Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Florida's General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and all polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. As of Oct. 27, 112,310 of the 166,116 vote by mail ballots requested had been returned for counting. Another 74,827 voted early. Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards has some important tips to keep in mind as workers and voters employ safe practices when voting. Precautions to protect voters and workers from COVID-19 mean less voters may be allowed in each polling location at one time. Face masks are encoura...
When I was a teenager I received three moving violations that resulted in my operator's license being suspended. While my license were suspended I was pulled over, because the car I was driving did not have a front license plate, which is required in the state of Ohio. This infraction resulted in a court appearance. For the next several weeks leading up to the court appearance my only thought was, I do not want to go to jail. I hired a lawyer and expressed to him those exact...
Over the course of my life, I have heard many people say something along the lines of "time flies." The older I get, the faster time does seem to "fly by." For the sake of my young readers, I am not speaking literally. Why does that seem to be true? In pondering the idea of the perceived speed of 'time', I remember two of the responses people gave me to an implied rhetorical question: "We acquire more responsibilities, the older we get," and "We realize how much time we have...
A 68-year-old Lake Wales man was arrested Oct. 22 and charged with video voyeurism and tampering with evidence. John Patrick Turley is accused of secretly videotaping a 16-year-old girl who was showering in the guest bathroom at his home at 920 Devonshire Way. Police were called to the Turley home for a disturbance Aug. 15 after the girl's mother confronted him about whether he had nude pictures of her daughter. The heavily redacted police report said the girl saw a Canon came...
Polk County Public Schools and the Florida Department of Health-Polk have partnered to create a COVID-19 call center that opens Monday, Nov. 2. The call center will be open from 12:30 to 8 p.m., seven days a week, except for school holidays. The phone number is 863-298-5206. "The school district and the Florida Department of Health in Polk County have been great partners since the very beginning of the pandemic. Working together, we recognized that we could do more to...
The Polk County Democrats held a press conference on Oct. 28 at Lake Mirror in Lakeland which was highlighted by the appearance of Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Florida Democratic Leader Nikki Fried. Also appearing was Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo, as well as the Democratic candidates running in Polk County. CDC guidelines were followed. Polk County Democratic Executive Committee Chair Kathie Sutherland, M.D. welcomed all to the...
Supporters of President Donald Trump will host their second parade starting at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1 - just two days before the General Election. Participants will line up at Crooked Bass Grill and Tavern, 1010 Scenic Highway North. Special guests include Polk County Commissioner Bill Braswell, Frostproof Vice Mayor Austin Gravley and Republican candidates Fred Hawkins for Florida State Representative Seat 42 and Bill Olson for U.S. House of Representatives District 9. More...
The chair of Warner University's agricultural studies department, Justin Sharpless, is one of three alumni being recognized by the National FFA for outstanding support of the organization. The other two honorees are from Wisconsin and Oregon. The awards honor FFA alumni and supporters across the nation who donate their time, talent and financial resources to support current FFA members. They are being presented this week at the 93rd National FFA Convention and Expo. In...
Robert M. Cox, 83, of Indian Lake Estates passed away Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020 at Advent Health Lake Wales. He was born February 14, 1937 in Sanford to the late Hollis and Nina Cox; Robert came here from Oviedo 19 years ago. He was a retired phone installation technician and he love to fish and hunt. Robert is survived by his wife of 57 years, Nancy K. Cox; sons, Michael Edward Cox and wife Katherine of Castle Rock, Colorado, Steven Marshall Cox and wife Linda of Colorado Springs; brother, Bill King of Ruskin; three...
The Lake Wales Little Theatre will host three performances of "A Night of Musical Theatre" Nov. 6-8. The program will feature numbers from the upcoming musical "Malcolm X" with original songs by Tommie Wofford and music production by Yannick Burklin. Attendees will be the first to preview this show in development. Shows begin at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 and 7 and 2 p.m. Nov. 8. Tickets are $8 at the door. The theatre will be following COVID-19 guidelines to provide for social...
John R. McCullough, Sr., 66, of Lake Wales passed away Monday, Oct. 26, 2020 at Advent Health Heart of Florida in Davenport. He was born September 18, 1954 in Frostproof to the late Horace and Louise McCullough. John was the owner and operator of John’s Appliance Repair Store for over 40 years. He was a veteran of the United States Army, serving during Vietnam, and was of the Baptist faith. John was dedicated to his family an running his business. He was a compassionate, loving person, and a FSU and Nascar fan. John was p...
The public is invited to "ask an expert" when they attend a virtual elections security forum this Thursday, Oct. 29. The event is being held to discuss voter concerns about the safety and conduct of the general election. Panelists for the 7 p.m. event will include Polk Elections Supervisor Lori Edwards, Polk Sheriff's Department Chief of Staff Steve Lester, and voting rights expert Sam Coodley. JC Martin, chair of the Polk Republicans, and Dr. Kathie Sutherland, chair of the...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
Cheryl G. "Cheri" Mathias, 67, of Winter Haven passed away Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 at Good Shephard Hospice in Auburndale. She was born March 13, 1953 in Springfield, OH to the late Charles and Norma Green; she came here from Ohio in 1972. Cheri was a retired educator for the Polk County School Board and Warner University. She had a two master's degrees in reading and curriculum. She was very passionate about education and focused her vacations on it, and helped many others...
Rosemary C. Quinlan, 95, of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 at her residence. She was born November 13, 1924 in Philadelphia, PA to the late Edward and Anna Keough; she became a permanent resident of the area, coming here from Pennsylvania 5 years ago. Rosemary was a retired LPN and member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. She volunteered at Lake Wales Medical Center and was a member of the Counsel of Catholic Women. Rosemary was preceded in death by her husband Donald V. Quinlan; sons, Joseph D. Quinlan, and...
Three California men have been arrested and face first degree murder charges in the shooting deaths of two Lake Wales men. Investigators said the motive is unclear. Detectives found the bodies of Randy Bonds Sr., 33, and Jerry Bonds Jr., 39, in a wooded area near Forbestown, CA after family members reported Oct. 21 they had lost contact after the brothers flew to Los Angeles and rented a car. The FBI and multiple law enforcement agencies got involved after their rental car...
Lake Wales City Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday, Oct. 20 to appoint James Slaton as the next city manager. Slaton has been serving as interim city manager since June 2, when Ken Fields agreed to take an early retirement. Slaton has worked for the city for more than 17 years, most recently as deputy city manager in charge of nine departments. Commissioners considered other options for a search and decided Slaton had proven himself during his more than four and a half mo...
Enrollment for Polk State College's Spring Semester will begin on Monday, Oct. 26 with priority registration for students who have completed at least 50 percent of their program requirements. Open enrollment will begin on Monday, Nov. 2. Classes start January 6. Students can check the status of their program requirements and whether they qualify for priority registration on Passport. Currently enrolled students may register for classes through their Passport accounts. Dual...
Ed Palmer officially became the Lake Wales Police Department's community liaison officer on Sept. 14. But if you ask James "Perly" Sermons, it's been Palmer's calling for a lifetime – Sermons' lifetime. The two first met when Palmer served as the School Resource Officer at Hillcrest Elementary when Perly was a student there. As luck might have it – others might call in Divine guidance – Palmer followed Sermons as an SRO when the youngster went to Roosevelt Academy and to La...
The Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency has been presented with the prestigious Florida Redevelopment Association Award for outstanding "Planning Study for Small Cities." The FRA annual awards program recognizes the best in redevelopment in the state of Florida. Selected by a statewide jury of community development professionals involved in economic development, winners demonstrate originality and positive impact on their communities and serve as a shining model for...
Randy Lorenzo Bonds, Sr., 33, of Lake Wales, died Oct. 22, 2020 in California. He was born May 23, 1987. Services are incomplete. Epps Memorial Funeral Home in Lake Wales is handling arrangements....
Lee Alexander "Alex" Wheeler III passed away Tuesday, October 27, 2020 after unexpected complications following surgery. A third generation Lake Walean, Alex was born in Lake Wales on February 4, 1953, and was a graduate of Lake Wales High School and the University of Florida. Alex was a CPA practicing at Bunting Tripp & Ingley, where he specialized in not-for-profit tax law. Alex was an avid scuba diver who loved hiking, camping, and the outdoors in general. His underwater...
The Boy Scouts of America's regional Greater Tampa Bay Area Council will honor local sheriff's offices with Participating Citizenship Awards in a series of virtual events from Oct. 26-28. The local Council previously honored Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd with the 2008 Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award for service to young people. The Badge of Honor Virtual Event "recognizes the selfless service of local heroes" in the nine departments serving the Council's...
Helen Williams Gordon, 74 of Lake Wales, died Oct. 27, 2020 at Winter Haven Hospital. She was born Aug. 6, 1946 in Largo, Florida. Services are incomplete. Epps Memorial Funeral Home in Lake Wales is handling arrangements....
Jerry Landrum Bonds, Jr., 39, of Lake Wales, died Oct. 22, 2020 in California. He was born Aug. 15, 1981. Services are incomplete. Epps Memorial Funeral Home in Lake Wales is handling arrangements....
