Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Changing weather and unseasonable warmth has made the fishing a bit unpredictable this season, but there's still plenty of action if you know where to look. On big Lake Walk-in-water, specks are moving into the grass first thing in the morning and late in evening. Go after them with minnows and a slip bobber. Bass are starting to move up into shallow water. Key in on pads and reeds throwing a spinnerbait or a watermelon red senko. For Lake Hatchineha try drifting jigs and...
The process of converting barren downtown streets into a shady pedestrian oasis got a financial boost as the City expects to receive a Federal grant. In a presentation to area citizens via an Internet link from Washington DC Tuesday evening, Congressman Darren Soto mentioned that an $800,000 infusion for downtown street rehabilitation had been included in the recent bi-partisan Infrastructure package approved by the US House. The package is now awaiting Senate approval. Soto gave Mayor Eugene Fultz credit for having brought...
The fish are biting in area lakes if you know where to go. At Bridgemaster Fishing Products, also known as the Fisherman's Candy Store, we've got a few tips for you. At Lake Walk-in-water, try drifting minnows for speck (crappie). With cooler temperatures bass are starting to move up into shallow cover water, Try a moving bait such as a Ultravibe speed worm, swim jig, or swim bait. For Lake Hatchineha you may do best using Midsouth jigs on outside grass and pads for speck....
Area boaters and fishers using the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes east of Lake Wales may wish to speak up as plans are made for the future management of the public waters. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking public input on their draft Lake Management Plans for the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. The plans cover management activities within the FWC's jurisdiction, including habitat protection, restoration and enhancement, fish management, and invasive...
Lake Wales isn't known as a fishing capital for nothing. The wide variety of lakes, each with unique habitats for a wide range of species, make our part of Florida a magnet for those seeking a trophy bass, or the limit of other fish. The Lake Kissimmee chain, including Lakes Hatchineha and Rosalie, or the big water of Lake Walk-in-the-Water, offer plenty of opportunity, as do other area waters, such as Crooked Lake. Whether fishing from a boat, or just casting from a pier of...
Hundreds of bass fishers, both men and women, are expected to descend on the Lake Wales area this weekend as Camp Mack Resort hosts the Bobby Lane Cup. Some of the top names in national competition will be present for the event, The Guy Harvey resort, located on Lake Kissimmee at 14900 Camp Mack Road will be hosting the 10th annual rendition of the tournament that draws top competitive bass stalkers from across the nation. The tournament will also see a drawing for a new...
The inspiration of hard-working parents who wanted their children to have a better life has led their son to "pay it forward" by leading others to higher callings through Polk State College. Dr. Andy Oguntola is the Director of the college's Lake Wales campus in the JD Alexander Center on Central Avenue downtown. He also serves as Dean of Workforce Development for the multi-campus institution. Under his five-year watch enrollment at the local campus has grown from 600 to...
A crumbling former gasoline station and convenience store that has proven to be a stubborn eyesore may be subject to foreclosure action as City-imposed fines of $500 a day are mounting rapidly and surpassing the value of the property by some estimates. The property is prominently situated at the busy intersection of Scenic Highway and Polk Avenue, Fourth Street also flanks the site at the corner familiarly known as "Five Points." Once a Shell outlet, the business closed long...
In a tribute to the very concept of restoration, a portion of Florida's Kissimmee River that was once reduced to a single canal carrying contaminated water has been approved for status as a Wild and Scenic River under legislation passed by the US Congress. The river fell victim to a misguided flood control effort by the US Army Corps of Engineers following repeated floods after hurricanes dumped record rains across central Florida. The project turned a 103-mile meandering rive...
The Lake Wales High School Cross Country athletes ran in competition at Central Winds Park in Winter Springs on Saturday, October 30 in the FHSAA 3A District 3 Championship 2021. Three boys and three girls participated, so all had to run as individuals because they did not have five to complete a team. Cristal Gomez, a senior, finished 2nd place overall female with a time of 18:39.02 which is a personal record. She was the 1st place non-team finisher qualifying to run at...
Wrapping up their District 7 play with a flourish, the Lake Wales Highlanders overwhelmed Kissimmee Gateway by a score of 58-0 Friday night. The win assures the local eleven a place in the playoffs with a 3-1 record in district play, their only loss coming to Auburndale by a 14-8 score. Multiple turnovers led to quick scores for the Highlanders this week, who built a 30-0 halftime lead after a scoreless first frame. Standout RB Marquish Seabon racked up another 200+ yard...
After seeing their District title hopes dashed in a 14-8 loss to Auburndale two weeks ago, the Highlanders came back to best the Palm Bay Heritage Panthers last week by a 37-30 score, setting up a final District 7 battle with Kissimmee Gateway for a possible ticket to the playoffs. Lake Wales is favored over the 2-6 Gateway, confusingly also nicknamed Panthers, who are winless in the tough District 7. The game will kick off at 7:30 pm. this Friday night in Kissimmee. The...
Hopes for a District 6A-7 championship faded Friday night for the Lake Wales Highlanders football squad lost a defensive battle, falling to the undefeated Auburndale Bloodhounds by a 14-8 score at Legion Field. Auburndale is now in control of the district race, sitting comfortably atop the standings at 3-0. The Highlanders fall to 1-1, with two important games remaining. The local team still has hopes of a playoff berth in the Region based upon final standings and scores...
In what is likely to be the deciding contest of the 2021 football regular season, the Lake Wales Highlanders will face off against the undefeated Auburndale Bloodhounds Friday night at Legion Field. The Bloodhounds have already dominated district rival Heritage Palm Bay by a 20-0 score, and Kissimmee Gateway 47-7. Lake Wales has yet to face either of those teams. The Highlanders have played only a single district game, a 43-27 victory over Melbourne Eau Gallie. There has been...
Returning to the form that marked the early games of the season, the Lake Wales Highlanders struck early and often against the Hardee Wildcats, running up a score of 21-0 barely halfway through the first quarter in a Friday night contest in Wauchula that was never in doubt. Hardee, a non-conference 5-A foe, came into the game with a 3-2 record. The Highlanders' first two touchdowns came on the strength of their explosive ground game led by running back Marquish Seabon, who...
With their District 7 title hopes still riding high, the Lake Wales Highlanders notched their first important win against a conference rival by defeating Melbourne Eau Gallie 43-27 ay Legion Field in Lake Wales Friday night. For the second week in a row the local team started slowly, leading only 8-6 at the half after giving up a fumble in their own end zone. The Highlander points came on a Trent Grotjan pass to Carlos Mitchell that covered 30 yards. The second half was a diff...
Ora "Oz" Caldwell of Lake Wales passed away September 9th due to complications of Covid-19. Known to many by his nickname of "the Great One," Caldwell was a graduate of West Point and served for many years in the office of the Public Defender in Polk County. He was known to many in the Lake Wales area as a man of generous spirit and manner. "He was an officer and a gentleman," said former Public Defender Marion Moorman. "He was a fantastic lawyer, a true trial lawyer who had...
Ora "Oz" Oscar Caldwell, age 83, of Lake Wales passed away on September 9th, 2021 at 2:20pm at Advent Health in Davenport, Florida from respiratory complications due to Covid 19. Oz was born on October 19, 1937 in Lake Wales Florida. Oz spent his formative years on his father's dairy farm. He would often speak of these times with great fondness of the cowboys and hard lifestyles of the post-Great Depression period in Central Florida that he witnessed firsthand. During this...
Riding on their 3-1 season record and seeking to repeat as district champs in their new higher classification, the Lake Wales Highlanders football squad will face the Melbourne Eau Gallie Commodores this week. It will be their first district game of the year. Lake Wales enters the game with its powerful ground game intact, with a triple threat of quarterbacks Trent Grotjan and Nick Young and an explosive running back in Marquish Seabon. Corey Harris, Devin Hardy and Carlos...
Tony White- Beloved husband, father, brother and papa, embarked upon his last adventure as he passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus on September 10, 2021. Tony loved a great adventure and looked forward to setting out to blaze new trails! His first adventure was at 9 months old when he voyaged upon the Queen Mary to the United States. He was born on July 13, 1945, in London, England. From there, Tony and his family found themselves in the sunshine state and settle in...
Lucille Mae Leeks Coleman, 91, of Lake Wales, died Aug. 14, 2021 at Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee, FL. She was born July 4, 1930 in Live Oak, FL. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 20 at Epps Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. Services are at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21 at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, 343 D St., Lake Wales. Masks are required for both....
Elizabeth Luzon, 59, of Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 at Advent Health Lake Wales. She was born March 11, 1962 in the Dominican Republic, to the late Rafael and Morima Olivo; she moved to Lake Wales from Allentown, Pennsylvania 7 years ago. Elizabeth was a sales associate for the Ross department store in Lakeland and was an active member of Iglesia Cristiana Pentecostal del Consolador in Kissimmee. She was a hard worker who had two jobs to support her family....
Sonia Margarita Rodriguez, 57, of Lake Wales passed away Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at Advent Health Lake Wales. She was born Dec. 22, 1963 in Caguas, Puerto Rico to Juan and Margarita Nieves; she moved to Lake Wales from Orlando one year ago. Sonia was a bookkeeper for Enterprise Trucking Corporation. She was a strong and kind woman who loved decorating for every holiday. She loved her family and always enjoyed having get together with them. Sonia is survived by her...
William G. "Bill" Lanoue, 67, of Lake Wales passed away Friday, Jan. 15, 2021 at Advent Health in Kissimmee. He was born July 11, 1953 in New London, CT to the late William and Florence Lanoue; he moved to Oldsmar, FL in his youth. He participated in scouting, was active in little league baseball, was an altar boy at church, enjoyed camping, fishing, and building model cars. In later years he enjoyed traveling and practicing flight simulation. He was a Tampa Bay Rays and New...
The Lake Wales History Museum will dedicate the new Mimi Hardman Collections and Research Center at the restored 1916 Seaboard Airline Freight Station, one of its iconic buildings in the museum's historic corridor, at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 23. After adjusting the fundraising goals due to COVID-19, and approval of matching funds from the City of Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency, the project began in July, and is now complete. This newly restored building will now...
