Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 157
Polk State College has prepared a three-phased Return to Campus plan that supports the return of administrators and select personnel to the College's campuses and centers beginning on Monday, July 20. Students should note that most courses will remain online through the Fall 2020 Semester. Students enrolled in select workforce education and training programs will receive specialized information from their program directors and instructors. All students are encouraged to...
When Gus hops on the bus he may have some extra stop options in Lake Wales. Erin Killebrew, director of external affairs with the Citrus Connection, gave city commissioners an update on the four local routes at their May 19 meeting. Killebrew said the current routes take riders from Lake Wales to Haines City, Lake Wales to the Eagle Ridge Mall, the mall to Legoland and the mall to Babson Park. The transit system is asking the city to nearly double its annual contribution to...
Suncoast Credit Union, Florida's largest credit union, announced Monday that it will donate $25,000 to the Polk State College Foundation with $20,000 of the generous gift designated for scholarships. The remaining $5,000 will assist students who are experiencing financial hardships because of the coronavirus public health emergency. "This generous donation came in at a time when it's needed most," Polk State President Angela Garcia Falconetti said. "The Foundation's emergency...
Polk State College is celebrating more than a thousand graduating students this Spring 2020 Semester and is getting creative to publicly recognize their milestone accomplishments. Due to the need to cancel the May 7 commencement ceremonies to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Polk State is offering a variety of virtual opportunities for graduates to participate in, including the creation of lifelong keepsakes for them and their families. "Polk State College's 122nd...
Since September Raymond had been living in his car. The music education major at Polk State College said he had two blankets for cold nights, but if he didn't remember to tape his car's door gaps on rainy nights the water poured in and woke him. Raymond stayed committed to his studies despite spending most nights in a WalMart parking lot. Two weeks ago he left the ranks of the homeless and moved into the new Lenfestey Scholarship House at the Manse on Avenue Q in Winter...
Enrollment is open at Polk State College for the Summer 2020 Semester, which will be fully online to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The semester will begin on May 6. Currently enrolled students are also able to register for Fall 2020 Semester classes starting April 13. Open enrollment for fall will start on June 1 and classes will start on August 17. Students currently enrolled at Polk State may register for classes through their PASSPORT accounts. Dual enrollment...
As Polk State College moves to an online learning environment for the remainder of the 2020 Spring Semester to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, faculty and staff have partnered and are taking innovative approaches to convert courses, motivate students, and assist each other through the challenging circumstances. Classes will resume online on Monday, March 30, including dual enrollment courses and Polk State's three collegiate high schools. For weeks, faculty have been...
Polk State College will continue all classes online through the Summer 2020 Semester to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The College suspended instruction on March 16 and resumed all classes, including dual enrollment and Polk State's three collegiate high schools, online on Monday, March 30, for the remainder of the Spring 2020 Semester. Due to the evolving public health emergency, faculty and staff are also preparing for a fully online summer semester. "Polk State...
In an abundance of caution to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus various organizations in the Lake Wales area are canceling events or taking extra safety measures. As of 1 a.m. March 14 the Florida Department of Health still reported no cases in Polk County, and a total of 83 cases statewide, which resulted in three deaths. Updates are available online at http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/index.html Walt Disney World and Universal...
Lake Wales lost a special friend when Jerry Miller passed early in the morning of Feb. 24 after a lengthy battle with cancer. The community and government relations manager with what is now Duke Energy, Miller touched countless lives throughout Central Florida and left a lasting imprint. Faith, family, friends and service were Miller's top priorities. His smile, some might call it an impish grin, lit up a room, and he loved to dance. The 61-year-old Miller fought cancer...
Jerry Miller, 61, of Lake Wales passed Monday, Feb. 24, 2020 at his residence surrounded by his loving family. He was born December 25, 1958 at Lake Wales Hospital to the late Clarence and Helen Miller; he was a proud 5th generation Floridian and lifelong resident of Lake Wales. He had a great love for his hometown. Miller played on the tennis and baseball teams at Lake Wales High School, where he graduated in 1976, and remained active in sports until he could no longer play...
New features and patron events and more than 50 artists from around the world look to make the 49th Annual Citizens Bank & Trust Lake Wales Arts Festival Feb. 29 and March 1 the best one to date. Hosted by the Lake Wales Arts Council, the Festival will kick off with the 9th Annual Art-B-Que on The Shores of Lake Wailes, 33 N. Lakeshore Blvd., from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday February 28. The free-to-attend Arts Festival will continue on February 29 and March 1. Additions to the festiva...
A lecture and performance by award-winning artist and Polk State College Professor of Humanities & Music Derek Menchan will be hosted by the Lake Wales Arts Council at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16. This event, sponsored by Visit Central Florida, is free to the public and will conclude with a reception held in the gallery following the performance. During his lecture at the Lake Wales Arts Center entitled "Millennial Relevance: The Timeless Contributions of Artists of Color" Menchan...
The president of the newly formed Lincoln Community Development Corporation is calling for Lake Wales police to start wearing body cameras to document interactions with suspects and the general public. Attorney Sara Jones said she also would like to see police get more training and make a stronger commitment to community policing to enhance relationships with citizens, especially in the northwest community. To discuss Jones' requests, city commissioners will hold a workshop...
Polk State College serves nearly 3,000 students each year through its dual-enrollment, early-admission, and collegiate high school programs, providing a variety of accelerated-learning and cost-saving opportunities for students and their families. Dual-enrollment and early-admission options allow Polk County students from all public secondary schools, most area private high schools, and home-education programs to take college courses and earn credit toward both their high...
Lake Wales' longtime historian, visionary, beloved wife, and mother, Mimi (Mary Leigh Reid) Hardman, died at age 85 on Dec. 13 following an extended illness. A driving force for historic preservation and celebrating the pioneers who built Lake Wales, Hardman left behind an extraordinary legacy. In her adopted hometown and beyond, Mimi will be remembered as the founder and director of the Depot Museum, host of the annual Pioneer Days festival, red outfits and patriotic...
More than 550 students with Polk State College's 121st graduating class will walk the stage Thursday, Dec. 12, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland to receive their diplomas. The commencement ceremony, which is a free ticketed event, will start at 6:30 p.m. at 701 W. Lime St. The ceremony will feature remarks from Polk State President Angela Garcia Falconetti and December 2019 Distinguished Alumna Susan Copeland. "Commencement marks a significant milestone of perseverance and...
Lake Wales NAACP Chapter President Wanda Howard died Sunday of cardiac arrest after an 18-year battle with cancer. "This is a very sad day for the City of Lake Wales. Wanda was such a bright light for our community. She will be missed in so many ways," said Mayor Eugene Fultz. Howard became NAACP Branch 5109 president in January 2017, the first female to serve in that capacity. She was named branch president of the year at the state conference in September. She joined the...
Polk State College and the Polk State College Foundation were collectively named the Philanthropic Corporation of the Year during the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Polk County's National Philanthropy Day Celebration, where student Makenna Hansel was also honored with the Youth in Philanthropy Award. Polk State joins corporations recognized in previous years including Allen & Company, Citizens Bank & Trust, Mosaic Company, Regal Lakeland, and Publix...
A site-based assessment team from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®), will arrive Dec. 2 to examine all aspects of the Polk State College Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services. Verification by the team that the Polk State College Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety meets the Commission's state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process...
For the second consecutive year, Polk State College received a Chancellor's Best Practice Award from the Florida College System – this time for its First Year Experience and Guided Pathways programs focused on ensuring students persist on their paths to degrees and careers. College representatives accepted the award Thursday in Palm Harbor alongside colleagues from State College of Florida, Eastern Florida State College, and Florida SouthWestern Sate College who were also r...
As the nation struggles to train enough cybersecurity experts and analysts to fill a shortage that has grown by 50% since 2015, four Polk County colleges are offering courses and degrees to help prepare students for this growing field. In the next two years, about half a million cybersecurity jobs will remain unfilled, according to the Principles for Growing and Sustaining the Nation's Cybersecurity Workforce. Around the world, that number could reach 3 million, according to...
Dr. Muhammad Rashid knows from experience what a difference education can mean in a person's life. As a first-generation college graduate, he sees his own struggles and concerns reflected in many of the students he encounters at Florida Polytechnic University, where he is professor and chair of the electrical and computer engineering department. That's why he and his wife decided to make a $100,000 gift to the University to create the Drs. Muhammad H. and Fatema Rashid Future...
Enrollment is open at Polk State College for the spring 2020 semester that starts January 6. Currently enrolled students may register for classes through PASSPORT. Prospective students must submit a free online application at www.polk.edu/admission-aid. Information on how to complete online orientation and register for classes is included in email communication after the application process, as well as online at www.polk.edu/admission-aid/admissionsteps. Students will also...
The Green and Gold Foundation Nov. 2 honored retired school teacher Gladys Howell for her dedication and contributions to the Lake Wales community. Howell was surprised with a tribute at the foundation's gala, which raised funds for the B Street Community Center. Howell and her school teacher husband, Robert, moved their family to Lake Wales in 1964. She started her local career at Roosevelt High School and then taught at Polk Avenue Elementary, retiring in 1992. She earned...
