Communication Builds Our Community

(98) stories found containing 'mountain lake'


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  • More Than 15,660 New Homes Approved By Lake Wales City Commissioners, Expected to Host 42,000 New Residents

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Mar 22, 2024
    2

    A population boom is expected in Lake Wales in coming months and years as design work or construction is advancing for at least 40 projects within the city limits, in addition to others outside the city. A LakeWalesNews.net calculation shows a total of more than 15,660 new residential units have already met some level of approval by the city commission, with many having already received final plat approval for construction, even as other projects are nearing completion. If the...

  • 100 Years Ago: The Highlander of January 2, 1924

    News Research staff|Updated Jan 3, 2024

    The new year of 1924 started out with big news in the community of Lake Wales as voters apparently chose to fund a new county hospital, a b ig achievement for the largely-rural county. Roads were being paved and widened to connect the network of small towns that were sprinkled across the more than 2,000 square miles of Polk, while railroad lines were also being extended to allow the quick passage of freight and passengers to and from northern markets. Citrus was the big...

  • Heritage Volunteers Landscape McLaughlin Campus in Driving Rain

    News Staff Reports|Updated Jan 3, 2024

    Lake Wales got a good bit greener last Saturday, not only because of welcome rains, but due to the efforts of a team of volunteers from Lake Wales Heritage who braved the damp to landscape the campus of McLaughlin Middle/High School. In a six-hour effort the group planted more than 40 trees on school grounds. "It was a day of bonding for the volunteers, a really rainy day" for the thoroughly saturated group of volunteers, said Heritage Vice President Ron Poller. "It was an...

  • Local Man Arrested, Charged With Lewd Exhibition

    Brian Bruchey, PCSO|Updated Dec 17, 2023

    The Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested a pest & lawn service worker twice last week after detectives spoke with two female customers who said the man exposed himself to them during separate incidents. Tyler Mountain, 27, of Lake Wales was charged with Lewd Exhibition (M1) and Lewd Exhibition to an Elderly Person (F3). The investigation began on October 26, 2023 after a 76-year old woman reported that an employee of Massey Services exposed himself to her while he was in her...

  • History Museum Will Emerge Better, Community Support Needed

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Oct 30, 2023

    Major improvements are underway at the Lake Wales History Museum that are expected to make the facility a center of community activity as well as a draw for residents and visitors alike, according to Executive Director Melissa Stoller. The ongoing project includes needed repairs to the 98-year-old building as well as reimagined and refreshed exhibits. The non-profit museum is seeking volunteers with carpentry skills to help with the ongoing reconfiguration. Stoller promises...

  • City Fills Vacant Horticulturist Position As Downtown Tree Planting Approaches

    News Staff Reports|Updated Oct 23, 2023

    As the City of Lake Wales prepares to begin a major tree-planting effort as part of the Lake Wales Connected effort, a long-vacant horticulturist spot has been filled by a long-time Lakeland gardening expert. Kevin Polk, a certified horticulturist who spent several years supervising the landscape at the City of Lakeland's Hollis Gardens, will take the reins overseeing plans to revive the landscapes in the city's historic core. After spending years reviving the 1928 landscape...

  • 6100-unit Peace Crossing Project Moving Forward

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Oct 7, 2023

    The vast Peace Crossing development long-planned for a large tract of land between US 27 and Lake Ashton is now moving forward under new ownership following the sale of the property by Winter Haven Corporation. The 1,943-acre Master Development Plan (MDP) Lake Wales Mixed Use Project was approved by the city commission in 2021. The site has long been used as pasture and consists of a mix of uplands and wetland areas spanning the Peace Creek Drainage Canal. With 6100...

  • Bok Tower Admissions Price to Increase Again

    News Staff Report|Updated Sep 26, 2023

    The cost of enjoying a day in the relaxing environment at Bok Tower Gardens may add a bit of unfortunate stress to budgets after the gardens announced that the their admission rates are rising once again. Beginning October 1, adult general admission will be $20, while children ages 6-17 will get in for $10. Children 5 and under will continue to be admitted free. Annual passes for individuals and families are available. A statement issued by Bok Tower Gardens called the increas...

  • Arthur Henry Stafford III, 1938-2023

    News Obituary Service|Updated Sep 16, 2023

    Arthur Henry Stafford III, 84, of Babson Park, FL passed away peacefully on September 13,, 2023. Art was born to Arthur Henry Stafford Jr and Charlotte Sarah Clark Stafford in Polk County, FL on December 2, 1938. Growing up he stayed active playing sports and enjoyed spending time outdoors. He attended community college in Polk County and started his career in agriculture as a manager on a sugar cane farm in southern Florida. This led Art to become a fruit inspector with the...

  • August 29, 1923 Highlander

    News Research Staff|Updated Sep 5, 2023

    The Lake Wales Highlander of 100 years ago reveals much about the history of our community. Each week the Lake Wales News will publish a front-page image of the former Lake Wales Highlander from 100 years earlier, tracking the growth of the community a century ago, when Florida was in the midst of a great land price boom and rapid population growth. The images are retrieved from the digital archives of the Lake Wales Public Library. The Lake Wales Highlander eventually became...

  • August 22, 1923 Lake Wales Highlander

    News Research Staff|Updated Aug 22, 2023

    The Lake Wales Highlander of 100 years ago reveals much about the history of our community. Each week the Lake Wales News will publish a front-page image of the former Lake Wales Highlander from 100 years earlier, tracking the growth of the community a century ago, when Florida was in the midst of a great land price boom and rapid population growth. The images are retrieved from the digital archives of the Lake Wales Public Library. The Lake Wales Highlander eventually became...

  • This Week in History: July 18, 1923

    News Research Staff|Updated Jul 30, 2023

    The Lake Wales Highlander of 100 years ago reveals much about the history of our community, including incipient battles over lake levels, and the potential for the further growth of Mountain Lake and the development of Edward Bok's garden sanctuary plans for the top of Iron Mountain. Each week the Lake Wales News will publish a front-page image of the former Lake Wales Highlander from 100 years earlier, tracking the growth of the community a century ago, when Florida was in...

  • City Expands Utility System to Address Growth, Improve Service

    Eric Marshall|Updated Jul 30, 2023

    City staff in the Lake Wales Public Works department are working on three projects that include replacing antiquated water lines, increasing water flow, and adding select neighborhoods to the city’s central sewer system, eliminating septic systems in those areas. The enhancements are part of the Public Works Department’s master plans for water, stormwater and wastewater. The multi-year plans are designed to target expansion, stormwater quality and increase water reusability. ...

  • First Phase Approved for 67-Lot Residential Development

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Jul 4, 2023

    An accepted phase one final plat for a new subdivision will allow construction to begin at Harper Estates, a 67-lot development that was approved by the Lake Wales city commission last year. The first phase will consist of 29 lots. Harper Estates will lie adjacent to Orange Lake, a small body of water on the south side of Mountain Lake Road just west of US 27, near Speedway Auto Sales. The site is also adjacent to a tract of the Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge,...

  • New Streetscapes Planted in Druid Hills to Expand "Garden City" Effort

    News Staff Reports|Updated Jul 3, 2023

    Fourteen new Southern Live Oaks and ten Florida Holly trees were planted last week as the latest landscaping contribution toward recreating the "City in a Garden" ideal of Lake Wales founders. Lake Wales Heritage, an Olmsted Conservancy, undertook the plantings as part of their city-wide efforts. The trees in the Druid Hills neighborhood are the latest step by the Heritage organization toward completing the landscape design of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., who planned both the...

  • Wednesday Public Information Expo Will Explain CRA Expansion

    News Staff Reports|Updated Jun 12, 2023

    A proposal to add a huge swath of northern Lake Wales to the current Community Redevelopment District map will be the topic of a staffed public presentation at the Eagle Ridge Mall food court this Wednesday. The public is invited to stop by between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm to learn about the effects that would flow from the expansion and offer their opinions. A large tract west of US 27 between Thompson Nursery Road, Chalet Suzanne Road and Mountain Lake Cutoff Road being...

  • Greenways, Blueways, New Street and Neighborhood Designs Among Ideas Offered by Citizens at Hands-on Workshop

    Robert Connors, Managing Editor|Updated Apr 26, 2023

    A creative group of Lake Wales area citizens joined with urban design and traffic planners Saturday morning at the James Austin Center to begin the process of designing an alternative future for the City of Lake Wales. Future neighborhood development types, street designs, greenways, preferred placement of residential developments, and even a "blueway" trail connecting to Winter Haven were among suggestions that emerged from teams working around maps and charts. The process,...

  • Saturday "Family Fun" Day to Include Kids' Games, Bands, Beer Garden

    News Staff Reports|Updated Apr 26, 2023

    A chance to relax in the shade, enjoy food from your favorite food truck, listen to four different bands, and let the kids burn off steam as they learn and play is expected to draw crowds to Lake Wailes Park Saturday. The 10:00 am to 8:00 pm event will include a kite festival, a family-feud style trivia game, nature walks, a giant inflatable obstacle course, nature walks, a "fishing pond," and a wide variety of games and prizes for adults and kids. A silent auction and gift...

  • Olmsted Day Vendors, Sponsors Needed to Support Tree Planting

    News Staff Reorts|Updated Mar 3, 2023

    The historic beauty of Lake Wales and efforts to re-create it are the focus of a special event planned for Lake Wailes Park. Area businesses, artists, and crafters are being invited to participate in Olmsted Day in the Park, an annual event celebrating Lake Wales' parks and streetscapes. Sponsors and vendors are welcome to join in the community-wide effort. The April 29 event, hosted by Lake Wales Heritage with the participation of the City of Lake Wales, features music, food...

  • CARFAX Top-Rated Lifetime Dealer Award to Lake Wales Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM

    Special to the News|Updated Feb 12, 2023

    Lake Wales Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram has just earned the title of 2022 CARFAX Top-Rated Lifetime Dealer, along with two other dealerships in Florida, also owned by the Mahalak family. The Award is given for exceptional customer service. The Low Payment Kings at Lake Wales Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and the Mahalak Auto Group have much to Celebrate in 2023. The Low Payment Kings, powered by Mahalak Auto Group, is also celebrating the 57th Anniversary of the founding of its first...

  • Roundabout Construction Project to Continue Through February

    News Staff Reports|Updated Jan 20, 2023

    Ongoing construction of a new roundabout will keep the intersection of Old Bartow Lake Wales Road and Rattlesnake Road (County Road 653) closed in Lake Wales through February. The project, which began in the fall, was expected to take about 60 days, but has been repeatedly delayed. Local access will be maintained to the point of closure, but no traffic will be permitted to cross the intersection. Local access is maintained to the point of closure, but traffic is not permitted...

  • Allison Jennings McCance, 1942-2023

    Updated Jan 15, 2023

    Allison Jennings McCance, beloved wife of Henry F. McCance, passed away peacefully at her home in Mountain Lake, Lake Wales, FL, on January 15, 2023, of complications from Alzheimer's disease. She was surrounded by her family and cherished caregivers. Allison Jennings was born in New Canaan, CT, on June 29, 1942. A graduate of Abbott Academy and Sweet Briar College, Allison worked from 1967-1975, first as a grader and then as an Associate for Special Projects at Harvard...

  • Old Bartow Road Roundabout Closing Extended Until February

    Special to the News|Updated Jan 9, 2023

    A new roundabout project at the intersection of Old Bartow Lake Wales Road and Rattlesnake Road (County Road 653) in Lake Wales will close the intersection for one month starting Monday morning, January 9. A month long extension of a road closure has been added to a roundabout project under construction at the intersection of Old Bartow Lake Wales Road and Rattlesnake Road (County Road 653) in Lake Wales. The construction project, which began in September, has required...

  • Roundabout Construction Road Closure Extended For Additional Month

    Special to the News|Updated Dec 15, 2022

    A month long extension of a road closure has been added to a roundabout project under construction at the intersection of Old Bartow Lake Wales Road and Rattlesnake Road (County Road 653) in Lake Wales. The construction project, which began in September, has required closure previously. The road will close again at the intersection for one month starting Monday morning, December 19. Local access will be maintained to the point of closure, but no traffic will be permitted to...

  • Area Students Offered Free Saturday Extra-Credit Experience, Ideal for College-Bound

    Special to the News|Updated Dec 9, 2022

    Lake Wales area students in high school or middle school levels are able to sign up for a one-time special Saturday class that will leave them with surprising facts about our community. Those on a college-bound track will appreciate a "Student Naturalist Certificate of Achievement" that will be awarded upon completion of the three-hour program, according to local educator Kyra Love Harriage, who is leading the curriculum for the classes. The history-making people who founded...

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