Communication Builds Our Community

Articles from the February 22, 2023 edition


Sorted by date  Results 1 - 13 of 13

  • Congratulations to Our Winners, Three Prizes Still Unclaimed!

    News Staff|Updated Mar 4, 2023

    The LakeWalesNews.net Treasure Hunt Game is concluding, but there are still three prizes that remain unclaimed. Did we make our clues too tough for the Sherlock Holmes of Lake Wales? We hope not! If you were one of those who tried without success to determine where to go and how to claim one, we are going to give you the answers now so you can still grab one of the great prize packages. We would first like to thank both our contest sponsors and the prize donors, including...

  • University Women to Host Commission Candidates Forum March 13.

    News Staff Reports|Updated Feb 28, 2023

    A forum to hear from four candidates for the Lake Wales City Commission is planned for mid-March to allow voters to learn about the goals and platforms prior to the April 4 election. Two seats on the five-person commission are at stake in the vote. The American Association of University Women Lake Wales Branch will join with the GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales in sponsoring the forum on March 13th. The candidates for the two seats include Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson, who will...

  • US 27/SR 60 To Incur Another Major Traffic Snarl Next Week

    Special to the News|Updated Feb 28, 2023

    A complicated traffic pattern requiring drivers to make U-turns on US 27 both north and south of SR 60 will be in place on two successive weekends beginning March 10, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. As the new, permanent traffic pattern at the busy intersection of US 27 and SR 60 begins to take shape, traffic changing roadways at the intersection will face new detours, but law enforcement officers are expected to be on hand to assist in directing...

  • Prizes Remain to be Claimed in News Treasure Hunt Game

    News Staff Reports|Updated Feb 28, 2023

    Tickets to the Strawberry Festival, free oil change coupons, ice cream, free bowling, and restaurant gift certificates are among the prizes waiting to be claimed at specific area merchants participating in the Lake Wales News Treasure Hunt. Each prize package contains multiple prizes with a value up to or exceeding $100. A bit of simple detective work is all you need to claim them. The Treasure Hunt is open to all, and clues are spread throughout this news site, most at the...

  • Arts Festival to Highlight This Weekend

    News Staff Reports|Updated Feb 28, 2023

    Get ready to enjoy another beautiful spring weekend outdoors in Lake Wales as the Lake Wailes Arts Festival offers a special atmosphere for a pleasant day. Presented annually by the Lake Wales Arts Council, the critically acclaimed two-day Festival attracts thousands of art lovers each year, many of whom purchase original, one-of-a-kind works of art. The show takes place Saturday and Sunday, February 25 and 26, under the shade of the Live Oaks on the shores of beautiful Lake...

  • Excessive Speed a Factor in Saturday Death of Lake Wales Man in US 27 Crash

    News Staff Reports|Updated Feb 25, 2023

    A Lake Wales man is dead after speeding into a slower vehicle on US 27 early Saturday morning. Officers from the Lake Wales Police Department responded to calls reporting a vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 27 at 1:13 A.M. Arriving officers at the scene, near Weikert Ford, found 38-year-old Eliecer Padilla of Lake Wales lying deceased in the north bound lanes. A passenger in his 2015 Chevrolet Camaro, 40-year-old Jeanette Gonzalez of Lake Wales, was also ejected from the car and...

  • Public Input Sought for New Trail Connection for Kiwanis Park

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Feb 25, 2023

    The public is being invited to learn and comment on a new trail segment being proposed to continue expanding the bicycle and pedestrian links around Lake Wales. The segment would connect the Lake Wailes Trail with the Rails-to-Trails track. A trail design concept created by city consultant Hale Innovation of Maitland envisions the new trail linking the existing at three points while looping around Kiwanis Park. A Federal Recreational Trails Program grant application to help...

  • Mardi Gras 2023 Brightens the Streets of Lake Wales

    News Staff Reports|Updated Feb 23, 2023

    Thousands of residents and visitors from across the state and nation gathered in downtown Lake Wales Saturday for the highlight of the local Mardi Gras celebrations, enjoying a zany and colorful extravaganza of performance art. More than a dozen colorful Krewes parades floats and costumes while tossing more than 100,000 "throws" to the gathered throngs of celebrants. The parade featured the crowd-pleasing all-female Krewe of ZaZu, bringing cheers from the crowd with their ente...

  • Construction Keeping Area Roads Closed

    News Staff Reports|Updated Feb 22, 2023

    Four separate construction projects are causing lengthy detours for area drivers, according to Bill Skelton, Project Management Liaison for Polk County. Travel delays, some lengthy, can be expected while traffic is detoured to bypass these closures. The newest announced closure is along Lake Wales-Alturas Road North, just west Crews Road, in rural, unincorporated Lake Wales. That road is closing at the railroad crossing on Thursday, February 23 for two to five days to allow...

  • Library Offers Community Resource Fair March 11

    News Staff Reports|Updated Feb 22, 2023

    An event designed to share healthcare and vital resources with the broader community will give residents a chance to learn and take advantage of many free services, ranging from health screenings to free cookies and snacks.. The Community Resource Fair will take place on March 11th from 10am to 12pm at the Lake Wales Library. A dozen vendors will set up throughout the library lobby, as well as along the front entrance sidewalk, according to Christine Runyon, the library's...

  • Audie "Keith" Griffin, 1957-2023

    Updated Feb 21, 2023

    Audie "Keith" Griffin, 66, of Westminster, SC, went to meet his Maker on Sunday, February 19, 2023. A native of Lake Wales, FL, Mr. Griffin was the son of Louie Paul Griffin, Jr. (Betty) and the late Elizabeth Joann McCall Weaver. He was of the Christian faith and a member of Oakway United Wesleyan Church. He retired from Landscape Perceptions as a heavy machinery operator. Mr. Griffin was a skilled carpenter and could operate any heavy machinery. He was interested in...

  • Polk County Trails Network Continues to Expand

    Jeff Foley, Polk County Media|Updated Feb 21, 2023

    Cyclists and pedestrians are one step closer to being able to travel safely from downtown Lakeland to downtown Bartow. The Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) today accepted funding for construction of a 2.4-mile extension of the Fort Fraser Trail, which currently runs parallel to U.S Highway 98 for eight miles along an abandoned rail line, from State Road 540 to State Rd. 60. The extension will go from U.S. Highway 98 at Winter Lake Rd. to Lake Highlands Rd. at G...

  • Unpaid Court Fines Waived for One Day Only March 11

    Special to the News|Updated Feb 21, 2023

    For one day only, Polk County is putting the brakes on collection fees and getting drivers back on the road during Operation Green Light. Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller Stacy Butterfield has announced the program in coordination with clerks of court across the state. During the one-day event, the collection fees applied to unpaid court fines are waived, which saves customers up to 40 percent on their outstanding fines. Once paid, customers can proceed with the...