A fatal two-vehicle crash occurred near Frostproof on Sunday, January 5, 2025, and continues to be investigated by the Traffic Homicide Unit of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched at 6 pm to the crash on US 27 at Charles Street.
Upon arrival of first responders, 37-year old Kevin Loring was found deceased.
Mr. Loring was the driver of a black 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle.
The other driver, a 48-year old Frostproof woman, was transported from the scene by ambulance with minor injuries. She was the driver of a silver 2017 Nissan Quest van.
According to the preliminary investigation based on evidence and witness statements, the motorcycle had been traveling north on US 27. The van, traveling west on Charles Street, stopped at the intersection for a stop sign, then proceeded forward to make a left (south) turn onto southbound US 27. In doing so, the van crossed into the path of the oncoming motorcycle, and the vehicles collided.
The impact caused Mr. Loring to be ejected from the bike. He was wearing a helmet.
On the afternoon of December 31, 2024, Kaitlyn Morgan Kieffer, of Lake Wales, and Kyle Justin Maddox, also of Lake Wales, were married in a beautiful and intimate ceremony on the banks of the Little River in Greenbrier, a forested cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Immediate family was present for the ceremony, including daughter, Brynlee Kae. The family celebrated with ice cream after the ceremony, and an intimate dinner at the family cabin. The couple spent their honeymoon in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area of Tennessee. 
Kaitlyn is a kindergarten teacher with Lake Wales Charter Schools. Kyle is the owner and operator of Stryker Land Management Services LLC in Lake Wales. The family will reside in Babson Park.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a fatal motorcycle crash on Hwy 27 in Frostproof. The crash occurred at 6:01pm at the intersection of Charles St & Hwy 27.
According to Brian Bruchey, Public Information Officer, with PCSO the accident involved a van vs. motorcycle. According to Bruchey the motorcyclist is deceased.
The investigation is underway and we will update as soon as more information is released.
At approximately 6:18 PM on Sunday, January 5, 2025, traffic collision was reported near 190 Highway 60 in Lake Wales.
It was reported as a single vehicle accident. The vehicle was moved into the parking lot behind Pizza Hut, where a law-enforcement presence remains. Lake Wales Police Department and Polk County Fire Rescue are on scene.
Back from an eight-month stay in East Africa Tanzania, Lake Wales local Arthur White of Orgen D’nal is back to share the experiences and insights he has gained through the lens of natural and organic practices.
Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales is hosting this class on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at their outdoor kitchen from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Inspired by the vibrant lifestyle of East Africa Tanzania, you can join in this program featuring tasty juice blends sprinkled with health and wellness tips. Learn to create homemade cold-pressed juices with simple recipes without a ton of ingredients.
This class will cover a range of topics, including: * The benefits of juicing with organic fruits and vegetables. * Techniques for incorporating locally sourced, sustainable ingredients. * The health advantages of various juice combinations inspired by East African practices. * Tips for living a more sustainable lifestyle, even in urban environments.
Each participant will receive one 12oz bottle of cold-pressed juice, and samples of the juices created.
The instructor, Arthur White III, B.S, MPH, is a Polk County native inspiring thousands of people to eat and live well. He is a certified personal trainer, healthy juice coach, known for developing personal training programs for weight loss as well as building lean muscle for his personal training clients at Kingdom Fitness & Nutrition. Arthur has created well-crafted meal plan recommendations for hundreds of local residents and his juice team bottled more than 12,000 cold-pressed juices at their family-owned cafe & juice bar in Lake Wales FL, within the frame of only 2 years.
Arthur earned his Bachelor’s in Health Science from Florida A & M University and later earned his Master’s in Public Health from the Institute of Public Health College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Florida A & M University. Arthur and his wife Stephanie opened a private personal training studio, Kingdom Fitness & Nutrition and Orgen D’nal Cafe & Juice Bar to bring healthy choices to communities that are underserved; making healthy foods affordable, vibrant, and culturally embodying.
William “Wilbur” Hoecherl of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, December 29, 2024 at AdventHealth Lake Wales.
He was born September 5, 1957 in Miami; he moved to Lake Wales from Loxahatchee 17 years ago. Wilbur was a firefighter for the Broward County Fire and Rescue Department for 30 years and was a fireman for Nascar Racing. He was a member of Lake Hamilton First Presbyterian Church. Wilbur had a great sense of humor and would always tell Willie stories. He enjoyed camping, biking, and welding. Wilbur never met a stranger, he would help anyone in need and loved to make people laugh. He was very handy man who could build or repair anything. Wilbur loved his family dearly, they were the most important thing in his life.
Wilbur was preceded in death by his father, William Valentine Hoecherl. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Sue Hoecherl; son, Daniel J. Hoecherl of Orlando; mother, Marcella Hoecherl of Tallahassee; and brothers, Robert Hoecherl of North Carolina, Raymond Hoecherl of Cooper City, and Scott Hoecherl of Tallahassee.
On Monday, January 6, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Tucker Paving, Inc. will mill and pave along Martin Luther King Blvd. Please follow detours and flaggers for safety.
Questions? Contact Scott Elswick, Project Manager, Tucker Paving, Inc., at (863) 514-4912.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested 78 people for Driving Under the Influence of alcohol and/or drugs in December.
These 78 arrests were PCSO arrests only, and do not include arrests in Polk County made by any of the city police departments or the Florida Highway Patrol.
If you see someone who appears to be driving while impaired, please call 9-1-1 immediately.
Brian Bruchey, public information officer with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, has officially confirmed the victim in this case was identified as Daniel Angeles-Dimas, 26, an individual that was reported missing on Jan. 2nd.
He was last seen on Jan. 1, 2025, at 4:30 a.m., according to Bruchey.
“The autopsy is not complete yet, so no cause of death has been determined,” says Bruchey.
“A nearby resident discovered the victim floating in the water near the shore on January 4th at around 10:23 a.m.
“At this time, the death does not appear suspicious, but this is an ongoing investigation.”
The Polk County Fire Rescue along with the Polk County Sheriffs Office and the Frostproof Fire Department were called to Lake Clinch Saturday morning regarding a possible water rescue.
According to initial information a water rescue and possible drowning was called in at 10:21am. The area is near West F St. and the intersection of N. Palm Ave. The West F St. is a dead end street which leads to the shores of the lake. PCSO deputies have the roadway blocked while the investigation continues. Brian Bruchey, Public Information Officer, with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a body was found floating in Clinch Lake in Frostproof this morning. He could not confirm if the death was from drowning or other causes at this time.
Recently a missing person’s report went out for a young man in that area. It has not been released if this is related to that missing person’s case at this time.
This is a developing story and we will update as more information is released.
If you’re looking for a day trip idea that’s not to far, sounds fun and relaxing, and may involve a sweet treat, consider the Sugar Express.
With the closest station in Sebring, the Sugar Express steam locomotive No. 148, a 4-6-2 type steam engine, is a 100-year-old icon of American ingenuity. No. 148 is now again back operating on the U.S. Sugar rail lines, after it has seen multiple owners, and many uses over its hundred year career.
Thanks to the vision of U.S. Sugar CEO Robert H. Buker, Jr., No. 148 was re-acquired by U.S. Sugar for restoration to operation in 2016. A team of outside railroad preservation experts and more than two dozen U.S. Sugar employees completed the project in April 2020.
The Sugar Express travels between Sebring, Lake Placid, and Clewiston, depending on the excursion.
The 2025 season will begin with three weekends of events in January featuring Sugar Express steam locomotive no. 148, including the Lake Placid Local out of Lake Placid, Clewiston Comet between Lake Placid and Clewiston, Highlands County Crescent out of Sebring, Lake Placid Limited between Clewiston and Lake Placid, and the Palmdale Pioneer Ice Cream Train.
