Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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It was a very unhappy group of Lake Wales City Commissioners who spent more than 45 minutes discussing their generally dismal evaluations of City Attorney Chuck Galloway Wednesday. At their regular workshop meeting the commission discussed the notes they had turned in as part of an annual performance review. Galloway received a total of eight "unsatisfactory" scores from four commissioners who completed their evaluations. Commissioner Daniel Williams had not yet submitted his,...
March 31, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the final withdrawal of US military forces from Vietnam, ending more than a decade of fighting in support of the government of South Vietnam. At its peak in the late 1960's more than 500,000 Americans were serving in-country, and a million others were working in support of the massive effort. Some 282,000 US and allied forces were killed in the fighting, many soldiers of the Army of Vietnam. An estimate by the Department of Defense...
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the future livability of Lake Wales begins Monday at Bok Tower Gardens as a high-powered team of planners bring their national reputations. talents, and insights to bear on the city. The project, designated "Lake Wales Envisioned," will consider the future of a large area around the city and include topics ranging from parks, recreation, and conservation to future sites for commercial, residential, and industrial uses. Transportation...
Lake Wales weightlifters won the Olympics-style county title while placing second to Lakeland in the traditional competition. In the Olympic competition, Lake Wales won with 53 points, while Lakeland was second with 48. Ridge Community (30 points), Lake Gibson (27) and Haines City (28) trailed. Individual lifters who played major roles in the team victory for the Highlanders included Sean Major (219) Trent Grotjan (199), Noah Wise (unlimited), Harrison Thrift (129), and...
The LakeWalesNews.net Treasure Hunt Game is concluding, but there are still three prizes that remain unclaimed. Did we make our clues too tough for the Sherlock Holmes of Lake Wales? We hope not! If you were one of those who tried without success to determine where to go and how to claim one, we are going to give you the answers now so you can still grab one of the great prize packages. We would first like to thank both our contest sponsors and the prize donors, including...
The historic beauty of Lake Wales and efforts to re-create it are the focus of a special event planned for Lake Wailes Park. Area businesses, artists, and crafters are being invited to participate in Olmsted Day in the Park, an annual event celebrating Lake Wales' parks and streetscapes. Sponsors and vendors are welcome to join in the community-wide effort. The April 29 event, hosted by Lake Wales Heritage with the participation of the City of Lake Wales, features music, food...
The Dyer Difference Award for February has gone to Polk Sheriff's Charities. Since 2006, Polk Sheriff's Charities have been supporting first responders and members of the community in a variety of ways that show dedication, commitment, and loyalty to Polk county residents. What started as a response to the murder of Deputy Matt Williams and K-9 DiOGi after a routine traffic stop, has blossomed into a veritable font of kindness and compassion for the community. First...
The public is being invited to learn and comment on a new trail segment being proposed to continue expanding the bicycle and pedestrian links around Lake Wales. The segment would connect the Lake Wailes Trail with the Rails-to-Trails track. A trail design concept created by city consultant Hale Innovation of Maitland envisions the new trail linking the existing at three points while looping around Kiwanis Park. A Federal Recreational Trails Program grant application to help...
Lake Wales neediest families will be a good bit less so thanks to the generosity of the 300 guests who packed the Family Life Center of the First Presbyterian Church Tuesday evening for the annual Empty Bowls auction. Care Center Executive Director Rob Quam told LakeWalesNews.net that the annual "Friendraiser" benefits the multiple food and family-service programs run by the non-profit center. Four live-auction bowls offered to the public were sold for about $10,000. "It's...
In a step that could have enormous financial significance for decades to come, the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency board has received a Finding of Necessity (FON) report from a consulting firm they hired two months ago. The CRA is the source of millions of dollars that are currently funding major improvements to city streets, sidewalks, trail systems, lighting, and landscaping. Expansion of the area, if successful, would potentially balloon future revenue that could...
A $4,000 grant from Florida's Natural Growers Foundation will support Victory Ridge Academy's School Wide Behavior Management System, school officials have announced. Victory Ridge Academy, located at 501 Burns Avenue in Lake Wales, is a Title 1 non-profit public charter school that exclusively serves children and adolescents with special needs. According to Penelope Updike, Grants/Public Relations representative, Victory Ridge Academy "recognizes the importance of...
Robert Wayne (Bob) Peppel passed away peacefully at home at age 81 in Tallahassee, Florida, on Saturday, November 5, 2022. He was born December 21,1940 in Steubenville, Ohio. He lived a long and joyous life, and was well loved by everyone he knew. He was always quick to lend a hand and loved serving others. Bob graduated from Gainesville High School in Gainesville, FL, the University of Florida and was a proud Veteran US Naval Officer. He was a long time resident of Tucker,...
A pair of proposed apartment developments near Eagle Ridge Mall may add 824 new dwelling units to the city, but in each case developer proposals to reduce required parking created some heartburn for city commissioners. The first and most prominent of the pair is proposed for a site directly behind Shoppes on the Ridge, on the north side of Chalet Suzanne Road and across from Wawa. It would consist of six four-story buildings containing 272 units on a 12.1 acre site. Tentative...
The City of Lake Wales finished the 2021-2022 fiscal year in better-than-expected financial shape, based upon figures included in a year-end budget amendment approved by city commissioners. The fiscal year ended on September 30, but final balances were not available for a few weeks. City Budget Director Dorothy Abbott presented the documents to the commissioners, explaining that the changes in the numbers reflected the needed final look back at the year concluded. The General...
The top-seeded Lake Wales Highlander football team advanced their 2022 playoff hopes Friday night at Legion Field with a decisive 34-10 victory over the eighth-seed Auburndale Bloodhounds, making a small step forward to their season-long goal of a state title that has proved elusive. The Highlanders have advanced as far as the championship game in past seasons, but never brought home the trophy. Their hopes are riding high this year on the strength of their undefeated season,...
Two new apartment complexes totaling 824 units may bring a burst of new economic activity to the city's booming north side. The Lake Wales City Commission will consider action on the two projects Tuesday after discussing the proposals at their agenda workshop. Hillpointe, the larger of the two projects, is proposed to include 552 units 137 acres lying north of Chalet Suzanne Road and the existing Serenity Luxury Apartments. The construction would take place on the...
A missing woman, a distressed family, and decades of rumors have led the Lake Wales Police Department to reopen a "cold case" investigation that has many questioning why it's taken so long. At Tuesday's City Commission meeting, two residents came forward to challenge an official narrative about the case, stating that the family is "still grieving" and needed closure. The issue was raised only days after a private search and rescue team found evidence that a murder victim likel...
There are no shelters designated to open in the Lake Wales area, according to Polk County and Polk School System officials. No explanation has been offered for that situation. Available shelters in Polk County will open Tuesday at the following locations: • Horizons Elementary School, 1700 Forest Lake Dr, Davenport • Sleepy Hill Elementary School, 2285 Sleepy Hill Rd, Lakeland • R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School, 5500 Yates Rd, Lakeland • Chain Of Lakes Elementary School....
As Hurricane Ian threatens Florida and the Lake Wales area, Polk County has announced that thirteen shelters will be opened across the county, None are in Lake Wales. The only designated shelter in the city, located at Spook Hill Elementary, will apparently not be opened despite the demand from those living in several large mobile home communities in southeast Polk. The LakeWalesNews.net had highlighted this continued neglect of the region in a story published at the start of...
On a 3-2 vote, Lake Wales city commissioners almost approved a controversial new subdivision plat that creates 907 new building lots on the near south side before a last minute reversal. The project, called Orchard Hills, is proposed sprawl across former citrus groves stretching east of Scenic Highway and north of Passion Play Road. The proposal exceeds the city's minimum requirements for open space, primarily due to the stormwater ponds, but was criticized by residents and a...
While two independently owned and operated new restaurants are planned for opening on Highway 60, including Locorrito and Brake Burger Garage, and two more are planned to open on First Street downtown and on Lincoln Avenue, three more are aiming for construction on US 27 near the Eagle Ridge Mall. All three new restaurants will be located on the east side of US 27, and will occupy among the last of the rapidly-filling mall outparcels. A Starbucks coffee outlet is planned for...
More than eighty community and business leaders were in attendance this week as the Dyer family celebrated the grand opening of their second new auto dealership across from the Eagle Ridge Mall on US 27 in Lake Wales. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Dyer Chevrolet marked the official dedication of the new 28,000 square-foot facility, which cost more than $5 million to construct. The Chevrolet operations stands adjacent to their recently-constructed Kia dealership. Guests...
Bob Johnson of Lake Wales was born on 0ctober 21, 1958, to Helen Roe Johnson in Racine Wisconsin. As a child they moved to Ohio, then to Kentucky, where he has nieces and nephews. In 1972 after the loss of his mother at age 12, he moved to Lake Wales with his aunt and uncle. Bob graduated from Lake Wales High school class of 1978, and Ridge Voc-tech in 1980. His more than 44 years in the workforce was as a welder- foreman in the trucking industry, with Oakley Transport and,...
A popular and long-running community event returns this year, and organizers are offering plenty of advance notice to those wishing to participate. The 15th annual 39-mile Yard Sale will be held on Saturday November 5, 2022. The event runs from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm. and sees thousands of shoppers descend upon the route of State Road 17 between Frostproof and Haines City. With its central location, much of the activity focuses on the Lake Wales area. The Ridge Scenic Highway...
A pair of forums offering voters a chance to hear from seven school board candidates has been moved to an online event due to the recent upsurge of Coved cases in Polk County. The event had been scheduled for the James Austin Center in Lake Wales with a capacity of 100 guests. The event will now take place via Zoom, with a link to be posted for interested guests. The August primary election will be the final chance to vote in some local races, including those for new school...
