Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 346
Two new large residential developments moved closer to reality this month as the Lake Wales City Commission voted to advance their plans. Steeple Chase, a Planned Development Project (PDP) received a Special Exception Use Permit and a preliminary subdivision Plat. The project encompasses 250 single-family detached lots and 68 townhome units on about 98 acres of former citrus land along the north and east sides of Ridge Manor. Lying adjacent to Scenic Highway on the west, the p...
A passion for helping people overcome health challenges and a will to reach as many in need as possible has led Dr. Kulmeet Kundlas to fulfilling his dreams in Lake Wales, even as he provides funds to educate the next generation of doctors. His work has also led him to fall in love with the community. Dr. Kundlas, a board-certified physician, operates the Shield Medical Group, a general medical practice on US 27. He came to Lake Wales directly from his residency at Cornell...
A delightful evening filled with colorful holiday décor, music, happiness, and yes, snow, will fill the streets of downtown Lake Wales with families getting themselves deeply into the holiday spirit. The annual "Make It Magical" event, hosted by Lake Wales Main Street and a host of sponsors, has become a holiday tradition for area residents who pour into the downtown streets to share in the festive air. The 9th annual event will happen this Friday night, December 8, along...
"Toys on Parade" will dazzle children and adults alike this weekend in Lake Wales as the annual Christmas night parade steps off. The parade happens this Saturday at 6:00 and thousands are expected to line First Street and Central Avenue along the roughly one-mile route. The display of creative and colorfully-lighted floats and bands, along with dancers, musicians, and other examples of holiday cheer is following a new route this year due to ongoing construction on Park...
The expansive Ridgecrest development took a step forward recently with the approval of a "developer's agreement" by the Lake Wales City Commission that provides for the costs of infrastructure for the 312 acre project. The previously-approved planned-development project includes 1,020 single-family and townhomes located south of Russell Avenue and north of Hunt Brothers Road, between US 27 and SR 17. Included in the design is a new multi-purpose trail that will extend from...
In a program offered annually at the nearby public lands, Lake Wales area residents are able to cut their own tree, but they have to use a hand-saw to do the work. No power tools are allowed in the forest. A tree-cutting permit costs only $10, a great deal when fresh trees cut in other states and brought to Florida cost far more. Available trees are 10 feet to 15 feet tall, but may be trimmed back to the desired size after leaving the forest. Trees will be harvested along...
Hundreds in Lake Wales were left stunned and saddened recently by the sudden passing of Drew Truitt, a community volunteer described by one friend as a "social instigator." Truitt, 67, had celebrated his birthday only days earlier at a meeting of Rotary on the Ridge, which was one of several avenues for his enthusiasm and willingness to help. Truitt had been named Rotarian of the Year in 2018-19 largely due to his contagious enthusiasm for volunteer projects and his...
The deadline for entering a float in the Lake Wales Christmas night parade is fast approaching, according to members of the sponsoring Rotary on the Ridge. Those interested in being a part of the event have until November 30 to send in their entry forms. The theme of this year's procession is "Toys on Parade," and numerous entries are expected to feature toys, some on a gigantic scale. The parade will follow a modified route through the city this year after lining up at Polk...
There's still time for you to be one of our 26 winners who get a free "all-the-works" pizza just by sharing a news story on your social media feed. Yep, you can earn the large pizza of your choice from Pizzano's of Lake Wales just by sharing the important stories we publish about our community. Pick an impactful story from our sections about Schools, Fun, Ridge Life, Business, it's all up to you! Just know that you could very well be enjoying one of our delicious prizes. Two...
Even as the Lake Wales area enjoys pleasant and mild weather, it's important to keep a weather-eye out for late-developing tropical storms and hurricanes that could threaten to disrupt our idyllic autumn days. Now two long-range models are depicting just such a potential. Hurricane season runs through November 30, and there have been occasional storms that have developed even after that date. The unusually-warm water in the Atlantic basin, coupled with unseasonable warmth,...
A long-anticipated wave of new restaurants is coming into existence in Lake Wales with the pending openings of three new fast-food outlets. The new restaurants are part of a spate of new construction on US 27 in the vicinity of the Eagle Ridge Mall. The growing population of Lake Wales is a primary justification for the investments being made by the several restaurant chains, according to local officials. Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers and Slim Chickens are both...
In the high-energy future facing Lake Wales there's little doubt that high-energy management is required to keep up. As Lake Wales faces a wave of growth, with about 15,000 new residences planned to be built here in the next several years, Assistant City Manager Deena Drumgo may be the ideal person to help the city face the challenges ahead. Drumgo, the former city manager of Dundee, came to Lake Wales from Winter Haven, where she oversaw that city's community redevelopment ag...
Communities along the entire length of the Ridge Scenic Highway will share in one of the area's most popular annual events this Saturday. The 39-Mile Yard Sale has played an important role in promoting tourism in the Central Florida communities along the Ridge Scenic Highway since 2007. Expected to draw thousands of people, it is known for being an outstanding opportunity to find great deals and interesting treasures, or just as an enjoyable family outing. Shoppers come from a...
A continuing rise in readership and community reach is evidence of the growing awareness and trust of LakeWalesNews.net among residents of the Ridge area. The expansion of readership and advertising is powering an expansion of news coverage as well as the News increases coverage of events in Frostproof, Babson Park, Indian Lake, and surrounding communities through the hiring of new staff and correspondents. Analytics provided by Google indicate that LakeWalesNews.net is the to...
Major improvements are underway at the Lake Wales History Museum that are expected to make the facility a center of community activity as well as a draw for residents and visitors alike, according to Executive Director Melissa Stoller. The ongoing project includes needed repairs to the 98-year-old building as well as reimagined and refreshed exhibits. The non-profit museum is seeking volunteers with carpentry skills to help with the ongoing reconfiguration. Stoller promises...
A new "circulator" bus route that will serve the city six days a week on a frequent schedule began this week, making getting around town without a car a much simpler task. Lake Wales should be very proud of the new service, according to Tom Phillips, executive director of Citrus Connection, which operates the buses. "This is only the second city [in Polk County] to have a real circulator route," he told Lake Wales News.net. The circulator will stay within the city limits,...
Bill Redmon has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious 2023 Pioneer of the Year for the annual Pioneer Days festival, which will take place at Lake Wailes Park on October 29 and 29. Redmon's extraordinary dedication to his community and his outstanding achievements make him a true pioneer in every sense and led to his selection by the board of the Lake Wales History Museum, sponsors of the long-standing and popular festival. Only 50-year residents of the Lake Wales...
Editor's Note: This guest Commentary is the second of a series of guest editorials that will address the effort known as Lake Wales Envisioned. Since our founding in 1986, 1000 Friends of Florida has advocated citizen-driven planning to protect our state's environment and quality of life amid its rapid growth. That explains why we enthusiastically endorsed the Lake Wales Envisioned process from its launch last winter. And it's why we're now calling on city leaders to approve...
It's time to start digging out the jackets and sweaters. The long-awaited seasonal cooldown after the end of an exceptionally hot summer will arrive in earnest next week after the passage of a series of reinforcing cold fronts. Heavy rains are expected over Florida beginning Wednesday night, and rain will linger for several days before a series of fronts sweeps in a colder air mass that will leave morning lows in the 50's for the Lake Wales Ridge area. The potential for...
We love contests, and we love prizes, so we're giving two lucky families free dinners from Pizzano's! Best of all, we're doing it EVERY WEEK! Win the large pizza of your choice, including the works if you like, just by sharing the important stories we publish about our community. Pick something from our sections about Schools, Fun, Ridge Life, Business, it's all up to you! Just know that you could very well be enjoying one of our delicious prizes. Two winners will be randomly...
The vast Peace Crossing development long-planned for a large tract of land between US 27 and Lake Ashton is now moving forward under new ownership following the sale of the property by Winter Haven Corporation. The 1,943-acre Master Development Plan (MDP) Lake Wales Mixed Use Project was approved by the city commission in 2021. The site has long been used as pasture and consists of a mix of uplands and wetland areas spanning the Peace Creek Drainage Canal. With 6100...
An early-autumn bout of very soggy weather has left the Lake Wales Ridge area with as much as nine inches of rain in some locations, raising lake levels and saturating marshes. Now long-range models are beginning to depict a weather pattern favorable to tropical storm development in the western Caribbean. The wet weather has generally been welcomed across central Florida after a drier-than-normal year, and the various models are in agreement that the pattern will remain in...
The Lake Wales Highlander of 100 years ago reveals much about the history of our community. Each week the Lake Wales News will publish a front-page image of the former Lake Wales Highlander from 100 years earlier, tracking the growth of the community a century ago, when Florida was in the midst of a great land price boom and rapid population growth. The images are retrieved from the digital archives of the Lake Wales Public Library. The Lake Wales Highlander eventually became...
Kenneth Branagh's latest Hercule Poirot film, A Haunting in Venice, is a haunted house movie but isn't that scary. It is a surprisingly enjoyable and suspenseful mystery. While it may not be the most original or groundbreaking film of the year, it's well-made, well-acted, beautifully shot and fun. The film is set in the atmospheric city of Venice, where Poirot is invited to investigate a series of mysterious deaths at a séance. The cast is full of talented actors, including Br...
The Lake Wales Highlander of 100 years ago reveals much about the history of our community. Each week the Lake Wales News will publish a front-page image of the former Lake Wales Highlander from 100 years earlier, tracking the growth of the community a century ago, when Florida was in the midst of a great land price boom and rapid population growth. The images are retrieved from the digital archives of the Lake Wales Public Library. The Lake Wales Highlander eventually became...
