Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has officially confirmed that it will build a new, state-of-the-art pipe manufacturing facility in Lake Wales. The company plans to break ground in 2024 on a 100-acre site with frontage on both South 11th Street and Hunt Brothers Road. The plant will manufacture corrugated plastic pipe, adding to the company's existing manufacturing presence in Florida. "This advanced manufacturing facility is an important investment in a key region for ADS,"...
More than 80 community leaders and interested citizens were present Thursday night for the premier showing of the documentary film "Lake Wales Envisioned," which lays out the case for changes to development codes that may redefine future development in the rapidly-growing community. The film is among the final work products of the city-funded project known as Lake Wales Envisioned, an effort to guide the city through a future fraught with both opportunities and perils. The...
Currently enrolled Polk State students will have a head start opportunity fo enrolling in the Spring 2024 semester. Enrollment for the spring will begin on October 30 with priority registration for students who have completed at least 50% of their program requirements. Open enrollment will begin on November 6 and classes will start on January 8. Polk State College operates multiple facilities around the county, including a Lake Wales campus located on Central Avenue in...
A continuing rise in readership and community reach is evidence of the growing awareness and trust of LakeWalesNews.net among residents of the Ridge area. The expansion of readership and advertising is powering an expansion of news coverage as well as the News increases coverage of events in Frostproof, Babson Park, Indian Lake, and surrounding communities through the hiring of new staff and correspondents. Analytics provided by Google indicate that LakeWalesNews.net is the to...
Major improvements are underway at the Lake Wales History Museum that are expected to make the facility a center of community activity as well as a draw for residents and visitors alike, according to Executive Director Melissa Stoller. The ongoing project includes needed repairs to the 98-year-old building as well as reimagined and refreshed exhibits. The non-profit museum is seeking volunteers with carpentry skills to help with the ongoing reconfiguration. Stoller promises...
A new "circulator" bus route that will serve the city six days a week on a frequent schedule began this week, making getting around town without a car a much simpler task. Lake Wales should be very proud of the new service, according to Tom Phillips, executive director of Citrus Connection, which operates the buses. "This is only the second city [in Polk County] to have a real circulator route," he told Lake Wales News.net. The circulator will stay within the city limits,...
As the City of Lake Wales prepares to begin a major tree-planting effort as part of the Lake Wales Connected effort, a long-vacant horticulturist spot has been filled by a long-time Lakeland gardening expert. Kevin Polk, a certified horticulturist who spent several years supervising the landscape at the City of Lakeland's Hollis Gardens, will take the reins overseeing plans to revive the landscapes in the city's historic core. After spending years reviving the 1928 landscape...
In a major step toward addressing the challenge presented by an enormous wave of growth, the Lake Wales city commission voted to adopt a resolution in support of the Lake Wales Envisioned plan. Facing development proposals that would readily triple the population of the city, the board had agreed to fund the planning study in January, leading to months of effort by planners, residents, and city staff. The project included numerous public meetings, open workshops, webinars,...
Bill Redmon has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious 2023 Pioneer of the Year for the annual Pioneer Days festival, which will take place at Lake Wailes Park on October 29 and 29. Redmon's extraordinary dedication to his community and his outstanding achievements make him a true pioneer in every sense and led to his selection by the board of the Lake Wales History Museum, sponsors of the long-standing and popular festival. Only 50-year residents of the Lake Wales...
A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the new Health Sciences Center at Webber International University drew a large crowd of students, supporters, and alumni eager to tour the facility. The Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce and EDC co-hosted the ceremony alongside the institution. The first phase of the Center is home to the University's Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) programs. T...
It's time to start digging out the jackets and sweaters. The long-awaited seasonal cooldown after the end of an exceptionally hot summer will arrive in earnest next week after the passage of a series of reinforcing cold fronts. Heavy rains are expected over Florida beginning Wednesday night, and rain will linger for several days before a series of fronts sweeps in a colder air mass that will leave morning lows in the 50's for the Lake Wales Ridge area. The potential for...
Winners of the first week of a 13-week contest sponsored by Lake Wales News.net and Pizzano's Pizza and Grinderz have been have announced, and tasty awards await, ideal for that football gathering, birthday party, or other get-together. Susan Coyne and Samantha Bourke were chosen as winners of a large pizza of their choice, enough to feed a family of four. The winners gained entry simply by sharing a story from LakeWalesNews.net on their social media. To be sure that we don't...
Thursday afternoon travelers on Hesperides Road found themselves caught in a lengthy backup after three vehicles tangled at the intersection of Ninth Street. Emergency responders worked to investigate and remove vehicles from travel lanes to clear the street, but no major injuries were reported. The crash was apparently triggered by an illegal right-turn attempt from a left-hand travel lane. A vehicle with two occupants driven by an employee of Edgewood Landscape crossed into...
The vast Peace Crossing development long-planned for a large tract of land between US 27 and Lake Ashton is now moving forward under new ownership following the sale of the property by Winter Haven Corporation. The 1,943-acre Master Development Plan (MDP) Lake Wales Mixed Use Project was approved by the city commission in 2021. The site has long been used as pasture and consists of a mix of uplands and wetland areas spanning the Peace Creek Drainage Canal. With 6100...
Community civic leaders and interested citizens are expected to gather Thursday evening to view the premiere screening of what is expected to be an influential documentary film introducing the work product of the Lake Wales Envisioned process. The event will begin at 7:00 at the Lake Wales Woman's Club Auditorium. The Envisioned planning effort grew from a desire by city leaders to better shape and guide the impact of dozens of development proposals that will include some 14,0...
The multi-million-dollar reconstruction of Park Avenue is proceeding close to schedule, as evidenced by the hard-working crews who have been seen laying the thousands of bricks that will eventually form the surface of the new street and parking spaces. The new high-quality clay-brick pavers were selected as the most durable and traditional surface for the project after a study by engineers and architects involved in the design of the project, an early phase of the multi-phase...
The nearly five-year, The $45 million construction project to reconstruct the intersection of US 27 and SR 60 in Lake Wales is progressing as crews prepare to resurface a stretch of West Central Avenue that has been disrupted during the process. Motorists should expect a northbound lane closure on US 27 near Central Avenue, according the the Florida Department of Transportation and the general contractor The massive project to rebuild the former obsolete bridge and...
Local fitness buffs may be well advised to skip the outdoor routines today due to the unhealthy levels of particulate matter in the air. The cloud of smoke which has drifted south from Canada has cast a gray pall over most of the state. It's the result of smoke from the vast wildfires which have devastated forests in what would normally be the chilly north woods. According to AQCIN.org, which monitors air quality globally, the air over Florida is rated as "unhealthy," with...
New details are slowly emerging after the huge pileup crash Thursday evening at the intersection of US 27 and Chalet Suzanne Road in Lake Wales. "Several people were injured" in the crash, according to police, with at least one with injuries described as "life-threatening." The intersection remained closed for several hours as investigators and emergency medical personnel worked the scene. According to investigators and eyewitness accounts, a Chrysler 300 attempted to make a...
Pathways leading to college or directly to highly-paid careers are open to students at Lake Wales High School thanks to the seven "Career Academies" offered at the school. Assistant Principal Jasmine Ansley heads the career academy program and was happy to report that 1,039 of the school's students are now enrolled in one of the pathways. The program helps keep students engaged in what they like to do at school, resulting in a lower drop rate, she said. A recent special...
Lake Wales Charter School Superintendent Dr. Wayne Rodolfich has announced the appointment of April Barnhardt to become the new principal of Edward Bok Academy South. The appointment was confirmed by the Charter School board. Barnhardt has for the past two years served as the assistant principal of Hillcrest Elementary School, one of several local schools she attended as a child. She will take over the role from Dr. Julio Acevedo, who has served on a temporary basis the...
An early-autumn bout of very soggy weather has left the Lake Wales Ridge area with as much as nine inches of rain in some locations, raising lake levels and saturating marshes. Now long-range models are beginning to depict a weather pattern favorable to tropical storm development in the western Caribbean. The wet weather has generally been welcomed across central Florida after a drier-than-normal year, and the various models are in agreement that the pattern will remain in...
Lake Wales newest restaurant, Kualao, celebrated its recent opening with a ribbon cutting this week, hosting an enthusiastic group of fans to free samples of their creative and authentic cuisine. A group of local guests and an impressively large family gathered for the event this week, which was co-hosted by the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce. Chef & owner Manivanh Kai Kounnavong introduced a few flavorful samples from their kitchen and shared some interesting facts...
The cost of enjoying a day in the relaxing environment at Bok Tower Gardens may add a bit of unfortunate stress to budgets after the gardens announced that the their admission rates are rising once again. Beginning October 1, adult general admission will be $20, while children ages 6-17 will get in for $10. Children 5 and under will continue to be admitted free. Annual passes for individuals and families are available. A statement issued by Bok Tower Gardens called the increas...
Owners of the rapidly-growing number of electric vehicles in the Lake Wales area, as well as travelers passing through the city on SR 60, will be pleased to find four new electric vehicle chargers in a handy location. A project of AdventHealth Lake Wales Medical Center and Duke Energy EV Division, the chargers have been installed in the hospital parking lot immediately behind the Lake Wales Arts Center at 1099 SR 60 East. They are readily accessible from 11th Street. A large...
