Communication Builds Our Community

Articles from the January 8, 2020 edition


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  • Folk Music Planned for Free Lake Wales LIVE Event Jan. 17

    Updated Jan 14, 2020

    The City of Lake Wales Recreation Department will host Lake Wales Live starting at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17. The entertainment will be Back Porch Revival Folk Music. The free event is held in the park in front of the Lake Wales Public Library at 290 Cypress Gardens Lane. Food will be available for purchase from food trucks. Rotary on the Ridge will offer beer and wine for donations to support community service projects. For more information, contact Recreation Coordinator...

  • City Asked to Allocate $100,000 in Incentives to Help Taproom Locate Downtown

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Jan 14, 2020

    Lake Wales Main Street Director Karen Thompson is so excited about the possibility of a tap room breathing life into downtown Lake Wales that she's asking city commissioners to allocate $100,000 in incentives for a proposed "specialty tavern" that would feature a self-serve, high-tech "beer wall" with 40 taps. That's half of what the city budgeted for incentives for the entire 2019-2020 year. Operating as the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, the commission will consider...

  • City Likely to Keep Code Board and Use Magistrate for Some Issues

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Jan 13, 2020

    Facing vocal opposition to eliminating the citizen Code Enforcement Board, Lake Wales city commissioners expressed support for a hybrid system where they would keep the board but also hire a magistrate to handle more complex quasi-judicial issues. City commissioners Terrye Howell and Curtis Gibson at their Jan. 7 meeting opposed the staff recommendation to eliminate both the Code Enforcement Board and Board of Appeals, saying they wanted to encourage more citizen involvement...

  • Large Teacher Absence Expected Jan. 13 for Tallahassee Rally

    Updated Jan 12, 2020

    While the Polk County Public Schools anticipate about 1,600 teachers to be absent Monday, Jan. 13 to attend an education rally in Tallahassee, Lake Wales High School Principal Donna Dunson said she didn't expect any disruption in the local charter schools. Dunson said charter school teachers support the purpose of the rally, but most are expected to be in their classrooms Monday. Polk County Public Schools were scrambling to provide coverage for the absent teachers, with about...

  • Commissioners Want to Seek Proposals for City Attorney Services

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Jan 12, 2020

    City Commissioner Curtis Gibson was in elementary school when Chuck Galloway became the Lake Wales city attorney 26 years ago. Gibson says it's time to at least consider whether the city might be better served by a new attorney. During the commissioner comment time at the end of the Jan. 7 meeting Gibson made a motion to put out a request for proposals for legal services, and Commissioner Terrye Howell seconded the motion. Gibson said he would encourage Galloway to submit his...

  • Sheriff's Office Next Active Assailant Survival Training Jan. 14

    Updated Jan 10, 2020

    On the heels of the recent church shooting in Texas the Polk County Sheriff's Office is again offering "Surviving and Active Assailant" training for churches, businesses and individuals. The next session will be from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14 at the Sheriff's Operations enter, 1891 Jim Keene Blvd. in Winter Haven. The free program, presented by highly trained PCSO professionals, will help prepare citizens for any horrific event involving an armed assailant. This training...