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Lakeland’s Charter Review Committee Discusses City Commission Boundaries
Lakeland’s Charter Review Committee met on Thursday and discussed how city commissioners are elected — and whether that should change. Currently, two commissioners and the mayor are elected at-large and can live anywhere in the city. Four other commissioners represent quadrants of the city and must live in their districts. But all seven are elected by the entirety of the city’s voters.
PCPS to Host Town Halls About Changing Middle and High School Start Times
Thanks to a new law passed by the Florida Legislature, Polk County high school students will have more time to sleep in when the 2026 school year starts. But the required change in bell schedules might wreak havoc on school bus schedules, extracurricular activities and traffic from parent drop-off and pick-up routines.
Teachers to Get Owed Raises Thursday as Union and School District Resolve Pay Dispute
More than 4,500 Polk County Public Schools teachers, paraeducators and educational support personnel will have a much larger-than-usual paycheck on Thursday. The Polk Education Association teachers’ union and Polk County Public Schools have settled a class-action grievance the union filed on Feb. 1, with teachers finally getting the negotiated pay raise retroactive to July 1.
Black History Month: Lakeland’s Black Schools Faced Arson and Segregation
Many of Lakeland’s first Black residents were men who arrived in about 1883 to build a section of railroad in the area. They camped on the southern shore of Lake Wire and worked for Herbert Drane, said to be the first white settler in the territory of Lakeland. According...
Alzheimer’s Association ‘Brain Bus’ to Stop in Lakeland on March 10
The Alzheimer’s Association’s “Brain Bus” will be in Lakeland on Sunday, March 10, to offer free education, resources and support to families facing the disease or other types of dementia. The Brain Bus program is unique to Florida. Two mobile vehicles travel the state offering hope...
Roundabout? Bypass? Polk County Seeks Public Input on Future of Galloway and Swindell Roads
Polk County is seeking public input on different configurations to improve safety along the awkward and unsignalized intersections of North Galloway and Swindell Roads. There will be a public meeting Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. in the auditorium of Winston Academy of Engineering at 3415 Swindell Road in Lakeland. The meeting was originally scheduled for Jan. 9 but was postponed due to severe storms.
Plans for Lakeland’s Munn Park Are Moving Forward, But Slowly
The re-imagining of Munn Park is inching forward, but more than a year after the city unveiled concept renderings, progress is slow. City Manager Shawn Sherrouse said design work is continuing and the costs will be discussed during the city’s strategic planning retreat in May. City leaders have considered...
Polk Agencies Join Forces To Help Inmates’ Behavioral Health
Nearly every leader in Polk County’s behavioral health community stood behind Sheriff Grady Judd on Wednesday afternoon as they announced a new program that will provide complete wraparound counseling and substance abuse services to current and former Polk County Jail inmates in an effort to address the mental health crisis in the community.
Polk County School Board Considers Spending $920K For Bus Tracking System
The Polk County School Board will vote Tuesday on whether to spend $920,000 for a school bus tracking system that would let the district see which students are on buses, where the buses are on their routes and give substitute drivers turn-by-turn directions. The ReaXium system also has a companion...
Lakeland Plans Solid Waste Transfer Station on North Combee Road
The City Commission moved forward on Monday with plans to build a solid waste transfer station at 2700 North Combee Road. The facility will save wear and tear on the city’s garbage and recycling trucks, but at least one neighbor is concerned it will add traffic to an already-congested roadway.
Play Ball! Detroit Tigers Spring Training Games Begin on Saturday
Clear blue skies, bright sunshine and green grass go together with baseball bats, leather gloves and cleats in Lakeland between February and March. Saturday marks the start of the Detroit Tigers’ spring training schedule, a month of games that don’t count and when fans can get up close to players in the relaxed atmosphere of Joker Marchant Stadium.
Downtown Business Owners Express Concerns About Proposed Parking Changes
Owners of several Lakeland businesses have reached out to city commissioners expressing concern about proposed downtown parking changes — including the possible elimination of free parking for the first two hours and raising rates to $2 an hour for on-street spaces. A study by Kimley-Horn recommended that Lakeland simplify...
Black History Month: Lakeland’s First Black Librarian Impacted Residents’ Lives
In the mid-1930s, Washington Park High School math teacher Elsie Dunbar had a problem. Because of segregation laws that kept white and Black residents separated, her Black students could not go to the Lakeland Public Library, let alone check out books from its collections. According to Lakeland Public Library Supervisor...
Longtime Florida Southern College President Announces Retirement
After two decades at the helm of Florida Southern College, Anne Kerr will be stepping down as president this year. Kerr, 69, announced her decision to the college’s board of trustees on Friday. “It has been an honor and great blessing to serve as president of what I consider...
Lakeland’s Black History Festival Postponed to March 23 Due To Expected Bad Weather
Lakeland’s Black History Festival, originally scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 17, has been rescheduled to Saturday, March 23, due to expected bad weather. The event will still be held at Jackson Park, 1104 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be many artisan vendors, food trucks, activities, entertainment for families to enjoy.
Lakeland Commission Moves Juneteenth Discussion to April 1 Meeting
Lakeland’s City Commission will consider whether to make Juneteenth a paid city holiday at its April 1 meeting, instead of the March 18 session. City attorney Palmer Davis recommended the shift on Friday. “At the last meeting, we discussed the Juneteenth resolution and potentially having a resolution for consideration...
Lake Gibson HS Singing Telegrams Bring Love for Valentine’s Day for 17th Year
Lake Gibson High School’s chorus was out in force again this year with its annual singing telegrams. Students headed to recipients’ homes, businesses or classrooms for a $17 fee, which included one of three songs and some candy. And for an additional $3, the students threw in a teddy bear, too.
Lives Cut Short: 21 Polk County Students Have Died Since June
In the natural order of things, a child’s first experience with grief is supposed to be the death of an elderly relative or perhaps a beloved pet — not someone their own age. But in schools across Polk County this year, teachers have had to set aside lesson plans to help students grapple with shocking losses.
Kitty Cat Lounge Owner Fears Orange Street Closure Will Hurt Business
Cindy Skop had no idea the City of Lakeland planned to close Orange Street for sewer repairs until she saw a large orange warning sign in the middle of the road Tuesday morning, just steps away from her five-month-old business, the Kitty Cat Lounge. Communications Director Kevin Cook said the...
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