Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 1301 - 1325 of 3349
Christmas in Lake Wales is a time of giving, blessings, wonders and delights. Lake Wales High School Interact members exemplified the spirit as they stuffed stockings for all 65 residents of the Lake Wales Health Care nursing facility with essentials and personal care items and delivered them to many isolated people, bringing a dose of healing holiday cheer. The Lake Wales Care Center team repaired and refurbished dozens of bicycles and gave them to disadvantaged children,...
J.P. Williamson of Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at Good Shepherd Hospice House in Sebring. He was born December 28, 1972 in Fort Lauderdale to the late Michael Williamson and Noel Trent; he moved to Lake Wales from Fort Lauderdale 34 years ago. J.P. was a meter reader for Tampa Electric. He enjoyed football, baseball, golfing, fishing, and spending time at the beach. He was active in the Lake Wales Little League by coaching, umpiring, and was on the Board...
Business is booming for many local enterprises, no less so for Lake Wales entrepreneur Chad Riedel, who grown his operations beyond the capacity of several facilities since starting work here in 2002. Riedel, 48, now has plans to construct a new building at the Lake Wales Commerce and Technology Park that will allow him to grow his business to meet demand. The Lake Wales Community Development Agency approved the sale of lot five at the park, formerly known as Longleaf...
The challenge of managing the wave of new development proposed for Lake Wales was the topic of a two-hour workshop for city commissioners Friday afternoon, with the prospect for much more time to be spent on the topic in coming weeks and months. The nearly ten thousand housing units projected to fill a dozen developments in coming years are likely to attract an associated wave of new commercial development. Hearing presentations from city planners, experts, and citizens, the...
In hope of landing an additional infusion of grant monies to aid in the revitalization of downtown Lake Wales, the City Commission has authorized engineering design work for portions of both Orange and Crystal Avenues. The proposal on Tuesday's agenda approved the expenditure of $34,975 for Orange Avenue and $34,895 for Crystal Avenue designs. The work will cover the intersections of North Market Street, providing a visual corridor to the redesigned MarketPlace. From there...
A dazzling display of lights greeted local residents Saturday evening for a mile of Central Avenue as a column of colorful floats, bands, and more than a thousand participants marked the approach of Christmas holidays. Christmas music filled the air as scores of walkers passed out candy treats to the thousands of spectators who lined the length of the broad street between Lakeshore Boulevard and the City Administration building. The Lake Wales Marching Highlanders and the...
As the population of the United States in general, and Florida in particular, becomes increasingly mobile, population trends in our area are changing. Homes are sold, residents move in and out, and new development attracts both existing families and new residents. Children are born, others leave for college, or return to work in area businesses. To better capture the changing demographics of our area, the LakeWalesNews.Net is conducting a voluntary poll that allows you, our...
A brawl that erupted on the campus of Lake Wales High School Wednesday ended with Lake Wales Police putting six students in handcuffs. Two of the students involved were over age 18. One had a concealed weapon in his backpack. All six students have been transported to the appropriate facilities. Police arrested 18-year-olds Courtney Brown and Nicholas Young, both of Winter Haven. A search of Brown's backpack led to the discovery of a loaded Glock 26 handgun. The gun had not bee...
The field of candidates seeking the helm of the Lake Wales Charter Schools got a bit smaller this week as two of the remaining candidates have withdraw their applications. The search now narrows to eight after two applicants withdrew. Those two were Dr. Ronald J Iasruss, Superintendent of the Marion City Schools in Marion Ohio, and James T. Stroder, Superintendent of the Rogersville City School in Tennessee. They had been selected to advance to the next round in the selection...
As the price of fresh cut Christmas trees rises due to a national shortage, perhaps it's time to consider a different kind of Christmas tree. "Instead of buying a cut Christmas tree that you will throw away in January, why not spend that same $50 and buy a Southern Live Oak that will live for hundreds of years?" That's the question posed by Lake Wales Heritage, the local not-for-profit working to plant the thousands of street trees called for in the 1930 Lake Wales...
The staff and members of the Lake Wales History Museum are inviting the public to join them for a special Holiday Party at the museum on Thursday, December 16. The free event will include food, drinks, holiday selfie station, photos with Santa, holiday trivia, and a hot chocolate bar. The party will also feature the delightful sound of Christmas tunes performed by Bok Tower Gardens Carillonneur Geert D'hollander on the piano. The party starts at 6:00 pm and ends at 8:00 pm....
The long saga of the Seminole Hotel took an unexpected last-minute twist Tuesday night before Lake Wales City Commissioners approved the purchase of the Seminole Hotel for $50,000 plus incidental closing costs. The vote came despite a surprise last-minute appeal from prior owner Harout "Henry" Kebabjian for an additional $17,000 he will now be forced to pay in order to provide a clear title to the property. Kebabjian, represented by an attorney, had agreed during binding...
Democracy relies upon "the consent of the governed" to function. Consent implies an understanding of the questions of importance to the populace, which in turn requires an educated electorate. By these steps of logic, Public education is the bedrock upon which American freedoms are based. More than 20 years ago Florida voters overwhelmingly voted to remove partisan politics from Florida's public school boards, making them among the few Florida public offices, along with most...
"Getting back to museum basics" was a large part of the motivation that moved Anderson Hanna, former director of the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida, to apply for what might at first appear to be a less-authoritative role as Curator of Collections and Exhibits at the Lake Wales History Museum. Hanna doesn't see it that way at all, and is very happy with his career decision. "It's about getting to your specialty," he said, in describing the change that also brings him...
The long-vacant position of leadership at the helm of the Lake Wales Charter Schools is a step closer to be filled after the Superintendent Search Committee reduced the original field of applicants to a list of favorites. The opportunity to lead the acclaimed school system, one of the only community-based charter conversion systems in the nation, generated significant interest. The search for applicants, advertised nationally, drew a field of twenty-five, representing eleven...
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....
Juan Alexis Andujar of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, December 5, 2021 at AdventHealth Lake Wales. He was born October 2, 1935 in Manati, Puerto Rico to the late Julio and Flora Andujar; he moved to Lake Wales from New York 25 years ago. He was an Oiler for the City of New York and of the Catholic faith. Juan was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Miguelina Andujar. He is survived by his daughters; Nilsa Laquer of Sebring, Lourdes Oyola of New York, Solange Viloria of...
A mystery that may require a good memory to solve has emerged from the ongoing restoration work being performed on a downtown building. The two-story masonry structure located at 244 East Park Avenue was one of the earliest brick buildings constructed in Lake Wales, following close upon the heels of the ornate Lake Wales State Bank Building at the corner of Scenic Highway and Park Avenue. Both buildings were constructed by JT Rhodes, one of the city's early builders. Rhodes,...
It's not easy to surprise a United States Marine. Even more so when that individual is a Major General who had a highly decorated military career. Yet that is exactly what happened Tuesday evening in Lake Wales as Mayor Eugene Fultz read a proclamation declaring General James S. "Hammer" Hartsell Day in Lake Wales. Hartsell, recently named the director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, was born in Lake Wales, and spent his youthful years living on Morningside...
Lake Wales is getting ready to ask its residents how they think the city is performing. The city plans to conduct a "Community Conditions Survey" in order to assess the current level of service being provided. The project will be headed by ETC Institute, a firm the city has successfully engaged with recently to facilitate the Northwest Neighborhood Community Conditions Survey and again as a sub-consultant to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan team. City Manager James Slaton...
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...
William E. Delmas of South Carolina passed away Wednesday, November 24, 2021 at The Grove Center in Lake Wales. He was born September 24, 1939 in Mobile, Alabama to the late Helaire and Evelyn Delmas. William was a retired real estate agent and of the Catholic faith. He loved riding his bike around while picking up trash. He loved animals and would keep treats for all of the cats that would wait for him on his many bicycle rides around the neighborhood. Bill also loved...
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...
Russell Anthony Robertson of Jacksonville passed away Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at his residence. He was born October 22, 1946 in Washington D.C. to the late Russell and Bertha Robertson, Sr.; he moved to Jacksonville from Lake Wales 47 years ago. Russell was a retired Chief Petty Officer (E-8) for the United States Navy and served in Vietnam from 1971 until 1973. After the military, he worked as a truck driver for Hartland Express, traveling all over the country. He was an...
Robert Mallick Blair of Lake Wales, 100, passed away on November 29, 2021, in Orlando, FL. Born April 9, 1921, in Pittsburgh, PA, he lived in Beaver County most of his life. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Milton and Mary Jane Blair, and his wife Betty Jean Chaffee Blair. He is survived by his stepdaughters Carla Maddox and Linda Cruz and five step grandchildren, and several cousins. Blair was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in the Pacific Theater during...
