Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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With only days remaining until the peak of the zany season, the Lake Wales Mardi Gras kicks off this weekend with the annual Shiner Ball, hosted by the "Loyal Order of Wild Shiners." The party is billed as a gathering of their unique group, named after the popular bait fish, at "the Center of the Universe." Lake Wales Mardi Gras is a tradition in Lake Wales, now in its fifth decade. The festival features a two day music festival, numerous private and public celebrations, and...
Art lovers from across central Florida are expected to flock to the shores of Lake Wailes this weekend for the 54th annual Lake Wales Arts Festival, which takes place Saturday and Sunday under the shade of the live oaks. The juried show will feature scores of artists displaying artistic creations in multiple categories. Prize awards and purchase prizes totaling thousands of dollars await the winners chosen by judges. The art will be exhibited from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on both...
Billie Jo Worsham Whidden, 80, keeper of family lore and devoted mother, and grandmother, passed away on February 12th 2025 surrounded by her children. Born on 19 December 1944, in Tampa, Florida, she made it her life's mission to preserve and share her family's rich history. Her passion for genealogy led her to embrace the Worsham and Hough family history. She also actively participated in the Daughter's of the American Revolution chapter in Lake Wales. As an educator for 35...
Two candidates have qualified for the Lake Wales mayoral election slated for April 1, 2025. Incumbent Mayor Jack Hilligoss will face a challenge from former city commissioner Curtis Gibson. Hilligoss is the pastor of High Point Church in Lake Wales, while Gibson is the manager of the Eagle Ridge Mall. The election will also feature a referendum on future elections that, if approved, will require a run-off vote in the case of multiple-candidate races where no one receives a...
Polk State College will host open house events on each campus during the Spring 2025 Semester. Prospective students and families are invited to tour campuses, meet faculty and staff, learn about academic programs and student life, complete college applications, receive assistance with applying for financial aid, enter to win scholarships, and more. Open house on the Winter Haven Campus will take place March 27 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 999 Ave. H N.E. in the Student Center...
Ed Lamar of Lake Wales left this earthly life to join the Lord on Friday, January 31, 2025, at AdventHealth Lake Wales. Born September 5, 1953 in Thomaston, Georgia to William Perry Lamar and Doris White Lamar, Ed moved with his parents and two brothers to Lake Wales in 1963. A member of the Lake Wales Highlander Band, Ed graduated high school in 1971 and then attended Stetson University as a music major (French Horn). He returned to Lake Wales to help run his family's...
Riding high on the emotional juice of their first district title in years, the Lake Wales High School Highlanders will host round one of the regional championship tournament Tuesday at Legion Field in Lake Wales. The local squad took the district title with a convincing 6-1 victory over Middleton Thursday evening before hundreds of joyous fans. Middleton had previously knocked off the district's top-seeded team, Lake Region, by a 4-2 score. The Highlanders will next face the S...
A controversial proposal for a new toll expressway running through eastern Polk County is meeting with opposition, including a likely resolution from the Lake Wales City Commission. A map showing four potential routes for the proposed limited-access highway was recently released by Florida’s Turnpike, a state agency that is proposing the route. The proposed road is intended to more-directly link SR 60 and the greater Orlando area, eventually connecting, at least indirectly, wi...
The southern portions of Polk County and much of the Lake Wales Ridge are expected to endure worsening drought conditions over the next month, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). Long-term models and forecasts are predicting little to no rain for the area. The warning comes on the heels of a very dry December and limited January rainfall. One brief outburst of rain between January 18 and 22 left between an inch and two inches of rain...
The Lake Wales High School Highlanders' soccer squad will host the Class 4-A District 2 Championship game against Middleton Thursday night at Legion Field in Lake Wales, hoping for their first district title since 2017. "It's gonna' be a big game," said Highlanders Varsity Assistant Head Coach Mehki Williams. The Orange and Black earned a first-round bye and second seed in the tournament by virtue of their 9-8-1 record. Middleton, 6-8-1 on the season, climbed up the board by...
A light spectacle in honor of the Lake Wales High School Class of '75 will guild the white limestone walls of the Walesbilt Hotel Friday night and the sponsor has promised that "as bright light will shine over uptown Lake Wales." A changing display of graphic images will be projected on the walls of the ten-story building in Lake Wales by River City Lights, a production company based in Decatur, Ala. The show will include school logos and 70's themed images with a "more...
A wrong-way driver took the life of another motorist in a pre-dawn crash on SR 60 early Saturday morning after two vehicles collided head-on about a half-mile east of Logistics Parkway. First responders, including Polk County Fire Rescue and the Polk County Sheriff's Department, were dispatched to the scene, about six miles west of Lake Wales and 10 miles east of Bartow, at about 4:25 a.m. That location is in the midst of the Peace Creek floodplain. Upon arrival they found...
Prominent Lake Wales business and community leader Edwin Morris Friedlander passed away peacefully in his home on January 19 at the age of 93. Friedlander was well-known among area business and civic circles, having participated in a number of non-profit boards and community efforts, including Lake Wales Hospital, the Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary. He was among a group of business leaders who helped lead a privately-funded urban renewal project in downtown Lake Wales in the...
A celebration to mark the anniversary of the official recognition of the Ridge Scenic Highway will include music, refreshments, and a historical presentation highlighting the significance of the designation, which took place 20 years ago. Representatives of the municipalities, organizations, and communities along State Road 17, now known as the Scenic Highway, joined forces with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in 2003 to advocate for the designation of a...
A proposed toll expressway linking Lake Wales to US 17-92 and indirectly to metro Orlando was the subject of a public presentation that brought plenty of critical questions and skepticism from the public but support from major land owners and development interests. The Central Polk Parkway East is proposed to run from SR 60 on the west side of Lake Wales to connect to 17-92. A planned Poinciana Connector segment will link 17-92 directly to I-4. The route is seen as a way to...
The sight of street resurfacing has been welcomed this week in Lake Wales, but nowhere more than at the intersection of Scenic Highway and Park Avenue. The work is the final step in the complete reconstruction of Park Avenue in accordance with the Lake Wales Connected plan to reinvigorate the city's urban core. Crews moved closer to completing the reconstruction of that intersection, which has been closed to traffic for three months. New road surfaces were put down this week...
Ryan Layton Pickles, 42, of Winter Haven, passed away Wednesday, January 8th in his home. Ryan was born June 17th, 1982, in Lake Wales, to Sammie and Becky Pickles. He was the assistant director for the City of Auburndale in the Parks and recreation department. He loved the Miami Hurricanes, and going to their games. He loved family gatherings and especially enjoyed being around his nieces and nephews. Ryan is survived by his parents, Sammie and Becky Pickles of Lake Wales,...
Dr. James Dayle Morgan, a retired dermatologist and dedicated professional, passed away peacefully on January 8, 2025, at WatersEdge Memory Care in Lake Wales, FL, at the age of 88. Born in Perry, Iowa, he dedicated 20 years of exemplary service to the United States Navy before retiring in 1980 with his family and making his home in Lake Wales. Dr. Morgan’s illustrious career in dermatology included owning and operating a private practice from 1980 to 2012, following his s...
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect that the Lake Wales Fire Department was not involved in fighting this residential fire which took place outside city limits. A raging fire that sent flames leaping dozens of feet into the air and alarmed many area residents destroyed a Lake Wales residence shortly after 5:30 Monday afternoon. The emergency call was received by first responders at 5:28 p.m. and within minutes at least 13 fire rescue and medical team vehicles...
Lake Wales police have arrested a private school substitute teacher for showing sexually explicit photographs to her elementary students. Park Avenue Private School administrators contacted Lake Wales Police and told them they had terminated substitute teacher Gayle Wessel on November 7, 2024, after students reported that she had shared explicit photos on her phone. Wessel, 60, Wessel of Babson Park, is now facing six counts of showing obscene material to minors and one count...
The popular Lake Wales Jazz Connection returns Saturday evening to the Lake Wales Arts Center for a special tribute concert to two of the greatest figures in jazz history, and tickets are still available. An enchanting tribute to Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald will fill the beautiful Arts Center with the sounds of the urbane and supremely talented Lake Wales Jazz Connection, under the expert direction of drummer Paul Gavin. "Let the timeless jazz classics and soulful...
Restaurant choices for Lake Wales area residents continues to increase as four new operations are poised to begin serving in January. Two are well-known national chains while two are locally-owned. The city's sparkling reimagining of the downtown area, known as Lake Wales Connected, is attracting new investment in the form of two new restaurants, both in an extensively-remodeled building just across from the US Post Office. The Thirsty Dragon will open in a matter of weeks at...
David Spencer Waldrop of Lake Wales passed away suddenly Wednesday, January 1, 2025 while leading a FTA hike in the Bellini Preserve. He was born May 18, 1969 in Lake Wales to John and Barbara Waldrop; he has been a lifelong resident of Lake Wales. David was the Information Technology Coordinator for the Lake Wales Charter Schools. He was a longtime member and dedicated volunteer of the Florida Trail Association. David's passion for the Florida Trail and his tireless...
Drivers using city streets around Lake Wales have likely noticed improvements to area streets as a six-year program of resurfacing continues. The aggressive effort to catch up on deferred maintenance began in 2021 and has resulted in miles of smoother new surfaces under the city's Pavement Management Program. Portions of 12 roadways were resurfaced in early November, and the effort will resume today with another eleven segments of roadways in Lake Wales. The streets, selected...
The City of Lake Wales has once again been awarded two prestigious awards by the Government Finance Officers Association, GFOA. City staff received the Distinguished Budget Presentation award for its 2024 fiscal year budget. To receive the award, budget documents must be rated "proficient" in four categories: policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communications device. The award marks the fifth consecutive win. A certificate of achievement for excellence in...
