Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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A new hotel and a possible new manufacturing and distribution facility are among anticipated developments at Longleaf Business Park, located on US 27 two miles south of SR 60 in Lake Wales. Maryland-based Sunset Hotel Group recently completed the purchase from the Lake Wales Community Development Agency of a two-acre parcel at the park for $297,600. Maricruz Gutierrez of Saunders Real Estate arranged the deal. Officials with SHG told Lake Wales News.net that they are deeply...
Two police officers were shot and their attacker killed in a shooting that occurred Friday at the Lowes store in Bartow. The violence erupted after 34-year-old Wayne Volz of Fort Meade entered the store seeking his father, who was employed there, with the stated intention of shooting him. Unable to locate his intended victim, who had already notified police, Volz walked from the scene before being challenged by police. He then began shooting at them. Bartow police officer Mark...
With a minimum of discussion, the Lake Wales City Commission this week unanimously approved a Special Exception Use Permit to allow a multi-family Planned Development Project for the redevelopment of the aging 120-unit Grove Manor public housing project. "We've been working on this a long time," said Mayor Jack Hilligoss as he called for a vote. The long-awaited project is the first phase of a multi-phased Master Plan which will take place on 24.74 acres of land that...
Lake Wales Police have arrested 20-year-old Delbert Todd of Lake Wales and charged with Attempted First-Degree Murder following a shooting that took place near the intersection of 3rd Street and Polk Avenue at approximately 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Upon arrival at the scene, officers discovered an individual who had sustained a non-life-threatening injury as a result of the incident. Investigators identified Todd as the suspect in the shooting. Todd was located and taken into...
As Polk County continues experiencing dry weather conditions due to a prolonged lack of rainfall, Polk County officials issued a burn ban effective April 15. The ban includes unincorporated Polk County. The burn ban is determined using the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI). The KBDI is a continuous reference scale, ranging from 0 to 800. It assesses the moisture content from no moisture deficiency (0) to maximum drought conditions (800) of the soil. This helps predict the...
With the approval of a deal with Walesbilt Hotel owner Raymond Brown, the Lake Wales City Commission has cleared the way for the private redevelopment of the landmark building. The acceptance of the lawsuit settlement by the five-person commission, which also sits as the city's Community Redevelopment Agency board, ends a three-year battle over the building. The settlement brings the building back under city control more than a decade after it was given to Brown's Dixie...
Lake Wales received a wave of television coverage this week as area broadcasters sent teams to cover the big economic news of the settlement between Dixie Walesbilt LLC and the City of Lake Wales that will return ownership of the landmark hotel to the City after more than a decade. Interviews with City Manager James Slaton and Community Redevelopment Agency Chairman Robin Gibson were conducted Tuesday in front of the 10-story structure by four different Tampa Bay area...
The City of Lake Wales negotiation team has apparently approved a settlement agreement with Dixie Walesbilt LLC that will result in the return of the landmark Walesbilt Hotel to the City. The City Commission and CRA agendas Tuesday evening include the agreement which should end a two-year legal battle and set the stage for renovation of the 98-year-old hotel. The agreement attached to the meeting notices has already been executed by Dixie Walesbilt owner Ray Brown and City...
The future redevelopment of the Walesbilt Hotel and the ongoing Lake Wales Connected effort would be placed at serious risk if the Florida Legislature adopts a pair of bills currently being considered. Florida House Bill 991 and Senate Bill 1242 would put severe restrictions on Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) in Florida, effectively stopping their efforts to address declining neighborhoods. “This is serious,” said Lake Wales CRA chairman Robin Gibson. “It is incon...
After nearly a decade of operations in Lake Wales, the Merlin Magic Making facility at Longleaf Business Park is apparently closing its doors. A filing with the Florida Department of Commerce informed them of the layoffs of 31 workers at the facility beginning May 31. That number approaches the total number of employees at the site, leading to expectations that it will be closed completely, according to local sources. Merlin is the parent company of Legoland, which recently...
Two families were left homeless Thursday evening after fire gutted their duplex unit on West Seminole Avenue in Lake Wales. The apartments are part of the Grove Manor public housing complex, which is scheduled for demolition over the coming three years. Lake Wales firefighters and Polk County EMS units responded to a call shortly after 6 p.m. to find one unit heavily involved in the fire, which spread rapidly into the roof structure, Heavy smoke also caused additional damage...
Lake Wales Mayor Jack Hilligoss won an easy reelection victory Tuesday, turning back a challenge from former city commissioner Curtis Gibson in a race that saw record amounts spent, primarily by outside groups. Hilligoss received 1390 votes, or 60.96 percent of the vote, while Gibson took 890 votes, or 39.04 percent. Hilligoss will be sworn in to serve a new three-year term as chair of the five-person commission. Voters also approved a charter amendment that will require...
What has undoubtedly been the ugliest Lake Wales municipal election campaign in memory is coming to a conclusion on April 1, when voters will have a last chance to help select a mayor who will serve a new three-year term. Incumbent Mayor Jack Hilligoss is being challenged by former city commissioner Curtis Gibson. The campaign has been marked by a series of attacks using both direct mail and text messages funded by a "dark-money" political action committee based in Tampa. The...
A ruling by Circuit Judge Jennifer Swensen this month has brought the City of Lake Wales and the city's Community Redevelopment Agency significantly closer to reclaiming the title to the landmark Walesbilt Hotel, bringing redevelopment of the building within reach. The legal battle over control of the historic structure began when the city filed the suit in February 2022. The most-recent ruling dismissed a counter-suit and appeal for summary judgement filed by defendant...
Two new restaurants are among the immediate results of the investment in a renewed downtown historic district by the Community Redevelopment Agency and the City of Lake Wales. The city recently celebrated the opening of the re-imagined Park Avenue which, along with stretches of First Street, Scenic Highway, and the Market Plaza, have been turned into lush gardens lining brick streets intended to create an attractive setting for dining and retail. The Thirsty Dragon, an...
A celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for Friday evening in downtown Lake Wales will mark the successful completion of the biggest element to date in the city's pursuit of the Lake Wales Connected plan. The transformative redevelopment of Park Avenue and the Market Plaza will be celebrated by residents, business owners, and city officials alike, all of whom are eager to show off the beauty of the new streetscape. The event will be held in the expanded new Market...
The city of Lake Wales is moving forward with the expansion of the city's fire department after city commission approval of design work for a third station planned for Hunt Brothers Road. A five acre site at the southeast corner of South Ninth Street (Nest Egg Road) was purchased at a cost of $300,000 in November after a search in that area turned up no other site that was both appropriate and available. Fire Department Chief Joe Jenkins told the commission at that time that...
Getting rid of old tires is too often a problem, leading to waste dumping on area road shoulders. They provide an ideal breeding place for mosquitoes as rainwater collects in them but will not drain. They also create a fire hazard and are very difficult to extinguish. Now, Keep Polk County Beautiful, Inc., in partnership with Polk County government and Waste Management., is offering a free solution opportunity by hosting a free Tire Collection and Recycling event. The...
A ceremonial ground-breaking for a multi-million dollar water desalination facility east of Lake Wales has marked the next step in a multi-jurisdictional effort to assure adequate water supplies for the future of Polk County. The rapid development taking place across the region has created a looming water crisis, with at least one town, Dundee, forced to declare a building moratorium due to a lack of potable water supply. Led by the Southwest Florida Water Management District...
The murder of a 22-year-old Frostproof man Sunday has led to murder and accessory charges against an Avon Park man, his teenage son, and his son's friend. 22-year-old Juan German-Garo, Jr. was found deceased in his vehicle on Washington Terrace in Frostproof shortly after 5 p.m. on Sunday with multiple gunshot wounds. Two large bags of marijuana were found in the victim's vehicle. Witnesses gave a description of two suspects to detectives, who canvassed the area and located...
A pageant of color and music will burst onto the streets of Lake Wales this weekend in the form of the annual city-wide Mardi Gras celebration. Highlighted by a two-day music festival and a traditional parade, the festival is expected to draw thousands to the downtown streets and the lakeshore festival grounds. The Lake Wales Mardi Gras, now in its fifth decade of existence, includes numerous private parties, along with ticketed public events including those sponsored by more...
After months of intensive reconstruction, the intersection of Park Avenue and Scenic Highway is expected to open to traffic this week, marking the end of one phase of an expansive Lake Wales Connected project to reconfigure and beautify the urban core of Lake Wales. Merchants, residents, and visitors alike are ready to celebrate the opening of the refurbished Park Avenue, which features wider, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks with room for outdoor café seating, as well as lush la...
Two candidates have qualified for the Lake Wales mayoral election slated for April 1, 2025. Incumbent Mayor Jack Hilligoss will face a challenge from former city commissioner Curtis Gibson. Hilligoss is the pastor of High Point Church in Lake Wales, while Gibson is the manager of the Eagle Ridge Mall. The election will also feature a referendum on future elections that, if approved, will require a run-off vote in the case of multiple-candidate races where no one receives a...
The southern portions of Polk County and much of the Lake Wales Ridge are expected to endure worsening drought conditions over the next month, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). Long-term models and forecasts are predicting little to no rain for the area. The warning comes on the heels of a very dry December and limited January rainfall. One brief outburst of rain between January 18 and 22 left between an inch and two inches of rain...
A light spectacle in honor of the Lake Wales High School Class of '75 will guild the white limestone walls of the Walesbilt Hotel Friday night and the sponsor has promised that "as bright light will shine over uptown Lake Wales." A changing display of graphic images will be projected on the walls of the ten-story building in Lake Wales by River City Lights, a production company based in Decatur, Ala. The show will include school logos and 70's themed images with a "more...
