood warning until 12:45 Tuesday morning for portions of Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming counties RadarAvelo Airlines adds two more destinations for Rochester travelersby Tyler Diedrich (WHAM) — Avelo Airlines is adding two more destinations for travelers from theFrederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport The low-cost carrier will add nonstop service to Concord-Padgett Regional Airport and to Lakeland Linder International Airport in Florida The routes will operate on Mondays and Fridays Avelo, which arrived in Rochester last year also offers service tothe Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina andthe Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in South Carolina "We appreciate Avelo’s commitment to add more affordable connections between Monroe County and other growing destination communities," Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said in a statement "Our continued investment in the airport is paying dividends by attracting quality carriers such as Avelo to do business in Monroe County.” The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a Lakeland man who has been missing in North Lakeland since May 7 was last seen in the Driggers Road area near Tom Costine Road north of Lakeland after leaving a friend's house 7 inches and about 150 pounds with brown hair and eyes The Sheriff’s Office posted a missing-person notice to its Facebook page on Wednesday Members of the online crime-watch groups say a heavy police presence has been seen in the Driggers Road area and that detectives were going door to door on Mother’s Day to try to find him When asked via email if there were any new developments a media relations administrator for the Sheriff’s Office said “We are still seeking tips (anonymous via Crimestoppers or otherwise) on his whereabouts and nobody has been arrested regarding his disappearance.” Regarding the posts on Facebook about a woman’s body and possibly a second body found in the Driggers Road area “We did work a death investigation there last week of an adult female and her autopsy is pending toxicology – her death does not appear to be suspicious There is nothing on our dispatch screen about a second body found.” The Sheriff's Office has not identified the woman Contact Heartland CrimeStoppers at 800-226-TIPS (800-226-8477) or www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com the man charged with killing four members of a North Lakeland family in a predawn home invasion in September 2021 will not need a unanimous jury recommendation to receive the death penalty As Riley readies for a status hearing on July 18 in Bartow his defense team was dealt a blow on July 3 by the 6th District Court of Appeals In a majority decision, the 6th DCA affirmed a decision it handed down in May in the Angel Labato death penalty case saying the same decision would apply in Riley’s case White wrote the dissenting view for both cases the DCA rulings in the Riley and Lobato cases mean an 8-4 verdict will be the threshold for a jury to recommend that the trial judge impose the death penalty A unanimous jury is still required for conviction Defense attorneys in both cases had asked the courts to rule that only a unanimous jury can recommend a death sentence because the crimes had occurred before Florida's law changed under the Constitution's ex post facto clause The intention of the clause is to prevent the state from retroactively changing the consequences for a defendant's actions In the one-sentence decision, the DCA granted the state’s petition and quashed the trial court’s original ruling that a unanimous jury recommendation was needed, said a post last week to the Substack “Tracking Florida’s Death Penalty.” Ron DeSantis changed the state's death-penalty law to allow trial judges to impose a death sentence with an 8-4 jury recommendation The change was made after three of 12 jurors refused to vote for a death sentence for Nikolas Cruz who killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018 Cruz was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Supreme Court and other case law regarding the Constitution's “ex post facto clause.”    The State Attorney's Office for the 10th Judicial Circuit appealed both rulings the 5th DCA in a Volusia County capital murder case ruled that the 8-4 jury recommendation should be applied even in crimes that occurred before the change in law He awaits a Spencer hearing when mitigating factors can be presented by his defense prior to his sentencing by Abdoney later this year State Supreme Court might have the final sayBut the DCA rulings may not be the final say on the matter. The first appeals on Florida’s death penalty sentencing rules have reached the state Supreme Court, according to Mellanie Kalmanson of “Tracking Florida’s Death Penalty.”   Jackson and Joseph Zieler are the first to reach the Florida Supreme Court regarding the application of Florida’s 2023 capital sentencing statute.” Zieler was charged in 2016 in a 1990 double homicide in Cape Coral He was sentenced to death last year after a Lee County jury voted 10-2 to recommend death Jackson was one of four people charged with burying a 61-year-old Jacksonville couple alive in 2007 Three of them received death sentences but were granted resentencing when Florida law changed to require a unanimous jury recommendation for death was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole before Florida's law changed again in 2023 to the 8-4 threshold Jackson's resentencing came after the 8-4 threshold was passed and he was sentenced to death in Duval County on an 8-4 recommendation by the jury The Polk County casesLobato’s next court appearance is set for Sept Jo Lobato is set for a July 17 status hearing, and his new trial is scheduled to start on Sept of Brandon is scheduled to begin on May 19 Riley is accused of shooting to death four members of a North Lakeland family in a predawn home invasion on Sept including four first-degree murder charges seven counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer arson and four counts of shooting within an occupied dwelling The prosecutor had already asked for the death penalty and then filed a motion for the judge to consider a recommendation of a death sentence if the jury verdict is returned with a 8-4 majority The defense has filed its intent to pursue an insanity defense All across the nation, many residents feel locked out of the housing market due to rising prices But are some markets immensely better than others Housing website Realtor.com has tracked the top cities where homebuyers are making both the largest and the smallest down payments in the country To come up with the places with the highest and lowest down payments, experts looked into market data from financial technology firm Optimal Blue They added that they looked at the average down payments as a percentage of the home sale price in the 150 largest metropolitan areas in the third quarter The company only used one metro area per state to ensure geographic diversity Here's what Florida cities made the list and what to take from the study: Lakeland candidates address housing: Affordable housing and homeless are core issues at Lakeland's Northwest candidate debate Polk County's Lakeland nabbed the eighth spot on the list The Texas town of Killeen grabbed the first spot It’s the largest military base in Texas with more than 53,000 soldiers and their families based here "Many of the area’s buyers are either active service members or veterans and have access to popular VA loans that don’t require a down payment Those loans pushed down the average down payment in the local housing market," officials explain Most of the homes for sale in Killeen are single-family houses with buyers finding brick ranches for less than $200,000 and new construction for roughly $450,000 California's Santa Rosa residents make the largest down payments for housing in the country Experts said that it was the most expensive metro on the list by a lot adding that California housing markets would have taken six of the top 10 slots if they hadn’t limited the analysis to just one metro per state Many of the buyers in the area are nearing retirement or seeking a vacation home or they are relocating to the area and using the proceeds from the sale of their previous homes to fund their new purchases but they’re not as expensive as many surrounding counties,” real estate broker associate Daphne Peterson of Keller Williams Realty said “It is attracting a lot of people from higher-priced areas who may be cashing out the equity of their home and deciding to retire here.” Did any Florida cities make the list for largest housing down payments in the country?North Port on the southwestern coast of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico took home the second spot on Realtor.com's list experts say the city popular with retirees and vacationers looking to pick up an extra home which makes it competitive when there are only a limited number of homes available cities where homebuyers are making the largest down paymentsSanta Rosa New YorkWhat do homebuyers need to know when purchasing a home?Clare Trapasso the author of the report and Realtor.com's executive news editor wrote that a general rule of thumb is buyers should aim to kick in at least 20% which ensures a lower interest rate each month That totals $85,900 on the median-priced home of $429,500, which is the median price is according to Realtor.com data from September However, it is noted in the report that it's hard for many Americans to afford that, especially with additional expenses of closing costs, movers and buying furniture “When prices are rising so much faster than incomes it’s hard to save more” for a down payment," Sean Moss executive vice president of product and operations at Down Payment Resource said Have down payments on homes fallen or risen nationally?There's some good news for buyers Down payments have fallen over the past year as the housing market has become less competitive Buyers put an average of 13.8% of the sale price down in the third quarter of this year according to a Realtor.com analysis of data from real estate data firm Optimal Blue Lakeland officials have entered into contract to buy land for a new Fire Station 8 Broadway Real Estate lists the property for a sale as "The Shoppes of Sleepy Hill" with an asking price of $1.59 million, according to its website It estimates there are 130,000 residents within a 5-mile radius The land falls within the city limits and is serviced by Lakeland utilities In 2022, Riley said he hoped the city could find a suitable 2-acre property priced at or below $1.5 million — which this proposed deal is under Riley said he hoped to address the high emergency call volume being answered by responders of Fire Station 3 98 near the Simpson Park Recreation Center and Larry R it states the new fire station will be approximately 8,500 square feet in size The building's layout should contain a living quarters It estimates an initial staffing of six employees These responders would help operate one fire engine and one fire rescue truck on site with one fire engine on reserve in the building's third bay It's anticipated Fire Station 8 would respond to about 3,600 emergency calls per year Affordable housing: As 2 new complexes open in Lakeland, more than 1,700 are on a waiting list While there have been numerous mentions over the years of incorporating a police substation into Fire Station 8 there is no mention of it in the city's memorandum on the land purchase The city earmarked $250,000 of impact fees for a police substation at Fire Station 8 in its fiscal year 2024 Public Improvement Fund budget the contract states the city will pay for the land in cash with a closing date set for June 3 The city had at least $1.8 million set aside for the land purchase in its fiscal year 2023 Public Improvement Fund's Capital Improvement Plan that has has been carried forward Lakeland set aside $900,000 of its coronavirus relief funds provided under the the American Rescue Plan Act to purchase a fire truck for Station 8 The truck has already been ordered by the city State traffic planners are considering a new road that would provide a more direct connection between State Road 33 and Walt Williams Road just across Interstate 4 and they're inviting the public to a workshop Tuesday people needing to go from one area to the other have two Bridgewater residents who might need to take children to Wendell Watson Elementary can travel more than a mile south on SR 33 to Old Combee Road but avoids nasty traffic around Socrum Loop It involves going north on SR 33 to Tomkow Road then west on Old Polk City Road to Walt Williams Road Residents in the area of Walt Williams Road looking to travel in the other direction have a similar dilemma winding road that starts at Walt Loop Road in the west then curves northeast to front the intestate before turning north it runs alongside Wendell Watson Elementary School before turning sharply to the west The Florida Department of Transportation is looking into the feasibility of a direct route between Walt Williams Road and SR 33 either to the east or west of the Bridgewater development And planners have four ideas they'll present at Tuesday's workshop The first idea would involve building an eastward extension where Walt Williams turns north to run along I-4 then turn due south through a rural pocket before connecting to Lake Luther Road and continuing to SR 33 The FDOT staff report said the benefits to this route are a direct connection to Walt Williams and low environmental impact The downsides to the route are residential impacts on the south side of the interstate and its proximity to Old Combee Road The second idea would build an extension where Walt Williams turns north just on the south end of the elementary school The extension would continue to partially front I-4 through a wooded parcel before crossing the interstate to the north of the Bridgewater neighborhood and connecting with Tradeport Boulevard and eventually SR 33 between Bridgewater and a warehousing development The staff report said the benefits are it avoids impacts to gopher tortoise and eagle nests and its proximity to the elementary school It's drawbacks include an impact to wetlands a realignment of Walt Williams Road at the elementary school and potential concerns with sight distance Idea 3The third idea would involve building an extension where Walt Williams makes a 90-degree turn at the northeast corner of the elementary school It would then curve slightly south before crossing the interstate in a more direct path than option 2 it would make a sharper S-curve to make its way to Tradeport Boulevard and eventually SR 33 the advantage to this route is avoiding impacts to gopher tortoise and eagle nests are that it would conflict with circulation at Wendell Watson and require lower speed limits because of the S-curve The final idea would meet Walt Williams at the same spot as option 3 but wouldn't dip to the southeast before crossing the interstate (meaning it would cross I-4 at an odd angle) it would take a slightly straighter path to Tradeport Boulevard But instead of taking Tradeport all the way to SR 33 it would curve sharply north between two of the warehouses and exit the complex via Firstpark Boulevard That would allow the road to lineup up directly with University Boulevard which leads to Florida Polytechnic and northern Auburndale would be the same as option 3 except it would have one extra drawback — it would require a longer bridge over I-4 because of the awkward angle residents can view the plans and ask questions anytime from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m For those unable to attend, there will be a live, online workshop on Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Advanced registration is required at https://bit.ly/3SfYRo2 To view the full staff report before the meetings, go to the project webpage at https://www.swflroads.com/project/447989-1. Comments can be made through the webpage, or they can be emailed to adam.rose@dot.state.fl.us or mailed to FDOT District One The FDOT said comments must be received or postmarked by March 4 to be included in the formal Public Workshop record Questions can be answered by calling the FDOT project manager Adam Rose at 863-519-2832 the last suspect has been arrested in a North Lakeland shooting that killed a 3-year-old boy of Lakeland was arrested Monday night by the Plant City Police Department at a traffic stop He was detained on an out-of-county warrant on charges of tampering with physical evidence Wilson was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over for a traffic stop according to a news release from Lakeland Police Department "We are pleased Demarius Wilson is in custody where he belongs," Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said in a statement "We are grateful to the public for all of the leads and tips provided and we thank the Plant City Police Department for their valuable assistance." Lakeland police sought the public's help to find Wilson, whom they believe to be the getaway driver of the Dodge Challenger in the March 11 Cambridge Cove shooting Wilson and two other men are suspected of using the Challenger to obstruct the path of a 2023 Toyota RAV4 driven by 21-year-old Yeimarie Baez with 23-year-old Robert Einzig in the passenger seat Two men approached the vehicle with firearms and gunfight ensued Einzig was injured and Baez's 3-year-old son Lakeland detectives had obtained video evidence showing Demarius Wilson running away from the Challenger after it was parked between two residential homes and covered with a back tarp on the 800 block of West Crawford Street The Challenger was registered to a Plant City address Wilson was on federal pretrial release on charges of wire fraud was shot and later died of his injuries at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center Kevarius Green, 40, was arrested March 20 and faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle. Green remains in custody at the South County Jail, according to Polk County Jail Inmates Lookup. The first visible signs of construction have recently appeared on U.S almost perfectly in time with the return of warmer weather Heavy clearing of trees and brush along U.S. 98 signals the earliest physical preparations needed to transform the two-lane segment, running from West Socrum Loop Road north to County Road 54, into four lanes John McShaffrey, overseeing the Florida Department of Transportation's community outreach on the project said the state's contractor is not quite finished with the roadway's final design but has started pre-construction work removing trees given the highway will roughly double in size to get to construction a little quicker rather than having us [FDOT] do the full design will move on to what's called "muck removal" or taking away any soil that's not suitable to serve as a base for a roadway It will then be refilled to provide a more solid base utility companies are being called in to relocate any lines along the corridor outside the area that will be covered by future roadway it will double the road's capacity," McShaffrey said The FDOT's plans will transform U.S. 98 from a two-lane undivided highway to a four-lane divided highway with a central median running the roughly 9-mile stretch from West Socrum Loop Road/Hall Road to the Pasco County Line The roadway will also be widened as it crosses into Pasco two-lane roundabouts to be built at Big Cypress Boulevard and State Road 471 because of its heavy use as a truck route "The number of roundabouts is increasing all over the state traffic engineers say crashes tend to be less severe for motorists and pedestrians than signalized traffic lights McShaffrey said collisions in roundabouts tend to be glancing high-impact collisions seen at traffic signals North Lakeland: FDOT considering a new road crossing I-4 between Walt Williams and SR 33 The FDOT has provided budgeting to construct a shared-use path usually a 10- to 12-foot wide path for use by bicyclists and pedestrians on both sides of the roadway running from West Socrum Loop Road to Rock Ridge Road "More and more people are wanting to use the corridor for transportation "A lot of these paths will ultimately connect to other paths Shared-use paths are about reserving space for others." Pedestrian crossings will be built at Rock Ridge Road and Big Cypress Boulevard to allow bicyclists and walkers to have an easier time crossing the expanded four lanes of traffic Other improvements will including drainage systems where necessary and several wildlife crossings to encourage animals to cross underneath the highway in more rural areas 98's speed limit has been reduced to 45 mph in the area of construction and is expected to remain at 45 mph until the project's expected completion in 2028 Most of the construction work is anticipated to be done by contractors during daylight hours motorists should be prepared for all lanes to shift west using some existing pavement and some temporary pavement Pipkin Road: At intersection where student died, new traffic lights should be working soon There will be periodic lane closures, reducing U.S. 98 to one lane a times, McShaffrey said. It's necessary, and will involve two flaggers standing at either end of the construction zone indicating to drivers when to stop, and when vehicles may proceed slowly in a single file. Those who frequently drive through the area are encouraged to sign up for FDOT's project notifications by going to www.fdottampabay.com/project/1029 There is a bright teal button below the map without having to provide a name to get status updates McShaffrey said each FDOT project has its own email list so users will receive about one email a week occasionally more to provide the latest information on upcoming lane shifts or closures and updates on any major progress — Lakeland's Downtown West Action Plan aims to improve housing options The plan focuses on the area from Florida Avenue to Lake Beulah and from Memorial Boulevard down to North Lime Street The plan targets about 1,100 acres of land across several neighborhoods Those neighborhoods include North Lake Wire the city hired GAI Community Solutions group to study the area and suggest improvements The city told us they determined three major moves to focus on “Improving connectivity for all of pedestrians and users within the area adding to the residential base of there neighborhood So those are the three major moves that are the focus areas of the study," CRA manager Valerie Ferrell said Now the city wants to hear which of those three is the top priority for residents “Specific changes would be actual infrastructure improvements real infrastructure improvements that they could actually see,” Ferrell said.  She said this plan will improve connectivity throughout the area Ferrell said the project does not have a price tag yet.  A meeting on Tuesday will take place at the RP Funding Center in the Lake Hollingsworth Room The city wants you to come ready to share your feedback on the five-year plan Ferrell said public input is crucial to the plan.  “The plan is going to be revealed once we get the priorities from the community during Tuesday's meeting,” Ferrell said.  The city said they will wrap up the planning process within the next few months and hope to present the final plans this fall.  Click here to read more.  'sovereign citizen' suspect killed in North Lakeland shootoutLedger staffTwo Polk County sheriff's deputies were shot by a "sovereign citizen" at an athletic complex in North Lakeland early Saturday morning before other deputies returned fire and killed the man according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office In an early morning briefing on Facebook, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the incident happened shortly before 12:30 a.m at the Hunt Fountain Complex at Duff and Green roads and the Sheriff's Office had extra patrols in the area because of a recent rash of car burglaries A deputy patrolling the area noticed a white car parked at the site and approached the driver "There was a male in the car and he rolled the window down a small amount and she was trying to talk to him and ask him why he was in the park Judd said the deputy went back to her vehicle and asked for backup and you don't want to get into a conflict situation if you can avoid it by yourself," Judd said supervision responded in an effort to resolve the event peacefully There were a total of four deputies and two trainees and they attempted to take the man out of the vehicle "When we started trying to take him out of the vehicle That's when our folks were immediately shot down," Judd said "Craig Smith and Chad Anderson were standing at the door close together and they were immediately shot and went down," he said "We know that Chad Anderson got off some rounds We don't believe that Deputy Smith did because he was shot all through the right arm He had four gunshot wounds in his right arm was shot once in the arm and it traveled into his chest was shot four times in the right arm and is in stable condition in the intensive care unit we're in the initial stages of crime-scene investigations and we can report that to you later," Judd said with our deputies who had no idea they were dealing with anyone other than someone being in the park after the park closed being suspicious and resisting our efforts to identify why they were in the area." Judd said the Sheriff's Office is not identifying the suspect yet because they're trying to reach next of kin But he said the man appeared to be living out of his vehicle and that another law enforcement agency had an interaction with him at another park in another county about a month ago "He is a sovereign citizen identifying with the Moorish philosophy they don't think the laws apply to them and they can do what they want when they want "They're known to be violent and shoot police officers." The sheriff said his deputies have arrested sovereign citizens before but doesn't publicize it "because we don't want to market for them." "There are a lot of Moorish sovereign citizens that aren't violent but they file lawsuits and papers against government officials and we ran into one last night that was very violent." He said the man was not a suspect in the burglaries and had no outstanding warrants "The most that would have happened to him was a citation for being in a park after hours," Judd said The Sheriff's Office said more information would be released later in the day LAKELAND — Fort Launderdale-based developer Green Mills Group hasn't quite put the finishing touches on one apartment complex and it's already set its sights on creating more housing in Lakeland said there are plans to build 60 multi-family apartments at 225 and 419 Griffin Road Sol said the $20.7 million development will be designed for those who formerly have been homeless or are at-risk of becoming homeless "It will look just like market-rate housing only some of the units will have supportive services," he said Help for the Homeless:'Why do we need to wait': Talbot House's next director has a vision Lakeland's housing options:88 workforce apartments proposed forJewel Avenue neighborhood Affordable housing wanted:Tampa developer breaks ground on 88 apartments in Winter Haven The properties are on the north side of Griffen Road between U.S Green Mills' plans depict a four-story building at a proposed height of 53 feet The building will contain a mix of 38 one-bedroom and 22 two-bedroom units Sol said 12 of the apartments will be specifically designated for people making 40% or less of AMI which is $16,555 for an individual or $23,625 for a family of four There are 48 affordable apartments that will be rented to people making 60% of less of the AMI which is $28,380 for an individual or $40,500 for a family of four based on the 2022 guidelines "We've been pretty active in creating affordable and workforce housing in Lakeland," Sol said Unlike its prior housing complex, Sol said Green Mills intends to turn over ownership of Griffin Lofts to Carrfour Holding LLC. It's better known as the Miami-based nonprofit Carrfour Supportive Housing Sol said the nonprofit will either have its own staff on site or work with local agencies to provide comprehensive on-site programs to help the complex's future residents "[Carrfour] has mostly worked in Miami but have been starting to branch out  to Broward Melbourne and now we're bringing them to Lakeland," Sol said Lakeland commissioners will be asked to approve a brownfield designation for the housing site at Monday's commission meeting which under state law would allow the developers to secure a tax refund on building supplies LAKELAND — Lakeland commissioners voted unanimously Monday to approve a $4.2 million deal to build the city's first solar-powered "microgrid" community The city will enter a contract with Tampa-based Block Energy Inc. to build a housing subdivision of 77 homes on a solar-powered microgrid Lakeland-based Highland Homes will partner to construct the houses on Myrtle Road on the far north side of town The community would be named "Myrtlebrook." it's new and it's everything emerging technology stands for," Mike Dammer Lakeland Electric's manager of emerging technology told the commission Each of the 77 homes will have a roughly 8 kilowatt solar-panel system installed on top of a membrane on a portion of its roof Energy produced by the system is capable of being stored in a 43 kilowatt-hour battery shared by two homes All of the homes in the community will be networked together in what Block Energy calls a "BlockLoop." Homeowners would be able to use their own generated energy or the grid could pull electricity from a neighbor's unit if one house is tapped out The community is backed up with a "Block Central" that would have a 624 kilowatt-hour battery storage and 800 kilowatt backup "It's designed for 77% self sufficiency," Dammer said Block Energy has built a similar 37-home microgrid community with Tampa Electric Co in Wimauma that Dammer said has achieved 93% energy independence — well above the expected 77% The goal is to break ground on the pilot community in 2024 with Highland Homes starting housing construction in 2025 The aim is to have construction complete by late 2025 or early 2026 The city will pay $55,000 per home equipped with Block Energy's technology, coming to a total bill of $4,235,000 to be paid out as certain project milestones are reached. Lakeland Electric will seek out and apply for federal tax incentives that could help pay up to $1.1 million of the project's pricetag No more free ride? Lakeland considers charging more for downtown parking "Do we have to craft a new rate to reflect the new system?" Potential homebuyers should be aware that Lakeland Electric will own the solar-panel systems on their roof and have right-of-way access to the equipment which is expected to have a lifespan of about 25 years Lakeland Electric plans to charge these future homeowners its standard residential rate "We will have our rates people constantly evaluating this as well," he said "We do not want to overburden the Block Energy individuals but don't want to subsidize it Lakeland Electric will build out its standard transmission connection to the community to allow it to draw additional energy from the grid Dammer said the pilot community would be allowed to largely draw from the grid at "non-peak" times but if things don't pan out as expected it would allow the utility to flip a switch and provide residential power The city has an operating and maintenance agreement expected to last through 2028 with Block Energy in which it will work on training Lakeland Electric employees on how to operate and manage the system The utility will then have the option to negotiate an extended agreement or take over control of the system "We are talking about this like its high science fiction Microgrids are going in everywhere all over the country," said Mike Beckham — The Gerald R Ford International Airport (GRR) announced new options for travel as they add another airline to their ranks Avelo Airlines will now fly from GRR to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Raleigh and Lakeland international Airport in Lakeland "We are proud to announce service at GRR and introduce a new era of convenient affordable and industry-leading reliable travel to the Grand Rapids area," said Avelo CEO Andrew Levy "With the addition of nonstop service to Raleigh-Durham and Lakeland we're not only expanding our flight options but also opening up new unserved markets for our passengers," said Airport Authority Board Chair Dan Koorndyk "This new partnership reflects our commitment to providing greater connectivity and convenience for the West Michigan region and we look forward to the opportunities it brings for both leisure and business travelers." This isn't the first time Avelo has landed in West Michigan. The airline used to serve the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport starting in 2022 with direct flights to Florida It's not clear when Avelo dropped Kalamazoo as a destination Avelo started in 2021 and boasts it's high marks in on-time performance and achieved the lowest flight cancellation rate in the U.S Lakeland FL is where the Detroit Tigers hold Spring Training while NC's research Triangle gets its name from the high-caliber education institutions that call the region home and flights are set to start twice a week— on Fridays and Mondays Tickets for both flights out of Ford Airport can now be booked on Avelo's website Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube LAKELAND – An 11-year-old girl who had been shot multiple times, called for the law enforcement officers outside her home on North Socrum Loop Road to help her.   Tyrees Graham heard the girl and rushed inside to get her.  “The 11-year-old – she looks our deputies in the eye and said: ‘There’s three more dead people in the house,’” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference Sunday morning outside of Lake Gibson High School less than half a mile south of the shooting scene Judd said the man who shot the girl is former Marine Cpl and he had engaged in two shootouts with his deputies before being taken into custody What we know: What we know about the shootings in Lakeland that killed four people Who is the suspect?: What we know about suspect Bryan Riley in the Lakeland shootings that killed 4 — including an infant After ensuring the home wasn’t booby trapped by the gunman, investigators entered and found a “horrific” scene that Judd said was one of the worst he has ever experienced in his nearly five-decade law-enforcement career Judd said Riley shot and killed a 33-year-old mother 40, the infant’s father, and a 62-year-old woman – who Judd said was the baby’s grandmother It was unclear whether she is Gleason's or Lanham's mother She was killed in a small home on the same property named after a sheriff’s K-9 who was killed along with its handler in 2005.  “When you see somebody so heartless and so calculating that they will shoot a mother clinging to her 3-month-old baby and shoot the baby and kill the family dog he is heartless,” Judd said. “I’ve done this job my entire adult life and I’ve seen a lot of tragedy and a lot of sadness I will never be able to unsee that mother with that deceased infant in her arms as they both lay there dead. It is a horror of the utmost magnitude.”  who served a tour in Iraq and a tour in Afghanistan had “zero connection” with the Gleason family He said the incident started with a bizarre event nine hours before the rampage the sheriff’s department communications center received a call from a woman about a suspicious man on North Socrum Loop Road.  Judd said the man had pulled up at a home and said “’God sent me here to speak with one of your daughters Amber.’  So they said ‘Nope, no one here by the name of Amber.’ At that point in time and he stopped on the side of the road, where he saw a guy mowing.”  Judd said Riley approached Gleason as he mowed his lawn and said God sent me here because she’s going to commit suicide.’ (Gleason said) ‘There’s no Amber here You leave or we’re going to call law enforcement.’    Gleason then called a woman to come out from the home and she also told him to leave or she would call the police.  “You don’t need to call the cops because I’m the cops for God.”  But the Gleasons did call 911. Judd said it took his deputy six minutes to reach the residence The deputy spent about 20 minutes looking for Riley, but he was long gone “We get thousands of reports of suspicious people “To suggest that we’ve got time to stop and do an investigation of every suspicious vehicle is not possible He was just a guy that was saying some really goofy stuff...we can’t do a full-fledged investigation every time someone says something goofy.” Judd said Riley returned to his Brandon home that he shared with his girlfriend of four years Judd said the girlfriend is cooperating fully and described a man who would sometimes seem depressed from service-related post traumatic stress disorder Judd said Riley worked for ESS Security Corporation and provided security protection for a church in Orlando a week ago.  After that church service, “he came home and said God spoke to him and now he can talk directly to God,” Judd said the girlfriend told him. “She said she’d never seen that kind of behavior. Later in the week God told him to go get hurricane relief and take supplies (to Louisiana). All through the week he was buying supplies so he could take them. He was becoming more erratic and wasn’t sleeping.”  And then he bought $1,000 worth of cigars to take to Louisiana saying God told him to. Judd said Riley arrived home in Brandon on Saturday night after his first encounter with the Gleasons “He said he saw a man on a lawnmower and God gave him a vision that his daughter Amber was going to commit suicide,” Judd recalled the girlfriend saying. “But he was insistent ‘You’re not talking to God directly.’ (Riley) said ‘There’s no room for doubters in my life and I’m talking directly to God,’” Judd said adding that the girlfriend said the couple had never had an argument like that.  The girlfriend told investigators that she went to their bedroom and fell asleep and he went to his “man cave.” When she woke up at 6:30 a.m. Sunday She turned on a GPS tracker and saw that he was at a house on Socrum Loop Road in Lakeland She also saw on the news that there had been a shooting on that road so she got his father and the father’s wife and they drove to Lakeland to talk to law enforcement PCSO northwest shift commander Lt. Duane Tompkins about two miles away from the home on North Socrum Loop.  he heard two volleys of automatic gunfire and immediately began driving toward the sound of the shots.    the emergency communication center began receiving a flood of calls from neighbors saying there was an active shooter in the area And an alert went out to neighbors with Ring doorbells, notifying them of an incident near them.  The Sheriff’s Department, Lakeland Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol followed protocol for an active shooter — they sent everyone to the scene.   Tompkins arrived at the house first and found the suspect’s truck the one with a Marine Corps license plate, on fire In addition, glow sticks lined the path from the road to the house and to another home behind the main residence. Tompkins was hearing popping sounds coming from the engulfed truck. And then he saw a figure in the front yard wearing camouflage from head to toe.  He “looked as if he was ready to engage us all in an active shooter situation but we didn’t see a firearm,” Judd said “Now understand we’re way out in the country area so it’s not unusual to see people in camo But he was garbed up and it appeared that he had bullet proof vests on and he immediately ran back into this house We didn’t know who he was.”  Tompkins then “heard another volley and a woman scream and a baby whimper,” Judd said.    so he ran to the back of the home and got in through what photos show to be a sliding glass door – with the glass shattered and our lieutenant returned fire and backed out of the house,” Judd said Then the gunman began firing into the front yard pinning down three deputies outside. A responding Lakeland police officer then provided cover so the deputies could escape Video: Polk County Sheriff's Office gives update on fatal shooting in Lakeland Video: Polk County Sheriff's Office identifies suspect in fatal shootings of four people Deputies in a sheriff’s helicopter circling overhead saw a man come out with his hands raised Deputies on the ground moved in to handcuff him. Riley had been shot one time by Tompkins. A Lakeland police officer put Riley in the back of a patrol car and rushed him to Lake Gibson High School “He made statements….’You know why I did this,’” Judd said. “That was his statement. He said ‘There’s three in the house.’ He described himself as a survivalist and then he said ‘I’m taking meth.’”  the sheriff's sergeant, ran into the house and scooped the 11-year-old into his arms carrying her to a patrol vehicle because she couldn’t walk. Judd said she has at least seven bullet holes in her thin body.   “We don’t know how many are entrances or exits,” he said.  Judd declined to say in what part of their bodies the four victims were shot or where in the home they were found.  “They were huddling and hiding in fear,” he said.  Judd said their investigators also looked inside what was left of Riley’s truck. There they found items a Marine would carry into war.  “He had everything down to blood-stop kits and he was ready for battle,” Judd said.  as he was being treated for his gunshot wound Judd said Riley jumped off the gurney and tried to grab a Lakeland police officer’s gun.  “They had to fight with him again in the emergency room,” Judd said. “Then once again, we got him tied down, they gave him medication to render him unable to fight any longer and continued to treat him.”  He was then released to the Sheriff’s Department and taken to the agency's headquarters on Winter Lake Road for questioning.  and I killed them anyway,’” Judd said He was a rabid animal. Our hearts and our prayers go out to the family.”  Judd said Riley “obviously had mental health issues, at least this last week.” He said Riley also has post traumatic stress syndrome “As he’s interviewing with us, he’s trying to convince us that he’s mentally ill,” Judd said. “But he’s very in tune with his statements. It’s important to underscore just because you have mental health problems does not mean you’re not criminally liable He played word games with us during the interview. He’s criminally liable.”  Judd said there are millions of people in the United States that have mental health issues “This guy prior to this morning was a war hero — he fought for his country in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Judd said “He was a decorated veteran and this morning he was a cold, calculated murderer.”  State Attorney Brian Haas was on hand for two press conferences on Sunday noting that the family and the community are victims of this shooting.  "I guess the big question I have on my mind is why,” Haas said. “It’s so frustrating that we will not know the why today — maybe ever.”  As Riley was led from the Sheriff's Office to a patrol car reporters asked him why he had killed four people he didn't even know. He said nothing and seemed exhausted Justice Gleason and Theresa Lanham The couple first noted their relationship with a photo on Facebook in March 2020. He has his arm around her shoulder and she is embracing him and kissing his cheek the couple held up a onesie at a baby shower a very pregnant and happy Lanham appeared in a photograph with Gleason and their dog Diogi She announced that her son was born on May 21 including the baby's 10- and 11-year-old sisters doted on the baby Facebook photos taken by Lanham show Justice Gleason clearly smitten with his son a huge grin on his face as he holds the boy in snapshots in their home at the beach and even when he sat the infant on the back of a motorcycle friends were leaving heartbroken messages to the family "May you and your beautiful wife Theresa and baby rest in peace with our Lord You will be missed!” Carolyn Chistian wrote “You were such a good man and friend to everyone Praying God comforts your family and everyone that knew you all.”  Pansy Mincey Smith told The Ledger that she had gone to school with Gleason’s father “RIP Justice Gleason. The last time I saw you you were getting on the elevator at the hospital,” Smith wrote on Facebook. “You were smiling from ear to ear about your new little baby boy you had that big teddybear for him Riley's home searched by Hillsborough deputies A bomb squad from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrived Sunday afternoon at at a house in Brandon listed as Riley's home address A reporter arrived at the scene about 4 p.m and spoke to a member of the bomb squad as the man stood near his vehicle The Hillsborough team was assisting the assisting the Polk County Sheriff's Office in carrying out a search warrant a team of four wearing wearing flak vests and helmets approached the door of the house at 708 Village Place They knocked on the door and were admitted An unidentified woman left the house a few minutes later and walked a small dog around the yard as the HCSO team remained in the house members of the bomb squad could be seen unspooling a string or wire from inside the house Other HCSO deputies set up police tape around the perimeter of the yard and about 30 minutes later she walked across the street and got into a parked truck with another woman at the wheel Neither responded to a reporter's request to talk before the truck drove away The team carried out its search at a single-story A "Happy Halloween" sign was displayed on the front porch and a an image of a scarecrow hung from an oak tree in the front yard Some neighbors came out of their houses to peer toward the activity having noticed several cars and trucks from the two agencies parked along the street.  Frank and Penny Pak live across the street and one door down. They said they had no idea what was happening and were perplexed by the sight of so many sheriff's vehicles The couple said they don't know Riley well but expressed surprise that Riley could be a suspect in a quadruple murder "I wouldn't expect anything like that," Penny Pak said. "We saw all the police and we thought maybe it was somebody else." The Paks said they were aware that Riley had served in the Marine Corps and thought he had been deployed overseas The couple said they had lived in their house since 1995 and knew Riley's mother who previously lived in the house he now occupies They said Riley had lived there at least four years The Paks said that Riley lived in the house with a woman who had a child.  "You would just see him working around the place all the time." Another group of neighbors gathered in a driveway several doors down They all said they did not know the residents of the house that was being searched said she has lived on the street her entire life "It's not a super connected neighborhood," Ells said 2017: Justice, yes; Peace, no: Families still in mourning from Bartow mass murder 20 years ago 2016: Nelson Serrano, convicted of execution-style slayings in Bartow, takes appeal to Supreme Court The incident matches the worst mass killing in Polk’s history. In December 1997, Nelson Serrano gunned down his former business partner George Gonzalves Supreme Court ruled Florida’s death penalty process unconstitutional and opened the door for Serrano He remains on death row awaiting the resentencing The Ledger reporter Gary White contributed to this report West Milford and Lakeland are following through on their promise to explore leaving the Big North Conference Both Passaic County schools will have an official appeal at a closed hearing on Jan 30 at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association office in Robbinsville Both schools have already been provisionally accepted into the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) which is largely made up of Morris and Sussex county schools “We’re just keeping all our options open and we will see what happens with the hearing,” West Milford athletic director Joe Trentacosta said Monday “We made a motion and approved their addition to our conference because we thought that might help (with) the NJSIAA ruling,” NJAC executive director John DiColo said we’re ready to put them in and start in the fall of 2024 We’ve already approved where they’ll go and all those things It’s a matter of getting approval for them to leave the Big North from the NJSIAA.” The Big North is a 44-team grouping of schools from Bergen and Passaic counties Lakeland and West Milford play in the Super Football Conference complained about their placement in the Big North Independence Division last fall citing enrollment differences between themselves and their divisional opponents division opponent Fair Lawn is a Group 4 school The Big North constitution states that schools should not be in the same division as schools that are two groups apart Group 2 schools shouldn’t be playing Group 4s The Big North approved the same divisions for the 2024-25 and 25-26 scheduling cycle with Lakeland and West Milford grouped with Fair Lawn the goal was to come up with a different alignment for the following two-year cycle NorthJersey.com obtained a copy of the Big North proposal for 2026-27 It does significantly reshape the conference Holy Angels and Immaculate Heart Academy) is all non-public schools and would stay the same Eastside and Bergen Tech) would remain the same Fair Lawn and Wayne Valley would enter the Freedom Division with Northern Highlands one of the smallest schools in the Big North Paramus would join the National Division with Tenafly Bergenfield would join the American Division with Fort Lee it looks like the Big North is giving Lakeland and West Milford the playing field it wants starting in 2026 There is no doubt that the two schools fit nicely with the NJAC footprint “They fit much better with the enrollments and the competitiveness of our schools," DiColo said "Even though it expands our boundaries into Passaic County People are not looking at transportation the way they used to when we started the league back in ’09 The Big North has been relatively stable since merging the various pieces of the old NNJIL Big North officials clearly feel that letting Lakeland and West Milford go could cause a domino effect with other schools seeking to depart if they win the appeal from the NJSIAA and enter the NJAC starting in the fall the Big North would have to redo its alignment and schedules Though DiColo would not reveal which divisions Lakeland and West Milford would join he said NJAC athletic directors would be able to add the newcomers in 2024-25 by eliminating independent games or days off The NJAC realigns its divisions and schedules annually when they asked to leave the Big North,” DiColo said and then took an official vote when we knew they were appealing and were serious You don’t want teams to leave your conference because it affects your schedules.”  When it comes to league and divisional alignments there are three factors that are considered: school size Lakeland and West Milford are competitive in sports the Big North offers the West Milford boys basketball team is 6-10 The Lakeland boys basketball team is 2-9 and winless in the division The Lakeland wrestling team just won a share of the Passaic County title over the weekend The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) was created in 1993 as a not-for-profit membership organization It is the major North American organization promoting the conservation of butterflies and their habitat NABA focuses its efforts on educating the public about the importance of butterflies and their habitats and on conserving butterflies both to the benefit of humans and the environment The mission of the organization is to increase public enjoyment and conservation of butterflies: making butterflies important to a growing number of people and creating a constituency that works to conserve butterflies and their habitats NABA achieves its goals through promoting conservation of butterflies and their habitat education and providing opportunities for the public to experience butterflies outdoor Grounds Maintenance Supervisor for Hollis Garden said “We plant over 15,000 annuals each year to attract butterflies and bees in Hollis Garden We really try to focus on regionally native plants when developing a habitat for butterflies It is important for our citizens to know that every garden helps create more habitat for butterflies and other pollinators.” Hollis Garden is a botanical display garden set in a neo-classical architectural environment complete with patterned flower beds Hollis Garden is a formal garden that is located on a 1.2-acre site located within historic Lake Mirror Park Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays for maintenance Kevin CookDirector of CommunicationsCity of Lakeland863.834.6264Kevin.Cook@LakelandGov.net The City of Lakeland was incorporated in January 1885 and has grown to become one of the largest inland communities in Florida With a current population of over 100,000 It has been designated a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area by the US Census Bureau for over 30 years With tourist attractions and gulf beaches only an hour away Lakeland continues to capitalize on its ideal central Florida location along the I-4 corridor The City owns and operates Lakeland Electric the third-largest publicly owned utility in Florida and it was one of the first to offer power in the Sunshine State over 110 years ago For additional information about the City of Lakeland, please explore LakelandGov.net.Citizens are also invited to follow the City on social media Citing declining enrollment and constitutional rules Lakeland and West Milford have prepared letters of appeal to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association seeking to leave the Big North Conference The Big North Conference was created in 2009 and oversees 41 teams playing the majority of their high school sports This is separate from the Super Football Conference where both the Highlanders and Lancers play football Athletic directors from both schools confirmed that they have letters created to send to the NJSIAA That's the latest step in a situation that has been developing behind the scenes for several years It’s not clear where the schools would seek affiliation but there seem to be two possibilities: either with the Morris County-based Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) or the small-school-centric North Jersey Interscholastic Conference (NJIC) “We are weighing all our options,” West Milford athletic director Joe Trentacosta said “I don’t know specifically where we would fit the best,” new Lakeland athletic director Richard Suchanski said “That’s why I am working closely through the fall to see what the best fit is and our best option moving forward.” The Big North just approved its divisional alignments for the next two-year scheduling cycle: 2024-25 and 2025-26 but may tweak things in 2026-27 and beyond for the two Passaic County schools Big North Conference officials fear that letting West Milford and Lakeland go could prompt a surge of departures from the conference with its seven-division all-sports alignment has been remarkably steady and gone through very few changes since it was created from parts of the old NNJIL New Jersey high school sport conferences are based largely on three factors: enrollment it’s always been hard to rank these factors Basing a conference strictly on one factor would lead to other issues Lakeland and West Milford are members of the six-team Big North Independence division along with Wayne Hills (There are separate divisional alignments for golf swimming and boys volleyball under the Big North banner.) The issue for both schools is the fact that they are both classified by the NJSIAA as Group 2 schools for most sports The other schools in the Independence division have larger enrollments Big North decision makers have always tried to keep it so divisional alignments don’t include teams separated by more than one group meaning a Group 2 school could be in the same division as Group 3 schools but not a Group 4 school Both Lakeland and West Milford are competitive in most Big North-sponsored sports the Lakeland boys soccer team was 10-3-1 and the girls soccer team was 5-6 West Milford’s boys soccer squad was 3-8-1 and girls were 5-7 Lakeland’s boys and girls each had .500 records West Milford’s basketball programs were 11-14 (girls) and 7-20 (boys) Lakeland’s baseball team went 18-8 and softball team went 10-13 while West Milford’s baseball program went 4-21 and softball team went 6-16 “If we are competitive or not competitive with teams our size “But if we’re not competitive against teams two group sizes ahead of us that’s not in the spirit of the constitution.” The schools appealed to the Big North for ‘relief’ and suggested different divisional alignments Passaic Valley was also involved in the process the vote went 21-19 against the two schools and in favor of maintaining the status quo Big North executive director Sharon Hughes said a change would need approval from two-thirds of members Hughes said the Big North would ‘accelerate their efforts’ to present a new alignment for 2026-27 and 2027-28 “The initial reason West Milford inquired happened about four years ago,” Trentacosta said “We have been studying our enrollment and see it dropping The bylaws say it’s based on enrollment and geography We think we’d be better with other Group 2 schools.” Former Lakeland athletic director John Yost led the campaign on his school’s behalf before retiring over the summer the state’s governing body for high school athletics could look at Lakeland and West Milford’s claims and deem them invalid The Big North doesn’t have many similar-sized schools near the geographic footprint of Lakeland and West Milford Keeping them with other Passaic County schools and Fair Lawn which has struggled athletically for the last few years Shifting Lakeland and West Milford within the Big North would cause a ripple impact and break up other divisions it could make sense for them join with neighbors Jefferson but the admissions process for that league − or any other for that matter − is also subject to a vote of conference members Joining the NJAC would also mean the Highlander and Lancer football teams could stay in the SFC where most NJAC schools compete for football Jumping to the NJIC could also have benefits Lakeland and West Milford could link up like nearby schools like Butler along Route 23 and match up with more Group 2 schools But that could also mean leaving the SFC since the NJIC sponsors its own football league New Jersey's longest high school football winning streak came to a shocking end on Friday night 5 seed Lakeland scored a touchdown with 41 seconds left to beat No 1 Caldwell − which had won 37 straight games dating back to November 2020 − and held on to win 33-28 in the North 2 Junior quarterback Colin Sabric found junior Aidan Thacker on a 23-yard pass for the winning score The Lancers never held a lead until that final score and the Chiefs led 28-27 late in the fourth quarter after Lakeland had scored a touchdown but missed the extra point Caldwell entered its game against Lakeland ranked No. 4 in the latest Statewide Public Top 20 rankings Three other state-ranked teams also lost on Friday night: LAKELAND — Army veteran Scott Leavitt 60, walked through what’s left of his devastated living room on Thursday morning, realizing that if he had been four or five steps slower on Wednesday evening as a tornado hit his Gibson Shores Drive home “I think it’s a total loss,” he said holding his cellphone as he waited to talk to an insurance adjuster a cinderblock wall leaning at an angle behind him and his living room roof lying in pieces in several neighbors' yards.   Leavitt had just gotten home from his railing manufacturing job in Tampa when he saw winds whipping the American flag flying from his home at 5738 Gibson Shores Drive in North Lakeland.  Previously: Tornado touches down in North Lakeland, causing heavy damage, power outages PHOTOS: North Lakeland tornado causes heavy damage, power outages Video: After North Lakeland tornado, scene at Daughtery Road and Hilltop Lane East “I was taking the flag down and then it got real bad and I thought it just started getting crazy.”  Leavitt heard what many tornado survivors describe as the sound of a train As he started to make his way into a hallway to get into a bathroom he looked back over his shoulder.  “The roof behind me was lifted up and you could see the circles (of insulation) you could see the tornado,” Leavitt said “It was just ripping the roof off right behind me...the whole roof just disappeared It pulled a cement block wall down.”  The carport roof was gone and material from his home’s roof and soffit were piled onto his truck and his Harley-Davidson motorcycle His 1967 Mustang convertible has a cinderblock through the windshield and tar paper lying across where the car’s roof should be. His patio’s tongue-in-groove ceiling was on top of the remaining portion of his roof.  National Weather Service personnel were in the area Thursday and rated the tornado an EF-1 “The rotation from the tornado was elevated at the tree top level or higher for most of its path” in Lakeland “Video on social media showed a wedge tornado.”  a NWS meteorologist, called it a long-track tornado and noted that it lasted nearly an hour and a half as it made its way more than 50 miles from its first touchdown in Pinellas Park to its final foray in North Lakeland.  “It was a long track tornado — it started in Pinellas County and it looks like it touched down several times,” Davis said explaining that tornadoes can touch the ground for up to 10 or 15 minutes at a time and recede back into a cloud. “Throughout its life cycle, it can touch down several times.” Davis said the damage started in Pinellas County at about 3:50 p.m as a cold front swept clouds through the area. The tornado also touched down north of Plant City and traveled nearly 13 miles, making its way to Kathleen and finally Gibsonia. The 250-yard-wide twister fell apart after bouncing up Gibson Shores and Lake Grove drives.  Jason Sommers and his wife, Brittney Nales, were trying to figure out how to get their upside-down pontoon boat out of the canal behind Leavitt’s house as a roofer climbed on top of their home to inspect their shingles. Despite the destruction just a few feet away at their neighbor’s only one shingle on Sommers’ roof appeared out of place.  a chain link fence was pulled from the ground blobs of hardened concrete still attached to the bottoms of metal posts The street sign for Daughtery Road and Lake Grove Drive was bent backward in repose.   29, recalled the scariest 20 seconds of her life with her 5-year-old and 1-year-old sons.  “I was doing laundry and I heard a truck sound — as soon as I saw the tree in my front yard we ran into the bathroom,” said Paige Curran looking at the remnants of someone’s oak tree on the ground “I was more scared in those 20 seconds than in (Hurricane) Irma My 5-year-old was hysterical.”  Curran’s 1-year-old, Colton, calmly watched all the commotion around him Thursday morning with chainsaws buzzing nearby and loud trucks driving up and down the street as work crews cleared away debris.  Teresa Curran, had just stepped outside to make a phone call Wednesday evening when a chair in the carport lifted eight inches off the ground and hovered there.  ‘Y’all got paranormal activity!’” Curran 58, said. She went inside the house and that’s when a neighbor’s tree fell in the front yard and the Curran’s aluminum patio roof landed on top of the living room roof.  “I made sure they were OK and then we all cried,” Curran said.  a commercial air-conditioning unit was shoved onto its side on the store's roof which dangled over the side of the building. The store’s sign was lying in a yard up the street Several Uhaul trailers the store rents out had been shoved across Daughtery Road during the storm but were back in place Thursday morning.  all that was damaged in one yard was a toppled Santa and a leaning Frosty displaying the randomness of the storm’s damage as the tornado bounced onto one house and skipped the next five before ripping off another roof snatching a screened-in patio or snapping an old oak at its trunk.  Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said he was thankful no one was injured or killed but we can't bring a life back that dies as a result of a horrible event we not only can report to you that there's no deaths we don't have any reports of injuries," Judd said.  Rose Stilwell walked through Leavitt’s yard pointing to the trampoline that is now partially submerged in the canal behind his home.  “We heard a loud bang and that’s when the trampoline hit my roof,” said Stilwell still a little shaken up more than 15 hours later She said she had some roof damage to her house and her screened in patio along with a workshop in her backyard.  who has been fixing up the home he bought three years ago Leavitt spent the night in one of his undamaged bedrooms and found his cat who had gone missing after the tornado hit he went to inspect his home in the light of day and found a familiar object lying among the wreckage — the American flag he had taken down moments before the tornado hit.  “It was underneath a bunch of stuff up there,” he said He put Old Glory back in its post on a remaining brick column where the flag flapped in the cool air.  Reporter Maya Lora contributed to this story. Ledger reporter Kimberly C. Moore can be reached at kmoore@theledger.com or 863-802-7514 Follow her on Twitter at @KMooreTheLedger.  Hannah McGurr (45) of Ramsey dribbles up court during the NJSIAA North Jersey 1 Group 2 girls basketball semifinal between Ramsey and Westwood at Ramsey High School in Ramsey .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Jason Bernstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comCharlotte Auty had 18 points and seven rebounds to lift 10th-seeded Ramsey to a 50-43 victory over seventh-seeded Lakeland in the first round of the North Jersey Emily Swierk scored 12 points for Ramsey (16-11) while Jules Pensari added nine with 11 rebounds Kylie Bahn added 10 rebounds and seven assists to go with four points Ramsey plays second-seeded Jefferson in the quarterfinals on Monday Madison Kelly paced Lakeland (14-8) with 11 points Amelia Guardascione had 10 points with five steals and Jasmine Star added eight points