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🌱 How Lake Wales teens are fast‑tracking into high‑paying STEM careers
Lake Wales, Florida Patch AM: a 5 min readHello again Lake Wales! We’re bringing you the latest town highlights. Don’t miss out, keep going! ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How Lake Wales teens are fast‑tracking into high‑paying STEM careers
- Where Lake Wales’ star Kamari Smith ranks among Polk’s top backs
Also on today's calendar: Fine Art at the Magnolia and 6 more events.
Today's riddle: Why did the cookie go to the Doctor ? 🤔 (Answer below!)
From our Partner
Today's Lake Wales Patch AM is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. After investing billions to light up their network from big cities to small towns, T-Mobile is America's Best Mobile Network in the US according to Ookla Speedtest®. Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data 1H 2026. We thank T-Mobile for their support in helping to keep communities like ours connected and for making today's Lake Wales Patch AM possible.
Find a T-Mobile store near Lake Wales.
- Thursday: A t-storm in the afternoon, with a high of 89 and low of 75 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
- Friday: A heavy thunderstorm around, temps: high: 89, low: 73.
- Saturday: An afternoon thunderstorm, with a high of 92 and low of 75 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• Pipeline between Lake Wales HS, Polk State Engineering Technology helps shape future for STEM in community (polk.edu) — Lake Wales High School students are tapping into a powerful STEM pipeline that lets them earn free college engineering credits through Polk State and smoothly transfer to Florida Poly. Graduates are already landing skilled jobs at companies like Lake Wales-based Petersen Industries, helping build a stronger, better‑paid local workforce in advanced manufacturing and engineering. 
• Here are Polk County's top 12 running backs for the 2026 season (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) — A new preseason ranking of Polk County’s top high school running backs spotlights Lake Wales senior Kamari Smith, who led the Highlanders with 1,573 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns last year. The list also notes another back who transferred from Lake Wales to Bartow, underscoring the program’s depth heading into the 2026 season.
📸 Around Lake Wales
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓
Upcoming Events in
Lake Wales
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
-
Fort Meade - Tabletop Time - All Ages
Lake Wales Public Library Fort Meade Public Library, 75 E Broadway St, Fort Meade, FL 338 -
Mulberry_Book Fair
Lake Wales Public Library 290 Cypress Garden Lane, Lake Wales, FL 33853
9:00 am -
Needlework Arts Group - 9:30 AM →
Lake Wales, FL Calendar Lake Wales, FL 33853
9:30 am -
Mulberry_Titles with Tea
Lake Wales Public Library 290 Cypress Garden Lane, Lake Wales, FL 33853
10:00 am -
Jigsaw Puzzle Club - 10:30 AM →
Lake Wales, FL Calendar Lake Wales, FL 33853
10:30 am -
Winter Haven Main_Chair Yoga & Standing Balance
Lake Wales Public Library 290 Cypress Garden Lane, Lake Wales, FL 33853
10:30 am -
Fort Meade - Learning Basic Spanish - All Ages
Lake Wales Public Library Fort Meade Public Library, 75 E Broadway St, Fort Meade, FL 338
11:00 am -
Genealogy at the Library - 11:30 AM →
Lake Wales, FL Calendar Lake Wales, FL 33853
11:30 am -
Fine Art at the Magnolia →
Magnolia Building, 702 E Orange St, Lakeland
10:00 am
Friday August 7
Saturday August 22
📣 Lake Wales Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
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Central Florida Health Care Food Distribution →
Lake Wales, FL Calendar, 315 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Lake Wales
7:00 am -
Mulberry_Book Fair
Lake Wales Public Library 290 Cypress Garden Lane, Lake Wales, FL 33853
9:00 am -
Haines City - Creative Circle Needlework Group
Lake Wales Public Library Haines City Public Library, 111 N 6th St, Haines City, FL 33844
10:00 am -
Haines City - Toddler Time
Lake Wales Public Library Haines City Public Library, 111 N 6th St, Haines City, FL 33844
10:30 am
Thursday August 6
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Over the next few months, we want to take a moment to highlight all the departments that keep FGUA running and help water get to our customers’ home.
Meet our first Department Highlight, the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Department! Review the photos below to learn more about GIS. (Nextdoor ) - Looking for someone who can come to me and fix my son's 4 wheeler!
His father had the part delivered here but he lives in Tennessee. I need someone to install the fan and hopefully that does the trick. Located by… (Nextdoor Lake Wales)
- Customs and Border Protection posted a job opening for Border Patrol Agent - Experienced in Lake Wales. Apply here.
- Dollar General posted a job opening for ASST STORE MGR in LAKE WALES, FL S16585 in Lake Wales. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Lake Wales here.
🗞 Nearby News
Winter Haven
- Nemours Children's Health Relocates Its Winter Haven Primary Care Location to Northgate Shopping Center (centralfloridahealthnews.com)
- ‘He's a dope-smoking pedophile preacher': Florida pastor allegedly sexually battered teen boy while HIV-positive (truecrimenews.com)
- Sanibel author's suit over Doc Ford brand heads to trial (newschief.com)
Haines City
- A Private Island South of Orlando Hits the Market for the First Time in Nearly 150 Years, Asking $12M (mansionglobal.com)
Ok Lake Wales! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Because he felt CRUMMY ! (Thank you Michelle S. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.