Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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By now a familiar voice to fans at Friday night football games, one local volunteer has made a highly successful career out of childhood inspiration, and a thread of football tradition runs through it. Local son Kent Lilly has become something of a legend in his own right. Lilly grew up in Lake Wales, and after Lake Wales High School went on to graduate from the University of Florida with a degree in accounting before heading off to law school at Florida State University,...
A million-dollar second mortgage will fund the renovation of the original 1919 Lake Wales school building into new classroom space under action taken by the Lake Wales Charter School System. The building has been a white elephant and neighborhood eyesore for many years, and the plan brings relief to many. The path to the new loan was cleared Wednesday evening by the Community Redevelopment Agency board, which recorded no opposition to the mortgage being offered by Citizen's...
Polk State College’s District Board of Trustees elected Ashley Bell Barnett as Chair and Greg Littleton as Vice-Chair for the 2021-2022 Academic Year on Monday during the DBOT’s annual reorganization meeting. The role of Chair was previously filled by Cindy Hartley Ross and the role of Vice-Chair was previously filled by Barnett. The Board also includes members Dan Dorrell, Teresa V. Martinez, and Mark Turner. Polk State President Angela Garcia Falconetti expressed her gra...
Students and parents involved in the Polk County Public Schools may wish to offer comments to the School System about the future direction of Polk Public Schools. According to officials at the county-wide system, they are seeking public input to create a new strategic plan to improve schools and better serve students. A community survey has been developed, and stakeholders are being invited to tell them what they think are the top qualities for an ideal PCPS graduate. The...
Ora "Oz" Caldwell of Lake Wales passed away September 9th due to complications of Covid-19. Known to many by his nickname of "the Great One," Caldwell was a graduate of West Point and served for many years in the office of the Public Defender in Polk County. He was known to many in the Lake Wales area as a man of generous spirit and manner. "He was an officer and a gentleman," said former Public Defender Marion Moorman. "He was a fantastic lawyer, a true trial lawyer who had...
A Polk County bridge replacement project is keeping Walk In Water Road east of Lake Wales closed until early November. Crews are working to complete the new span over Tiger Creek and rebuild the roadway approaches, Polk County officials said today. The $1.63 million project was originally scheduled to be completed this month. Residents of the area are finding the blockage to be a major inconvenience, and adding many miles to commutes for those working or shopping on the opposite side of the bridge project. Residents south of...
AdventHealth's COVID-19 patient census continued to drop this week to about 660 patients hospitalized across our hospitals in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Polk, Lake, Volusia and Flagler counties. This figure is less than 50% of the level of inpatient hospitalizations we saw at the height of the Delta surge in August of about 1,700 hospitalized patients. AdventHealth continues to operate under "Green Status" or normal operations. "This slow, but steady decline in new admissions...
A small fleet of electric vehicles is expected to roll quietly into downtown Lake Wales on September 25, where they will be on display along Market Street in conjunction with the Saturday Farmers Market. Vehicles including a Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach E will be open to public inspection, so visitors may safely sit in and check out the quiet motors, high-tech features, and the comfortable interiors of the cars. The display of vehicles will take place on Market Street...
Lake Wales electric car enthusiasts shared their stories of success with interested visitors at a special car show Saturday at the MarketPlace in Lake Wales. An all-electric Mustang Mach-E seemed to be the hit auto, based upon the reaction of visitors. "The best thing about these cars is that there's nothing to maintain," said one visitor to the show,. "They don't even need an oil change, because they don't use oil, so there's no oil pump, no spark plugs, no fuel filter or inj...
A variety of area organizations including those providing support for the impacts of Covid-19 in our communities are now eligible to receive American Rescue Act funds made available by Congress and the President to speed recovery from the effects of the pandemic. UPDATE: The County has issued a modification to the American Rescue Plan application process that will require those seeking funding to request an application be sent to them. To be considered for a portion of the...
When it comes to conservation, restoration, and management of North America's wetlands and waterfowl habitats, there is little that can compare with Ducks Unlimited. The grassroots organization, which is celebrating its 85th anniversary, works tirelessly using research, biology, and common sense to help conserve wetlands and the waterfowl who inhabit them. While this is wonderful for the waterfowl, all of humanity also benefits from the efforts of the conservationists and...
Mertice Bettina Stokes of Jacksonville went home to be with the Lord on September 3rd at St. Vincent Riverside Hospital surrounded by her family. She was born April 9, 1964, in Lake Wales to John C. and Mertice W. Fehringer. She was a devoted wife and homemaker and was a member of Evangel Assembly of God in Jacksonville. She also loved being a part of her childhood church, Impact, when visiting Lake Wales. Tina realized her passion for children very early in life, especially...
The Lakes Education Action Drive (LEAD) Board of Directors recently met to select leadership for the upcoming year and consider adoption of their 2021-2022 Fiscal Year Budget. "While COVID-19 affected us all," said LEAD Executive Director Danny Kushmer, "many programs were cancelled. LEAD was able to finish the year financially sound." The group has served Polk County for more than 30 years and is responsible for the many familiar blue signs on storm drains reminding...
The Polk County Supervisor of Elections will join in a nationwide effort to register voters on Tuesday, September 28th in celebration of National Voter Registration Day. Registration tables will be available at seven locations around Polk County. New voters will have the opportunity to register to vote, and current voters will be able to update their record if they have moved, or changed their name. October 4th is the deadline to register to vote in Polk County’s November 2nd Municipal Elections in Fort Meade, Lakeland and W...
After several years of operations as a purely city-run facility, the Lake Wales History Museum may soon be under the control of a not-for-profit group once again. The Wednesday City Commission workshop agenda cites a discussion of the transfer, which would include $150,000 in annual funding to aid in running the museum. The group would in turn pay the City $1 a year to lease the facility. "It's going to be a wonderful partnership," said Museum Director Jennifer D'hollander....
Florence Alicia McLeod of Frostproof passed away Monday, September 20, 2021 at Advent Health Lake Wales. She was born January 8, 1927 in Akron, Ohio to the late Leonard and Violet Nixon; she was a resident of Frostproof for most of her life. Florence was a retired secretary for Ben Hill Griffin and Polk County. She loved her cats and her family. Florence was preceded in death by her husband, Howard McLeod in 2020 after 72 years of marriage. She is survived by her daughters,...
Jane "Grams" Poppell, 77, of Lake Wales, Florida passed away Thursday, September 16, 2021, at Advent Health of Lake Wales. She was born August 15, 1944, in Lakeland, Florida to the late Edwin and Susie Walker and she has been a resident of Lake Wales since 1993. She was a retired Administrative Secretary for the Polk County School Board. Jane was a graduate of Kathleen High School, a member of Southside Baptist Church of Jacksonville and First Baptist Church of Lake Wales....
Polk County residents are invited to apply to become election workers during an informational meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 23rd. “These are paid positions working at polling places on Election Day,” explained Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards. The meetings will be held at 10:00 am and 6:00 pm at the Election Operations Center, 70 Florida Citrus Boulevard, Winter Haven and no reservation is required. Voters who have served as election workers in Polk County in recent years are welcome but do not need to att...
Hugh Kelly Sheffield of Lakeland passed away Monday, September 13, 2021 at Bartow Regional Hospital. He was born February 2, 1924 in Frostproof to the late John and Caroline Sheffield. Hugh was a retired heavy equipment operator for Polk County and a veteran of the United States Navy that served in World War II. He loved fishing, gardening, and woodworking. He was a great storyteller. Hugh was preceded in death by his wife, Lois Sheffield in 2016; sisters, Beatrice Lanier,...
More than six months after the departure of lauded Lake Wales Charter Schools Superintendent Jesse Jackson, the process of seeking his replacement being conducted by the Board of Trustees is in disarray. Board Chairman Danny Gill has written a memo calling for an opportunity for citizens to voice their opinions at the September 20 meeting of the board. His memo states that “This is not a meeting to discuss who the next Superintendent should be or will be. This meeting will b...
Polk County Fire Rescue has received the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures to treat patients who suffer severe heart attacks. Each year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack, caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it is critical to restore...
In a much-anticipated showdown between two top Polk County football squads, the Lake Wales Highlanders will host the Lakeland Dreadnaughts this Friday at Legion Field. The big game will kick off at 7:30 pm. The Dreadnaughts are ranked 3rd statewide in class 7-A, while the Highlanders are ranked 10th in Class 6-A Both teams are sporting 2-0 regular season records going into the non-conference tilt. Lake Wales is coming off a 55-16 victory over Davenport Ridge Community....
With a convincing victory at their home opener at Legion Field the Lake Wales Highlander varsity football squad improved their regular season record to 2-0. Both offense and defense sparkled as they defeated the Ridge Community Bolts 55-16. The Highlanders jumped out to a first-quarter lead of 30 -8, partly on the strength of running back Marquish Seabon's 80-yard scamper for a touchdown. He ran for 196 total yards and three scores in the Highlander's victory over Clermont...
Nature or nurture? It's probably both when you look at three generations of women sharing a heart for serving the community. When she turned 18 in July, Jillian Gillis became Rotary on the Ridge's youngest member, joining her parents and grandparents as full members of the service club. Jillian's mom, Megan Gillis, is the 2021-22 club president and grandparents Sheri and Marshall Hartley joined when Megan served her first term as president in 2018-2019. Rotary is indeed a...
Shirley Louise Brantley, 86 Shirley Louise Brantley of Frostproof passed away Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at Lakeland Regional Hospital. She was born April 16, 1935 in Boaz, Alabama to the late Luther and Euna Garrard; she moved to Lake Wales from Alabama as a teen. Shirley was retired from the Polk County School Board as a cafeteria worker, from Ben Hill Griffin, Inc., and Proctor and Gamble. She also volunteered at Ben Hill Griffin Elementary School and Frostproof Elementary School. Shirley was preceded in death by her...
