Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 301 - 325 of 705
Excel Athletics Force All-Star Cheerleading team won the All Out National Championships which took place recently in Orlando, Florida at Shingle Creek Resort. Force, a Minis all-star team consisting of girls ages 6 to 9 years old, competed against 7 teams and were awarded with the National Championship award, rings and a banner to hang in their gym. The competition took place on Saturday and Sunday. Excel Athletics, Inc. is an all-star cheerleading gym located in Winter Haven...
Have you ever thought about what it means to be of service? Winston Churchill once said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." We have all been born into the arms of men and women who served us - your mother who bore you, your father whose strong hand picked you up when you fell. Even if the only true gift your parents ever gave you was the gift of life, you have so much to be grateful for. Even if at home only your basic needs were met, you...
Editor's Note: Due to expected rain, the opening ceremony has been moved to 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20. Artist E.J. Nieves of Ocala will be painting a street mural over the Feb. 19-21 weekend in the city's northwest business district and the community is invited to participate. An opening ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 19 for the mural at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and C Street. A food truck will be on hand serving breakfast. In addition to Nieves,...
Darrell Starling already has an ambitious agenda in place following his recent hiring as the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Coordinator. In particular, Starling will work closely with the city[s Northwest neighborhood, one of two areas specifically targeted by the city's ambitious and award-winning "Lake Wales Connected" revitalization plan which also covers the historic downtown business district as well. City leaders expect to break ground on the early...
The Rev. J.J. Pierce was concerned that not enough people, especially those in the black community, were able to access vaccines for COVID-19. So he stepped up and started working with the Polk County Health Department to bring vaccines for about 600 people in Lake Wales. Pierce got the idea from a pastor friend in Winter Haven. So Pierce worked with about 20 churches in the area to identify people age 65 and over and health care workers who needed the vaccines. A schedule...
Lake Wales City Commissioner Curtis Gibson has been chosen as one of 20 participants in the 2021 Central Florida Political Leadership Institute, a regional, nonprofit program sponsored by the Orlando Economic Partnership. The program prepares business minded leaders throughout Central Florida for future leadership opportunities – as political candidates or appointees to government boards or commissions. Since its inception in 2008, 29 PLI graduates have served in public o...
Circumstances in life are hard to navigate through at times. One of the many things to be appreciated about The Bible is that it is practical and instructive in many places, especially in light of what we perceive to be confusing and challenging times. Below are some passages I have found worth reviewing and comforting to regain perspective as we navigate through life. May God grant us more of His wisdom through His Word in 2021. Romans 12:9-19 – Let love be genuine. Abhor w...
The Lake Wales Public Library has received "blessing bundles," courtesy of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., a community conscious, action oriented organization. The Gamma Phi Zeta Chapter of Polk County, through service within the community and the international initiative of Zetas Helping Other People Excel (Z-HOPE), provided 175 blessing bundles to Polk County libraries to include masks, sanitizer, gloves, tissues and wipes. In addition to the Lake Wales Library in Zone 4, the...
The Lake Wales Public Library invites adults 18 years of age and older to participate in the READ Lake Wales 2021 Challenge. Participants must be a library card holder from the Polk County Library Cooperative. The READ Lake Wales 2021 Challenge requires that adults complete 50 books between January 4, 2021 and December 10, 2021. Print, electronic and audio books are all accepted for entries. Participants may request an official READ Lake Wales 2021 reading log from the Lake...
Citizen Support Services is a group of people from our community who volunteer their time, talent, and financial assistance to support and advocate for needs that exist within Lake Wales, where existing service organizations are not well positioned to support or coordinate. Citizens of Lake Wales, in partnership with leadership from several community service organizations, aim to ensure support and equity is provided to citizens in need. During the month of December, members...
City residents can thank a local restaurant for helping the Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce find its 2020 Public Servant of the Year. Lake Wales Fire Chief Joe Jenkins – born and raised in the city and now celebrating 30 years with the department – was honored with the award in late December, for not only his service as chief, but as the city's Emergency Operations Director during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Jenkins said he didn't really know what he wanted to do whe...
Central Florida's Visitor Information Center (CFVIC) will host the "Caturday Kitten Cuddle" and adoption event on Saturday, Jan. 30, to benefit SPCA Florida. This family-friendly event will take place from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors can enjoy five minutes of kitten cuddling time for a $5 donation and all proceeds go to SPCA Florida. Cash and credit cards will be accepted. Vendors will be on-site selling items such as homemade pet treats, leashes, collars and grooming...
To make people more aware about hunger at home and around the world the Lake Wales Care Center will hold its annual Empty Bowls Auction and Reception, starting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26. The event is free and attendees can taste local soups and bid on bowls hand-painted by local artists and community "celebrities." It will take place outdoors and indoors at the Lake Ashton Clubhouse. Social distancing and masks are required. Empty Bowls is a nationwide program begun in...
Overwatering in winter can encourage pests and disease, so the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents who irrigate their lawns to skip a week or more of watering during the cooler months of January and February. According to research by the University of Florida, grass doesn't need to be watered as often during the cooler months. One-half to three-quarters of an inch of water every 10–14 days is sufficient. In fact, if your lawn has r...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
The next Polk County Sheriff's Office Concealed Weapons Permit Course is scheduled for 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 30. If the morning class fills up, a second class will be offered from 1-5 p.m. This is the class required by the Florida Department of Agriculture as part of an application to obtain a concealed weapons permit. To reserve a seat, call 863-298-6242, during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.) Callers will be given further instruction...
Polk County’s annual Environmental Lands Program calendar, which is dedicated to its volunteers and features natural sites throughout the county, is out and available to the public for free. The calendars can be picked up at the Nature Discovery Center at Circle B Bar Reserve, or at the reception desk in the Communications Division in Bartow. Polk’s volunteers know the ins and outs of what’s going on out in the field. They see and hear things no one else does. And their varie...
Fundraising is beneficial to our community, our club, and its members. Raising capital for a local project, recognized charity, affiliate organization, or an organization's outreach plans and operations, or a facilities maintenance, is an opportunity to make the achievements of an organization known throughout the community. As we work together on a fundraiser, we learn new skills and much more. Successful teamwork fosters cooperation, provides a sense of accomplishment,...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
With no announced opposition to date, Lake Wales City Commissioner Al Goldstein is pulling in some heavyweight endorsements for his re-election campaign. Goldstein was first elected in April 2019 with no opposition as the only candidate to qualify. Incumbent Tonya Stewart missed the deadline to submit the required 25 voter signatures to get on the ballot. The upcoming April 6 Municipal Election will include seven proposed city Charter amendments, Goldstein's Seat 4 and Seat...
Few of us over the age of four living in the United States, and indeed most of the whole world, will likely ever forget many of the unique events we encountered this year. We do remember that people have faced tough challenges before 2020, and challenges will certainly exist for many people after 2020. Below are some verses that we would do well to ponder [even in 2020]. May God grant us His blessings in this season and the seasons to come. Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the LORD w...
Looking for a new fundraiser to help offset COVID-19 losses, the Rotary on the Ridge is now offering "Otter-grams" for special occasions. The regional after-hours service club had to postpone its Treasure Map fundraiser until 2021, so the club came up with a unique gift idea to make up some of the lost revenue. The club has a human-sized otter costume it uses to make presentations of the Josh the Otter water safety program to area kindergartens and day cares. A costumed club...
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Dec. 23 the appointments of Ashley Bell Barnett, Greg Littleton, Teresa Martinez, and Mark Turner to the Polk State College District Board of Trustees. All members are continuing their service to the Board along with Chair Cindy Hartley Ross and member Dan Dorrell. "Our District Board of Trustees is comprised of dedicated members whose unwavering support of our students and steadfast commitment to providing affordable access to quality...
It's starting to feel like the Holiday Season! Whatever it may be that gives you that festive feeling – the festive lights being switched on in the city, the first pumpkin pies appearing in the stores or that friend who always seems to put up the tree in the middle of November– for many of us, the festive period is a time to look forward to. However, for some of us, it may not be such a joyous time as we seem to find ourselves at loose ends on that Special Day. Maybe lov...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
