Communication Builds Our Community

(1193) stories found containing 'Polk'


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  • Attorney Kent Lilly Offers Lesson in Value of Role Models

    News.Net Staff|Updated Nov 12, 2021

    By now a familiar voice to fans at Friday night football games, one local volunteer has made a highly successful career out of childhood inspiration, and a thread of football tradition runs through it. Local son Kent Lilly has become something of a legend in his own right. Lilly grew up in Lake Wales, and after Lake Wales High School went on to graduate from the University of Florida with a degree in accounting before heading off to law school at Florida State University,...

  • a diagram of the new intersection

    SR 60 Overpass Construction "On Schedule"

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Oct 28, 2021

    The massive $45 million project to replace the obsolete bridge over US 27 in Lake Wales is continuing apace, but the comings months will see multiple traffic interruptions, the Florida Department of Transportation has confirmed. The bridge will carry State Road 60 over the federal highway. Corine Burgess, Community Outreach manager for the project on behalf of FDOT, has confirmed that construction in the middle of the Central Avenue-US 27 intersection will be disrupted again...

  • LakeWalesNews.Net Readership Views Surge to 20,000 Weekly

    News Staff|Updated Oct 27, 2021

    New features and sections added to LakeWalesNews.Net have driven skyrocketing readership since September 1, reaching well over 80,000 page views during the first month, according to statistics captured by Internet analytics. New Day Market Research acquired the online newspaper on that date and has since significantly enhanced the publication's reach and interest. "We are extremely pleased by the community reaction to our added features like the graphic Community Calendar," sa...

  • Pioneer Days Opens to Big Crowds

    News Staff|Updated Oct 26, 2021

    Blacksmiths, crafters, and thousands of their admirers turned out for the annual Pioneer Days today in Lake Wales. The event, sponsored by the Lake Wales History Museum, runs through the weekend. Great weather seemed to draw out the crowds for the event, and they found lots to do and admire, with demonstrations of lots of pioneer crafts from broom-making to canoe carving. Antique tractors and cars, plenty of live music, a dozen food trucks, a beer garden and the annual...

  • Attracting Wildlife to Our Yards is Easy and Fun

    FWC and News Staff|Updated Oct 24, 2021

    Attracting wildlife to our yards by planning and planting for their needs is simple and satisfying. If we supply adequate food, water and shelter, we can increase the number and variety of species that visit our properties, improving our chances of observing them more closely while providing the habitat they need to survive. The Lake Wales Ridge is home to scores of "endemic" species that exist nowhere else on earth. Because almost all of Florida was submerged as recently as t...

  • Photo of Polk State College Lake Wales

    Polk State Spring Enrollment Opens

    Updated Oct 20, 2021

    Enrollment for the Spring 2022 Semester at Polk State College will start on Monday, October 25, 2021, with priority registration for students who have completed at least 50 percent of their program requirements. Open enrollment will begin on Monday, November 1, 2021, and classes will start on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. Currently enrolled students can register for classes in Passport, while prospective students must submit a free online application to Polk State. Dual...

  • Construction Site Theft Becomes Larger Problem in Polk

    Jeremy Maready, Polk Public Information Office|Updated Oct 20, 2021

    Building is booming in Polk County and so are construction-related thefts, according to feedback received by the Polk County Building Division. “It really isn’t a surprise to us,” said Building Director Benjamin Dunn. “With the shortages of supplies, skyrocketing inflation and supply chain issues, unsecured building supplies are a beacon to criminals looking for an easy pay day.” But a local construction jobsite doesn’t have to be easy pickings. This is a problem that both homeowners and builders can work together to...

  • photo of Volunteers gathered to hear instructions

    Olmsted Streetscapes Get New Life After 90 Years

    Tom Paulson, City Editor|Updated Oct 20, 2021

    Wielding spades and smiles, some two dozen volunteers planted 30 young trees along Fourth Street South in Lake Wales Saturday morning, the first of more than 1,000 trees Lake Wales Heritage intends to plant over several years to complete a historic landscape plan. "People don't know much about Olmsted," volunteer Preston Troutman told a group of 15 students from Lake Wales High School. The students, members of the school's Interact Club, had just help complete the first...

  • Charter Schools Search for Superintendent Described as "Transparent"

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Oct 20, 2021

    Finding a new superintendent for the Lake Wales Charter School System is a painstaking process, with huge focus on finding the ideal candidate, according to Bill Vogel. Vogel, 72, is himself a former school superintendent who is providing services to the Charter Schools Board of Trustees as a consultant to the Florida School Board Association. "We're very impressed with the commitment of the Board of Trustees to finding the right candidate," he told the LakeWalesNews.Net...

  • Gladys Howell Named Pioneer of the Year

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Oct 13, 2021

    The Lake Wales History Museum will honor Gladys Howell as the 2021 Lake Wales Pioneer of the Year as part of the 45th Annual Pioneer Days Festival at Lake Wailes Park. The recognition celebration will be held during the festival on Saturday, October 23 at 10:00 am. The Lake Wales History Museum's Pioneer Days Festival is synonymous with Lake Wales history and culture, and celebrates the heritage of the greater Polk County community. The two-day event will feature 50 craft &...

  • Dayanara Ortiz Nieves, 1993-2021

    Updated Oct 10, 2021

    Dayanara Ortiz Nieves of Lakeshore passed away Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at Advent Health Lake Wales. She was born May 29, 1993 in Puerto Rico; she moved to Lake Wales four years ago. Dayanara was a Nutritional Assistant for the Polk County School District. She enjoyed going to the beach and hosting friends and family. She was an excellent baker and an avid Boston Red Sox fan, and an unbreakable faith in Christ Jesus. Dayanara is survived by her wife of three years, Kayla...

  • City Commission Districts to be Re-Drawn

    Brian Ackley, City of Lake Wales|Updated Oct 9, 2021

    Lake Wales will likely have to tweak the borders of its four voting districts since the 2020 U.S. Census showed the city had grown by about 15 percent in the last decade. The official census count in 2020 was 16,351 residents, up from 14.225 in 2010. In order to redraw voting district lines, a special five-person Census Redistricting Committee will be formed to suggest the new boundaries, which will then have to be formally adopted by the city commission. The city has four...

  • school students wearing masks to prevent covic

    Florida Dept. of Education Finally Submits $2.3B Federal Funds Request

    Danielle J. Brown, The Florida Phoenix|Updated Oct 8, 2021

    The Florida Department of Education has finally submitted a plan outlining how federal relief funds will be used to help schools recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan is four months late and Florida was the last state in the nation to submit one. On the line is $2.3 billion in additional COVID relief funds, adding up to a total $15 billion earmarked for Florida's COVID recovery in schools. The Florida Phoenix has been writing about the issue for months now, with the...

  • Cindy Michelle Lambeth, 1981-2021

    Updated Oct 6, 2021

    Cindy Michelle Lambeth of Indian Lake Estates passed away Sunday, Oct 3, 2021 at her residence. She was born February 4, 1981 in Lake Wales to Wayne and Debbie Lambeth. Cindy was a configuration analyst for Ferguson Enterprises and an adjunct professor at Polk State College. She loved to travel and had a great sense of humor, was big in education, and had a strong work ethic. Cindy is survived by her son, Brian Wilson of Indian Lake Estates; father, Wayne Lambeth of Lake...

  • Kids and coaches on Legion Field grass

    New Lighted Football Field May Serve Youth Football Leagues

    Robert Connors|Updated Oct 6, 2021

    A lighted football field proposed for Washington Park near US 27 is expected to make a big difference to hundreds of young people involved in two Lake Wales youth football leagues. The new facility is proposed to be built by Polk County Parks and Recreation using Community Development Block Grant funds. CDBG funds are restricted to projects serving underserved neighborhoods and communities. Among users of the new football facility are likely to be the Lake Wales Youth Football...

  • William Paul Creech, 1953-2021

    Updated Oct 6, 2021

    William Paul Creech, age 68, passed away on Friday, September 17th, 2021, while at the Lake Wales Hospital. Born on November 13, 1952 and originally from Greenville, Alabama, he lived in Lake Wales, Polk County, Florida for most of his adult life. He worked for the state of Florida as an Inspector. In 1992, he met the love of his life, Barbara Waddle, at an IHop. He loved cooking and spending time with his family. William was preceded in death by his father, William Parmer...

  • Polk County Schools "Portrait of a Graduate" Survey Now Open

    Updated Oct 4, 2021

    Students and parents involved in the Polk County Public Schools may wish to offer comments to the School System about the future direction of Polk Public Schools. According to officials at the county-wide system, they are seeking public input to create a new strategic plan to improve schools and better serve students. A community survey has been developed, and stakeholders are being invited to tell them what they think are the top qualities for an ideal PCPS graduate. The...

  • Ora "Oz" Caldwell Taken by Covid-19

    News Staff|Updated Oct 4, 2021

    Ora "Oz" Caldwell of Lake Wales passed away September 9th due to complications of Covid-19. Known to many by his nickname of "the Great One," Caldwell was a graduate of West Point and served for many years in the office of the Public Defender in Polk County. He was known to many in the Lake Wales area as a man of generous spirit and manner. "He was an officer and a gentleman," said former Public Defender Marion Moorman. "He was a fantastic lawyer, a true trial lawyer who had...

  • Construction Delays Mean Commuter Headaches

    Tom Paulson - City Editor|Updated Sep 28, 2021

    A Polk County bridge replacement project is keeping Walk In Water Road east of Lake Wales closed until early November. Crews are working to complete the new span over Tiger Creek and rebuild the roadway approaches, Polk County officials said today. The $1.63 million project was originally scheduled to be completed this month. Residents of the area are finding the blockage to be a major inconvenience, and adding many miles to commutes for those working or shopping on the opposite side of the bridge project. Residents south of...

  • photo of AdventHealth Lake Wales Medical center

    AdventHealth Issues Update of Covid-19 Status

    Advent Health Communications|Updated Sep 28, 2021

    AdventHealth's COVID-19 patient census continued to drop this week to about 660 patients hospitalized across our hospitals in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Polk, Lake, Volusia and Flagler counties. This figure is less than 50% of the level of inpatient hospitalizations we saw at the height of the Delta surge in August of about 1,700 hospitalized patients. AdventHealth continues to operate under "Green Status" or normal operations. "This slow, but steady decline in new admissions...

  • Millions in Grants Offered to Polk Organizations

    Tom Paulson|Updated Sep 24, 2021

    A variety of area organizations including those providing support for the impacts of Covid-19 in our communities are now eligible to receive American Rescue Act funds made available by Congress and the President to speed recovery from the effects of the pandemic. UPDATE: The County has issued a modification to the American Rescue Plan application process that will require those seeking funding to request an application be sent to them. To be considered for a portion of the...

  • David Dlugokecki presents the Dyer Difference Award to Stephanie Fitzgerald

    Ducks Unlimited Receives Dyer Award

    Wendy Dwyer|Updated Sep 23, 2021

    When it comes to conservation, restoration, and management of North America's wetlands and waterfowl habitats, there is little that can compare with Ducks Unlimited. The grassroots organization, which is celebrating its 85th anniversary, works tirelessly using research, biology, and common sense to help conserve wetlands and the waterfowl who inhabit them. While this is wonderful for the waterfowl, all of humanity also benefits from the efforts of the conservationists and...

  • Mertice Bettina Stokes, 1964-2021

    Updated Sep 22, 2021

    Mertice Bettina Stokes of Jacksonville went home to be with the Lord on September 3rd at St. Vincent Riverside Hospital surrounded by her family. She was born April 9, 1964, in Lake Wales to John C. and Mertice W. Fehringer. She was a devoted wife and homemaker and was a member of Evangel Assembly of God in Jacksonville. She also loved being a part of her childhood church, Impact, when visiting Lake Wales. Tina realized her passion for children very early in life, especially...

  • Lakes Education Action Drive Works to Protect Area Water Resources

    Updated Sep 22, 2021

    The Lakes Education Action Drive (LEAD) Board of Directors recently met to select leadership for the upcoming year and consider adoption of their 2021-2022 Fiscal Year Budget. "While COVID-19 affected us all," said LEAD Executive Director Danny Kushmer, "many programs were cancelled. LEAD was able to finish the year financially sound." The group has served Polk County for more than 30 years and is responsible for the many familiar blue signs on storm drains reminding...

  • Supervisor of Elections to Conduct Voter Registration Drive

    Betsy Cleveland|Updated Sep 22, 2021

    The Polk County Supervisor of Elections will join in a nationwide effort to register voters on Tuesday, September 28th in celebration of National Voter Registration Day. Registration tables will be available at seven locations around Polk County. New voters will have the opportunity to register to vote, and current voters will be able to update their record if they have moved, or changed their name. October 4th is the deadline to register to vote in Polk County’s November 2nd Municipal Elections in Fort Meade, Lakeland and W...

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