Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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KT's Sunshine Foundation will host the Southern Sunshine BBQ & Music Festival this weekend in Lake Wailes Park, drawing thousands of fans for the fun, and the purpose. The festival was created in memory of "KT," a nursing student who died in a tragic traffic accident, In its short existence, KT's Sunshine Foundation has awarded $22,000 in scholarships to high school seniors interested in pursuing a medical degree, helped 9 families with funeral expenses, and donated $1,000 to...
Polk County Public Schools’ graduation rate decreased to 78.3 percent in 2021-2022, according to the latest data released today by the Florida Department of Education. District officials continue to analyze the data, but they anticipated a drop due to changes in graduation requirements during the pandemic. State exams were waived as graduation requirements during the pandemic (2019-20 and 2020-21 school years). As a result, students did not need to pass these exams to earn t...
New requirements will be faced by those wishing to speak during the public access portion of Lake Wales City Commission meetings following action taken Tuesday. On a 3-2 vote the commission approved a resolution providing for a registration form to be completed by each speaker prior to the meeting containing their personal information and the purpose and topic of their statement. Commission chambers were filled during the meeting with several forced to watch a television feed...
A new ordinance governing water use and plumbing fixtures will soon be in place in Lake Wales in hopes of reducing future demand on municipal water supplies. Representatives from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) were in attendance at a recent meeting of the Lake Wales Planning and Zoning Board to provide information on the Florida Water Star Certification process and criteria. After approval by the P&Z board the ordinance was advanced to the city...
Classes have started at Polk State College, but there is still time to enroll for the Spring 2023 Semester. Registration continues for 12-week classes, which will start on February 6, and eight-week classes that will start on March 7. Currently enrolled students can register for classes in Passport. Prospective students must submit a free online application to Polk State. The application, as well as information about the admission and registration processes, is available at...
A new roundabout project at the intersection of Old Bartow Lake Wales Road and Rattlesnake Road (County Road 653) in Lake Wales will close the intersection for one month starting Monday morning, January 9. A month long extension of a road closure has been added to a roundabout project under construction at the intersection of Old Bartow Lake Wales Road and Rattlesnake Road (County Road 653) in Lake Wales. The construction project, which began in September, has required...
Stifling Dissent is Not a Solution The essential freedoms that we often take for granted as Americans set us apart from much of the world, where speaking out against a government action or official can bring harsh responses. More than ever, speaking out is needed in Lake Wales. There is no better forum for sharing concerns and ideas about the course of our community than the meetings of the City Commission. Now, under a proposed resolution, Lake Wales citizens may be...
Feeding veterans and their families and aiding in preventing suicides is a pretty significant contribution to Polk County residents, and the Dyer family has taken the time to recognize that effort. Last year, the All Veterans Center in Polk County helped feed over 34,000 veterans and their families. You might think that's a pretty amazing accomplishment, and it is, but it's not all the All Veterans Center did last year. The nonprofit organization which assists veterans, their...
A written appeal for re-instatement has been sent to Governor Ron DeSantis by former Lake Wales City Commissioner Kris Fitzgerald, who was found not guilty in October of charges lodged against her only weeks after her election in April 2021. Fitzgerald faced a weapons charge after confronting a young relative who was accused of a sexual assault on her daughter. Her acquittal in an October jury trial came more than a year after her arrest. Florida Statutes 112.51.6 allows the...
Polk County commissioners are looking for volunteers who would like to serve on the county's Lake Access Advisory Committee. The Lake Access Advisory Committee studies how to increase public access to Polk County's lakes and reports findings and recommendations back to the County Commission. The Lake Access Advisory Committee includes 10 members appointed by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners. Each Commissioner appoints two members to the Committee, with staggered...
Thursday was an exciting day for both students and administrators of Lake Wales' McLaughlin Middle/High School as they broke ground for a new $15 million gymnasium, and welcomed back former student Amar'e Stoudemire to give a keynote address. Stoudemire brought a message of encouragement to students hoping to follow his success as a "student athlete. "Hard work" was the repeated theme he share. Highlighting the need for education as well as athletics, he proudly announced his...
A month long extension of a road closure has been added to a roundabout project under construction at the intersection of Old Bartow Lake Wales Road and Rattlesnake Road (County Road 653) in Lake Wales. The construction project, which began in September, has required closure previously. The road will close again at the intersection for one month starting Monday morning, December 19. Local access will be maintained to the point of closure, but no traffic will be permitted to...
Almost 10 weeks after Hurricane Ian struck Polk County on September 28, large piles of storm debris remain piled along some Polk County roads. Despite complaints, some residents' frustrations are turning to anger directed at the county. While cities have move promptly to remove the heaps of limbs and branches, Polk County has struggled to maintain service for residents. During the same time frame a break-down in service for even normal household waste resulted in the Polk...
Lake Wales High School's athletics programs continue to find success, as the men's soccer program advanced to the Polk County Champion's League semi-final game with a 3-1 victory over All Saints Friday. The semi-final game will take place Tuesday night at 8:00 in Lakeland. The win over All Saints came on the strength of goals by Luke Weaver, Carson Pike and, and Martin Aguilar. The Highlanders are now 3-2-1 on the season, their wins coming as LW 6-0 Haines City, and LW 2-0...
Lake Wales Police and firefighters recovered the body of 31-year-old Christopher Shoemaker from Crystal Lake late Friday morning. Shoemaker, of Greeneville, Tennessee, was last seen by friends on Wednesday night, November 30, swimming in the lake, but they were reportedly uncertain if he had left the lake or experienced a problem while in the water, according to a police statement. Officers and Polk County Deputies searched Lake Wailes and Crystal Lake as well as the...
Frustration among Polk County residents in the Lake Wales area spread this week to include the Board of County Commissioners, who have been deluged with complaints from residents about missed collections of trash. The issue is only compounded by the mountains of yard waste still remaining on area streets in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in early October. County Commissioner Bill Braswell introduced the motion to declare an emergency after hearing complaints of up to...
More than three miles of streets around Lake Wales are in for improved surfaces in coming months, part of the city's multi-year street maintenance program. The largest single project will be the resurfacing of 2,260 feet of Sessoms Avenue from Scenic Highway to Wales Drive. The project will use a process called "cape seal," which will extend the life of existing asphalt band and allow the budget to cover more streets, according to Division Manager Beverly Pennington of the...
The Circle of Friends will be celebrating Thanksgiving this Saturday, November 19, beginning at 11:00, and are inviting the entire community to join them in the Historic District of downtown Lake Wales for the event. The celebration will take place in front of their facilities at 105 East Stuart Avenue. The entire block will be closed for the day's activities. Guests will find family friendly entertainment and a day of free games and activities for all ages, with an area speci...
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...
The 2023 edition of the Polk Senior Games are scheduled for February 25 – March 11. The Games offer a two-week series of athletic and recreational Olympic-style events for men and women, 50 and over, with a variety of skills - the serious competitor, the fun at heart, the seasoned athlete, the late bloomer, and the physically challenged. The purpose of the Games is to promote friendly competition, fellowship, health and wellness, an active lifestyle, and volunteerism. E...
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...
The early morning forecast from the National Hurricane Center confirms that once Sub-Tropical Storm Nicole is transitioning to a Tropical Storm, and is likely to reach Hurricane strength as it moves through the northern Bahamas before impacting Florida's east coast. The change has implications for the Lake Wales area. Still retaining the extremely-broad wind field of an extra-tropical system, Nicole is now developing an inner core of strong winds, which will likely bring a...
Student athletes from four local elementary schools will meet on the gridiron in an afternoon ideal for family fun. Students from Janie Howard Wilson, Hillcrest, Polk Avenue, and Babson Park elementary schools look forward to the highlight of both the autumn of the school calendars and the spring of their football careers. The annual "Elementary Turkey Bowl" takes place on Tuesday, November 15, beginning at 10:00 am. on the storied grounds of Legion Field in Lake Wales....
After an October 27 public forum that City Manager James Slaton described as "disorganized," City of Lake Wales staff is reviewing and restarting the entire process of conducting a land use study that will outline future desired uses of property in and around the community. City staff plans to enhance public engagement in the City's Land Use Study, designed to evaluate land areas in the city's utility service area beyond the city limits in unincorporated Polk County. "The...
More than $466,000 will flow to two Lake Wales cultural organizations from Polk County "bed tax" designed to promote overnight stays in area hotels, according to Kris Keprios, Senior Tourism Sales and Marketing Manager of Polk County's Tourism and Sports Marketing Division. "The Arts, Culture and Heritage sponsorships assist arts organizations by stretching their marketing dollars so they can draw more visitors to their events from outside of the county," Keprios said in a...
