Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 951 - 975 of 1175
The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program of Polk County 2019 campaign is underway, and individual families or nonprofit groups serving over 25 families can apply for toys online through Nov. 15. In 2018, due to the generosity of Polk County residents, businesses, and volunteers, the Toys for Tots program provided more than 46,000 new toys to over 12,362 needy children in Polk County. Utilizing the website http://polkcounty-fl.toysfortots.org, residents can request a...
Thirty-eight days into AdventHealth's takeover of Lake Wales Medical Center, new Chief Executive Officer Brian Adams shared about the company's mission, vision and values at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Lake Wales. Before assuming the Polk County position Sept. 1 as CEO of both AdventHealth Lake Wales and AdventHeart Heart of Florida in Davenport, Adams was CEO of AdventHealth Tampa. He has worked for AdventHealth, formerly called Florida Hospital, for 19 years. Adams said...
Thousands will trek to Polk State College on Oct. 19 for this year's FallFest, continuing a community tradition that is more than 30 years strong. The Winter Haven Campus will transform into the highly anticipated craft fair at 999 Ave. H N.E. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the third Saturday of October, bringing together a variety of activities and crafters featuring items from art and woodwork, to jewelry and clothing, to baked goods and more. The event also features a kid zone,...
Lake Wales NAACP President Wanda Howard was recognized at a recent state NAACP conference as Branch President of the Year. Howard became Branch 5109 president in January 2017, the first female to serve in that capacity. She joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1986, right out of college, and is now a Life Member. She previously served as Youth Council Advisor with emphasis on the ACT-SO and Back-2-School/Stay-in-School programs. "I was...
Polk County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Technician Kimberly Kinsley, 40, died Sept. 30 from a sudden illness. A Celebration of Life service with law enforcement honors is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, October 19 at the First Baptist Church of Lake Wales with family greeting friends at 9:30 a.m. She was born June 1, 1979. She dedicated 18 years of her life to public service. She was preceded in death by her father, Granville Kinsley in 2017 and her brother, Granville...
State Attorney Brian Haas has a big job, dealing with more than 43,000 criminal cases annually in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties. He told Lake Wales business leaders Friday that in any given year his office in Polk County alone may deal with 10,000 felony cases and 50 active first degree murder cases. Haas was guest speaker Oct. 11 at a Power Breakfast sponsored by the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council. He said he enjoyed his eight...
Lake Wales Police arrested a 24-year-old Avon Park woman Oct. 10 in connection with a Walmart shoplifting incident 11 days earlier that turned violent with her wielding pepper spray and a knife. Doranda Jo Ussery was arrested at the Imperial Swan Hotel on South Florida Avenue in Lakeland after the Highlands County Sheriff's Department received information on her location. Highlands Detective Charlie Peck notified Lake Wales police, who worked with the Lakeland Police...
Retired U.S. Marine Kathryn "Kat" Gates-Skipper got used to being a female trailblazer throughout her 20-year military career. So it's not surprising she will become the first female Marine inducted into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame. State Rep. Mike LaRosa nominated the Lake Wales veterans activist and Gates-Skipper was chosen one of 16 inductees in the Hall of Fame Class of 2019. Since it was created in 2013, the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame has inducted 70 veterans,...
After 30 years and countless volunteer hours for candidates and issues, Becky Wynkoop of Lake Wales finally earned recognition Friday Sept. 27 as the 2019 Marlene Duffy Young Polk County Outstanding Democratic Woman of the Year. "She has truly been a mentor for me and a leader in the Polk County Democrats," said Kathie Sutherland, chairwoman of the Polk County Democratic Executive Committee. "She just has so much history. It's about time she got this award. She's very...
Margaret Mary “Peggy” LaSalle, 77, of Lake Wales passed away Monday, Oct. 7, 2019 at her residence. She was born January 3, 1942 in Queens, NY to the late Frank W. and Mary E. (Gilchrist) Golemme. She has been a resident of the area for 34 years coming from Hollywood, FL. She was a secretary for the Polk County School Board and of the Catholic faith. Peggy enjoyed reading, cooking and spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband Rocco LaSalle Jr., son Rocco LaSalle III...
Twelve area high school juniors kicked off their Youth Leadership Lake Wales year with an opening retreat Sept. 28 at Lake Aurora Christian Camp. This program of the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council enables high school juniors to develop leadership skills, while increasing awareness of their community. The students attend a Parent/Student Opening Retreat, five Program Days - one per month, each with a different focus - and a Graduation...
The City of Lake Wales now has an ambitious plan for the redevelopment of its historic downtown and the Northwest business district. City commissioners, in their role as the Community Redevelopment Agency, started their new fiscal year Oct. 1 with the adoption of the Community Connected plan developed by Miami urban planning consultants Dover Kohl & Partners with extensive public input over the last year. "Now the work begins," said Karen Thompson, assistant CRA and Lake...
More than 65 volunteers gathered Saturday, Sept. 28 to help renovate a church parsonage to provide a home for homeless students attending Polk State College. A majority of the volunteers were from seven Polk County Rotary Clubs including Rotary on the Ridge, a regional service club that meets in Lake Wales. The home at 122 Ave Q N.W. in Winter Haven is being leased to the nonprofit Heart 4 Winter Haven by the Living Word of Faith Assembly. Polk State College will identify...
Terry Schulze grew up in a "blue home" where he watched his father head out daily to protect and serve the community. Becoming a police officer was a natural choice for the 19-year-old, whose father Troy is the Lake Wales Police Department's deputy chief, now approaching 25 years on the job. Terry entered the profession with open eyes, having served nearly three years as a volunteer patrol cadet before completing 770 hours of training at the police academy at Polk State...
Spots are still available for teams wanting to play in the Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Scramble Friday, Oct. 4. The tournament at Lake Wales Country Club will start at 11:30 a.m. with registration of golfers and a bag lunch before the 1 p.m. shotgun start. The event will close with an awards dinner and reception. Cost is $100 per individual golfer or $450 for a team of four, which includes a hole sponsor sign. For more information or to reserve your team, call...
The annual SUN 'n FUN Fly-In has been an iconic mainstay in Lakeland, FL for over four decades, and in that time, millions have attended the annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts. The event is hallmarked by the arrival of thousands of aircraft to the Lakeland Linder International Airport, and the showcase of aerospace-related exhibits, flight demonstrations, military displays, forums and workshops and seminars. It is recognized as the second largest event of its kind in...
Rotary Clubs from throughout Polk County are partnering with Heart 4 Winter Haven to renovate a church parsonage to provide a home for homeless students attending Polk State College. Club members and other volunteers will hold a work day starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 at the home at 122 Ave. Q N.W. in Winter Haven to paint, repair fascia, install snap-in vinyl flooring, work on landscaping and possibly complete other work. Living Word of Faith Assembly will lease the...
It's a new school year at McLaughlin Middle & Fine Arts Academy - and it's also shaping up to be a year like no other. From the school's administrative structure to team-building activities for staff members, from strategies designed to cultivate students' school pride to an outpouring of support from the community, it's clear that positive change is taking place at McLaughlin. "It's a new era," said Principal Sharon Chipman. "We're building a team, a culture, and the...
Carol G. Parrish, 63, of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019 at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. She was born December 5, 1955, in Marina De Pisa, Italy to the late Charles Abner and Betty Gafford. She was a Registered Nurse for 45 years. 42 years as an ER Nurse and continued her role as a case manager in Case Management for the last 3 years. Carol was an FFA Alumni, honorary member of the Lake Wales Kiwanis Club, professor for Polk State College Clinical Instru...
David Waller, coordinator of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Campaign of Polk County, recently attended the annual Toys for Toys Training Conference in Washington. Waller was recognized as "Coordinator of the Year for 2018" for the Southeast United States and also served as a mentor to new coordinators. Waller grew up in Lake Wales and now lives in Lakeland. After retiring from law enforcement and selling his paver business Waller said he was looking for a...
Leadership Lake Wales Class 24 kicked off its 10-month program Wednesday, Sept. 18 with a class retreat at Bok Tower. The program is coordinated by the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and EDC through its nonprofit Lake Wales Area Foundation. Class 24 has 20 members, representing various businesses, nonprofits and government agencies in the area. Alumni from some of the previous 23 groups came to meet the new class, reflect on their participation and offer suggestions on...
"See something or hear something, say something." That's the advice Polk Sheriff Grady Judd gave Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce members at a breakfast Thursday, Sept. 12 as the most effective way to avoid an active shooter situation. Judd said prevention is key because a "nut" with a gun can do tremendous damage within the first two to five minutes, before most law officers can even arrive on scene at a crisis situation. Judd also advocated having more trained "good guys" carr...
Born Peter Stepanovs in Latvia, he ultimately immigrated to California after surviving through the trials of WWII Germany and by the grace of sponsorship from the Catholic Church; Peter Wayland found his home in South Florida. On September 9, 2019 Peter passed at his residence in Lake Wales. He came here from Miami/Key Largo area in 1983 with his family. He was a retired Department of Agriculture employee and a veteran of Vietnam, serving in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper. He...
Polk State Corporate College recently achieved international ISO 9001 certification that recognizes the quality of its programming and efficiency in providing services to its customers, including students and employers who partner with the College for workforce training. This puts Polk State Corporate College in a category with ISO 9001 certified organizations including SpaceX, Samsung Telecommunications, Intel, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Shell Global, and ExxonMobil. Polk State...
When Kathleen "Kathy" Bowman became chief development officer of the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, the school's development team was bringing in an average of $4 million per year over a five-year period. When she left the position of five years last month to become Florida Polytechnic University's new vice president of advancement, the average was over $22 million per year. "We ensured best practice and procedures were in place...
