Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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After a surprisingly quiet August ion the tropics, forecasters are watching several systems as the historic peak of the Atlantic hurricane season arrives. The formation of Tropical Storm Francine in the Gulf of Mexico has coastal residents on alert, but that system should leave Florida unscathed as it moves generally northward, potentially impacting Louisiana at hurricane force, For Florida, attention is directed to the distant Atlantic, where a parade of tropical waves and a...
Construction of the first homes on the expansive Hunt Club North development is under way. Teams of masons are laying concrete blocks to raise the walls of the first homes along newly-constructed McKinley Drive in the subdivision on the near south side of Lake Wales. Hunt Club North will include a mixture of 600 townhomes and single family homes east of 11th Street and south of East Lake Plaza. The townhomes are planned for the northern part of the site closest to SR 60,...
Dozens of members of the AdventHealth Heart of Florida and Lake Wales hospitals came together Friday, September 6, to celebrate the start of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers season. Team members donned red Bucs shirts and struck their best Buccaneer poses to cheer the team on as they get ready to open their season on Sunday, September 8, against the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. As the exclusive hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, AdventHealth aims to...
Clement Buckley Newbold III, age 54, of Clermont, Florida passed away suddenly on Monday, September 2, 2024. He was fondly called by his nickname "Clem" by his family and friends. He passed while cycling which was one of his lifelong passions. Of particular note, he and his father rode their bicycles across the continental United States from Oregon to Virginia consisting of a duration of 33 days. Inspired by that expedition, Clem was training for another expedition-The Tour...
A controversial high-density development involving Lake Wales Country Club and Oakwood that was nixed by city planners earlier this year is returning with new designs even as new information emerges about Falgun Dharia, the principal behind the project, who had introduced himself last year as Frank Ghandi. (See our stories below.) The new conceptual site development plan still combines the two golf courses but relies more heavily on single-family home sites. Many residents at...
Winter Haven attorney Jason Penrod, owner of Family Elder Law, was arrested this week on a charge of Grand Theft after confessing to a client that he had stolen from a trust fund. His firm was closed abruptly in July, leaving employees and clientele without explanations for weeks. Penrod subsequently filed a petition with the Florida Supreme Court acknowledging the misuse of client living trust funds and requesting the disciplinary revocation of his law license. That matter...
The "ReStore" operated by Habitat for Humanity in Dundee is going to be a bit busier. Habitat for Humanity of East Polk County is consolidating a second store they have operated at 3550 Recker Highway in Winter Haven into the single Dundee location. The move will combine their inventory and resources into the existing store at 27985 US 27, which will allow the group to extend the store's hours of operation beginning October 1st. The new operating schedule will be Monday...
Joseph Eugene Webb of Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at Winter Haven Hospital. He was born December 25, 1945 in Lake Wales to the late William and Lyde Webb; he was a lifelong resident of Lake Wales. Joseph worked for Bullard Insurance for over 50 years and became the owner in 1987. He enjoyed hunting, golfing, and collecting guns. He was a member of Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd and loved his family dearly, especially his grandson. Joseph was...
Ann Teresa Hillmann, 96, of Surry, Maine, passed away on September 2, 2024, at Water's Edge in Lake Wales, Florida. She was born on January 26, 1928, in Clifton, New Jersey, to the late Harry and Catherine Keen. Ann was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Frederick Paul Hillmann, her brothers, Harry and Tim Keen, her sister, Mary St. Maria, her sons, Frederick and Mark, and a grandson, Raymond Borke. She is survived by her siblings Jean Butler, Chuck Keen, and James...
Several area construction projects continue to affect traffic circulation in southern and eastern Polk County. A four-block stretch of State Road 17 (Scenic Highway) remains closed in Lake Wales at Hillcrest Avenue, forcing traffic from the state road onto the city's 4th Street in front of McLaughlin Middle-High School adding to school-hour traffic and congestion there. The project, begun in June, was announced as a 30-day effort to correct drainage Issues adjacent to Lake...
Business owners in Polk County have until Tuesday, October 1, 2024, to renew their annual Business Tax Receipt (BTR) before becoming delinquent and owing late fees. Anyone with a business located in or operating in Polk County must renew by paying a county local business tax each year, to continue to have the privilege of doing business in the county. Tax Collector Joe G. Tedder hopes business owners can save money by avoiding any late fees. In October, there will be a fee of...
Lake Wales will soon become the first community in Polk County to raise a "peace pole" in recognition of the International Day of Peace on September 21. The public is invited to a ceremony that will take place in the city's Memorial Garden in front of city hall on that Saturday morning, beginning at 10 a.m. The City of Lake Wales is joining local Rotary clubs in Polk, Hillsborough, Hardee and Highlands Counties in the international project, funding ten of the art-covered...
Dennis Quaid delivers a compelling performance as Ronald Reagan in the biopic Reagan. The film, directed by Sean McNamara and based on Paul Kengor's 2006 book The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism presents a celebratory portrait of the former president. Quaid captures Reagan's folksy charm and charisma, while Penelope Ann Miller provides a nuanced portrayal of Nancy Reagan. The film's production values are impressive, with convincing makeup and sets that...
