Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 276 - 300 of 1231
New details are slowly emerging after the huge pileup crash Thursday evening at the intersection of US 27 and Chalet Suzanne Road in Lake Wales. "Several people were injured" in the crash, according to police, with at least one with injuries described as "life-threatening." The intersection remained closed for several hours as investigators and emergency medical personnel worked the scene. According to investigators and eyewitness accounts, a Chrysler 300 attempted to make a...
Two young Lake Wales residents found themselves quickly in the custody of police after one attempted to rob a man near Polk Avenue Elementary school. According to police, the incident "does not appear to be a random act, as the victim was an acquaintance of the suspects." No shots were fired during the encounter, which was apparently an attempt to frighten and rob the victim. Minutes after receiving the call, a Lake Wales Police response led to the arrest of Joemil Olivers of...
A manhunt for a suspect who was seen on video violently assaulting a Haines City woman and two men who came to her defense was successfully concluded when the man was arrested by the Lake County Sheriff's Office. The Polk County Sheriff's Office has been notified that 35-year old Jose Chaidez of Haines City has been arrested in Lake County. a warrant for Chaidez's arrest had been issued, leading area law enforcement agencies to alert to track him down. Chaidez was captured on...
As the City of Lake Wales faces an onslaught of development proposals totaling more than 14,000 residential units, a responsive city government is making the needed adjustments to meet the challenge. Veteran planner Brian Herrmann has recently been hired to head the city's Growth Management division, a department formerly known as "Development Services." The department name change is reflection of the determination of city leadership to cope and direct the unstoppable pressure...
On a split vote, Polk County Commissioners refused to overturn the narrow approval of a sprawling development on a rural two-lane road in eastern Polk County about ten miles northeast of Lake Wales. The Creek Ranch development required the approval of a binding site plan for the 1,289 acres of rural land to accommodate 1,876 homes plus commercial uses off Hatchineha Road. The site is mostly surrounded by conservation lands and lies north of Lake Pierce and east of Dundee. The...
Several dozen Rotarians, area business people, and many of their customers attended a "Ridge Taking Care of Business" networking opportunity Thursday evening at Native Imagery in Lake Wales. Guests were treated to live music by singer and guitarist Mickenzie Peisher, along with a variety of beverages and a very tasty buffet provided by Wales Point Restaurant. The event was organized by members of Rotary on the Ridge, a 44-member group that meets for after-hours connections on...
A 37 year old Tampa resident was arrested following quick action by Lake Wales Police officers who responded to a reported robbery. The suspect was charged with stealing a $6,000 necklace from Kay's Jewelers in the Eagle Ridge Mall Wednesday. Officers from the LWPD were dispatched to Kay Jewelers mid-afternoon following a reported robbery. Officers were told that a woman, later identified as identified as Shaneka S. Webb, entered Kay's Jewelers and asked to see a gold...
A early morning decision to allow a 15-year-old child to drive his 12-year-old-sister to school resulted in one death, left the young passenger in critical condition, and has law enforcement searching for the driver of an vehicle.abandoned at the scene. According to Polk Sheriff's office, at about 6:11 am, a white 2020 Chevrolet Traverse driven by a 15-year old from Lake Wales was westbound on SR 60 and turned left to head south on CR 630, crossing into the path of an eastboun...
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...
Like a mushroom after a summer rain, a beautiful new gymnasium has popped up this week on the campus of McLaughlin Middle/High School of Excellence. The building is being constructed using a "tilt-wall" method in which completed solid concrete walls are rapidly erected, rather than a traditional hollow concrete "breeze-block" method, allowing the walls to be erected over a two-day period. Much work remains before the structure will be completed, which is anticipated to happen...
An agreement approving a new three-year contract between the City of Lake Wales and city police patrol officers and sergeants was ratified by local members of the West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association in a unanimous vote Wednesday night, after being previously approved on the city commission's consent agenda. The new contract will run through 2026. Police officers and sergeants will receive a six percent cost-of-living allowance (COLA) on October 1. Two further...
All 130 school bus stops throughout Lake Wales are well-lit following the efforts of city staff. The improvements came after a thorough assessment was completed by City of Lake Wales staff who identified bus stop locations from reports provided by the Polk County School District and the Lake Wales Charter Schools system. "Staff in the streets department and police department evaluated school bus stops within the city limits and pinpointed locations that accommodated both...
Stephen Thomas Rodda has been charged with first-degree murder after apparently killing his own 16-year-old son on Monday. Rodda, 37, was booked into the Polk County Jail Monday after he was arrested by Polk County Deputies and charged with killing the teen with an angle-grinder, a power tool normally used to cut metal. He will have a first appearance hearing at 1:00 p.m. today, Tuesday, September 5, 2023. According to the Sheriff's office, the victim's grandfather returned...
The dramatic, and very loud, collapse of a large gas station canopy at Scenic Highway and Polk Avenue Tuesday afternoon brought a quick response from emergency services, but happily no one required medical attention. The 3:00 pm collapse was heard by area residents, who said it made a "very loud boom" that brought them out to see what had happened. It was apparent, they said, that a tractor trailer that was driving past the structure had clipped it and destabilized it. The...
Nighttime lane closures will require extra caution for drivers on US 27 at the signalized intersection of Washington Avenue in Lake Wales. Turn lanes will be closed to allow Polk County crews to resurface the busy cross street, which handles truck traffic for Florida's Natural Growers as well as other area industry. Drivers can expect turn lane closures from US 27 onto Washington Avenue between 8:30 pm and 5:00 am. Lane closures are expected to be nightly for approximately...
Each year RSVP Polk volunteers give generously to Home Instead's "Be a Santa to a Senior". Working with local case managers this project ensures that seniors in care receive something for the Holidays. More than 5,000 seniors have been adopted in Polk County in the past few years. This year RSVP Polk is looking for volunteer elves to assist the project with the behind-the-scenes activities. This is a short-term opportunity (Early November – December 18). • Gift Runners: Pic...
A recently-hired deputy sheriff proved himself unworthy of his selection by driving his vehicle at high speed and fleeing to elude fellow deputies early Sunday morning. Jakob Kite, 22, was arrested following a high-speed chase around an area between Bartow and Lakeland, After his speed was measured at over 100 miles per hour he refused to pull over for a traffic stop, instead fleeing from deputies. Polk County Sheriff's Office traffic deputies were conducting traffic...
While multiple named storms have swirled harmlessly all week in the mid-Atlantic, a weak tropical wave that emerged off the coast of Africa several days ago is now the system to watch for Florida. The National Hurricane Center in Miami is now assigning the system a near-100 percent chance of development during the coming three days, during which time it is forecast to be approaching the area of the Virgin Islands. By that time it should be a powerful hurricane. Despite still...
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...
The Office of the Tax Collector for Polk County (TCPC), Joe G. Tedder, reminds business owners that the deadline to renew their County Local Business Tax Receipt (BTR) is Monday, October 2, 2023. Any business that does not renew its BTR by the deadline will face late penalties. The late renewal penalty after the deadline in October will be 10% of unpaid taxes owed plus collection costs; the penalty rises to 15% plus collection costs in November, and continues to rise each...
EDITOR'S NOTE: Students enrolled in the Bok Academy North agriculture program are excited for the opportunities they are being offered this year. Among those are participation in the Future Farmers of America programs. LakeWalesNews.net plans to publish monthly stories written by students of the program. Instructor Jennifer Williams says she is teaching students that agriculture "is much more than just cattle and oranges." Our members are excited about our new year and so are...
In a move that local officials hope may help save lives and property, Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) has added 45 new FLIR Thermal Imaging Cameras (TICs) to its fire engines, ladder trucks, squads and tower trucks. "These new TICs will enhance the decision-making abilities and save lives," said Fire Chief Hezedean A. Smith, D.M. "By helping to protect Polk County's residents and visitors, and by making sure our members come home safely every day, these cameras will ensure safe...
After causing a scare in the east Polk region by approaching Florida from the southwest, Hurricane Idalia behaved much as the computer models had predicted, staying well offshore of Florida's west coast before slamming into the Big Bend Area of the state as a Category Four hurricane. That course left the Lake Wales area and surrounding communities undamaged due to winds. Three times during the overnight hours tornado warnings caused alarms to sound on phones and tablets in...
Joanne Edwards died at the age of 93 on August 24, 2023 after a short illness. Joanne Aileen (nee Williams) Edwards was born in 1930 in Portland, Oregon. In 1944 she and her family moved to San Francisco, CA, where she graduated high school. She completed nurses' training at Franklin Hospital in 1952. She met her husband, Claude Edwards, through a YMCA camping and hiking club. They got married in 1952 and eventually moved to San Mateo, California. They raised 5 children there...
Polk State Soccer Head Coach Dee Shivraman and Assistant Coach and Recruiting Director Tawanda Kaseke are taking a community approach as they begin their first year with the Eagles. For the 2023-24 Academic Year, the coaches will host seven different events, some for youngsters and others for adults. The events will be held in collaboration between Polk State's coaches and Winter Haven United Academy, a soccer club with a youth academy and professional development programs....
