The Lake Wales News

A roadside accident claimed the life of a county maintenance worker Wednesday morning. Full Story »

Putting up Christmas lights is fun, Mary Huchingson says, but something of a challenge, too. “I’d stick another strand on and throw it up in the tree – cause I’m so short – and ask myself ‘OK: Have I blown the fuse yet?’" Full Story »

Lake Wales needs economic growth, and the local chamber of commerce is hoping to team with the city to make that happen. Full Story »

Lake Wales police, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, used high-tech information-gathering techniques this week to identify the owner of a cell phone and the person who made a call to lure a food delivery driver to a vacant apartment where he was allegedly robbed at gunpoint. Full Story »

Rob Bagby and his award winning barbecue team have really done it this time. They were the Grand Champion winners in the pork division at the 21st Annual Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue Contest held in Lynchburg, Tennessee this fall. Full Story »

The Polk County Health Department received notification of the seventh laboratory confirmed H1N1 Swine flu related death in the county. Full Story »

A grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) may be just the answer commissioners are seeking to help reduce pollution runoff to Lake Wailes. Full Story »

When state lawmakers next week finally take a vote on the so-called Sun Rail proposal, there will be more than just passing interest on the Ridge on just which way the tally falls. Full Story »

After Christmas, Keenan Colson has the next 24 months of his life mapped out for him — he’s going to be serving time at the state prison. Full Story »

Former Lake Wales police officer Keenan Colson, 51, was sentenced today (Thursday) to 24 months in state prison for his role in undermining a drug investigation by revealing the identity of an undercover sheriff’s deputy to a known drug dealer. Full Story »

All of the hard work of the Citizen’s Cemetery Committee paid off as Lake Wales commissioners heard, and approved, the first reading of the proposed cemetery ordinance at last night’s meeting. Full Story »

Fannie Gibbs is coming home. For the last several years, she has had to travel from her home in Lake Wales to the adult day care center in Bartow. But once the Lake Wales Adult Day Health Care facility on East Central Avenue is finished, Fannie won’t have to spend the better part of the morning enroute to and from her day activities. Full Story »

The Circle of Friends Ministry has enlarged their circle. Besides running a gift shop and a snack shack, they’ve opened Jeni Bop’s Ice Cream Shop at Bargain City Indoor Flea Market on State Road 60. Full Story »

Foxholes haven’t been dug yet and there haven’t been any reinforced machine gun pillboxes erected, but new security measures are continuing to spring up at the Neil Combee Administration Center in Bartow as part of the fallout from Polk County government’s ongoing battle with fired county traffic engineer Gassan Zebdaoui. Full Story »

Ticekts for Friday night's regional football playoff game between Lehigh and Lake Wales will be available later this week, school officials said Monday. Beginning Wednesday, Lake Wales High will sell advance game tickets. Preferred seats are $8. Regular seats are $7. Advance tickets will be available from Guidance Counselor Autumn Bridges from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and ... Full Story »