Communication Builds Our Community
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In the aftermath of the ongoing surge in school shootings nationwide, Polk County Schools plan to conduct random "screenings" of students during the coming school year, which begins Wednesday, August 10. According to a released issued by Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid, "ALL screenings are done randomly." "Schools will vary the screening location on campus, the time when the screening takes place and the frequency of a screening," Heid wrote "For instance,...
A convicted felon and a Lake Wales Police Department canine were killed in a shooting in Lake Wales Wednesday morning. Ernest Borders, 57, was killed in the exchange of gunfire after opening fire after ordered to show his hands by two Lake Wales officers. Police K-9 Max was killed, but both officers escaped without injury. Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez said that the K-9 died so that the officers could survive. According to a statement issued by the Lake Wales Police...
Faced with a expected wave of new development after approving more than a dozen new housing projects in less than a year, the Lake Wales City Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a new "Mobility" impact fee that will add $2,055.33 to the cost of new home in the city. Funds raised by the fee may be used for a wide variety of improvements, including sidewalks, trails, lighting, and street trees in addition to the standard road funding. Prepared by consultants NUE Urban...
If you are a lover of nature and wildlife, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission would like to invite you to learn how to attract wildlife to your yard by planning and planting for their needs. The process or attracting birds and other wildlife is relatively is simple and usually satisfying. It requires an adequate supply of food, water and shelter to provide the habitat they need to survive, increasing the number and variety of species that visit your...
On a split vote, Lake Wales City Commissioners Tuesday evening voted themselves an annual raise of $2,400 intended to pay for the cost of local travel and expenses. City Manager James Slaton had proposed the increase at a commission work session last week, saying those expenses were often incurred by commissioners in the course of their duties. Newly-elected Commissioner Danny Krueger argued in favor of the raise, complaining that his 547 miles of travel around the city since...
While the 2022 Hurricane Season has so far seemed quiet from our vantage point in Lake Wales, weather forecasters are warning that this is expected to be an above average season. The August outlook offered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reduced the expected number of storms only by one. That prediction now includes a total of 14 to 20 named storms, of which only three have occurred. The hurricane season runs from June 1 until November 30, but the peak...
Harry John Burns, Jr. of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, July 31, 2022 at his residence. He was born November 7, 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio to the late Harry and Blanche Burns; he moved to Lake Wales from Ohio 12 years ago. Chic was a retired engineer and of the Catholic faith. He loved trains, gardening, history, cooking, and the neighborhood ladies. Chic was preceded in death by his wife. He is survived by his nieces, Debra Cawley and husband Howard of Lake Worth, and Susan...