Updated 12:51 pm: 60 E has the left lane now open, while the right lane remains blocked by the semi. Both westbound lanes of 60 are currently open. Traffic is still heavy in both directions.
At approximately 12:12 PM on Monday, December 23, 2024, Polk County Fire Rescue received a call regarding a vehicle fire near the intersection of 1st St. S. and Highway 60 E. in Lake Wales.
Photo by Maria Iannucci
A semi pulling a trailer is blocking the right eastbound lane and was on fire. Lake Wales fire department is in the process of extinguishing that fire. At 12:36 PM, both sides of Highway 60 are shut down being blocked by the truck and the firetruck. No one was transported with injuries.
Photo by Maria Iannucci
There is a significant backup of traffic in both directions approaching this intersection. Do not drive in this area until the roadways have been cleared.
Westbound lanes of 2400 Dundee Rd in Winter Haven (in front of the Day Surgery Center) are currently shut down due to a crash. Drivers should avoid the area if at all possible.
The southbound lane of First St. N at Ave. U NW is shut down due to a fire hydrant that was struck. It has caused damage to the pipe and crews are working to repair. This will significantly impact traffic on Lucerne Park Rd. Estimated time frame is five (5) hours. Police are on site diverting traffic around, however drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes during this time.
A Garfield Christmas is one of my favorite Christmas specials. I loved watching Garfield as a little kid, and this along with the Peanuts Christmas special were the two specials I looked forward to watching on CBS every year.
One scene involves the family cooking Christmas dinner. The mother is preparing sausage gravy when the grandmother decides to add some chili powder to kick it up a notch. The result is the father’s mouth getting set on fire when he eats it.
That scene inspired me to look up a recipe for homemade sausage gravy, specifically with chili powder. Sure enough, such a recipe existed, and I wanted to try it out. I love spicy food. And I love biscuits and gravy. So this recipe was right up my alley.
I prepared this recipe per its instructions. However, wanting to kick the spice level up an extra notch, I also added some diced chili peppers to the mix. The result was a really flavorful batch of gravy that went perfectly with homemade biscuits, along with some fried eggs and bacon.
This spicy sausage gravy is great for cold winter days, whether you want to start it with a warm hearty breakfast or warm up in the evening with a nice hot dinner. For breakfast or breakfast for dinner, nothing beats biscuits and gravy.
Southern Sausage Gravy (from On Ty’s Plate)
Ingredients
• 1 lb. breakfast sausage
• 3 c. milk
• 4 tbsp. flour
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 salt or to taste
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
Instructions
1. Cook the breakfast sausage in a skillet over medium heat using a spatula to break us the meat as it cooks. If the meat is very fatty, drain most of the excess fat retaining 1-2 tablespoons.
2. Make a hole in the center of the pan and place the butter there to melt. Follow with the flour and whisk into a paste or roux.
3. Gradually pour in the milk while whisky to dissolve the roux. Let the gravy thicken slightly before seasoning with salt, pepper, and chili spices. Remove the pan from the heat. Serve the gravy immediately over biscuits or bread.
Disney World guests can soon expect to see the Magic Kingdom light up the night with thousands of shimmering lights with its new nighttime parade, which is set to make its grand debut next summer.
During the D23 2024 expo in August, Disney announced many new rides and attractions coming to Disney Parks worldwide. One of those announcements was for a new nighttime parade set to premiere in the Magic Kingdom next summer.
Recently, during “The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular,” which aired on ABC on Sun. Dec. 1, the full name and logo of the parade were revealed: “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away.”
Disney Starlight will follow the tradition of previous nighttime parades like the Main Street Electrical Parade. It will star the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio. It will also include floats from Disney movies like Peter Pan, Moana, Frozen, and Encanto.
The Magic Kingdom has been without a proper nighttime parade since 2016 with the departure of the classic Main Street Electrical Parade. Since then, the park’s only form of nighttime entertainment.
So what will the new parade look like? Most likely, it will follow in the tradition of previous nighttime parades like the Electrical Parade and SpectroMagic, with floats and characters shimmering in thousands of lights and spectacular colors.
As Disney Parks Blog proudly announced: “The parade’s vibrant lights will dance in the dark, transforming the night into a mesmerizing canvas of glowing colors.”
And what will the parade sound like? Disney had yet to reveal the parade’s theme or soundtrack. However, many eager fans have put forward the effort of creating their own fan-made music.
Recently, a fan by the name of Jake Warden released a fan-made soundtrack for the parade. Taking inspiration from previous parades, the music weaves songs from classic Disney movies into a single vibrant melody.
This particular fan-made composition includes samples from songs from movies including Frozen, Moana, Wish, and Aladdin, and even songs from lesser-known films like “Miracles Happen” from The Princess Diaries and “This is What Dreams Are Made Of” from the Lizzie McGuire Movie.
At approximately 7:04 pm on Sunday, December 22, 2024, a residential fire was reported at 1105 Cephia St. in Lake Wales.
As of 7:53 PM, Lakeshore Boulevard is currently blocked in both directions by emergency personnel. Drivers are advised to avoid this area if it all possible.
Smoke is visible in the area of the reported fire. At least two engines from Lake Wales Fire Department are or were on scene.
Polk County Fire Rescue Public Information Officer, Amber Smith, says there was a kitchen fire, and no injuries have been reported. While the fire is out at this time, law-enforcement and first responders are still on scene; please continue to avoid this area.
Howard Leon DuChene of Frostproof passed away Thursday, December 19, 2024 at his residence.
He was born October 29, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois to the late Howard and Josephine DuChene; he moved to Frostproof from New Jersey 25 years ago. Howard was the Senior Vice President of Operations for Jefferies & Company and was a veteran of the United States Army. He was a member of Our Lady Of Grace Catholic Church. Howard spent his free time playing bridge and was a member of a Seniors Bridge Club. He was a fan of the Chicago Bulls and enjoyed traveling.
Howard was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Josephine DuChene; sister, Luella Fifer; and brother, Dennis DuChene. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Lydia DuChene; son, Steven DuChene (Kristy) of Waterloo, Illinois; daughter, Denise Harper (Steven) of Simi Valley, California; sisters, Patricia Pajka (Richard) of Glenwood, Illinois and Nancy Przybyla (Ronald) of Tinley Park, Illinois; grandchildren, Bailey, Derek, Carly; and many nieces and nephews.
Along Kissimmee Avenue stands a two-story quadplex. The structure was built in compliance with regulations at the time, but as regulations have changed since then, the structure is considered “nonconforming.” It now stands vacant and has become a “blighted property” due to wear and tear.
Fortunately, such “nonconforming” structures and lots will now be able to be better facilitated now that Lake Wales city commissioners have approved an ordinance amending the city code.
At their regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, Lake Wales city commissioners voted unanimously to approve the second reading of an ordinance amending the city code to permit structures and lotswith “nonconforming uses.”
The amended city code, according to the city agenda memo, will “allow residential uses, lots, and structures to keep their nonconforming conditions within the Core Improvement Area and Community Redevelopment Areas.”
These amendments will also exempt these nonconforming structures and lots “from losing their legal nonconformity after the use has been discontinued or in case the structure is damaged more than 50 percent of its just market value.”
These amendments to the city code were proposed to help facilitate the redevelopment of “vacant and blighted residential properties” whose redevelopment efforts were potentially obstructed due to existing regulations.
The Planning and Zoning Board recommended these city code amendments on Oct. 22, 2024. The City Commission voted to approve the ordinance’s first reading on November 19, 2024.
The Lake Wales Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred around or just after 4 PM on Saturday, December 21, 2024 on Winston Ave. in Lake Wales.
While it is early the investigation, Lake Wales Police Department Public Information Officer, Dale Hampton has confirmed that one person was shot in the leg. The injury is said to be non-life threatening.
Hampton says it is very early in the investigation and LWPD is working to determine a suspect.
A medical helicopter was witnessed landing in a nearby soccer field. A representative of Lake Wales Fire Department has confirmed that one person was transported.
The caliber of the weapon used is unknown at this time. This story will be updated if more information becomes available.
Aaron Peterson of Lake Wales passed away Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at Bartow Regional Hospital.
He was born December 23, 1969, in Lake Wales to the late Mike and Kathy Sullivan; he has been a lifelong resident of Lake Wales. Aaron was a dredge operator for E.R. Jahna Industries. He was a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Aaron was a member of the American Legion Post 3 in Bartow and the Winter Haven Moose Lodge. He was a hard worker and in his younger days was an outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing.
Aaron was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnie, and adoptive parents, Pete and Merle Peterson. He is survived by his companion, Sherry Brading; brother, Ronnie Peterson of Lake Wales; and half-sisters, Kelli, Christy, and Nikki.
Graveside services will be held 2:00 PM, Monday, December 23, 2024, at the Lake Wales Cemetery.
