Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Polk State's Lake Wales campus, located entirely in the two-story JD Alexander Center on Central Avenue, has doubled its student population. Enrollment has grown from 600 to 1,200 students in the past five years, despite being limited to five classrooms. Campus Director Dr. Andy Oguntola described the innovation that was key to the growth, and how the relatively small building houses multiple classes. Under a concept he introduced, students attend classes one day a week in...
The inspiration of hard-working parents who wanted their children to have a better life has led their son to "pay it forward" by leading others to higher callings through Polk State College. Dr. Andy Oguntola is the Director of the college's Lake Wales campus in the JD Alexander Center on Central Avenue downtown. He also serves as Dean of Workforce Development for the multi-campus institution. Under his five-year watch enrollment at the local campus has grown from 600 to...
A local woman is in critical condition after being found badly beaten in an apartment early Saturday morning. Lake Wales Police responded to a call of an individual expressing suicidal thoughts, but the investigation soon discovered the victim, who was unconscious on the floor of her nearby apartment. The incident unfolded at 3:25 am at a location on North First Street, and led to the nearby apartment on West Sessoms Avenue, which the police report described as "completely...
In a busy week for the Lake Wales Police Department, detectives have made an arrest in yet another violent crime which occurred on June 4 of this year. Jaheim Romulus, 19, of Frostproof, has been charged with attempted felony murder for the shooting of a Lake Wales resident during an armed robbery. The crime took place at about 9:30 pm that evening at 414 Domaris Avenue. When called to the scene, police found a 36-year-old resident suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. It wa...
A suspect has been arrested in a stabbing attack that left a victim in critical condition, according to Lake Wales Police Department Deputy Chief David Black II. The reportedly unprovoked attack happened on Sunday, October 24, shortly before 9:00 pm near the intersection of Miami Street and Bullard Avenue. According to reports the victim was walking when he was suddenly assaulted. He was found with serious stab wounds and flown by a medical evacuation helicopter to Lakeland...
"Human trafficking is modern-day slavery." With these words the One More Child organization describes the silently pervasive problem of human trafficking, which involves both adults and children as victims, and groups as diverse as gangs, families and religious organizations as perpetrators. In a six-hour forum sponsored by One More Child, the Lake Wales Care Center, local area pastors, and the Lake Wales Police and Fire Departments, some 80 participants heard expert...
In a special recognition of his efforts, Lake Wales resident Joseph Lunsford will be the recipient of his very own "day" upon the issuance of a Proclamation from the City of Lake Wales declaring a "Joseph Lunsford Recognition Day." Lunsford, 28, has been selected to represent Florida in the 2022 Special Olympics USA to be held in Orlando June 5th-12th, 2022. Lunsford is a multi-sport athlete and has competed in a wide range of Special Olympics sports, including track,...
Ardella Green has been a resident of Lake Wales since 1942 and at 97 years old, she has gotten to the point in life that climbing up to fix the roof of her aging home on Alabama Street was no longer an option. Thanks to a grant from the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency, that is no longer a challenge she must contemplate. Hers was one of several aging homesteads in the city that have been repaired thanks to a $68.000 fund established by the CRA board. Referred to the p...
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 $...
A fatal crash between a light pickup truck and a Freightliner resulted in an afternoon-long blockage of US 27 in Lake Wales Saturday. Edwin McMillan, 62, of Lake Wales was southbound on US 27 at 1:15 pm when his Nissan Frontier collided with the left turning truck driven by Sterling Robles of Fresno, California, who was uninjured. The crash occurred at the intersection of Washington Avenue, which has signalized left-turn lanes. If remained unclear which driver had the...
Lamar Goff, 76, of Lake Wales passed away Monday, Aug. 23, 2021 at his residence. He was born September 8, 1944 in Lake Wales, to the late Daniel and Margaret Goff. Lamar was a retired Police Officer for the Frostproof Police Department and was a veteran of the United States Army, serving in Vietnam. He enjoyed fishing and riding motorcycles. Lamar was an artist and was known for building clocks. Lamar is survived by his wife of 53 years, Susie Goff; daughters, Lisa Kendrick and husband Layton of Lakeland, and Christie Maerke...
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...
Gary Larson Helm, 74, of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, July 29, 2021 at Select Special Hospital in Orlando. He was born May 20, 1947 in Lake Wales, to the late Elmer and Lola Helm. Many people in Lake Wales remember him as a community hero, who as a young sergeant in 1972 helped save a grocery store full of people and a fellow officer by engaging five armed robbers in a gun battle. Gary shot and killed two robbers at the Publix on SR 60 and arched his back to narrowly...
Retired Lake Wales Police Chief Gary Helm died July 29 after a lengthy illness and hospitalization. He was 74. Many people in Lake Wales remember him as a community hero, who as a young sergeant in 1972 helped save a grocery store full of people and a fellow officer by engaging five armed robbers in a gun battle. Helm shot and killed two robbers at the Publix on SR 60 and arched his back to narrowly avoid being shot himself. Friends said he kept the shirt with the bullet hole...
It was a "bumpy start" as Lake Wales rolled out one-fourth of their new police worn body cameras Monday, July 26. Police Chief Chris Velasquez said the department will use the experiences of the first eight officers wearing the cameras to make sure the program is running smoothly when fully implemented in two or three months. "It's going to be a matter of working through, seeing how they work with us and how we can work also with all the other partners," Velasquez said. Since...
Lake Wales Police are investigating a rash of 48 vehicle burglaries between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, June 14. The bold burglars in some cases broke windows to gain access to steal valuables from the vehicles. The reported burglaries were in a concentrated area between Johnson Avenue and Greenbough Drive fairly close to Lake Wailes Lake. Police said a vehicle was stolen during the burglaries and recovered by officers. The largest concentration of burglaries was 11 p...
Lake Wales police are investigating a shooting that left a man in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds. Police were called to a home at 426 Domaris Ave. at 9:34 p.m. June 4 regarding a shooting. Upon arrival, officers learned an armed robbery had just occurred at 414 Domaris Ave. Officers found the victim, a 36-year-old Lake Wales resident, at 422 Domaris Ave. with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition. Police said the...
A recent statistically valid survey of residents in the northwest section neighborhood of Lake Wales revealed 60 percent of respondents say they "feel hopeful about the future of their neighborhood." City commissioners recently discussed results of the survey, which was conducted by the ETC Institute, a national firm renowned for helping local governments gather data from residents to enhance community planning and the delivery of municipal services. The survey, which was both...
Elizabeth J. “Beth” Satterwhite, 61, of Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at Advent Health Lake Wales. She was born April 4, 1960 in Winter Park to Jimmie R. and Jimmie Lou Beasley; she moved to Lake Wales in 1989, but left for Texas in 2006. She returned to the area four years ago and has been a resident since. Beth was a former dispatcher for the Lake Wales Police Department and a former caregiver. Beth was preceded in death by her husband. She is survived by her daughters, Crystal Guerrero of Corpus Chr...
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...
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...
With no discussion or public comment the Lake Wales City Commission May 4 approved spending $110,350 for the first year implementation of police worn body cameras for all officers who interact with the public. The Lake Wales Police Department will be the first law enforcement agency in Polk County to implement a body camera program. After reviewing the city's finances six months into the new budget year, City Manager James Slaton said without dipping into reserves the city...
Collaboration between different city departments is a daily occurrence at Lake Wales City Hall. But one of the more unique partnerships help show the good side of Lake Wales and is an important tool in putting bad guys behind bars. A city police drone is one of the latest tool's in the department's crime fighting tool kit. But part of the purchase price was covered by the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency, which uses the drone to provide aerial video of projects like...
Still stinging from his April 6 defeat by just 32 votes, Lake Wales City Commissioner Al Goldstein came out swinging the next morning – citing racism as a primary factor in his loss and suggesting the city is "on the cusp of destruction." Goldstein said he is not convinced his successful opponent, Kris Fitzgerald, will be a good commissioner and said she won on the coattails of Daniel Williams, who defeated Ricardo Navarro for Seat 2 by 15 votes. Goldstein said in two years h...
Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez released an investigative report Friday, March 26 that concluded there was no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by two officers during a Feb. 5 arrest. The complaint involved a traffic stop of 37-year-old Christopher Cordero that escalated into charges of resisting arrest without violence, threat of death or serious bodily injury of a law enforcement officer and assault on a law enforcement officer. Cordero accused Officers Colt Black and...
