Welcome to LakeWalesNews.net

More than 900 communities have lost their local newspapers in recent years. The print version of the Lake Wales News was nearly 100 years old when its owners decided it no longer was viable. Market conditions, printing costs and lack of advertisers contributed to its demise.

Enter LakeWalesNews.net. Nearly two dozen area residents have come together and volunteered to create a free, online news site. The goal is to serve as a watchdog of the public interest and a promoter of community spirit.

Local businesses already have signed on as "charter sponsors" to underwrite the costs of this new endeavor. With no track record or established readership, these community leaders are basically demonstrating that they love Lake Wales and believe it deserves a local news outlet.

Sponsors receive advertising and editorial benefits, but they are basically stepping out on faith. Please patronize their businesses and thank them for their support.

LakeWalesNews.net also is different in that it's basically a "crowd-sourced" online publication. Our success depends upon our readers embracing our work and contributing stories, photos, videos and other content. Our motto is "Hometown stories that count from people who care." We want you to not only tell us what's important to you, but to commit to sending us news, features, photos, videos, calendar items and updates about sports teams, schools, businesses, churches and other organizations you care about.

We want feature stories about interesting people who live in the greater Lake Wales area. And we want to hear your voices. (But please limit your comments to local issues; leave national politics to social media or national publications.)

The site will be free, but you need to register to get full access and the ability to comment on stories. We promise we won't share your personal information and will send only periodic email updates; you can opt out of these updates if you like. Classifieds will be free, and you can post photos with them.

We also need your help spreading the word about LakeWalesNews.net. Like us on Facebook and tell your friends about us. Our full launch is scheduled for Feb. 25, so please be patient as we work out the bugs and learn the software that will help us build a robust, community-focused site.

You also will be able to use your browser and access a mobile version of our site on your cell phones or other devices.

Chevon Thompson Baccus, APR, is publisher and executive editor. She is a former newspaper reporter and editor and public relations professional who has more than 35 years' experience writing for publication. You can reach her by emailing editor@lakewalesnews.net or calling 863-651-1065.