Week of April 16, 2025
Week of April 16, 2025
With the approval of a deal with Walesbilt Hotel owner Raymond Brown, the Lake Wales City Commission has cleared the way for the private redevelopment of the landmark building. The acceptance of the lawsuit settlement by the five-person commission, which also sits as the city's Community Redevelopment Agency board, ends a three-year battle over the building. The settlement brings the building back under city control more than a decade after it was given to Brown's Dixie...
Lake Wales received a wave of television coverage this week as area broadcasters sent teams to cover the big economic news of the settlement between Dixie Walesbilt LLC and the City of Lake Wales that will return ownership of the landmark hotel to the City after more than a decade. Interviews with City Manager James Slaton and Community Redevelopment Agency Chairman Robin Gibson were conducted Tuesday in front of the 10-story structure by four different Tampa Bay area...
Lake Wales Police have arrested 20-year-old Delbert Todd of Lake Wales and charged with Attempted First-Degree Murder following a shooting that took place near the intersection of 3rd Street and Polk Avenue at approximately 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Upon arrival at the scene, officers discovered an individual who had sustained a non-life-threatening injury as a result of the incident. Investigators identified Todd as the suspect in the shooting. Todd was located and taken into...
As Polk County continues experiencing dry weather conditions due to a prolonged lack of rainfall, Polk County officials issued a burn ban effective April 15. The ban includes unincorporated Polk County. The burn ban is determined using the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI). The KBDI is a continuous reference scale, ranging from 0 to 800. It assesses the moisture content from no moisture deficiency (0) to maximum drought conditions (800) of the soil. This helps predict the...
Two police officers were shot and their attacker killed in a shooting that occurred Friday at the Lowes store in Bartow. The violence erupted after 34-year-old Wayne Volz of Fort Meade entered the store seeking his father, who was employed there, with the stated intention of shooting him. Unable to locate his intended victim, who had already notified police, Volz walked from the scene before being challenged by police. He then began shooting at them. Bartow police officer...
With a minimum of discussion, the Lake Wales City Commission this week unanimously approved a Special Exception Use Permit to allow a multi-family Planned Development Project for the redevelopment of the aging 120-unit Grove Manor public housing project. "We've been working on this a long time," said Mayor Jack Hilligoss as he called for a vote. The long-awaited project is the first phase of a multi-phased Master Plan which will take place on 24.74 acres of land that...
The City of Lake Wales negotiation team has apparently approved a settlement agreement with Dixie Walesbilt LLC that will result in the return of the landmark Walesbilt Hotel to the City. The City Commission and CRA agendas Tuesday evening include the agreement which should end a two-year legal battle and set the stage for renovation of the 98-year-old hotel. The agreement attached to the meeting notices has already been executed by Dixie Walesbilt owner Ray Brown and City...
The future redevelopment of the Walesbilt Hotel and the ongoing Lake Wales Connected effort would be placed at serious risk if the Florida Legislature adopts a pair of bills currently being considered. Florida House Bill 991 and Senate Bill 1242 would put severe restrictions on Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) in Florida, effectively stopping their efforts to address declining neighborhoods. “This is serious,” said Lake Wales CRA chairman Robin Gibson. “It is...
After nearly a decade of operations in Lake Wales, the Merlin Magic Making facility at Longleaf Business Park is apparently closing its doors. A filing with the Florida Department of Commerce informed them of the layoffs of 31 workers at the facility beginning May 31. That number approaches the total number of employees at the site, leading to expectations that it will be closed completely, according to local sources. Merlin is the parent company of Legoland, which recently...
Two families were left homeless Thursday evening after fire gutted their duplex unit on West Seminole Avenue in Lake Wales. The apartments are part of the Grove Manor public housing complex, which is scheduled for demolition over the coming three years. Lake Wales firefighters and Polk County EMS units responded to a call shortly after 6 p.m. to find one unit heavily involved in the fire, which spread rapidly into the roof structure, Heavy smoke also caused additional damage...
I really enjoyed watching the new Snow White movie, directed by Marc Webb and starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. This live-action remake pays homage to the classic Disney film while thoughtfully updating it to reflect modern sensibilities. It strikes a nice balance between nostalgia and fresh perspective. First of all, Gal Gadot-aka Wonder Woman-was fantastic as the Evil Queen. She brought just the right mix of elegance and menace to the role. One of the things I...
Following his Oscar-winning triumph with 'Parasite,' Bong Joon Ho returns with 'Mickey 17,' a science-fiction exploration of cloning, colonization, and the human psyche. I very much liked Parasite so I was looking forward to whatever Bong Joon Ho would do next. This anticipated film starring Robert Pattinson, ventures into the vastness of space, where a group of humans, fleeing a dying Earth, seek to establish a new home. Pattinson plays Mickey, a 'disposable' crew member...
There's still time for lovers of spine-tingling thrillers to enjoy a recreation of the spooky genius that made Alfred Hitchcock the most popular director of his era. The opportunity is presented by the Lake Wales Little Theatre, which is offering a final weekend of their production of Vintage Hitchcock. "Spies, murder, love, and other trademarks of Alfred Hitchcock come to life in the style of a 1940s radio broadcast" in the three remaining shows. The "Master of Suspense" was...
A tasty tour of nearly two dozen downtown Lake Wales businesses will be featured this Thursday, April 10 as Lake Wales Main Street presents their 6th annual Wine DownTown. Food samples from several downtown restaurants, including Melanie's Seafood Company, Mimi's Bakery, Cocoa Cakes Studio, The Thirsty Dragon, and The Peach and Pepper will be offered at each of the participating businesses. The food samples will be accompanied by free samples of fine wines and craft beers...
Jen Bricker-Bauer knows how it feels to sit on the deck and watch while everyone else has fun playing in the water. Born without legs and abandoned, One would think she was destined for a life of hardship. However, her amazing adoptive family gave her one simple rule, "Never Say Can't." Instead of bemoaning her fate, Bricker-Bauer has become an international aerialist, inspirational speaker and New York Times best-selling author, and the ideal keynote speaker and performer...
Famed University of Florida basketball player, Walter Clayton Jr. is scheduled to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Albert Kirkland Gymnasium in Lake Wales on Friday, April 18 at 5:15 p.m. A small motorcade will begin at the corner of Kissimmee Avenue and 4th Street at 5 p.m. and travel to the gymnasium. Citizens are encouraged to line the streets and follow the motorcade. "It is exciting to see a hometown hero return to the gym he played in for years," Stephanie Lutton,...
A three-day event is expected to draw more than 700 people to Lake Wales on April 25-27th as the city hosts the USA Weightlifting Florida State Championship. The event is sponsored by USA Weightlifting, which promotes the sport nationwide. The event will be held at Lake Wales High School and will feature more than 500 athletes competing in an Olympic-style weightlifting competition. "This event will stimulate our local economy," said City Manager James Slaton. "Tourism...
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