Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Gerald Wayne Garrard, 66, was born in Frostproof, FL on June 21, 1955 to Marie (Stanton) and G.K. Garrard. He grew up in Frostproof and graduated from Frostproof High School. Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Army. When completing basic training, he met his future wife, Dorinda Morrison of Fort Leonard Wood, MO. They, married on Nov. 22, 1975 in Detroit, TX. He had a successful Army career for 13 years, serving in Fort Hood, TX; Kaiserslautern, Germany; Turkey; and Fort...
Jose Juan Ramos, 51, of Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, May 25, 2021 in Honk Kong. He was born March 13, 1970 in Brooklyn, NY to Jose and Nelly Ramos. Jose was a graduate of Lake Wales High School and earned a Bachelor's Degree at Webber University. Jose loved volleyball; he coached at Webber for many years. He always loved to make everyone smile. He was a loving son, father, brother, and friend to many. Jose traveled the world and believed that the world was his oyster. He...
Vera Sherrer, 80, of Lake Wales died June 6. 2021 after a three-plus year battle with cancer. She was born in Coffee County, AL on September 27, 1940. Vera moved as a child to Polk County in 1946 and came to live in Lake Wales in 1952. She was a 1958 graduate of Lake Wales High School and worked for Lake Wales Citrus Growers and served as secretary treasurer of First Federal of Lake Wales before her retirement in 1996. She loved travel to the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina...
Polk Vision welcomed 45 program members to accomplished ranks of Leadership Polk Alumni on Friday, May 21, 2021 at the Balmoral Estates. Those with close ties to Lake Wales included Andy Oguntola from Polk State College, David Black from the Lake Wales Police Department and Michelle Yodonis with the Polk County Clerk of the Courts. Leadership Polk says its Alumni include some of the community's best thought leaders. They understand the value of collective impact and value the...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools Trustees will hold a private meeting Monday, May 24 to discuss legal strategy now that former Hillcrest Elementary School Principal Jennifer Barrow has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to get her job back. Active litigation is the only reason trustees may hold a "shade" meeting with General Counsel Robin Gibson, outside of the public eye. Barrow's lawsuit claims she was acting as a "whistleblower" when she filed a grievance in September 2020...
After 27 years with the Lake Wales Police Department, Deputy Chief Troy Schulze is stepping out on faith and making a career change. May 15 will be his last day on the force, as he leaves for a management position with Chemical Containers, Inc. His role there is still being defined, but Schulze says he is enthusiastic about the new opportunity. "It's exciting to me. I am very excited, (wife) Kami's excited, but it's difficult too," Schulze said. Schulze said he expects to...
About 75 people gathered in Lake Wales at noon Thursday, May 6 for the annual National Day of Prayer observance. The event took place outside in the breezeway of the city administration building at 201 W. Central Ave. This year's theme is "Lord, Pour Out Your Love, Life, and Liberty." It is based on the Bible verse 2 Corinthians 3:17, which says "Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." The program was opened in prayer by John Motis, deacon at Episcopal Church of...
If Macy Sinner's life could be a mathematics equation, it might look something like this: Academic Achiever + Soccer Star = Outstanding! At Lander University, the graduating senior has had a full roster of activities -- academic A-lister, Lady Bearcats' soccer forward and a math-whiz tutor to her peers. This semester, she even found a new endeavor -- coaching soccer to children at the Greenwood YMCA! The Lake Wales High School graduate followed her sister Hannah to Lander,...
Lake Wales area pastors invite the public to gather at noon Thursday, May 6 for the annual National Day of Prayer observance. The event will take place outside in the breezeway of the city administration building at 201 W. Central Ave. This year's theme is "Lord, Pour Out Your Love, Life, and Liberty." It is based on the Bible verse 2 Corinthians 3:17, which says "Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." The featured speaker offering a brief devotional will be Col....
Ronald Lee Richards, 79, of Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at Advent Health Lake Wales. He was born June 10, 1941, in Edinburgh, IN to the late Ernest and Lucille Richards; he moved to Lake Wales from Indiana in 2005. Ron received his high school diploma from Edinburgh High School, his bachelor's degree in biology from Ball State University, and his master's degree in education from Indiana University. He was a retired teacher and business owner. He loved...
Arlyn Russell Downs, 80, of Windham, OH and Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at his residence in Lake Wales. He was born March 29, 1941 in Kent, OH to the late Russell and Ruth Downs. He was a graduate of Chalker High School, Class of 1959. He has been living between Ohio and Florida for 10 years. Arlyn retired after 38 years from the Packard Electric Division of General Motors where he was a journeyman. He also served as a Mason for more than 50 years. Arlyn...
Dr. Debra Wright-Hudson is on a mission. The acting principal of McLaughlin Middle School & Fine Arts Academy is reaching out to the Lake Wales community to share the good news about her students' success. Like the school's phoenix mascot, McLaughlin has spent the last two years rising from the ashes of an F-rating from the state. Wright-Hudson said she expects the school to soon achieve at least a C rating, and possibly be in reach of a B, while striving for an A grade....
City commissioners at their April 20 meeting consented to Mayor Eugene Fultz's appointment of Marcus Kirby to the Lake Wales Charter School Trustees. Kirby is transitional housing coordinator for the Lake Wales Care Center and a part-time associate pastor of High Point Church. He served in the U.S. Navy for six years and has lived in Lake Wales for 15 years. Commissioner Terrye Howell challenged Fultz's contention that he didn't need to seek input from commissioners or offer t...
Despite a recent change to the City Charter requiring more input from city commissioners on appointments, Mayor Eugene Fultz did not involve them and is bringing forth only one name for an opening on the Lake Wales Charter Schools Board of Trustees. In an exchange at the end of an April 14 commission workshop, Fultz told commissioners the charter trustee position was “my spot” and he alone had the authority to choose. Commissioners could then vote to accept or reject his app...
Margie Lasseter Fulghum, 85, of Maggie Valley, NC passed away on Sunday, April 11, 2021 after an extended battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She was born Feb. 21, 1936 in Adel, GA to the late Louis and Evie Lasseter and moved to Lake Wales at a very young age. She graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1954. She was one of the original five Lake Wales High School majorettes and the very first to model the Scottish Kilt Design. She then attended and graduated from Webber...
Dolores Maria Wigren, 86, of Leominster, MA and Lake Wales, FL passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 31, 2021 in Lake Wales. Dolores was born on April 30, 1934 in Worcester, MA to the late Julia (Pedone) and Giuseppe Giaquinto of Italy. Dolores was a graduate of Commerce High School in Worcester, MA and worked several years in the business office of Norton/ Saint Gobain Company of Worcester, MA. Dolores enjoyed cooking her Wednesday evening dinners with her family as...
Charles A. "Chuck" Simmons, 64, passed away at home on March 31, 2021. He was born in Lake Wales on April 24, 1956 and was a graduate of Lake Wales High School. After a lifetime in Central Florida, he and Carol had recently moved to Rangeley, ME. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles & Louise Simmons. He is survived by his wife Carol, sons Shawn (Emily) and Aaron (Carrie), his sister Sherry Settle (Mike), and several beloved in-laws, nieces and nephews. He was also...
Editor's Note: We are republishing a past story, remembering the Passion Play during Easter Week. Easter Week always brings fond memories of the three months each winter that the Lake Wales community came together to participate as "extras" to help dramatically depict the last seven days of Jesus Christ on Earth. I don't remember exactly how many years I participated in the Black Hills Passion Play winter productions – so many Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and a...
Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted. Kris T.Y. Fitzgerald Lake Wales City Commission Seat 4 Candidate AGE: 40 OCCUPATION: Senior Administrator at The Vanguard School-Director of Residential Life/License Mental Health Counselor. Qualified Supervisor for LMHCs. YEARS LIVING IN LAKE WALES: Born and raised in Lake Wales. I only moved away for brief periods of time while in the USAF...
Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted. Daniel Williams Lake Wales City Commission Seat 2 Candidate Hello my name is Daniel Williams, I'm 47 years old an a native of Lake Wales, Florida. I graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1991 and went on to attend Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. I graduated from "The Peay" in 1996 with a double major in Political Science and...
Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted. Dr. Ricardo Navarro Lake Wales City Commission Seat 2 Candidate Age: 33 years old Occupation: • Internal Medicine Physician. • Owner and President of Navarro Medical. • Medical Director for the Hospitalist Medicine program at Advent Health Lake Wales • Consulting Physician for Vitas Healthcare Years Living in Lake Wales : Twenty-seven (27) ye...
Robert Louis Elliott, 85, passed away peacefully of natural causes on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, in Winter Haven. Born in Joplin, MO on May 31, 1935, to the late Marvin Edward Elliott and Mildred May Koch Elliott, he was preceded in death by his beloved brother, James Elliott. He is survived by his eldest son, Marvin Scott Elliott and his wife, Kimberly Mooney Elliott, and grandson, Taylor Scott Elliott, all of Bartlett, TN; and his youngest son, Jefferson Bradley Elliott and his wife, Leslie Hawksworth Elliott, and two...
James Douglas Babington, 29, of Frostproof passed away Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. He was born on Feb. 19, 1992 and came to Frostproof with his family 14 years ago from Indiana. James graduated from Frostproof High School in 2011. He was a cashier at the Town Star Gas Station in Frostproof, prepared food at Little Caesars in Lake Wales, and most recently was a sales associate at Rural King. James was an avid online and tabletop role-playing gamer. He enjoyed locksmithing,...
Lowell E. "Sie" Rupp, 90, of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021 at the Winter Haven Hospital. He was born February 5, 1931 in Wauseon, OH to the late Sylvan and Pearl Rupp. He married Jueldine F. Nofziger in 1953. They celebrated their 67th year of marriage last October and she survives him. Sie and Julie had 3 children, Rick Rupp (Lisa) of Winter Haven, FL, Russ Rupp (Rita) of Westminster, CO, and Patricia Stringer (Matt) of Archbold, OH. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, Dustin Rupp, Brett Rupp (Anissa),...
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...
