Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Boaters and hikers will be affected by a planned three-month closure of the S65-A boat lock and a portion of the Florida National Scenic Trail near the boat lock on the Kissimmee River beginning on Monday, July 14 for a maintenance project. The lock and trail segments are located some 20 miles south of SR 60, east of Lake Wales. The closure was announced by the South Florida Water Management District and affects the Florida National Scenic Trail access points located west of...
The cost of dumping trash and yard waste at the county's only public landfill will rise this year and every year for the next five years following a vote by the Polk County Commission. The new charges will affect solid waste disposal fees at the North Central Landfill, effective Oct.1, 2025. The increase in "tipping fees" follows on the heels of significant increases in the fees assessed for curbside collection in Polk County. The cost of dumping at the landfill will increase...
Long-time city residents who have made "extraordinary, long-term contributions to the Lake Wales community" are eligible to be honored as "Pioneer of the Year" during the upcoming Pioneer Days festival. The annual Pioneer of the Year Award recognizes a resident who has played an instrumental role in shaping the cultural, civic, and historical landscape of Lake Wales. The Lake Wales History Museum awards the honor each year, a tradition begun almost 50 years ago. "As the Lake...
With prostate cancer rates on the rise across the country, health experts are emphasizing how critical it can be for men to get screened to catch any potential cases as early as possible. The CDC says prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during the life with the number of prostate cancer cases...
Polk's emergency responders are getting a new tool that may help save lives in the future. Several Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) Battalion Chiefs will begin carrying whole blood on their trucks and have the ability to administer blood transfusions to patients in the field. Blood for the effort will be supplied by OneBlood, which operates a mobile blood-donation bus across Polk County. Polk County Fire Rescue will maintain a ready supply of blood through coordinated exchanges...
Ongoing efforts to restore Lake Wales' reputation as "A City in a Garden" will get another boost on Friday, June 20 as the Parks & Recreation Department will dedicate a new downtown pollinator and sculpture garden. The new installation will enhance the newly-relandscaped "linear park" parallels Cypress Gardens Lane just across from the Lake Wales Public Library. City horticulturist Kevin Polk redesigned the park to include a winding sidewalk that weaves in and around various...
An investigation into a report of animal cruelty resulted in five arrests by the Polk County Sheriff's office Sunday. Investigators found seven horses abused but alive, but sadly, one already dead when they arrived at the remote location on Poe Road, north of Canal Road in unincorporated Lake Wales. According to a press release, "PCSO received a tip regarding two horses in a field that appeared to be malnourished. The horses were found by deputies in the following conditions:...
Ezran Kane, a rising junior at Lake Wales High School, is one of 210 American high school students to be awarded the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year. CBYX is a bilateral exchange program co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and German Bundestag (Parliament). The award was announced by the non-profit Council on International Educational Exchange. The CIEE is a nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organiza...
The Polk County Parks and Natural Resources Division has received the 2025 Environmental Stewardship Award from the Southwest District of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The award recognizes local governments for their efforts to protect and enhance the region's natural environment. "This recognition is a testament to the hard work, innovation and passion that the Parks and Natural Resources team brings everyday to protect Polk County's water, wildlife and...
Polk County's medically-vulnerable residents should soon find a bit less paperwork standing between them and needed healthcare, thanks to changes being implemented by Polk County's Health and Human Services Division. Going forward, applicants will only be asked to provide one form of proof of residency rather than the two that were previously required.. The change will address the primary obstacle for prospective plan members, which is providing documentation to satisfy proof...
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is proud to announce the launch of the newly redesigned Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail website. The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail is a longstanding FWC program that connects people to over 500 birding and wildlife watching locations statewide. The Trail includes multiple sites around eastern and southern Polk County which are featured on the new site.. The Great Florida Birding Trail is a program...
The Orange Blossom Revue returns to Lake Wales for its 11th annual celebration December 5–6, 2025, according to festival organizers.. Florida's beloved boutique music and arts event takes place in the scenic Lake Wailes Park, just outside historic downtown Lake Wales and an easy drive from central Florida hubs like Tampa and Orlando. This year's edition is expected to deliver a dynamic mix of gritty Southern rock, swampy soul, and high-energy Americana. Known for its i...
Heart failure patients at AdventHealth Lake Wales are taking control of their health and recovery outside of the hospital, with the help of free health supply kits. This is part of a new program working to address one of the region's most urgent health care challenges: heart failure. The heart care kits are used to monitor patients' progress after they are discharged from the hospital, with both English and Spanish versions being offered. The kits include a weight scale,...
Three rail crossings on the west side of Lake Wales will be closed for repairs to the grades, although CSX has predicted that each closing will last only 24 hours. Scheduled crossing closures include Old Ice House Road, North Lake Wales Alturas Road, and Alturas Babson Park Cut-off Road. All three crossings serve the main CSX line, which carries both passenger and freight traffic. Old Ice House Road is scheduled to close at the rail crossing south of Morrel Avenue at 7 a.m....
AdventHealth Lake Wales has been awarded an "A" Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of excellence in patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. The Leapfrog Group assigns an "A," "B," "C," "D" or "F" grade to general hospitals nationwide based on over 30 performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them. "It's a...
AdventHealth Lake Wales Wound Care Center has been honored with three prestigious awards by Healogics, the nation's leading provider of advanced wound care services, highlighting the center's commitment to exceptional patient satisfaction and the best in clinical outcomes. AdventHealth Lake Wales Wound Care Center recently received the President's Circle Award, the Center of Distinction Award, and the Robert A. Warriner III, M.D., Clinical Excellence Award. The Center achieved...
Lake Wales Police have arrested 20-year-old Delbert Todd of Lake Wales and charged with Attempted First-Degree Murder following a shooting that took place near the intersection of 3rd Street and Polk Avenue at approximately 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Upon arrival at the scene, officers discovered an individual who had sustained a non-life-threatening injury as a result of the incident. Investigators identified Todd as the suspect in the shooting. Todd was located and taken into...
AdventHealth Lake Wales and AdventHealth Heart of Florida in Davenport have earned national recognition for their efforts to increase organ, eye and tissue donor registrations across the state of Florida through the DoNation Campaign. According to LifeLink of Florida, ten lives were saved by organ donors at the two hospitals in 2024. The organization said AdventHealth Heart of Florida had three donors who saved five lives and AdventHealth Lake Wales had two donors save five...
Jen Bricker-Bauer knows how it feels to sit on the deck and watch while everyone else has fun playing in the water. Born without legs and abandoned, One would think she was destined for a life of hardship. However, her amazing adoptive family gave her one simple rule, "Never Say Can't." Instead of bemoaning her fate, Bricker-Bauer has become an international aerialist, inspirational speaker and New York Times best-selling author, and the ideal keynote speaker and performer...
A three-day event is expected to draw more than 700 people to Lake Wales on April 25-27th as the city hosts the USA Weightlifting Florida State Championship. The event is sponsored by USA Weightlifting, which promotes the sport nationwide. The event will be held at Lake Wales High School and will feature more than 500 athletes competing in an Olympic-style weightlifting competition. "This event will stimulate our local economy," said City Manager James Slaton. "Tourism...
As Polk County continues experiencing dry weather conditions due to a prolonged lack of rainfall, Polk County officials issued a burn ban effective April 15. The ban includes unincorporated Polk County. The burn ban is determined using the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI). The KBDI is a continuous reference scale, ranging from 0 to 800. It assesses the moisture content from no moisture deficiency (0) to maximum drought conditions (800) of the soil. This helps predict the...
Frostproof's Red Barn Farmer's Market Frostproof will host a special event Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to support A HEART FOR H.E.R.O.s, a local 501c3 non-profit serving the Special Needs community of Central Florida. The market is located at 800 Ulmer Road. Fundraising activities planned include pony rides, a raffle with 34 items, yard games, artwork from one of the horses, a petting zoo and photo ops with the famous Unicorn pony. The Friday event will be accompanied by...
Running your own company is never easy, regardless of what type of business it is. If you happen to own a local business in your area in 2025 and have noticed that you aren't bringing in as much revenue as you hoped, you're not alone. We've found that many businesses are struggling these days due to various economic factors. The good news for those of you who are willing to try is that there are a few clever marketing strategies that can potentially help attract new customers...
Polk County Campgrounds have added a new online reservation system to make it simpler to arrange your next outing at one of the many county parks. Campgrounds operated by Polk County Parks and Recreation will start accepting online reservations and payments on March 28. This system, already used for pavilion rentals, aims to streamline the process and provide a more efficient booking experience for Polk County campground visitors. Campgrounds can now be reserved online up to...
Springtime is here, and that means that lawn maintenance becomes a growing chore for homeowners as the grass begins to grow rapidly. A busy personal schedule might keep you away from that chore, or sometimes you may only need a break. While most lawn service companies want annual, year-around contracts that leave you paying even when the grass isn't growing, there's one company serving this area that has a different solution: on-demand lawn mowing. Lake Wales area homeowners n...
