Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 66
A "commercial fire" alert at Eagle Ridge Mall that went out on a 911 emergency channel gave some folks a start on Sunday afternoon, but happily turned out to be "not much," according to Lt. Matt Hulen of the Lake Wales Fire Department. The fire turned out to be a burning motor in rooftop equipment. The fire caused the closure of Lake Wales Bowl and Entertainment, the large bowling center and restaurant at the mall. According to witness reports, smoke was observed coming from...
It's Barbenheimer weekend...the other half! I saw Oppenheimer first, but now I've caught up by viewing Barbie, the other blockbuster movie, this past weekend. Barbie is a 2023 American live-action comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig and written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. The film stars Margot Robbie as Barbie, Ryan Gosling as Ken, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, Will Ferrell, and Issa Rae. Rhea Perlman, Carla from Cheers, makes an appearance t...
Movie goers were really excited this past weekend to have two big movie openings that did not involve superheroes. As a film fan and reviewer I was mostly excited about Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer is a challenging film, but it is also a rewarding one, well worth the three hours it takes to watch it. It is a film that will stay with you long after you have seen it. If you are interested in history, science, or the human condition, then I highly recommend seeing Oppenheimer. Christ...
Construction is moving at a rapid pace at a new subdivision being built north of Chalet Suzanne Road. Leoma's Landing will feature 336 single-family homes in a mix of one and two-story designs. Paved streets are already in place, along with underground utilities, but without sidewalks. The surge in construction has come after years of pause on the part of the developers, who began to advance the project only last year after gaining preliminary approval several years ago....
A proposal to add a huge swath of northern Lake Wales to the current Community Redevelopment District map will be the topic of a staffed public presentation at the Eagle Ridge Mall food court this Wednesday. The public is invited to stop by between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm to learn about the effects that would flow from the expansion and offer their opinions. A large tract west of US 27 between Thompson Nursery Road, Chalet Suzanne Road and Mountain Lake Cutoff Road being...
An apparent medical incident that left a driver partially incapacitated ended with a fatal rear-end crash on US 27 at Washington Avenue. The Medical Examiners investigation revealed Mr. Wulff died from a medical episode unrelated to the crash. This was not a traffic homicide as no other persons, to include Mr. Wulff, died as a result of the crash. According to police reports, at approximately 1:18 p.m Monday a 2008 white Chevy panel van driven by Thomas Wulff, 75, of Lake...
The LakeWalesNews.net Treasure Hunt Game is concluding, but there are still three prizes that remain unclaimed. Did we make our clues too tough for the Sherlock Holmes of Lake Wales? We hope not! If you were one of those who tried without success to determine where to go and how to claim one, we are going to give you the answers now so you can still grab one of the great prize packages. We would first like to thank both our contest sponsors and the prize donors, including...
The Dyer Difference Award for February has gone to Polk Sheriff's Charities. Since 2006, Polk Sheriff's Charities have been supporting first responders and members of the community in a variety of ways that show dedication, commitment, and loyalty to Polk county residents. What started as a response to the murder of Deputy Matt Williams and K-9 DiOGi after a routine traffic stop, has blossomed into a veritable font of kindness and compassion for the community. First...
In a step that could have enormous financial significance for decades to come, the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency board has received a Finding of Necessity (FON) report from a consulting firm they hired two months ago. The CRA is the source of millions of dollars that are currently funding major improvements to city streets, sidewalks, trail systems, lighting, and landscaping. Expansion of the area, if successful, would potentially balloon future revenue that could...
A pair of proposed apartment developments near Eagle Ridge Mall may add 824 new dwelling units to the city, but in each case developer proposals to reduce required parking created some heartburn for city commissioners. The first and most prominent of the pair is proposed for a site directly behind Shoppes on the Ridge, on the north side of Chalet Suzanne Road and across from Wawa. It would consist of six four-story buildings containing 272 units on a 12.1 acre site. Tentative...
Two new apartment complexes totaling 824 units may bring a burst of new economic activity to the city's booming north side. The Lake Wales City Commission will consider action on the two projects Tuesday after discussing the proposals at their agenda workshop. Hillpointe, the larger of the two projects, is proposed to include 552 units 137 acres lying north of Chalet Suzanne Road and the existing Serenity Luxury Apartments. The construction would take place on the...
While two independently owned and operated new restaurants are planned for opening on Highway 60, including Locorrito and Brake Burger Garage, and two more are planned to open on First Street downtown and on Lincoln Avenue, three more are aiming for construction on US 27 near the Eagle Ridge Mall. All three new restaurants will be located on the east side of US 27, and will occupy among the last of the rapidly-filling mall outparcels. A Starbucks coffee outlet is planned for...
More than eighty community and business leaders were in attendance this week as the Dyer family celebrated the grand opening of their second new auto dealership across from the Eagle Ridge Mall on US 27 in Lake Wales. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Dyer Chevrolet marked the official dedication of the new 28,000 square-foot facility, which cost more than $5 million to construct. The Chevrolet operations stands adjacent to their recently-constructed Kia dealership. Guests...
A one-day only chance to catch some great entertainment for a $3 ticket price happens today, Saturday, September 3 as the Eagle Ridge Mall Regal Cinemas 12 participate in National Cinema Day. The promotion includes all showings all day, including the matinees and evening shows. Spiderman, Top Gun, and other block-buster films are included in the promotion. It's all part of a nation-wide cooperative effort between cinema chains and major production studios to invite back the...
A popular and long-running community event returns this year, and organizers are offering plenty of advance notice to those wishing to participate. The 15th annual 39-mile Yard Sale will be held on Saturday November 5, 2022. The event runs from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm. and sees thousands of shoppers descend upon the route of State Road 17 between Frostproof and Haines City. With its central location, much of the activity focuses on the Lake Wales area. The Ridge Scenic Highway...
The parade of development proposals that have stirred citizen concerns of runaway changes to Lake Wales continued to be evident at the most recent city commission meeting as details emerged for several more projects. A calculation by LakeWalesNews.Net staff has indicated that more than 12,000 new single-family homes, townhomes, apartments, and mobile homes are included in developments already on the drawing table. At least three other projects have been proposed but remain to...
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to include clarifying comments from City Manager James Slaton. Lake Wales City Commissioners will consider the possible development of new apartments on a sprawling tract of land north of Chalet Suzanne Road Tuesday at Tuesday's meeting, beginning at 6:00 PM.. Hillpointe LLC, acting as the agent for owner Star Lake Inc. is requesting a zoning change on approximately 195.23 acres of land to allow HDR-High Density Residential...
The gradual expansion of the Lake Wales Business Community is receiving another boost as the Dyer Auto Group prepares to open their new Chevrolet dealership on US 27 North across from Eagle Ridge Mall. Dyer's new $5 million dealership is a significant expansion from their current location two miles south, according to General Manager David Dlugokecki. The new location will also allow the family-owned business to co-locate their two local new-car dealerships. Dyer Kia moved int...
After five years of rising success in the film and television industry, Lake Wales actor and screenwriter Jeff Herman will undoubtedly be there in person Monday night for the release of his new feature-length film when it premiers at the Regal Eagle Ridge Cineplex at 7:00 pm. The film, entitled "No Vacancy," stars Dean Cain, who played Clark Kent in the TV series Lois & Clark, along with roles as the host of Ripley's Believe It or Not! and the sports drama series "Hit the...
Several new large-scale residential developments took shape in presentations heard by the Lake Wales City Commission during their Wednesday workshop, at which only three commissioners were present. The poor attendance at two meetings this week prompted complaints from Mayor Eugene Fultz. The rapid growth of Lake Wales in the face of multiple large-scale development projects has concerned many citizens as judged by questions submitted at recent elections forums. The latest...
The year just completed saw a number of big stories that impacted the Lake Wales community, and we've taken a look back at them through the perspective of the new year. Here's how our staff ranked the biggest stories of 2021. 1) A development surge saw multiple projects brought forward for consideration by the Lake Wales Development Services and the City Commission, including the long-dormant Winter Haven Corporation project which is expected to include more than 6,000 new...
A large tract of vacant land fronting upon Twin Lakes is now primed for development, thanks to a street redesign as part of the SR 60 bridge project. Lake Wales City Commissioners are expected to take final action this Tuesday to close the right-of-way of a portion of Gibson Avenue that has long divided two small parcels belonging to Hunt Brothers' citrus operations. The former course of the avenue slashed through the two parcels as a 45-degree angle. That street has already b...
Population growth on the US 27 corridor has led transportation planners to plot the future course of an "alternate" route that will parallel the busy inter-regional highway. The proposed limited-access toll expressway will thread its way around the west side of Lake Wales before crossing US 27 near the north city limits to run along the Ridge east of Dundee and Haines City. Planning maps released by the Polk Transportation Planning Organization, a multi-agency body which...
A Lake Wales police Department vehicle was totaled in a night-time crash Tuesday evening after the officer stopped to aid a the driver of a disabled vehicle. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured in the incident, which was captured by an officer-worn body camera. Lake Wales Officer Jacob Raines has stopped to assist a driver who had gotten a car in a ditch along US 27 just south of Chalet Suzanne Road near Eagle Ridge Mall. Police Chief Chris Velasquez noted that Officer...
Only months after a May 4 grand opening, the 335-unit Serenity Apartments near Eagle Ridge Mall have hit more than 96% occupancy, and expect to be filled "in a week or two" according to leasing staff on site. "People are coming from all over," said Leslie Adams, leasing consultant for the owners, NM Residential. "We have several new residents who work at the hospital in Sebring. We have people from New York, South Florida, the islands..." People are cominig to Lake Wales for...
