Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 1051 - 1075 of 3346
A convicted felon and a Lake Wales Police Department canine were killed in a shooting in Lake Wales Wednesday morning. Ernest Borders, 57, was killed in the exchange of gunfire after opening fire after ordered to show his hands by two Lake Wales officers. Police K-9 Max was killed, but both officers escaped without injury. Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez said that the K-9 died so that the officers could survive. According to a statement issued by the Lake Wales Police...
Faced with a expected wave of new development after approving more than a dozen new housing projects in less than a year, the Lake Wales City Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a new "Mobility" impact fee that will add $2,055.33 to the cost of new home in the city. Funds raised by the fee may be used for a wide variety of improvements, including sidewalks, trails, lighting, and street trees in addition to the standard road funding. Prepared by consultants NUE Urban...
Lake Wales Public Library is asking the public for assistance in locating historic photos of downtown Lake Wales, particularly any that may include one particular build. Perhaps the background of old family snapshots may hold keys to the future beauty of the National Register Historic District. According to the Library's website, "We have a mystery that we hope our library patrons can help us solve. A resident is looking for a photo. We've been searching, he's been searching,...
William David Barker, Jr., 60, of Lake Wales, Florida passed Monday, August 8, 2022, at Adventhealth of Lake Wales. He was born May 16, 1962, in Hackettstown, New Jersey to William and Norma (Ball) Barker, Sr., and he has been a resident of this area since 1972 moving here from New Jersey. He was an Appliance Repairman for L&L Appliance and attended Impact Church of Lake Wales. William loved trains, motorcycles and especially VW Beetles. He was preceded in death by Tommy Brand...
Janet Crichfield Ward, 74, of Lake Wales passed away on August 7, 2022, after a long illness. She was born October 17, 1947, in Belle Glade, Florida, to Charles and Bertha Crichfield. She graduated from Belle Glade High School in 1965. After relocating to Lake Wales, she graduated from USF in 1970 where she was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She went on to attain her master's degree in 1981. Janet became an educator for the Polk County School System where she...
Construction is progressing rapidly on the Park Avenue Connector Trail, a 3000-foot multiuse trail being constructed by the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency. The project is a key element of the Lake Wales Connected plans which are expected to transform and revitalize the city's center in coming years. Construction of the new trail is utilizing about one-half of the right-of-way of Park Avenue, which was 24 feet wide despite being a one-way street. The new design featu...
On a split vote, Lake Wales City Commissioners Tuesday evening voted themselves an annual raise of $2,400 intended to pay for the cost of local travel and expenses. City Manager James Slaton had proposed the increase at a commission work session last week, saying those expenses were often incurred by commissioners in the course of their duties. Newly-elected Commissioner Danny Krueger argued in favor of the raise, complaining that his 547 miles of travel around the city since...
While the 2022 Hurricane Season has so far seemed quiet from our vantage point in Lake Wales, weather forecasters are warning that this is expected to be an above average season. The August outlook offered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reduced the expected number of storms only by one. That prediction now includes a total of 14 to 20 named storms, of which only three have occurred. The hurricane season runs from June 1 until November 30, but the peak...
Harry John Burns, Jr. of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, July 31, 2022 at his residence. He was born November 7, 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio to the late Harry and Blanche Burns; he moved to Lake Wales from Ohio 12 years ago. Chic was a retired engineer and of the Catholic faith. He loved trains, gardening, history, cooking, and the neighborhood ladies. Chic was preceded in death by his wife. He is survived by his nieces, Debra Cawley and husband Howard of Lake Worth, and Susan...
A $1.2 million contribution from the City of Lake Wales will empower a new business incubator designed to increase the number of new businesses and entrepreneurs in Lake Wales. Funds for the project will come from the American Rescue Act which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden last year. The city received some $7 million which must be directed to economic development projects. The funds will be directed to the operations of "Bizlink," which will...
Students heading back to school will get a welcome boost as 700 backpacks full of school supplies are given away to students from kindergarten through college age. The event marks the return of the Polk State College "Start Right" campaign and includes free school supplies, haircuts, food, and more for students and their families ahead of the 2022-2023 Academic Year. The event will begin at 9:00 am on Saturday July 23 at Polk State College's JD Alexander Center, 152 E....
A pair of forums offering voters a chance to hear from seven school board candidates has been moved to an online event due to the recent upsurge of Coved cases in Polk County. The event had been scheduled for the James Austin Center in Lake Wales with a capacity of 100 guests. The event will now take place via Zoom, with a link to be posted for interested guests. The August primary election will be the final chance to vote in some local races, including those for new school...
Lake Wales residents are generally quite happy with the services and conditions provided to residents by municipal government, according to a city-wide survey conducted by ETC Institute. Three commissioners heard a report on the findings through a telephone presentation by a company representative at their workshop. At the time the survey was launched, City Manager James Slaton called it "an important planning tool as Lake Wales moves forward." The survey was completed by 402...
Alfredo Gonzalez of Lake Wales passed away Friday, July 22, 2022 at Winter Haven Hospital. He was born October 25, 1935 in Havana, Cuba to the late Justo and Gertrudis Gonzalez; he moved to Lake Wales from New York over 20 years ago and has been a resident of the United States for over 60 years. Alfredo was a self-employed typewriter mechanic and a member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. He enjoyed going to Bok Tower and walking at the Lake Wales Park and by the Lake Wales...
Another reduction in property taxes may be in the cards if Lake Wales city commissioners agree to a proposal from city staff to adopt the "roll-back rate" for the upcoming fiscal year as the city's values surpass a billion dollars for the first time. In a document prepared for consideration at Tuesday's commission meeting, Finance Director Dorothy Abbott is recommending that the city accept the certified property values and adopt an interim millage rate of 6.3626. Once set,...
The growing enthusiasm of staff, students and parents is lending a boost to McLaughlin Middle School as preparations are made to co-locate a high school on the campus. The results are showing up in positive ways. A new mural entitled "We Paint Our Path," featuring the school's phoenix mascot, was recently dedicated, the result of a week's effort by noted muralist Hamilton Glass. That project was the result of a grant from the Florida Education Association, the teachers' union....
Efforts to re-imagine the urban core of Lake Wales as an attractive and shady pedestrian oasis filled with new businesses and restaurants continues to draw the support of both the public and private sectors. Congressman Darren Soto has announced that he is requesting a $1 million Federal grant to support street restoration in downtown Lake Wales. This project, one element of a multi-faceted effort, would revitalize 1st Street, which is a critical connector, unifying the...
A struggling Lake Wales man who received a shock $6,025.79 water bill in April is breathing easier now, thanks to the intervention of City Utilities Director Sarah Kirkland. Wildabon Avenue resident Anthony Caraway, 50, is unemployed due to disabling cancer. He had been billed the astronomical figure, many times his normal monthly usage, which was often as little as a thousand gallons a month, giving him the city's lowest rate. Money is a serious issue for Caraway, as he is...
Ann Wagner Geils, born July 7, 1928, in Summit, New Jersey, passed away at her home in Highland Park, Florida on July 6, 2022, just one day shy of her 94th birthday. She will be remembered by all those who loved her as the matriarch of her family, who loved "her people" fiercely and completely. "Her people" included not only her blood relatives, but also so many others whom she took in as family both physically and emotionally. Her dinner table was the center of family...
After a brief discussion Tuesday, Lake Wales City Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the recommendations of the Planning and Zoning Board and city staff to designate a recently-annexed parcel on Evergreen Road as low density residential (LDR) and an R-2 zoning, restricting it to single-family homes and duplexes. The parcel of approximately eight acres will be allowed to host up to 40 units. Pastor Michael Blare of property owner Trinity Baptist Church had originally...
A "Neighborhood Activity Center" along South 11th Street at Hunt Brothers Road moved a major step toward reality this week as the Lake Wales City Commission unanimously approved changing land use on the 13.66 acre parcel at the northwest corner of the intersection. The property now has a zoning designation of C-4. . The property, owned by the McKenna family, has long been in citrus, as has more than a thousand acres of surrounding lands now slated for future housing...
Scenic Highway's passage through downtown Lake Wales will quite a bit more scenic upon completion of new efforts planned by city staff. Plans to add multiple new shade trees, shrubs, flowering plants and fencing are moving forward under the terms of a new lease between the City of Lake Wales and Florida Midland Railroad. The railroad owns a highly-visible corridor through the center of town which already hosts a number of buildings associated with the Lake Wales History...
Helen Marie O'Donnell, age 93, passed away Thursday, June 30, 2022. She was born August 24, 1928 in Lake Hamilton, FL to W.E. & Bertie Slocumb, Marie was a Nurses Aide for 20 years at Lake Wales Hospital. She was a member of Ridge Community Church of God in Dundee. She was a talented seamstress. Helen was preceded in death by her two husband Ray Summers & Jim O'Donnell, two brothers Bud Slocumb & Corky Slocumb and three sisters Earlene Parrish, Jean Williams & Evelyn Dorsey....
A shooting in a parking lot has left one victim with wounds and a suspect on the run. Lake Wales police officers responded to the mid-evening call from the Lake Wales Garden Apartments. Officers found one victim with gunshot wounds and witnesses who identified the suspected shooter as Aaron Devon Garrison of Bartow. Officers learned Garrison, 27, shot the victim in the parking lot after arguing arguing with a person upstairs. After that altercation Garrison walked downstairs...
Ricardo T. Lopez, age 44, passed away on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at his home in Eagle Lake. Born November 25, 1977, in Brownsville, TX, he was the son of the late Rogelio Meza Lopez and Evangelina Tejada Lopez. Ricardo worked in the construction industry for many years. He is survived by a loving family that includes his children: Emilio Lopez (Cheyenne Millwood) of Wahneta, Oscar Lopez (Alondra) of Winter Haven, Ricardo Alverado of Wahneta, Esmeralda Lopez (Zachary) of...
