Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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The parade of development proposals that have stirred citizen concerns of runaway changes to Lake Wales continued to be evident at the most recent city commission meeting as details emerged for several more projects. A calculation by LakeWalesNews.Net staff has indicated that more than 12,000 new single-family homes, townhomes, apartments, and mobile homes are included in developments already on the drawing table. At least three other projects have been proposed but remain to...
The beloved Sephia B. Royer passed away peacefully on June 1, 2022 while in hospice care in Melbourne. Born Josephine Tampa Brees on November 2, 1938, her father gave her the nickname "Sephia," and the name stuck for her entire life. Sephia was raised in Lake Wales and spent her early years living and playing on the grounds of Casa De Josefina, the massive European-style home built by her grandfather, Irwin A. Yarnell, for his wife (and Sephia's grandmother), Josephine...
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to include clarifying comments from City Manager James Slaton. Lake Wales City Commissioners will consider the possible development of new apartments on a sprawling tract of land north of Chalet Suzanne Road Tuesday at Tuesday's meeting, beginning at 6:00 PM.. Hillpointe LLC, acting as the agent for owner Star Lake Inc. is requesting a zoning change on approximately 195.23 acres of land to allow HDR-High Density Residential...
Roman T. Hernandez of Lake Wales, Florida passed away on Friday May 27, 2022. He was born in Dilly, Texas on February 9, 1946, to the late Eudelio and Ricarda Hernanadez. He worked as a diesel mechanic and was the owner of Roman's Mobile. He was of Catholic faith and enjoyed working and spending time with his family. Roman is preceded in death by his daughter Angelita, and son Roman Hernandez Jr. He is survived by her wife of 58 years Julia Hernandez; his sons Robert...
Belinda DuBose Hurst of Lake Wales, Florida claimed her eternal reward and went home to be with the Lord on Monday, May 30th, 2022, after a valiant fight against brain cancer. God granted her an easy, peaceful transition home as she was surrounded by her loving family. She was born on August 8th, 1956, in Avon Park, Florida to the late James C. DuBose and Veronica L. DuBose. She grew up and graduated from Frostproof High School class of 1974. She received her undergraduate...
Robert Stanley Collibee of Nalcrest, Florida passed away on Friday May 27, 2022, in Lake Wales. He was born on January 29, 1934, in Chelsea, Massachusetts to the late Lawrence and Vera Collibee. Robert is a retired postal carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and served in the Airforce with the Korean war. He loved to garden, remodel houses, was active in the church when he was younger, loved to travel and worked at The White Barn Inn and Restaurant in Kennebunkport, Maine....
Quickly advancing plans to co-locate a new high school on the campus of McLaughlin Middle School, administrators brought some 60 parents, students, teachers, and staff together Tuesday to discuss the shape and operation of the school. The school will offer students a second choice of high schools in Lake Wales The charrette-style event, held in the school cafeteria, was themed around "Phoenix Airlines," using the school's mascot as the flight host. Each attendee was given a...
Ronald Kyle "Ron" Porter passed away Sunday, May 15, 2022, in Lake Wales. Born November 21, 1955, in Ironton, OH, he was the son of the late Ronald Keene Porter and Georgia Lea (Conley) Porter. Ron was a longtime member of Peace Creek Baptist Church and K.R.V.S.A. Mr. Porter worked many years for Ashland Chemicals in Bartow. He was an avid airboater known as the "FrogSpit" guy who formerly owned and operated Bullfrog Marine in Fort Meade. He is survived by a loving family that...
Open enrollment for Fall 2022 Semester classes at Polk State College will begin on June 6. Currently enrolled students can register now for fall classes in Passport. Prospective students must submit a free online application to Polk State at www.polk.edu/admission-aid/admissionsteps. Assistance with admission, advising, registration, and financial aid is available remotely and on campus. The College has increased access to services remotely and encourages students to utilize...
Victor Vieyra-Yepez of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, May 21, 2022 at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. He was born July 16, 1959 in Tacambaro Michoacan, Mexico to the late Gordiano Zavala and Romana Yepez; he moved to Lake Wales from Mexico in 1987. Victor worked in the tile manufacturing business and a member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. He was a hard-working man with a big heart. Victor was a good friend to many; he was a great husband, father, and grandfather. He is...
Dennis Hill Hewitt passed away on May 22, 2022, in Bartow, FL. He was born on August 20, 1945, in Miami, FL to the late Mary and Cecil Hewitt. Dennis had been involved with the Kiwanis club, he loved hiking and being outdoors, enjoyed growing peppers, and loved old books, especially poetry. He was a former treasurer to The Humane Society and enjoyed playing softball with his granddaughter Candace. Dennis is preceded in death by 2 brothers and a sister. He is survived by his...
You are invited to join a host of others in an opportunity to get some fresh air and exercise this week. The Lake Wales Care Center is encouraging area residents to take part in the National Ride Your Bike to Work Day by participating in the fun event this Friday, May 20. National Bike to Work Day promotes the bicycle as a healthy and safe alternative for commuting to work. Scores of bicycle enthusiasts and novices are expected to join an escorted tour around the downtown area...
A request by Trinity Baptist Church for a designation of MDR- Medium Density Residential was met by a recommendation for a lower density LDR designation by the Planning and Zoning Board at a meeting on April 26, and now Pastor Michael Blare has indicated that he is likely to appeal to commissioners for the higher density provided by the MDR Comprehensive Plan map designation and R-3 zoning. The City Commission will hear the matter at their regular meeting Tuesday at 6:00,...
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to include comments from City Manager James Slaton. A confusing staff report may have led to city commissioners, sitting as the board of the Lake Wales Community Development Agency, paying more than intended for a small parcel of land and a dilapidated building. A staff report contained errors on the value of the parcel. The prominent eyesore at the corner of West Central Avenue and SR 60 West property is eventually expected to be...
Plans to build sidewalks and plant scores of shade trees to enhance the Northwest Neighborhood, part of the Lake Wales Connected plan, received a major boost last week with the announcement that the City of Lake Wales was awarded nearly a $1.2 million grant. Lake Wales is one of ten Florida communities awarded funding through the Rural Infrastructure and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. "This...
AdventHealth Lake Wales has achieved a "B" patient safety grade by the prestigious Leapfrog Group. The safety grade is awarded based on a hospital's performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections, and other harms to patients in their care. The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an "A," "B," "C," "D," or "F" grade to general hospitals across the country. AdventHealth implemented and enhanced several division-wide pr...
Do you like country music? Maybe you're a Keith Urban fan? Or maybe you're just feeling a bit lucky and could use some extra cash? If so, here's a great opportunity: The "Low Payment Kings," powered by the Mahalak Auto Group, are offering an opportunity to win a guitar signed by Keith Urban, four tickets to a Keith Urban concert, and $777 in cash! The Low Payment Kings family of auto dealerships includes Lake Wales Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram on US 27, but according to officials o...
Citizens interested in learning the details and impact of the city-reshaping Lake Wales Connected plan are invited to attend any of four luncheon meetings on the topic beginning Tuesday, May 17. The plan, which is expected to include more than $20 million in infrastructure improvements in the city, will be the focus of four weeks of meetings hosted by the Lake Wales Noon Rotary Club at the Lake Wales Country Club, according to club spokesperson Bob Peppel. The first speaker...
The Lake Wales City Commission will vote Tuesday on a proposal that will allow construction of a new "neighborhood" shopping center at the currently-remote corner of Hunt Brothers Road and South 11th Street. The conceptual development plan for the 13.66 acre site on the northwest corner of the intersection will be considered by the commission at Tuesday's 6:00 pm meeting. The proposal is being submitted by the McKenna Family, owners of the two parcels, and represents the new...
The gradual expansion of the Lake Wales Business Community is receiving another boost as the Dyer Auto Group prepares to open their new Chevrolet dealership on US 27 North across from Eagle Ridge Mall. Dyer's new $5 million dealership is a significant expansion from their current location two miles south, according to General Manager David Dlugokecki. The new location will also allow the family-owned business to co-locate their two local new-car dealerships. Dyer Kia moved int...
Well-known Lake Wales community leader Barney Moore passed away early Friday at AdventHealth Lake Wales Medical Center. Moore, 61, inspired many citizens to greater efforts on behalf of community projects. Born with quad-atonic cerebral palsy, Moore spent most of his life in a wheel chair but managed to be civically active. His intellect and wit were legendary, as was his ability to lead others to productive action. He was inspired by his own disability, and made it a vehicle...
Mildred Marie Croman of Lake Wales passed away Friday, May 6, 2022 at AdventHealth Lake Wales under the care of Vitas Hospice. She was born August 24, 1937 in Hazleton, Pennsylvania to the late Joseph and Evelyn Zanolini; she moved to Lake Wales from Alturas in 1999. Mildred was a retired Registered Nurse from Lake Wales Hospital and of the Catholic faith. She enjoyed cooking and square dancing. Mildred loved parties, corn roasts, and cookouts, but overall, she loved her...
Elizabeth Ann McCrary of Frostproof passed away Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at AdventHealth Lake Wales under the care of Vitas Hospice. She was born September 3, 1938 in Frostproof to the late Crawford and Elma Payne. Elizabeth was a homemaker and of the Pentecostal faith. She was a wonderful cook and enjoyed doing so for her family. Elizabeth loved sewing, being outdoors, and taking care of her plants. When any of her snowbird neighbors were gone, she would take care of their...
The City of Lake Wales has hired Joanna Abernathy to fill the vacant position of deputy city manager. Abernathy will be overseeing various municipal operations while assisting City Manager James Slaton. "I'm both honored and excited to be chosen as Lake Wales' Deputy City Manager," Abernathy said in a prepared statement. "The City is experiencing tremendous growth, and I'm thrilled to be part of a forward-thinking municipality," she added. Abernathy has a total of more than...
Area college and high school students with a penchant for sports have an opportunity to earn some career creds by providing coverage of their favorite local teams, according to Robert Connors, managing editor of LakeWalesNews.Net. "We're eager to expand our coverage far beyond football," Connors said. "We want to cover everything from bowling to lacrosse." Baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis, and more are potential subject matter, he said. "Each intern is invited...
