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  • Local Pastors Issue Invitation to May 6 National Day of Prayer Observance

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated May 3, 2021

    Lake Wales area pastors invite the public to gather at noon Thursday, May 6 for the annual National Day of Prayer observance. The event will take place outside in the breezeway of the city administration building at 201 W. Central Ave. This year's theme is "Lord, Pour Out Your Love, Life, and Liberty." It is based on the Bible verse 2 Corinthians 3:17, which says "Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." The featured speaker offering a brief devotional will be Col....

  • Missing Chihuahua Valdez Returns Home After 9 Months

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Apr 22, 2021

    Sandy Dent never gave up hope, and after more than nine months her missing chihuahua, Valdez, is finally home. Dent regularly checked lost pet sites and posted photos on social media, hoping someone would recognize Valdez, who ran off last July 4 after being frightened by fireworks. As it turns out, Valdez has been well cared for by three different women and even added three pounds to his former 9-pound frame. "I said I would not give up, and I didn't," Dent said. "This is...

  • Scavenger Hunt Helps Celebrate National Library Week

    Tina Peak, Library Director|Updated Apr 15, 2021

    This week, the Lake Wales Public Library encourages all community members to visit their website to explore and access virtual services and programs. The Lake Wales Public Library offers a wide array of online resources that are available from the comfort of home, including online training resources through Gale Courses and Gale Presents Udemy. The website also features downloadable eBooks, audiobooks, movies, television and magazines with their OverDrive, Hoopla and Flipster...

  • Carillon Classic 5K Celebrates 10th Anniversary Saturday, May 1

    Updated Apr 15, 2021

    Offering one of the most picturesque race routes in the country, the Carillon Classic 5K presented by AdventHealth returns to Bok Tower Gardens, Saturday, May 1 at 7:30 a.m. Registration for the event began Friday, March 12, and is available at www.boktowergardens.org. The cost is $30 per participant and includes an event t-shirt, event momento, and post-race refreshments (price increases to $35 week of race). Prizes will be awarded for the top three runners in each age...

  • Celebrate Gopher Tortoise Day Year-round with a Tortoise Friendly Yard

    Updated Apr 8, 2021

    The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) invites you to celebrate Gopher Tortoise Day on April 10. This year, you can celebrate gopher tortoises by making your yard tortoise friendly and participating in our new recognition program. The FWC's new Gopher Tortoise Friendly Yard Recognition Program honors Florida's private landowners for contributing to wildlife conservation. Gopher tortoises live in every Florida county and, since more than half of the land...

  • Addicts Consider Short-Term Detox

    Shauna Krout, Contributing Writer|Updated Apr 8, 2021

    Addicts and alcoholics will be quick to jump into a detox program in hopes to solve their addiction in 3-7 days. One of the reasons they get stuck on drugs and alcohol is because when they try and stop they go into withdrawal and it is very uncomfortable. Short term medical detox programs will get you through the physical withdrawal as comfortably as possible with the use of drugs, and that's really it. Let's not forget that they still need to deal with why they got addicted...

  • The Numbers 13 and 14

    Christian Ponder, Contributing Writer|Updated Apr 8, 2021

    Many times life here and now is challenging for us and extremely challenging for many others. We can easily feel overwhelmed by our personal and community circumstances when we look at how our goals can be accomplished using only "our" resources, physical strength, intellectualism, craftiness, or our ability to manipulate others. When we fail to see what God can do when we truly and continually line ourselves up with His will for our lives, we can get depressed that there are...

  • Easter Brings Memories of Passion Play in Lake Wales

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Apr 1, 2021

    Editor's Note: We are republishing a past story, remembering the Passion Play during Easter Week. Easter Week always brings fond memories of the three months each winter that the Lake Wales community came together to participate as "extras" to help dramatically depict the last seven days of Jesus Christ on Earth. I don't remember exactly how many years I participated in the Black Hills Passion Play winter productions – so many Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and a...

  • An Easter Memory

    Cynthia J. Turner, Contributing Writer|Updated Apr 1, 2021

    EASTER I love Easter. It's my favorite holiday. May you enjoy this remembrance from Easter 2004 . . . It was my first Easter without my beloved father. I was in line at Walmart and noticed the plaid shirt of the elderly man in front of me. He also was waiting to check out. His shirt was worn paper thin and showed hand-stitched patches of repair in various areas. My Dad had loved plaid. I wanted so much to treat this stranger to a new shirt. But...how? He was ahead of me and...

  • Smithsonian Exhibit in Polk Celebrates Accomplishments of Women

    Updated Apr 1, 2021

    A Smithsonian poster exhibit that celebrates the invention accomplishments of both locally and nationally known women is on display through March 31 in lobby of the Polk County Administration Building in Bartow. The exhibit, "Picturing Women Inventors," explores the inventions of 19 highly accomplished American women including astronauts, computer pioneers, businesswomen, athletes, engineers and teenagers. The exhibit will also include content that features the contributions...

  • Kris Fitzgerald, Lake Wales City Commission Seat 4 Candidate

    Updated Apr 1, 2021

    Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted. Kris T.Y. Fitzgerald Lake Wales City Commission Seat 4 Candidate AGE: 40 OCCUPATION: Senior Administrator at The Vanguard School-Director of Residential Life/License Mental Health Counselor. Qualified Supervisor for LMHCs. YEARS LIVING IN LAKE WALES: Born and raised in Lake Wales. I only moved away for brief periods of time while in the USAF...

  • Gopher Tortoise "Shell-abration" Set for April 10

    Updated Apr 1, 2021

    Five years ago the Gopher Tortoise Council declared April 10 Gopher Tortoise Day. This day was proclaimed to celebrate all things gopher tortoise, giving one of Florida's most important reptiles a much deserved bask in the sunlight. April 10 is again set aside this year to celebrate and raise awareness for this native tortoise species. How can you get involved? There are plenty of easy ways to get involved in Gopher Tortoise Day! • Ask your local officials to adopt a r...

  • Daniel Williams, Lake Wales City Commission Seat 2 Candidate

    Updated Apr 1, 2021

    Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted. Daniel Williams Lake Wales City Commission Seat 2 Candidate Hello my name is Daniel Williams, I'm 47 years old an a native of Lake Wales, Florida. I graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1991 and went on to attend Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. I graduated from "The Peay" in 1996 with a double major in Political Science and...

  • Dr. Ricardo Navarro, Lake Wales City Commission Seat 2 Candidate

    Updated Apr 1, 2021

    Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted. Dr. Ricardo Navarro Lake Wales City Commission Seat 2 Candidate Age: 33 years old Occupation: • Internal Medicine Physician. • Owner and President of Navarro Medical. • Medical Director for the Hospitalist Medicine program at Advent Health Lake Wales • Consulting Physician for Vitas Healthcare Years Living in Lake Wales : Twenty-seven (27) ye...

  • Al Goldstein, Lake Wales City Commission Seat 4 Incumbent

    Updated Apr 1, 2021

    Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted. Al Goldstein Lake Wales City Commission Seat 4 Incumbent OCCUPATION: Retired YEARS LIVING IN LAKE WALES: 8 COMMUNITY SERVICE: Former President of Lake Ashton Republican Club., Former Vice Chairman of Polk Republican Executive Committee EXPERIENCE SERVING ON BOARDS: Lake Wales representative to the PRWC Polk Regional Water Cooperative, Lake Wales...

  • First Baptist Offering Drive-Through Easter Event April 2-3

    Updated Apr 1, 2021

    Due to the overwhelming positive response to their "Drive-Thru Christmas" and since there remains concern about the spread of COVID-19, a local church in Lake Wales is presenting a "Drive-Thru Easter" during Easter weekend in 2021. This dramatic event will be presented by the membership of First Baptist Church of Lake Wales on their church grounds for two evenings, Friday April 2 and Saturday April 3 from 7-9 p.m. nightly. The event will feature four scenes from the biblical...

  • Woman's Club Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser March 25

    Updated Mar 24, 2021

    The Woman's Club of Lake Wales is hosting its 33rd Annual Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser on Thursday, March 25. The meals are $10 each and include salad, pasta, garlic bread and dessert. They will be boxed for pickup from 4-6 p.m. at the club house at 275 E. Park Ave. Delivery is available to those purchasing at least 10 meals by calling 863-949-0217....

  • Polk Toys for Tots Campaign Recognizes 2020 Challenge Winners

    Updated Mar 24, 2021

    The 2020 Polk County Toys for Tots Campaign distributed 57,716 toys to 14,761 underprivileged children. In addition to various drop box sites throughout the county, several organizations conducted drives and competed with other organizations in toy drive challenges. The office of State Attorney Brian Haas was the winner of the 2020 Toys for Tots Government Agency Challenge. In addition to the State Attorney's office, the Public Defender's Office, Tax Collector's Office,...

  • Visitor Center Hosts Free Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 3

    Updated Mar 24, 2021

    Central Florida's Visitor Information Center (CFVIC) will host an Easter Egg Hunt event on Saturday, April 3. This free event will take place from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., featuring kid-friendly activities, giveaways and egg hunts beginning at the top of each hour (children will be separated into three age groups for each of the four sessions). There will be chances to win LEGOLAND® Florida Resort and Bok Tower Gardens tickets and vendors will be on hand with local goods and t...

  • History Museum Gets Grant to Create African American Archive and Exhibit

    Updated Mar 17, 2021

    The Lake Wales History Museum has been awarded a Community Project Grant of $5,000 from Florida Humanities and $10,000 from the Duke Energy Foundation to create a new Lake Wales African American Archive and Exhibit. The project will include conducting new research, collecting oral histories, and securing new donations to establish the archive. Emmanuel George, a Florida historian, has been hired to conduct intensive research for six-weeks from March 2 to April 15, 2021. His...

  • Florida Fish Student Art Contest Entries Due by March 31

    Updated Mar 17, 2021

    The deadline is fast approaching for the 2021 Art of Conservation™ Florida Fish Art Contest, hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). This contest is open to youth in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade from across the globe. The deadline to enter is March 31. Students from Florida can win top honors, international recognition and prizes while learning about fish, fishing and aquatic conservation. The Art of Conservation inspires young p...

  • What Time is It?

    Michael Wilder, Contributing Writer|Updated Mar 17, 2021

    I woke up Sunday morning, March 14th at 6 a.m., or was it 7, or 8? Before going to sleep Saturday evening, I changed the time on the clock on my nightstand, "springing it forward" an hour for Daylight Savings Time. I was unaware that it would automatically recognize Daylight Savings and set itself. My phone, I thought would recognize Daylight Savings, and would adjust accordingly, but I wasn't certain. When I woke up at 6 a.m. Sunday morning, my phone displayed 6 (I believed...

  • Dr. Pass Honored in Congressional Record During Black History Month Event

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Mar 5, 2021

    Because of her parents' race, being born at Lake Wales Hospital in 1966 wasn't an option for Dr. Carolyn Pass. Now she's the local hospital's chief of staff. The family practice physician with Optum Care rose through the leadership ranks of Advent Health Lake Wales, formerly Lake Wales Hospital, where she has been on staff for the last 20 years. Pass was one of nine Central Florida community leaders, four from Polk County, honored Feb. 18 by U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, who read...

  • Bok Carillonneur's Original Choral Composition Wins Top Music Prize

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Mar 5, 2021

    Bok Tower Gardens carillonneur Geert D'hollander says the music of The King's Singers has inspired him since he was a child. That's why he is especially thrilled that the famed a cappella group awarded his original choral composition their top New Music Prize for 2021. "Winning this competition is an incredible honor as a musician and one of their biggest fans," said D'hollander, a Belgium-American who became Bok carillonneur in 2012. "To me, it's like standing in front of...

  • Love Your Enemies

    Michael Wilder, Contributing Writer|Updated Mar 5, 2021

    "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" (Matthew 5:43, 44) Jesus foretold of His impending death many times times during His earthly ministry. We find this declaration no less than six times in Matthew's Gospel (Matt. 12:40; 16:21; 17:22,23; 20:17-19, 27,28;...

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