Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Myrtice Young, Canter Brown Jr. and Jim Stafford are among a group of well-known Polk County residents being inducted into Polk's Hall of Fame. Myrtice Young | Museum Director | Lake Wales A Polk County resident for 74 years, Myrtice Young has been the Preservation Manager at the Polk History Center for nearly 14 years. Young was born in Blakley, Ga., but grew up in Lake Wales after her family moved to Florida. From the beginning of her career as Historical Preservation...
Donald R. Shattler, age 80, passed away on August 28, 2024, at Winter Haven Hospital from complications due to cancer. Don will be remembered for his profound love of family, youthful joy for life, and kindness to all. He was born on January 20, 1944, in St. Petersburg, FL and lived in Lake Wales, FL from 1973 until 2022 when he moved to Bartow. He met his dearest love, Etta Grubbs, at Steak 'N Shake in 1962, and they were married the following year. They enjoyed almost 61...
Polk State College is hosting its annual school supply giveaway event to provide students and families with support and resources as the new school year begins, including up to 500 backpacks and 1,500 books. Students and families are invited to attend Polk State College's "Ready to Soar" event August 17 at the JD Alexander Center in Lake Wales. The Center is located at 152 East. Central Avenue in Lake Wales. The event is open to the public and intended for students from...
Lunch-hour diners and shoppers will find getting around downtown Lake Wales a breeze beginning Monday as the newest city service arrives in town. Described as "fast, frequent, and fun," The Squeeze will offer free transportation around the city's center, ranging between Central and Crystal Avenues between First Street and Market Street. The service will utilize new 8-passenger open-air "golf cart" style vehicles to shuttle guests to and from area businesses. The shuttles will...
Setting students on a path toward success has long been a goal of Polk State College. On April 10, that vision will extend to the entire community. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the College will host a Career Expo in the gymnasium on the Winter Haven Campus. The job fair-style event is free and open to all Polk State students and community members. The Career Expo will feature more than 30 vendors from various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, education, government,...
A "business incubator" operating under a three-year, $1.2 million contract approved by the Lake Wales City Commission appears to be operating in violation of several laws, a five-month-long LakeWalesNews.net investigation has determined. Among questionable practices identified within a web of interconnected businesses are business activity lacking county and city occupational permits, apparent violations of Florida's registered agent law, plagiarism, faked testimonials, and a...
Polk State College invites prospective students, their families, and community members to an open house at the Polk State JD Alexander Center on January 25 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 152 E. Central Ave. in Lake Wales. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the Center's new Director, Von McGriff, as well as faculty and staff. Tours of the campus, assistance with admission and registration, and information about programs, financial aid, and scholarships will be available....
Currently enrolled Polk State students will have a head start opportunity fo enrolling in the Spring 2024 semester. Enrollment for the spring will begin on October 30 with priority registration for students who have completed at least 50% of their program requirements. Open enrollment will begin on November 6 and classes will start on January 8. Polk State College operates multiple facilities around the county, including a Lake Wales campus located on Central Avenue in...
A new "circulator" bus route that will serve the city six days a week on a frequent schedule began this week, making getting around town without a car a much simpler task. Lake Wales should be very proud of the new service, according to Tom Phillips, executive director of Citrus Connection, which operates the buses. "This is only the second city [in Polk County] to have a real circulator route," he told Lake Wales News.net. The circulator will stay within the city limits,...
Lake Wales Charter School Superintendent Dr. Wayne Rodolfich has announced the appointment of April Barnhardt to become the new principal of Edward Bok Academy South. The appointment was confirmed by the Charter School board. Barnhardt has for the past two years served as the assistant principal of Hillcrest Elementary School, one of several local schools she attended as a child. She will take over the role from Dr. Julio Acevedo, who has served on a temporary basis the...
The chance of severe weather from Hurricane Idalia is dropping rapidly this evening as the storm continues on a steady northward track, now advancing at 16 mph. Precautions are still advised for possible gusty winds and heavy rains overnight but the storm center is expected to stay well away, moving nearest to Florida's Gulf Coast overnight but remaining some 200 miles west of the Pinellas County coast. The 5:00 pm update from the National Hurricane Center in Miami actually...
After causing a scare in the east Polk region by approaching Florida from the southwest, Hurricane Idalia behaved much as the computer models had predicted, staying well offshore of Florida's west coast before slamming into the Big Bend Area of the state as a Category Four hurricane. That course left the Lake Wales area and surrounding communities undamaged due to winds. Three times during the overnight hours tornado warnings caused alarms to sound on phones and tablets in...
Precautions are advised for strong winds and heavy rains due to the approach of Hurricane Idalia, still expected to move near Florida's Gulf Coast overnight on Wednesday. The 11:00 am, update from the National Hurricane Center in Miami indicates that the center of the storm is still on a generally northward track of five degrees, indicating a slight eastward movement. Any increased eastward adjustment in the course would raise the potential impacts of the storm in the east Pol...
The sudden resignation of Bok Academy South Middle School Principal Damian Rosado has resulted in the quick appointment of Dr. Julio Acevedo to fill the role on a temporary basis. Dr. Wayne Rodolfich, superintendent of the seven-school Lake Wales Charter School System, said the resignation came as a surprise during the Polk State College backpack giveaway event Saturday morning, where he was promoting his "Read 20" program. He told LakeWalesNews.net that Rosado informed him...
Going back to school in August is as intimidating for some students as it is exciting for others. Polk State College understands the challenges faced by many families in our area and the trepidation so many young students and their families feel, and they've come up with a way to help. On July 29, 2023, Polk State College will be hosting an event called "Start Right." The goal of this program is to reduce bullying, enhance students' success rates in the classrooms, and...
Arthur R. Falconer, 79, died peacefully at his home in Lake Wales, Florida on May 8, 2023. He was born on October 5, 1943 in East Orange, New Jersey. Art was a teacher at McLaughlin Middle School for 32 years, from 1973 until 2003, before retired. After retired from the Polk County School Board, he taught Geography at Polk State College and Warner Southern University. Art was passionate about sharing his love of geography and the natural world and helping students find their...
Enrollment for the Summer 2023 Semester and the Fall 2023 Term at Polk State College will start on March 27 with priority registration for students who have completed at least 50% of their program requirements. Open enrollment will start on April 3. Currently enrolled students will be able to check the completion status of their program requirements on March 20 to determine if they are eligible for priority registration in Passport, where students register for classes....
Music fans are invited to a special concert this Saturday afternoon beginning at 3:00 at the Lake Wales Arts Center. According to a statement issued by the Arts Council, the concert is "part of the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra's ensemble series, featuring small ensembles of musicians performing in smaller venues throughout Polk County. This intimate, one-hour concert offers the chance to hear LSO musicians up close while still finding space to get lost in the music." Patrons wi...
Polk State College's campuses and centers will reopen on Monday, including the collegiate high schools, spokesperson Madison Fantozzi reported Sunday. Kyle Kennedy, spokesperson for Polk County Public Schools, said that "all available PCPS staff will return to work on Monday" in order to prepare the schools to receive students on Tuesday morning. Fantozzi's statement statement said that crews have been working through the weekend "to clear debris and repair minimal damages"...
Lake Wales banker Greg Littleton has been elected to serve as chair of the Polk State College's District Board of Trustees by the trustees at their annual reorganization meeting on August 22. Littleton, a Polk State Distinguished Alumnus who graduated in 1987, has served the Board since 2007, including previous terms as Chair and Vice Chair. The Polk County native is President and Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Bank & Trust. In addition to his Polk State Associate in...
Students heading back to school will get a welcome boost as 700 backpacks full of school supplies are given away to students from kindergarten through college age. The event marks the return of the Polk State College "Start Right" campaign and includes free school supplies, haircuts, food, and more for students and their families ahead of the 2022-2023 Academic Year. The event will begin at 9:00 am on Saturday July 23 at Polk State College's JD Alexander Center, 152 E....
Open enrollment for Fall 2022 Semester classes at Polk State College will begin on June 6. Currently enrolled students can register now for fall classes in Passport. Prospective students must submit a free online application to Polk State at www.polk.edu/admission-aid/admissionsteps. Assistance with admission, advising, registration, and financial aid is available remotely and on campus. The College has increased access to services remotely and encourages students to utilize...
Well-known Lake Wales community leader Barney Moore passed away early Friday at AdventHealth Lake Wales Medical Center. Moore, 61, inspired many citizens to greater efforts on behalf of community projects. Born with quad-atonic cerebral palsy, Moore spent most of his life in a wheel chair but managed to be civically active. His intellect and wit were legendary, as was his ability to lead others to productive action. He was inspired by his own disability, and made it a vehicle...
Area college and high school students with a penchant for sports have an opportunity to earn some career creds by providing coverage of their favorite local teams, according to Robert Connors, managing editor of LakeWalesNews.Net. "We're eager to expand our coverage far beyond football," Connors said. "We want to cover everything from bowling to lacrosse." Baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis, and more are potential subject matter, he said. "Each intern is invited...
The re-imagining of downtown Lake Wales and the application of the Connected plan is now inspiring some significant proposed changes to Central Avenue between Scenic Highway and First Street. In keeping with the concepts advanced in the award-winning Lake Wales Connected plan, a new pavement configuration which will add a bike lane to the north side of the street was approved at Tuesday's Community Redevelopment Agency meeting. The board will enter a $35,000 contract with...
