Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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The chance of severe weather from Hurricane Idalia is dropping rapidly this evening as the storm continues on a steady northward track, now advancing at 16 mph. Precautions are still advised for possible gusty winds and heavy rains overnight but the storm center is expected to stay well away, moving nearest to Florida's Gulf Coast overnight but remaining some 200 miles west of the Pinellas County coast. The 5:00 pm update from the National Hurricane Center in Miami actually...
Precautions are advised for strong winds and heavy rains due to the approach of Hurricane Idalia, still expected to move near Florida's Gulf Coast overnight on Wednesday. The 11:00 am, update from the National Hurricane Center in Miami indicates that the center of the storm is still on a generally northward track of five degrees, indicating a slight eastward movement. Any increased eastward adjustment in the course would raise the potential impacts of the storm in the east Pol...
The National Hurricane Center has issued Hurricane Warnings for much of the Florida west coast north of Longboat Key, and raised the former Tropical Storm Watch in Polk County to a Tropical Storm Warning. Residents of the Lake Wales area can expect gusty winds of up to about 60 mph overnight Tuesday evening, continuing for much of the day on Wednesday before gradually relaxing Wednesday night. Along with the winds, substantial rains can be anticipated, with up to four inches...
The threat of a direct strike from Hurricane Idalia on east Polk and the Lake Wales Ridge area continues to diminish this morning as the storm has continued on a northerly track with no sign of a dreaded turn to the east. That much-feared jog would bring the storm ashore on Florida's populous west coast rather than the sparsely-populated Big Bend area. Nevertheless, precautions continue in Polk County for anticipated tropical storm-force winds and the possibility for heavy...
The 5:00 pm update from the National Hurricane Center contains some positive news for the Lake Wales area as the most recent model runs for future movements of Tropical Storm Idalia trended very slightly to the west, which would keep the center of the storm away from the central Florida coastline, aiming it instead for the sparsely-populated Big Bend area of the Gulf Coast. On the cautionary side, however, is an increased expectation of rapid intensification, assuring that it...
A huge development proposal in unincorporated Polk County not far from Lake Wales is drawing fervent opposition from neighbors and residents, who are showing up in Bartow to argue their case against the project. The Creek Ranch development requires the approval of a binding site plan for the 1,289 acres of rural land to accommodate 1,876 homes and commercial uses off Hatchineha Road. The site is mostly surrounded by conservation lands and lies north of Lake Pierce and east of...
A million-dollar reconstruction of block-long stretches of Orange and Crystal Avenues is anticipated thanks to a federal grant and an intergovernmental agreement. The dramatic change will see new streetlights, street furniture, curbing, and the installation of numerous trees and other plants installed in rain gardens that will help absorb stormwater, . The work will include the resurfacing of the two streets east of First Street through and including their intersections with...
A Babson Park man has been arrested and charged after a crash that took the life of a local woman. Coleden Snowden was arrested by Polk County Sheriff's deputies after an extensive investigation indicated that he was driving as fast as 112 miles per hour just prior to causing a crash that resulted in the death of a Frostproof woman in March. Snowden, 20, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter, a second degree felony. According to investigators, a reconstruction of the...
A significant shift in weather patterns in both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean basins has increased chances of tropical storm development that could potentially threaten Florida and the Lake Wales Ridge area. The Atlantic hurricane season is heating up just as the historical peak weeks of the six-month period approach. Models are now showing an increased likelihood of storms that could affect Florida. Water temperatures in the Atlantic basin are at record levels, as is the tot...
Polk County's Health and Human Services Division is hosting "Shaping the Future of Opioid Abatement in Polk County" in collaboration with Polk Vision and the Crescendo Consulting Group. An abatement plan was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is now the intent of the division to revisit the work previously advised through a community prioritization event. While the event is open to the public, it is intended to bring community stakeholders together to discuss the...
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 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...
A celebration of 19 years of contribution toward the development of community leaders drew some 200 guests to the annual meeting of Polk Vision Wednesday evening. The gathering in the auditorium of Theatre Winter Haven included a review of the progress and growth of the community. During the nearly two decades of existence the program has held annual leadership classes offering deep dives into the forces that power the local economy, education, and government, among other topi...
Polk County's Indigent Health Care program has issued a Request For Applications (RFA) to healthcare-related, non-profit organizations who are interested in receiving Community Partner Grant funding to provide healthcare services to qualified Polk County residents. Applicants who submit an RFA must be able to provide direct healthcare services or coordinate the delivery of those services to county residents with incomes of up to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. This R...
A two-year wage and benefit agreement finalized last month between Polk County and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Union 3531 has allowed Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) to begin offering a $10,000 sign-on bonus and additional incentives for qualified single-certificate Paramedics and Firefighter/Paramedic applicants. To qualify for the sign-on bonus, applicants must be nationally registered or have completed their State of Florida equivalency...
Polk County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller Stacy M. Butterfield, CPA, has announced the release of the annual list of unclaimed funds from the Clerk's office. These funds consist of unclaimed checks issued during court-related activities. "Our hope is to get the word out so that we can get these funds to their rightful owners," Clerk Butterfield said. "The process to check for your name is simple, so I encourage you to take a few minutes to review the list."...
Thousands of area students will stream back to school tomorrow for an unusual Friday start to the new school year. Seven schools operated by Lake Wales Charter Schools and several other area schools controlled by the Polk School District will draw in more than 5,000 students to face the new academic year with high hopes. Some students in the northwestern portion of the Lake Wales area will be assigned to a new elementary school in southeast Winter Haven, which has changed...
Polk County's Environmental Land's program is opening the process for accepting site nomination forms from landowners beginning August 1. A 2022 voter-approved referendum created additional funding to acquire, preserve, protect, manage and/or restore water resources, environmental lands and important fish and wildlife habitat. This allows the county's Environmental Lands program to continue protecting important natural resources, connect greenspace and agriculture within the...
A general lack of sidewalks on county roads in eastern Polk County may serve as motivation for local residents who would like to become advocates. Polk County commissioners are looking for volunteers who would like to serve on the county's Sidewalk Advisory Committee. The 12-member advisory committee assists the Board in determining the priority of locations for new sidewalks to be built throughout the county. Five members of the committee are appointed by the Board, with...
The sudden resignation of Bok Academy South Middle School Principal Damian Rosado has resulted in the quick appointment of Dr. Julio Acevedo to fill the role on a temporary basis. Dr. Wayne Rodolfich, superintendent of the seven-school Lake Wales Charter School System, said the resignation came as a surprise during the Polk State College backpack giveaway event Saturday morning, where he was promoting his "Read 20" program. He told LakeWalesNews.net that Rosado informed him...
The Lake Wales Highlander of 100 years ago reveals much about the history of our community, including overcrowded schools and the divisive debate over free-range versus fences. A referendum would soon decide whether to end free-range cattle that often wandered onto roads. The build-out of the 1919 school building was underway, but The Highlander pointed out that some 100 minority students still had no facility. Each week the Lake Wales News will publish a front-page image of t...
Former Lake Wales City Commissioner Kris Fitzgerald has filed to run for the US Congress from Florida's 15th district, which includes a portion of Polk and Pasco counties and much of Hillsborough County. Fitzgerald's formal announcement of candidacy is expected to come in a news conference next week. Her filing makes her the first challenger to Republican incumbent Laurel Lee, who won the seat only last year. Fitzgerald met with LakeWalesNews.net for an exclusive interview...
As McLaughlin Academy of Excellence completes its transformation from a middle school to a middle-high school, community organizations are stepping up to support the effort. Students at McLaughlin are as at home in Fine Arts Classes as they are in Electrical Technician training. The well-rounded nature of education at McLaughlin Academy of Excellence caught the attention of the Dyer Difference Award Committee, which celebrates the school and its dedication to producing...
A face and voice familiar to most Polk County residents will soon be sharing lots of information about Lake Wales as Ken Suarez begins his duties. No stranger to the camera, the long-time Tampa Bay-area broadcaster recently left his full-time job as a television journalist to begin serving the City of Lake Wales as part-time host of a video series about events in the area. Suarez worked for years at WINK TV in Fort Myers before moving into the Tampa market almost 35 years...
A seven-day closure of a rail crossing on State Road 60 in Hillsborough County will impact area residents who use the highway to reach destinations in Tampa and beyond. Beginning Monday morning, July 17, CSX Transportation will close their rail crossing just east of Clarence Gordon Jr. Road. That location is between County Line Road and CR 39, a few miles west of the Willow Oak neighborhood. During the CSXT closure, motorists will not be able to cross the tracks. Westbound...
