Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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LakeWalesNews.net recently celebrated our one-year anniversary. During our first year we published more than 1,200 stories and about 1,500 photos. This online news site is still a volunteer venture. The editor, writers and photographers receive no compensation. Most of us consider it a public service and a labor of love. We hope you enjoy LakeWalesNews.net and will continue sharing it with others. For those of you with time on your hands (like, most of you) now is the time to...
Since Latifa Attala opened City Star Family Restaurant 15 months ago her customers have become like family. To show her appreciation to the Lake Wales community Attala and her staff gave away 1,250 fish and chips dinners Wednesday, April 22. Attala promoted the giveaway on Facebook and originally scheduled drive-through times for customers to pick up 1,000 meals starting at noon at the restaurant on SR 60 just west of Lake Wales. But she said some people showed up an hour...
The University of Florida has announced plans to honor attorney and Lake Wales City Commissioner Robin Gibson for a lifetime of exceptional accomplishments related to his law career and his support for education. An Evening of Excellence presented by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida was originally planned for April 17, but due to coronavirus concerns will be rescheduled once people can safely gather again. In announcing the recognition,...
Lake Wales police officers and the suspects they transport should now be safer thanks to a protective antimicrobial treatment of their 50 vehicles. Huston Cadillac Buick GMC is treating the police vehicles free of charge as a community service. Michael Gallardo, Huston's parts and service director, said he first heard about Permasafe about four months ago and was first in line to buy once COVID-19 concerns surfaced. He knew he wanted to offer it to customers, first responders...
The Lake Wales City Commission in its role as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) April 14 agreed to sell the old school property off Seminole Avenue to the Lake Wales Charter Schools system for $575,000. Charter system officials say they plan to invest upwards of $7 million to turn the property into the permanent site for Bok Academy North. "They are under some time pressure but they hope to open by fall," said City Manager Ken Fields. Bok Academy North is leasing...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools system is offering to buy the city's old high school property north of Seminole Avenue for $575,000 to turn it into a permanent site for Bok Academy North. The City Commission in its capacity as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) will consider the proposal at an April 14 meeting. Due to coronavirus concerns the meeting will be held online beginning at 6 p.m. via video teleconference and live streamed on the city's website at...
Lake Wales voters Tuesday re-elected Commissioner Robin Gibson for another three-year term. Gibson took 63 percent of the vote against challenger Bob Wood. Turnout was not quite 15 percent, with only 1,420 of the city's approximately 9,770 voters making a choice. The final tally was 898 votes for Gibson and 522 for Wood. The 2019 city election drew a little over 1,800 voters. The COVID-19 virus scare made campaigning difficult and apparently kept some people away from the...
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was first published in April 2019. We are re-publishing it on Palm Sunday 2020 as we enter into Easter Week. Easter Week always brings fond memories of the three months each winter that the Lake Wales community came together to participate as "extras" to help dramatically depict the last seven days of Jesus Christ on Earth. I don't remember exactly how many years I participated in the Black Hills Passion Play winter productions – so many Tuesdays, T...
Friends say when 22-year-old Kaitlyn Kinard smiled the atmosphere grew happier and more positive. "She had such a contagious type of personality - whenever she walked into a room you could feel an energy change - just the positivity she brought," explained Elise Coon, Kinard's longtime friend and co-captain of the color guard at Frostproof Middle-Senior High, where the two graduated in 2016. Coon is now mourning the loss of her friend, who died March 22 along with her dog...
Lake Wales area voters chose Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump as their party candidates for president March 17, with totals that closely mirrored preferences in Polk County and the State of Florida. Just under 85,000 Polk County residents voted in the March 17 Presidential Preference Primary, making voter turnout slightly less than 27 percent. Polk Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards said turnout was about 13 percentage points less than she expected, but given...
In an abundance of caution to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus various organizations in the Lake Wales area are canceling events or taking extra safety measures. As of 1 a.m. March 14 the Florida Department of Health still reported no cases in Polk County, and a total of 83 cases statewide, which resulted in three deaths. Updates are available online at http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/index.html Walt Disney World and Universal...
Greg Massey says he won't withdraw as a candidate for Lake Wales City Commission despite the likelihood he is ineligible to run because he never had his voting rights restored after felony convictions for second degree murder and armed burglary. "As it stands right now, until the supervisor of elections says I can't run, I'm moving ahead," Massey said. The city charter requires candidates to be registered voters and city residents for at least one year. Massey, 56, moved to...
The four candidates in the April 7 Lake Wales City Commission election will answer questions and meet the public at a forum on Monday, March 16. The candidate forum is being sponsored by the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council, the Lake Wales Arts Council, Rotary on the Ridge and LakeWalesNews.net. Candidates will set up tables with campaign literature and meet informally with attendees during a reception starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Michael...
Lake Wales City Commissioner Terrye Howell has been declared re-elected for another 3-year term following the withdrawal of her opponent Greg Massey. Massey submitted a signed statement to Lake Wales City Clerk Jennifer Nanek Tuesday, March 10 indicating his decision to end his campaign. It is possible Massey would have been ruled ineligible to run since he had a felony conviction for second degree murder and hadn't had his voting rights restored. City officials were awaiting...
In addition to his wife Jean, Robin Gibson has two major loves – the Lake Wales Charter Schools system he helped create and historic downtown, which he is committed to help redevelop. It was a tough choice, but Deputy Mayor Gibson announced at the March 3 city commission meeting he will give up his job as general counsel for the charter schools to avoid an ethical conflict. His resignation takes effect March 15. Gibson said the potential sale of the city's 1919 school p...
Lake Wales lost a special friend when Jerry Miller passed early in the morning of Feb. 24 after a lengthy battle with cancer. The community and government relations manager with what is now Duke Energy, Miller touched countless lives throughout Central Florida and left a lasting imprint. Faith, family, friends and service were Miller's top priorities. His smile, some might call it an impish grin, lit up a room, and he loved to dance. The 61-year-old Miller fought cancer...
Twenty world class skydivers dropped onto the golf course at Lake Ashton Saturday Feb. 22, paying tribute to Betty Hill, the former owner of the Florida Skydiving Center at the Lake Wales Airport. Hill died Dec. 16 at the age of 66 after a valiant 19-year battle with cancer. About 200 friends, family, neighbors and skydiving enthusiasts gathered to celebrate Hill's amazing life. She only jumped once herself but brought thousands of skydivers to Lake Wales and introduced countl...
When Lake Wales City Manager Ken Fields asked in February 2019 for a change to his retirement account contributions, City Commissioner Terrye Howell was happy to make the motion to approve it. After all, Fields stated that the fiscal impact for the year would be just 2.6 percent or about $3,560, an increase she felt was reasonable. It turns out the city's 2019 contribution of $51,490 to Fields' retirement accounts was actually about $14,500 more than 2018, and Howell is not...
Twenty-two years ago Heather Eiland watched her 5-year-old daughter Jessica and her pre-school classmates link arms and parade around the school courtyard in their finest outfits. Mom and daughter watched Jessica's 5-year-old son Jaxson Hood continue the tradition Thursday, Feb. 13 in the First United Methodist Preschool's annual Valentine's Day parade. Parents and grandparents snapped photos and beamed proudly as the 44 children circled the school courtyard for the kickoff...
In a split 3-2 vote the City of Lake Wales General Employee Pension Board agreed Friday Feb. 14 to recommend to the city commission that they allow employees to buy up to five years of service credit for their work for other governmental entities in Florida. Pension Board Member Sarah Kirkland, the city's utilities director, said she was prepared to vote "no" until Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson made the case that because of politics, especially in small towns, few city managers co...
Lake Wales city commissioners in their role as the Community Redevelopment Agency authorized the city manager to explore the possible sale of the 1919 school property to the Lake Wales Charter Schools to become the permanent home of Bok Academy North. But commissioners raised several issues they want resolved during negotiations. Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson left the room during the discussion to avoid any ethical conflict since he serves as legal counsel for the charter system....
Lake Wales City Manager Ken Fields is asking city commissioners, in their role as the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, to allow the Lake Wales Charter Schools to lease the old high school property off Seminole Avenue for one dollar for one year so they can proceed with plans to locate Bok Academy North there for the 2020-21 school year. The CRA meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the city administration building, 201 W. Central Ave. The CRA agenda item asks...
Lake Wales City Manager Ken Fields is proposing two changes to the city's pension rules. One would enable him to get a lifetime city pension worth potentially more than $600,000 without completing the minimum 10 years of service with the city. The other change would create investment accounts for Police Chief Chris Velasquez and Fire Chief Joe Jenkins, whose retirement contributions have been stopped because they are the first two city employees to reach the $75,000 pension...
Lake Wales pilot Greg Love officially hung up his wings and rotors Friday, Feb. 7 after a 25-year aviation career with the Polk County Sheriff's Department. Turning just 60 this year Love actually will continue flying as a sheriff's reserve deputy and as a pilot with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The sheriff who hired him, Lawrence Crow, and current Sheriff Grady Judd showed up to recognize Love's service along with family, friends and co-workers at a luncheon held insid...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools are looking to breathe new life into the old high school complex by locating Bok Academy North on the site off Seminole Avenue. Charter Schools Superintendent Jesse Jackson said his staff is working with Lake Wales City Manager Ken Fields and may have a proposal for the city commission at their next meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency Feb. 18. The charter schools approached the city two years ago asking for a donation of the school...
