Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 326 - 350 of 1193
An overflow crowd was present Tuesday night as Lake Wales City Commissioners approved correction of a "scrivener's error" that many had interpreted as a step toward the approval of a controversial pipe factory proposal. The change will allow a staff decision on a zoning change from "Light Industrial" to "Heavy Industrial" without the necessity of a commission-conducted public hearing process and site review. That process would allow commissioners to place special conditions...
As lawns wither and trees wilt across the central Florida, weather forecasters are eyeing long-range models showing a significant chance that a rare April tropical or sub-tropical storm could form in the Gulf of Mexico in coming days. According to the Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC), drought conditions over most of the Florida peninsula range from severe to extreme, and most areas are recording the driest start to any year in over a century. So far at the...
A "town hall" community organizing event is planned to take place Monday at the Mary Norma Campbell Resource Center in Highland Park Manor. The 7:00 pm event is the second meeting of the community located southeast of Lake Wales. Concern over the lack of transparency by the city of Lake Wales over rezoning of an industrial site to accommodate proposed plastic pipe factory appears to be one of the catalysts for the revival of the neighborhood association. Both Highland Park...
Marcus Kirby, a former associate pastor at HighPoint Church in Lake Wales, has been ordered to serve 10 years' probation and pay $67,491 in restitution to his former employer, the Lake Wales Care Center, after pleading no contest to bilking two of the center's clients whose financial accounts he was overseeing. Kirby, 41, who also was a trustee on the Lake Wales Charter School Board, faced up to 3½ years in prison had he been convicted at trial, according to state...
A very dry winter in the Lake Wales area that has extended into the spring has led to critically dry conditions and a very high fire risk. Extreme caution is being urged by authorities when handling any sort of open flame or heat source. A recent fire at the River Ranch hunting tract burned over 1,000 acres and destroyed scores of temporary structures. No one was hurt in the fires, but valuable fire-fighting resources were strained in combatting the blaze. Meager rains in...
Frostproof's limited dining options will expand with the addition of one new choice Friday, March 31 as the highly anticipated Frostproof BBQ Company is slated to open. Although several other popular dining places are already operating, many locals are quite excited to have another choice. The Frostproof BBQ Company will make owner Joel Vann's eighth location, following in their duo's work with Lakeland BBQ Company and Polk City BBQ Company. Preparations at the new business...
A collision between a work truck and a bicyclist claimed the life of a 90-year-old Lake Wales resident Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Walk-In-the-Water Road and Uncle Joe's Fish Camp Road, southeast of Lake Wales. The crash occurred at about about 12:15 pm. First responders from Polk County Fire Rescue found the victim, 90-year old David Linne of Lake Wales, suffering from serious injuries. He was transported to a local hospital but passed away shortly after...
A $3000 grant has been awarded to a local athletic league that will allow them to continue to provide participation and support for local athletes wishing to participate in their programs. Nearly every parent knows how costly it can be to have children involved in sports. Between the registration, equipment, cost of transportation, meals, and even the time commitment, the price can become prohibitive. No Limits Volleyball in Polk County helps to bring affordable, Christian-bas...
Lake Wales preschool director and owner of Blessed Child Daycare Vivian Lewter Loydd understands the literacy dilemma in the United States, and resolved to do something about it. Florida has the third highest percentage of adults lacking basic prose literacy skills and its population has a literacy rate of just 80.3 percent. With over 22 years of experience, the poet Loydd had a great idea to foster that love with her 4 and 5-year-old students recently. She realized that the...
City action may at last be pending against a long-derelict eyesore property that confront thousands of travelers each day passing by on Scenic Highway. The former "Five Points" Shell station at the intersection of Scenic, Fourth Street and Polk Avenue has been abandoned for nearly two decades and has been through a number of ownership changes, including two different tax deed sales in 2015 and 2021. The property has been repeatedly battered by hurricanes, and was damaged in...
A Tuesday night crash has claimed the life of a Frostproof woman as she left her place of employment at the popular Coop in Babson Park. 53-year-old Patricia Robarts of Frostproof left the parking lot and turned onto Waverly Road at about 11:30 pm driving a silver 2018 Kia Stinger. According to reports from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, she stopped at the intersection of Waverly and Scenic Hwy North and then began a left turn onto Scenic Highway. For unknown reasons, her...
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...
A very dry January and February in the Lake Wales area have led to critically dry conditions, despite a few scattered showers passing over the area. This week humidity levels will once again approach red-flag conditions, making any fire a severe risk. As drought conditions prevail and low humidity persists, Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) would like to encourage the public to help prevent accidental bush fires throughout the county. Since January 2023, Polk County Fire Rescue...
The Certified Agriculture Dealer (CAD) Program, and their partner RFD-TV, have selected Lake Wales Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram among eight Certified Agriculture Dealer locations as hosts of a March 21 broadcast to help bring a local flavor to the Washington D.C. events scheduled to celebrate National Agriculture Day. "This is AgRally's third year as America's only national springtime agriculture event. From calves dropping everywhere between both coasts, to the season's first...
Enrollment for the Summer 2023 Semester and the Fall 2023 Term at Polk State College will start on March 27 with priority registration for students who have completed at least 50% of their program requirements. Open enrollment will start on April 3. Currently enrolled students will be able to check the completion status of their program requirements on March 20 to determine if they are eligible for priority registration in Passport, where students register for classes....
The Federal Railroad Administration Friday gave SunRail and Brightline, Central Florida's dual passenger train ambitions, an extension of the looming deadline to apply for funding to expand from Orlando's airport to the region's tourism hub and across Polk County to Tampa. Sun Rail currently serves 16 locations between Poinciana and DeBary. The Florida Department of Transportation is responsible for coordinating local governments and the private Brightline Trains, which are...
Teaching children to read is one of the most important steps in the life-long project of learning. Getting them started early is critical, many educators believe. Among those who created reading material that draws children into the learning process was the beloved Dr. Seuss. As a way to mark Dr. Seuss' birthday on March 2, Lake Wales Charter Schools Superintendent Dr. Wayne Rodolfich, accompanied by Bilingual Specialist Dr. Julio Acevedo and PD Coordinator Stacie Padgett,...
Lake Wales Police have recovered more than $400,000 worth of stolen property and arrested a 51-year-old man suspected of dealing in stolen property. The Friday February 17, arrest of Billy Joe Byrd by Lake Wales Police detectives came after they received a tip that stolen property was being stored at 254 N Miami Street in Lake Wales. Police are seeking others involved in a wide-spread theft and fencing operation. Detectives obtained permission from the property owner before...
A forum to hear from four candidates for the Lake Wales City Commission is planned for mid-March to allow voters to learn about the goals and platforms prior to the April 4 election. Two seats on the five-person commission are at stake in the vote. The American Association of University Women Lake Wales Branch will join with the GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales in sponsoring the forum on March 13th. The candidates for the two seats include Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson, who will...
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...
Four separate construction projects are causing lengthy detours for area drivers, according to Bill Skelton, Project Management Liaison for Polk County. Travel delays, some lengthy, can be expected while traffic is detoured to bypass these closures. The newest announced closure is along Lake Wales-Alturas Road North, just west Crews Road, in rural, unincorporated Lake Wales. That road is closing at the railroad crossing on Thursday, February 23 for two to five days to allow...
An event designed to share healthcare and vital resources with the broader community will give residents a chance to learn and take advantage of many free services, ranging from health screenings to free cookies and snacks.. The Community Resource Fair will take place on March 11th from 10am to 12pm at the Lake Wales Library. A dozen vendors will set up throughout the library lobby, as well as along the front entrance sidewalk, according to Christine Runyon, the library's...
Cyclists and pedestrians are one step closer to being able to travel safely from downtown Lakeland to downtown Bartow. The Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) today accepted funding for construction of a 2.4-mile extension of the Fort Fraser Trail, which currently runs parallel to U.S Highway 98 for eight miles along an abandoned rail line, from State Road 540 to State Rd. 60. The extension will go from U.S. Highway 98 at Winter Lake Rd. to Lake Highlands Rd. at G...
For one day only, Polk County is putting the brakes on collection fees and getting drivers back on the road during Operation Green Light. Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller Stacy Butterfield has announced the program in coordination with clerks of court across the state. During the one-day event, the collection fees applied to unpaid court fines are waived, which saves customers up to 40 percent on their outstanding fines. Once paid, customers can proceed with the...
