Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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The Florida Department of Health in Polk County (DOH-Polk) cautions the public of the presence of blue-green algae in Reedy Lake at Frostproof City Pier on June 26, 2025. Water sample testing is underway. Blue-green algae have the potential to produce toxins. Since environmental conditions can change at any time, it is important to exercise caution, even if presence of toxins has not yet been confirmed. Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions: Do...
Polk County residents who wish to address the Board of County Commissioners during board meetings will now have several opportunities to do so, thanks to changes recently enacted by the BoCC. Residents who wish to comment on a listed agenda item will be called during the "Public Comments Concerning Agenda Items" portion of the meeting, while those wishing to speak on a scheduled public hearing item will be invited to do so immediately following the presentation of that item,...
UPDATE: The Lake Wales Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously to deny the requested changes to the approved plans for both Iron Mountain and Steeple Chase. Barely a year after winning approval for two large residential developments hailed for adhering in part to the vaunted Lake Wales Envisioned plan, both projects are being brought back to the Lake Wales Planning and Zoning Board at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to attempt to remove the planned rear-access neighborhood designs....
Lake Wales' reputation as "A City in a Garden" got a big boost Friday as the newest park in the city's system was dedicated with a new name. Known by residents as "linear park," "library park," "railroad park," and even "James' Park" in recognition of City Manager James Slaton's support of the extensive landscaping project, the attractive spot has been officially named "Oakley Park" in honor of the couple that helped make it a reality. Honorees Lynn and Tommy Oakley were...
An appearance in Lake Wales by US Congressman Scott Franklin at the Lake Wales Arts Center Thursday brought out an audience of attentive Chamber of Commerce members and guests, as well as more than two dozen others who waved signs and flags outside in protest. Franklin, a former Lakeland city commissioner, is a Republican representing Florida’s 18th district, which includes most of Polk County and several counties to the south. He serves on several Congressional committees, i...
With the title to the historic Walesbilt Hotel firmly in hand, the City of Lake Wales has issued a nationwide invitation to potential redevelopers of the ten-story building. According to a document released by the city, a request for qualifications (RFQ) response by interested parties will allow the city to "evaluate and shortlist developers based on their technical expertise, financial capacity, project experience and recent relevant innovative strategies for adaptive reuse...
A domestic dispute ended in tragedy Thursday when anger got the better of reason, leaving one partner dead and another seriously injured and hospitalized. According to a statement issued by the Lake Wales Police Department, the two individuals had been in a relationship for ten years. The argument, details of which remain undisclosed, began around 4:45, according to police, when the male partner allegedly struck his companion in the face. She retreated into her residence in...
The public is invited to participate in a virtual forum beginning at noon this Friday, June 20, to help shape a Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) that will guide the expenditure of transportation funds for the next 25 years. The event is hosted by the Polk Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). The LRTP provides a plan to address the future transportation needs of the county, in accordance with federal requirements and to account for the ever-changing transportation...
An ill-conceived attempt to prevent Polk County Sheriff's deputies from arresting his brother left a West Frostproof man dead and his brother facing sharply-increased charges. According to the Polk County Sheriff's office, Primitivo Garcia, 43, has been charged with 2nd degree felony murder, resisting arrest with violence, resisting arrest without violence, escape, and petit theft, for his role last evening in the death of his brother, Francisco Garcia-Vega. The two brothers...
Ongoing efforts to restore Lake Wales' reputation as "A City in a Garden" will get another boost on Friday, June 20 as the Parks & Recreation Department will dedicate a new downtown pollinator and sculpture garden. The new installation will enhance the newly-relandscaped "linear park" parallels Cypress Gardens Lane just across from the Lake Wales Public Library. City horticulturist Kevin Polk redesigned the park to include a winding sidewalk that weaves in and around various...
The newly-reconstructed block of First Street in front of the iconic Walesbilt Hotel in Lake Wales is being re-landscaped to avoid high long-term costs, according to city officials. Canary Island date palms are being replaced this week by different species that will be hardier. Work is expected to be completed by Thursday. City Horticulturist Kevin Polk made the decision to remove the rows of Canary Island date palms, which have been affected by a disease known as lethal...
An investigation into a report of animal cruelty resulted in five arrests by the Polk County Sheriff's office Sunday. Investigators found seven horses abused but alive, but sadly, one already dead when they arrived at the remote location on Poe Road, north of Canal Road in unincorporated Lake Wales. According to a press release, "PCSO received a tip regarding two horses in a field that appeared to be malnourished. The horses were found by deputies in the following conditions:...
Growth in Polk County continued to record steady, rapid growth year over year in 2024, according to preliminary taxable value figures released by the Polk County Property Appraiser's office. The county had been flagged as one of the nation's fastest growing. The total value of new construction in Polk last year was valued at $2,823,688,596, a $92 million increase over activity in 2023. That brought the county's total valuation to $72,161,387,998. An 8.8 percent jump. The...
After a soggy end to May, Floridians are looking forward to the June 1 start of Hurricane season with a sense of trepidation. A rash of hurricanes in recent years has many still facing the costs of cleanup and repair, while along the coasts, many homes remain wrecks. According to forecasters, the upcoming season is likely to once again be "above average," although average has become a moving target. Most models are reflecting that, given sea-surface temperature closer to...
A gathering of volunteers, supporters, and staff of the Lake Wales Care Center gathered Friday near the organization's offices on East Park Avenue to celebrate and mark the 40th anniversary of the non-profit that has come to be among the most essential providers of services for a significant share of the area's population. Hundreds turned out in sweltering weather to seek shelter from the intense sun in the shade of a large tent erected to house them, eager to mark their parti...
Plans for new studio apartments with lake access on Lake Padgett are advancing following action by the Lake Wales City Commission. The construction of new apartments on the site of the former Green Gables Inn will likely proceed with a significant reduction in density after a redesign of La Provence was approved by the Lake Wales City Commission. The commission had previously approved a plan that would have allowed a total of 165 new units. Attempts to reach a representative...
Swimming at Frostproof's popular Lake Clinch beach should be a bit safer if area boaters observe a new law requiring them to stay clear of designated zones on three Polk County lakes. Polk County Board of County Commissioners have approved an ordinance repealing and reinstating the Polk County Waterway Protection Code. Concurrently with this ordinance, the board passed a resolution establishing vessel exclusion zones for designated swim areas in certain areas of Frostproof's...
A street ride on a homemade go-cart on Alturas-Babson Park Cutoff Road (ABC Road) ended in tragedy for two men Saturday night. The Polk County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call around 9:20 p.m. on Saturday, May 24th, about a collision between the cart and a Hyundai Elantra on the Bartwo segment of ABC Road According to traffic homicide investigators, a 33-year-old man who lives in the area was operating the go-cart with a 38-year-old male passenger. As the pair were...
UPDATE: Lake Wales City Commissioners approved the relevant ordinances Tuesday on a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Carol Gillespie dissenting. The ordinances will require a second reading and vote before they become final. A proposal that will permit four million square feet of industrial space and nearly 3,000 new homes will be considered by the Lake Wales City Commission at its regular meeting Tuesday night. The Stoneridge development includes 1,287 acres with frontage of SR 60...
After a long but successful legal battle over the title to the historic Walesbilt Hotel, the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency is wasting no time moving to begin their efforts to see the building redeveloped. The CRA has approved the hiring of the engineering firm of Kimley-Horn to conduct an evaluation of the hotel that will include a structural property condition report and a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. The report the firm will generate will be included...
A Sebring woman driving north in the southbound lanes of US 27 was the apparent cause of a head-on crash Thursday night that claimed her life and that of a second motorist. According to Polk County Sheriff's Traffic Homicide investigators, a witness to the crash confirmed that a black 2021 Toyota Corolla had been heading northbound in the left southbound lane of US 27 at about 10 p.m. A separate call to the emergency 911 system reported that a wrong-way driver was traveling no...
Three rail crossings on the west side of Lake Wales will be closed for repairs to the grades, although CSX has predicted that each closing will last only 24 hours. Scheduled crossing closures include Old Ice House Road, North Lake Wales Alturas Road, and Alturas Babson Park Cut-off Road. All three crossings serve the main CSX line, which carries both passenger and freight traffic. Old Ice House Road is scheduled to close at the rail crossing south of Morrel Avenue at 7 a.m....
AdventHealth Lake Wales has been awarded an "A" Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of excellence in patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. The Leapfrog Group assigns an "A," "B," "C," "D" or "F" grade to general hospitals nationwide based on over 30 performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them. "It's a...
A daring daylight robbery of an 11-year-old child participating in a school fundraiser resulted in the arrest of a Davenport man who is now facing multiple charges. According to Lake Wales Police, the child was selling chocolate on a downtown street and proudly revealed to the robber that he had collected $107 in donations for his school. The man, later identified as 18-year-old Isaiyah Cabrera of Davenport, "snatched an envelope containing the money and fled the scene on an...
A Dundee man who was attempting to cross County Road 542 in Dundee was struck and killed by a vehicle Friday,. The incident occured in darkness at about 10L45 p.m. According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office Traffic Homicide Unit, the 911 center received a call from the 900 block of Dundee Road in Dundee. The 41-year-old driver of a 2004 Buick sedan was reportedly heading east on Dundee Road, entering the right turn lane to head south on U.S. Hwy 27 as the pedestrian was...
