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(28) stories found containing 'forest 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...

  • Cut Your Own Christmas Tree at Lake Wales Ridge State Forest

    News Staff Reports|Updated Dec 9, 2023

    In a program offered annually at the nearby public lands, Lake Wales area residents are able to cut their own tree, but they have to use a hand-saw to do the work. No power tools are allowed in the forest. A tree-cutting permit costs only $10, a great deal when fresh trees cut in other states and brought to Florida cost far more. Available trees are 10 feet to 15 feet tall, but may be trimmed back to the desired size after leaving the forest. Trees will be harvested along...

  • Drew Truitt's Passing Left Community Shocked

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Dec 5, 2023

    Hundreds in Lake Wales were left stunned and saddened recently by the sudden passing of Drew Truitt, a community volunteer described by one friend as a "social instigator." Truitt, 67, had celebrated his birthday only days earlier at a meeting of Rotary on the Ridge, which was one of several avenues for his enthusiasm and willingness to help. Truitt had been named Rotarian of the Year in 2018-19 largely due to his contagious enthusiasm for volunteer projects and his...

  • Wildfire Threat Remains High For Polk After River Ranch Fire

    News Staff Reports|Updated Apr 4, 2023

    A very dry winter in the Lake Wales area that has extended into the spring has led to critically dry conditions and a very high fire risk. Extreme caution is being urged by authorities when handling any sort of open flame or heat source. A recent fire at the River Ranch hunting tract burned over 1,000 acres and destroyed scores of temporary structures. No one was hurt in the fires, but valuable fire-fighting resources were strained in combatting the blaze. Meager rains in...

  • Wildfire Threat Continues in Polk, Extreme Caution Urged

    Katelyn Hoverkamp, Polk County Fire Rescue|Updated Mar 13, 2023

    A very dry January and February in the Lake Wales area have led to critically dry conditions, despite a few scattered showers passing over the area. This week humidity levels will once again approach red-flag conditions, making any fire a severe risk. As drought conditions prevail and low humidity persists, Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) would like to encourage the public to help prevent accidental bush fires throughout the county. Since January 2023, Polk County Fire Rescue...

  • Allison Jennings McCance, 1942-2023

    Updated Jan 15, 2023

    Allison Jennings McCance, beloved wife of Henry F. McCance, passed away peacefully at her home in Mountain Lake, Lake Wales, FL, on January 15, 2023, of complications from Alzheimer's disease. She was surrounded by her family and cherished caregivers. Allison Jennings was born in New Canaan, CT, on June 29, 1942. A graduate of Abbott Academy and Sweet Briar College, Allison worked from 1967-1975, first as a grader and then as an Associate for Special Projects at Harvard...

  • Lake Wales Highlanders Open State Title Campaign Against Auburndale Friday

    Robert Connors|Updated Nov 17, 2022

    The undefeated and top-seeded Lake Wales High School Highlanders football team has drawn a rematch with the eight-seeded Auburndale Bloodhounds in the first round of the Regional playoffs, state football officials have announced. Due to their seed they will host at least through the Regional games. The Highlanders are 10-0 on the season, and have outscored their opponents 429 to 41 in games that were rarely in doubt after the the first quarter. The Highlanders defeated...

  • Hurricane Shelters Limited in Polk, Here's the List of Locations

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Sep 27, 2022

    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....

  • NO Hurricane Shelters Available Across Southeast Polk County

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Sep 26, 2022

    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...

  • Lake Wales Proposed Development Total Passes 12,000 Unit Mark

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Jun 16, 2022
    4

    The parade of development proposals that have stirred citizen concerns of runaway changes to Lake Wales continued to be evident at the most recent city commission meeting as details emerged for several more projects. A calculation by LakeWalesNews.Net staff has indicated that more than 12,000 new single-family homes, townhomes, apartments, and mobile homes are included in developments already on the drawing table. At least three other projects have been proposed but remain to...

  • Commission Workshop Hears Multiple Housing Development Project Proposals

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Mar 19, 2022

    Several new large-scale residential developments took shape in presentations heard by the Lake Wales City Commission during their Wednesday workshop, at which only three commissioners were present. The poor attendance at two meetings this week prompted complaints from Mayor Eugene Fultz. The rapid growth of Lake Wales in the face of multiple large-scale development projects has concerned many citizens as judged by questions submitted at recent elections forums. The latest...

  • Lake Wales' "Garden City" Roots Run Deep

    Brian Ackley, Special to the News|Updated Mar 7, 2022
    2

    Although most Lake Wales residents aren't even aware of it, Lake Wales is famous for thousands as the site of the largest group of landscape designs ever created by the legendary firm of Frederick Law Olmsted. So how did it come to be that the firm responsible for creating New York City's Central Park and for designing the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. played such a vital role in the planning – and now future – of Lake Wales? Our destiny as a "City in a Gar...

  • 5,000 young Long Leaf Pines to be Planted in Lake Wales Ridge State Forest

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Feb 5, 2022

    Lake Wales area residents are being offered a hands-on habitat restoration activity which will see the planting of 5,000 young Long Leaf pines at the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest. The effort is being sponsored by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Division and their Ridge Rangers volunteer program. The purpose is to reintroduce native Long Leaf pines, in an effort to restore native and globally threatened habitats of the Lake Wales Ridge. Mature Longleaf pines provide essential...

  • County Approves Subdivision Near Timberlane Road

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Dec 17, 2021

    More than 20 acres of forest along the west side of Timberlane Road will become a single-family home subdivision over the objections of many neighbors after the Polk County Commission approved the plan this week. The Polk Planning Commission had unanimously approved the proposal last month. The 45-home plat will include 10-foot setbacks after many voiced opposition to the five-foot setbacks which Sloan Engineering Group had proposed. Minimum lot sizes in the development will...

  • Want to Cut Your Own Fresh Christmas Tree? Here's How

    Tom Paulson, City Editor|Updated Dec 7, 2021

    In a year where a shortage of Christmas trees is a looming nationwide problem, hardy individuals are fortunate to have another affordable solution available: cut your own at the Walk-in-the Water tract of the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest. In a program offered annually at the nearby public lands, Lake Wales area residents are able to cut their own tree, but they have to use a hand-saw to do the work. No power tools are allowed in the forest. A tree-cutting permit costs only...

  • David Lee Collins, 1963-2021

    Updated Oct 18, 2021

    David Lee Collins of Sebring passed away Thursday, October 14, 2021 at Somers Hospice Sebring. He was born January 16, 1963 in Lake Wales to John and Mary Jane Collins; he has been a lifelong resident of Frostproof. David was a truck driver and of the Baptist faith. David was preceded in death by his father, John Luther Collins. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Catherine Collins; daughters, April Dobbins (Jamey) of Tallassee, Alabama, Sarah Wren (Jimmy) of Woodstock,...

  • Rodman Opponents Ready to Gamble Again that Florida Will Finally Free the Ocklawaha

    Craig Pittman, Contributing Writer|Updated Oct 13, 2021

    Do you play the lottery? I've been known to purchase a ticket or two when the payoff gets enough zeroes. The fact that I am still writing for a living should tell you how good I am at picking numbers. Once, I ducked into Publix to purchase a Powerball ticket and discovered a knot of people around a well-tanned, white-haired customer. It was former Gov. Charlie Crist in a blue blazer, silk tie, and tassel loafers, waiting his turn to wager a couple of bucks. "You can't win if...

  • Adult Butterfly perching on plant

    Endangered Florida Butterfly Comes Back From the Brink of Extinction

    Natalie Van Hoose|Updated Sep 22, 2021

    GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- For the past nine years, volunteers working with the Florida Museum of Natural Historyand the Florida Park Service have trekked diligently through forest preserves on Key Largo in search of the federally endangered Schaus' swallowtail butterfly, more often than not coming back with more mosquito bites than butterfly sightings. Things seemed especially grim when, in 2012, observers were only able to find four adults, setting in motion a large-scale...

  • Allan Gauss, 1933-2020

    Updated Oct 22, 2020

    Allan W. Gauss, 87, passed away at Water's Edge of Lake Wales on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Al was born in Albion, Michigan on February 27, 1933 to Russell and Muriel Gauss. He grew up in Albion and graduated from Albion High School in 1951. He graduated Michigan State University in 1955, the first year Michigan State College became a University. Upon graduating, Al joined the Army and was on active duty for two years. He married Betsy Sturm of Deerfield, IL on Aug. 2, 1958. Duri...

  • Albert Biermann, 1933-2020

    Updated Jul 22, 2020

    Albert Forest Biermann, 86, of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, July 16, 2020 at his residence. He was born August 26, 1933 in Port Chester, NY. He has been a resident of Lake Wales for 15 years, moving here from Inverness. Albert was an automotive mechanic. He enjoyed going fishing and watching football. He and his wife spent time making crafts together, and he loved his family. Albert was proceeded in death by his wife; and son, William Biermann. He is survived by his daughters, Trish Ortiz (Danny), and Linda Cardamone;...

  • Rebecca Donadio, 1978-2019

    Updated Dec 26, 2019

    Rebecca Jean Donadio, 41, of Frostproof passed away Wednesday, Dec.18, 2019 at Advent Health in Sebring. She was born March 31, 1978 in Lake Wales to the late Lawrence T. and Rosemary (Creem) Donadio. She has been a lifelong resident of the area. She was a word processor for State Farm. Rebecca was a former member of a Computer Club, President of Sunray Homes Association and she wrote their newsletter and was a flag majorette in high school. She is survived by her son Ryan...

  • Herbert Schlenker, 1928-2019

    Updated Oct 22, 2019

    Herbert Friedrich Schlenker, 91, of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019 at his residence. He was born October 5, 1928 in Black Forest, Germany to the late Friedrich and Sofie (Vötle) Schlenker. He has been a lifelong resident of the area. He was a chef and owner of the Black Forest Restaurant. He taught Culinary Art at Webber College, he loved to cook and bake. He is survived by his wife of 64 years Ingrid Schlenker, daughter Monica Dehnert (Paul) of Hendersonville,...

  • Dr. John Storer, 1921-2019

    Updated Oct 16, 2019

    John Storer, MD, a pioneer in heart and vessel surgery, died peacefully at his home in Lake Wales on Oct. 2. Dr. Storer was born on July 15, 1921 in Pitman, NJ to parents Alexander and Helen (Stanger). John graduated from the University of Alabama in 1942 and from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia in 1945. Dr. Storer served in the Army from 1943-1945 and in the Medical Corps from 1946-1948. He served an internship at Huron Road Hospital in Cleveland, OH from 1945-46,...

  • Peter William Kessler, 1938-2019

    Updated Oct 9, 2019

    Peter William Kessler, 81, of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019 at the Lifecare Center in Winter Haven. He was born June 16, 1938 in Cleveland, OH to the late Richard and Carol (Thompson) Kessler. He has been a resident of the area since 1985 coming from Indiana. Peter received his bachelor’s degree in history in 1965 from Lake Forest College in IL and was a bookkeeper with Bethlehem Steel Corporation and a Veteran in the United States Navy. He was a volunteer at Bok Tower Gardens for 8 years, a volunteer f...

  • Coyote Caught on Video Traumatizing Cat in Lake Wales Neighborhood

    Drew Truitt, Associate Editor|Updated Sep 25, 2019

    Wilena and Courtney Vreeland of the 400 block of East Johnson Avenue knew something was amiss when their cherished pet, "Tyger" didn't show up his morning feeding. Having just started the search for their missing feline, a neighbor related having heard a loud disturbance in the early morning hours which only added to their apprehension. "We knew something was terribly wrong," said "Willie" Vreeland. "He's always there like clockwork waiting at the back step for his...

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