Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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At the end of a tense, 3 ½ hour city commission workshop on community policing and the prospect of police wearing body cameras Lake Wales City Manager Ken Fields summarized his marching orders: Bring back a plan and budget for implementing body cameras and develop a better system for citizen complaints. Police Chief Chris Velasquez made a lengthy and detailed presentation citing his department's service-based community policing philosophy and commitment to building...
Teachers and education students from Polk County (and beyond) are welcome to attend Polk County Public Schools EdCamp. The free professional development opportunity will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 25 at Florida Southern College's Roberts Academy at 1140 Frank Lloyd Wright Way in Lakeland. The event is billed as a unique professional experience where teachers will learn from other teachers in discussion groups, not lectures. For more information, please see our...
The Polk County Sheriff's Office is offering free personal safety and self-defense classes for women; the next one will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 at the sheriff's operations center, 1891 Jim Keene Blvd. in Winter Haven. Except for July and December the classes are held the first Saturday and third Tuesday of the month. Each class is approximately one hour long unless more than 30 women attend. For every additional 10-15 females, an extra 15 minutes is added to the time...
The president of the newly formed Lincoln Community Development Corporation is calling for Lake Wales police to start wearing body cameras to document interactions with suspects and the general public. Attorney Sara Jones said she also would like to see police get more training and make a stronger commitment to community policing to enhance relationships with citizens, especially in the northwest community. To discuss Jones' requests, city commissioners will hold a workshop...
The Junior League of Greater Winter Haven will be hosting a mobile food pantry in Lake Wales on Saturday morning, Jan. 25. In conjunction with Feeding Tampa Bay, the volunteers will distribute free food to those in need. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Ouellette Law Firm, 151 E. Central Ave. The Junior League moves the pantry to various locations throughout East Polk County. In November, the League distributed food for 121 households, including 263...
While the Polk County Public Schools anticipate about 1,600 teachers to be absent Monday, Jan. 13 to attend an education rally in Tallahassee, Lake Wales High School Principal Donna Dunson said she didn't expect any disruption in the local charter schools. Dunson said charter school teachers support the purpose of the rally, but most are expected to be in their classrooms Monday. Polk County Public Schools were scrambling to provide coverage for the absent teachers, with about...
On the heels of the recent church shooting in Texas the Polk County Sheriff's Office is again offering "Surviving and Active Assailant" training for churches, businesses and individuals. The next session will be from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14 at the Sheriff's Operations enter, 1891 Jim Keene Blvd. in Winter Haven. The free program, presented by highly trained PCSO professionals, will help prepare citizens for any horrific event involving an armed assailant. This training...
Lake Wales Highlanders head coach Tavaris Johnson was voted the 2019 Buccaneers High School Coach of the Year contest from an elite field of weekly winners representing seven counties of area high schools. To qualify Coach Johnson won Week Ten's Coach of the Week, and through a voting process, came out on top to win the prestigious award over the other ten nominees. The program is sponsored by Tampa Electric (TECO) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation. Johnson is the...
Polk County Public Schools has teamed up with the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Health in Polk County to warn students and families about the dangers of vaping. The school district produced a public service video featuring PCPS Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, and Dr. Joy Jackson, director of the Florida Department of Health in Polk. The video also features students from George Jenkins, Ridge Community and Winter...
Polk State College serves nearly 3,000 students each year through its dual-enrollment, early-admission, and collegiate high school programs, providing a variety of accelerated-learning and cost-saving opportunities for students and their families. Dual-enrollment and early-admission options allow Polk County students from all public secondary schools, most area private high schools, and home-education programs to take college courses and earn credit toward both their high...
Registration for the 28th Annual Polk Senior Games begins Jan. 2. The Games, scheduled for Feb. 29 to March 16, offer a two-week series of 98 Olympic-style events in 38 athletic and recreational sports. They attract nearly 2,500 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...
Lake Wales' longtime historian, visionary, beloved wife, and mother, Mimi (Mary Leigh Reid) Hardman, died at age 85 on Dec. 13 following an extended illness. A driving force for historic preservation and celebrating the pioneers who built Lake Wales, Hardman left behind an extraordinary legacy. In her adopted hometown and beyond, Mimi will be remembered as the founder and director of the Depot Museum, host of the annual Pioneer Days festival, red outfits and patriotic...
Ronald Clifford "Ronnie" Huggins, 65, of Lake Wales passed away Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020 at Winter Haven Hospital. He was born November 15, 1954 in Batavia, NY. He grew up in Polk County then later moved to West Palm Beach for his career in construction and returned in 2009 when he retired. He was the project superintendent for Clark Construction. He was a member of Waverly Baptist Church and Lake Wales American Legion. He enjoyed fishing, was a big 49ers fan, loved to cook...
Lake Wales Assistant City Manager Kathy Bangley is asking city commissioners to eliminate the citizen-staffed Code Enforcement Board and Board of Appeals and turn their duties over to a special magistrate. The change would require two public hearings to change city ordinances related to the boards. The first public hearing will be at the Jan. 7 commission meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. in the city municipal building. The current ordinance calls for a Code Enforcement Board...
A Wawa convenience retail store manager who completes 25 years can retire a multimillionaire because of the company's lucrative profit-sharing program, according to George Wood, who will become the company's chairman of the board next June. Wood will take over from his brother Dick, who is also his next door neighbor in the exclusive gated community of Mountain Lake, just outside the Lake Wales city limits. The brothers are the third generation to own homes in Mountain Lake,...
Editor's Note: Memorial is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13 at 1st United Methodist Church in Lake Wales, with musical prelude starting at 1:30 p.m. The grand lady in red, white and blue, Lake Wales legend Mimi Hardman died Friday, Dec.13. A driving force for historic preservation and celebrating the pioneers who built Lake Wales, Hardman left behind an extraordinary legacy. Her service as chair of the Bicentennial Commission led to the opening of the Depot Museum on July...
It's time to request an entry book to enter the 28th Annual Polk Senior Games scheduled for Feb. 29 to March 16. The Games offer a two-week series of 100 athletic and recreational Olympic-style events. They attract over 2,500 men and women, 50 years 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...
Greg Massey invested in a house in August and made plans to renovate it and rent it out. Unwilling to give him the extra time he requested to submit restoration plans, the City of Lake Wales had it demolished. The demolition took place on Tuesday, Dec. 17 – the same day City Manager Ken Fields knew Massey planned to address the city commission to seek their help. The demolition permit, issued Dec. 3, was good through Jan. 17. At the commission meeting Massey detailed the t...
The life of David McArthur Smith Sr. was celebrated Dec. 21 by a large crowd filled with his law enforcement brothers and sisters and many, many friends. Sheriff Grady Judd told of his close working relationship with Smith, affectionately called "Junebug." Various classmates, family members and fellow church members remembered the large man with a big heart who left a lasting imprint on the Lake Wales community. Smith died Dec. 9 after a lengthy illness, seven years after his...
Sherrie Louise Castaneda, 70, of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019 at The Groves Center. She was born Sept. 18, 1949 in Bartow to the late Starlin D. and Doreather (Mimbs) Carnley Sr. She has been a lifelong Polk County resident. She was in the Boxing Department for Blue Ribbon Packing House in Dundee. Sherrie was of the Church of God faith, she enjoyed doing puzzles, playing video games and fishing. She is preceded in death by 4 brothers and 1 sister. She is survived by her daughter Theda Daniels and husband...
Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council Board Chairman Maryemma Bachelder celebrated a successful year at the annual holiday luncheon Dec. 6 as she prepared to turn the reins over to Andy Oguntola. Past board chairmen, formerly called presidents, lined up in date order for the annual tradition of passing the gavel. First in line this year was Edwin Friedlander, who was Chamber president 60 years ago in 1959. Oguntola has the distinction of...
Lieutenant David McArthur Smith aka " June Bug", 77 of Babson Park died Dec. 9 at Advent Health Hospital in Lake Wales. He was born April 14, 1942 in Lake Wales. He was a retired Polk County Deputy Sheriff and longtime president of the local NAACP chapter. Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21. Location to be announced. Epps Memorial Funeral Home in Lake Wales is in charge of arrangements....
Lake Wales NAACP Chapter President Wanda Howard died Sunday of cardiac arrest after an 18-year battle with cancer. "This is a very sad day for the City of Lake Wales. Wanda was such a bright light for our community. She will be missed in so many ways," said Mayor Eugene Fultz. Howard became NAACP Branch 5109 president in January 2017, the first female to serve in that capacity. She was named branch president of the year at the state conference in September. She joined the...
Whether your loved one passed away recently or years ago, the holidays can stir up a sense of loss that overshadow any celebrations. Reminiscing about holiday traditions, knowing your loved one will not be present, can cause sadness and anxiety. While everyone grieves differently, it's important to know that intensified feelings associated with loss is common this time of year. Some may feel the need to hide their feelings from friends and family. They may be embarrassed or...
City Commissioner Al Goldstein has been appointed by the Florida League of Cities to its Federal Action Strike Team, also known as FAST. The appointment announcement said Goldstein was selected because of his leadership within the League and his relationship with the local congressional delegation. Goldstein recently participated in the League's FAST Fly-in to Washington, DC, which the organization said was successful in bringing attention to a number of key federal issues....
