Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Darrell Starling already has an ambitious agenda in place following his recent hiring as the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Coordinator. In particular, Starling will work closely with the city[s Northwest neighborhood, one of two areas specifically targeted by the city's ambitious and award-winning "Lake Wales Connected" revitalization plan which also covers the historic downtown business district as well. City leaders expect to break ground on the early...
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...
Citizen Support Services is a group of people from our community who volunteer their time, talent, and financial assistance to support and advocate for needs that exist within Lake Wales, where existing service organizations are not well positioned to support or coordinate. Citizens of Lake Wales, in partnership with leadership from several community service organizations, aim to ensure support and equity is provided to citizens in need. During the month of December, members...
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...
City residents can thank a local restaurant for helping the Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce find its 2020 Public Servant of the Year. Lake Wales Fire Chief Joe Jenkins – born and raised in the city and now celebrating 30 years with the department – was honored with the award in late December, for not only his service as chief, but as the city's Emergency Operations Director during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Jenkins said he didn't really know what he wanted to do whe...
Thomas Stevens "Tommy" Ricketts, 96, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021. Tom was born Aug. 31, 1924 in Charleston, WV, and eventually moved to Tampa where he graduated from Plant High School. After his freshman year at the University of Florida, he left to serve in the United States Army Signal Corps during World War II. At the conclusion of the war, he returned to the University of Florida completing his degree in Electrical Engineering in 1949. While there he...
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...
Alice Faye Van Asdale, 82, of Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021 at Winter Haven Hospital. She was born January 24, 1938 in Canton, OH to the late Edgar and Mabel Capper; she moved to Lake Wales from Missouri in 2002. Alice was a retired Registered Nurse, she graduated from Lincoln High School in Canton, OH and King's Daughter Nursing School in Ashland, KY. Alice was a member of the Church of God in Winter Haven and a former board member of (PEO) Philanthropic...
Angela Connelly, 56, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family and friends on Jan. 11, 2021 at her home in Woodbine GA. She was born June 13, 1964 to Frank and Lois Meade in Lake Wales. She graduated from Landmark Baptist High School in 1982. Angela (Angel) worked many years for her parents at the Act II Shoppe in Lake Wales and later worked for Certipay in Winter Haven and more recently for Jekyll Island, GA. She is preceded in death by her parents and her son...
(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...
Marilyn Dye Edwards, 88, of Belleair Beach, FL died Saturday, Dec. 26, 200 in the home of her daughter in Sarasota where she was convalescing following a sudden illness. Born Oct. 3, 1932 in Plant City she moved to Bradenton and then to Avon Park, prior to moving to Lake Wales where she lived most of her life. It was in Lake Wales where she attended high school and was a member of the Glee Club and voted Homecoming Queen her senior year. She received her nursing degree from...
Dale Ross Fair, 83, of Babson Park passed away Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020 at the Winter Haven Hospital. He was born October 21, 1937 in Morehead, KY to the late Linus and Jessie Fair; he has been a resident of the area since 1962. Dale was a teacher at Lake Wales High School from 1962 until 1968, when he then accepted a position at Babson Park Elementary School as Principal in 1968 and retired in 2003. Upon his retirement, the school was renamed Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary...
Dr. Rollie Tillman, Jr., died peacefully on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020 from complications due to COVID-19, surrounded by family in the hours before his death. He was an exceptional man, a loving husband, extraordinary father and grandfather, a mentor and friend to many, and a man of deep faith. While he was a man of many accomplishments, both academic and civic, his finest contributions were those he made to his family. He showed us what it meant to be kind and generous and was...
An active swimmer since age 5, Mary Leigh Hardman dreams of some day competing in the Olympics. The Lake Wales High School freshman moved closer to her goal last weekend by winning Florida state swimming championships in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle events. "This is my first ever high school win. I'm very excited," said Mary Leigh, noting "I just knew I was going to do my best." Mary Leigh is following in the footsteps – or swimming strokes - of her mother, Molly Magill H...
Charles Robert “Boo” Goodman, III, 22, of Lake Wales passed away Friday, Nov. 6, 2020 in Lake Wales. He was born April 29, 1998 in Kissimmee to Charles and Robin Goodman. Boo was a plumber for Tri Tech. He was a lifelong resident of the area and graduated from Lake Wales High School. Boo was love by many and will be missed. Boo was preceded in death by three brothers and sisters. He is survived by his mother, Robin Denise Goodman of West Virginia; father, Charles Robert Goodman, II of Lake Wales; sisters, Isabella Goo...
Barbara Lou Kwasny, 85, passed away peacefully on Nov. 6, 2020 surrounded by her family. Born March 1, 1935 to Arthur and Lena Ohime in LaPorte, IN, Barb graduated from Stillwell High School, and, on November 7, 1953 married Raymond Kwasny. Ray and Barb moved to Lake Wales in 1979, where they established a thriving real estate business. Barb loved cooking and baking, gardening, water aerobics, and spending time with her family and many friends. She was a member of the local...
The world's current youth population (people aged 15-20) is around 1.8 billion. Most of this population has the potential to be great leaders, while only a small percentage of this population is encouraged to or provided the resources to learn and practice leadership. This stage of being a youth is when young people are still uncertain about what they like and what they don't. Their opinions are not firmly in place, revisited and revised due to their peers' influence and...
The chair of Warner University's agricultural studies department, Justin Sharpless, is one of three alumni being recognized by the National FFA for outstanding support of the organization. The other two honorees are from Wisconsin and Oregon. The awards honor FFA alumni and supporters across the nation who donate their time, talent and financial resources to support current FFA members. They are being presented this week at the 93rd National FFA Convention and Expo. In...
Ed Palmer officially became the Lake Wales Police Department's community liaison officer on Sept. 14. But if you ask James "Perly" Sermons, it's been Palmer's calling for a lifetime – Sermons' lifetime. The two first met when Palmer served as the School Resource Officer at Hillcrest Elementary when Perly was a student there. As luck might have it – others might call in Divine guidance – Palmer followed Sermons as an SRO when the youngster went to Roosevelt Academy and to La...
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...
Allan W. Gauss, 87, passed away at Water's Edge of Lake Wales on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Al was born in Albion, Michigan on February 27, 1933 to Russell and Muriel Gauss. He grew up in Albion and graduated from Albion High School in 1951. He graduated Michigan State University in 1955, the first year Michigan State College became a University. Upon graduating, Al joined the Army and was on active duty for two years. He married Betsy Sturm of Deerfield, IL on Aug. 2, 1958. Duri...
Beverly Dillon Petruschke, 65 of Lake Wales went home to the Lord's presence on Thursday Oct. 15, 2020. She was born September 5, 1955 in South Charleston, WV to the late Ocus E "Matt" and Margaret K (Kibbee) Dillon. She graduated from St. Albans High School Class of 1973 in St. Albans, WV. She moved to South Florida after graduation and had been a part time resident of Saddlebag Lake Resort since 1988, coming several times a year to visit her parents. She worked most of her...
Rodney Theodore Krueger, 85, passed away at home surrounded by his family on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. Born on Sept. 1, 1935, in Wayne County, MI to Almer and Marie (Wanemacher) Krueger, Rodney grew up to become a businessman after working alongside his father throughout high school at his business, Anrod Screen, developing and producing filters and screens. Rodney took over the business upon his father's retirement. After a successful career, Rodney retired at the young age of...
Thomas (Tom) Ancil Freeman, 94, of Lake Wales passed away on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, at Palm Garden Health and Rehabilitation Center in Winter Haven. He was born in Lawrenceburg, TN on October 19, 1925 and lived a very full and active life. He will always be known for his magnificent artwork of Florida landscapes, nearly 1,000 originals, and his murals throughout Polk County in Lake Wales, Frostproof, and Lake Placid. Those who knew him personally, remember him as a...
