Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 301 - 325 of 333
Wow! It's hard to believe our Lake Wales online news site is almost 1-month-old. We did a "soft launch" with little fanfare Feb. 13 so we could load the site with great content before most people even got their first look. Our online readership is growing daily and many more are accessing the highlights on our Facebook page. In the last five days our posts reached more than 2,000 people, and more than half engaged in some way. We're the "new kid on the block," but we're...
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated with information about five other lakes needing invasive plant removal. The City of Lake Wales soon will be paying $26,000 to have invasive weeds removed from two local lakes. Eventually the cost to rehabilitate Lake Weader, Crystal Lake and five more lakes could reach over $1 million, according to city Parks Superintendent Vincent Crawford. City Commissioner Terrye Howell at the April 16 meeting asked for a status on the removal of...
Lake Wales police joined officers from Bartow, Haines City and the Polk County Sheriff's Department as part of the Polk County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigation that resulted in 44 arrests, three warrants and the seizure of 50 pounds of methamphetamines with a street value of $1.4 million. The task force also seized $50,000 in U.S. currency and assets along with four firearms. According to the sheriff's department, the suspects were collectively...
Downtown revitalization may have a domino effect and breathe new life into the old Lake Wales 1919 school building. City Manager Ken Fields told city commissioners April 16 that during the budget process this year he wants to talk about what to do with the city's red brick two-story structure that housed Lake Wales students for decades. Fields said city officials were waiting to see the recommendations of urban planners Dover Kohl, expected in June, which he believes could...
Working to revitalize its visitor experience and grow attendance, the Lake Wales Museum is seeking just under $75,000 in county Tourist Development Grant funds to promote its 2019-20 exhibit series. The grant application focuses heavily on attracting out-of-county visitors. To obtain the funds, the City must agree to spend $74,995 in matching funds, which Museum Director Jennifer D'hollander says can be done within the planned city budget allocated for museum salaries,...
he Lake Wales Arts Center was filled with music April 13-14 as more than 40 talented young people shared their talents in the 17th Annual Marilyn Newell Youth Music Festival. Judging their talents were classically trained vocalist Katie Bell Lippert, jazz composer and saxophonist Zachary Bornheimer and Bok Tower carillonneur Geert D'hollander. "The Lake Wales Arts Council was impressed by all 2019 youth music festival participants," said Arts Council Executive Director Andrew...
The Lake Wales Airport has a bright future and the potential to attract more tenants and corporate jets, according to an update presented by the city's longtime airport consultant. Wilbur Mathurin, vice president of Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, told Lake Wales City Commissioners at their April 16 meeting that aviation is a huge economic driver in Florida, contributing $175 billion to the economy. Citing a March 2019 report by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Mat...
The Lake Wales Little Theatre Board of Directors recognized its 60-plus volunteers Saturday, April 13 with an afternoon reception at the theater. Board President Leslie Grondin thanked the assembled volunteers for their contributions to the non-profit organization, which has been providing live entertainment to the community since 1978. "Without all of you this theater would not be able to run as smoothly as we're running. Even if you're working out front, back stage, on...
Richele Floyd got the ride of her life this week in the back seat of a U.S. Navy fighter jet, courtesy of the elite Blue Angels. A pilot herself, the Lake Wales native serves as education director for Sun 'n Fun, which is hosting nearly 200,000 aviation enthusiasts April 2-7 during its 45th Annual Fly-In & Expo at Linder Airport in Lakeland. "Best day of my life," Floyd enthused, relating the one-hour experience that included rising straight up into the air, flying upside...
While some of the world's finest pilots demonstrated their skills at the 45th Annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-in & Expo in Lakeland a contingent of teenagers gathered nearby rebuilding a wing and tuning up a jet engine. Babson Park's Jackson Gerard and his friends in the Lakeland Aeroclub hosted hundreds of visitors to the Fly-in, including officials from the Federal Aviation Administration who were interested in meeting the next generation of aviators. Sixteen-year-old Gerard is in...
The City of Lake Wales has undertaken an aggressive program to spend about $500,000 per year to repair roads throughout the city. A large portion of the funding was freed up when the City Commission adopted a new stormwater fee in February. Work began March 25 on 13 city streets and Phase one should be completed within about three weeks, according to Assistant City Manager James Slaton. Slaton said within six years the city should have repaired 50 percent of its roads. The cit...
The 45th Annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-in and Expo is winding down with air shows scheduled Saturday afternoon and evening and finishing Sunday afternoon, April 7. In addition to the many fly-bys and aerobatic stunts, the show offers literally thousands of planes and exhibits to view. Areas of the 2,200-acre Linder Airport in Lakeland are sectioned off for various types of aircraft; restored warbirds take up a large swath of land, while other areas feature home-build crafts,...
Capt. Beau Mabery loves being part of the Blue Angels team. It's the second year for the U.S. Marine captain from California to fly "Fat Albert," the C-130 transport that carries the U.S. Navy aviators and their equipment to about 60 air shows a year. Mabery said flying into Lakeland Linder Airport for the 45th Annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-In and Expo was an interesting experience, "like flying into a hornet's nest of planes all around." Thousands of private pilots fly to Lakeland ea...
Hosting 200,000 guests is a big undertaking. More than 2,000 volunteers helped make things happen at the 45th Annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-in & Expo at Lakeland's Linder Airport April 2-7. They shuttle guests in golf carts, offer hospitality as greeters and serve in many different roles, selling tickets, checking wristbands and helping with media or in a variety of logistical jobs. Jack Madden from Frostproof has been volunteering for eight years. He and wife Sandy moved from Key...
The Lake Wales area might be adding some new residents if Jeff Bretzer and Michael Skovron see their efforts bearing fruit. The two Realtors promoted the Ridge Landing Aviation community off U.S. 27 south to hundreds of attendees at the 45th Annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-in & Expo April 2-7. Bretzer is a commercial pilot flying the 777 for United. He and Skovron both live in South Florida but are airpark specialists promoting Ridge Landing through Weichert Realtors. John Fazzini of...
Four representatives of the urban design firm Dover Kohl and about a dozen interested citizens took a walking tour Wednesday morning of the northwest business district in Lake Wales. Dover Kohl planners are in Lake Wales all week obtaining citizen input on how to revitalize and connect the historic downtown and northwest section so they can design a plan for the next 20 years. Local attorney Sara Jones, chairperson of the Northwest Advisory Committee, and former city...
The cattle industry is big business in Polk County, contributing an estimated $1.2 billion to the local economy and creating about 5,859 jobs, according to a March 2019 impact analysis produced by the University of Florida-IFAS. The UF-IFAS study said as of January 2019, Florida had an inventory of 1.68 million cattle and calves, including 914,000 beef cows and 116,000 dairy cows. An estimated 60,600 of them were in Polk County, which has the third largest cattle operation in...
By 2 p.m. on election day Tuesday, April 2, more than 1,800 City of Lake Wales voters had cast ballots. With five hours to go, the number of votes cast was already 20 percent higher than in the most recent city election in 2017. Nearly 1,500 vote by mail ballots had been received by the supervisor of elections office, and additional ballots would be accepted up to the 7 p.m. deadline. City Clerk Jennifer Nanek said voting was going smoothly and turnout was definitely up. In 20...
John "Lites" Leenhouts loves all things aviation and his enthusiasm is contagious. He's getting ready for the biggest week of his year April 2-7 when he welcomes about 200,000 people to the 45th annual SUN 'n FUN International Fly-in and Expo. The retired Naval aviator is finishing his eighth year as president and CEO of the Fly-in and the Aerospace Center for Excellence. His office in Hangar A at the Linder International Airport southwest of Lakeland is filled with photos,...
Lake Wales voters re-elected both incumbents Tuesday and approved a charter change that extended commissioner terms from two years to three. City Commissioner Curtis Gibson coasted to victory with more than 63 percent of the vote, beating political newcomer James Tucker by 1,110 votes to 637. Mayor Eugene Fultz had a closer race winning 55 percent of the vote to claim his third term over challenger Bob Wood, with a final vote of 995 to 818. Nearly 59 percent of the voters...
Lake Wales City voters have their final opportunity to vote for the mayor and one city commissioner from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2. Voters also are being asked to change the City Charter to increase the mayor's and commissioners' terms from two years to three. Incumbent Mayor Eugene Fultz is being challenged by Bob Wood, who ran unsuccessfully for a city commission seat in 2016. Political newcomer James Tucker is challenging incumbent Commissioner Curtis Gibson for...
CORRECTION TO PREVIOUS STORY: An earlier story underreported the total projects to SEMCO, citing $1.1 million, but incorrectly stated all projects were awarded without bids. The City did put out requests for proposals on hurricane-related projects, but only one other company bid on one project, the water plant repairs. SEMCO met the stricter FEMA requirements and was awarded the contracts. For the downtown trail project the City received four proposals. One firm retracted...
Vice Mayor Robin Gibson floated an idea at the March 19 Lake Wales City Commission meeting he admits some people might find "nutty." Gibson proposed renaming First Street, the major North-South road through the City. He wants to call it "America Avenue." "It shows the diversity of our community and the diversity of our City as well," Gibson said. Gibson noted First Street is a long road that connects many neighborhoods. Commissioner Terrye Howell reminded him that the NAACP...
The Lake Wales City Commission at their March 19 meeting shot down a proposed city policy that attempted to regulate their ability to comment freely on social media. City Commissioner Curtis Gibson said he supported a clear social media policy for employees but said he felt including elected officials was "out of bounds." "Frankly, as the youngest member of the commission and the one who uses social media the most, I feel targeted by this proposed policy," Commissioner Gibson...
Lake Wales Vice Mayor Robin Gibson gave City staff a stern lecture Tuesday on the importance of full disclosure to avoid the appearance that they are "gilding the lily or hiding something." His concerns stemmed from the fact that a March 5 agenda item omitted important details: the leased Ford Explorer was for City Manager Ken Fields' use and the monthly cost was nearly double what they had approved for Fields the previous month. In February Fields asked to use a City car "in...
