Acting on a tip from Highlands County Sheriff’s officials, Lakeland Police and Polk County sheriff’s deputies yesterday captured Doranda Jo Ussery. The 24-year-old Avon Park woman was found holed up in a Lakeland motel room.
She has been wanted in connection with an incident at the Lake Wales Wal-Mart, where she allegedly sprayed mace at a couple of loss prevention officers then threatened them with a knife, after being confronted about shoplifting there.
After initially barricading herself in the room at the Imperial Swan Motel, Ussery surrendered to lawmen. She has been booked into the Polk County Jail.
Highlands County’s K-9s were busy yesterday. Deputy Jeff Turner and k-9 officer Hooch spent some time tracking, then locating a man who got lost in the woods.
Highlands County sheriff’s officials say a man was in a wooded area near Wolf Lake Road near Sebring and became disoriented. He called a friend on his cell phone, which prompted the search.
After he was located, the man was given a check by Emergency Medical Services, then a ride home.
The first forecast of the Florida citrus season has growers optimistic.
The National Agriculture Statistics Service yesterday predicted, Florida is expected to produce an estimated 74 million boxes of oranges in the 2019-2020 season, a 3.4% increase over the previous season.
The agriculture service also says Florida is expected to produce 4.6 million boxes of grapefruit, a 2% increase over the previous season.
Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus, says the official estimates match what the agency has been hearing from growers.
Michael W. Sparks, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, a growers’ advocacy group, says the estimates are good news for an industry that has been ravaged by the citrus greening disease and is still recovering from damage caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017.