Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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A previously-denied development proposal was turned down a second time by a 3-2 vote of the Lake Wales City Commission after the engineers and planners failed to meet the city's criteria of a "superior" residential development. Developers of the project, known simply as "Oak Development," applied for status as a Planned Development Project, or PDP, to allow sharply increased density from the underlying R-1 zoning. The PDP approval would allow the developer to define 64 lots...
With only four months to go before Lake Wales voters will choose two candidates to serve on the city commission, the first challenger has announced his intention to win a three-year term on the five-member board. Lifelong resident Brandon Alvarado will seek the district two seat currently held by Daniel Williams. Alvarado, 27, is deeply engaged in civic organizations and in his announcement, he touts his experience as an example of his commitment to the city. "My experience wo...
The Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested a pest & lawn service worker twice last week after detectives spoke with two female customers who said the man exposed himself to them during separate incidents. Tyler Mountain, 27, of Lake Wales was charged with Lewd Exhibition (M1) and Lewd Exhibition to an Elderly Person (F3). The investigation began on October 26, 2023 after a 76-year old woman reported that an employee of Massey Services exposed himself to her while he was in her...
The realization of a "Big Green Network" of environmental lands that will forever form limits to the potential urbanization of the Lake Wales area drew a step closer this week. Lifelong Lake Wales resident and member of a pioneer family, Edwin Friedlander has offered his 749-acre ranch property for acquisition through the Polk Forever program, approved by voters in 2022. The property was assessed by a "technical advisory team" before being approved by the Conservation Lands...
A delightful evening filled with colorful holiday décor, music, happiness, and yes, snow, will fill the streets of downtown Lake Wales with families getting themselves deeply into the holiday spirit. The annual "Make It Magical" event, hosted by Lake Wales Main Street and a host of sponsors, has become a holiday tradition for area residents who pour into the downtown streets to share in the festive air. The 9th annual event will happen this Friday night, December 8, along...
The expansive Ridgecrest development took a step forward recently with the approval of a "developer's agreement" by the Lake Wales City Commission that provides for the costs of infrastructure for the 312 acre project. The previously-approved planned-development project includes 1,020 single-family and townhomes located south of Russell Avenue and north of Hunt Brothers Road, between US 27 and SR 17. Included in the design is a new multi-purpose trail that will extend from...
Daquan Carey, a 23-year-old Winter Haven man who is a "documented gang member," according to the Polk County Violent Gang Investigative Task Force, was arrested in Winter Haven and charged with numerous felonies related to a drive-by shooting in the Waverly area of Lake Wales. The incident happened on 3rd Street in Waverly at about 3:20 am on November 22, according to a statement from the Polk County Sheriff's office. At that scene detectives met with two victims who reported...
In nothing less than a transformation, the formerly dreary stretch of Park Avenue west of First Street is swiftly becoming an attractive green oasis intended to help draw pedestrian traffic to the heart of Lake Wales. The three-block-long stretch of the street west of Scenic Highway is the heart of the $20 million investment being made by the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency to reinvigorate the city's urban core. Conceived as "Lake Wales Connected" by a team of...
A Sebring man was killed on US 27 Monday night after failing to slow for a truck making a U-turn at Harbor Drive. Polk County Deputies and Fire Rescue personnel were dispatched to the crash around 7:21pm, according to a police report. First responders found the driver of the GMC deceased in his vehicle. The two-vehicle crash left the driver of the semi-truck, a 34-year old Ocala man, uninjured. PCSO Traffic Homicide Investigations responded to the crash and began collecting...
Construction of a new sewer main and lift station will require the closure of Sunshine Drive in the Crooked Lake Park neighborhood south of Lake Wales for two months starting Monday, December 4. Sunshine Drive will be closed to through traffic at the intersection with U.S. Highway 27. Sunshine Drive residents can access their homes via connecting crossroads from First Avenue North. Minor backups and delays at the First Avenue North and U.S. Highway 27 intersection are possible...
A large-scale redevelopment proposal that includes both Lake Wales Country Club and the adjacent Oakwood golf course community is raising passions among residents, some of whom have differing responses to the concept, which merges the two golf courses into a single 18-hole course. A new hotel would accompany hundreds of townhomes, apartments, and single-family homes, a total of 1,424 dwelling units spread across 522 acres. Nearly 152 acres would remain as open space under the...
A CRA grant will help a local not-for-profit save an aging historic building that serves as an important civic space in downtown Lake Wales. The Lake Wales Woman's Club was awarded a $50,000 grant that will help the 100-year-old organization pay for a new roof for their auditorium at 275 East Park Avenue. The funds will also help remediate mold, according to CRA staff. The grant meets three of the goals cited in the Lake Wales Connected plan recommendations, Assistant City...
A newly-renovated Family Recreation Center is now open to the public with a full line-up of new equipment and freshened facilities. A ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by city officials welcomed the first crowd of enthusiasts on Saturday. The newly-refreshed building features new vinyl plank flooring flooring in the entry, lobby, rear hallway, childcare area, and the Turner Center meeting room. Those same areas have been freshly painted, along with walls in restroom and shower...
Even as the Lake Wales area enjoys pleasant and mild weather, it's important to keep a weather-eye out for late-developing tropical storms and hurricanes that could threaten to disrupt our idyllic autumn days. Now two long-range models are depicting just such a potential. Hurricane season runs through November 30, and there have been occasional storms that have developed even after that date. The unusually-warm water in the Atlantic basin, coupled with unseasonable warmth,...
Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has officially confirmed that it will build a new, state-of-the-art pipe manufacturing facility in Lake Wales. The company plans to break ground in 2024 on a 100-acre site with frontage on both South 11th Street and Hunt Brothers Road. The plant will manufacture corrugated plastic pipe, adding to the company's existing manufacturing presence in Florida. "This advanced manufacturing facility is an important investment in a key region for ADS,"...
New life is being breathed into a significant building in the historic center of Lake Wales after actions taken by the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency on Tuesday. The city commission, sitting as the CRA board, also agreed to a new loan program to help local investors fund the renovation of five downtown retail units. "This is new, this is the first one," CRA Executive Director James Slayton said of the $100,000 loan toward a First Street property owned by Tammy and S...
A major resurfacing project is expected to disrupt traffic flow on US 27 during the coming months as contractors undertake improvements to about seven miles of the six-lane thoroughfare stretching from Waverly Road in Lake Wales north to Kokomo Road in Lake Hamilton. According to the Florida Department of Transportation, the project involves removing and replacing the asphalt roadway surface, as well as reworking shoulders. The project also includes widening and adding a new...
Lake Wales Police have arrested a local store employee and charged his with credit card theft after he used customer information to attempt to obtain cash. A customer purchased tires at Tire Kingdom in Lake Wales on Saturday, November 4 using their credit card over the phone. According to Sgt. William Smith of the Lake Wales Police Department, within 24 hours, the victim began receiving alerts that the credit card had been used in an attempt to transfer money via an online app...
A warrant has been issued for the arrest for 26-year-old Enrique Martinez, who lives in a homeless camp at 2nd Eloise Terrace in Winter Haven, for first degree murder, possession of a firearm and ammo by a convicted felon, and tampering with evidence. Martinez is alleged to have murdered an adult Hispanic homeless male in the camp at around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, The victim has not been identified by law enforcement at this time. Martinez is 5'6" tall, 146...
A long-anticipated wave of new restaurants is coming into existence in Lake Wales with the pending openings of three new fast-food outlets. The new restaurants are part of a spate of new construction on US 27 in the vicinity of the Eagle Ridge Mall. The growing population of Lake Wales is a primary justification for the investments being made by the several restaurant chains, according to local officials. Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers and Slim Chickens are both...
The Polk County Board of County Commissioners has adopted an ordinance authorizing the County Manager to prohibit smoking and vaping in public parks in unincorporated Polk County. The Board adopted the ordinance by a 5-0 vote. Based on the Board's direction, the initial focus will be on prohibiting smoking and vaping in active parks, such as playgrounds and sports complexes that serve youth sports programs. The ordinance will become effective upon filing with the Secretary of...
Owners of homes and other real estate in Polk County have an opportunity to save some jingle before the holidays by paying real estate taxes early. "We encourage taxpayers to pay as early as they can, to save as much money as possible!" said Polk County Tax Collector Joe G. Tedder. The 2023 Property Tax Notices were mailed Friday, October 27, and if yours is still sitting around you may be missing out on some significant savings. There's a four percent discount for paying...
In the high-energy future facing Lake Wales there's little doubt that high-energy management is required to keep up. As Lake Wales faces a wave of growth, with about 15,000 new residences planned to be built here in the next several years, Assistant City Manager Deena Drumgo may be the ideal person to help the city face the challenges ahead. Drumgo, the former city manager of Dundee, came to Lake Wales from Winter Haven, where she oversaw that city's community redevelopment ag...
Communities along the entire length of the Ridge Scenic Highway will share in one of the area's most popular annual events this Saturday. The 39-Mile Yard Sale has played an important role in promoting tourism in the Central Florida communities along the Ridge Scenic Highway since 2007. Expected to draw thousands of people, it is known for being an outstanding opportunity to find great deals and interesting treasures, or just as an enjoyable family outing. Shoppers come from a...
As the City of Lake Wales prepares to begin a major tree-planting effort as part of the Lake Wales Connected effort, a long-vacant horticulturist spot has been filled by a long-time Lakeland gardening expert. Kevin Polk, a certified horticulturist who spent several years supervising the landscape at the City of Lakeland's Hollis Gardens, will take the reins overseeing plans to revive the landscapes in the city's historic core. After spending years reviving the 1928 landscape...
