Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 626 - 650 of 3219
APRIL 27 - A powerful thunderstorm that descended on the Lake Wales area Wednesday night left many residents cleaning up fallen limbs and damp walls and floors. LakeWalesNews.net had shared a warning of the potential for a hailstorm only 12 hours before it struck. The storm, which grew to severe proportions over the Green Swamp are of northern Polk County, dropped south down the Lake Wales Ridge, striking Haines City and Dundee before passing over Lake Wales with one-inch...
A creative group of Lake Wales area citizens joined with urban design and traffic planners Saturday morning at the James Austin Center to begin the process of designing an alternative future for the City of Lake Wales. Future neighborhood development types, street designs, greenways, preferred placement of residential developments, and even a "blueway" trail connecting to Winter Haven were among suggestions that emerged from teams working around maps and charts. The process,...
A public meeting seeking to respond to public concerns over a proposed plastic pipe manufacturing facility will take place on Wednesday, April 26 at the Lake Wales Arts Center. The meeting will be hosted by Advanced Drainage Systems, or ADS, the company seeking to build on a 97-acre site fronting South 11th Street and Hunt Brothers Road. The meeting will begin at 6:00 pm. Some residents have voiced opposition to the "heavy" industrial use of the property, although it has been...
A special presentation of the draft work completed by a team of architects, ecologists, urban and traffic planners over the course of the charrette week will be shared with the public at a special gathering at the Lake Wales Arts Center Thursday evening. The event will begin at 6:00 pm at 1099 East SR 60 (Hesperides Road) in Lake Wales. The planning effort is part of the city-funded Lake Wales Envisioned effort, designed to gather public input to determine the shape of...
Cathryn "Cathy" Sullivan Powers, 73, of Lake Wales, passed away Thursday, April 20, 2023, at her residence. She was born June 1, 1949, in Greenville, Mississippi to the late James K. Sullivan and Gloria K. (Weathers) Sullivan. She spent her formative years between Greenville, Dallas, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cathy graduated from Highland Park High School in Dallas, TX in 1967. She graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education...
An overflow crowd was present Tuesday night as Lake Wales City Commissioners approved correction of a "scrivener's error" that many had interpreted as a step toward the approval of a controversial pipe factory proposal. The change will allow a staff decision on a zoning change from "Light Industrial" to "Heavy Industrial" without the necessity of a commission-conducted public hearing process and site review. That process would allow commissioners to place special conditions...
An endangered Florida panther, a rare, protected species, has been seen by several members of the public in the vicinity of Lake Wales Country Club. Area residents are encourage to keep pets indoors while the large cat is in the area. Although they are not known to pose a risk to humans, if the panther is sighted, residents are urged to remain at a great distance. Sighting data, including photographs, may be reported to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission...
Lake Wailes Park will again host a day of family fun on Saturday, April 29 as the city celebrates the annual Olmsted Day in the Park. This years' event promises to be bigger and better than ever as plenty of new features and attractions are being added. Food trucks, lots of games for both kids and adults, live bands, and the added feature of "Beers With Pioneers," a beer-tasting event, will make the day fun for every member of the family. For kids, an inflatable obstacle...
Irene Hudson Heddon, of Lake Wales, passed Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at her residence. She was born November 9, 1937, in Oconee, South Carolina to the late Kennelum and Frances (Owens) Hudson and she has been a resident of the area since 1952, moving here from South Carolina. Irene was a retired Owner/Manager of a RV Park, and she was of the Baptist Faith. Survivors include her husband, Will Heddon; daughters, Hilda Ann Bodoin, Janice Shenfield, Susan Archon; sons, Robert...
Doubts about the future of Lake Wales will be met with inspiration Friday night as a special opening reception for "Charette Week" will take place downtown from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The public is invited. The casual "come-and-go event" will be hosted by the planning team of Dover, Kohl & Partners, who will share information about the busy week of hands-on planning that will shape the city's future through a project called "Lake Wales Envisioned." A charette is a small cart once...
Finding a way to help persons with limited abilities to enjoy the same life experiences as others is the motivation for organizers of the first-ever Paddle On! Lake Wailes fundraising event The multifaceted event will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023, and will offer participants several ways to help raise funds that will benefit the StirringWaters program. Organizers are inviting churches, clubs, schools, groups and businesses to come alongside a person with disabilities to...
Having a passion for bingo can lead to lifelong friends and even enemies. This latest musical at Lake Wales Little Theatre takes you on a hilarious journey you don't want to miss. Their first musical production since Single Wide in 2020 is running now through April 30th. "Bingo The Winning Musical" features a dynamic, fun, and personality-filled trio of women. Vern, played by Stacey DeCosmo, Honey, played by Xela Pinkerton, and Patsy. played by Nanette Watson. These women...
KARICKHOFF, Iris (Strader) of Indianapolis, Indiana, formerly of Lake Wales and Davison, Michigan, passed away Sunday, April 2, 2023 at Altenheim Family-first Senior Living in Indianapolis. A funeral service will be held 2:00 pm Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at Allen Funeral Home, 9136 Davison Road, Davison, Michigan, 48423. Pastor Rob McPherson will officiate. Interment will be in Davison Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 11:00 am until the time of the service on Tuesday....
Gordon E. Terry passed away on March 31, 2023 in Lecanto, Florida. His recent broken hip led to health issues that he bravely faced until the end. Gordon was born, raised, and lived in Allegan, Michigan, and lived over 45 years on Miner Lake. He later became a "snow bird" and had a home in Lake Wales, Florida, as well. He lost the love of his live, Judy, in 2010. He is survived by his son, Tim Schaefer, and daughters, Betty Lyons and Lisa Jarrell and their families. Cremation...
An apparent murder-suicide on Lindsey Place in the Highland Pointe subdivision early Monday morning was triggered by an overnight domestic dispute, according to an initial police investigation. According to Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez, a call to 911 at 4:08 am reporting a domestic disturbance brought a police response that determined that an armed suspect was inside a home. Two young girls, 16 and 14 years old, were able to flee the home as police arrived. Police a...
As lawns wither and trees wilt across the central Florida, weather forecasters are eyeing long-range models showing a significant chance that a rare April tropical or sub-tropical storm could form in the Gulf of Mexico in coming days. According to the Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC), drought conditions over most of the Florida peninsula range from severe to extreme, and most areas are recording the driest start to any year in over a century. So far at the...
A free "Bad Art Night" of creativity, designed for 'tweens 8-15 years old will take place at the Mary Norma Campbell Resource Center in Highland Park Manor on Friday April 21. The event is sponsored by Polk County Parks and Recreation. Aspiring and terrible artists alike are invited to come out and create their own disaster-level piece of artwork from scratch. Prizes in multiple categories will be awarded based on the most creatively awful original works. Kids are invited to...
A "town hall" community organizing event is planned to take place Monday at the Mary Norma Campbell Resource Center in Highland Park Manor. The 7:00 pm event is the second meeting of the community located southeast of Lake Wales. Concern over the lack of transparency by the city of Lake Wales over rezoning of an industrial site to accommodate proposed plastic pipe factory appears to be one of the catalysts for the revival of the neighborhood association. Both Highland Park...
An effort to green a "food desert" in the Northwest Neighborhood of Lake Wales will begin next week with the creation of a community garden on a city-owned lot on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The Northwest Neighborhood, which long featured a small community grocery store, now has no market for fresh foods within a mile and a half. Members of the community are scheduled to join officials celebrate the groundbreaking of The Grove Community Garden at 315 Dr. MLK Blvd....
Marcus Kirby, a former associate pastor at HighPoint Church in Lake Wales, has been ordered to serve 10 years' probation and pay $67,491 in restitution to his former employer, the Lake Wales Care Center, after pleading no contest to bilking two of the center's clients whose financial accounts he was overseeing. Kirby, 41, who also was a trustee on the Lake Wales Charter School Board, faced up to 3½ years in prison had he been convicted at trial, according to state...
A local charitable organization that provides a number of programs supporting local families and individuals with developmental disabilities is seeking community support to expand their efforts. Circle of Friends, a fixture of the Lake Wales community for over two decades, is planning to sell its current building on Stuart Avenue to expand their program through the purchase of a much larger facility. The organization is working toward the purchase of the former Westside...
A favorite of knowledgeable Lake Wales diners and a popular spot for lunch and dinner remains a bit of a hidden gem to many newcomers. Melanie's Seafood Company offers a rare opportunity to watch their food being prepared in a spotless open kitchen in this intimate spot on Park Avenue in downtown. A varied menu of seafood specialties, along with a few options like a famous 'Cajun burger, assures that every taste is satisfied. Owner Steve Manwell and his wife, Ali opened...
A very dry winter in the Lake Wales area that has extended into the spring has led to critically dry conditions and a very high fire risk. Extreme caution is being urged by authorities when handling any sort of open flame or heat source. A recent fire at the River Ranch hunting tract burned over 1,000 acres and destroyed scores of temporary structures. No one was hurt in the fires, but valuable fire-fighting resources were strained in combatting the blaze. Meager rains in...
A surge in readership and community reach is being celebrated as a reflection of the growing awareness and trust of LakeWalesNews.net among residents of the Ridge area. The expansion of readership and advertising is powering an expansion of news coverage as well as the News increases coverage of events in Frostproof, Babson Park, Indian Lake, and surrounding communities through the hiring of new staff and correspondents. In addition to a substantial base of readers who...
Dean Pitts of Lake Wales passed away Monday, March 27, 2023 at The Groves Center. He was born December 17, 1937 in Lake Wales to the late Murray Odis and Lois May Pitts. Dean was the owner of an auto repair shop and previously a banker. He was a Green Beret and a paratrooper for the United States Army. Dean was preceded in death by his brother, Havis Lavaughan Pitts in 2005. He is survived by his children, Mike Pitts and wife Tanda of Auburndale, Gregory N. Pitts and wife...
