Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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The storm came in a destructive rush, defying predictions, and caught most Polk residents completely off-guard. When it had passed, Hurricane Charley had left a trail of incredible destruction in its wake. It was a Friday, the 13th of August, twenty years ago this week that the first hurricane in 44 years struck southeast Polk. It's a date that many who experienced the storm will never forget. In a matter of about two hours the fast-moving storm damaged virtually every...
Lake Wales City Manager James Slaton finds his relaxation, he recently told Lake Wales News, by fishing, typically on salt water far from the ring of a telephone. It's an understandable outlet. Slaton has demonstrated that he can play just as well on dry land, whatever the game. The job of city manager is undoubtedly one of the more interesting and challenging careers in the modern workforce. Charged with running a government as an appointed, rather than elected, official,...
After over two decades serving the Lake Wales community, Montella's Fish Market is closing its doors for good. Owners Lisa and Mike "Junior" Montella have decided that they will retire after running successful fish markets in Florida for 37 years. The property at 1341 SR 60 East may be in for a big change. "The buyer is going to lease it," Montella stated. "He's an investor." Lake Wales News sources indicate that the purchaser of the property scouts, purchases and leases...
Lake Wales City Manager James Slaton is on a short list of finalists under consideration to serve as city manager of New Smyrna Beach. Two Lake Wales city commissioners reached by Lake Wales News were unaware, and withheld comment. Slaton, 46, has managed the city for almost four years after the prior city manager, Ken Fields, was forced to resign by unhappy commissioners. Slaton was offered the job in October 2020 after having served as an interim manager for over five months...
Lake Wales Municipal Airport was among stops on a multi-county tour hosted by the Central Florida Regional Planning Council for Florida's Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly. The multi-county tour was conducted in partnership with cities, counties, and economic development partners over two days on April 8th and 9th. The visit aimed to showcase rural communities, aviation, and the work of the many economic development agencies in the region. Lake Wales City Manager James Slaton...
A 14-person attempt at formation skydiving in Lake Wales Monday afternoon left two skydivers with life-threatening injuries. Witnesses said that at least one parachute appeared to become tangled and failed to fully open. Two women in the group made hard landings, sustaining injuries that required them to be airlifted to a trauma center. According to witnesses, one skydiver came down at the intersection of North Scenic Highway and Wiltshire Avenue. Witnesses immediately began...
In the high-energy future facing Lake Wales there's little doubt that high-energy management is required to keep up. As Lake Wales faces a wave of growth, with about 15,000 new residences planned to be built here in the next several years, Assistant City Manager Deena Drumgo may be the ideal person to help the city face the challenges ahead. Drumgo, the former city manager of Dundee, came to Lake Wales from Winter Haven, where she oversaw that city's community redevelopment ag...
The first ad valorum tax rate increase in nearly a decade was approved by the Lake Wales city commission on first reading Wednesday. The new property tax hike of 16.34 percent will contribute to the city's $99.5 million budget for fiscal year 2022-2023, which begins October 1. For many years in a row, Lake Wales commissions have simply adopted the "roll-back" rate, which was the rate which would generate the same revenue year after year, while the rate fell. That steady...
The Lake Wales Highlander of 100 years ago reveals much about the history of our community. Each week the Lake Wales News will publish a front-page image of the former Lake Wales Highlander from 100 years earlier, tracking the growth of the community a century ago, when Florida was in the midst of a great land price boom and rapid population growth. The images are retrieved from the digital archives of the Lake Wales Public Library. The Lake Wales Highlander eventually became...
Elizabeth T. (Betty) Kadlec of Lake Wales passed away Monday, August 7, 2023, at The Club in Lake Wales. She was born March 3, 1937, in Cleveland, Ohio to the late Stephen and Anna Kadlec; she moved to Lake Wales from her hometown in 2018. Elizabeth was a PBX Operator for Marriott Corporation. She had a love for traveling and used to travel often. Elizabeth was preceded in death by her grandson, Michael Skoczen. She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth "Cookie" Skoczen and...
March 31, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the final withdrawal of US military forces from Vietnam, ending more than a decade of fighting in support of the government of South Vietnam. At its peak in the late 1960's more than 500,000 Americans were serving in-country, and a million others were working in support of the massive effort. Some 282,000 US and allied forces were killed in the fighting, many soldiers of the Army of Vietnam. An estimate by the Department of Defense...
An upbeat assessment of activities during the past year and a positive look toward the future was offered by Lake Wales Mayor Jack Hilligoss at the annual "State of the City" luncheon sponsored by the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce Friday. The event drew some seventy area residents to the Performing Arts Center at The Vanguard School. In a speach running about 25 minutes Hilligoss cited the implementation of a "180" utility city area, which "establishes the footprint" of...
Advanced Drainage Systems has proposed the plant, which would be located on property adjacent to the former Hunt Brothers citrus packing plant. It would occupy a nearly 100-acre site just to the east of South 11th Street and north of Hunt Brothers Road. According to published reports, Advanced Drainage Systems is the largest maker of high-density polyethylene pipe in the United States, and is headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio. The most recent available data indicates that in 201...
A team of skydivers from a dozen nations cooperated to build canopy stacks of a 54 and 65 persons at Lake Wales Airport this week while descending from well above 10,000 feet. The 65-person stack was the largest achieved since the current world record of 100 canopies was set in 2007, also at Lake Wales Airport. The huge canopy stack, measuring almost 300 feet tall, was detected by radar from 200 miles away. This week the "Freeze Your Buns Off Boogie" is offering acrobatic...
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to include comments from City Manager James Slaton. A confusing staff report may have led to city commissioners, sitting as the board of the Lake Wales Community Development Agency, paying more than intended for a small parcel of land and a dilapidated building. A staff report contained errors on the value of the parcel. The prominent eyesore at the corner of West Central Avenue and SR 60 West property is eventually expected to be...
The Junior League of Lake Wales is kicking off their organizational efforts with a splash as they host country music star Aaron Tippin, who will headline a musical performance and aerial demonstration at a benefit performance on Saturday, February 12. Tippin is a well-known country artist with a musical career spanning twenty-five years who will be performing with the Aaron Tippin Trio, as well as the Tippin Family Trio with his wife Thea and son Tom. The event will take...
With growth in Lake Wales expected to accelerate in coming years, Lake Wales Airport is staying ahead of the curve, and plans are being laid for further improvements, according to Airport Manager Amanda Kirby. Working from her on-site office, which doubles as a conference room for contractors working on the several construction projects recently completed or ongoing, Kirby has overseen the greatest surge in improvements ever noted at the local airfield. Kirby has served as...
Thanks to a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration, Lake Wales Airport will soon receive a new east apron. The City Commission awarded the project contract to low-bidder Ajax Paving, which quoted a price of $831,283.20. The FAA will pay 100% of the cost. The construction project will see a complete reconstruction of the old apron rather than a resurfacing, since an engineering report from the City's consultants, Hoyle Tanner, indicated that the old one was too...
Howard Frederick Martin of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, October 23, 2021 at Advent Health Lake Wales. He was born November 7, 1944 in Waverly, West Virginia to the late Howard and Mildred Martin; he moved to Lake Wales from Okeechobee in 2007. Howard was a retired master plumbing contractor and was a veteran of the United States Army. He owned an airport and enjoyed parachuting. Howard is survived by his wife of 39 years, Lisa A. Martin; daughters, Lisa J. Martin of...
Significant growth within the municipal limits of Lake Wales is driving changes in the city’s annual budget, which will see significant investments in improvements to city facilities while reducing the overall property tax rate. Despite the rate reduction, property tax receipts are expected to increase by $240,613 due to growth within the city limits. Several other funds are also expected to grow significantly from 2020, including sales and use taxes, which will jump by $...
At the end of his last official meeting April 20, City Commissioner Curtis Gibson announced plans to run for Lake Wales mayor in 2022, saying he is "excited for new adventures." Gibson decided to not seek re-election this year, saying he wanted to spend more time with family – including an infant son – and complete his bachelor's degree this summer. Mayor Eugene Fultz has publicly stated he plans to step down in 2022. Gibson and outgoing Commissioner Al Goldstein will be rec...
Two-term Lake Wales City Commissioner Curtis Gibson announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election in April. At the end of their regular meeting Jan. 19, Gibson told his fellow commissioners he wants to devote more time to family, including his infant son, complete his business administration degree and prepare for his next level of service. Gibson said he made the decision after "prayerful consideration" and hopes people "who love Lake Wales and have a heart for...
Lake Wales City Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday, Oct. 20 to appoint James Slaton as the next city manager. Slaton has been serving as interim city manager since June 2, when Ken Fields agreed to take an early retirement. Slaton has worked for the city for more than 17 years, most recently as deputy city manager in charge of nine departments. Commissioners considered other options for a search and decided Slaton had proven himself during his more than four and a half mo...
Marking the occasion of his 36th birthday, Lake Wales City Commissioner Curtis Gibson on Sept. 11 announced the start of his re-election campaign. Gibson plans to qualify for the April 2021 ballot, seeking a 3-year term to continue his service as the District 19, Seat 2 commissioner. Before announcing his candidacy in a live online video, Gibson paid tribute to those killed or impacted by the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack, reading out details of the historic day's events. "N...
Lake Wales City Manager Ken Fields and the city commission agreed Tuesday June 2 to part ways in something akin to an "amicable divorce" but it took a lengthy discussion to reach agreement on the terms for the split. "I hope I am viewed as someone who has made Lake Wales a better city," Fields said, noting leaving two years before his contract expired wasn't his choice but he was resigned that it was time to go. Fields' departure was effective immediately, but everyone made...
