Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Incumbent Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson easily turned back a challenge from Danielle Pride Gibson for his District 5 seat on the Lake Wales City Commission Tuesday. Michelle Threatt was defeated by Keith Thompson in a relatively close contest for the District 3 seat, which is being vacated by long-time Commissioner Terrye Howell. Thompson garnered 904 votes, or 53.27% of the tally, while Michelle Threatt collected 793, or 47.73% of the 1,698 ballots cast in the District 3 race....
A collision between a work truck and a bicyclist claimed the life of a 90-year-old Lake Wales resident Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Walk-In-the-Water Road and Uncle Joe's Fish Camp Road, southeast of Lake Wales. The crash occurred at about about 12:15 pm. First responders from Polk County Fire Rescue found the victim, 90-year old David Linne of Lake Wales, suffering from serious injuries. He was transported to a local hospital but passed away shortly after...
Travelers on US 27 should be aware that there will be new traffic shifts on US 27 northbound at the construction site at SR 60. Motorists should expect an outside lane closure on northbound US 27 near the intersection, while crews place drainage and pour concrete in the area. On Sunday, April 2, traffic will be shifted onto the new concrete pavement to allow construction of the permanent northbound lanes. Motorists should use caution in the area and watch for workers in the co...
The American Association of University Women Lake Wales Branch is inviting the public to gather with them on Friday, March 31st to conduct an "Unhappy Hour" marking the disparity between wages earned by men and women in the workforce. March 14 is Equal Pay Day 2023, a day that symbolizes the full year and two and a half months of the new year in which women must work to earn what men were paid the previous year. "Since March 31st is the last day of Women’s History Month, a m...
Saturday, March 25th is the last day registered voters who reside in Lake Wales can submit a request to receive a ballot by mail for the April 4th Municipal Elections. Four candidates are seeking election to new three-year terms on the city commission in the voting. New requests for mail ballots can be made online at PolkElections.gov or by calling the Elections Office at (863) 534-5888. Voted ballots may be returned by mail or dropped off to the Supervisor of Elections, but...
Several happy amateur detectives are celebrating their wins in the Lake Wales News Treasure Hunt game after finding the prize claim forms at area businesses. Charmaine Walker, Bridget Nicole, Thomas Dunn, Juanita Zwarczuk, Hattie Johnson, Amy Mincet and Cristina Carver collected prize packages sharing $1000 worth of gift certificates, event passes, and prize items. Sponsors including Melanie's Seafood Company, Dyer Chevrolet, Lake Wales Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Maggie Mae's...
A policy change allowing increased public input reverses a controversial decision by the Lake Wales City Commission to that sharply limited public input. The modification to a standing policy regarding public comment was approved by the City Commission Tuesday. The policy will continue to limit speakers to five minutes, and all comments to a 45-minute period, unless the commission majority to extends the period for an additional 15 minutes, the maximum allowed. The earlier...
The Federal Railroad Administration Friday gave SunRail and Brightline, Central Florida's dual passenger train ambitions, an extension of the looming deadline to apply for funding to expand from Orlando's airport to the region's tourism hub and across Polk County to Tampa. Sun Rail currently serves 16 locations between Poinciana and DeBary. The Florida Department of Transportation is responsible for coordinating local governments and the private Brightline Trains, which are...
Lake Wales Police have recovered more than $400,000 worth of stolen property and arrested a 51-year-old man suspected of dealing in stolen property. The Friday February 17, arrest of Billy Joe Byrd by Lake Wales Police detectives came after they received a tip that stolen property was being stored at 254 N Miami Street in Lake Wales. Police are seeking others involved in a wide-spread theft and fencing operation. Detectives obtained permission from the property owner before...
A pair of public hearings are planned to allow area residents to learn more and speak about the proposed Polk Regional Water Cooperative (PRWC). The hearings will address a planned Southeast Wellfield & Water Supply Facility project proposed near Lake Wales. The project would draw water from the "sub-Floridan" aquifer to supply cities across Polk County using a new network of huge pipelines. The project has anticipated costs that could approach or exceed a billion dollars...
A forum to hear from four candidates for the Lake Wales City Commission is planned for mid-March to allow voters to learn about the goals and platforms prior to the April 4 election. Two seats on the five-person commission are at stake in the vote. The American Association of University Women Lake Wales Branch will join with the GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales in sponsoring the forum on March 13th. The candidates for the two seats include Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson, who will...
Tickets to the Strawberry Festival, free oil change coupons, ice cream, free bowling, and restaurant gift certificates are among the prizes waiting to be claimed at specific area merchants participating in the Lake Wales News Treasure Hunt. Each prize package contains multiple prizes with a value up to or exceeding $100. A bit of simple detective work is all you need to claim them. The Treasure Hunt is open to all, and clues are spread throughout this news site, most at the...
Get ready to enjoy another beautiful spring weekend outdoors in Lake Wales as the Lake Wailes Arts Festival offers a special atmosphere for a pleasant day. Presented annually by the Lake Wales Arts Council, the critically acclaimed two-day Festival attracts thousands of art lovers each year, many of whom purchase original, one-of-a-kind works of art. The show takes place Saturday and Sunday, February 25 and 26, under the shade of the Live Oaks on the shores of beautiful Lake...
A Lake Wales man is dead after speeding into a slower vehicle on US 27 early Saturday morning. Officers from the Lake Wales Police Department responded to calls reporting a vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 27 at 1:13 A.M. Arriving officers at the scene, near Weikert Ford, found 38-year-old Eliecer Padilla of Lake Wales lying deceased in the north bound lanes. A passenger in his 2015 Chevrolet Camaro, 40-year-old Jeanette Gonzalez of Lake Wales, was also ejected from the car and...
Thousands of residents and visitors from across the state and nation gathered in downtown Lake Wales Saturday for the highlight of the local Mardi Gras celebrations, enjoying a zany and colorful extravaganza of performance art. More than a dozen colorful Krewes parades floats and costumes while tossing more than 100,000 "throws" to the gathered throngs of celebrants. The parade featured the crowd-pleasing all-female Krewe of ZaZu, bringing cheers from the crowd with their ente...
Four separate construction projects are causing lengthy detours for area drivers, according to Bill Skelton, Project Management Liaison for Polk County. Travel delays, some lengthy, can be expected while traffic is detoured to bypass these closures. The newest announced closure is along Lake Wales-Alturas Road North, just west Crews Road, in rural, unincorporated Lake Wales. That road is closing at the railroad crossing on Thursday, February 23 for two to five days to allow...
An event designed to share healthcare and vital resources with the broader community will give residents a chance to learn and take advantage of many free services, ranging from health screenings to free cookies and snacks.. The Community Resource Fair will take place on March 11th from 10am to 12pm at the Lake Wales Library. A dozen vendors will set up throughout the library lobby, as well as along the front entrance sidewalk, according to Christine Runyon, the library's...
The Lake Wales Mardi Gras celebrations have reached their climactic day as crowds are preparing for the annual parade, continuing a local tradition now in its fifth decade. The big parade of Krewes, always a major highlight of the event, will step off at 3:00 today on Park Avenue before winding down Stuart and Central Avenues, ending at Lake Wailes Park, where the ongoing Mardi Gras Music Festival will continue into the night. More than a dozen colorful Krewes will parade...
Four candidates have qualified in two city commission races which will be decided during an election on April 4. Lake Wales commissioners finalized the ballot, which will include one open seat, at a special meeting on Friday afternoon. Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson will face a challenge from political newcomer Danielle Pride Gibson in the Seat 5 race, while Michelle Threatt and Keith Thompson will face off over Seat 3, which is being vacated by long-time commissioner Terrye...
It's that zany time of year for thousands of celebrants who will participate in the annual Lake Wales Mardi Gras, with festivities running from February 11 through 21. Between two book-end events, the heart of the traditional event will fill two days with music concerts and a colorful parade on the weekend of February 18. The long-standing tradition of Mardi Gras in Lake Wales typically attracts thousands of visitors, filling streets, restaurants, and other area establishments...
A night of colorful costumes and celebrations has officially initiated the 2023 Carnival season in Lake Wales. The Krewe of Wild Shiners hosted their traditional "Black Light Ball" Saturday night, the first of several events spread over the 10-day Lake Wales Mardi Gras. The popular festivities will continue this week, with 10 bands scheduled to appear at the Mardi Gras Music Festival in Lake Wailes Park beginning Friday afternoon. The concerts continue on Saturday, with the...
Tragedy struck Friday morning as a McLaughlin Middle School student was killed after being struck by a truck while waiting near a school bus stop in the fog. Lake Wales Police Department reports indicate that Jadin Galindo, 13, was waiting for his school bus in the dark at about 6:15 am when he was struck by a 2013 GMC Sierra truck. According to police reports the alleyway where he was sitting, near the intersection of Miami Street and Dr. JA Wiltshire Avenue, near Florida's N...
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced James Wesley Buchanan, 47, of Lake Wales to 8 years in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised released for possession of child sexual abuse material and destruction of evidence in a federal investigation. The court also ordered Buchanan to register as a sex offender for life and pay restitution to the victims of his offense. Buchanan had pleaded guilty on October 25, 2022. According to court...
Lake Wales Police are working a traffic investigation as a result of a crash on Scenic Highway. The location of the incident is within a school zone for McLaughlin Middle-Senior High, but the zone was not believed to have been active at the time. A driver attempting to make a left turn from north-bound Scenic Highway to Winston Avenue early Wednesday afternoon was struck from behind by a Honda SUV and pushed more than 200 feet into a streetlight. The streetlight support pole...
Ongoing construction of a new roundabout will keep the intersection of Old Bartow Lake Wales Road and Rattlesnake Road (County Road 653) closed in Lake Wales through February. The project, which began in the fall, was expected to take about 60 days, but has been repeatedly delayed. Local access will be maintained to the point of closure, but no traffic will be permitted to cross the intersection. Local access is maintained to the point of closure, but traffic is not permitted...
