Traveling northbound on highway 27 in Haines City I've witnessed a few close calls and one accident all in one location. The location is directly in front of the new Lowes in Haines City just north of Wal-Mart Supercenter. The situation is the same every time, a semi-truck is pulling out of the Lowes parking lot, turning left to head south on 27. The semi crosses the northbound lanes and stops in the median turn lane waiting for southbound traffic to clear. While he is waiting, his trailer is blocking part of (or in some places completely) the far left northbound lane. The close calls that I’ve seen are when cars following the semis out of Lowes see that the northbound lanes are clear, and they also think that it’s a great idea to pull out into the left turn lane. This totally blocks the left turn opportunities for southbound traffic, and the braking noises are thunderous. The accident occurred when one semi followed another into the turning lane on Hwy 27, and totally blocked all northbound traffic. I'm not a big fan of adding MORE lights to 27, but something needs to be done about this. Is it possible to make it a "no left turn" out of Lowes and make drivers make a U-turn at the next lighted intersection?

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A recent comment on an old post on my other blog from Crispers' IT Director indicates that all Crispers locations now have free wifi. Nice.

We have just completed a technology revamp at all our locations including new POS Systems and WIFI. All Crispers locations are now a WIFI hotspot, Crispers loves its customers and wants them to enjoy their visit. Whether on business or with friends and family, come in for the great food and bring your laptop or PDA..!!

I'll need to swing by the Winter Haven location to check things out.

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The new Publix plaza under construction across from Heart of Florida Hospital now has a a Crispers sign on the marquee. The store is not listed on their locations page yet. I'll have to check a menu next time I'm in a Crispers since they always list the 'Coming Soon' stores on the back.

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The Tampa Bay Business Journal has news of a distribution center being built in the Haines City area.

First Industrial Realty Trust Inc. plans to start work next week developing 160 acres into a distribution center with as much as 1.6 million square feet. The Chicago-based real estate investment trust has scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday near the southeast corner of County Road 544 and State Road 17.

First Industrial (NYSE: FR) has prelease agreements for the first 200,000-square-foot building at FirstPark @ Haines City and is close to signing additional leases for two buildings with approximately 1 million square feet and 400,000 square feet each.

At the end of the story is this little tid-bit:

Approximately 900 distribution, service center and manufacturing jobs are expected to be created by way of the FirstPark @ Haines City development.

Wow, sounds like a lot of trucks and folks coming-and-going. I wonder who will pay for the roads and infrastructure improvements? Oh wait, we all do.

I'll expect a protest from Lakeland soon (joking there).

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Driving back from the airport on Monday I noticed that the Sonic in Haines City is open again. If you remember in early 2006 the Haines City and Bartow locations closed down.

What's the status of the Bartow location? Perhaps my readers in that area can post a comment. (The picture below is the closed Haines City location from 2006)

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WorldGolf.com recently reviewed Southern Dunes in Haines City, FL. Tim McDonald says:

An easy drive from Orlando, Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club in Haines City is like finding the Mona Lisa in a trailer park: It's a strikingly imaginative Steve Smyers-designed golf course that ranks among the best in Florida golf.

I'm not sure if the 'trailer park' thing was a joke or a serious quip.

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Motorcross star Bubba Stewart has his fair share of merchandise. Just a quick search turns up a number of items named after the Haines City native. Oakley features Bubba on their site along with his signature series goggles.

A few years ago Bubba was featured on a huge Oakley billboard in London. I once saw a photo of this, but I can't seem to find it now.

Bubba also has his own shoes. They're produced by FOX a well-known motorcross gear brand. They also make a nice set of 'Stewart' pajamas :-)

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The Orlando Sentinel has an interactive feature on the Ridge Scenic Highway. Sentinel reporter Lisa Roberts spent some time traveling on US 17 from Haines City to south of Frostproof and recaps her trip.

Stops include: Haines City, Dundee, Lake Wales, Babson Park, Frostproof and Hickory Lake Scrub. The Flash presentation has text, pictures and audio from the trip.

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Flickr recently created 'Collections' or groups of photosets. I have created a collection of my photos from around Polk County. As of today it's composed of 20 sets and 564 photos. One of the newest sets in the collection is the Historic Polk County Courthouse in Bartow, FL.

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This morning I ran into Colleen Burton with Polk Vision, we talked briefly about where PV's been and the ongoing support/promotion of the program.

We talked for a little over 17 minutes, but my recorder died at 16:35, so you don't miss much at the very end. You can download/listen to the MP3 file by clicking here: PolkVision.MP3.

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Chuck Welch and I are planning a second Polk Blogger Meet-Up on Tuesday, April 3, 2007 at Richard's Coffee in Winter Haven. Come on out and join us.

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For those of us that travel U.S. 27 north of Haines City you might have noticed a new Publix being built. The new store will be located across the street from Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center (caution bad web site ahead).

From the size of the parcel it looks like the Publix will anchor a shopping center with some other stores. Once things get built out a bit further I'll snap some pictures.

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I've been in Las Vegas for a bit attending a conference, but I'm back in Polk County now. Over the next few weeks I plan on catching up on all the details surrounding the two biggest projects in Polk County. The CSX facility and the Heartland Parkway.

One is coming, CSX, the other is being seriously planned. In today's Ledger there is a recap of the CSX project. For Heartland Parkway news, it seems that Billy Townsend from the Tampa Trib is on top of that.

For purely selfish reasons I like the ideas around both the projects. 1. My son is a huge train fan and the thought of lots of 'train action' is a plus. 2. As a frequent traveler outside the county a new road that speeds my trips is always welcome.

Currently I mostly travel to the destinations outside of Polk County that require trips north on U.S. 27 or south to the Fort Myers/Sarasota area. In each case traffic and stoplights on those routes are becoming a huge issue. U.S. 27 is a nightmare, and will only get worse. Yes, the widening of the road has been an improvement, but there will always be more lights and cars. A limited access road that directly connects the eastern part of the county to other major roads will be great.

However, just like we're seeing with the Polk Parkway, growth will follow that new corridor. For a great example, just look at the 417 in Orlando. It's an interesting way to plan/control growth. Just build the road and the growth will follow...sometimes leaving other areas alone.

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Over at the Winter Haven Chamber Blog, Bob Gernert has posted about the new proposed tax swap coming out of Tallahassee. It's an interesting read, and has generated some good commentary.

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Ponte Vedra-based realtor Krista Fracke has a Google-maps display of FCAT scores for all of the counties in Florida. When you visit the FCAT scores page, click on Polk to get a closer look. The image below is almost all of Polk County.

The standard Google-maps interface is there. You can zoom in, pan-around, etc. The image below is a close-up of the Winter Haven area.

Clicking on one of the pins will give you the details about that particular school, including previous FCAT scores. Shown below are the details for Wahneta Elementary.

Thanks to Joey at Urban Jacksonville for the tip.

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Over at the Polk County News Blog Billy writes about the Heartland Parkway. What's that you say? It's a road that will connect Fort Myers to Polk County. The northernmost part would of course be in Polk.

It would be a sort of Super Polk Parkway - linking the existing Parkway in Lakeland to State Road 60 east of Bartow and Interstate 4 east of U.S. 27.

It amounts to a huge loop - 45 miles or more - around most of the populated areas of Polk County, which would also, in theory, tie-in to the CSX distribution center the city of Winter Haven is pursuing.

One theory is managing growth is that you build the roads and the development will follow. This is similar to the 417 Greenway in Orlando. I remember when it was first built and it was nothing but empty land to the airport. Today it's surrounded by growth. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? You decide.

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Growth. Three interesting items related to growth.

First up is the MyRegion.org How Shall We Grow? initiative. Over the past year and a half the How Shall We Grow? initiative has been conducting community input sessions and working with local officials through-out the region. All that work culminates in a series of events over the next two weeks. This week a series of documentaries will air on WMFE-TV in Orlando and PG-TV in Polk County. Then starting on Friday residents will be able to vote on the growth plan they want.

You can also check out the PG-TV schedule for this week.

Second, independent of MyRegion.org, Polk Vision is holding a series of meetings on growth in the region:

Tuesday, January 23, 2007 6-8pm - Lake Region High School, Eagle Lake
Thursday, January 25, 2007 6-8 pm - Ridge Community High School, Haines City
Tuesday, January 30, 2007 6-8 pm - Lake Gibson High School, North Lakeland

I will be out of town each of these nights so I won't be able to post any reports. Hopefully Chuck from Lakeland Local will be able to make it to at least one of them.

Third, and not least in any way....Billy Townsend from the Tampa Tribune recently wrote a feature article about growth in Lakeland titled From Our Town to Boomtown. The article and accompanying video is worth the time.

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In late January of 2006 I blogged about the Polk Art Mafia. The P.A.M. MySpace group was started by Bonnie B. as an outlet for those interested in arts in Polk County.

The group just reached a major milestone with the 500th member joining. Who said the arts aren't important in Polk County?

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The Orlando Sentinel has a feature article about the area between Orlando and Tampa. Know where that is? Middle of Somewhere is the title of the article. here is one stat that I think we all know/deal with.

Polk County alone, which sits squarely between the two largest cities, could gain as many as 240,000 people in the next 25 years, University of Florida researchers say. That's the equivalent of plopping all of Jersey City, N.J., into the county.

If you live-in/care-about Polk County, you should go read the entire article.

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The Transportation Planning Organization of Polk County has a rather interesting page that details the Transportation History of Polk County. The timeline goes from 1843 till 2000. Here are a few interesting tid-bits:

1915: The Polk County Good Roads Association gathers enough support to sponsor a $1.5 million bond issue which passes by a 2-to-1 margin in a countywide referendum. Polk County contracts with four companies to pave over 217 miles of sheet asphalt highways - the largest construction transaction of its kind in the South. The project is divided into five sections, linking every major Polk city.

1923: Polk County's 340 miles of paved roads is more than any other county in Florida. Polk's "velvet highways" become a tourist attraction, especially "The Scenic Highlands Highway" located along the Lake Wales Ridge. These highways help spur the development of South Florida during the Florida Land Boom, and earn Polk County its "imperial" moniker.

Go check it out.

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Here are a few quick thoughts after yesterday's election. I'll be posting more in the coming days.

1. A photo I took got picked up by Boing Boing and Wired, so traffic to my regular blog is quite high today.

2. We had no problems at all in our precinct (337) with the equipment or the process. I was lucky to have a great group of folks working with me. As far as I've read, there weren't any big problems anywhere else in Polk County either. Thanks to Lori, Christine, Judy, P.J., Terry, Chuck and the rest of the gang at the Polk Supervisor of Elections office.

3. Our precinct was one of only four from Florida (so far) to submit photos to the Polling Place Photo Project.

4. Ignorance is no excuse. An individual showed up at our polling location around 7:10 and was upset that they couldn't vote. I think the statement, "Well if I work late how am I supposed to get to the polls before 7?" was made. Luckily one of my poll workers gave them a good lecture, educating them on the finer points of absentee ballots and early voting. Folks you've had plenty of time to vote early, showing up at 7:10 and claiming you can't get there on time is no excuse.

5. Countering that, we had one young person dash in the door right before 7:00 p.m. He had gone to the wrong location first, but made the effort to get to the proper location right before closing time. He even jumped through the door and said, "I'm in the door before 7!".

6. Congrats to Jean Reed. I figured her race over Bruce Parker would be closer and could have gone the other way, but it's great to get somebody new into the system. Now let's see if a lone Democrat can achieve anything on the BOCC.

7. How did Randy win? The man has done it again. I thought for sure that Randy would be unseated this election, but all that developer money certainly helped him out. If you didn't notice Randy upgraded the design of his campaign signs right after the primary and put a ton of them out. The photo of Randy in the camo hat certainly paints a great picture of Polk County. He just needed to be eating a bag of Jelly Belly candy.

8. In contrast to Randy's win over Rober Connors, money isn't everything. Robert points out this fact about the Jean Reed/Bruce Parker race:

One note about Ms. Reed's campaign: She won with a very lean campaign budget. While Parker raised $103,700, Reed only raised $32,096

9. When does Katherine Harris publish her tell-all book?

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One of the closely watched local races in Polk County is the County Commission District 2 race between Randy Wilkinson (R) and Robert Connors (D). Of course the question is who will win, but how close will it be?

Have the anti-Randy forces secured enough support to elect Robert or will it be a close result with Randy winning again?

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The second of the two debates this evening featured the candidates for the Florida State Legislature, District 63. Debating were James Davis (D) and Seth McKeel (R).

The debate was taped by PGTV and will be shown on Channel 19 (local cable) on Sunday, October 22nd at 1:30 pm.

All the following notes are done live and may contain some small typos or errors, you've been warned :-) I also recorded the session. You can click here to listen.

Opening Remarks:

SM: I want to use this time to introduce myself to the audience. I am a Polk County native, in fact a 5th generation Floridian. I served on the Lakeland City Commission for five years. He and his wife work together in real estate. He feels he's well suited to take on the role.

JD: Born and raised in Polk County, he considers himself a crusader for the people. We have a number of challenges that we face, he is the candidate to help face those issues and be a voice of the people. To include all the people, not just the privileged few.

First Question: If elected will you support a increase to funding for public libraries?

JD: We have a problem with focusing our efforts on education. Libraries are a part of the educational system. He'd support the increased funding for libraries. There needs to be more effort put forth towards the educational system.

SM: He has some experience with library system. As a Lakeland City Commissioner he helped fund the city library system. There are some exciting changes coming up within the library system and funding is important. Technology offers some opportunities as well. Libraries are an important part of workforce development and must be supported

Second Question: Today is a national day against poverty, what is your plan to help fight poverty in the county?

SM: He has had experience with poverty within the City of Lakeland. It's an issue in the county and the state. Ultimately it comes back to education. By providing a good educational based we can break the cycle of poverty.

JD: Working with the One-Stop Center for Workforce he has seen first-hand the isuses related to poverty. Florida is a service based state. There is a widening gap between the rich and the poor within the state. We should raise the minimum wage so that those working minimum wage jobs can support themselves.

Third Question: In light of the recent poplulation growth in Florida what are your thoughts about reviving the bullet train?

JD: I think that it should be done. We need to bring together the cities and counties within Florida. A transit system like the bullet train would perhaps bring jobs and other opportunities to the people of Florida.

SM: The transportation infrastructure deficit is growing and continues to grow. When he left the Lakeland City Commission there was a transportation deficit of $80-90 million in Lakeland alone. High speed rail does need to be considered, but it needs to be part of a comprehensive plan to improve all transportation in Florida.

Fourth Question: How does your business experience prepare you for service in the legislature?

SM: He is a small business owner and takes a focus on small businesses. His experience in real estate and local government gives him the ability to oversee cooperation between government and business as well as the interaction between state agencies.

JD: I too have a real estate background, he is a broker and he is an educator as well as coach. He is used to challenges. He is used to working for what he wants. He is a winner. He works with businesses to assist them with staffing and other issues.

Fifth Question: How would you improve education in Polk County?

JD: FCAT is a major issue, the teachers in Polk County are underpaid. The problem is not the FCAT though, we need to focus on the basics. We have been saddled with the No Child Left Behind act but no funding to support it.

SM: Polk County recently saw a large increase in educational funding, but it still has a long way to go. There should not be a one-size-fits-all model, it does not work to serve all the students. He would work to bring better cooperation between business and schools.

Sixth Question: How do you propose to continue Florida's strong economy?

SM: The Florida economy is in good shape. The tourism and agricultural industries have been great resources for the state, but we need to diversify. Hi-tech industry must be attracted, but that relies upon the educational system to provide the workforce.

JD: He feels that the Florida economy is not as bright as many think. We need to work to bring better jobs to the state, but once again it's the educational system that most provide the worforce.

Closing Statements:

JD: He was born and raised in Polk County. Rather than hearing the issues, he has lived them. Florida has a bright future and Polk County has the opportunity to lead the state. He will not be afraid to step forward and provide the leadership needed.

SM: He has laid out the challenges we face but also he has provided solutions for those issues. He looks forward to serving the residents of the county.

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This evening the League of Women Voters of Polk County and the Lakeland Chapter, Florida Bipartisan Civic Affairs Group held a debate between the three candidates for the 12th Congressional District of Florida. Debating were Ed Bowlin (I), Adam Putnam (R) and Joe Viscusi (I).

The debate was taped by PGTV and will be shown on Channel 19 (local cable) on Sunday, October 22nd at 1:30 pm.

All the following notes are done live and may contain some small typos or errors, you've been warned :-) I also recorded the session, you can click here to listen.

Opening Remarks:

JV: Thanked the League for sponsoring the event and appreciated the folks that turned up in person. Joe feels that any election is about accountability. He wants to separate himself from Adam on the major issues. If you are against the war in Iraq then vote for Joe, if you are for the war then vote for Adam. Offshore drilling, Joe is against it while Adam is for it.

AP: Thanked the League and looked forward to getting into the issues. He has had the honor of representing the 12th District for the past six years. He feels that this district needs somebody that can be a leader in Washington. They need to move beyond sound-bite politics and do the work. Adam is proud to be from the area and that's one of the reasons he has never moved to Washington. Adam then went on to note some of the recent positive economic indicators.

EB: Congressional approval rate is under 20%, that's why we need change. His campaign is about the issues, he is not about attacking other candidates. He disagrees with Adam's positive economic outlook. We have to have people that are willing to fight for the people. The majority of American people want us out of the war, that's the type of change we need.

First Question: How does your background, education and life experience qualify you to represent the 12th District?

AP: Native of Polk County, 5th generation Floridian. There needs to be a balance between growth and the environment. The agricultural industry within the county provides a good base, but we are bleeding jobs because of our lack of an energy policy. Immigration is also a major issue.

EB: Wide range of life experiences. Raised in a single-parent family, served his country, he is a third-generation Marine. He has sent his children off to war, his son has served two tours in Iraq. He has run a business for 12 years.

JV: I've lived in Polk County for over 30 years and has done so by choice. We don't choose how we're born. Unlike Adam, he was not born into a family of wealth. He has worked to earn his place.

Second Question: What would you do with the thousands of unexploded cluster bombs and mines in Lebanon?

EB: It should be Israel's responsibility to handle looking through the bombs/mines. We can't continue to look in to all these foreign issues. We have too many issues at home to worry about all the foreign disputes.

JV: We're talking about violence, death. Hundreds of thousands of people dying because people aren't willing to talk things over. There needs to be a change in how things are dealt with.

AP: Israel is the only active democracy in the Middle East and we need to support them. We did not provoke the attacks on 9/11. We need to work with our allies in the Middle East and continue to fight those that wish to do us harm.

Third: What are your thoughts on Social Security?

JV: He doesn't think that the Social Security system is in as much trouble as the administration would like us to believe. He promises to research the issue and not just vote along party lines.

AP: It's one of the fundamental generational issues we face. Anybody under 35 will not have funds available to them if no changes are not made. We are unable to solve the issues since there has not be cooperation between the parties. There is no question that social security will be bankrupt 2040 if nothing is done.

EB: He agrees with Adam. He has worked up a solution with his economics professor. Do not privative the system, personalize it. The money that is put in should be loaned to state and local municipalities and then that will generate interest. The system needs to be self-supporting.

Fourth Question: Would you allow a citizen's committee to investigate ethics issues?

AP: Recently there has been work to bring in outside investigators to look into some of the recent issues in Congress, unfortunately the minority leader has blocked some of this.

EB: His degree is in political science. Nobody wants to be part of ethics committee, they don't want to dime each other out. That's part of the problem with the current system.

JV: There is need for outside oversight. The Republicans control almost all levels or government. Loads of Adam's money is from lobbyists.

Fifth Quesitions: Please comment on the military services act, can US citizens and not only immigrants be labeled enemy combatants?

EB: No, he does not like what the current adminsitration is doing with the interrogation of prisoners, we're opening ourselves up to be a target.

JV: It's all part of this administrations policy to violate our privacy. We need to treat all people equally.

AP: We will not turn over American serivce-men to an international body for interrogation.

Closing Statements:

JV: Once again we have an incumbent in office. This should be his job assessment. If you're satisfied with what's going on in Iraq then vote for Adam. If you are for offshore drilling vote for Adam, if not vote for me. If you are for cutting student aid then vote for Adam, if not vote for me.

AP: We have global challenges and generational challenges. Social security, health care, you can't do it with sound bites, you can't do it with puppets or pirates. People want somebody in Washington that can get things done.

EB: The major issue is the war. Unlike most members of Congress he has family that has been there. His son doesn't know what their job is in Iraq anymore. Our job should be to bring them back. This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed, and needs to be addressed now.

The second debate will feature the candidates for State Legislature District 63.

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Polk County motocross superstar James 'Bubba' Stewart won a pair of races over the weekend in Las Vegas and earned $100,000 (not bad for a weekend of work).

Kawasaki’s James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., walked away with $100,000 by winning both Friday and Saturday nights’ events at the Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

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The Tiger Bay Club of Polk County hosted a debate of the current Polk County Commission Candidates today in Bartow, FL. In the District 2 race Robert Connors (D) and Randy Wilkinson (R) squared off and in the District 4 race Jean Reed (D) and Bruce Parker (R) debated. Some of the recent losers in the primary, Betty Hill and Rusty Bodicker were also in attendance, perhaps enjoying not being in the spotlight :-)

During the lead-up Abby Slutsky with the News Chief came up to my table as I was working on my laptop, she asked, "Is this the media table?" I responded, "Well if you consider bloggers media then it is." She walked off with a simple "No." in response to my question. I'll leave it at that. Abby did say that she's leaving the News Chief and will be moving to Fort Wayne, Indiana to work at the Journal Gazette.

The crowd at Tiger Bay is definitely an interesting group. Not everybody is able to take off for lunch on a Monday and head to Bartow, so it's mostly business owners, retirees and other elected officials.

Tiger Bay Club, MC, S.L. Frisbee of the Bartow Democrat, provided a quick introduction of all the candidates with some quips about each of them. It was noted that all the candidates have photos available on their web sites, but only one has had his photo featured twice on the Polk County Sheriff's web site. (For those playing at home, it's Randy). Next up were the rules of the debate.

Now on to the action. Each candidate was given two minutes to introduce themselves.

Continue reading "Polk County Commission Candidates Debate - Tiger Bay Club" »

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The Orlando Sentinel reports that the Polk County Commission voted to place restrictions on where registered sex offenders may live. From the article:

Polk County commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance today that restricts where certain registered sexual offenders and predators may live in the unincorporated areas.

The ordinance will prohibit certain offenders and predators from living within 2,500 feet of schools, day-care centers, parks, playgrounds and libraries.

It further restricts predators from living within 1,000 feet of churches and school bus stops.

The ordinance will not impact those offenders and predators who have a registered address prior to the ordinance taking effect.

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How divided is Polk County? We're talking East vs. West here. This regional divide impacts the social interactions we have as well as politics and local issues.

In the social realm, if you live in Lakeland, how often do you hop in the car to shop/eat in Winter Haven or anywhere else on the other side of the county? Not often huh? I think the reverse happens a bit more, i.e. Winter Haven folks heading to Lakeland. This is just a result of Lakeland having more restaurant/entertainment/shopping options.

In politics and local issues, folks in Lakeland just don't care/worry about what happens politically or growth-wise in Winter Haven and vice versa. In the mean time, nobody seems to pay too much attention to the Four Corners area, which just happens to be the fastest growing part of the county.

What are your thoughts? Do you see a divide?

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The Hess gas station at the corner of Dundee Road and Carl Floyd Road in Winter Haven is converting to a Chevron station. I happened to catch the new signs going up this afternoon and took a few photos. I asked the attendant on duty about the switch and she said that they were making the switch to save on fuel costs. Apparently Hess fuel is more expensive than other brands.

This will be the third Hess station that I have seen convert to another brand in the past few weeks. On U.S. 27 there was a Hess station near Lucerne Park road that switched to Citgo. In Haines City, the Hess on 27 across from Kentucky Fried Chicken converted to a Sunoco.

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Robert over at Interstate4Jamming beat me to the punch in commenting on the news that some local Republicans will be supporting Democrat, Robert Connors in the November race against Randy Wilkinson.

As soon as Randy won the primary, I was wondering if Betty Hill's supporters were just supporting a Candidate Other Than Randy (COTR). This might, or might not be the case, but Sam Killebrew and Gene Engle have both come out in support of Robert Connors.

I wonder how many folks in November will not necessarily be voting FOR a Robert, as they are AGAINST Randy?

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What did I say about a Retro County Commission a few days ago? That might just be what we're heading for in November.

With the majority of the Polk County precincts reporting; in the District 2 race, Randy Wilkinson has beaten Republican challenger Betty Hill. Randy will face Robert Connors who defeated Rusty Boedicker on the Democratic side.

In the District 4 Republican primary, Bruce Parker defeated Martha Santiago. Bruce will now challenge Democrat Jean Read in November.

School Board member Kay Fields keeps her seat by defeating Ricky Shirah.

Judges.....too many of them. Just kidding. I'll post those final totals tomorrow :-)

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Tomorrow is the primary in Florida. Don't forget to vote. That is if you haven't already voted early or by absentee. I'll be unavailable all day Tuesday since I am working as a precinct clerk.

I plan on posting a wrap-up of the days events and results on Tuesday night though.

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Update 3: The State Attorney's Office dropped all charges against Randy citing a lack of evidence.

Update 2: Tests for alcohol and drugs both came up negative. I guess he really was tired.

Update: The Ledger have posted an updated story. Included are quotes from Ricky Shirah who was with Randy Friday night.

The Ledger Breaking News section has reported that County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson was arrested and charged with DUI last night in Lakeland:

Wilkinson, 53, was stopped by a Lakeland police officer about 3 a.m. after he pulled out of the Walgreen Drug Store at 311 E. Memorial Blvd. His Toyota Prius did not have its headlights on. He was pulled over at the Church of the Mall parking lot.

A police report said Wilkinson performed poorly on a field sobriety test. He was taken to the Polk Jail where was released at 11:40 a.m. after posting a $500 bond.

The Polk County Sheriff has the following information online:

- Randy's Mug Shot
- Lakeland Police Department Affidavit
- Lakeland Police Department Citation

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I received one of the infamous Betty Hill attack ads against Randy in the mail yesterday. I'm no Randy fan, but it was lousy stuff. A few interesting points from the ad I received:

- She attacks Randy for taking trips to Washington DC and paying $200/night for hotel rooms. Find me a hotel that's less than $200/night in the D.C. area.

- She says she won't take trips on the taxpayers' dime. So I guess when she's invited to the National Association of Counties annual conference she won't go or will pay her own way?

The big thing for me though is the line in the Ledger from the other day. When asked about the ads, Betty said:

"I [said] this makes me feel very uncomfortable," said Hill of the flier. But she said Twyla G. Ely, her campaign consultant, asked, "Do you want to win? These are the things you've got to deal with."

So when something challenged her internal values, she caved and listened to her handlers. I think that speaks volumes more than any issue.

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Nothing like a little primary to fill your mailbox with mail. It seems that everyday it gets worse. Here's a snapshot of today's haul.

As a designer I always shriek when I see the pamphlets and signs....none of them are ever designed well.

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Bob O'Malley has been tracking the web sites for local candidates including those over here in Polk County.

Just recently though he put out an invitation for candidates to respond to some basic interview questions. So far two candidates have taken him up on the offer: Rob Siedlecki and Elizabeth Doran. (Those are both Orlando-area races...so you can quit scratching your head)

I know in the Polk County area The Ledger was thinking of offering blogs on PolkVoice to any candidate that wanted one, on the condition that they would need to leave comments open. Jean Read (running for County Commission District 2) did create an account, but has yet to post anything.

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