Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 551 - 575 of 1231
An unusual "annexation agreement" covering 932-acres of citrus groves owned by Sarasota-based Gardinier Florida Citrus and PCGP, LLC will be considered by the City Commission this week, yet another major block of land that is being brought under the control of city planners. The lands in question lie east of Scenic Highway and north of Masterpiece Road at Starr Lake. Most of the property is not being targeted for quick annexation or development, but will eventually be brought...
Communications and information about City of Lake Wales activities and services should be easier to find, as a result of the hiring of Marketing and Communications Director Eric Marshall, who started his orientation in mid-December. Marshall, 48, is a graduate of the University of South Florida, where he studied mass communications, multimedia, and communications law. He comes to Lake Wales after a stint at Polk County Parks and Recreation. That was preceded by 13 years in...
There's some action to be found on area lakes despite the unseasonable warmth this holiday period. Start your New Year out right with a fun advneture in pursuit of the perfect catch. Here are some of the specific lures that area fishermen are using with success around southeast Polk waters. On Lake Walk-in-the-water try trolling with a "shinee hinee" in orange and chartreuse in 6ft of water for the big specks. The bass are starting to move up into the shallows. Try keying in...
Population growth on the US 27 corridor has led transportation planners to plot the future course of an "alternate" route that will parallel the busy inter-regional highway. The proposed limited-access toll expressway will thread its way around the west side of Lake Wales before crossing US 27 near the north city limits to run along the Ridge east of Dundee and Haines City. Planning maps released by the Polk Transportation Planning Organization, a multi-agency body which...
The challenge of managing the wave of new development proposed for Lake Wales was the topic of a two-hour workshop for city commissioners Friday afternoon, with the prospect for much more time to be spent on the topic in coming weeks and months. The nearly ten thousand housing units projected to fill a dozen developments in coming years are likely to attract an associated wave of new commercial development. Hearing presentations from city planners, experts, and citizens, the...
More than 20 acres of forest along the west side of Timberlane Road will become a single-family home subdivision over the objections of many neighbors after the Polk County Commission approved the plan this week. The Polk Planning Commission had unanimously approved the proposal last month. The 45-home plat will include 10-foot setbacks after many voiced opposition to the five-foot setbacks which Sloan Engineering Group had proposed. Minimum lot sizes in the development will...
Got a team of seniors who want to win a title? Or perhaps you're just feeling competitive yourself? Why not consider taking part in the Senior Games? The annual games are modeled after the Olympics and offer an opportunity to test your skills and stamina against others in your own age group. Polk Senior Games are an annual two-week series of Olympic-style sports and games for men and women 50 years of age and over, held at various locations throughout Polk County. The Senior...
The field of candidates seeking the helm of the Lake Wales Charter Schools got a bit smaller this week as two of the remaining candidates have withdraw their applications. The search now narrows to eight after two applicants withdrew. Those two were Dr. Ronald J Iasruss, Superintendent of the Marion City Schools in Marion Ohio, and James T. Stroder, Superintendent of the Rogersville City School in Tennessee. They had been selected to advance to the next round in the selection...
As the price of fresh cut Christmas trees rises due to a national shortage, perhaps it's time to consider a different kind of Christmas tree. "Instead of buying a cut Christmas tree that you will throw away in January, why not spend that same $50 and buy a Southern Live Oak that will live for hundreds of years?" That's the question posed by Lake Wales Heritage, the local not-for-profit working to plant the thousands of street trees called for in the 1930 Lake Wales...
Alane D. Osborn, age 57, passed away Tuesday, November 30, 2021 at her home in Bartow. Born October 26, 1964 in Dixon, IL, she was the daughter of William Carr Osborn and Jane Doris (Bowman) Osborn. Ms. Osborn was a Veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Alane worked Polk County in the Parks and Natural Resources dept. in Mosquito Control since 2004. She is survived by her companion, Howard Warren, her son Brad Boyles, and her brother, Michael Osborn along with many friends and...
The long-vacant position of leadership at the helm of the Lake Wales Charter Schools is a step closer to be filled after the Superintendent Search Committee reduced the original field of applicants to a list of favorites. The opportunity to lead the acclaimed school system, one of the only community-based charter conversion systems in the nation, generated significant interest. The search for applicants, advertised nationally, drew a field of twenty-five, representing eleven...
Polk State College announced that it is eliminating $1.2 million in student debt to alleviate financial burdens for students brought on by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Nearly 1,300 students who were enrolled between March 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, and had student debt have had their obligations canceled. Additionally, any student debts incurred during this period that had been sent to collections have been eliminated. "Polk State College recognizes that student debt...
The search for a new superintendent for the Lake Wales Charter School System has entered its next phase following the close of applications for the position on November 17. Now the search committee will begin the process of winnowing the 25 applicants, representing 11 states, down to a few finalists who will be granted preliminary on-line interviews The field of applicants includes local residents, including several from Polk County. Others on the list have attended local...
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...
Frank M. Hunt, II of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, November 27, 2021 at his residence. He was born April 2, 1928 in Lake Wales to the late Deeley A. and Louise E. Hunt; he was a fifth generation Floridian. Frank attended elementary school and secondary school in Lake Wales and attended Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina. He graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville with a BS Degree in Business Administration in 1950. Frank was the President of the...
A crumbling former gasoline station and convenience store that has proven to be a stubborn eyesore may be subject to foreclosure action as City-imposed fines of $500 a day are mounting rapidly and surpassing the value of the property by some estimates. The property is prominently situated at the busy intersection of Scenic Highway and Polk Avenue, Fourth Street also flanks the site at the corner familiarly known as "Five Points." Once a Shell outlet, the business closed long...
A significant investment in rehabilitation for both existing housing and needy residents is likely to result from a successful grant application by the Lake Wales Care Center. That 36-year-old organization has been notified that they will soon receive $1 million in grant funding after emerging as the top non-profit applicant in Polk County under the American Rescue Plan. "My first thought was just 'wow, what an honor,' because there are a lot of good projects and good...
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...
Leta Mitchell Wright, 97, retired educator, volunteer, and champion of her hometown passed away Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at her home in Fort Meade. Mrs. Leta Wright, or "Mama Leta", as she was lovingly called by her grandchildren and numerous friends, was born in Fort Meade, Florida, on January 12, 1924 to Elbert Franklin and Belle Hendrix Mitchell. She graduated from Fort Meade High School before moving to DeLand, Florida to attend Stetson University where she earned her...
John L. Anderson Jr. went home to be with the Lord on Monday, November 15th. John, known by many of his students as "Mr. A" enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a Vocal Music Teacher in Polk County Schools and Polk State College as well as serving as Minister of Music in several area churches and Cast Choir Director for Disney's Candlelight Processional (1990's). He is survived by his wife, Margaret "Margie" Anderson; son, John N. Anderson; sister, Joyce Oliff; and many...
Bok Academy South students turned out in force Saturday morning to add their contribution to a city-wide effort to recreate a historic landscape plan for Lake Wales. Led by educator Nicole Sealey, students and a few parents helped to clear grass and re-bank "wells" around each of thirty young trees planted last month along Fourth Street. Many of the young trees showed fresh growth, and a few were surprising project leaders by showing signs of going into bloom. The plantings...
Lake Wales's newest housing subdivision is rapidly being developed on the high ground just west of Lake Wales High School. Scenic Bluffs Phase Two will offer 55 single-family homes on a site facing Old Scenic Highway. In a nod to the extraordinary housing shortage facing much of the nation, prices have risen sharply for new homes, pricing many first-time buyers out of the market. New homes in the development will start at 1400 square feet of living area and be priced...
"It's a blink of an eye and 30 years have flown by. When Ralph and I started we both had darker hair," said Mike Mahalak, president of the Mahalak Auto Group, in recognition of a quadruple anniversary for their local and flagship franchises. "It has been a fun adventure. We have been blessed to see a lot of growth and have made a lot of relationships here in Winter Haven and across central Florida. At the end of the day, you can buy a vehicle from just about anybody... but...
The multiple proposals for future residential development in the Lake Wales area has many concerned for the future of the city and the potential loss of its "small town" feel. After hearing from numerous citizens about their worries for the future, Commissioner and Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson has felt the need to speak about the issue. "Folks have been telling me they are concerned about the town being overwhelmed by the coming urbanization," Gibson said in a written statement....
