Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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A domestic dispute ended in tragedy Thursday when anger got the better of reason, leaving one partner dead and another seriously injured and hospitalized. According to a statement issued by the Lake Wales Police Department, the two individuals had been in a relationship for ten years. The argument, details of which remain undisclosed, began around 4:45, according to police, when the male partner allegedly struck his companion in the face. She retreated into her residence in...
Rotary on The Ridge, one of three Rotary Clubs active in Lake Wales, enjoyed a patriotic indoor picnic on June 9, hosting members and guests as they celebrated their achievements and installed officers for the coming year. During the event Sara Irvine was installed as the tenth president of the club. Rotary on The Ridge was established in December 2016 and Irvine is a charter member. She has previously served as vice president and has chaired the club’s annual “Salute to Vet...
Ongoing efforts to restore Lake Wales' reputation as "A City in a Garden" will get another boost on Friday, June 20 as the Parks & Recreation Department will dedicate a new downtown pollinator and sculpture garden. The new installation will enhance the newly-relandscaped "linear park" parallels Cypress Gardens Lane just across from the Lake Wales Public Library. City horticulturist Kevin Polk redesigned the park to include a winding sidewalk that weaves in and around various...
Medical services offered in Lake Wales continue to improve, and this week marked the official opening of a new heart care office, part of the expansion of AdventHealth in Polk County. The new office of Dr. Saiyed Mohib at 1255 SR 60 East marks the first cardiologist at AdventHealth Lake Wales, offering local patients the opportunity to find expert cardiovascular care closer to home. "Our patients no longer need to travel, they can get the services they need right here," Dr. Mo...
I thoroughly enjoyed the latest Mission: Impossible movie, Final Reckoning, directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise. This film is a direct sequel to Dead Reckoning (released two years ago) but also ties together plot threads from across the entire franchise. While I haven't seen all the Mission: Impossible films, I did catch Dead Reckoning, so that was more than enough to dive into this one. This movie is a lot of fun. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team face...
When the director falls out of the closet-seemingly dead-the entire Teen Production grinds to a halt. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect in Lake Wales Little Theatre's summer teen play, This Murder Was Staged! This annual production showcases a cast of 17 student performers in a pithy spoof of the murder mystery genre and theatre culture itself. Prima donnas, wordy playwrights, and callous theatre critics-oh my! In the middle of the play-within-a-play, the "murder" of...
The newly-reconstructed block of First Street in front of the iconic Walesbilt Hotel in Lake Wales is being re-landscaped to avoid high long-term costs, according to city officials. Canary Island date palms are being replaced this week by different species that will be hardier. Work is expected to be completed by Thursday. City Horticulturist Kevin Polk made the decision to remove the rows of Canary Island date palms, which have been affected by a disease known as lethal...
An investigation into a report of animal cruelty resulted in five arrests by the Polk County Sheriff's office Sunday. Investigators found seven horses abused but alive, but sadly, one already dead when they arrived at the remote location on Poe Road, north of Canal Road in unincorporated Lake Wales. According to a press release, "PCSO received a tip regarding two horses in a field that appeared to be malnourished. The horses were found by deputies in the following conditions:...
Ezran Kane, a rising junior at Lake Wales High School, is one of 210 American high school students to be awarded the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year. CBYX is a bilateral exchange program co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and German Bundestag (Parliament). The award was announced by the non-profit Council on International Educational Exchange. The CIEE is a nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organiza...
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...
After a soggy end to May, Floridians are looking forward to the June 1 start of Hurricane season with a sense of trepidation. A rash of hurricanes in recent years has many still facing the costs of cleanup and repair, while along the coasts, many homes remain wrecks. According to forecasters, the upcoming season is likely to once again be "above average," although average has become a moving target. Most models are reflecting that, given sea-surface temperature closer to...
A gathering of volunteers, supporters, and staff of the Lake Wales Care Center gathered Friday near the organization's offices on East Park Avenue to celebrate and mark the 40th anniversary of the non-profit that has come to be among the most essential providers of services for a significant share of the area's population. Hundreds turned out in sweltering weather to seek shelter from the intense sun in the shade of a large tent erected to house them, eager to mark their parti...
The ongoing revitalization of downtown Lake Wales took a major step forward Tuesday with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting that opened a fully-restored building at 244 East Park Avenue. The structure now features two finished retail spaces on the ground floor and four apartments on the second level. The historic building was constructed in 1916 by Lake Wales pioneer builder Jimmy "Good" Rhodes. Rhodes went o to construct many of the original masonry buildings in the historic...
Plans for new studio apartments with lake access on Lake Padgett are advancing following action by the Lake Wales City Commission. The construction of new apartments on the site of the former Green Gables Inn will likely proceed with a significant reduction in density after a redesign of La Provence was approved by the Lake Wales City Commission. The commission had previously approved a plan that would have allowed a total of 165 new units. Attempts to reach a representative...
George Carey Manring of Lake Wales answered his nation’s call to duty by enlisting in the US Army in 1947 at the age of 18. This month he is returning home to rest. He had been missing in action since December 6, 1950. Master Sergeant George Carey was one of “The Chosin Few” who had faced an overwhelming mass assault by the Communist Chinese Army against their positions at the Chosin Reservoir in the early days of the Korean War. Master Sergeant Manring was part of Baker...
UPDATE: Lake Wales City Commissioners approved the relevant ordinances Tuesday on a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Carol Gillespie dissenting. The ordinances will require a second reading and vote before they become final. A proposal that will permit four million square feet of industrial space and nearly 3,000 new homes will be considered by the Lake Wales City Commission at its regular meeting Tuesday night. The Stoneridge development includes 1,287 acres with frontage of SR 60...
The Orange Blossom Revue returns to Lake Wales for its 11th annual celebration December 5–6, 2025, according to festival organizers.. Florida's beloved boutique music and arts event takes place in the scenic Lake Wailes Park, just outside historic downtown Lake Wales and an easy drive from central Florida hubs like Tampa and Orlando. This year's edition is expected to deliver a dynamic mix of gritty Southern rock, swampy soul, and high-energy Americana. Known for its i...
After a long but successful legal battle over the title to the historic Walesbilt Hotel, the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency is wasting no time moving to begin their efforts to see the building redeveloped. The CRA has approved the hiring of the engineering firm of Kimley-Horn to conduct an evaluation of the hotel that will include a structural property condition report and a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. The report the firm will generate will be included...
Heart failure patients at AdventHealth Lake Wales are taking control of their health and recovery outside of the hospital, with the help of free health supply kits. This is part of a new program working to address one of the region's most urgent health care challenges: heart failure. The heart care kits are used to monitor patients' progress after they are discharged from the hospital, with both English and Spanish versions being offered. The kits include a weight scale,...
With deep sadness and enduring love, we announce the passing of Jon and Wanda Hoaglin. Jon was born on September 8, 1936 in Hillsboro, Iowa. He passed away on April 21, 2025 in Lake Wales, Florida. Wanda was born on March 25, 1941 in Lakeland, Florida. She passed away on March 2, 2025 in Lake Wales, Florida. Jon and Wanda were devoted educators, beloved parents and grandparents, and lifelong partners. Their journey through life was marked by shared purpose, deep compassion,...
Three rail crossings on the west side of Lake Wales will be closed for repairs to the grades, although CSX has predicted that each closing will last only 24 hours. Scheduled crossing closures include Old Ice House Road, North Lake Wales Alturas Road, and Alturas Babson Park Cut-off Road. All three crossings serve the main CSX line, which carries both passenger and freight traffic. Old Ice House Road is scheduled to close at the rail crossing south of Morrel Avenue at 7 a.m....
AdventHealth Lake Wales has been awarded an "A" Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of excellence in patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. The Leapfrog Group assigns an "A," "B," "C," "D" or "F" grade to general hospitals nationwide based on over 30 performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them. "It's a...
A daring daylight robbery of an 11-year-old child participating in a school fundraiser resulted in the arrest of a Davenport man who is now facing multiple charges. According to Lake Wales Police, the child was selling chocolate on a downtown street and proudly revealed to the robber that he had collected $107 in donations for his school. The man, later identified as 18-year-old Isaiyah Cabrera of Davenport, "snatched an envelope containing the money and fled the scene on an...
A motorcyclist was killed Tuesday evening, April 29, 2025, in a two-vehicle crash near Lake Wales. Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff's Office and members of Polk County Fire Rescue were dispatched to the crash on Mammoth Grove Road near Stokes Road at about 9:53 pm. When first responders arrived, they determined that 38-year old Justin Casey Weyburn of Lake Wales was deceased. Weyburn had been the operator of a black 2017 Harley Davidson motorcycle. The other person involv...
Teddie Singletary, 88, passed away peacefully at home on April 24, 2025. She was born in Maitland, FL on July 16, 1936 to the late Rev. F.W "Ted" and Vicki Brocksmith. She moved to Lake Wales in 1953 where her father became the Pastor for Westside Baptist Church. She started working for Woolfolk and Myers shortly after moving to Lake Wales, then went to work for Clinton Curtis as a legal secretary for over 50 years. She retired from Peterson Myers in 2012. Teddie enjoyed FSU f...
