Communication Builds Our Community

Articles from the May 6, 2020 edition


Sorted by date  Results 1 - 17 of 17

  • Searching for Truth among Agendas and Perspectives

    Christian Ponder, Contributing Writer|Updated Jan 10, 2021

    We are constantly bombarded with pieces of information (verbal and nonverbal) from news reports, children, neighbors, employers, employees, government, churches, parents, marketing companies, and many others. For each of us, how we observe the world around us depends on the quantity and specific providers of the information we choose to consume throughout our waking hours. The specific media platforms which we tune in, people with whom we socialize, and establishments we...

  • Longleaf Saga: Lessons Learned

    Robin Gibson, Contributing Writer|Updated May 26, 2020

    This is the third installment in the Lake Wales Renaissance series. Lake Wales City Commissioner Robin Gibson serves as deputy mayor and chairman of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency. CRA Created. Lake Wales formed its own Community Redevelopment Agency in 1985. The original purpose was to build on the downtown improvements completed in 1973 by capturing the benefits coming from the CRA's unique Tax Increment Financing tool. (The difference between property values befo...

  • Polk School Board Meetings to Be Broadcast Live Starting May 12

    Updated May 13, 2020

    Polk County School Board meetings will be conducted next week via video conference to maintain social distancing due to current health concerns regarding the coronavirus. A work session will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, followed by a board meeting at 5 p.m. The work session and board meeting will be livestreamed at youtube.com/polkcountypublicschools These meetings will also be broadcast live on the following channels: Comcast: Channel 7, Frontier: Channel 45,...

  • Polly Curtis, 1942-2020

    Updated May 11, 2020

    Polly Curtis, 77, of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, May 9, 2020 at her residence. She was born November 28, 1942 in Lumberton, NC to the late Varsy and Ouida Chavis; she moved to Lake Wales from Smithville, TN 10 years ago. She was a retired lab technician for Tenneco. Polly was preceded in death by two grandchildren. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Roger Curtis, Sr.; daughters, Lisa Merritt of Lake Wales, and Ouida Curtis of Lake Wales; son, Roger Curtis, Jr. and wife Michelle of Smithville, TN; sister,...

  • Edward Williams, 1951-2020

    Updated May 11, 2020

    Edward Williams, 68 of Babson Park died May 9, 2020 in Sarasota, FL. He was born Oct. 19, 1951 and was a U.S. Army veteran. Services are incomplete. Epps Memorial Funeral Home in Lake Wales is handling arrangements....

  • Byron Justice, 1958-2020

    Updated May 11, 2020

    Byron James Justice, 61, passed away May 9, 2020. A private family burial will be held Tuesday, May 12 at Lake Wales Cemetery. He was born in Fort Payne, AL on November 2, 1958. Byron spent most of his life in Lake Wales, Florida, except for 12 years, when he resided in Henagar, AL. Byron is survived by his dad, James Willie Justice; and sisters, Sherry Anette Waters, Debra Gale Runyon, Connie Renee Justice, and Sarah Beth Justice. He was preceded in death by his mother,...

  • Hildegard James, 1920-2020

    Updated May 11, 2020

    Hildegard Anna James, 99, of Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, May 5, 2020 at Savannah Court. She was born July 6, 1920 in Starsiedel, Germany, to the late Herman and Anna Kittel. She moved to Miami from Baltimore, MD in 1949, then to Lake Wales in 1989. Hildegard was a manager for Burdines Department Store. She attended Lake Wales Lutheran Church. Hilda was a spunky, energetic, stubborn, and generous lady. She loved cats, shopping, being in the company of others, and having fun. She loved her family fiercely. May she rest in...

  • Maurice Piper, 1946-2020

    Updated May 7, 2020

    Maurice Lee Piper, 73, of Lake Wales, Florida passed away Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at his residence in Savannah Court. He was born October 3, 1946 in Kalamazoo, MI to the late Maurice and Marie Piper. He lived many years in the Augusta and Galesburg, Michigan area. He moved to the Lake Wales area from Jacksonville after retiring to be closer to family in 2009. He had been a clerk for CSX Railroad for 33 years. Maurice was a veteran of the Vietnam war, serving in the U.S. Army. He was a member of Joy’s Angels Crochet Group m...

  • Fed Sends County $126 Million

    Bill Braswell, Polk County Commission|Updated May 6, 2020

    Polk County has been given 126 million dollars from the federal government. It literally was wired into our account with no prior notice. This happened last week. We have been trying to determine what strings are attached. There are some but not nearly as many as FEMA hurricane clean up money. Bottom line, this money will not be used for roads or sidewalks or paying other bills. We agreed it will be used to help the citizens adversely affected by our economy collapsing over...

  • 7-Eleven Honors Health Care Workers and First Responders May 7 with Free Lunch

    Updated May 6, 2020

    More than 800 Florida 7-Eleven® stores want to show their gratitude to the healthcare workers and first responders tirelessly battling the coronavirus. To show appreciation, Florida 7-Eleven stores will be providing healthcare workers and first responders with a free lunch on from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.Thursday, May 7. To identify a participating store, customers should look for a special flyer in the store's front window. Healthcare workers and first responders can simply show...

  • 10 Instacart Shopping Tips and Tricks

    Terri Miller, Contributing Writer|Updated May 6, 2020

    As it turns out, I have not stayed home long enough to have an Instacart order delivered to my home so I will bring you Instacart tips and tricks I have learned as a shopper so your experience as a customer can go better. Since I have mostly shopped Publix Supermarket and mostly in Lake Wales, this will be tips and trick from that store. I have, however, gotten one batch from Aldi this week, a first for me. What I have learned in my two and a half weeks: 1) Publix is awesome....

  • Gig Economy Offers Meaningful Work, Good Pay, Flexibility

    Terri Miller, Contributing Writer|Updated May 6, 2020

    Gig economy: A labor market characterized by the prevalence of short term contracts or freelance work as opposed to a permanent job. Gig work is certainly not new. Musicians have been working gigs forever as well as photographers, etc. But with the Internet, gig work is everywhere. With Apps such as Instacart and websites, a simple Google search brings up a plethora of opportunity for those who don't mind being scheduled at the last minute. A Quick Google searched generated...

  • City Website to Offer Chat Function to Discuss Utility Issues

    Brian Ackley, City of Lake Wales|Updated May 6, 2020

    Lake Wales utility customers now have a new on-line way to communicate with the city. Starting Monday, a new "chat" function is live on the Lake Wales website (lakewalesfl.gov), allowing customers to communicate with representatives of the city's utilities department. Customers can report problems, inquire about billing issues, or chat with a customer representative to get answers to any utility questions. "It is similar to an option already prevalent in private sector...

  • Polk County Public Schools, Unions, Restructure Pay Policy

    Polk County Schools|Updated May 6, 2020

    Beginning with the fiscal year that starts July 1, existing Polk County Public Schools employees will have the option of being paid twice monthly. "Our employees told us this was something they wanted. We listened, we collaborated closely with our unions, and working together, we made it happen. I'm very proud we are able to give this option to the hardworking people of PCPS," said Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd. For as long as most memories serve, PCPS employees have been...

  • Roslyn Dixon, 1951-2020

    Updated May 6, 2020

    Roslyn Jane Dixon, 69, of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, April 30, 2020 at her residence. She was born January 26, 1951 in Lake Wales, to the late James and Beatrice Houser. Roslyn worked as a care giver for Metheny School for children with disabilities. She was a Jehovah Witness Member. Roslyn is survived by her husband, Mack A. Williams; and sons Arelirous Houser (Regina Fullwood) of Lake Wales, Donald Houser (Traci Houser) of Lake Wales, and William Samuel Dixon III of...

  • Tribute to Librarian Fran Prescott Who Shared Love of Books with Local Children

    Tina Peak, Contributing Writer|Updated May 6, 2020

    For those of us who've called Lake Wales home, for many decades. For those of us who've had moms, dads, grandparents who've made the Lake Wales Public Library a part of their family's routine since the 1960s, Mrs. Frances Prescott would have been part of your happy place in a pre-internet world. From the bottom of our hearts, we are so sad. Fran was an amazing public servant. She was the library staff member who knew what a child needed. There were no....Accelerated Readers, n...

  • Suncoast Credit Union Donates $25K to Polk State College Foundation

    Updated May 6, 2020

    Suncoast Credit Union, Florida's largest credit union, announced Monday that it will donate $25,000 to the Polk State College Foundation with $20,000 of the generous gift designated for scholarships. The remaining $5,000 will assist students who are experiencing financial hardships because of the coronavirus public health emergency. "This generous donation came in at a time when it's needed most," Polk State President Angela Garcia Falconetti said. "The Foundation's emergency...

Rendered 12/13/2024 09:44