Communication Builds Our Community

(50) stories found containing 'crooked lake'


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  • More Than 15,660 New Homes Approved By Lake Wales City Commissioners, Expected to Host 42,000 New Residents

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Mar 22, 2024
    2

    A population boom is expected in Lake Wales in coming months and years as design work or construction is advancing for at least 40 projects within the city limits, in addition to others outside the city. A LakeWalesNews.net calculation shows a total of more than 15,660 new residential units have already met some level of approval by the city commission, with many having already received final plat approval for construction, even as other projects are nearing completion. If the...

  • Dr. Alexander "Fleet" Ryland, III, 1946-2024

    News Obituary Service|Updated Feb 12, 2024

    Dr. Alexander “Fleet” Ryland, III, 77, of Lake Wales, passed away on Monday, February 5, 2024, surrounded by loved ones at AdventHealth in Lake Wales. Born on April 5, 1946, in Richmond, VA, Fleet was the cherished son of the late Alexander and Brennan Ryland. Growing up primarily in Sarasota, Fleet attended Riverview High School before proudly serving in the Navy. It was during this time that he found his lifelong companion, Theresa, whom he married in 1969. Pursuing his pas...

  • December 19, 1923 Highlander

    News Research Staff|Updated Dec 20, 2023

    December of 1923 saw plenty of changes happening in the growing town of Lake Wales, then with a population of perhaps 2,000. A bit of a land-rush had been initiated weeks before when the "Knee Deep" club laid claim to an island in Crooked Lake. The group hoped to build a clubhouse on the land. New claims were filed that month on two other islands located in Lake Easy. The state "School Land Selecting Agent" responded by ordering the islands surveyed, thus removing them from...

  • Friedlander Ranch May Become Part of Envisioned Plan's "Big Green Network"

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Dec 11, 2023

    The realization of a "Big Green Network" of environmental lands that will forever form limits to the potential urbanization of the Lake Wales area drew a step closer this week. Lifelong Lake Wales resident and member of a pioneer family, Edwin Friedlander has offered his 749-acre ranch property for acquisition through the Polk Forever program, approved by voters in 2022. The property was assessed by a "technical advisory team" before being approved by the Conservation Lands...

  • Dr. Nelson Marquez Is New Webber International University President

    Ryan Reis|Updated Dec 7, 2023

    Webber International University, located just south of Lake Wales near Crooked Lake, has a new president and CEO following action by the school's board of directors. Dr. Nelson Marquez was named during the semi-annual meeting of the Board of Trustees on December 1, when the board unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Marquez effective that date. Dr. Marquez replaces Dr. H. Keith Wade who has served as the University's President/CEO since 2008. Dr. Marquez had served as...

  • Crooked Lake Park's Sunshine Drive to be Closed for at Least Two Months

    News Staff REports|Updated Dec 1, 2023

    Construction of a new sewer main and lift station will require the closure of Sunshine Drive in the Crooked Lake Park neighborhood south of Lake Wales for two months starting Monday, December 4. Sunshine Drive will be closed to through traffic at the intersection with U.S. Highway 27. Sunshine Drive residents can access their homes via connecting crossroads from First Avenue North. Minor backups and delays at the First Avenue North and U.S. Highway 27 intersection are possible...

  • Babson Park Marks 100th Anniversary of Woman's Club

    Saundra Roach and Lisa Hernandez|Updated Nov 11, 2023

    An anniversary worth noting is happening this month, as a local institution marks its 100th birthday. The Babson Park Woman's Club (BPWC) is a designated national historic landmark standing just across the street from Webber University. Established in the fall of 1923, the Babson Park Woman's Club turns 100-years old on November 16, 2023, marking a full century of significant contributions to the community and nation, ranging from local social activities to WWII bandage...

  • Webber International University Dedicates New Health Sciences Facility

    Ryan J. Reis|Updated Oct 14, 2023

    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...

  • October 10, 1923 Highlander

    News Research Staff|Updated Oct 11, 2023

    Only 100 years ago the young town of Lake Wales was kept up-to-date by stories shared on the pages of The Highlander. This week the buzz was about a pair of men who had made the drive all the way from Indiana in only five days, covering a distance of 1,214 miles on "fair" roads, "with the exception of over the mountains," where no doubt things remained rather sketchy for automobile traffic, since most locals there preferred mules at the the time. In other local news, local res...

  • September 26. 1923 Highlander

    News Research|Updated Sep 26, 2023

    The Lake Wales Highlander of 100 years ago reveals much about the history of our community. Each week the Lake Wales News will publish a front-page image of the former Lake Wales Highlander from 100 years earlier, tracking the growth of the community a century ago, when Florida was in the midst of a great land price boom and rapid population growth. The images are retrieved from the digital archives of the Lake Wales Public Library. The Lake Wales Highlander eventually became...

  • August 29, 1923 Highlander

    News Research Staff|Updated Sep 5, 2023

    The Lake Wales Highlander of 100 years ago reveals much about the history of our community. Each week the Lake Wales News will publish a front-page image of the former Lake Wales Highlander from 100 years earlier, tracking the growth of the community a century ago, when Florida was in the midst of a great land price boom and rapid population growth. The images are retrieved from the digital archives of the Lake Wales Public Library. The Lake Wales Highlander eventually became...

  • Coleden Snowden Charged After Fatal High-Speed Crash

    News Staff Reports|Updated Aug 23, 2023

    A Babson Park man has been arrested and charged after a crash that took the life of a local woman. Coleden Snowden was arrested by Polk County Sheriff's deputies after an extensive investigation indicated that he was driving as fast as 112 miles per hour just prior to causing a crash that resulted in the death of a Frostproof woman in March. Snowden, 20, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter, a second degree felony. According to investigators, a reconstruction of the...

  • August 1, 1923 Highlander Tells Tale of City History

    News Research Staff|Updated Aug 17, 2023

    The Lake Wales Highlander of 100 years ago reveals much about the history of our community. Each week the Lake Wales News will publish a front-page image of the former Lake Wales Highlander from 100 years earlier, tracking the growth of the community a century ago, when Florida was in the midst of a great land price boom and rapid population growth. The images are retrieved from the digital archives of the Lake Wales Public Library. The Lake Wales Highlander eventually became...

  • Will Lake Wales be Overrun by Growth? Envisioned Effort Offers an Alternative, But it Needs Your Input

    News Editorial Board|Updated Aug 2, 2023
    1

    Change is coming to Lake Wales. Are you worried? If so, your concerns are shared by thousands of your friends and neighbors. Ours is a growing community. This special place has been "discovered" by ever-larger numbers of people who would like to share in the unique qualities the city offers. As the agricultural basis of our economy is changing, so is the land use. Unproductive citrus groves decimated by disease are being offered for sale. Savvy developers are snapping up...

  • Charmayne Turner Marston, 1947-2023

    News Obituary Service|Updated May 28, 2023

    Charmayne Turner Marston of Babson Park passed away Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at AdventHealth Lake Wales. She was born July 5, 1947 in Fort Thomas, Kentucky to the late Frank and Martha Turner. Charmayne lived in Kentucky before moving to Lake Wales where she has resided for the past 38 years. She was a homemaker and a member of First United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School. Charmayne was a volunteer at the Little Theater, was named volunteer of the year at...

  • Cindy Lilly of Babson Park Named "Woman of the Year"

    Special to the News|Updated May 9, 2023

    Local resident Cindy Lilly has been honored as the "Woman of the Year" by the Babson Park Woman's Club. According to a statement issued by club vice-president Saundra Roach Turner, the recognition was due to the fact that "Cindy has worked tirelessly this past year to facilitate the maintenance and repair of the Club building." Lilly was presented with a beautiful spray of flowers, and will have her name engraved on a plaque in honor of her service. In November the BPWC will...

  • Jim Lefils, 1944-2023

    News Obituary Service|Updated Apr 24, 2023

    Jim Lefils, 79, of Babson Park passed away, Thursday, April 20, 2023, at AdventHealth Lake Wales after a short illness. Jim is survived by his wife of 59 years Carolynn "Dede" Watson LeFils. He recently retired from Watson Pharmacy, Frostproof, where he was the co-owner and pharmacist for 50 years. Jim served in the U.S. Air Force and was a graduate of the University of Florida School of Pharmacy. He was a licensed airplane and glider pilot. Jim and Dede were avid travelers,...

  • City Planners Launch "Envision" Effort, Seek Citizen Input For Future Land Use Planning

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Feb 28, 2023

    Citizens and residents of the Lake Wales area are being invited to take a major role in defining how and where growth will take place in the area as part of a new city effort to map future land uses and plan for future infrastructure needs. "Lake Wales Envisioned" is a year-long process that will offer multiple opportunities for Lake Wales residents to add their voices and opinions to the final product, which is expected to guide future development for 10, 25, and 50 year...

  • Arts Festival to Highlight This Weekend

    News Staff Reports|Updated Feb 28, 2023

    Get ready to enjoy another beautiful spring weekend outdoors in Lake Wales as the Lake Wailes Arts Festival offers a special atmosphere for a pleasant day. Presented annually by the Lake Wales Arts Council, the critically acclaimed two-day Festival attracts thousands of art lovers each year, many of whom purchase original, one-of-a-kind works of art. The show takes place Saturday and Sunday, February 25 and 26, under the shade of the Live Oaks on the shores of beautiful Lake...

  • Volunteers Needed to Watchdog County Environmental Lands Program

    Jeff Foley|Updated Feb 7, 2023

    Following voter approval of Polk Foever, a new 20-year environmental land tax passed last November, Polk County is reactivating its long-standing citizen's committee that successfully guided a prior 20-year effort. The Board of County Commissioners this week approved the re-creation of the Polk County Conservation Land Acquisition Selection Advisory Committee (CLASAC). As an advisory committee, CLASAC members will review potential Polk County land acquisitions for...

  • South Lake Wales, Crooked Lake Park Residents Invited to Special Meeting on Sewer System Upgrades

    Mianne Nelson, Polk Communications Director|Updated Jan 27, 2023

    Polk County Utilities (PCU) will host a Crooked Lake Park neighborhood community meeting to discuss the future of the wastewater collection and treatment system that serves that area on Monday, January 30, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. The county will present an overview of the proposed improvements and preliminary construction schedule for the wastewater facility. The meeting will be held at the South Lake Wales Church of God, 210 President's Drive in Lake Wales. In March 2021, the State...

  • Arts Center Exhibit Highlights Success of Polk Forever Referendum

    Special to the News|Updated Oct 19, 2022

    An exhibition of art inspired by nature is happening now at the Lake Wales Arts Center. The exhibit highlights the successes of the 1994 referendum with hopes of motivating the public to go out and enjoy our public lands and to encourage them to vote yes for the new referendum. Polk Forever, a non-partisan Political Committee formed to bring back conservation funding for Polk County, is hosting the exhibit at the Arts Center. The group sees water protection and land...

  • Several Polk Environmental Lands Sites Reopen to the Public

    Special to the News|Updated Oct 5, 2022

    Several Polk County Environmental Lands sites have reopened to the public following Hurricane Ian, including Crooked Lake Prairie, Crooked Lake Sandhill, Gator Creek Reserve, Hickory Lake Scrub, Lakeland Highlands Scrub, Sherwood L. Stokes Preserve and SUMICA. While these sites are open, visitors are advised to use caution and follow the posted trail closures. Sections of trails may be under water and portions of trails may be closed, due to excessive downed trees and debris....

  • Monday Land Use Meeting CANCELLED

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Sep 27, 2022

    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...

  • Lake Wales' Southern Expansion Reaches Blue Lake Area

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Sep 15, 2022

    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...

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