Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Growth in Polk County continued to record steady, rapid growth year over year in 2024, according to preliminary taxable value figures released by the Polk County Property Appraiser's office. The county had been flagged as one of the nation's fastest growing. The total value of new construction in Polk last year was valued at $2,823,688,596, a $92 million increase over activity in 2023. That brought the county's total valuation to $72,161,387,998. An 8.8 percent jump. The...
A new road closure will require long detours for yet more motorists in eastern Polk County, while other projects extend well beyond their announced completions. Drainage upgrades will close Timberlane Road just south of the intersection with Canal Road northeast of Lake Wales beginning Thursday, August 8. The work is scheduled to take two weeks. The cross drains beneath the roadway leading to Lake Pierce are being replaced ahead of a county project to resurface Timberlane...
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...
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...
Raymond Lee French of Babson Park passed away Thursday, February 2, 2023 at his residence. He was born August 10, 1930 in Kalamazoo, Michigan; he moved to Babson Park from West Palm Beach 18 years ago. Raymond was a retired Air Traffic Controller and a veteran of the United States Army who served in the Korean war and earned the Bronze Star. He was the past director at Audubon Society and a past City Councilman for Hillcrest Heights. He loved model car collecting and...
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...
In a long-awaited development, Lake Wales is slated to begin receiving direct fiber-optics residential Internet service beginning in 2022. Fiber optics uses light rather than electrical impulses to transmit data, resulting in much faster speeds and higher data volumes. The new infrastructure is expected to provide an economic boost to the city as more people seek to work from home. A multi-million-dollar investment by Frontier Communications will employ "a small army of...
Effective as of Monday, June 15, Polk County's burn ban is repealed by Polk County Fire Rescue officials. With the arrival of the summer rainy season, according to the Division of Forestry's June 15 report, Polk County is currently sitting at 62 on the Keetch Byram Drought Index (KBDI) and has a low fire danger rating according to the Florida Fire Danger Index. The county is currently far below the required 50 percent of a KBDI rating of above 500. The KBDI index is used as an...
Sellers and buyers alike have a special opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Ridge Scenic Highway Scenic corridor Saturday, Nov. 2 while hunting for bargains along the 39-Mile Scenic Highway Yard Sale. The Lake Wales History Museum at 325 S. Scenic Highway is one of seven official locations, hosting 30 booths along with music and food. Tables will line the Scenic Highway from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Other official locations are the Lake of the Hills Community Clubhouse, Krewe of...
Constance E. Jones, 80, of Babson Park passed away Saturday, May 18, 2019 at Grace Healthcare in Lake Wales. She was born October 3, 1938 in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania to the late Richard A. and Bernice (Brown) Wood. She lived in Hillcrest Heights Florida for 56 years. She retired as the secretary of Babson Park Elementary school after 36 years. She is preceded in death by her parents, first husband Howard Fink, second husband Harry W. Jones, her brother Dick Wood, and her...
Nancy D. Kahler, 91, of Lake Wales passed away Wednesday, April 3 at Winter Haven Hospital. She was surrounded by all her loved ones. Nancy was born October 26, 1927 in Elizabeth, NJ to the late Fred A. Dreier and Rose (Vierling) Dreier. Nancy was a graduate of Gettysburg College, PA with a major in chemistry and a minor in math. She has been a resident of this area since 1952 coming from Westfield, N.J. She was an Agent/Broker and owner of Plantation Inn Realty. Prior to...
