Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 216
Eric Edwards has been appointed General Manager at Alfa Romeo FIAT of Winter Haven, according to a statement issued by Mike Mahalak, president of the Mahalak Auto Group. "We are very pleased to have Eric assume this position at our dealership.," said Mahalak. "He started working with us over twenty-five years ago. His experience in all areas of the automotive industry including customer service, It, training and sales makes him the perfect person to assume the general manager...
Sometimes even pain and disaster can lead to blessings for others. Such was the result of the tragic death of 22 year-old Kaitlyn Kinard. Just as the rest of the world was going into lockdown in March, 2020, Kinard's family was falling apart for a completely different unexpected disaster. Kinard was killed in a car-crash involving a wrong-way driver, a crash which also critically injured the love of her life, Landon. A nursing student who was just about to graduate and begin...
A gathering of community and Chamber of Commerce leadership were present at noon Thursday to mark a new name and new ownership of the former Savannah Court assisted living facility at 12 East Grove Avenue, just off First Street in Lake Wales. Now under the management and ownership of Innovation Senior Living, the facility will host an increased bed count of 60, up from the 45 residents it formerly served, according to staff. Innovation CEO and founder Pilar Carvajal told...
Feeding veterans and their families and aiding in preventing suicides is a pretty significant contribution to Polk County residents, and the Dyer family has taken the time to recognize that effort. Last year, the All Veterans Center in Polk County helped feed over 34,000 veterans and their families. You might think that's a pretty amazing accomplishment, and it is, but it's not all the All Veterans Center did last year. The nonprofit organization which assists veterans, their...
Rural small businesses face greater challenges to economic recovery and are less optimistic about the future compared to their non-rural counterparts, according to new survey data from SCORE, mentors to America's small businesses. SCORE's Fall 2022 Megaphone of Main Street: The Small Business Rural/Urban Divide surveyed more than 3,000 entrepreneurs and found that while more than 75% of small businesses surveyed have returned to pre-pandemic levels or better, more than half...
A concerted effort to attract new businesses to Lake Wales now includes the hiring of a consulting firms to help market the area to prospective retail and restaurant chains. The plan has been approved by the city commission, and work on the recruitment is expected to begin shortly. Calling it a "strategic plan for recruitment," City Manager James Slaton explained that the $40,000 contract with Retail Strategies "absolutely compliments efforts by the city and the Lake Wales...
A spurt of new restaurant development will soon be offering a wider range of choices for Lake Wales residents. The growing list has risen to seven new food and beverage outlets. The first to open is expected to be Locorrito, a new effort from area restaurateurs Matthew Brock and his partner, Dwayne McQuillen. The new "fast-casual" spot will open in late September in a former pizza-outlet location at 218 SR 60 East, next door to Citizen's Bank. The building has been...
The efforts of the US Transportation Secretary Marty Walsh and direct intervention by President Joe Biden have succeeded in averting a nationwide strike that would likely have led to scores of local workers being laid off for their jobs. The $100 million CSX Intermodal freight terminal, located between Lake Wales and Winter Haven off SR 60 west, opened in 2014 and employs workers involved in loading and unloading the shipping containers which have become the global standard. W...
A major step to preserving the history of Polk County was trumpeted during a recent presentation to the Polk County Board of County Commissioners by Stacy Butterfield, Polk County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller. Butterfield presented the full preservation of the county's first-ever deed book, labeled "Deed Book A." "This is a significant historical artifact for our county and I felt it should be presented to our citizens in a formal presentation," Butterfield said. "...
More than eighty community and business leaders were in attendance this week as the Dyer family celebrated the grand opening of their second new auto dealership across from the Eagle Ridge Mall on US 27 in Lake Wales. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Dyer Chevrolet marked the official dedication of the new 28,000 square-foot facility, which cost more than $5 million to construct. The Chevrolet operations stands adjacent to their recently-constructed Kia dealership. Guests...
Do you like country music? Maybe you're a Keith Urban fan? Or maybe you're just feeling a bit lucky and could use some extra cash? If so, here's a great opportunity: The "Low Payment Kings," powered by the Mahalak Auto Group, are offering an opportunity to win a guitar signed by Keith Urban, four tickets to a Keith Urban concert, and $777 in cash! The Low Payment Kings family of auto dealerships includes Lake Wales Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram on US 27, but according to officials o...
The gradual expansion of the Lake Wales Business Community is receiving another boost as the Dyer Auto Group prepares to open their new Chevrolet dealership on US 27 North across from Eagle Ridge Mall. Dyer's new $5 million dealership is a significant expansion from their current location two miles south, according to General Manager David Dlugokecki. The new location will also allow the family-owned business to co-locate their two local new-car dealerships. Dyer Kia moved int...
Some 100 guests and supporters of the Lake Wales Main Street gathered Monday morning for a 90-minute session and left filled with not only lunch but inspiration. City planner Ed McMahon visited Lake Wales from his home in Maryland to tout the assets and potential of the city, which is facing unprecedented growth. McMahon is a Senior Resident Fellow at the Urban Land Institute in Washington, DC. "People in small towns don't like change," McMahon told the assembly, including...
Lake Wales Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram (CDJR) will host a live, nationwide television broadcast on National AgDay, March 22. The dealership was selected by the Certified Agriculture Dealer (CAD) Program, and their partner RFD-TV to serve both as a host for the live television program, as well as a local Certified Agriculture Dealer location providing remote visits during the 3-hour live broadcast on RFD-TV on March 22nd. That is the date marked as National Ag Day in recognition...
The Florida Farm Show is Florida's largest agricultural trade show. The show features live music, over 200 local vendors, heavy equipment retailers, great food, family fun and educational opportunities. The annual show also serves as a networking opportunity for Florida's farmers and ranchers. The Low Payment Kings which include three Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealers in Polk County are inviting farmers and ranchers to join them at their Florida Farm Show booth to see the...
Dining choices in Lake Wales have expanded recently, and the official grand opening of one new restaurant drew a happy crowd of diners to celebrate. Wales Pointe, already a popular spot for brunch, lunch and dinner. was welcomed to the business community at noon Thursday by Lake Wales Mayor Gene Fultz and Chamber of Commerce officials. A formal ribbon cutting ceremony at the stroke of 12:00 saw more than 30 crowding to be included in the celebratory photos. Wales Pointe is...
A festive February evening and pleasant weather drew hundreds of pedestrians to fill the sidewalks of downtown for the Lake Wales Mainstreet Winedown event. Some two dozen businesses opened their doors to the after-dark social event, offering complementary hors d'oeuvres and beverages to guests who purchased the $20 tickets. Patrons and supporters of Main Street enjoyed a wide range of tasty delights, including shrimp cocktails, pasta dishes, chocolates, a wide variety of...
A unique and colorful specialty shop is holding a grand opening Saturday in the Rhodesbilt Arcade on Stuart Avenue downtown when "Modern Day Tiffanys" opens their doors to the public. Owner Rita Strempack offers a stunning array of the beautiful and traditional favorites. The shop offers chandeliers, table lamps, and dozens of lighting variations. The appropriate location in the well-known arcade building brings the stained-glass collection in close proximity to the many...
Business is booming for many local enterprises, no less so for Lake Wales entrepreneur Chad Riedel, who grown his operations beyond the capacity of several facilities since starting work here in 2002. Riedel, 48, now has plans to construct a new building at the Lake Wales Commerce and Technology Park that will allow him to grow his business to meet demand. The Lake Wales Community Development Agency approved the sale of lot five at the park, formerly known as Longleaf...
A federal judge has undone a signature achievement of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ time in office by invalidating the Seminole Gaming Compact, a deal between the state and the tribe that purported to OK statewide sports betting and bring billions of dollars to state coffers. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich in Washington, D.C., ruled that Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, in allowing the gambling deal to take effect in August, violated the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), by allowing sports betting to take place t...
"It's a blink of an eye and 30 years have flown by. When Ralph and I started we both had darker hair," said Mike Mahalak, president of the Mahalak Auto Group, in recognition of a quadruple anniversary for their local and flagship franchises. "It has been a fun adventure. We have been blessed to see a lot of growth and have made a lot of relationships here in Winter Haven and across central Florida. At the end of the day, you can buy a vehicle from just about anybody... but...
Feel like a rodeo cowgirl or cowboy sometimes? Here's your big chance to get out those rhinestones and boots and sparkle your way across a dance floor. The Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council is inviting the public to attend their annual Awards Gala, Friday, November 19, 2021 at Lake Ashton Country Club Ballroom. The Country-Western themed gala will a judging for best cowboy and cowgirl or western themed outfit. Admission tickets for the 5:30 p...
Local dining food choices aren't as limited as you might believe, and they certainly don't have to be boring. That much is evident after a visit to a local restaurant celebrating its first anniversary. Orgen D'nal is an outgrowth of a personal training studio called Kingdom Fitness run by restaurant owner Arthur White in an adjacent building. His customers enjoyed rejuvenating health drinks after workouts, so after three years of operations he conceived of a juice bar, which...
New features and sections added to LakeWalesNews.Net have driven skyrocketing readership since September 1, reaching well over 80,000 page views during the first month, according to statistics captured by Internet analytics. New Day Market Research acquired the online newspaper on that date and has since significantly enhanced the publication's reach and interest. "We are extremely pleased by the community reaction to our added features like the graphic Community Calendar," sa...
Building is booming in Polk County and so are construction-related thefts, according to feedback received by the Polk County Building Division. “It really isn’t a surprise to us,” said Building Director Benjamin Dunn. “With the shortages of supplies, skyrocketing inflation and supply chain issues, unsecured building supplies are a beacon to criminals looking for an easy pay day.” But a local construction jobsite doesn’t have to be easy pickings. This is a problem that both homeowners and builders can work together to...
