News Update for 5/6/25
The American Legion Post 69 in Avon Park is raising funds to honor veterans with wreaths this holiday season. A chicken dinner fundraiser will be held Saturday, May 17th, starting at 1:00PM. The meals will be $17- the cost of one wreath. Meals include a ½ chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, dessert, and drink — all for a great cause. Funds will help place wreaths on veterans’ graves at Lakeview Memorial Gardens in December. The event is open to the public.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is asking for the public’s help after a prom after-party shooting left three teens injured early Sunday morning in Davenport, Florida. Deputies say the chaos began at a Wawa on Osceola Polk Line Road and ended with gunfire around 3:30 a.m. at a nearby condo complex. The victims, all students at Osceola High School, were not targeted and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Sheriff Judd promises a thorough investigation, saying, “Three children should not have been shot.”
A Lakeland man is headed to federal prison for COVID relief fraud. Jeanty Cherilus, 54, was sentenced to 18 months behind bars after pleading guilty to wire fraud. Prosecutors say he falsely claimed over $370,000 in pandemic-era loans for his auto business, then used the funds for personal expenses. Cherilus must repay the full amount. The case was investigated by USAID and the Pandemic Response Task Force, targeting abuse of federal aid programs.
A Central Florida woman is speaking out after losing nearly 200-thousand-dollars in a phone scam. Seventy-four-year-old Elizabeth Bahmann of Ormond Beach tells WKMG News 6 someone called claiming to be from her bank, Wells Fargo, and said her account had been compromised. Bahmann says they knew everything about her and convinced her to withdraw her money to protect her account. She eventually realized she had been scammed and called the police. The Federal Trade Commission says Floridians lost over 885-million-dollars to fraud last year.
Hunters have another opportunity to bag an alligator this year in Florida. In addition to the statewide alligator harvest, applications are now being accepted for the new “Alligator Super Hunt.” Permitted hunters are allowed to take two alligators from most management areas and private properties, with the owner’s permission. The application period started May 2nd and will run through June 2nd. Participants do not need a hunting license but must pay for CITES tags and an Alligator Trapping License.
Lakeland Regional Health has kicked off a $50 million capital campaign to build a new women’s and children’s center in South Polk County. The Carol Jenkins Barnett Pavilion – South will expand care for women and children near U.S. 98, thanks to generous lead donations from the Barnett and Pou families. Honoring the legacy of the late Carol Jenkins Barnett, the facility will offer OBGYN, pediatric, imaging, and therapy services — but not hospital-based care. Groundbreaking is planned for 2026.
Florida is being sued over a new law. Florida Decides Healthcare announced yesterday it’s suing the state over HB 1205. It was signed into law Friday, and it changes how the state adopts constitutional amendments. The law restricts who can collect signatures for petitions, and it also gives collectors less time to submit their petitions. Governor Ron DeSantis says it’ll combat fraud. Florida Decides Healthcare wants to get a referendum on next year’s ballot to expand Medicaid. They say the new law is vague, burdensome and threatens to chill core political speech.
Florida lawmakers are extending the 2025 legislative session after failing to finalize a state budget by Friday’s original deadline. The House and Senate plan to reconvene the week of May 12th, with a focus on passing tax cuts and negotiating funding levels. While several major bills passed and now await Governor Ron DeSantis’ approval, others — including a rural aid package — remain unfinished. Legislative leaders signed a joint resolution today extending the session to June 6th.