Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Former Lake Wales city commissioner Kris Fitzgerald, who was removed from office after being charged with two felonies, has been found not guilty in a jury trial. Fitzgerald was arrested June 3, 2021 after being sworn in to office in May on the two felony charges. She was released from the Polk County Jail after posting $11,000 bond. Polk Sheriff Grady Judd boasted of the arrest at a press conference, claiming that he had taken a dangerous criminal off the street. "Can you...
A search for closure for the family of Debbie Williams, listed as a "missing person" since 1990, took a major step forward on Tuesday as City of Lake Wales engineering contractor Semco began an investigation of the structural integrity of an aging frame house on Wiltshire Drive. Lake Wales Police were supporting the effort, removing personal belongings from the house to be stored, allowing for the removal of flooring. The current residents of the home are not part of the...
The early morning forecast from the National Hurricane Center confirms that once Sub-Tropical Storm Nicole is transitioning to a Tropical Storm, and is likely to reach Hurricane strength as it moves through the northern Bahamas before impacting Florida's east coast. The change has implications for the Lake Wales area. Still retaining the extremely-broad wind field of an extra-tropical system, Nicole is now developing an inner core of strong winds, which will likely bring a...
After rejecting the only response received from a private developer regarding the Seminole Hotel, the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is taking a completely different approach. The building features prominently in plans for downtown revitalization in the Lake Wales Connected plans. "We're going to do it all over again," said City Manager James Slaton of the failure of the Request for Proposals (RFP) process. Despite multiple expressions of interest in the...
The approach of Storm Nicole has many Lake Wales area residents on edge, but this system is unlikely to be much like what we would normally expect from a hurricane.. As a "sub-tropical" storm Nicole has a much different structure, and the location of the exact center of the system will make little or no difference in regards to impacts. Sub-tropical storms typically lack the intense inner core and eye-wall structure found in hurricanes, instead dispersing their intensity over...
Student athletes from four local elementary schools will meet on the gridiron in an afternoon ideal for family fun. Students from Janie Howard Wilson, Hillcrest, Polk Avenue, and Babson Park elementary schools look forward to the highlight of both the autumn of the school calendars and the spring of their football careers. The annual "Elementary Turkey Bowl" takes place on Tuesday, November 15, beginning at 10:00 am. on the storied grounds of Legion Field in Lake Wales....
A special free learning opportunity is being offered to area Middle and High School students, who will learn and earn a special completion certificate as "Student Naturalists."The program is being offered in special Saturday events at Lake Wales Public Library, and will be led by certified Florida educators. The three-hour educational program, described as "a fun experience," is being hosted by Lake Wales Heritage, a local non-profit endeavoring to recreate the "garden city"...
A special free learning opportunity is being offered to area Middle and High School students, who will learn and earn a special completion certificate as "Student Naturalists."The program is being offered in special Saturday events at Lake Wales Public Library, and will be led by certified Florida educators. The three-hour educational program is being hosted by Lake Wales Heritage, a local non-profit endeavoring to recreate the "garden city" envisioned by city founders. While...
The City of Lake Wales has been cited as a significant cultural landscape in the 2022 Landslide report issued by The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF). According to the national organization, the city's origins and Olmsted patrimony place it among the cultural treasures recognized in the annual report. The report, which was distributed to national media this week, salutes the work of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., who "completed a comprehensive plan for...Lake Wales,...
A concerted effort to attract new businesses to Lake Wales now includes the hiring of a consulting firms to help market the area to prospective retail and restaurant chains. The plan has been approved by the city commission, and work on the recruitment is expected to begin shortly. Calling it a "strategic plan for recruitment," City Manager James Slaton explained that the $40,000 contract with Retail Strategies "absolutely compliments efforts by the city and the Lake Wales...
Redevelopment of a long-vacant apartment building on Park Avenue is awaiting final action by the Lake Wales City Commission next Tuesday. An agreement allowing the Lake Wales Care Center to close on the purchase of the property at 282 East Park Avenue is the next required step to the potential remodeling and reuse of the apartment building . If the deal moves forward, it will bring new life to the downtown area and boost the city's goal of "strategic density" in support of...
After tearing through a schedule that was expected to present challenges, the Lake wales Highlanders take on their district foes, the Liberty High School Chargers, tonight in Kissimmee. At 0-7 on the season the Osceola County team is not expected to present a a serious obstacle. Now ranked in the top slot among in 3-S District 8 teams, and 5th statewide in the re-shuffled state classification system, the Highlanders have been led through their remarkable season by senior...
Polk County's contracted debris haulers have been working seven days a week, from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., since Oct. 3 to clean up Hurricane Ian's debris. In 15 days of cleanup, AshBritt's haulers have transported 6,745 loads to debris management sites, according to Polk County officials. So far, 75,000 tons (301,234 cubic yards) of debris has been recorded. Currently, with approximately 100 units on the road in Polk County each day, haulers are collecting between 21,000 and 24,000 c...
Downed trees, power outages, and significant flooding were the primary impacts of Hurricane Ian locally. No deaths or injuries were reported to local authorities. The storm weakened enough on its trip inland that it had weakened to a Category One hurricane by the time it made its closest approach. A limited number of buildings sustained wind damage, but it was largely limited to screen enclosures, fences, sheds, and mostly minor roof damage. More than 21 inches of rain was rec...
A civic organization working to re-create a historic landscaping plan in Lake Wales is seeking community help. Lake Wales Heritage is a non-profit group working to re-plant the 1930 landscape plan created by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. "We need to find some helpies," said Heritage director and volunteer Tish Sheesley, citing the several projects the group is tackling. Alongside the tree-planting effort, the organization is launching an educational program for middle school stude...
Polk County residents with questions regarding hurricane debris are advised to call the Hurricane Ian Debris Hotline at (800) 375-0844. This is the only number that will be able to provide answers for all debris-related questions. Polk County's Waste & Recycling Division does not collect and dispose of debris from hurricanes. Your typical residential garbage, recycling, yard and bulk waste will need to be placed curbside separate from hurricane debris Residents are urged to...
Individuals in Polk County can apply for FEMA Individual Assistance for home repairs, lost and damaged property, food assistance, and more. according to a statement issued by the office of Congressman Darren Soto, who represents the Lake Wales area. Soto recently welcomed FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell "to assess damages and thank our first responders for their continued rescue and recovery efforts," he said. Soto expressed gratitude "for our first responders, who have...
The Fall Curbside Cleanup scheduled for the City of Lake Wales residents on Saturday, October 8, has been postponed and rescheduled for early December. Dealing with thousands of cubic yards of storm debris from fallen limbs and trees has taken precedence over the voluntary refuse that residents keep in their garages, backyards and attics. The rescheduled event will provide a for the collection of furniture, old appliances, and similar junk. The free service takes place on...
WEDNESDAY 5:00 PM UPDATE: NOAA Doppler radar imagery indicates that the eye of Ian has made landfall on the mainland southwest Florida peninsula just south of Punta Gorda near Pirate Harbor. Maximum sustained winds at landfall were estimated to be 145 mph (235 km/h). They are now estimated to be 140 mph. A WeatherSTEM station at the Cape Coral Fire Department recently reported a wind gust of 110 mph (177 km/h). A WeatherFlow station in Grove City on the western side of...
TUESDAY 8:00 PM UPDATE: Hurricane Ian has continued to deepen as it moves toward Florida and model trends continue to shift the track toward the east, bringing the center of circulation over Polk County. Lake Wales is expected to be exposed to winds of up to 100 MPH sustained, with higher gusts. There is also an enhanced chance of tornados in this area. For the latest information on expected impacts to the Lake Wales area, please RETURN TO HOME PAGE The 5:00 Advisory from the...
UPDATE: Hurricane Ian has continued its trek toward Florida, now with 125 MPH winds. Further intensification is expected during the next 24 hours. The storm is now a Category Three, and is projected to reach Category Four status today. For the latest information on expected impacts to the Lake Wales area, please RETURN TO HOME PAGE Projections from the NHC depict that Ian will remain a Major Hurricane as it moves over the west central coast of Florida. Ian is now on a northerl...
There are no shelters designated to open in the Lake Wales area, according to Polk County and Polk School System officials. No explanation has been offered for that situation. Available shelters in Polk County will open Tuesday at the following locations: • Horizons Elementary School, 1700 Forest Lake Dr, Davenport • Sleepy Hill Elementary School, 2285 Sleepy Hill Rd, Lakeland • R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School, 5500 Yates Rd, Lakeland • Chain Of Lakes Elementary School....
UPDATE: Due to the anticipated arrival of storm-force winds this week, the City of Lake Wales has cancelled the Land Use Study Workshop planned for tonight (Monday). Also cancelled are planned City Commission workshop and the Planning and Zoning meetings this week. LakeWalesNews.net will update meeting schedules when they are announced. A major city initiative that may influence future development patterns throughout the Lake Wales area will be the subject of a public...
As Hurricane Ian threatens Florida and the Lake Wales area, Polk County has announced that thirteen shelters will be opened across the county, None are in Lake Wales. The only designated shelter in the city, located at Spook Hill Elementary, will apparently not be opened despite the demand from those living in several large mobile home communities in southeast Polk. The LakeWalesNews.net had highlighted this continued neglect of the region in a story published at the start of...
The steady expansion of city limits is expected to continue at Tuesday's Lake Wales city commission meeting when the board will consider the annexation of 67.73 acres of land south of Lake Bella Road and east of US Highway 27. The property lies at the extreme southern tip of the municipal limits, and will bring those limits into contact with Blue Lake for the first time. Property owners and applicants for the annexation include Rama Food Mart LLC, Mckenna Brothers Inc, Hunt...
