Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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We are elected to make tough decisions for the citizens of our community and the betterment of our city. I have always been a stand alone official, where I do not have anyone controlling me on the way I vote. I like to say I speak to everyone in our community and beyond to help me make the best decision. In this position you will not make everyone happy, but you must ultimately feel good about the decision you made because people will hold you accountable for your vote. The...
Think of 25 people you know. One of them is likely atheist. And probably afraid of you finding out. We know that there are even nonbelievers working in governments and sitting on Boards or holding other elected positions who feel their nonreligious identities must remain hidden because they are made to feel as second class by things like discriminatory invocation practices and some of the public response we saw this week in Lake Wales, FL. A few weeks ago, I was approached by...
Theologian John Wesley is attributed with once saying that "Christ came to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable." After witnessing the actions of several local "Christian" leaders, I believe Rev. Wesley's words proved, unfortunately, to be true of those "comfortable" religious leaders that felt compelled to speak out during the Lake Wales City Commissioners meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. Controversy had been generated after a person, personally identified as...
Responding to continued concerns from members of the business community, Lake Wales Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson is proposing a possible modification to the mask mandate ordinance up for final approval at the Aug. 18 city commission meeting. The proposed changes would place the responsibility for compliance on the individual rather than making businesses the enforcers. Financial planner Jimmy Nelson approached Gibson, still concerned about the mandate's impact on businesses, who...
Florida's Statewide Primary Election is Tuesday, Aug. 18, and Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards has some helpful tips for Polk County voters. Voters registered with one of Florida's major political parties will help nominate the candidates who will represent their party on the General Election ballot in November. All voters may vote on important local races. Here are tips to make voting smoother: • Bring photo and signature ID to the polls when you vote • The polls are ope...
Virginia E. McGrath (nee Moorehead), of Mansfield, OH, passed away on Aug. 9, 2020 at her winter home in Lake Wales after a long illness. She was 86. Ginny was born Jan. 22, 1934 in Cleveland, OH, and attended Kent State University in Kent, OH where she met her husband Donald. Ginny majored in elementary education and minored in art at Kent State. She taught special needs children for nearly 40 years. Ginny immensely enjoyed baseball, faithfully serving as scorekeeper for each...
Grady Lawrence Singletary, 82, passed away peacefully at home on Aug. 10, 2020 after a long battle with cancer. He was born in Blakely, GA on Jan. 17, 1938. He moved to Lake Wales in 1950 and worked for GTE Telephone Company until he retired in 1990. He was a member of the National Guard and served for 9 years. He owned a landscaping company, Grady's Landscaping, and eventually retired from that in 2011. Grady enjoyed NASCAR, FSU football and playing with his...
Anita L. Topper, 88, of Lake Wales, formerly of Waterloo, IA died Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020 at Advent Health, Lake Wales. Anita was born July 14, 1932, in Shreveport, LA, the daughter of Emory W. and Nancy J/ (Wallingsford) Holmes. She married Roger Dale Topper Sr. on April 17, 1953 in Opelika, AL; he died December 22, 1995. Anita worked as a bookkeeper at Keller Loan Company and was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Survived by: daughter Cynthia Kipp...
Donald W. "Don" Lewis, 79, of Lake Wales went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 at his residence. He was born March 10, 1941 in Bristol, VA to the late Clarence and Evelyn Lewis. During his working years, Don was a process server for the Polk County Sheriff's Office, as well as working for the Lakeland Post Office for many years. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam Era. Don was a sports enthusiast with football being his primary passion. He play...
A vision of restored brick streets and sidewalk cafes under the shade of umbrellas and spreading Live Oaks changed many viewers' ideas of the future of downtown Lake Wales Thursday evening. Those images were among many shared during a 90-minute presentation by consultants and engineers hired by the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to create the "Lake Wales Connected" plan. The plan is designed to attract crowds, and thus business investment, to the neighborhood...
The city's unofficial chaplain, Dr. James Moyer, is likely to become the city's official chaplain Aug. 18, two weeks after a firestorm erupted when the Lake Wales city clerk invited a representative of the Atheist Community of Polk County to give the invocation to open the city commission meeting. Since 2009, Moyer, a retired minister of higher education and chaplain for the Polk County Sheriff's Office, has been the primary person offering invocations at Lake Wales City...
Cyber Florida at University of South Florida and the Florida Center for Instructional Technology at USF are pleased to announce that Polk County has joined the partnership to prepare Florida's high school students to pursue careers in the high-paying, in-demand field of cybersecurity. Beginning in fall 2020, the course "Cybersecurity Essentials" will be available to high school students across Polk County. This effort is part of a statewide initiative that will serve as a mode...
The four candidates for two Polk County School Board seats participated in an online forum that through Facebook has reached more than 6,000 viewers and garnered more than 1,100 comments. Brandon Alvarado with the Lake Wales Arts Council moderated the July 27 forum, sponsored by Rotary on the Ridge, LakeWalesNews.net and BartowNews.net. Incumbent Billy Townsend and challenger William Allen are vying for the District 1 seat, while incumbent Lori Cunningham is being challenged b...
Eligible voters may vote in advance of the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary Election at nine convenient locations around Polk County. Early voting in Lake Wales will be at the James P. Austin Community Center, 315 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd N. Early voting begins Aug. 3 and continues through Aug. 15, and will be open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. Any eligible Polk County voter may cast a ballot at any Early Voting location. Other early voting locations include: Bartow - Polk...
The Aug. 11 Polk County Public School Board meeting featured only two agenda items: updates on COVID-19, and following its lunch break, the search for a new superintendent. As has come to be "par for the course," it was not without acrimony. For the first part of the meeting, dealing with COVID-19 and the re-opening of school, Superintendent Jackie Byrd welcomed Dr. Joy Jackson, director of Polk County's Department of Health, as well as an assembled group of doctors, six altog...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
Brenda Gail Stephens McKinney, 72, passed away Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020 at Advent Health Lake Wales. Brenda was born January 4, 1948 in Ft. Payne, AL to the late William and Maggie Stephens. She moved to Lake Wales from Winder, GA in 1961. Brenda married Bobby McKinney in 1963; to this union three daughters were born, Renee, Theresa, and Shannon. Brenda was a citrus inspector for the State of Florida. She attended Central Avenue Baptist Church. Brenda never met a stranger; everyone was a friend and welcomed into her home and...
Florence Bishop, 79, of Lake Wales, FL, formerly of Dyersburg, TN died Friday, Aug. 7, 2020 at her daughter's home. Funeral services for Mrs. Bishop are incomplete at this time and will be announced later by Curry Funeral Home in Dyersburg. https://www.curryfuneral.com/obituary/florence-bishop...
Alfred Charles (Chip) Thullbery, Jr., 67, of Lake Wales died on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020, in Moffitt Cancer Center, from an aggressive melanoma cancer in his liver and bone marrow. He lived fully until the cancer emerged and within three weeks debilitated him and took his life. We, his family and friends, are feeling bereft at losing Chip so suddenly, but are grateful to have had him in our lives, grateful to have known someone who was such a good friend, brother,...
Harvey Willard Curts, 82, of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020 at his residence. He was born May 5, 1938 in Cleveland, OH to the late Willard and Louise Curts. He served in the Army. Harvey was a retired excavator. Harvey had a love for cars. He owned an auto repair shop in Ohio and loved building engines and custom vehicles. He was a patriot. Harvey was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Grace Curts in 2005; and brother, Glen Curts. Survivors include his...
The Democratic National Convention starts Aug. 17, and Polk County Democrats will be revving up enthusiasm with three "Ridin' with Biden" caravans the day before the convention kicks off in Milwaukee. On Sunday, Aug. 16, the caravans will start at 2 p.m. at three Polk locations. One will start in Lakeland, one in Poinciana, and one in Winter Haven. One hundred cars or more are expected to hit the road in Polk. They'll join thousands of cars around Florida that will be...
