Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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In the April 6 municipal election political newcomer Kris Fitzgerald faces off with incumbent Al Goldstein to represent Seat 4 on the Lake Wales City Commission. One of the few similarities between the two candidates is they both served in the military – Fitzgerald in the U.S. Air Force and Goldstein in the U.S. Marines. They are very different in age, race, work status and political affiliation. Despite the position being nonpartisan, both accepted and then returned c...
Voters in the Tuesday, April 6 Lake Wales municipal election may look up their polling location at PolkElections.com. "Polling locations may be different for city elections, so it's a good idea to double check before heading to the polls," said Lori Edwards, Polk County's Supervisor of Elections. The two Lake Wales locations are the Lake Ashton Clubhouse and the James P. Austin Community Center. Voters may click on "Voter Lookup" at PolkElections.com to find their polling...
A Smithsonian poster exhibit that celebrates the invention accomplishments of both locally and nationally known women is on display through March 31 in lobby of the Polk County Administration Building in Bartow. The exhibit, "Picturing Women Inventors," explores the inventions of 19 highly accomplished American women including astronauts, computer pioneers, businesswomen, athletes, engineers and teenagers. The exhibit will also include content that features the contributions...
The 2020 Polk County Toys for Tots Campaign distributed 57,716 toys to 14,761 underprivileged children. In addition to various drop box sites throughout the county, several organizations conducted drives and competed with other organizations in toy drive challenges. The office of State Attorney Brian Haas was the winner of the 2020 Toys for Tots Government Agency Challenge. In addition to the State Attorney's office, the Public Defender's Office, Tax Collector's Office,...
The income eligibility guidelines for the Polk HealthCare Plan (PHP) are expanding to assist more residents in need in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who applied previously and were turned down due to income reasons are encouraged to apply again. Qualifying maximum monthly household income ranges from $1,481 for one person to $3,048 monthly for a household of four. Other eligibility requirements include: • Must be a current, full-time resident of Polk County • No...
Central Florida's Visitor Information Center (CFVIC) will host an Easter Egg Hunt event on Saturday, April 3. This free event will take place from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., featuring kid-friendly activities, giveaways and egg hunts beginning at the top of each hour (children will be separated into three age groups for each of the four sessions). There will be chances to win LEGOLAND® Florida Resort and Bok Tower Gardens tickets and vendors will be on hand with local goods and t...
The Florida Department of Transportation is a few months into work on the reconstruction of the interchange of SR 60 and US 27 in Lake Wales. The current interchange configuration was originally constructed in the mid-1960s, a few years after U..S 27 was built along the ridge in eastern Polk County connecting State Road 60 with Interstate 4. Both roads are important regional highways in Central Florida and have seen their traffic volumes increase by 3,000 to 5,000 vehicles a...
Throughout the month of March the Lake Wales Public Library's Local Artist Gallery has an amazing display of handmade quilts by local textile artists. The Lake Wales Quilters Guild was founded November 2008. The first monthly meetings were held in the Lake Wales Public Library's Schoenoff Meeting Room. The group currently meets the second Monday of each month, 1 p.m. at the 1st Methodist Church of Lake Wales, 230 St. N. Everyone is welcome, the fee to attend is $1. The Lake...
Because of her parents' race, being born at Lake Wales Hospital in 1966 wasn't an option for Dr. Carolyn Pass. Now she's the local hospital's chief of staff. The family practice physician with Optum Care rose through the leadership ranks of Advent Health Lake Wales, formerly Lake Wales Hospital, where she has been on staff for the last 20 years. Pass was one of nine Central Florida community leaders, four from Polk County, honored Feb. 18 by U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, who read...
Teachers in Florida were asked to submit their innovative teaching ideas the week of Jan. 11 for an opportunity to win State Farm ® Teacher Assist grants. In less than 2 hours, 200 entry forms were submitted by Florida teachers! State Farm is proud to award $100,000 to teachers across Florida. Forty teachers will each receive a $2,500 grant to implement or support their classroom projects. Visit the State Farm ® Teacher Assist website for a complete list of winners....
More than 50 artists will exhibit in the 2021 Lake Wales Arts Festival on the shores of Lake Wailes lake Feb. 20-21. The event is even more special this year as the festival celebrates its 50th anniversary. "We're one of the first art shows back in the whole country, especially in the state of Florida," said Andrew Allen, executive director of the Lake Wales Arts Council. "The quality of art will also go up dramatically since we're not taking as many artists." The free...
After 90 minutes of passionate testimonials from citizens raising concerns about local police, Lake Wales city commissioners voted unanimously to implement a pilot program with eight police worn body cameras. Mayor Eugene Fultz predicted that eventually every officer in the city would be outfitted with a camera. The commissioners approved a five-year commitment for the first eight cameras, which will cost $15,000 per year for the equipment, software, licensing and cloud...
Darrell Starling already has an ambitious agenda in place following his recent hiring as the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Coordinator. In particular, Starling will work closely with the city[s Northwest neighborhood, one of two areas specifically targeted by the city's ambitious and award-winning "Lake Wales Connected" revitalization plan which also covers the historic downtown business district as well. City leaders expect to break ground on the early...
The Rev. J.J. Pierce was concerned that not enough people, especially those in the black community, were able to access vaccines for COVID-19. So he stepped up and started working with the Polk County Health Department to bring vaccines for about 600 people in Lake Wales. Pierce got the idea from a pastor friend in Winter Haven. So Pierce worked with about 20 churches in the area to identify people age 65 and over and health care workers who needed the vaccines. A schedule...
Roaul D. "Sam" Houston, 73, of Lake Wales passed away Friday, Feb. 5, 2021 at Winter Haven Hospital. He was born July 20, 1947 in Lake Wales to the late Florizel and Latrelle Houston and was a lifelong Polk and Hillsborough County resident. Sam was a retired Supply Supervisor for GTE telephone company and attended the First Baptist Church of Lake Wales. He served in the United States Navy on the USS Bigelow. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, was a Tampa Bay fan and Florida...
One Lake Wales police officer has resigned and a second has been placed on administrative station duty pending an investigation into formal complaints against the officers. Christopher Cordero, 37, was arrested during a traffic stop Friday morning Feb. 5, and charged with resisting arrest without violence, threat of death or serious bodily injury of a law enforcement officer and assault on a law enforcement officer. Cordero claims Officers Colt Black and Travis Worley struck...
The Lake Wales Charter School System has initiated a fact-finding investigation to examine allegations that recently reassigned Hillcrest Elementary School Principal Jennifer Barrow harassed and intimidated current and former employees, creating an oppressive work environment. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has agreed to provide investigators to determine the facts surrounding Barrow's leadership and whether she violated the Florida Administrative Code related to ethical and p...
The man who is earning more than $100,000 per year to promote business and economic development for the City of Lake Wales has moved to Lakeland, and a majority of city commissioners are not happy about it. Kevin Kieft in August bought a $290,000 home in Lakeland without notifying his bosses at the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council. Previously he had lived in the Lake Wales Country Club community, just east of the city limits. In 2013 the...
Judy Elaine Connelly, 71, of Fort Pierce, formerly of Lake Wales, passed away peacefully Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021 at her residence. She was born January 20, 1949 in Dothan, AL to the late Edlow and Emma Alice Bowden. She was a lifelong resident of Lake Wales until four years ago when she and her husband moved to Fort Pierce to be closer to their daughter. She was a strong Christian woman and a member of Christ Church on the Move. During her professional career worked as a...
Nancy J. Nicks, 86, of Lake Wales passed away Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 at Advent Health Lake Wales. She was born May 14, 1934 in Franklin, PA to the late Walter and Mabel Huston; she moved to Lake Wales from her hometown in 1996. Nancy was a nurse for the United States Air Force, and Polk Center in Franklin, Pennsylvania for many years. Following her retirement and move to Florida, Nancy worked as a nurse at the Lake Placid Medical Center. She was a member of the HAKA fitness...
The Lake Wales Public Library has received "blessing bundles," courtesy of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., a community conscious, action oriented organization. The Gamma Phi Zeta Chapter of Polk County, through service within the community and the international initiative of Zetas Helping Other People Excel (Z-HOPE), provided 175 blessing bundles to Polk County libraries to include masks, sanitizer, gloves, tissues and wipes. In addition to the Lake Wales Library in Zone 4, the...
The Lake Wales Public Library invites adults 18 years of age and older to participate in the READ Lake Wales 2021 Challenge. Participants must be a library card holder from the Polk County Library Cooperative. The READ Lake Wales 2021 Challenge requires that adults complete 50 books between January 4, 2021 and December 10, 2021. Print, electronic and audio books are all accepted for entries. Participants may request an official READ Lake Wales 2021 reading log from the Lake...
Citizen Support Services is a group of people from our community who volunteer their time, talent, and financial assistance to support and advocate for needs that exist within Lake Wales, where existing service organizations are not well positioned to support or coordinate. Citizens of Lake Wales, in partnership with leadership from several community service organizations, aim to ensure support and equity is provided to citizens in need. During the month of December, members...
The Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency has approved spending $10,000 to purchase two vacant lots on B Street to help jump start a new affordable housing initiative in that area. The city is expected to partner with Keystone Challenge Fund, a non-profit organization, to build two houses on lots currently owned by the Green and Gold Foundation across the street from the B Street Center. Officials said the homes would have an estimated value of $170,000, with mortgage...
City residents can thank a local restaurant for helping the Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce find its 2020 Public Servant of the Year. Lake Wales Fire Chief Joe Jenkins – born and raised in the city and now celebrating 30 years with the department – was honored with the award in late December, for not only his service as chief, but as the city's Emergency Operations Director during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Jenkins said he didn't really know what he wanted to do whe...
