Many Government Agencies Close Tuesday

The approach of Tropical Storm Fay, and the distinct possibility that it will be a hurricane when it arrives sometime on Tuesday, has prompted a variety of governments to close, as well as other schedule changes by a variety of businesses and institutions.

Below are some of them. If you do not find the listing here, call ahead to make sure the institution, agency or business you are going to is open.

POLK COUNTY

Most Polk County government offices will be closed Tuesday. Closed will be the County Commission, Sheriff's Office administrative office, Property Appraiser, Clerk of Courts, State Attorney and Tax Collector.

The Supervisor of Elections office will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday. Early voting sites will be closed.

The Polk County courthouses will be closed Tuesday. People with felony and misdemeanor or traffic cases scheduled for hearings Tuesday will be notified by mail of their new hearing dates.

Those with juvenile cases scheduled for Tuesday should come to court Wednesday at the same scheduled time.

Jury duty will resume Wednesday.

If the storm continues, jurors may call 863-534-4582 for recorded updates.

FLORIDA REFUSE

Garbage pickup garbage will start earlier than usual Tuesday and continue as long as weather permits in unincorporated Polk County and the cities the company serves. Yard trash pickup will depend on weather conditions Wednesday.

Polk County Solid Waste officials are asking garbage haulers to pick up as much yard debris as possible during regular garbage runs.

The North Central Landfill will remain open at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday to accommodate commercial haulers who want to remove commercial trash containers, especially at construction sites, to reduce amount of debris that could be blown around by storm winds.

CITIES AND TOWNS

Some of the cities and towns in Polk County will be closed Tuesday because of the imposing threat from Tropical Storm Fay, others will remain open. Here is a list of what each municipality is planning:

AUBURNDALE: City offices will be open Tuesday. For more information, call 863-965-5530.

BARTOW: City offices will be closed. For more information, call 863-534-0100.

DAVENPORT: City offices will be open Tuesday. For more information, call 419-3300.

DUNDEE: Town Hall will be closed Tuesday and a budget work session scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday has been cancelled. The Town Council will have an emergency meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday to discuss a resolution to declare an emergency. For more information, call 863-419-3100.

EAGLE LAKE: City offices will be closed Tuesday. For more information, 863-293-4141.

FORT MEADE: City Hall and other municipal offices will be closed Tuesday. The city will open its emergency operations center on the first floor of City Hall at noon Tuesday. For more information call, 863-285-1100.

FROSTPROOF: City Hall will be closed Tuesday and possibly Wednesday morning. For more information, call 863-635-7855.

HAINES CITY: City offices will be open until noon Tuesday. Garbage pickup will start an hour early at 6 a.m. with extra crews to finish early. For more information, call 863-421-3600.

LAKELAND: City offices will be closed Tuesday. Emergency services including fire and police protection will continue to operate until the Polk County Emergency Operations Center calls for emergency services to cease because of high winds. Once winds reduce to below 45 mph, emergency services and electric restoration efforts will resume. Garbage will be picked up. For more information, call 863-834-6000.

LAKE ALFRED: City offices will be open Tuesday. For more information, call 863-291-5270.

LAKE HAMILTON: Town offices will be closed Tuesday. For more information, call 863-439-1910.

LAKE WALES: City offices will be closed Tuesday and the City Commission meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday has been postponed until 6 p.m. Wednesday. The emergency operations center at the Lake Wales Fire Department will be fully staffed beginning at 7 a.m. Tuesday. For more information, call 863-678-4182.

POLK CITY: City offices will be closed Tuesday. For more information, call 863-984-1375.

WINTER HAVEN: City offices will be open Tuesday. Normal trash and debris will be collected through 2 p.m. Tuesday. Residents whose garbage is not picked up should store it in a secure location until collection resumes Wednesday. After the storm, keep all landscape debris separate from other trash and do not stack landscape debris near. For more information, call 863-291-5600.

OTHER CLOSINGS

THE LEDGER: The Ledger's offices will be closed Tuesday because of Tropical Storm Fay. However, phone lines for the Circulation Department and Classified Advertising will be open Tuesday. The customer service circulation numbers are 863-802-7323 in West Polk and 863-299-2141 in East Polk. The Classified Advertising number is 863-802-7355.

CANDIDATE FORUM: The League of Women Voters has cancelled the Candidate Forum scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in Bartow.

THE LAKELAND CENTER: The center will be closed Tuesday.

POLK MUSEUM OF ART: The museum will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Plans are to re-open the museum Thursday. For more information, call 863-688-7743.

KISSIMMEE RIVER: Navigation locks on the Kissimmee River and Kissimmee Chain of Lakes are closed and lock tenders are not on duty Tuesday.