Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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City Commissioner Keith Thompson issued a strident call for building owners to join the city's efforts to incentivize new businesses in downtown Lake Wales. "We've got 22 vacancies in downtown Lake Wales," Thompson pointed out. "There's no reason we can't fill those up, if we will get creative together. It's also going to have to be on the building owner's part" through lease deals, he said. "I don't see that kind of thing happening right now, and that's what I'm asking our...
Lake Wales' second Aldi grocery store opened with a rush of customers this week, joining a the recently opened Hutson's Grocery and Ollie's Discount department store as the newest businesses on the city's growing east side. The slow-motion whirl of grocery retailers in the area has perplexed shoppers for years, as the history shows. The Aldi store occupies a portion of the former Winn Dixie at 1860 State Road 60 East. A portion of the former store was separated as is...
Working in 95-degree heat on a Tuesday afternoon, one Lake Wales woman demonstrated her commitment to making the world "a bit better or more beautiful." La Casa resident Carol Sundheim was spotted working alone with hand tools to clean up the prominent roundabout at the intersection of Scenic Highway and Hunt Brothers Road at the southern end of the city. Asked why she had undertaken the project, she had a simple and civic-minded response: "It's Lake Wales! I mean, come on! I...
UPDATE: The Lake Wales Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously to deny the requested changes to the approved plans for both Iron Mountain and Steeple Chase. Barely a year after winning approval for two large residential developments hailed for adhering in part to the vaunted Lake Wales Envisioned plan, both projects are being brought back to the Lake Wales Planning and Zoning Board at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to attempt to remove the planned rear-access neighborhood designs....
An appearance in Lake Wales by US Congressman Scott Franklin at the Lake Wales Arts Center Thursday brought out an audience of attentive Chamber of Commerce members and guests, as well as more than two dozen others who waved signs and flags outside in protest. Franklin, a former Lakeland city commissioner, is a Republican representing Florida’s 18th district, which includes most of Polk County and several counties to the south. He serves on several Congressional committees, i...
With the title to the historic Walesbilt Hotel firmly in hand, the City of Lake Wales has issued a nationwide invitation to potential redevelopers of the ten-story building. According to a document released by the city, a request for qualifications (RFQ) response by interested parties will allow the city to "evaluate and shortlist developers based on their technical expertise, financial capacity, project experience and recent relevant innovative strategies for adaptive reuse...
A domestic dispute ended in tragedy Thursday when anger got the better of reason, leaving one partner dead and another seriously injured and hospitalized. According to a statement issued by the Lake Wales Police Department, the two individuals had been in a relationship for ten years. The argument, details of which remain undisclosed, began around 4:45, according to police, when the male partner allegedly struck his companion in the face. She retreated into her residence in...
Medical services offered in Lake Wales continue to improve, and this week marked the official opening of a new heart care office, part of the expansion of AdventHealth in Polk County. The new office of Dr. Saiyed Mohib at 1255 SR 60 East marks the first cardiologist at AdventHealth Lake Wales, offering local patients the opportunity to find expert cardiovascular care closer to home. "Our patients no longer need to travel, they can get the services they need right here," Dr. Mo...
Growth in Polk County continued to record steady, rapid growth year over year in 2024, according to preliminary taxable value figures released by the Polk County Property Appraiser's office. The county had been flagged as one of the nation's fastest growing. The total value of new construction in Polk last year was valued at $2,823,688,596, a $92 million increase over activity in 2023. That brought the county's total valuation to $72,161,387,998. An 8.8 percent jump. The...
After a soggy end to May, Floridians are looking forward to the June 1 start of Hurricane season with a sense of trepidation. A rash of hurricanes in recent years has many still facing the costs of cleanup and repair, while along the coasts, many homes remain wrecks. According to forecasters, the upcoming season is likely to once again be "above average," although average has become a moving target. Most models are reflecting that, given sea-surface temperature closer to...
A gathering of volunteers, supporters, and staff of the Lake Wales Care Center gathered Friday near the organization's offices on East Park Avenue to celebrate and mark the 40th anniversary of the non-profit that has come to be among the most essential providers of services for a significant share of the area's population. Hundreds turned out in sweltering weather to seek shelter from the intense sun in the shade of a large tent erected to house them, eager to mark their parti...
The ongoing revitalization of downtown Lake Wales took a major step forward Tuesday with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting that opened a fully-restored building at 244 East Park Avenue. The structure now features two finished retail spaces on the ground floor and four apartments on the second level. The historic building was constructed in 1916 by Lake Wales pioneer builder Jimmy "Good" Rhodes. Rhodes went o to construct many of the original masonry buildings in the historic...
Plans for new studio apartments with lake access on Lake Padgett are advancing following action by the Lake Wales City Commission. The construction of new apartments on the site of the former Green Gables Inn will likely proceed with a significant reduction in density after a redesign of La Provence was approved by the Lake Wales City Commission. The commission had previously approved a plan that would have allowed a total of 165 new units. Attempts to reach a representative...
George Carey Manring of Lake Wales answered his nation’s call to duty by enlisting in the US Army in 1947 at the age of 18. This month he is returning home to rest. He had been missing in action since December 6, 1950. Master Sergeant George Carey was one of “The Chosin Few” who had faced an overwhelming mass assault by the Communist Chinese Army against their positions at the Chosin Reservoir in the early days of the Korean War. Master Sergeant Manring was part of Baker...
UPDATE: Lake Wales City Commissioners approved the relevant ordinances Tuesday on a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Carol Gillespie dissenting. The ordinances will require a second reading and vote before they become final. A proposal that will permit four million square feet of industrial space and nearly 3,000 new homes will be considered by the Lake Wales City Commission at its regular meeting Tuesday night. The Stoneridge development includes 1,287 acres with frontage of SR 60...
After a long but successful legal battle over the title to the historic Walesbilt Hotel, the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency is wasting no time moving to begin their efforts to see the building redeveloped. The CRA has approved the hiring of the engineering firm of Kimley-Horn to conduct an evaluation of the hotel that will include a structural property condition report and a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. The report the firm will generate will be included...
A new hotel and a possible new manufacturing and distribution facility are among anticipated developments at Longleaf Business Park, located on US 27 two miles south of SR 60 in Lake Wales. Maryland-based Sunset Hotel Group recently completed the purchase of a two-acre parcel at the park from the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency for $197,600. Officials with SHG told Lake Wales News.net that they are deeply engaged in due diligence negotiations with several hotel...
Two police officers were shot and their attacker killed in a shooting that occurred Friday at the Lowes store in Bartow. The violence erupted after 34-year-old Wayne Volz of Fort Meade entered the store seeking his father, who was employed there, with the stated intention of shooting him. Unable to locate his intended victim, who had already notified police, Volz walked from the scene before being challenged by police. He then began shooting at them. Bartow police officer Mark...
With a minimum of discussion, the Lake Wales City Commission this week unanimously approved a Special Exception Use Permit to allow a multi-family Planned Development Project for the redevelopment of the aging 120-unit Grove Manor public housing project. "We've been working on this a long time," said Mayor Jack Hilligoss as he called for a vote. The long-awaited project is the first phase of a multi-phased Master Plan which will take place on 24.74 acres of land that...
With the approval of a deal with Walesbilt Hotel owner Raymond Brown, the Lake Wales City Commission has cleared the way for the private redevelopment of the landmark building. The acceptance of the lawsuit settlement by the five-person commission, which also sits as the city's Community Redevelopment Agency board, ends a three-year battle over the building. The settlement brings the building back under city control more than a decade after it was given to Brown's Dixie...
The City of Lake Wales negotiation team has apparently approved a settlement agreement with Dixie Walesbilt LLC that will result in the return of the landmark Walesbilt Hotel to the City. The City Commission and CRA agendas Tuesday evening include the agreement which should end a two-year legal battle and set the stage for renovation of the 98-year-old hotel. The agreement attached to the meeting notices has already been executed by Dixie Walesbilt owner Ray Brown and City...
There's still time for lovers of spine-tingling thrillers to enjoy a recreation of the spooky genius that made Alfred Hitchcock the most popular director of his era. The opportunity is presented by the Lake Wales Little Theatre, which is offering a final weekend of their production of Vintage Hitchcock. "Spies, murder, love, and other trademarks of Alfred Hitchcock come to life in the style of a 1940s radio broadcast" in the three remaining shows. The "Master of Suspense" was...
The future redevelopment of the Walesbilt Hotel and the ongoing Lake Wales Connected effort would be placed at serious risk if the Florida Legislature adopts a pair of bills currently being considered. Florida House Bill 991 and Senate Bill 1242 would put severe restrictions on Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) in Florida, effectively stopping their efforts to address declining neighborhoods. “This is serious,” said Lake Wales CRA chairman Robin Gibson. “It is incon...
After nearly a decade of operations in Lake Wales, the Merlin Magic Making facility at Longleaf Business Park is apparently closing its doors. A filing with the Florida Department of Commerce informed them of the layoffs of 31 workers at the facility beginning May 31. That number approaches the total number of employees at the site, leading to expectations that it will be closed completely, according to local sources. Merlin is the parent company of Legoland, which recently...
Lake Wales Mayor Jack Hilligoss won an easy reelection victory Tuesday, turning back a challenge from former city commissioner Curtis Gibson in a race that saw record amounts spent, primarily by outside groups. Hilligoss received 1390 votes, or 60.96 percent of the vote, while Gibson took 890 votes, or 39.04 percent. Hilligoss will be sworn in to serve a new three-year term as chair of the five-person commission. Voters also approved a charter amendment that will require...
