Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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A forum to hear from four candidates for the Lake Wales City Commission is planned for mid-March to allow voters to learn about the goals and platforms prior to the April 4 election. Two seats on the five-person commission are at stake in the vote. The American Association of University Women Lake Wales Branch will join with the GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales in sponsoring the forum on March 13th. The candidates for the two seats include Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson, who will...
Working to conduct safe and fair elections is a contribution toward protecting our democracy, and now Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards offering citizens an opportunity to be a part of that process. Edward will be hosting an informational meeting in Lake Wales for anyone interested in serving as an election worker. The one-hour meeting will be held Tuesday, February 28th at 10:00 am at the James P Austin Community Center at 315 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd....
What's in a name? In a confusing prospect for Lake Wales voters, three candidates have filed to run for the District 5 City Commission seat in the April 4 election, and all three share the same last name of Gibson. Incumbent Commissioner and Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson is standing for reelection while facing the prospect of being opposed by Curtis Gibson and Danielle Gibson. Curtis and Danielle Gibson are believed to be husband a wife, a further cause of confusion. Robin Gibson...
Four $1,200 scholarships will be offered to Florida students in 2023 by Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards. Edwards has offered the scholarships each year for a number of years, part of her effort to encourage higher and engagement with government by Polk students. The scholarship will go to those currently enrolled in a senior college of university in Florida. Those students are typically not eligible for scholarships, which often go to those entering college...
Polk County voters have three easy ways to vote in the November 8th General Election, according to Supervisor of Elections, Lori Edwards: At your Precinct. Polling locations will be open from 7 am until 7 pm on Election Day. Vote by Mail. Requests can be made by calling the Elections Office or visiting PolkElections.gov. The last day voters can request a ballot to be mailed for this election is Saturday, October 29th. All mail ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of...
Polk Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards is reminding new residents and those who may have been purged from voting rolls to check their registration status now, as time is running out to be sure you are eligible to vote in the in the November 8th General Election. Polk County residents who wish to change their residence address or other information must do so by October 11th. Multiple important issues, include races for US Senator and Florida Governor, local races,...
The August 23 "Primary" election will be the "final" election for candidates in four heated Polk School Board races, as well as those seeking judicial slots. Voters are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the issues and cast their ballots early, by mail, or on election day. Those wishing to vote early in southeast Polk may visit the Lake Wales Tourist Club at 205 North 5th Street. That location is between the playground at Crystal Lake Park and the City Tennis Courts on...
Ballots are now available for eligible voters who wish to vote by mail in Florida's Statewide Primary Election on August 23rd. The Primary Election will be decisive in four local school board races and a judgeship as well as the selection of major party nominees for governor, US senator, and other statewide offices. Voters can request a mail ballot by phoning Election Headquarters at (863) 534-5888 or by visiting the Supervisor of Elections website at PolkElections.gov. If...
Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards advises residents to watch for their new Voter Information Cards which have been mailed to more than 450,000 voters. When the new cards arrive, voters should confirm that all the information is correct including: · Name; · Residence Address; · Party Affiliation; and, · Date of Birth "While the new cards are not required to cast a ballot, they provide helpful information to voters, including the location of their polling pla...
The unofficial vote tabulation is completed and It is apparent that Jack Hilligoss and Danny Kreuger will fill the mayoral post and that of city commissioner. With the votes tabulated, Jack Hilligoss has apparently won the three-way race for mayor, with almost 44% of ballots cast. Under the Lake Wales City Charter there are no run-offs in city elections, so a plurality is sufficient for victory. In the City Commission race, Daniel Krueger defeated James Loydd by less than 100...
An anonymous YouTube post surfaced Saturday attacking mayoral candidate Curtis Gibson with a video his campaign manager said he'd created more than a decade ago, when he was an aspiring professional wrestler. In the video, which was viewed dozens of times within hours Saturday, Gibson appears threatening and uses offensive slang. Chevon Baccus, his campaign manager, said he was acting in character as Bad Boy, his wrestling persona, before an upcoming match. An email sent to...
Most Lake Wales voters have received a pair of deceptive postcards mailed by two out-of-town political committees that have caused Sheriff Grady Judd to issue a statement denying that he is supporting any candidates in Tuesday's city elections. The postcards, taken together, falsely imply that Judd has endorsed candidates for mayor and city commission. "I did not and am not endorsing any local candidates," Judd said in response to an email request for comment from Chevon...
An apparent impropriety in the mayoral campaign financing of City Commissioner Jack Hilligoss has caused yet another twist in the closing days of the election. A letter from Lake Wales attorney Richard McKinley addressed to City Clerk Jennifer Nanek, the candidate, and his campaign treasurer Bonnie Barker demands "any and all documentation related to the itemized expenditures" listed on Hilligoss's March 18 campaign finance report. That report, filed with Nanek last week,...
As the campaigns that will shape the election of a mayor and city commissioner come to a close, some have asked whether our editorial board will endorse any of the five candidates. We believe a response is in order. The three candidates for mayor, Curtis Gibson, Jack Hilligoss, and Tammy James, agree on much, but offer clear distinctions in their leadership styles and priorities. The two candidates for city commission seat 4, Danny Krueger and James Loydd, differ not only in...
Municipal elections will be held April 5, and Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards has some important tips to keep in mind as workers and voters employ safe practices when voting. Precautions to protect voters and workers from COVID-19 mean less voters may be allowed in each polling location at one time. Face masks are encouraged, but not required for voters in the polling room. Election staff, however, will be wearing face masks and/or face shields. Voters may...
More than 70 guests gathered Monday evening at the Lake Wales Woman's Club to hear all five candidates for election to two city posts discuss issues and answer questions. Speaking from the stage all five candidates received polite applause following most of their answers, but there were also moments of division. All five candidates were asked the same questions. Mayoral candidates Curtis Gibson, Jack Hilligoss and Tammy James generally agreed on most issues, including that...
Several new large-scale residential developments took shape in presentations heard by the Lake Wales City Commission during their Wednesday workshop, at which only three commissioners were present. The poor attendance at two meetings this week prompted complaints from Mayor Eugene Fultz. The rapid growth of Lake Wales in the face of multiple large-scale development projects has concerned many citizens as judged by questions submitted at recent elections forums. The latest...
As a pair of contested city elections move toward a climactic vote on April 5 citizens will have another opportunity to see and hear the five vying for the two open seats. A forum will take place Monday afternoon, March 14, beginning at 5:00, a time chosen by organizers to allow working people to stop in before heading home, according to Juanita Zwaryczuk, co-president of the sponsoring American Association of University Women. The cosponsoring GFWC Lake Wales Women's Club...
A portrait of a city undergoing numerous changes was delivered to about 100 community and business leaders Friday at the annual "State of the City" report delivered by outgoing Mayor Gene Fultz in a darkened auditorium at the Vanguard School. It was the first opportunity for him to deliver the speech since 2019 due to the impacts of Covid-19. He will be leaving office this year after nine years as the city's first elected mayor. Citing an aggressive pursuit of improvements...
Six candidates have qualified for election to two open seats in the City of Lake Wales government in the April 5 municipal elections. Voters will have an opportunity to choose a new mayor and a District 4 city commissioner. Qualifying opened at noon Monday and closes at the same hour on Friday. Three candidates for mayor of Lake Wales include former Commissioner Curtis Gibson, current Commissioner Jack Hilligoss, and political newcomer Tammy James, a downtown investor and...
Four of the six expected candidates wasted no time in filing their paperwork for city elections after the qualifying period opened at noon Monday. They will each be a candidate for one of two open seats in Lake Wales government. Both the mayor and a city commission position will be on the April 5 ballot. Tammy James, a candidate for mayor, was first to arrive at the office of City Clerk Jennifer Nanek. Her two opponents, Jack Hilligoss and Curtis Gibson, arrived during the...
Multiple paid positions are open to help run the elections process in Polk County this election year, according to Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards. Polk County residents are invited to apply to become election workers during an informational meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 2nd. "These are paid positions working at polling places on Election Day," explained Edwards. The informational meeting will be held beginning at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, February 2nd at the...
Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards announced today that the Florida Supervisors of Elections (FSE) will award four $1,200 scholarships to Florida students in 2022. Applicants must be: - Registered to vote in the State of Florida - Be a Citizen of the United States - Enrolled as a full-time student in a senior college or university in Florida - Majoring in Political Science/Public or Business Administration or Journalism/Mass Communications Applicants must also...
The energy demands of the Sunshine State are rising apace of our booming population. New homes, schools, and businesses need electricity in plenty. The problem for Florida is that generating most of that electricity requires vast amounts of water to cool the generators. Water is in increasingly short supply. Enter a solution: solar electric energy. Power from solar panels is used in ever larger percentages across the state and requires no water for cooling. Rooftop solar has c...
Democracy relies upon "the consent of the governed" to function. Consent implies an understanding of the questions of importance to the populace, which in turn requires an educated electorate. By these steps of logic, Public education is the bedrock upon which American freedoms are based. More than 20 years ago Florida voters overwhelmingly voted to remove partisan politics from Florida's public school boards, making them among the few Florida public offices, along with most...
