Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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By now a familiar voice to fans at Friday night football games, one local volunteer has made a highly successful career out of childhood inspiration, and a thread of football tradition runs through it. Local son Kent Lilly has become something of a legend in his own right. Lilly grew up in Lake Wales, and after Lake Wales High School went on to graduate from the University of Florida with a degree in accounting before heading off to law school at Florida State University,...
With thousands of homes coming off the drawing board and plans to build them at more than a dozen locations around Lake Wales, city planners are attempting to get ahead of the expected traffic impacts with a variety of moves. The latest proposal, which was approved by the City Commission Tuesday, is a study which will propose a "mobility fee," the new buzzword replacing traditional "traffic impact fees." The new fee will apply to each new home built in the city, assuring a poo...
Remember that library book, and the DVD you checked out last year and forgot to return? Yeah, that one... Well, there's good news. Now you don't have to pay the fine! Just bring a few foodstuffs, help some needy families during the holidays, and you're off the hook! The Lake Wales Public Library is conducting their annual Holiday Food for Fines program beginning November 1. The program runs through December 31. Food for Fines is an annual fine amnesty program that provides...
New features and sections added to LakeWalesNews.Net have driven skyrocketing readership since September 1, reaching well over 80,000 page views during the first month, according to statistics captured by Internet analytics. New Day Market Research acquired the online newspaper on that date and has since significantly enhanced the publication's reach and interest. "We are extremely pleased by the community reaction to our added features like the graphic Community Calendar," sa...
The rush to develop housing in Lake Wales shows no sign of abating as new proposals continue to come before the Lake Wales City Commission. Tuesday's agenda saw an approval of an annexation that will pave the way for a 90-acre residential development south of the Eastlake Center, which houses Winn-Dixie and Rural King. The proposed annexation of 62 acres will join them with another 29 already under the same ownership group. If approved for medium density residential...
In a citrus crop forecast released Tuesday, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried mentioned a startling number for Florida's peak citrus production: 244 million boxes in the 1997-98 season. Some 25 years later, the citrus forecast shows much lower numbers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast reported 47 million boxes of Florida oranges for the 2021-22 season - down 11 percent (52.8 million boxes) from last season, and 3.8 million boxes for grapefruit, down eight percent...
A 30-year extension of the life of the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) will guarantee a continuing flow of revenue for community improvements, including street and sidewalk construction, lighting, street trees and more. Community Redevelopment Agency funds are being used to pay for the Lake Wales Connected plan reconstruction and landscaping of Park Avenue and First Street, expected to begin shortly. The CRA is funded by capturing about 90% of the City and...
With hundreds of new homes slated for construction along the booming Buck Moore Road, Lake Wales City Commissioners have unanimously approved hiring an engineering firm to conduct a traffic study to keep things moving along that corridor. "This is a proactive step to anticipate and mitigate any impacts" from the new subdivisions, City Manager James Slaton said in introducing the proposal at a Commission workshop. "We want to do the corridor study now to have it in place when...
Lake Wales will likely have to tweak the borders of its four voting districts since the 2020 U.S. Census showed the city had grown by about 15 percent in the last decade. The official census count in 2020 was 16,351 residents, up from 14.225 in 2010. In order to redraw voting district lines, a special five-person Census Redistricting Committee will be formed to suggest the new boundaries, which will then have to be formally adopted by the city commission. The city has four...
Plans and proposals for new housing developments in Lake Wales have come in waves during 2021 and show no sign of abating. More than 8,300 new dwellings are now "visible" on the planning documents at the City of Lake Wales Development Services. Those residences are likely to house more than 23,000 new citizens, an expected population increase of some 140%. "Everybody wants to come where we are," said City Commissioner Robin Gibson, when asked about the growth spurt. "It's a...
Every civic club, church, and sponsoring organization in Lake Wales is invited to take advantage of the free advertising available for their events, meetings, and services simply by clicking a link. "This is rather a game-changer for the community," said News.Net City Editor Tom Paulson. "We're really glad to offer this as an alternative to the multiple and confusing calendars that are offered on several other local websites." The Community Calendar can be seen by Clicking a...
As a service to area residents and small businesses, LakeWalesNews.net is now offering a free Business Services Directory that will include listings from service-oriented businesses serving area homeowners. “This will be an opportunity for local ‘mom and pop’ businesses to connect with customers who need their services,” said Tom Paulson, spokesperson for LakeWalesNews.net publisher New Day Market Research. Businesses and those seeking services may post their listing by sending their information to editor@...
A September 28 reception has been scheduled to give Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce members an opportunity to meet the new head of the organization's economic development efforts. Skip Alford was retained several weeks ago, and was briefly introduced to City Commissioners during a recent meeting. The reception will be the first opportunity for many business leaders to meet Alford. The City of Lake Wales provides significant funding to the Chamber as a "public-private...
More than six months after the departure of lauded Lake Wales Charter Schools Superintendent Jesse Jackson, the process of seeking his replacement being conducted by the Board of Trustees is in disarray. Board Chairman Danny Gill has written a memo calling for an opportunity for citizens to voice their opinions at the September 20 meeting of the board. His memo states that “This is not a meeting to discuss who the next Superintendent should be or will be. This meeting will b...
Lake Wales will continue to enjoy the presence of a local news source focused on the community thanks to a recent business agreement. It was announced today that New Day Market Research (NDMR) has acquired the assets of LakeWalesNews.net and will continue frequent publication of important stories and community news. NDMR intends to continue the focus on local news while increasing coverage of local sports and community groups. Two and half years after its inaugural issue the...
The largest proposed development in Lake Wales history has taken another step forward. City Commissioners have approved a new zoning designation for over 1,800 acres of vacant land south of Thompson Nursery road and west of U.S. Highway 27 at the request of the Winter Haven Corporation, which has owned the property for decades. The property will now be zoned as Planned Development Mixed Use. Previously, there was no zoning classification on the land. The plan calls for 2,800...
The Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency has agreed to sell a parcel of land at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and B Street on which developers have proposed a mixed-use building that includes both commercial and residential space. After the city issued a request for proposals, two bids were received to develop the vacant tract, currently owned by both the city and CRA. Florida Development Corporation was unanimously approved as the firm to move forward with its...
As a service to area residents and small businesses, LakeWalesNews.net is now offering a free Business Services Directory that will include listings from service-oriented businesses serving area homeowners. “This will be an opportunity for local ‘mom and pop’ businesses to connect with customers who need their services,” said Tom Paulson, spokesperson for LakeWalesNews.net publisher New Day Market Research. Businesses and those seeking services may post their listing by sending their information to editor@...
Members of the Lake Wales Police Department have been pleased with the roll out of eight body-worn cameras already in use, with an additional 24 cameras to come on line later this fall. Deputy Chief David Black said officers who are currently using the cameras are providing constructive feedback and reacting positively to having them available. "The guys seem to love the body worn cameras. They're excited to have them. We've already had a couple of criminal cases with them. I...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools and the local community are mourning the passing of Dr. Damien Moses, principal of Bok Academy South. "It is with our deepest sorrow that we inform you of the passing of our beloved principal and colleague, Dr. Damien Moses," said Superintendent Alricky Smith in a July 23 email announcing Moses' death. "Dr. Moses was a pillar with the Lake Wales Charter Schools system serving since its inception." Prior to being appointed principal of Bok...
Some viewed his email as a threat to withhold future funding, but Henry McCance says that's not what he intended. The largest donor to Lake Wales Charter schools, McCance says he just wants officials to know that he expects them to show "leadership" to ensure students can safely attend school in-person this year. His recommendation: Mandatory vaccines for all teachers and staff and mandatory masks for students, teachers and staff. "I feel strongly enough about these issues...
A celebration of life for Bok Academy South Principal Damien Moses is scheduled for noon, Saturday, July 31. The event will take place at the Lake Wales High School gymnasium and also live streamed on You Tube. Masks will be required to attend in person. Those wishing to share photos, stories or leave sympathy for the family can do so at https://everloved.com/life-of/damien-moses/ The link for the live stream is https://youtu.be/ykDCjGuW55k Moses died July 22. Our story,...
Lake Wales will need to have an alternative water source in place sooner than experts had anticipated, according to a consultant hired by the city to explore its future utility options. Dave Edson, from Hoyle Tanner and Associates, said the city will need to have a new water supply in place as early as 2027 because of projected growth in the coming years. Lake Wales is expecting slightly more than $7 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding, and city leaders are...
The Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency has given its tentative approval to contribute $1 million towards the proposed redevelopment of the Grove Manor housing complex. Officials from both the city and the Lake Wales Housing Authority have been meeting for a number of months now, largely to ensure the project fits in with the award-winning "Lake Wales Connected" redevelopment plan that includes both the historic downtown business district and northwest neighborhood. Thos...
Despite a gathering of supporters, a contingent speaking on his behalf, and the endorsement of the mayor, deputy mayor and a number of Republican elected officials, Al Goldstein on July 20 lost his bid to return to his former seat to fill the vacancy created by the suspension of newly elected Lake Wales City Commissioner Kris Fitzgerald. After Fitzgerald defeated him April 6 by just 32 votes, Goldstein lashed out in a media interview, citing racism as a factor, suggesting the...
