Orlando Woman Charged With DUI With Serious Bodily Injury After Crash Critically Injuring 2 Young Children In Frostproof Crash

Frostproof

Staff Reporter

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May 22, 2023

32-year-old Ashauntie Cox (DOB 2/15/1991) of Orlando, who caused serious bodily harm to two children in her vehicle while fleeing from two crashes and driving under the influence, was arrested in Polk County on Friday, May 19, 2023, and charged with several felonies.

According to witnesses and information developed during the investigation, the first crash occurred around 8:00 p.m. on US Hwy 27 at the intersection with US Hwy 98 near Frostproof. Cox was driving a blue Kia southbound on Hwy 27 when she struck a grey Chevy Silverado pickup truck and then fled at a high rate of speed. As she continued to recklessly speed south down Hwy 27, weaving in and out of slower moving traffic, she rear-ended a 2016 Honda CRV while trying to pass between that SUV and the vehicle next to it which were both also going southbound. The victim driving the CRV was taken to Sebring Hospital, where he was treated and released with minor injuries.

The collision caused Cox’s vehicle to flip several times, ejecting two Orlando children, ages 5 and 8 years old. Both sustained significant injuries, and they were taken to Tampa General Hospital where they are both in critical condition. A 27-year-old female passenger was also seriously injured along her spinal cord, hip, and back. She remains at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center in stable condition.

When deputies arrived at the scene of the crash, they detected the odor of marijuana and located a bottle of tequila in Cox’s vehicle. Cox was transported to the hospital and interview by deputies. Cox told deputies they were driving from Orlando to Avon Park to celebrate the 5-year-old’s kindergarten graduation. She admitted to smoking marijuana earlier in the day, and to having four shots of tequila. Her blood was drawn for further analysis, and she displayed several signs of impairment.

She was booked into the Polk County Jail and is being charged with:

· Three counts DUI with serious bodily injury (F3)

· Two counts negligent child abuse with great bodily harm (F2)

· Reckless driving (F3)

· One count DUI with property damage (M1)

· One count DUI (M2)

Further charges are pending the outcome of the investigation.

“This woman had no regard for anyone’s life when she got behind the wheel intoxicated and then drove recklessly down a major highway, but what’s worse is the blatant disregard she had for the lives of the innocent children in her car. I expect a successful prosecution to hold her accountable—and let’s hope she loses her driving privileges if she’s released from jail or prison. Please keep these babies and their families in your prayers.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

Importance of Local Elections in Lake Wales

Kip

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February 25, 2025

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Importance of Local Elections in Lake Wales

Participating in local mayoral elections is a crucial civic duty that directly impacts the quality of life in our communities. Mayors, as the chief executives of cities, oversee daily operations, implement policies, and represent the city’s interests. Their decisions influence essential services such as public safety, education, housing, and transportation. By voting, residents ensure their voices are heard in selecting leaders who will make decisions that reflect the needs and aspirations of the entire community.

Despite the significant impact of local governance, voter turnout in municipal elections often remains low. Low participation can result in a lack of representation and accountability. Every vote carries substantial weight in local elections, where outcomes can be decided by a narrow margin. Engaging in the electoral process empowers citizens to hold elected officials accountable and fosters a government that reflects diverse perspectives and priorities.

The 2022 Lake Wales mayoral election serves as a reminder of the importance of voter turnout. In this election, only 2,587 ballots were cast out of 9,827 registered voters, resulting in a voter turnout of just 26.33%. The results were closely contested, highlighting the power of each vote in shaping the city’s future. As Lake Wales continues to grow, residents have an opportunity to influence decisions that impact their daily lives by engaging in the democratic process. Voting in local elections is essential for ensuring that municipal leadership reflects the community’s collective interests and works toward a prosperous and sustainable future for all.

2022 Official Lake Wales Mayoral Voting Results

Lake Wales is currently experiencing significant growth from both residential and business perspectives. The city has approved the annexation of 558 acres for the Lake Wales Commons Development, a mixed-use project that will feature 3,200 residential units along with retail and industrial space. This development is expected to bring a mix of single-family homes, apartments, and townhomes, along with commercial and light industrial spaces, contributing to the city’s economic development strategy.

Proposed developments and growth in Lake Wales

Additionally, the city is seeing a surge in new businesses and economic activities. The Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council is actively promoting a strong business climate while supporting the community’s quality of life. New developments and business initiatives are expected to provide greater opportunities for residents and attract more investments to the area.

In 2023, Advanced Drainage Systems, one of the nation’s leading providers of innovative water management solutions, announced it would build a new, state-of-the-art pipe manufacturing facility in Lake Wales

However, this rapid growth comes with challenges. Traffic congestion is increasing, making daily commutes more time-consuming. Schools are at or over capacity, straining resources and affecting the quality of education. Furthermore, the city faces potential water supply challenges as it seeks sustainable solutions to meet the growing demand. Addressing these issues requires thoughtful leadership and active civic participation to ensure that the community’s needs are met in a balanced and responsible manner.

In conclusion, voting in local mayoral elections is essential for ensuring that municipal leadership reflects the community’s collective aspirations. Through this engagement, residents can effect meaningful change and promote a thriving, well-governed city. The ongoing growth in Lake Wales highlights the importance of active civic participation to shape the future of the community.

To make a difference, residents can:

Register to vote: Ensure you are registered and encourage others to do the same.
Stay informed: Follow local news like Lake Wales Daily or The Daily Ridge, attend city hall meetings, and participate in community discussions to stay updated on the issues and candidates.
Volunteer: Join a campaign, help at polling stations, or assist with voter registration drives.
Vote early: Take advantage of early voting options to avoid long lines on election day.
Encourage others: Talk to friends, family, and neighbors about the importance of voting and help them get to the polls.

By taking these steps, residents can actively contribute to the democratic process and ensure their voices are heard in shaping the future of Lake Wales.

Sources: Water Challenges Facing Lake Wales, Traffic, Area Growth, Business Development, Lake Wales 2022 Election Results

Green & Gold Foundation Presents HHM Education & Leadership Series Feb. 25

Maria Iannucci

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February 24, 2025

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Green & Gold Foundation Presents HHM Education & Leadership Series Feb. 25

The Green & Gold Foundation presents HHM Education & Leadership Series on February 25, 2025 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.at the B Street Community Center, 230 B Street, Lake Wales.

Mr. Keron Thompson, Black Business Investment Fund, will be the special guest speaker for the evening.

Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Mr. Rodney Rackley at 407-832-7689.

Damaged Stormwater Inlet at Longleaf and Live Oak Blvd to be Repaired

City of Lake Wales

Maria Iannucci

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February 24, 2025

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Damaged Stormwater Inlet at Longleaf and Live Oak Blvd to be Repaired

by James Coulter

A damaged stormwater inlet at the intersection of Longleaf and Live Oak Boulevard will be fixed now that the City of Lake Wales has approved expending $28,450 on repairs.

At their meeting on Tues. Feb. 18, 2025, Lake Wales City Commissioners voted unanimously to approve their consent agenda. One item pertained to proposed repairs to a storm inlet at a local intersection.

Located at the intersection of Longleaf and Live Oak Boulevard, the stormwater inlet has received sufficient damage as to affect the roadway upon which it is built.

“The roadway…has begun to sink due to a compromised stormwater inlet and a cracked underground storm pipe,” the city agenda memo stated. “The damaged infrastructure is allowing groundwater intrusion, undermining the integrity of the road and posing a growing safety concern.”

Furthermore, as the memo states, “If left unaddressed, the continued deterioration of the pipe will exacerbate roadway instability, increase repair costs, and present a significant public safety hazard.”

As such, the city was recommended to expend $28,450 to have Odom Contracting perform the repairs. The funds for these repairs will be allocated within the city’s Maintenance & Repairs (M&R) Stormwater Repairs budget.

Odom was chosen for the job as it has “provided the most cost-effective and timely solution, ensuring the structural integrity of the roadway and stormwater system is restored efficiently.”

Both Suspects Arrested After Last Night’s Murder over Marijuana in Frostproof

Maria Iannucci

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February 24, 2025

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Both Suspects Arrested After Last Night’s Murder over Marijuana in Frostproof

Tyjhae Allen, 15-year-old to be charged with 1st degree murder of a man in Frostproof. Photo: PCSO

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference this afternoon, Monday, February 24, 2025, revealing that one suspect in last night’s homicide in Frostproof has been arrested.

Sheriff Grady Judd says 15-year-old Tyjhae Allen will be charged with 1st degree murder, tampering with evidence, and attempted robbery.

Since this afternoon’s press conference, PCSO has advised the media that they have also apprehended and arrested the second suspect, a 16-year-old, whose name has not yet been released. The circumstances around the 16-year-old’s arrest have not been made public at the time of publication.

There were two known suspects involved in the murder of a 22-year-old in Frostproof on Sunday evening February 23, 2025.

The press conference began with the following statement from Sheriff Judd:

“We had a very tragic event that shouldn’t have happened yesterday afternoon at about 5 PM in Frostproof, Florida. A 22-year-old kid was shot and killed. Now, I want to preface this by saying this 22-year-old kid was selling marijuana. That’s right, I hear it over and over; ‘Oh, it’s just a low-level, non-violent crime, marijuana.’ Well, tell our victim’s mother that, who lost her 22-year-old child yesterday.

“And here’s what occurred:

“As we know now, a 15- and a 16-year old suspect went on an app and ordered up some marijuana. When our victim arrived at about 5:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon in this Frostproof neighborhood, as he’s pulling down the road, he’s stopped by a 15- and a 16-year-old. They have some conversation for, as it’s described to us, for 2 or 3 minutes, when one of our suspects pulls out a firearm and begins to shoot our 22-year-old victim, who then tries to return fire.

“His car drifts down about a half a block where it runs into the edge of the road and stops and that’s where we find our 22-year-old, with a clutched…with marijuana in his hand; a baggie of marijuana in his hand, and he’s deceased.

“Tyjhae Allen is 15 years of age. He’s one of the two suspects. He’s in custody. This occurred in his neighborhood; and in fact, he stopped our drug-selling victim in front of his house.”

Sheriff Judd states in the press conference that the suspects did not have any money to purchase marijuana at the time of the confrontation.

At 3:30 this afternoon, PCSO advised that both suspects were in custody, and that more information about the second suspect would be released at a later time.

Sheriff Judd says his office will request that the state attorney’s office try them both as adults.

As for the victim, Sheriff Judd says that, even at 22, he was still a “kid.”

“He shouldn’t have been selling dope, but he certainly shouldn’t have died because he was. And he did. He was murdered. In the street. In this nice quiet neighborhood.”

Hwy. 60 Delays Today with Road Construction Near Downtown Lake Wales

Maria Iannucci

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February 24, 2025

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Hwy. 60 Delays Today with Road Construction Near Downtown Lake Wales

Plan for some delays on Hwy. 60 eastbound today between 1st and 2nd streets in Lake Wales today.

Crews are working on the business entrances near Locorito and Brake Burger. The right eastbound lane must merge to the left in this area to get past the construction. The merge begins in front of Publix.

Please drive with caution on Hwy. 60 as trucks work in the area today, or find an alternate route.

LWPD Hosts Community Relations Advisory Committee Meeting Feb. 24

Maria Iannucci

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February 24, 2025

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LWPD Hosts Community Relations Advisory Committee Meeting Feb. 24

The Lake Wales Police Department is hosting a Community Relations Advisory Committee Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, February 24, 2025, at the Lake Wales Family Recreation Center. The public is invited.

The purpose is to promote a dialogue and positive relationships between the community and the Police Department.

The Lake Wales Family Recreation Center is located at 1001 Burns Ave., Lake Wales.

In Loving Memory of Walburga “Wallie” Sylvia, 87, of Lake Wales

Obituaries

Maria Iannucci

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February 23, 2025

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Walburga “Wallie” Sylvia, 87

Walburga “Wallie” Sylvia of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, February 20, 2025 at Forsythe Hospice House in Auburndale.

She was born May 20, 1937 in Augsburg, Germany to the late Englebert and Walburga Schafhauser; she moved to Lake Wales from Derry, New Hampshire in 1980. Wallie was a homemaker and of the Catholic faith. She loved music and visiting the VFW. Wallie loved spending time with her husband, especially fishing and dancing.

Wallie was preceded in death by her daughter, Jean Marie Scrima in December of 2024; and her brothers and sisters. She is survived by her husband of 70 years, Richard L. Sylvia; and grandson, Noah Brogan.

No services are scheduled at this time.

Cooking on the Ridge: Fruit Leather

Cooking

Maria Iannucci

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February 23, 2025

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by James Coulter

For Christmas, I received a toaster oven that also works as an air fryer. Curious, I decided to do some research on what can be prepared with a dehydrator. Many things actually: raisins, apple chips, beef jerky, and—the dish I’ll be sharing in this recipe—fruit leather.

What’s fruit leather? Well, as a kid, have you ever had a Fruit Roll-Up or Fruit by the Foot packed in your school lunchbox? Because that’s essentially what fruit leather is: a sweet treat like a homemade Fruit Roll-Up.

The best part about fruit leather is that you can make it using any fruit: apples, berries, oranges, bananas, or a combination of any of them. Whether frozen or unfrozen, fresh or over-ripe, aslong as you have a blender, a dehydrator, and the patience, you can turn any fruit into a sweet treat that can’t be beat.

Best of all, because they’re dehydrated, these treats have a good shelf life. You can store fruit leather in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a month and in the fridge for several months.

The following recipe uses apples and cinnamon, but you can use any fruit you want. Go wild and experiment. These homemade treats are as extreme as the commercials used to advertise the store-bought variety.

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Apple Cinnamon Fruit Leather

Ingredients

4 cups of peeled, chopped apples

1/2 cup water

1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar, to taste

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1) Wash, peel, and chop apples and place them in a medium saucepan.

2) Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until soft.

3) Add granulated sugar and cinnamon and mash. Cook for 2-3 more minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.

4) Put mixture into a blender and process until smooth.

5) Pour onto a large baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat and spread with a spatula into a thin layer. Bang the pan on the counter a few times to make sure the mixture is evenly distributed.

6) Bake at 170 degrees (or a similar low temperature, depending on your oven) for 2-3 hours, checking every 20-30 minutes, until it’s tacky but doesn’t stick to your finger.

7) Allow it to cool, then cut into strips (a pizza cutter works well) and roll up. Keep in an airtight container.

In Loving Memory of Martha Anne Wardlaw Dickinson, 93, of Frostproof

Maria Iannucci

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February 22, 2025

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In Loving Memory of Martha Anne Wardlaw Dickinson, 93, of Frostproof

Martha Anne Wardlaw Dickinson, a lifelong resident of Frostproof, passed away Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at Good Shepherd Hospice in Auburndale.

She was born to John and Fannie Maye Wardlaw on May 26, 1931, in Frostproof. She graduated from Frostproof High School and later from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in education. For her first teaching job she was a teacher in Orange County, California for two years until she and her husband moved back to Frostproof after his service in the U.S. Navy.

After they moved back to Frostproof, she became a fifth grade school teacher from 1958 until 1961 at Frostproof Elementary School. She left teaching when she and her husband adopted their first child, Kimberly Dickinson Cotton. She was a past president of Frostproof Woman’s Club, a brownie leader, secretary and member of Rotary, and treasurer for Eastern Star. She served on the city council for 8 years and during that tenure was vice mayor and then mayor.

She was the first woman deacon and member of Frostproof Presbyterian Church. She was very active with Farm Bureau for many years and a state director for 28 years, Chairman for State Women Board, Chairman of American FB Labor Committee and District 9 Director for Farm Bureau. In 2015 she received the Distinguished Service Award from Farm Bureau, which is the highest award that Farm Bureau gives out. With Farm Bureau she was able to travel all over the world and upon retirement had pretty much gone everywhere she wanted to go. In 1994 she was Florida Agricultural Woman of the Year. She was on the original board that was responsible for creating Ag in the Classroom program started for Polk County and beyond. She was a managing partner of JH Dickinson Groves, Inc. and Wardlaw & Dickinson Inc.

Anne was preceded in death by her husband, James Henry Dickinson, Jr. in 2017. Survivors include her and Dick’s two adopted children, Ward Dickinson and wife, Pam of Alva and Kimberly Anne Cotton and her husband, Randy of Frostproof; four grandchildren, Taylor Dickinson, Peyton Dickinson, Skylar Cox and Corbin Lanier; and three great-grandchildren, Ripp Saiz, Mack Saiz and Lainey Cox.

Private family graveside services will be held at Silver Hill Cemetery in Frostproof.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to New Hope Church, Building Fund, 825 County Road 630 A, Frostproof, Florida 33843 or First Presbyterian Church, 101 North Palm Avenue, Frostproof, Florida 33843.

Suspect Charged with Second-Degree Murder in Lake Ashton Stabbing

Maria Iannucci

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February 22, 2025

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Suspect Charged with Second-Degree Murder in Lake Ashton Stabbing

At approximately 6:19 AM this morning, February 22, 2025, Lake Wales Police responded to the report of a stabbing at a residence on Ashton Palms Drive in Lake Wales. When officers arrived on scene, they located a 71-year-old man suffering from a stab wound to his chest. Officers rendered aid until the Lake Wales Fire Department and Polk County Fire Rescue arrived on scene. The victim was transported to Lake Wales Advent Health where he died from his injuries.

During the investigation, detectives were able to identify the suspect as 49-year-old Mihaela Mallenof Lake Wales who was taken into custody without incident. Mallen is being charged with second degree murder and will be held at the Polk County Jail.

Original Release:

The Lake Wales Police Department is on scene conducting a homicide investigation at a residence in the Lake Ashton community. This remains an active investigation and detectives are working to determine the circumstances surrounding theincident. The suspect is in custody at this time and there is no threat to the community.

Police will provide updates as more information becomes available.

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