The Lake Wales High School (LWHS) homecoming parade is set to make its way along First Street to Sessoms Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Mr. Anuj Saran, Principal of the Lake Wales High School, submitted the special event permit application. The parade is set to run from 4 PM to 5:30 PM.
Map of the parade route
LWHS requested the following city roads and streets be closed during the parade:
First Street from SR 60 to Central Avenue.
Central Avenue from First Street to Lake Shore Boulevard.
Lake Shore Boulevard from Central Avenue to North Wales Drive at Legion Field.
Orange Avenue and N 5th Street to Sessoms Avenue.
Parade line up begins at 3:30 PM in the parking lot of Polk Avenue Elementary School and on south First Street with the parade starting at 4:00 PM,
Bartow, Fla. (September 23, 2024) —CSX Transportation’s (CSXT) scheduled closure of the Saddle Creek Road rail crossing at the Saddle Creek Distribution Warehouse complex west Fish Hatchery Road has been postponed due to concerns for potential hurricane-related weather. The closure, scheduled to start Wednesday, September 25, will be rescheduled. A new notification will be released when Polk County is advised by CSXT of the restart date for the repairs needed to correct a track defect at the crossing.
For more details, contact Bill Skelton with the Polk County Roads & Drainage Division at (8363) 535-2200. Anyone wanting to report a public road rail crossing issue or complaint should call CSX at 1-800-232-0144 or email them at [email protected].
Helene is forecast to intensify and be near hurricane strength when it reaches the far northwestern Caribbean Sea early Wednesday. Tropical storm conditions are expected over portions of western Cuba and the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with hurricane conditions possible.
Helene is expected to rapidly intensify over the eastern Gulf of Mexico and be a major hurricane when it approaches the northeastern Gulf Coast on Thursday. The risk of impacts from life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds continues to increase along the coast of the Florida Panhandle and the Florida west coast.
Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches are in effect for much of that area and residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials.
Helene will bring heavy rain to portions of the western Caribbean, which will cause considerable flooding and mudslides across western Cuba. Heavy rainfall will likely result in locally considerable flash and urban flooding across portions of Florida, with isolated flash and urban flooding possible across the Southeast, Southern Appalachians, and the Tennessee Valley Wednesday through Friday. Minor to isolated moderate river flooding will be possible.
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NOAA National Hurricane Center:
Key Messages for Potential Tropical Cyclone #Nine
Tuesday September 24, 2024
The disturbance is forecast to intensify and be near hurricane strength when it reaches the far northwestern Caribbean Sea early Wednesday. Tropical storm conditions are expected over portions of western Cuba and the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with hurricane conditions possible.
The system is expected to intensify into a major hurricane before it approaches the northeastern Gulf Coast on Thursday, and the potential for life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds along the coast of the Florida Panhandle and the Florida west gulf coast is increasing. Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches have been issued, and residents should ensure they have their hurricane plan in place, and also follow advice given by local officials.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine will bring heavy rain to portions of the western Caribbean, which will cause considerable flooding and mudslides across western Cuba. Heavy rainfall will likely result in locally considerable flash and urban flooding across portions of Florida, with isolated flash and urban flooding possible across the Southeast, Southern Appalachians, and the Tennessee Valley Wednesday through Friday. Minor to isolated moderate river flooding will be possible.
For the latest forecast, please visit: Hurricanes.gov/#Nine
En Español: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/094028.shtml?spanish_key_messages#contents
Mary A. Heiler of Lake Wales passed away Friday, September 20, 2024 at her residence.
She was born November 25, 1952 in Lake Wales to the late Robert and Indiana Avirett; she has been a lifelong resident of the area. Mary was a commercial and residential realtor. She enjoyed debating politics and spending time with her family.
Mary was preceded of death by her parents, Robert and Indiana Avirett; and brothers, Buddy Avirett, Paul Avirett, Tom Avirett, and Frank Avirett. She is survived by her daughter, Dayna McKinney and husband Jonathan of Lake Wales; son, Brian McCoy and wife Ashley of Winter Haven; sisters, Janie Land of Lake Wales and Sara Ruth Pearce of Lake Wales; brothers, Ronnie Avirett of Sarasota, James Avirett of Pace, and Pat Avirett of Sevierville, Tennessee; and three grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 6:00 p.m., Friday, September 27, 2024 at Marion Nelson Funeral Home in Lake Wales.
Stacy Lee Newberry, age 68, of Winter Haven, Florida saw her last sunset on Sunday, September 8, 2024 peacefully with her family by her side. She was born in Akron, Ohio, the daughter of Norma and William “Dave” Fultz.
Stacy attended Polk Community College before transferring to the University of Florida, where she became an initiated member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. Her time as a Gator left an important mark on her, and she was known to proudly carry the title of “Forever Gator”.
On March 7, 1981, she married her soulmate, Gary Newberry. Professionally, Stacy served as the office manager at the Newberry Clinic of Chiropractic, where her organizational skills and warm demeanor were deeply appreciated by colleagues and patients alike.
Outside of her professional life, Stacy was an avid sports fan who loved cheering on her Florida Gators at football and baseball games. Her enthusiasm for sports extended beyond Gainesville, as she also enjoyed attending Giants baseball games in San Francisco. Stacy’s love for animals was equally profound—she was sure to stop traffic to rescue turtles and had a special place in her heart for all creatures great and small.
Stacy was a true kindred spirit, celebrated for her ability to light up any room with her presence, smile, and laugh. She cherished her time with family, often sharing old family stories that would bring laughter to all. Her dedication to holiday traditions and hosting gatherings made every occasion special.
Stacy is survived by her husband Gary Newberry; sisters Kimberly Gaines and Lori Priess; children Erin Newberry, Amy Bratten (Jake), and Kenneth Newberry; nephew Matt Gaines, grandchildren Regan Stiley (Will), James Bratten (Sarah), Cooper Galletta, Lacey Galletta, Hudson, Hallie Newberry, and Karsen Newberry; as well as great grandchildren Jemma Stiley and Jacob Bratten, and great niece, Jordyn Gaines. Stacy was preceded in death by her parents, Norma and Dave Fultz.
A memorial service was held on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Heartland Church, 225 Ave B NW, Winter Haven, Florida 33881.
Donations in Stacy’s memory may be made to the Polk County Sheriff’s K-9s.
Stacy will always be remembered as a beacon of joy and love—a forever Gator and a friend whose light will continue to shine in our hearts.
Effective Oct. 1, Polk County Solid Waste will no longer offer curbside recycling collection. These changes affect Polk County’s Solid Waste Division residential customers of unincorporated Polk. Residents can continue using the recycling bin for household or yard waste until it is no longer serviceable. For more information, visit www.polkwastewise.net.
The City of Winter Haven would like to emphasize that:
The City is not discontinuing or changing recycling services.
Not sure if you’re in City limits or reside in Unincorporated Polk County? The easiest way to check is the color of your garbage / recycling cans. City cans are blue & green while County utilizes grey & black cans.
“The disturbance is forecast to strengthen and be near hurricane strength when it reaches the far northwestern Caribbean Sea Tuesday night. Tropical storm conditions are expected over portions of western Cuba and the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with hurricane conditions possible.
The system is expected to intensify while it moves northward over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and it could be a major hurricane when it reaches the northeastern Gulf Coast on Thursday. There is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds along portions of the northern and northeastern Gulf Coast, including the Florida Panhandle and portions of the Florida west coast. Although it is too soon to specify the exact location and magnitude of impacts, residents in these areas should monitor the latest forecast updates and ensure that they have their hurricane plan in place.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine will bring heavy rain to portions of the western Caribbean which may lead to flooding and possible mudslides in western Cuba.
Bartow, Fla. (Sept. 23, 2024) — Polk County is making sandbags available throughout the county on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Locations listed below will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sandbag site locations are:
Mulberry/South Lakeland – Loyce E. Harpe Park, 500 W. Carter Road, Mulberry
Lakeland – 8970 N. Campbell Road, Lakeland
Fort Meade – 1061 NE 9th St., Fort Meade
Frostproof – 350 County Road 630A, Frostproof
Auburndale – 1701 Holt Road, Auburndale
Dundee – 805 Dr. Martin Luther King St. SW, Dundee
Poinciana Park – 5109 Allegheny Road, Kissimmee 34759
A maximum of 10 sandbags will be provided to each household address to help prevent water intrusion into the home. You will need to bring a driver license to show your local address.
Residents living in flood prone areas are encouraged to sandbag their homes. To protect against water damage, follow these simple sandbagging techniques. At the area where water can enter a structure:
If not working on concrete, dig a small ditch just deep enough to go below ground level. The ditch should be back far enough from the entrance to allow room to place optional submersible (sump) pumps into the protected area. The edge of the visqueen should be placed in the ditch as a bottom layer.
Place the first row of sandbags in ditch, fold visqueen over the top of first row, place a second row of bags on top, fold visqueen back over, place a third row of bags on top, and so on. This creates an “S” pattern with the visqueen.
Depending on the size of the barrier, submersible (sump) pumps can be used. The barrier will not completely stop water from entering the protected area; however, with the by properly placing bags, visqueen and sump pumps, water, in most cases, can be removed quickly.
At approximately 10:05 AM, a call was reported with regard to a vehicle fire at 338 Scenic Highway S. in Lake Wales.
The vehicle was in a parking lot at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported, although the vehicle was fully involved. The fire was extinguished by the Lake Wales Fire Department.
