Communication Builds Our Community

Articles from the December 15, 2021 edition


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  • U.S. Screen Corporation Expanding Into Commerce and Technology Park

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Dec 22, 2021

    Business is booming for many local enterprises, no less so for Lake Wales entrepreneur Chad Riedel, who grown his operations beyond the capacity of several facilities since starting work here in 2002. Riedel, 48, now has plans to construct a new building at the Lake Wales Commerce and Technology Park that will allow him to grow his business to meet demand. The Lake Wales Community Development Agency approved the sale of lot five at the park, formerly known as Longleaf...

  • City Commissioners Wrestle With Growth Challenges in Workshop

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Dec 20, 2021

    The challenge of managing the wave of new development proposed for Lake Wales was the topic of a two-hour workshop for city commissioners Friday afternoon, with the prospect for much more time to be spent on the topic in coming weeks and months. The nearly ten thousand housing units projected to fill a dozen developments in coming years are likely to attract an associated wave of new commercial development. Hearing presentations from city planners, experts, and citizens, the...

  • Downtown Streetscape Plans May Expand to Portions of Orange, Crystal Avenues

    Robert Connros, Managing Editor|Updated Dec 17, 2021

    In hope of landing an additional infusion of grant monies to aid in the revitalization of downtown Lake Wales, the City Commission has authorized engineering design work for portions of both Orange and Crystal Avenues. The proposal on Tuesday's agenda approved the expenditure of $34,975 for Orange Avenue and $34,895 for Crystal Avenue designs. The work will cover the intersections of North Market Street, providing a visual corridor to the redesigned MarketPlace. From there...

  • Thousands Turn Out to Herald Holidays, Welcome Santa

    News Staff|Updated Dec 16, 2021

    A dazzling display of lights greeted local residents Saturday evening for a mile of Central Avenue as a column of colorful floats, bands, and more than a thousand participants marked the approach of Christmas holidays. Christmas music filled the air as scores of walkers passed out candy treats to the thousands of spectators who lined the length of the broad street between Lakeshore Boulevard and the City Administration building. The Lake Wales Marching Highlanders and the...

  • What Do You Like About Lake Wales? We'd Like to Know

    News Staff|Updated Dec 16, 2021

    As the population of the United States in general, and Florida in particular, becomes increasingly mobile, population trends in our area are changing. Homes are sold, residents move in and out, and new development attracts both existing families and new residents. Children are born, others leave for college, or return to work in area businesses. To better capture the changing demographics of our area, the LakeWalesNews.Net is conducting a voluntary poll that allows you, our...

  • Six Students Arrested After Lunch-Hour Fight at High School

    Tom Paulson, City Editor|Updated Dec 16, 2021

    A brawl that erupted on the campus of Lake Wales High School Wednesday ended with Lake Wales Police putting six students in handcuffs. Two of the students involved were over age 18. One had a concealed weapon in his backpack. All six students have been transported to the appropriate facilities. Police arrested 18-year-olds Courtney Brown and Nicholas Young, both of Winter Haven. A search of Brown's backpack led to the discovery of a loaded Glock 26 handgun. The gun had not bee...

  • Superintendent Candidate Field Narrows to Eight

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Dec 15, 2021

    The field of candidates seeking the helm of the Lake Wales Charter Schools got a bit smaller this week as two of the remaining candidates have withdraw their applications. The search now narrows to eight after two applicants withdrew. Those two were Dr. Ronald J Iasruss, Superintendent of the Marion City Schools in Marion Ohio, and James T. Stroder, Superintendent of the Rogersville City School in Tennessee. They had been selected to advance to the next round in the selection...

  • The Weekly Fishing Report Will Guide You To 'Em

    Charlie Wynperle, Fishing Expert|Updated Dec 14, 2021

    The fish are biting in area lakes if you know where to go. Here are a few tips that will help you along. Walk-in-water - Speck bites should pick up this weekend with the full moon. Anglers drifting minnows at night are doing well under the lights. Bass bite picking up. Throw moving baits around isolated cover in shallow water. Hatchineha - First thing in the morning fish the outer grass lines for specks. Put out as many poles as possible with minnows. Bass should be scattered...

  • New Museum Curator Enjoys "Touching History"

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Dec 13, 2021

    "Getting back to museum basics" was a large part of the motivation that moved Anderson Hanna, former director of the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida, to apply for what might at first appear to be a less-authoritative role as Curator of Collections and Exhibits at the Lake Wales History Museum. Hanna doesn't see it that way at all, and is very happy with his career decision. "It's about getting to your specialty," he said, in describing the change that also brings him...

  • Alane D. Osborn, 1957-2021

    Whidden-McLean Funeral Home|Updated Dec 13, 2021

    Alane D. Osborn, age 57, passed away Tuesday, November 30, 2021 at her home in Bartow. Born October 26, 1964 in Dixon, IL, she was the daughter of William Carr Osborn and Jane Doris (Bowman) Osborn. Ms. Osborn was a Veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Alane worked Polk County in the Parks and Natural Resources dept. in Mosquito Control since 2004. She is survived by her companion, Howard Warren, her son Brad Boyles, and her brother, Michael Osborn along with many friends and...

  • Waiving Rules for Moving Florida Gopher Tortoises Helps Only Developers

    Craig Pittman, Florida Phoenix|Updated Dec 10, 2021
    1

    Do you like the neighborhood where you live? I sure like mine. My wife and I bought a 1926 Craftsman fixer-upper in St. Petersburg back in the mid-1990s, and we've been here ever since. We love the brick streets, the shady oaks, and the down-the-block proximity of a waterfront park. Our neighbors are pretty cool, too. They include a scientist, a professor, a couple of actors, a newspaper editor, a liquor store manager, and a lawyer (in court she may be a bulldog but in person...

  • Charter School Superintendent Search Enters Next Phase

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Dec 10, 2021

    The long-vacant position of leadership at the helm of the Lake Wales Charter Schools is a step closer to be filled after the Superintendent Search Committee reduced the original field of applicants to a list of favorites. The opportunity to lead the acclaimed school system, one of the only community-based charter conversion systems in the nation, generated significant interest. The search for applicants, advertised nationally, drew a field of twenty-five, representing eleven...

  • Juan Alexis Andujar, 1935-2021

    Updated Dec 9, 2021

    Juan Alexis Andujar of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, December 5, 2021 at AdventHealth Lake Wales. He was born October 2, 1935 in Manati, Puerto Rico to the late Julio and Flora Andujar; he moved to Lake Wales from New York 25 years ago. He was an Oiler for the City of New York and of the Catholic faith. Juan was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Miguelina Andujar. He is survived by his daughters; Nilsa Laquer of Sebring, Lourdes Oyola of New York, Solange Viloria of...

  • Historic Building Restoration Leads to Mystery

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Dec 8, 2021
    3

    A mystery that may require a good memory to solve has emerged from the ongoing restoration work being performed on a downtown building. The two-story masonry structure located at 244 East Park Avenue was one of the earliest brick buildings constructed in Lake Wales, following close upon the heels of the ornate Lake Wales State Bank Building at the corner of Scenic Highway and Park Avenue. Both buildings were constructed by JT Rhodes, one of the city's early builders. Rhodes,...