Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 701 - 725 of 1174
Florida's General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and all polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. As of Oct. 27, 112,310 of the 166,116 vote by mail ballots requested had been returned for counting. Another 74,827 voted early. Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards has some important tips to keep in mind as workers and voters employ safe practices when voting. Precautions to protect voters and workers from COVID-19 mean less voters may be allowed in each polling location at one time. Face masks are encoura...
Polk County Public Schools and the Florida Department of Health-Polk have partnered to create a COVID-19 call center that opens Monday, Nov. 2. The call center will be open from 12:30 to 8 p.m., seven days a week, except for school holidays. The phone number is 863-298-5206. "The school district and the Florida Department of Health in Polk County have been great partners since the very beginning of the pandemic. Working together, we recognized that we could do more to...
The Polk County Democrats held a press conference on Oct. 28 at Lake Mirror in Lakeland which was highlighted by the appearance of Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Florida Democratic Leader Nikki Fried. Also appearing was Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo, as well as the Democratic candidates running in Polk County. CDC guidelines were followed. Polk County Democratic Executive Committee Chair Kathie Sutherland, M.D. welcomed all to the...
Supporters of President Donald Trump will host their second parade starting at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1 - just two days before the General Election. Participants will line up at Crooked Bass Grill and Tavern, 1010 Scenic Highway North. Special guests include Polk County Commissioner Bill Braswell, Frostproof Vice Mayor Austin Gravley and Republican candidates Fred Hawkins for Florida State Representative Seat 42 and Bill Olson for U.S. House of Representatives District 9. More...
The public is invited to "ask an expert" when they attend a virtual elections security forum this Thursday, Oct. 29. The event is being held to discuss voter concerns about the safety and conduct of the general election. Panelists for the 7 p.m. event will include Polk Elections Supervisor Lori Edwards, Polk Sheriff's Department Chief of Staff Steve Lester, and voting rights expert Sam Coodley. JC Martin, chair of the Polk Republicans, and Dr. Kathie Sutherland, chair of the...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
Cheryl G. "Cheri" Mathias, 67, of Winter Haven passed away Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 at Good Shephard Hospice in Auburndale. She was born March 13, 1953 in Springfield, OH to the late Charles and Norma Green; she came here from Ohio in 1972. Cheri was a retired educator for the Polk County School Board and Warner University. She had a two master's degrees in reading and curriculum. She was very passionate about education and focused her vacations on it, and helped many others...
The Citizens and Police Community Relations Advisory Board will hold its first public forum at 6 p.m. Monday Oct. 26 at the B Street Center. Due to the COVID-19 virus, attendees must wear masks and have their temperatures checked upon entrance. About 20 seats will be available to accommodate social distancing, so participants may be rotated into the meeting to offer five minute comments. The Lake Wales City Commission re-established the committee in August with the following...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
Debra Smith Wright, a beloved educator and mother, whose legacy is the countless minds she opened and hearts she touched, transitioned on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. She was 67. Born Feb. 21, 1953 to Eddie Lowe Smith and Essie Mae Jackson, Debra graduated from Lakeland High School in 1970 and Florida Memorial College in 1973. She went on to earn her master's and specialist in education leadership from Rollins College in 1984. Debra began her long and influential career in...
Polk County voters have three easy ways to vote in the Nov. 3 General Election, according to Supervisor of Elections, Lori Edwards. 1. At your Precinct. Polling locations will be open from 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. on Election Day. 2. Vote by Mail. Requests can be made by calling the Elections Office or visiting PolkElections.com. The last day voters can request a mail ballot to be mailed for this election is Saturday, Oct. 24. All mail ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of...
The holidays are right around the corner and you can help make incredible holiday memories for over 1,500 local children who have experienced abuse and/or neglect. Heartland for Children is the local not-for-profit serving Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties that promotes the prevention of child abuse and oversees the provision of services for children who have been abused and/or neglected. These services include in-home family strengthening, adoption, case management, foster...
Judge Monterey "Buddy" Campbell III, age 89, passed away Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020 at his home in Bartow. Monterey, known as either "Monte" or "Buddy," was born in Bartow on Nov. 30, 1930. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law degrees from the University of Florida in 1952 and 1954, respectively. He then served as an officer on active duty in the U.S. Air Force from 1954 to 1956. From 1956 to 1980, Monte practiced law in a small multi-member law firm that engaged...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. is a community conscious, action oriented organization. The Gamma Phi Zeta Chapter of Polk County, through service within the community and the international initiative of Zetas Helping Other People Excel (Z-HOPE), have identified five (5) schools for their Adopt-A-School initiative. • Zone 1 – Greater Lakeland – Kathleen Middle School • Zone 2 – South Lakeland/Mulberry/Bartow – Gibbons Street Pre K Center • Zone 3 – Davenport/Haines City – Sandhil...
Polk County residents now have free access to Gale Presents: Udemy, an online learning platform that connects patrons to video-based courses taught by leading experts in business, technology, and more. Users can explore thousands of continuously updated, on-demand video courses. As the employment landscape continues to change, workers are being tasked to learn new technologies and skills to stay competitive. It is essential for libraries to offer services that help adults...
Thomas (Tom) Ancil Freeman, 94, of Lake Wales passed away on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, at Palm Garden Health and Rehabilitation Center in Winter Haven. He was born in Lawrenceburg, TN on October 19, 1925 and lived a very full and active life. He will always be known for his magnificent artwork of Florida landscapes, nearly 1,000 originals, and his murals throughout Polk County in Lake Wales, Frostproof, and Lake Placid. Those who knew him personally, remember him as a...
Rotary on the Ridge was honored Sept. 22 as the 2019-2020 Club of the Year in Rotary District 6890, which includes 37 clubs in four counties. District Governor Kip Kipnis announced the selection during an awards ceremony online event attended by more than 100 Rotary district leaders from Polk, Highlands, Hardee and Hillsborough counties. 2019-2020 Rotary on the Ridge President Herb Gillis accepted the award remotely, joined by his wife, Megan, who served as club president in...
Polk County residents who wish to register to vote in the Nov. 3 General Election must do so by Oct. 5. Voter registration forms may be completed online at PolkElections.com or paper copies are available for pick up at many convenient locations throughout the county. Registered voters are reminded to inform the Elections Office of any voter information changes before Election Day. For more information, please visit PolkElections.com or call the Elections Office at (863)...
Lake Wales City Commissioner Curtis Gibson got tired of seeing trash along Burns Avenue when he took his morning walk. So he obtained city support and enlisted sponsors for the first Crown Jewel Cleanup starting at 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. Rotary on the Ridge will staff a volunteer check-in tent outside Grace Healthcare at the corner of Burns Avenue and U.S. 17/Scenic Highway. Grace is allowing volunteers to park in their lot. Keep Polk County Beautiful is providing trash ba...
Crystal Higbee gave up a good job as a surgical tech to answer a special calling to become president of Circle of Friends Ministry. Higbee admits like in the story of Jonah and the whale she resisted at first, challenging God to offer clear direction by having retiring ministry founder Mertice Kelly approach her directly about the job. Higbee started part-time in February and stepped out on faith in June to become the ministry's full-time leader. In just a few short months...
Polk Vision welcomed 18 members of Leadership Polk Class XIV on Thursday, Sept. 17 at the Lone Palm Club. As the only countywide leadership development program in Polk County, Leadership Polk is comprised of individuals who have demonstrated a high level of civic engagement in their local community. Started in 2007, the program brings together accomplished leaders from across the county with the goal of developing a diverse network of resourceful, informed and proactive...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
The newly recreated Citizens and Police Community Relations Advisory Committee held its first meeting Monday, Sept. 21 to organize and get acquainted. The Lake Wales City Commission re-established the committee in August with the following purposes: - Providing a forum for citizens to express their opinions about police procedures and to receive informal information from the police department regarding police procedures. - Providing a forum for citizens and the police...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
