Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 164
Polk State College and the Polk State College Foundation were collectively named the Philanthropic Corporation of the Year during the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Polk County's National Philanthropy Day Celebration, where student Makenna Hansel was also honored with the Youth in Philanthropy Award. Polk State joins corporations recognized in previous years including Allen & Company, Citizens Bank & Trust, Mosaic Company, Regal Lakeland, and Publix...
A site-based assessment team from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®), will arrive Dec. 2 to examine all aspects of the Polk State College Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services. Verification by the team that the Polk State College Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety meets the Commission's state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process...
For the second consecutive year, Polk State College received a Chancellor's Best Practice Award from the Florida College System – this time for its First Year Experience and Guided Pathways programs focused on ensuring students persist on their paths to degrees and careers. College representatives accepted the award Thursday in Palm Harbor alongside colleagues from State College of Florida, Eastern Florida State College, and Florida SouthWestern Sate College who were also r...
As the nation struggles to train enough cybersecurity experts and analysts to fill a shortage that has grown by 50% since 2015, four Polk County colleges are offering courses and degrees to help prepare students for this growing field. In the next two years, about half a million cybersecurity jobs will remain unfilled, according to the Principles for Growing and Sustaining the Nation's Cybersecurity Workforce. Around the world, that number could reach 3 million, according to...
Dr. Muhammad Rashid knows from experience what a difference education can mean in a person's life. As a first-generation college graduate, he sees his own struggles and concerns reflected in many of the students he encounters at Florida Polytechnic University, where he is professor and chair of the electrical and computer engineering department. That's why he and his wife decided to make a $100,000 gift to the University to create the Drs. Muhammad H. and Fatema Rashid Future...
Enrollment is open at Polk State College for the spring 2020 semester that starts January 6. Currently enrolled students may register for classes through PASSPORT. Prospective students must submit a free online application at www.polk.edu/admission-aid. Information on how to complete online orientation and register for classes is included in email communication after the application process, as well as online at www.polk.edu/admission-aid/admissionsteps. Students will also...
The Green and Gold Foundation Nov. 2 honored retired school teacher Gladys Howell for her dedication and contributions to the Lake Wales community. Howell was surprised with a tribute at the foundation's gala, which raised funds for the B Street Community Center. Howell and her school teacher husband, Robert, moved their family to Lake Wales in 1964. She started her local career at Roosevelt High School and then taught at Polk Avenue Elementary, retiring in 1992. She earned...
Lake Wales is home to attorney Flora "Tonya" Stewart where she lives with her husband, Sam, and three children ages 3, 8 and 10. But she works here, too, and operates Tonya Stewart Law, P.A. from an office located at her 1924 downtown building purchased in 2017 at 229 E. Park Ave. in Lake Wales. She also has an office in West Polk County at 1102 Florida Ave. S., Lakeland. Her phone number is 863-279-4473. Why use Stewart and her law firm? She says she is a "compassionate...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
If you've been keeping an eye on economic trends lately, you may have noticed that Florida has been shining bright on the national and international stage. Our state's profile has skyrocketed thanks to a growing number of companies that are confirming the state's potential and strategic advantage in the aviation and aerospace industries. And Lake Wales is no exception to this success. International flight simulator manufacturer ALSIM recently announced its intentions to open...
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 the company was having difficulty finding qualified electricians, their maintenance managers decided to work together to find a solution. Six years later, one of those solutions has been implemented locally and is helping one local teen prepare for his first full-time job at Nucor Steel Florida Inc. in Frostproof, about 20 miles south of Lake Wales. Tommy Massey, maintenance manager at Nucor Steel Florida, said the pool of talent for industrial electricians who could work...
Michael Sargent is the only member of his family to graduate from college, so he knows a four-year degree is not the only way to build a successful career. He's literally bustling with energy and enthusiasm as he prepares to share engineering principles and high paying career options with students at Lake Wales High School. Sargent will be creating the school's new Applied Engineering Technology Academy, and he's clearly up to the challenge. He was recognized in July by...
Betty J. Martin, 89, of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, August 4, 2019 at her residence. She was born August 12, 1929 in Lake Wales to the late P. L. Tate and Lucile Jones Tate, and has been a lifelong resident of the area. As a graduate of Lake Wales High School Betty was honored as salutatorian. She also graduated with honors from Polk Community College, and attended Florida State University, Tallahassee, and Florida Southern College, Lakeland. In 1950 Betty married Joe T....
Lake Wales City officials are reviewing the 100-plus page draft "Neighborhood Plan for the Core of Lake Wales" in preparation for its official presentation Aug. 13 by urban planners from Dover, Kohl & Partners. "Lake Wales Connected is more than just a plan for improvements to a single street, district or neighborhood; it is a strategy for revitalization of Lake Wales' historic Downtown and one of its most important close-in neighborhoods. Together, the Downtown and Northwest...
A significant agreement was forged in July between Polk State College and Florida Polytechnic University. The arrangement establishes the first academic pathway for students to go from Polk State to the state's only STEM-dedicated institution. This is the type of proactive, forward momentum that advances Polk education and builds our profile as a region with competitive, adaptable graduates and a workforce trained for the latest trends in employment. When companies consider...
Employees at Lake Wales Medical Center donated three carloads of backpacks and school supplies to help area children go back to school with all the tools they'll need for success. Departments were challenged to use a Dr. Seuss theme to create a display of school supplies donated by employees. Community judges viewed each entry and selected the Laboratory as winner of the contest. Lab employees receive a pizza / ice cream party. The hospital also gave a $100 gift card to an...
