Communication Builds Our Community

Articles from the August 21, 2024 edition


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  • Lake Wales Breaks Ground on Northwest Neighborhood Sidewalk and Street Tree Project

    Robert Connors|Updated Aug 23, 2024

    Lake Wales City officials and residents gathered Friday morning at the intersection of Florida Avenue and F Street in the Northwest Neighborhood to celebrate the upcoming sidewalk and street-tree planting project with a groundbreaking ceremony. The effort is expected to beautify the long-neglected area, coupling with the ongoing Community Redevelopment Agency housing rehabilitation and affordable home construction programs. The groundbreaking followed only hours after a Thursd...

  • William "Bill" Jackson Cook, 1936-2024

    News Obituary Service|Updated Aug 23, 2024

    William "Bill" Jackson Cook, age 85, passed away Tuesday, August 20, 2024. He was born December 14, 1938 in Tilghmon, FL to Otis & Letha Cook. Bill was a Veteran serving three years in the US Amy and then four years in the US Navy. After his service to his Country, Bill worked in the phosphate mines as a Welder/ Maintenance Mechanic. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Bowling Green. He was preceded in death by his parents Otis & Letha McAdams Cook, siblings...

  • Frederick "Fred" John Bohde, 1941-2024

    News Obituary Service|Updated Aug 22, 2024

    Frederick "Fred" John Bohde, age 83, passed away Saturday, August 17, 2024. He was born May 4, 1941 in New York City, NY to William & Nettie Bohde. Fred was a Captain in the US Army Reserve and a Citrus Consultant. He was a member First Presbyterian Church of Bartow. Fred was the past President, Lt. Governor and member of Bartow Kiwanis Club, past President of the Bartow Chamber of Commerce, American Society of Agronomy a certified crop advisor and a past Board Member of the...

  • Opinion: Protect Florida's State Parks From Their "Protectors"

    News Editorial Board|Updated Aug 22, 2024

    Florida's award-winning state parks are a unique and irreplaceable resource for our state and its tourism economy, a delight for visitors and residents alike. They offer our burgeoning population affordable places to "get away" from urban crowding without an airline ticket. State park usage has grown in recent years, even as the state's population has swelled past 22 million. They have also proven invaluable in efforts to protect and conserve natural resources and...

  • "Coolest" Street is an Ice Cream Lovers Paradise

    Robert Connors|Updated Aug 21, 2024

    Park Avenue in downtown Lake Wales has become one of the "coolest" places around with the opening of yet another ice cream parlor. The Pink Flamingo is the third location where residents and visitors can grab a frozen treat. The new shop, located within the Arcade at 230 East Park Avenue, is the project of Lynette and Gene Hofferber. The couple are recent arrivals, having moved to the city from Nebraska in the footsteps of their daughter, Brittany Gregg, who fell in love with...

  • New High-Tech Laser Scanner Will Speed Serious Crash Investigations for LWPD

    News Staff Report|Updated Aug 21, 2024

    A new high-tech three-dimensional laser scanner is promising to speed traffic investigations being conducted by the Lake Wales Police Department, assuring quicker re-openings of intersections and crash sites after incidents. The new $63,969.42 laser scanner will be used to help investigate major crime scenes and traffic crashes resulting in serious bodily injury or death, enabling one officer to map out millions of geographic measurement points in under an hour, rather than...

  • Lake Wales Skyline Getting Artistic Upgrades

    News Staff Reports|Updated Aug 21, 2024
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    A bit of color and history will soon be added to the skyline of Lake Wales as new graphic murals designed to reflect the city's heritage gradually replace block lettering on all four city water towers. City Utility Operations Manager Holly Britt, who is overseeing the project, says improving the water towers will better "show the character of our city." The water tower adjacent to the Eagle Ridge Mall has already been painted with artwork recognizing the Lake Wales High...

  • Lake Wales' Downtown Park Avenue Moving Closer to Completion as New Stretch Opens to Traffic

    Robert Connors|Updated Aug 21, 2024
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    The long-awaited opening on a second stretch of a reconstructed Park Avenue in downtown Lake Wales is a reality after construction crews removed barriers, allowing traffic to flow on the newly-bricked street. Along with the new travel surface comes a lush new landscape of oaks and ornamental plantings and new wider sidewalks designed to accommodate sidewalk dining. Still to come are new streetlights to create the proper evening ambiance. Merchants have struggled during the...

  • Lake Wales Teachers Offered "Grants for Great Ideas"

    News Staff Reports|Updated Aug 20, 2024

    Teachers and other school-based professionals that work directly with students at a Lake Wales Charter School or Polk County Public School in Lake Wales are eligible to receive one of ten $250 grants that will be awarded by the Lake Wales Junior Woman's Club. Grants for Great Ideas is a competitive grant, and applications have been sent to all eligible school principals and assistant principals for the first grant cycle of this school year. A volunteer committee of key communi...

  • Movie Review: Twisters: Chasing the Storm Again

    Jennifer Nanek, News Film Critic|Updated Aug 19, 2024

    The new movie Twisters is what is being called a legacy sequel of the movie Twister from 1996. Twisters is directed by Lee Isaac Chung and stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell. I recently watched the original Twister movie from 1996 starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton to prepare to watch this movie. Twister really set the stage for disaster movies. The plots for the two movies are pretty much identical. The only connective tissue between the two movies is the fact that the...