Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Florida's Statewide Primary Election is Tuesday, Aug. 18, and Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards has some helpful tips for Polk County voters. Voters registered with one of Florida's major political parties will help nominate the candidates who will represent their party on the General Election ballot in November. All voters may vote on important local races. Here are tips to make voting smoother: • Bring photo and signature ID to the polls when you vote • The polls are ope...
Donald W. "Don" Lewis, 79, of Lake Wales went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 at his residence. He was born March 10, 1941 in Bristol, VA to the late Clarence and Evelyn Lewis. During his working years, Don was a process server for the Polk County Sheriff's Office, as well as working for the Lakeland Post Office for many years. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam Era. Don was a sports enthusiast with football being his primary passion. He play...
The four candidates for two Polk County School Board seats participated in an online forum that through Facebook has reached more than 6,000 viewers and garnered more than 1,100 comments. Brandon Alvarado with the Lake Wales Arts Council moderated the July 27 forum, sponsored by Rotary on the Ridge, LakeWalesNews.net and BartowNews.net. Incumbent Billy Townsend and challenger William Allen are vying for the District 1 seat, while incumbent Lori Cunningham is being challenged b...
Eligible voters may vote in advance of the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary Election at nine convenient locations around Polk County. Early voting in Lake Wales will be at the James P. Austin Community Center, 315 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd N. Early voting begins Aug. 3 and continues through Aug. 15, and will be open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. Any eligible Polk County voter may cast a ballot at any Early Voting location. Other early voting locations include: Bartow - Polk...
The Aug. 11 Polk County Public School Board meeting featured only two agenda items: updates on COVID-19, and following its lunch break, the search for a new superintendent. As has come to be "par for the course," it was not without acrimony. For the first part of the meeting, dealing with COVID-19 and the re-opening of school, Superintendent Jackie Byrd welcomed Dr. Joy Jackson, director of Polk County's Department of Health, as well as an assembled group of doctors, six altog...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
Alfred Charles (Chip) Thullbery, Jr., 67, of Lake Wales died on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020, in Moffitt Cancer Center, from an aggressive melanoma cancer in his liver and bone marrow. He lived fully until the cancer emerged and within three weeks debilitated him and took his life. We, his family and friends, are feeling bereft at losing Chip so suddenly, but are grateful to have had him in our lives, grateful to have known someone who was such a good friend, brother,...
Priscilla Collier Taylor, age 80, passed away peacefully on June 7, 2020, at Sun Coast Hospice in Pinellas Park. Priscilla was born on January 2, 1940, in Lake Wales to Lawrence and Alnita Collier. She graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1957 and received her nursing degree from Polk Community College in 1973. She resided in Winter Haven throughout her nursing career at Polk County Alcohol and Drug Program, several doctors' offices, and as Director of Nursing at Lake...
Sports at Lake Wales High School are on the shelf for the time being as the result of a vote Tuesday, Aug. 4 by the charter system's Board of Trustees. The group unanimously voted to immediately suspend all athletic activity during a specially called board session to discuss the system's reopening plan, which originally called for following recommendation of the Florida High School Athletic Association. The meeting was electronically attended by almost 200 school officials,...
Lake Wales commissioners in a 3-2 split vote Aug. 4 took the first step toward mandating masks in businesses throughout the city. Their ordinance would not take effect until after they vote at a second public hearing Aug. 18. After not obtaining the supermajority four votes needed to pass an emergency ordinance that would mandate masks for 30 days, Mayor Eugene Fultz, Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson and Commissioner Terrye Howell approved the proposal as a regular ordinance. The...
Polk County voters have until Saturday, Aug. 8 to submit a request for a ballot to be mailed for the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary Election. Requests for mail ballots can be made by contacting the Elections Office at (863) 534-5888 or online at PolkElections.com. "No stamp is necessary to return the ballot as the return postage is pre-paid," said Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards. Mail ballots may be returned by mail or dropped off to the Supervisor of Elections Office until 7...
About 30 people stood outside the Lake Wales city administration building praying to God while Sarah Ray of the Atheist Community of Polk County gave the invocation at the city commission meeting Aug. 4. Others filled some of the available seats inside the commission chamber or in the lobby and break room and some people indicated they were praying from home. City commissioners Al Goldstein and Curtis Gibson exited the room during Ray's comments and returned for the Pledge of...
Polk Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards has confirmed "a very small handful of people" have reported problems with their vote by mail return envelopes being sealed shut. Lance Muse contacted LakeWalesNews.net concerned that his vote might not be counted if he repaired the torn envelope with tape. He said his return envelope was totally sealed shut and he could not use it without damaging the seal. He said his wife's ballot was partially sealed shut but they were able to get...
Some Lake Wales city commissioners are not happy with the "special guest" Lake Wales City Clerk Jennifer Nanek announced would be praying at their Tuesday, Aug. 4 meeting. With the link to the commission agenda, Nanek said Sarah Ray with the Atheist Community of Polk County had volunteered to give the invocation. "Who will she be praying to?" asked Commissioner Al Goldstein, who said he plans to set his Bible on the dais and exit the room when Ray speaks. "The word invocation...
Polk County Public Schools School Board members received an initial look at parents' intentions for the 2020-21 school year during the board's work session on Tuesday, July 28. The district also asked employees about their assignment preferences for the upcoming school year. For a summary of the results so far and more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/y5kh99vl The parent survey originally was set to close on July 27. That deadline has now been extended to 11:59 p.m. on...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
FREE MEALS: With the start of the PCPS school year delayed to Aug. 24, Polk County Public Schools is extending its summer meals program to Thursday, Aug. 6. The meals program was originally scheduled to end July 23. Food sites will now continue distributing meals on Mondays and Thursdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. through Aug. 6. Please see polkschoolsfl.com/lunchlocations for a complete list of sites and other details. Book donation BOOK DONATIONS: The United States Marine Corps Res...
Although it would only cost about an extra $8,300 for the year, the Lake Wales City Commission in a split vote decided not to approve a potential 30 percent salary hike for themselves that would have taken effect next May. Mayor Eugene Fultz and Commissioner Al Goldstein advocated for the raises, citing the increased number of meetings and out-of-pocket expenses, but Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson and Commissioners Terrye Howell and Curtis Gibson voted against the raises, citing...
Ben Hill Griffin, III, 78, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 25, 2020, at his home in Frostproof. Ben Hill was born on March 3, 1942 in Lake Wales to Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. and L. Frances Griffin. He was a lifetime resident of Polk County. He graduated from Frostproof High School in 1960, received his Associate of Arts degree from College of Central Florida in Ocala and attended the University of Florida in Gainesville. He also served with the Florida Army National...
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, founded January 16, 1920, began as an idea conceived by five coeds at Howard University in Washington D.C.: Arizona Cleaver Stemons, Pearl Anna Neal, Myrtle Tyler Faithful, Viola Tyler Goings and Fannie Pettie Watts. These five women, also known as our Five Pearls, dared to depart from the traditional coalitions for black women and sought to establish a new organization predicated on the precepts of Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood and...
The Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council Board of Directors went on record Friday July 24 calling for the city commission to adopt an emergency resolution to mandate face masks in the city to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. A letter signed by Chamber President Kevin Kieft and Board Chairman Andy Oguntola said face masks should be a "government led issue" and the Chamber board "voted to support and push for a mask mandate in the City of Lake Wales...
The four candidates for Polk County School Board will be participating in a public forum Monday, July 27, just three weeks before the Aug. 18 election. Brandon Alvarado from the Lake Wales Arts Council will serve as moderator of the forum, which will begin at 7 p.m. Due to concerns about rising COVID-19 numbers the forum will be online via ZOOM. Link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86574760915 and password is 604028, or people can dial-in to listen at 646-876-9923. First term...
Belgard®, Fresh Look Outdoor (a Belgard Authorized Contractor), and Campus Landscaping are calling on Central Florida homeowners to kick-off their inaugural Custom Backyard Giveaway, open for entries from July 3 to Aug. 1. This Kō'Brand Outdoors project will also include a Landscape & Lighting Package Design + Build by Tampa's Best of the Bay award-winner Campus Landscape, featuring a professional lighting package from Link Outdoor Lighting. Homeowners in Seminole,...
Lake Wales Charter Schools has announced an amendment to its policy for serving meals to students under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the 2020-2021 school year. All students will be served lunch and breakfast at no charge at the following sites: Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, Janie Howard Wilson Elementary, Polk Avenue Elementary and Victory Ridge Academy. In addition applications for free and reduced price lunches at...
