Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Emily Jane "Janie" Kossman, age 63, passed away Sunday, April 13, 2025 at her home in Fort Meade, FL. She was born April 3, 1962 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Janie retired from the Polk County Tax Collectors Office after 37 years. She was preceded in death by her parents Thomas Robert Kossman and Reba Jeanette Walker. Janie is survived by her sister Kathie Shouppe of Deltona, two brothers Bruce Kossman of Fort Meade and Mike Kossman & wife Lillian of Belton, SC, lifelong friend...
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...
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...
Famed University of Florida basketball player, Walter Clayton Jr. is scheduled to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Albert Kirkland Gymnasium in Lake Wales on Friday, April 18 at 5:15 p.m. A small motorcade will begin at the corner of Kissimmee Avenue and 4th Street at 5 p.m. and travel to the gymnasium. Citizens are encouraged to line the streets and follow the motorcade. "It is exciting to see a hometown hero return to the gym he played in for years," Stephanie Lutton,...
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...
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...
Lake Wales received a wave of television coverage this week as area broadcasters sent teams to cover the big economic news of the settlement between Dixie Walesbilt LLC and the City of Lake Wales that will return ownership of the landmark hotel to the City after more than a decade. Interviews with City Manager James Slaton and Community Redevelopment Agency Chairman Robin Gibson were conducted Tuesday in front of the 10-story structure by four different Tampa Bay area...
I really enjoyed watching the new Snow White movie, directed by Marc Webb and starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. This live-action remake pays homage to the classic Disney film while thoughtfully updating it to reflect modern sensibilities. It strikes a nice balance between nostalgia and fresh perspective. First of all, Gal Gadot-aka Wonder Woman-was fantastic as the Evil Queen. She brought just the right mix of elegance and menace to the role. One of the things I...
Celeste Moore Alligood passed away March 31, 2025 in Windermere, Florida. Mimi, as most people affectionately called her, was born on March 21, 1934 to O.M. Moore and Rosa Swain Moore, in Lake Wales, Florida, and was the youngest of two daughters, following Juanita “Nita” Moore (Hicks). Educated in Lake Wales, she graduated from LWHS where some of her activities included: lifeguard at Big Lake Wailes, school plays, class officer, captain of the cheerleaders, softball, co-...
Maureen Helen Thurston, beloved wife, mom, nana, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 4, 2025 at the age of 85. Maureen was a self-proclaimed snowbird who shared the past 24 winters in Nalcrest, Florida with her husband, Paul, and enjoyed the warmer months at their beautiful home in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Born on September 19, 1939 in Boston to the late Herman and Helen Schreffler, Maureen was known for her warmth and kindness to others. She found joy...
Donald Gene Harvard of Lake Wales passed away Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at George C. Forsythe Hospice House in Auburndale. He was born January 1, 1935 in Winter Haven to the late Burl and Lyda Harvard; he has been a lifelong resident of the area. In his early years, Donald worked with his father at Burl Harvard's Builders. He was the owner of Harvard's Groceries in the early 70's and was a refrigeration technician for Florida's Natural before retiring after 40 years. Donald...
Duane (Dewey) Westerburg, age 85, of Frostproof, Fl and Bemus Point, N.Y. went to be with his Lord and Savior on April 2, 2025. A native of Jamestown N.Y, he was born January 15,1940. He was the son of the late Emil and Jessie Custer Westerburg. He was a 1958 graduate of Jamestown High School and was employed by Pepsi Cola Bottling Plant for 27 years. In earlier years he had worked for Crescent Tool Company for 18 years. He was a member of the Christian Missionary Alliance chu...
