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Lakeland Receives Its Largest-Ever Land Donation With Gift of Holloway Park
Lakeland received a very large and valuable gift on Monday — 379.11 acres of prime park land valued at $12.9 million. It is the biggest single land donation in city history, according to Bob Donahay, director of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts. Holloway Park is the legacy of Mary...
Arson Suspected in ‘Suspicious’ Fire that Destroyed Former Wedgewood Golf Course Clubhouse
The blaze that destroyed the former Wedgewood Golf & Country Club clubhouse on Saturday “has circumstances that are suspicious,” the Lakeland Fire Department announced Tuesday. The Tampa office of the Bureau of Fire, Arson & Explosives Investigations has assigned a detective to the case and the Florida Advisory...
Lakeland Makes Juneteenth a Paid Holiday for City Workers
Juneteenth will be a paid holiday for city workers starting this year. Lakeland’s City Commission unanimously approved a resolution Monday, adding June 19 to the 10 federal and state holidays that the city has previously observed, along with a “floating holiday” of each worker’s choosing. Community...
Vehicle Lands in Shallow Water on Lake Morton’s Southern Shore
A tan Ford Taurus X SUV driven by a 58-year-old woman jumped a curb on Lake Morton Drive Monday morning, toppled a decorative light pole, uprooted a small tree and ended up in Lake Morton. Based on tire marks, it appears the vehicle was traveling east when it left the...
Commissioners Share Their Visions to Make Lakeland ‘Prosperous, Vibrant and Connected’
Lakeland’s city commissioners did something unusual last week — they talked with each other. Florida’s Sunshine Law bars commissioners from discussing city business with each other outside of public meetings. However, public meetings usually focus narrowly on the action items of the day, leaving little time for brainstorming or collaborating. So it was a new feeling when the seven commissioners, including the mayor, spent the entire day Thursday with a moderator discussing their priorities, frustrations and visions for the city — many of which involved roads, traffic and aging infrastructure.
Massive Structure Fire Destroys Clubhouse of Former Wedgewood Golf Course in North Lakeland
Firefighters are battling a structure fire at the clubhouse of the former Wedgewood Golf & Country Club, which closed in May 2021 and was sold to developers in December 2021. The fire was reported around 5:45 p.m. Dramatic photos and videos show the interior of the building at 401 Carpenters Way fully engulfed in flames. At least seven Lakeland Fire Department units responded to the scene, along with Polk County Fire Rescue and Lakeland Police Department.
Barnett Family Park Playground Is Slated to Get a $303,000 Facelift
On Friday morning at Barnett Family Park Playground, children pushed each other on swings, splashed in the water area, and avoided an 18-inch metal post wrapped in yellow caution tape sticking up out of the rubber safety mat near the Peggy Brown Building. At the same time, just up the...
Polk County Health Care Experts Offer Tips and Insights at Community Forum
Accessing health care can be challenging, but Polk County experts shared some hopeful news Tuesday evening about how the medical landscape in our area is changing and advice for residents who might be struggling to get their needs met. It was part of a community health care forum hosted by...
Avelo’s First Flights From Lakeland Linder Will Be to New Haven, CT
In a splashy news conference that was also live-streamed on social media, Avelo Airlines announced Wednesday that its first commercial passenger flight from Lakeland Linder International Airport will depart on June 13 to New Haven, Connecticut. Trevor Yealy, Avelo’s head of commercial, told the crowd of about 200 people that...
Polk County’s League of Women Voters Has Distributed More Than 1,800 Free Gun Locks
They may never know how many lives they saved. But by distributing more than 1,800 free gun locks over the past 10 months, members of the local League of Women Voters have almost certainly made Polk County safer. Trudy Rankin, co-chair of the LWV’s gun safety committee, said the group...
Florida Poly Names Five Candidates to Be its Next President
Florida Polytechnic University has named the five finalists in the running to become the second president of the Lakeland-based university, which was founded in 2012 as an all-STEM school. It opened its doors in 2014, with Randy Avent as the inaugural president. Avent announced his retirement last July and will...
First Baptist Institutional Church Marks 140 Years of Faith, Family and Community
The First Baptist Institutional Church sits at the southwest corner of Martin Luther King and Memorial boulevards, the second site of the church that has survived a fire, a relocation, a condemnation and at least two rebuilds in its 140-year history. One thing is certain, First Baptist Institutional Church is...
Historic Building in Downtown Lakeland to Get a New Owner
The 114-year-old building at the northwest corner of Main Street and Tennessee Avenue is about to change hands. Katherine (Katy) Martinez announced on Friday that she is selling the property at 122 E. Main Street to Cory Petcoff, owner of Baron Realty. The building, painted a distinctive mint green, houses...
All Eyes Are On You In Downtown Lakeland With New Security Cameras
A new $115,000 network of security cameras in downtown Lakeland is keeping an eye on crowds, patrons and even business owners. Downtown leaders say the built-in facial recognition is helping security personnel and law enforcement track people with whom they have already had run-ins. “I found the guy that we’ve...
Traffic Light Now Active at West Pipkin and Medulla Roads
The long-awaited traffic signal at West Pipkin and Medulla roads in south Lakeland began operating on Wednesday. It is the same intersection that 15-year-old Jaxon Crabtree was trying to cross on his bicycle when he was hit and killed by a school bus on Dec. 5. County officials said in...
Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz Will Not Seek a Third Term Next Year
Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz will not run for a third term when his time in office ends in December 2025, he told LkldNow Wednesday night. “I think we are preparing good future leadership within the commission, and I’ll be 72,” Mutz explained in a series of text messages. “I’d like to use those next four years more intentionally with my grandkids. That’s the motivation.”
Lakeland High School Student Creates Free Pantry for Pets in Dixieland
A 14-year-old Dixieland girl spent her Spring Break working with her family to create a new community pantry for pets, stocked with free animal food and supplies. “Vivian’s Pets Pantry” is the brainchild of Lakeland High School student Vivian Oquendo, an animal lover who raises chickens and dreams of becoming a veterinarian. The pantry opened on March 13 next to the LKLD Free Fridge at 1319 Hartsell Avenue, across from Lakeland Christian School.
Alleged Gunman Surrenders in Shooting of 3-Year-Old Lakeland Boy
The man Lakeland Police say fired the shots last week that killed both 3-year-old Jaquez Norton and 22-year-old gunman Kemarius Wilson, surrendered to authorities Tuesday morning. Kevarius Green, 30, turned himself in to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, alongside his attorney, just before 11:30 a.m. Lakeland Police did not release...
Lakeland High School Cheerleaders Honored By City Commission
It wasn’t a pep rally, but it was an honor for the Lakeland High School cheerleaders when they were recognized at Monday’s City Commission meeting for winning state and national championship titles last month. At the Florida High School Athletic Association’s competition, the team won first place in...
Five Points Roundabout Nearly Done, But Faulty Utility Info Added $151K
A new roundabout south of Bonnet Springs Park is three months ahead of schedule, but inaccurate information from utility companies about where their lines were located added more than $151,000 to the cost of the project. Lakeland Engineering Director Ryan Lazenby told city commissioners on Monday that crews working on...
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