Winter Haven’s first formal school house is pictured here, with both students and teacher (circa 1910).
Did you hear the one about the Vermont legislator who wants to limit ownership and use of cell phones to adults?
Last week I heard a rumor. After some research I discovered it was true.
It wasn’t all that long ago that January meant a huge celebration of citrus was just around the corner. Between 1924 and 2008, the celebration was known variously as the Orange Festival, Citrus Exposition and, finally, as the Citrus Showcase.
I can’t understand why some people have pets, when they don’t care to take care of the pets.
Here’s another look at the F.A.K. Harris Store. It was both Winter Haven’s first residence (upstairs) and commercial structure.
A law went into effect in 2019 that was intended to cut down on people who are texting on their cell phones while they’re driving on public roads.
Seldom in my memory have Americans been so divided on the issue of national political leadership.
The holiday season has come and gone, but let’s continue to be thankful and grateful for the simple things we are blessed with. Be grateful for time with family and friends. Let us be thankful for achieving the small successes in life.
Florida, known for its beautiful beaches, natural wonders and vibrant tourist attractions, continues to grow rapidly.
With the New Year, we introduce a new weekly photo from Winter Haven’s history.
Today’s column will end our “Beneath the Chinaberry” series.
The presidential election of 1964 was the first one in which I voted, and I have never missed one from that day to this.
As 2019 comes to a close, it appears that we will finish with a total of 11 reported cases of rabies in Polk County.
Polk State College is celebrating a successful 2019 thanks to the Polk County Legislative Delegation, and the College is optimistic ahead of the 2020 Legislative Session that the support of local legislators will ensure continued access to a Polk State education for all residents of Polk Cou…
As the odometer rolls over on the New Year next week, Bartowans (and any residents of neighboring communities who care to join us) will celebrate this annual milestone in a unique fashion.
On Sept. 17, America quietly observed Constitution Day, the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has investigated three recent cases within one week which we refer to as “distraction burglaries.”
“Frisbie,” the kindly old colonel told me a few months after I joined the Florida National Guard in 1964, “you and I are the last guardians of the printed word in this brigade.”
Every generation, children occupy themselves with new types of toys and technology.
In my youth, one of my favorite comic strips was “They’ll Do It Every Time,” drawn by Jimmy Hatlo from 1929 to 1963.
What have we really become in the United States of America?
This past week, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to what was perceived to be a threat at Davenport School of the Arts.
When several hundred intellectually gifted middle school youngsters return to class at Union Academy Middle Magnet School and its International Baccalaureate curriculum this month, they will be the 122nd class to be educated at a school with one of the most diverse and remarkable histories i…
The date was May 10, 1958, when Austin T. Race, Jr. invited 13 year-old Michael Barry to try his hand at “dibbling.”
Detectives and crime analysts at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office have noticed a growing trend in what are referred to as “distraction thefts” or “quick-change scams.”
Ask a veteran of the armed forces for two dates in his or her life, and in my experience they will be able to tell you the date entered on active duty and the date released to civilian life.
Garage sales have long been the best way for people to sell their unwanted items. Then along came eBay, and people began selling their things that way.
The past two columns have shared memories of a small neighborhood off Havendale Boulevard near Lake Jessie. Born in the mid-1950s, the developers named the area Biltmore Shores.
Back in the 1950s — my teenage years — movie theaters were not multiplexes in shopping malls.
It was the mid 1950s and Winter Haven, like so many Florida locations, was experiencing a spurt of growth.
This is a rather depressing statistic to begin with, but it’s very important. In 2018, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigated a total of 80 fatal crashes.
There is a major concern that is being discussed among community and political leaders right now and that concern is homelessness.
It was the mid-1950s and Winter Haven, like so many Florida locations, was experiencing a spurt of growth.
During the month of July 2019, Polk County Animal Control is offering a new promotion — “Sizzling Saturdays” — with free pet adoptions every Saturday in July to help adopt out as many wonderful cats and dogs as we can and see them go to loving homes.
In the wake of June’s back-to-back Democratic presidential debates, the campaign has deteriorated into a “gotcha” contest more appropriate for a kids’ playground.
To our faithful readers: I inadvertently omitted to send this first installment of “Early Polk History.” You have read Parts II and III. Now for Part 1. My apologies.
A recent article in Business Facilities called Florida an “economic super-state,” praising the way our state “excels at getting people, products and services anywhere.”
Polk State College is celebrating a successful 2019 Legislative Session as Governor Ron DeSantis has signed the state budget which includes funding to preserve the Polk State JD Alexander Center — our Lake Wales Campus — and recurring operational support.
Of the languages I studied in my academic career — English and Spanish — I always did best in English, despite all its irregularities.
The year was 1928 and M. F. Hetherington was the retired publisher of the Lakeland Evening Telegram.
The year was 1928 and M. F. Hetherington was the retired publisher of the Lakeland Evening Telegram. It was this year that he published “The History of Polk County” — a 379-page compilation of early Polk history and biographical information of some of the county’s leading citizens.
Back in my elementary and junior high school days (we’re talking about the late 1940s and early 1950s) one of the most vile insults you could hurl without getting your mouth washed out with soap was to call a classmate a Yankee.
Last month, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced a large-scale, headline-grabbing prostitution sting that netted 154 arrests.
I had the opportunity to visit Florida’s Capitol in Tallahassee this year to meet with state lawmakers.
This is the time to celebrate students academic and educational success. Let’s cheer on the students that earned their way to obtaining straight A’s, the honor roll, and dean’s list.
The 2019 Legislative Session concluded May 4 with the budget now awaiting Governor Ron DeSantis’ approval. For the second time in three years, $2.5 million of Polk State College’s recurring operational budget supporting our Lake Wales Campus — more than 5 percent of the College’s total budge…
God placed us here on earth to love Him and others. When we follow God’s instructions life on earth can be a nice place to live.
