Visitors to Downtown Lake Wales may soon be able to stroll along a path of various statues set up in the Downtown Linear Park, now that the city is considering the approval of a sculpture garden.
At their regular meeting on Tues. Aug. 20, Lake Wales City Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the consent agenda, One agenda item included the installation of a concrete sidewalk for a proposed sculpture garden in the Downtown Linear Park.
The city is expected to spend an estimated $24,975 for the proposed project, which will include 1,850 sq ft of concrete sidewalk with salt finish.
According to the city memo, that amount “will be funded through a recent donation from Oakley Transport Inc. to the City of Lake Wales.”
The project was submitted by SMC Concrete & General Labor, LLC., and is expected to cost an estimated $24,975. The City of Lake Wales has also requested quotes from the following companies:
• SEMCO Construction – $35,136
• Grade-A-Way – $25,772
• SMC Concrete & General Labor, LLC – $24,975
City Staff is working with the Lake Wales Art Council on the proposed statue garden. The purpose of this project, as written in the city memo, is to fulfill, “a desire for bringing art into the parks.”
It’s time for another tax-free holiday in Florida, and this one includes a break on several items, including some can openers, smoke detectors, and cat food.
The Disaster Preparedness Tax-Free Holiday, promoted by the Florida Department of Revenue, starts today and runs through September 6, 2024. The two-week event offers shoppers in Florida the opportunity to purchase qualified items tax-free.
Items like manual can openers, some cat and dog foods, batteries, cat litter, and fire extinguishers are included in the tax-free holiday.
Here’s a complete list of the items that are exempt from tax during the holiday:
There are a few exceptions as to particular retailers that do not participate in the tax-free holiday. As a whole, most local retailers should have their cash registers programmed to automatically discount the sales tax. It is suggested that you check your receipt when you make a qualified purchase.
For more information on the tax holiday, included items, or FAQ’s, please visit floridarevenue.com/disasterprep.
On August 23, 2024 a call came in for a vehicle vs train crash on Old Lake Alfred Road and Dairy Road in Auburndale.
According to reports, the crash occurred around 11:58 a.m. It was initially reported that one vehicle crashed at the railroad tracks. It has since been determined that it was a Ford F150 truck and the train that was also involved was a train carrying passengers.
Assigned units:
-EN421
-BC420
-MR007
We reached out to Josh Starr, City of Auburndale Communications Manager. He confirmed that no injuries were reported at the time.
Emergency responders arrived on site at 12:11 p.m. Team cleared site at 08/23/24 12:26:45. after performing 86 Investigate by Aaron Sheppard.
When emergency responders arrived, they found one pickup truck in the roadway with heavy damage and one train with light damage. The first vehicle was a Ford F150 with heavy damage to the front end, front airbags deployed and all occupants out and ambulatory.
The second vehicle was a Siemens ALC-42 engine number 353 with light damage to the front and right side of the train engine. The conductor stated they checked will all passengers and none complained of injury.
Emergency responders checked the passengers of the vehicle for injuries, they declined and all units completed. CSX was already on scene to manage the railway. PCSO was performing traffic control then all units completed.
Photo source Gene Jason Estep Photo source Gene Jason EstepImage source Serenity LeitchImage source Serenity Leitch
Last evening, specifically Friday night, an incident occurred at the All Star Grill, located at 2019 Hwy 60 E in Lake Wales, that resulted in one arrest.
The following is a statement issued today by Lake Wales Police Department Deputy Chief Troy Schulze regarding what occurred last night:
“Officers responded to the above location in reference to a disturbance with a firearm. Prior to arrival, dispatch advised the suspect was armed with a handgun and leaving the parking lot in a grey Dodge Challenger.
“Officer Claros and Sergeant Rhoden located and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle as it attempted to exit the parking lot. As Officer Claros and Sergeant Rhoden approached the vehicle someone threw a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun out of the rear passenger window. The vehicle’s four occupants were removed and detained.
“Witnesses on scene advised one of the vehicle occupants had been in a heated argument with another person. During the argument, Prieto Lopez, a 55-year-old Kissimmee resident, pulled out a handgun and slammed it on the table where the others were sitting. Lopez then walked away, exiting the business, with the firearm in his hand.
“During the investigation Lopez admitted to displaying the firearm and slamming it on the table, to stop the argument. Lopez also admitted to throwing the firearm out of the car window when officers stopped the vehicle. The firearm was confirmed to be stolen out of Orange County on 12/01/2016.
The stolen firearm investigation is ongoing.
Lopez was arrested for improper exhibition of a firearm and tampering with physical evidence. Lopez was transported to PCJ (Polk County Jail), without incident.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit investigated a vehicle versus motorcycle traffic fatality last evening in north Lakeland, Friday, August 23, 2024, around 6:20 p.m. The driver of a black 2001 Mustang, 33-year-old Shannon Lally of Polk City, had just picked up her daughter at the school bus stop on Melody Lane at the intersection with Deen Still Road. Lally made a U-turn in the intersection to go the other way on Melody Lane to her home when a 2009 Ducati motorcycle that was heading west on Deen Still crashed into her. Lally told deputies she looked both ways before making the U-turn and did not see any oncoming traffic.
The motorcyclist, 44-year-old Michael Goodman of Mulberry, suffered significant injuries, to which he succumbed after being transported to the hospital. Nobody in the Mustang was injured.
Here on Cooking on the Ridge, I’ve been experimenting with various elaborate recipes, from cream cheese and bacon stuffed chicken breasts to pickle marinated ranch chicken.
However, sometimes you don’t want to prepare a meal that’s fancy, complicated, or over-the-top. Sometimes you want to make something simple and easy. (And sometimes, you want to cook something other than chicken!)
Sometimes, you don’t want to make something with a lot of flavor or fancy ingredients. Sometimes, you simply want a nice warm meal. Sometimes, you crave simple comfort food, something to make you feel better when you’re feeling down or having a bad day. (Like, for instance, when your faithful dog of 11 years eventually passes away!)
So, for this week’s recipe, I opted to prepare a meal that was simple, easy to make, and overall comforting–a meal that brings back warm and happy memories of better days gone by, especially one’s childhood.
To me, two meals come to mind when I think of childhood comfort food. First, macaroni and cheese. And second, Hamburger Helper.
I loved Hamburger Helper as a kid. I loved the noodles and sauce mixed with the various seasonings to make something like spaghetti only fancier–or, at least fancy by the standards of a single-digit-old child.
Obviously, Hamburger Helper isn’t so much a recipe as it is something you make from a box. But for this article, I chose a recipe that’s close enough: American goulash.
If you think about it, American goulash is essentially a fancier version of Hamburger Helper: ground beef browned and mixed with tomato sauce, pasta, and seasoning. It’s a simple and filling meal that makes for a real emotional picker-upper.
Even better: this recipe is prepared using a slow cooker. So, all you need to do is brown the beef and dump it in along with the other ingredients into the crockpot, then set it and forget it for the rest of the day until dinner rolls around.
I admit, this recipe, while simple, managed to offer simple comfort, especially during a time when I wasn’t feeling all that comfortable. It’s a delectable form of emotional support that’s great for a rainy day–or even a not-so-rainy day!
The following recipe is from The Cookie Rookie:
Ingredients
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large onion diced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 4 cups water
• 4 beef bouillon cubes
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes 1 standard can
• 30 ounces petite diced tomatoes 2 15-ounce cans
• 2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbsps Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups elbow macaroni
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
1. In a nonstick pan over medium heat, cook the ground beef until it’s no longer pink, about 7-10 minutes. Drain and add to the crockpot.
2. Add the onion, garlic, water, bouillon cubes, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and salt. Stir well.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2 hours.
4. 30 minutes prior to serving, stir in the macaroni. Cover and cook just until the noodles are tender.
5. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the cheddar cheese.
6. Serve immediately so that the pasta does not turn mushy.
The Lake Wales Family Recreation Center is hosting Flick & Float, a movie experience that can be enjoyed from either the pool or the pool deck, on Saturday, August 24.
This month’s movie is “Wish.” The festivities will begin at 7 PM, we kids will get the chance to participate in full site activities and win prizes.
Tickets are three dollars per person and must be purchased in advance using the link below. Space is limited, so you are encouraged to purchase your tickets early. Food will be available for purchase. It’s a great idea to bring your own lawn or beach, chairs and towels.
Azine Alistere “Zine” Ellis was born on Friday, May 24, 1991 at Brookdale Medical Center Hospital in Brooklyn, New York to parents, Oswald Ellis and Marlene Haughton.
He attended Miss Bess prep school, PS161, MS61, Williamsburg Preparatory School, Haines City High School (FL) and Kingsborough Community College.
Throughout his life he lived in Brooklyn, New York and Poinciana, Florida. His jobs included working as a Security Field Supervisor for Verizon and on Wall Street. He enjoyed traveling to other countries and multiple US states, experiencing his dual culture, shopping and listening to music. He liked playing video games, basketball, and other sports.
Azine passed away on July 25, 2024, at the age of 33, and was preceded in death by his brother, Adrian.
Survivors include his father, Oswald (Ozzie); mother, Marlene; sister, Camar; paternal grandmother, Daphne; maternal grandmother, Huldah (Liza); uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins and other families.
A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, August 26, 2024 at Lake Wales Memorial Gardens.
On August 22, 2024 the two men pictured entered the Dollar General at 306 Highway 60 E in Lake Wales. The first man was wearing a black Florida Gators t-shirt, blue shorts, white socks and black slides. The second male was wearing a white t-shirt, black pants, white socks and black crocs. The first male selected gift cards of different denominations and purposely confused the cashier. He ultimately scammed the store out of $1,062.94 in gift cards and cash.
Suspect wanted in Dollar General Theft
The two men then went to a store in Poinciana and used the gift cards.
This is an ongoing investigation.
If you have information pertaining to this case or the identity of this person, please contact the Lake Wales Police Department at 863-678-4223. Or, if you would like to remain anonymous and be eligible for a CASH REWARD through Heartland Crime Stoppers: call 1-888-400-TIPS (8477) or from your cell phone, dial **TIPS, or visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit a Tip”, or download the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet. 133 East Tillman Avenue – Lake Wales, Florida 33853 – (863) 678-4223 Office – (863) 678-4298 Fax
