Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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A three-weekend “Pumpkin Patch” fundraising opportunity will allow local shoppers to enjoy raffles, apple cider, and photo ops while also supporting the non-profit group Moms of Veteran Suicide. The Red Barn Farmer's Market Frostproof and The Gravely Red Barn will be hosting the charitable organization as a fundraiser on three consecutive Fridays in October. The events will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 11, 18, and 25. “These folks do an awesome job of helpi...
Polk County and the Ridge will escape the worst effects of Hurricane Helene, but area residents should still be prepared for a blow, according to specific forecasts. Heavy rains and winds gusting to near hurricane force are also possible as the storm passes to the west. Helene, currently entering the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, is expected to charge north and northeastward as it rapidly intensifies to become a major hurricane, reaching Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale,...
Guelda V. Wise of Frostproof passed away Sunday, September 15, 2024 at her residence. She was born September 5, 1929 in Bereah to the late Rudolph Bennett and Rita Best Donahoe; she has been a lifelong resident of the area. Guelda was a business owner. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Frostproof and the American Legion Auxiliary. She enjoyed doing needlepoint, playing bridge, sewing, and crafts. Guelda was preceded in death by her husband, Junior Wise; and son,...
Francis Donald Hodge of Frostproof, Florida passed away Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at his residence. He was born August 18, 1937 in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania to the late Julia Hodge; he has been a resident of the area since 1984. Don loved to fish, work on cars, sing karaoke, and tell jokes. He enjoyed playing cards, especially poker, and having coffee with his friends and family. Donald was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, and sisters. He is survived by his...
The storm came in a destructive rush, defying predictions, and caught most Polk residents completely off-guard. When it had passed, Hurricane Charley had left a trail of incredible destruction in its wake. It was a Friday, the 13th of August, twenty years ago this week that the first hurricane in 44 years struck southeast Polk. It's a date that many who experienced the storm will never forget. In a matter of about two hours the fast-moving storm damaged virtually every...
Ridge cities are facing a challenging and expensive future effort to obtain water supplies for a growing population, according to officials from the Polk Regional Water Cooperative. PRWC Executive Director Eric DeHaven joined a team of engineers at a forum this week to explain the status of an ambitious project that expects to extract brackish water from a depth of more than 1,000 feet, substantially lower than the Floridan aquifer that currently supplies water to area...
Joe Neal Kincaid, 95, passed away Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at Good Shepard Hospice House, Auburndale, FL. He was born March 31, 1929, on Easter Sunday to the late James Cecil Kincaid, Sr. and Mary Alma Davis Kincaid. Joe's family was one of the first pioneer families in the Lake Wales area, where his grandfather established the Lake Wales Dairy, also known as the Kincaid Dairy, in the Spook Hill area. His family also established a dairy outlet and ice cream store known as the...
After a lull of several weeks without even a tropical depression, let alone a named storm, the Atlantic Hurricane Season is heating up again. August and September form the heart of the storm season, which peaks around September 10, according to historical records. Forecasters and computer models have alerted to the possible formation of a new cyclone this week in the vicinity of the Antilles. If the storm forms there, it is likely to track in the general direction of the...
Twelve "Safe Zones" under the monitoring of the Polk County Sheriff's Office are now available to all Polk County residents for the purposes of custody exchanges of e-commerce sales, according to officials with the sheriff's office. The locations offer 24/7 continuously-monitored video surveillance with recordings retained for at least 45 days. They also provide adequate lighting and signage for safety. The Florida Legislature recently passed a law which requires count...
Cities across the county are seeing significant rises in property tax income, according to the preliminary tax roll published by Polk County Property Appraiser Marsha Faux. Despite the recent surge in home prices and the value of new construction, however, property values in most Ridge-area municipalities have seen only modest increases so far. The valuations have significant impacts on city budgets, since local shares of the taxes are based upon the millage rates set by...
Emily Shade, 85, passed away at home in Frostproof, FL on June 28, 2024. She was a longtime resident of Salisbury, MD until 2020. Emily was born in Brooklyn, NY on October 30, 1938, the same night of Orson Welles' famous "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast. Her family soon made its way to Berlin, MD, beginning her love of the Eastern Shore. Her father's work in the poultry business led her to North Carolina, Illinois, Virginia, and New York. Emily attended St. John's...
A new county boat ramp is being constructed to provide public access to Lake Buffum in un-incorporated southern Polk County. According to county officials, the new boat ramp "will include a walled channel to provide entry to the lake no matter the water level." The annual fluctuation of water levels in the 1,268 acre lake have often caused problems for launching boats. While the new boat ramp is under construction, the old boat ramp is open for public use. The new ramp is...
An upbeat message of economic progress was shared with more than 100 area business leaders during a Business After Hours event at the Eagle Ridge Mall Tuesday evening. The event was sponsored by the Lake Wales and Winter Haven Chambers of Commerce. Eagle Ridge Mall General Manager Curtis Gibson told the gathering that the mall "belongs" to the people of the Ridge, from Frostproof to Winter Haven, and touted the expansion of business that has been happening there. When he took...
The June Business Expo luncheon hosted by the Frostproof Chamber of Commerce drew a crowd of local businesspeople Tuesday to network, sharing camaraderie and ideas. More than 20 organizations were represented at the event, organized by the Chamber's new executive director Emily Bennett, who introduced each business to the crowd. Business representatives were then given an opportunity to speak at the event, offering a chance to introduce their product or services to others in...
Joan Carole Brown of Frostproof passed away Friday, June 7, 2024 at Treasure Cove Hospice in Fort Pierce, Florida. She was born February 6, 1942 in Perrysburg, Ohio to the late Edwin and Maxine Kohl; she moved to Frostproof from Ohio in 1997. Joan was a fine arts teacher for Arlington School then a photographer for Life Touch. She enjoyed woodworking and had a sixth sense when it came to gardening. She had a special place in her heart for cats, antiques and orchids and was...
Two instances of molestation of children by adult authority figures, a minister and a coach, have resulted in the arrest of two individuals by the Polk County Sheriff's Office. In an incident that took place in Frostproof, 20-year-old Skylar Ready of Fort Meade was charged with four felonies related to an illegal and inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old student at the school, whom he allegedly threatened to kill is she had sex with anyone else. Ready had served as a...
A large wildfire is raging tonight near Indian Lake Estates and the Canopy Oaks resort in eastern Polk County. More than 25 emergency units have been assigned to try to bring the inferno under control, and the Florida Forest Service has delivered heavy equipment to firefighters in an apparent attempt to build firelines to stop the spread of the flames. Units from Lake Wales and Frostproof were sent to the scene to assist state and county firefighters under the direction of the...
Celia Morales Inagawa, 72, of Frostproof, Florida, passed away on May 29, 2024. Celia was born to the late Geronimo Morales and Maria Gonzales on November 6, 1951, in Cotton Center, Texas. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two sisters, Olivia and Esperanza, and two brothers, Eleazar and David Morales. As a child, the Morales family relocated to Florida, where Celia spent most of her youth. While on the campus of The University of Miami, she met a...
Sara Ann Morey, a beloved member of the Frostproof community and a cherished mother, daughter, and friend, passed away at her home on Friday, April 19th, 2024. She was born on December 31, 1947 to the late Richard and Gladys Riley. Sara was a remarkable woman who touched the lives of many with her kindness, compassion and love. A lifelong resident of the area, she was a proud member of the United Methodist Church of Frostproof and volunteer for the Frostproof Historical Museum...
UPDATED The horrifying murder of a second grade teacher has shocked residents of Frostproof and the surrounding area. Elvia Espinoza, who taught second grade at Ben Hill Griffin Elementary School in Frostproof, was stabbed to death by her own son after he returned home from college for a family gathering. Espinoza, 46, was attacked after opening the door to her home in the Sun Ray neighborhood her son, 21-year-old Emmanuel Espinoza, who had just arrived after driving from...
Elvia Alvarado Espinoza of Frostproof passed away Saturday, April 6, 2024 at her residence. She was born July 13, 1977 in San Lucas, Michoacan, Mexico to Silvano an Herminia Alvarado. Elvia was a second-grade teacher for Ben Hill Griffin Elementary School where she loved teaching. She loved the town of Frostproof and was passionate about the needs of children. Elvia was full of life and loved her family, especially her grandchildren. Elvia truly enjoyed spending time with her...
Gary Eugene Fenner of Frostproof passed away Monday, March 25, 2024 at his residence. He was born May 18, 1945 in Illinois; he moved to Florida from Illinois over 40 years ago. Gary was a welder and enjoyed fishing. He was an animal lover and favored dogs and horses. Gary was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Fenner and brother. He is survived by his son; friends, Manuel and Sylvia Andrade; and his dog Abraham that he rescued from the Winter Haven Human Society. No...
Lorey Blackwelder of Frostproof passed away Thursday, February 8, 2024, at her residence. She was born July 18, 1970 in Winter Haven to the late Alvin and Mary Meadows; she was a lifelong resident of the area. She was a homemaker and attended the First Presbyterian Church in Frostproof. She loved being with her family and enjoyed football. Survivors include her husband of 28 years, Alan Blackwelder; daughter, Savanna Blackwelder of Frostproof; son, Joshua Alan Blackwelder and...
JaLeeann Johnston, age 46, passed away Sunday, January 21, 2024 at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL due to a brain injury resulting from an accidental fall at her home. She was born November 17, 1977 in Winter Haven, FL. JaLeeann graduated from Lake Wales High School class of 1995. Following her graduation she went to the University of Florida and graduated in 1999 with her Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Human Performance. She began her career in Naples, FL with...
Linda Marie Baker, 61, of Frostproof, FL, passed away on January 20, 2024. Linda was born March 9, 1962, to the late Robert Felesky and Norma Herzog. She moved to Frostproof from Key West in 2014 and lived in Maryland prior to Key West. Linda met the love of her life Butch (Merritt K.) Baker in FL, and they married July 21, 2012. Linda worked for the Polk County Department of Health. Linda was the administrative assistant for the Tobacco Program. She was instrumental in...
