Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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County Manager Bill Beasley has accepted the resignation of Hezedean A. Smith, DM, effective Monday, September 30, 2024. Smith’s resignation follows release of a report commissioned by the Board of County Commissioners that reviewed management of the Fire Rescue Division (PCFR). “After meeting twice with Fire Chief Smith and Deputy County Manager Joe Halman, I have placed Chief Hezedean Smith on two weeks of Administrative Leave, which will precede his resignation,” said...
Dozens of members of the AdventHealth Heart of Florida and Lake Wales hospitals came together Friday, September 6, to celebrate the start of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers season. Team members donned red Bucs shirts and struck their best Buccaneer poses to cheer the team on as they get ready to open their season on Sunday, September 8, against the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. As the exclusive hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, AdventHealth aims to...
The Circle of Friends, a valued community-service program serving the Lake Wales area, has hit a crisis after expected grants failed to materialize, forcing the sale of a new campus acquired only last year. The nonprofit Circle of Friends, founded in 2002, has relied on grants, sponsors, and donors to invest in the lives of special needs students who have aged out of regular school programs. A Tuesday night board meeting was attended by a group of parents and a wave of...
A Lake Wales mother was arrested after leaving her three-year-old child unattended in a vehicle while she kept an appointment at the Central Florida Health Care clinic on Thursday morning. Jykerria Allen of Lake Wales was told by clinic staff that she couldn't' keep the child with her during her appointment. She told staff she would have a relative retrieve the child, but allegedly simply left the child alone in the vehicle. A witness reportedly heard the child crying and...
Benny A. Watson, Sr. of Bartow, age 86, passed away on August 10, 2024, at Lake Wales Medical Center. He was born on October 28, 1937, in Trenton, FL. He was a United States Navy Veteran. He was an Electrical Instrument Technician in the mining industry. He enjoyed fishing, running 5K races, biking and archery. He is survived by his loving family that includes his wife Christine Watson of Bartow, daughters Cindy Sterling (Robert) of Virginia Beach, VA & Jennifer Hunt (David)...
As the economy continues to improve in the Lake Wales area, the Orange Grove, a large and long-underused shopping center on SR 60 east at 11th Street, is showing multiple signs of new life as tenants snap up space in the sprawling plaza, once left behind by outward growth. New businesses planned for the center include a Stone Cabin Coffee and Cheesecake restaurant, the fourth location for that family-owned chain, offering elaborately-decorated cheesecakes in a wide variety of...
The countdown is on to the start of school for Florida students and their families. It's a time that brings a lot of excitement, but no one wants their child to get sick at the start of the year. However, doctors at AdventHealth say there are steps families can take now to make sure their child stays as healthy as possible. Medical experts say getting a back-to-school physical examination and making sure children are up to date with their recommended vaccinations is critical...
Yet another large-scale development is being planned for the Lake Wales area, this time on the city's western edge, after the proposal received approvals from the city's Planning and Zoning board Tuesday. Lake Wales Commons could host as many as 3,200 new dwelling units, along with more than a million square feet of light industrial and warehouse space on about 558 acres fronting along SR 60 West, Old Bartow Road, and West Lake Wales Road North. The sprawling collection of 26...
A 40-year-old Lake Wales man is dead after a kayaking trip on a local lake. A death investigation is underway following the recovery of the body of an adult male from Lake Annie, a 407-acre lake in the Waverly area of Lake Wales early this morning. Shane Park of Magnolia Street in Lake Wales had set out on the lake about 3:30 p.m. Sunday in a kayak. Weather at the time was fine, but thunderstorms began moving into the area a short time later. When he failed to return to shore...
With the July 4th Holiday just days away, AdventHealth emergency room doctors are now urging caution when handling fireworks. This comes as a new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) highlights the hazards posed by consumer use of fireworks. The report reveals that in 2023, it received reports of eight deaths and an estimated 9,700 injuries involving fireworks. The report also shows that between 2008 and 2023, injuries from fireworks have increased...
The boom in development of new fast-casual restaurants in Lake Wales is continuing unabated, pacing the area's fast-growing residential population. New conceptual applications have been submitted for both a Chipotle Mexican Grille and a Chick-fil-A restaurant. Pre-application meetings have been completed for both, according to city officials. Most of the newly-announced sites are clustered around the Eagle Ridge Mall on US 27 at Chalet Suzanne Road. An announced new Dunkin...
A Lake Wales woman has been arrested after she allegedly intentionally drove over her husband, who was holding an infant, injuring them both on Monday afternoon. The 16-month-old child remains hospitalized with serious injuries. The incident followed a domestic argument between Aaliyah Ross, 27, of Lake Wales, and her husband, Devin Ross, 25, during which he reportedly walked out of the house carrying the child before throwing a concrete block onto her car. As the argument...
AdventHealth welcomed nearly 50 new resident doctors into its health care system with a White Coat Ceremony Friday, marking the start of their post-graduate training. The new graduates will help alleviate shortage of physicians locally, part of a nationwide problem. AdventHealth operates hospital facilities in Lake Wales, Davenport, Sebring, and Lake Placid, as well as a new Urgent Care facility on Cypress Gardens Boulevard. AdventHealth leaders also honored the first...
Tommy C. Gaffney, age 63, passed away June 14, 2024, at Bartow Regional Medical Center in Bartow. He was born on May 16, 1961, in Haines City, FL. He worked in Records Management for Polk County Board of County Commissioners. He was a Representative for the Florida Mobile Homes Organization, former Teamster Representative and former Moose Lodge Governor. He enjoyed spending time with family, traveling and playing jokes. He was preceded in death by parents Raymond Gaffney &...
After over two decades serving the Lake Wales community, Montella's Fish Market is closing its doors for good. Owners Lisa and Mike "Junior" Montella have decided that they will retire after running successful fish markets in Florida for 37 years. The property at 1341 SR 60 East may be in for a big change. "The buyer is going to lease it," Montella stated. "He's an investor." Lake Wales News sources indicate that the purchaser of the property scouts, purchases and leases...
Farewell to Walter Elder Ferguson III, a gallant human being, who passed away at age 72 on April 26, 2024, of natural causes. A Celebration of Life will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 8 at Lake Howard Heights, 650 North Lake Howard, Winter Haven, presented by his family and classmates. Born on Feb. 26, 1952, with cerebral palsy, a lifelong condition that affects movement and coordination, Ferguson lived an extraordinary life. When his mother died in a car accident...
Timothy Paul Connors of Lakeland, FL died Thursday, May 23. He was born February 7, 1954 to the late Paul T. and Mary L. Connors. He was a retired lieutenant for the City of Lakeland fire department, a graduate of the Firefighters Academy and a trained Emergency Medical Technician. Tim was a former resident of Lake Wales and a 1972 graduate of Lake Wales High School where he participated in track and football. As an adult he enjoyed golf and participated in numerous leagues an...
Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States, including Florida, with an even higher risk in Polk, Hardee and Highlands Counties. Florida Health Department data shows in 2022, Highlands County had an age-adjusted stroke death rate of about 64 per 100,000 people, compared to Florida's overall rate of 47.6. Similarly, Polk County had a stroke death rate of around 54 per 100,000 people, also higher than the state average. Hardee County had the highest age-adjusted...
Lunch-hour diners and shoppers will find getting around downtown Lake Wales a breeze beginning Monday as the newest city service arrives in town. Described as "fast, frequent, and fun," The Squeeze will offer free transportation around the city's center, ranging between Central and Crystal Avenues between First Street and Market Street. The service will utilize new 8-passenger open-air "golf cart" style vehicles to shuttle guests to and from area businesses. The shuttles will...
Dean Burbank, age 80, passed away April 30, 2024, at Bartow Regional Medical Center. He was born on April 30, 1944, in Pleasantville, IA to the late Russel Merton Burbank & Mary Evelyn Burbank. He graduated from Pleasantville High School in 1962, St. Bernard College in 1967 with a BA in Mathematics and University of Alabama in 1979 with a MS in Applied Mathematics. He was a United States Air Force Veteran serving as a B52 Navigator Bombardier in Vietnam. He received the...
AdventHealth has announced that Jewels (Julie) Stark has accepted the role of Chief Nursing Officer at AdventHealth Lake Wales, effective April 21. She will report directly to Royce Brown, President and CEO of AdventHealth Lake Wales. In this role, Stark will be responsible for all nursing services including quality of patient care, treatment and service delivered, staffing, regulatory readiness and financial sustainability. She will also partner with colleges and...
Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information to impersonate you or steal from you. These crimes can impact your physical, mental, and emotional health and lead to lost opportunities that are often hard to measure. Learning more about identity theft can help you keep your personal information safe. There are two types of identity theft you should be aware of: • Thieves stealing your data, physically or digitally, without contacting you directly. •...
Women Who Made History on the Ridge was the theme of three awards granted by the Laker Wales chapter of the American Association of University Women this week. Dr. Glenda Morgan and two former mayors of Lake Wales, Linda Kimbrough and Kathy Manry Smith, were honored for their years of contributions to the community at a luncheon at the Good Shepherd Church March 12. Each of the three was introduced by Lake Wales City Clerk Jennifer Nanek, who included personal anecdotes of...
(NAPSI)-If you think you'd know if you were losing vision to an eye disease, you might want to think again. The symptoms of glaucoma can start so slowly that you may not notice them. That's why half the people with glaucoma don't even know they have it. The good news is that regular eye exams and timely treatment can preserve your sight. But, the only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommen...
Christine Frances Magruder Hackl, age 96 of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away on March 23, 2024. Christine was born on June 16, 1927 in Jackson, Mississippi. She married Albert James Hackl and celebrated 67 happy years of marriage, and raised eight children seemingly with ease, navigated numerous moves around the country with an adventurous spirit, and never wavered in her Catholic faith. Known for her strong convictions, Christine never shied away from tough topics and...
