Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Throughout the month of March the Lake Wales Public Library's Local Artist Gallery has an amazing display of handmade quilts by local textile artists. The Lake Wales Quilters Guild was founded November 2008. The first monthly meetings were held in the Lake Wales Public Library's Schoenoff Meeting Room. The group currently meets the second Monday of each month, 1 p.m. at the 1st Methodist Church of Lake Wales, 230 St. N. Everyone is welcome, the fee to attend is $1. The Lake...
Sporting a pair of black roller skates over his shoulder, outgoing Lake Wales Charter Schools Superintendent Jesse Jackson thanked dozens of well-wishers, saying he was ready to "skate off into the sunset." The outdoor reception at Lake Wales High School Feb. 24 marked the end of his 13-year leadership stint here, but he promised to continue supporting the local charter schools, possibly returning to help with staff development through a new job he's beginning in a few weeks...
The Lake Wales Charter School System has initiated a fact-finding investigation to examine allegations that recently reassigned Hillcrest Elementary School Principal Jennifer Barrow harassed and intimidated current and former employees, creating an oppressive work environment. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has agreed to provide investigators to determine the facts surrounding Barrow's leadership and whether she violated the Florida Administrative Code related to ethical and p...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools Board of Trustees unanimously approved a separation agreement Monday, Feb. 1 that will end Superintendent Jesse Jackson's 13-year tenure on Feb. 26. Six of the eight trustees, including the non-voting teacher representative Jennifer Simpson, also signed a letter of apology requested by Jackson as part of the agreement. Trustees Danny Gill and Becky Gaston chose not to sign the letter. The trustees approved allowing Jackson to take a payout of...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools Board of Trustees will consider an agreement Feb. 1 for Superintendent Jesse Jackson to exit Feb. 26 with about $59,000 owed him for accrued vacation and sick leave benefits. The negotiated separation agreement would reinstate him from the suspension issued one week ago, and he would continue receiving salary while not performing any duties as superintendent. Chief Financial Officer Alricky Smith would continue as interim superintendent. The...
EDITOR'S NOTE: Update for this story can be found here: https://www.lakewalesnews.net/story/2021/01/27/news/charter-trustees-to-act-feb-1-on-superintendents-exit-end-of-month/2075.html The Lake Wales Charter Schools Board of Trustees will consider a separation agreement with Superintendent Jesse Jackson at a special meeting at 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 1 at the high school. Trustees late Saturday afternoon were still awaiting details and costs, which reportedly were being worked on...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools Board of Trustees suspended Superintendent Jesse Jackson with pay Monday, Jan. 25 pending a special meeting in a week to discuss whether to accept his resignation or terminate his employment. Jackson already had submitted his resignation, effective Feb. 26, but a controversy surrounding his replacement of Hillcrest Elementary Principal Jennifer Barrow might move his departure up a few weeks. More than 300 people attended the online trustee...
(Editor's Note: Lake Wales High School is not included in this report, since it is part of the charter system and not considered a traditional Polk high school. Its graduation rate will be reported separately.) Polk County Public Schools' graduation rate jumped to 86.5 percent last year - a new record high - even as seniors faced unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic. The district's latest graduation rate was a 5.3 percentage point increase from the previous year (81.2...
A lot was different about this year's "Shop With A Cop" event, except for one very important thing – dozens of local families will have a much merrier Christmas because of the Lake Wales Police Department. In fact, a total of 70 area children will have presents under the tree and holiday food on the table thanks to the annual program, run by the Lake Wales Police Officers Association. Normally, children and their families meet at the Lake Wales Wal-Mart to pick out C...
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...
Lee Alexander "Alex" Wheeler III passed away Tuesday, October 27, 2020 after unexpected complications following surgery. A third generation Lake Walean, Alex was born in Lake Wales on February 4, 1953, and was a graduate of Lake Wales High School and the University of Florida. Alex was a CPA practicing at Bunting Tripp & Ingley, where he specialized in not-for-profit tax law. Alex was an avid scuba diver who loved hiking, camping, and the outdoors in general. His underwater...
The Citizens and Police Community Relations Advisory Board will hold its first public forum at 6 p.m. Monday Oct. 26 at the B Street Center. Due to the COVID-19 virus, attendees must wear masks and have their temperatures checked upon entrance. About 20 seats will be available to accommodate social distancing, so participants may be rotated into the meeting to offer five minute comments. The Lake Wales City Commission re-established the committee in August with the following...
The newly recreated Citizens and Police Community Relations Advisory Committee held its first meeting Monday, Sept. 21 to organize and get acquainted. The Lake Wales City Commission re-established the committee in August with the following purposes: - Providing a forum for citizens to express their opinions about police procedures and to receive informal information from the police department regarding police procedures. - Providing a forum for citizens and the police...
Al Goldstein didn't realize being a Lake Wales city commissioner would be so time-consuming, but he's eager to sign up for another three years. He was elected without opposition in April 2019 after incumbent Commissioner Tonya Stewart failed to qualify to run for re-election. He has already started campaigning for the District 27, Seat 4 that will be filled in the April 2021 municipal election. "I'm finally understanding the job of a city commissioner," Goldstein said....
COVID-19 did not deter volunteers from the American Association of University Women from delivering nearly 100 framed prints of famous fine art paintings to area schools for public display. This year the selections range from Middle-Ages masters Durer and Brueghel to more modern artists such as Matisse and Dali. Advancing through their K-12 school years, with displays changing annually, students see a wide variety of styles and periods of art through this program. More pieces...
The four candidates for two Polk County School Board seats participated in an online forum that through Facebook has reached more than 6,000 viewers and garnered more than 1,100 comments. Brandon Alvarado with the Lake Wales Arts Council moderated the July 27 forum, sponsored by Rotary on the Ridge, LakeWalesNews.net and BartowNews.net. Incumbent Billy Townsend and challenger William Allen are vying for the District 1 seat, while incumbent Lori Cunningham is being challenged b...
Sports at Lake Wales High School are on the shelf for the time being as the result of a vote Tuesday, Aug. 4 by the charter system's Board of Trustees. The group unanimously voted to immediately suspend all athletic activity during a specially called board session to discuss the system's reopening plan, which originally called for following recommendation of the Florida High School Athletic Association. The meeting was electronically attended by almost 200 school officials,...
Lake Wales Charter Schools has announced an amendment to its policy for serving meals to students under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the 2020-2021 school year. All students will be served lunch and breakfast at no charge at the following sites: Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, Janie Howard Wilson Elementary, Polk Avenue Elementary and Victory Ridge Academy. In addition applications for free and reduced price lunches at...
Lake Wales Charter Schools officials have selected a contractor to do phase one and phase two work this summer in getting the new Bok North Academy campus ready for opening this fall. Whitehead Construction has been awarded the contract that includes converting the former Boys and Girls club building into classroom space, and potential renovation and updating work on the old cafeteria building at the historic 1919 Building site, which the charter system purchased from the...
A blue-ribbon committee of residents will spend the next few months reviewing the Lake Wales charter – the document that details how the city is governed – with an eye towards putting any suggested changes in front of voters next spring. The five-person group will conduct all its meetings publicly, and ultimately can only suggest changes. Those suggestions are then considered by the current city commission, and then go on the ballot if they give them a thumbs up. The com...
Pastors, church leaders and other concerned people plan to assemble near the gazebo at Lake Wailes Lake at 7 a.m. Tuesday, June 9 to pray for the city, state and nation. Lake Wales City Commissioner Curtis Gibson presented the idea to Pastor Walter Nelson of IMPACT Church, who immediately started spreading the word. Rather than choose specific people to offer prayers, Nelson sent out an email, providing a corporate prayer for all assembled to use. He suggested bringing the...
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...
As a little girl growing up in Lake Wales Cassandra Denmark set her sights on first becoming an attorney and then a judge. That determination resulted in her current successful law practice in Bartow, and 18 years' experience that prepared her for her new role as a circuit judge in January. Denmark was elected without opposition Friday, April 24 when she was the only person to qualify to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Circuit Judge John Radabaugh. Circuit judge...
Starting Thursday April 9 the Lake Wales Charter School bus drivers will start delivering meals to 18 locations along five routes. Meals will be available to children 18 and under regardless of where the student attends school. Social distancing of at least six feet is mandatory for neighborhood pickup locations. If able, masks and gloves are highly recommended for the safety of all. Children need to be present to receive the meals. Meals will be delivered Monday through...
The Lake Wales City Commission in its role as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) April 14 agreed to sell the old school property off Seminole Avenue to the Lake Wales Charter Schools system for $575,000. Charter system officials say they plan to invest upwards of $7 million to turn the property into the permanent site for Bok Academy North. "They are under some time pressure but they hope to open by fall," said City Manager Ken Fields. Bok Academy North is leasing...
