Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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The City of Lake Wales negotiation team has apparently approved a settlement agreement with Dixie Walesbilt LLC that will result in the return of the landmark Walesbilt Hotel to the City. The City Commission and CRA agendas Tuesday evening include the agreement which should end a two-year legal battle and set the stage for renovation of the 98-year-old hotel. The agreement attached to the meeting notices has already been executed by Dixie Walesbilt owner Ray Brown and City...
There's still time for lovers of spine-tingling thrillers to enjoy a recreation of the spooky genius that made Alfred Hitchcock the most popular director of his era. The opportunity is presented by the Lake Wales Little Theatre, which is offering a final weekend of their production of Vintage Hitchcock. "Spies, murder, love, and other trademarks of Alfred Hitchcock come to life in the style of a 1940s radio broadcast" in the three remaining shows. The "Master of Suspense" was...
The future redevelopment of the Walesbilt Hotel and the ongoing Lake Wales Connected effort would be placed at serious risk if the Florida Legislature adopts a pair of bills currently being considered. Florida House Bill 991 and Senate Bill 1242 would put severe restrictions on Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) in Florida, effectively stopping their efforts to address declining neighborhoods. “This is serious,” said Lake Wales CRA chairman Robin Gibson. “It is incon...
After nearly a decade of operations in Lake Wales, the Merlin Magic Making facility at Longleaf Business Park is apparently closing its doors. A filing with the Florida Department of Commerce informed them of the layoffs of 31 workers at the facility beginning May 31. That number approaches the total number of employees at the site, leading to expectations that it will be closed completely, according to local sources. Merlin is the parent company of Legoland, which recently...
A tasty tour of nearly two dozen downtown Lake Wales businesses will be featured this Thursday, April 10 as Lake Wales Main Street presents their 6th annual Wine DownTown. Food samples from several downtown restaurants, including Melanie's Seafood Company, Mimi's Bakery, Cocoa Cakes Studio, The Thirsty Dragon, and The Peach and Pepper will be offered at each of the participating businesses. The food samples will be accompanied by free samples of fine wines and craft beers...
Mindy Dougherty of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, March 30, 2025, at Good Shepherd Hospice in Auburndale. Mindy was born May 4, 1958, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Alvin Gross and Myra Ludwig. Mindy was a retired CNA, and a member of Winter Haven Worship Center. She loved and supported the Special Olympics and played for the team herself. Mindy loved Clearwater Beach and deep-sea fishing, as well as her Yuengling and Peach Schnapps. Mindy is preceded in death by her...
Two families were left homeless Thursday evening after fire gutted their duplex unit on West Seminole Avenue in Lake Wales. The apartments are part of the Grove Manor public housing complex, which is scheduled for demolition over the coming three years. Lake Wales firefighters and Polk County EMS units responded to a call shortly after 6 p.m. to find one unit heavily involved in the fire, which spread rapidly into the roof structure, Heavy smoke also caused additional damage...
Shirley Mae Hare, 91, of Lake Wales, Florida passed away on February 1, 2025. She was a sparkling and shining light in the lives of so many people. With her brilliant spirit, radiant smile, and compassionate heart, she seamlessly blended her roles as a homemaker and nurturing parent with a career as a preschool teacher and children's caregiver. She was that special star for her family and friends, her students, the young children she cared for and everyone who had the chance...
Lake Wales Mayor Jack Hilligoss won an easy reelection victory Tuesday, turning back a challenge from former city commissioner Curtis Gibson in a race that saw record amounts spent, primarily by outside groups. Hilligoss received 1390 votes, or 60.96 percent of the vote, while Gibson took 890 votes, or 39.04 percent. Hilligoss will be sworn in to serve a new three-year term as chair of the five-person commission. Voters also approved a charter amendment that will require...
What has undoubtedly been the ugliest Lake Wales municipal election campaign in memory is coming to a conclusion on April 1, when voters will have a last chance to help select a mayor who will serve a new three-year term. Incumbent Mayor Jack Hilligoss is being challenged by former city commissioner Curtis Gibson. The campaign has been marked by a series of attacks using both direct mail and text messages funded by a "dark-money" political action committee based in Tampa. The...
America's love affair with automobiles comes with consequences, including unwanted highways. The population boom on the Lake Wales Ridge, powered by scores of large residential developments, has proven that worse traffic is always just around the corner. Now a proposal from Florida's Turnpike to build an expressway down the Lake Wales Ridge, connecting the Orlando area with Lake Wales, is generating more controversy. That state agency has grown from a single toll road from...
Cathie Jo Bruursema of Babson Park passed away Thursday, March 6, 2025 at Somers Hospice House in Sebring. She was born July 16, 1969 in Holland, MI. She was a retired administrative assistant from the Grace Church in Gladstone, MI and a member of the First Baptist Church of Lake Wales. She was very active, enjoyed fitness, cross country skiing, mountain biking and kayaking. She loved going to the beach. Cathie was preceded in death by her mother, Ann Regelin. Survivors...
A ruling by Circuit Judge Jennifer Swensen this month has brought the City of Lake Wales and the city's Community Redevelopment Agency significantly closer to reclaiming the title to the landmark Walesbilt Hotel, bringing redevelopment of the building within reach. The legal battle over control of the historic structure began when the city filed the suit in February 2022. The most-recent ruling dismissed a counter-suit and appeal for summary judgement filed by defendant...
Springtime is here, and that means that lawn maintenance becomes a growing chore for homeowners as the grass begins to grow rapidly. A busy personal schedule might keep you away from that chore, or sometimes you may only need a break. While most lawn service companies want annual, year-around contracts that leave you paying even when the grass isn't growing, there's one company serving this area that has a different solution: on-demand lawn mowing. Lake Wales area homeowners n...
Two new restaurants are among the immediate results of the investment in a renewed downtown historic district by the Community Redevelopment Agency and the City of Lake Wales. The city recently celebrated the opening of the re-imagined Park Avenue which, along with stretches of First Street, Scenic Highway, and the Market Plaza, have been turned into lush gardens lining brick streets intended to create an attractive setting for dining and retail. The Thirsty Dragon, an...
The Lake Wales Arts Center is offering two impressive performances to the public this Saturday, March 8, and they are both completely free. The Classern String Quartet promises a spectacular evening of music as they return to the Lake Wales Arts Council for this unforgettable double feature concert. The Classern Quartet will kick off the evening with a 4 p.m. performance that brings together the best of the two worlds they share - classical favorites with modern twists. The...
A celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for Friday evening in downtown Lake Wales will mark the successful completion of the biggest element to date in the city's pursuit of the Lake Wales Connected plan. The transformative redevelopment of Park Avenue and the Market Plaza will be celebrated by residents, business owners, and city officials alike, all of whom are eager to show off the beauty of the new streetscape. The event will be held in the expanded new Market...
Walburga "Wallie" Sylvia of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, February 20, 2025 at Forsythe Hospice House in Auburndale. She was born May 20, 1937 in Augsburg, Germany to the late Englebert and Walburga Schafhauser; she moved to Lake Wales from Derry, New Hampshire in 1980. Wallie was a homemaker and of the Catholic faith. She loved music and visiting the VFW. Wallie loved spending time with her husband, especially fishing and dancing. Wallie was preceded in death by her...
The city of Lake Wales is moving forward with the expansion of the city's fire department after city commission approval of design work for a third station planned for Hunt Brothers Road. A five acre site at the southeast corner of South Ninth Street (Nest Egg Road) was purchased at a cost of $300,000 in November after a search in that area turned up no other site that was both appropriate and available. Fire Department Chief Joe Jenkins told the commission at that time that...
AdventHealth Lake Wales has announced the addition of cardiologist, Saiyed Mohib, MD to its roster of expert physicians. Dr. Mohib is a board-certified cardiologist who is now accepting new patients in Lake Wales at the AdventHealth Medical Group General Surgery Office, located at 423 Linden Lane. With over 20 years of experience in cardiology, Dr. Mohib is an expert in assessing and preventing heart attacks and other heart-related diseases. He offers nutritional counseling...
A ceremonial ground-breaking for a multi-million dollar water desalination facility east of Lake Wales has marked the next step in a multi-jurisdictional effort to assure adequate water supplies for the future of Polk County. The rapid development taking place across the region has created a looming water crisis, with at least one town, Dundee, forced to declare a building moratorium due to a lack of potable water supply. Led by the Southwest Florida Water Management District...
Wayne Helm of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, February 22, 2025 at his residence. He was born October 20, 1948 in Lake Wales to the late Elmer and Lola Helm; he has been a lifelong resident of Lake Wales. Wayne was a retired Captain for the Lake Wales Police Department and served with the United States Army in Vietnam. He and his wife, Laura, were fans of the band Alabama and the University of Florida Gators. Before becoming ill, Wayne loved his cigars, going fishing, and...
The murder of a 22-year-old Frostproof man Sunday has led to murder and accessory charges against an Avon Park man, his teenage son, and his son's friend. 22-year-old Juan German-Garo, Jr. was found deceased in his vehicle on Washington Terrace in Frostproof shortly after 5 p.m. on Sunday with multiple gunshot wounds. Two large bags of marijuana were found in the victim's vehicle. Witnesses gave a description of two suspects to detectives, who canvassed the area and located...
A pageant of color and music will burst onto the streets of Lake Wales this weekend in the form of the annual city-wide Mardi Gras celebration. Highlighted by a two-day music festival and a traditional parade, the festival is expected to draw thousands to the downtown streets and the lakeshore festival grounds. The Lake Wales Mardi Gras, now in its fifth decade of existence, includes numerous private parties, along with ticketed public events including those sponsored by more...
After months of intensive reconstruction, the intersection of Park Avenue and Scenic Highway is expected to open to traffic this week, marking the end of one phase of an expansive Lake Wales Connected project to reconfigure and beautify the urban core of Lake Wales. Merchants, residents, and visitors alike are ready to celebrate the opening of the refurbished Park Avenue, which features wider, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks with room for outdoor café seating, as well as lush la...
