Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 376 - 400 of 1183
Former Lake Wales city commissioner Kris Fitzgerald, who was removed from office after being charged with two felonies, has been found not guilty in a jury trial. Fitzgerald was arrested June 3, 2021 after being sworn in to office in May on the two felony charges. She was released from the Polk County Jail after posting $11,000 bond. Polk Sheriff Grady Judd boasted of the arrest at a press conference, claiming that he had taken a dangerous criminal off the street. "Can you...
A search for closure for the family of Debbie Williams, listed as a "missing person" since 1990, took a major step forward on Tuesday as City of Lake Wales engineering contractor Semco began an investigation of the structural integrity of an aging frame house on Wiltshire Drive. Lake Wales Police were supporting the effort, removing personal belongings from the house to be stored, allowing for the removal of flooring. The current residents of the home are not part of the...
A missing woman, a distressed family, and decades of rumors have led the Lake Wales Police Department to reopen a "cold case" investigation that has many questioning why it's taken so long. At Tuesday's City Commission meeting, two residents came forward to challenge an official narrative about the case, stating that the family is "still grieving" and needed closure. The issue was raised only days after a private search and rescue team found evidence that a murder victim likel...
The early morning forecast from the National Hurricane Center confirms that once Sub-Tropical Storm Nicole is transitioning to a Tropical Storm, and is likely to reach Hurricane strength as it moves through the northern Bahamas before impacting Florida's east coast. The change has implications for the Lake Wales area. Still retaining the extremely-broad wind field of an extra-tropical system, Nicole is now developing an inner core of strong winds, which will likely bring a...
After rejecting the only response received from a private developer regarding the Seminole Hotel, the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is taking a completely different approach. The building features prominently in plans for downtown revitalization in the Lake Wales Connected plans. "We're going to do it all over again," said City Manager James Slaton of the failure of the Request for Proposals (RFP) process. Despite multiple expressions of interest in the...
A special free learning opportunity is being offered to area Middle and High School students, who will learn and earn a special completion certificate as "Student Naturalists."The program is being offered in special Saturday events at Lake Wales Public Library, and will be led by certified Florida educators. The three-hour educational program, described as "a fun experience," is being hosted by Lake Wales Heritage, a local non-profit endeavoring to recreate the "garden city"...
A special free learning opportunity is being offered to area Middle and High School students, who will learn and earn a special completion certificate as "Student Naturalists."The program is being offered in special Saturday events at Lake Wales Public Library, and will be led by certified Florida educators. The three-hour educational program is being hosted by Lake Wales Heritage, a local non-profit endeavoring to recreate the "garden city" envisioned by city founders. While...
The City of Lake Wales has been cited as a significant cultural landscape in the 2022 Landslide report issued by The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF). According to the national organization, the city's origins and Olmsted patrimony place it among the cultural treasures recognized in the annual report. The report, which was distributed to national media this week, salutes the work of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., who "completed a comprehensive plan for...Lake Wales,...
A concerted effort to attract new businesses to Lake Wales now includes the hiring of a consulting firms to help market the area to prospective retail and restaurant chains. The plan has been approved by the city commission, and work on the recruitment is expected to begin shortly. Calling it a "strategic plan for recruitment," City Manager James Slaton explained that the $40,000 contract with Retail Strategies "absolutely compliments efforts by the city and the Lake Wales...
Redevelopment of a long-vacant apartment building on Park Avenue is awaiting final action by the Lake Wales City Commission next Tuesday. An agreement allowing the Lake Wales Care Center to close on the purchase of the property at 282 East Park Avenue is the next required step to the potential remodeling and reuse of the apartment building . If the deal moves forward, it will bring new life to the downtown area and boost the city's goal of "strategic density" in support of...
A chance to win "Mediterranean Elegance", an original acrylic, painted and framed by the late artist Jane Fronappel, is being made available for a limited time by the Lake Wales Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). The shady haven that inspired this award-winning painting is El Retiro, formerly known as the Pinewood Estate, located at Bok Tower Gardens. This bucolic spot has been visited by thousands, yet remains a lovely, peaceful retreat, ripe for...
Downed trees, power outages, and significant flooding were the primary impacts of Hurricane Ian locally. No deaths or injuries were reported to local authorities. The storm weakened enough on its trip inland that it had weakened to a Category One hurricane by the time it made its closest approach. A limited number of buildings sustained wind damage, but it was largely limited to screen enclosures, fences, sheds, and mostly minor roof damage. More than 21 inches of rain was rec...
Polk County voters have three easy ways to vote in the November 8th General Election, according to Supervisor of Elections, Lori Edwards: At your Precinct. Polling locations will be open from 7 am until 7 pm on Election Day. Vote by Mail. Requests can be made by calling the Elections Office or visiting PolkElections.gov. The last day voters can request a ballot to be mailed for this election is Saturday, October 29th. All mail ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of...
A civic organization working to re-create a historic landscaping plan in Lake Wales is seeking community help. Lake Wales Heritage is a non-profit group working to re-plant the 1930 landscape plan created by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. "We need to find some helpies," said Heritage director and volunteer Tish Sheesley, citing the several projects the group is tackling. Alongside the tree-planting effort, the organization is launching an educational program for middle school stude...
The Fall Curbside Cleanup scheduled for the City of Lake Wales residents on Saturday, October 8, has been postponed and rescheduled for early December. Dealing with thousands of cubic yards of storm debris from fallen limbs and trees has taken precedence over the voluntary refuse that residents keep in their garages, backyards and attics. The rescheduled event will provide a for the collection of furniture, old appliances, and similar junk. The free service takes place on...
John Richard Seymour of Lake Wales, FL died on Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at his residence. He was 73. He was born on May 20, 1949 in Danville, Illinois. He had been a resident of Lake Wales since 1952. Mr. Seymour was retired from Bok Tower Gardens and was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Lake Wales. He is preceded in death by his father, Charles Seymour; mother, Kay Seymour; and brothers, Mickey Seymour, and Thomas Seymour. He is survived by his...
WEDNESDAY 5:00 PM UPDATE: NOAA Doppler radar imagery indicates that the eye of Ian has made landfall on the mainland southwest Florida peninsula just south of Punta Gorda near Pirate Harbor. Maximum sustained winds at landfall were estimated to be 145 mph (235 km/h). They are now estimated to be 140 mph. A WeatherSTEM station at the Cape Coral Fire Department recently reported a wind gust of 110 mph (177 km/h). A WeatherFlow station in Grove City on the western side of...
UPDATE: Due to the anticipated arrival of storm-force winds this week, the City of Lake Wales has cancelled the Land Use Study Workshop planned for tonight (Monday). Also cancelled are planned City Commission workshop and the Planning and Zoning meetings this week. LakeWalesNews.net will update meeting schedules when they are announced. A major city initiative that may influence future development patterns throughout the Lake Wales area will be the subject of a public...
As Hurricane Ian threatens Florida and the Lake Wales area, Polk County has announced that thirteen shelters will be opened across the county, None are in Lake Wales. The only designated shelter in the city, located at Spook Hill Elementary, will apparently not be opened despite the demand from those living in several large mobile home communities in southeast Polk. The LakeWalesNews.net had highlighted this continued neglect of the region in a story published at the start of...
On a 3-2 vote, Lake Wales city commissioners almost approved a controversial new subdivision plat that creates 907 new building lots on the near south side before a last minute reversal. The project, called Orchard Hills, is proposed sprawl across former citrus groves stretching east of Scenic Highway and north of Passion Play Road. The proposal exceeds the city's minimum requirements for open space, primarily due to the stormwater ponds, but was criticized by residents and a...
The steady expansion of city limits is expected to continue at Tuesday's Lake Wales city commission meeting when the board will consider the annexation of 67.73 acres of land south of Lake Bella Road and east of US Highway 27. The property lies at the extreme southern tip of the municipal limits, and will bring those limits into contact with Blue Lake for the first time. Property owners and applicants for the annexation include Rama Food Mart LLC, Mckenna Brothers Inc, Hunt...
A vehicle reported as stolen by the owner from near the RaceTrac gas station has been recovered from a Haines City towing yard, leading to the arrest of the tow truck operator. Jesus Melendez of J & M Towing sent a letter to the victim stating the vehicle had been towed at the gas station manager's request. The letter also told the victim he could have his car back if he paid $735 in towing and storage fees. Race Trac management confirmed to police that they do not have...
The Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is celebrating the groundbreaking of two new houses which will soon be built next to one another on A Street in the Northwest Neighborhood. This affordable housing initiative marks the third development partnership between the City, Keystone Challenge Fund, and SouthState Bank. Earlier this year, two new houses and two refurbished houses were completed on B Street. Those homes were sold as a result of the partnerships. The...
A significant lowering of electric rates for Lake Wales could result if city commissioners decide to create their own municipal utility, according to a local attorney, Rudy Engholm presented a comparative study of local rates at this week’s meeting, explaining that Duke Energy rates paid by Lake Wales residents “are about 10% higher than Bartow rates, and about 25% higher than St. Cloud rates.” Wauchula is also among the more than 30 cities that operate their own electric util...
Major improvements to a wide variety of city facilities are included in the new Five Year Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) being considered for adoption by the Lake Wales City Commission. The plan includes total expenditures of $117,518,667, of which about $17 million is anticipated to come from state and federal grants. A large portion of the remainder will be provided by Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) funds, some of which are being used to obtain about $18 million in...
