After-the-Hurricane Basics for Lakeland
Here are updates on where things stand in Lakeland in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Since many readers still don’t have Internet and are relying on spotty cell service, we are keeping it text-only and will share to all who have signed up for our email newsletters. More
Lakeland Was Spared Hurricane Ian’s Worst; Cleanup Begins
While Southwest Florida took the punishing brunt of Hurricane Ian’s fury, Lakeland fared much better. There were no lives lost in Lakeland or Polk County, although wind gusts of at least 78 miles per hour blew down trees throughout the city and left about 63,000 people without electricity. A National Weather Service meteorologist in the agency’s Ruskin office said wind speeds could have been higher, but their automated station’s anemometer in Lakeland sustained damage during the storm. More
Live Blog: Hurricane Ian’s Aftermath and Recovery Efforts
Following Hurricane Ian’s trek through Central Florida, LkldNow is following recovery efforts and the storm’s aftermath. We’ll update this page throughout the day. More
Live Blog: Hurricane Ian Updates for Wednesday; Polk Schools Will Remain Closed on Friday
LkldNow posted updates about Hurricane Ian’s effects on Lakeland on this page all day on Wednesday, Sept. 28. We have a separate live blog for news about the storm’s aftermath and recovery efforts. Among the updates: Polk public schools and Polk State College have extended their closures to Friday. More
Polk Prepares: Tropical Storm Winds Expected Wednesday Followed by Hurricane Ian on Thursday
Marilyn and Dave Whiting, 81, decided to pack a few things, leave their home in the Schalamar retirement community off U.S. 92 and head to Tenoroc High School’s hurricane shelter Tuesday afternoon ahead of Hurricane Ian’s eye’s expected Thursday morning landfall. More
Hurricane-Related Closings and Services; Polk Public Schools Will Stay Closed Through Thursday
Polk County public schools will be closed on Thursday, as well as today and Wednesday, the school district announced today. As Hurricane Ian approaches, LkldNow is updating our lists of major closings, shelters and other services related to the storm. Please send updates to [email protected].More
Suicide Leaves Grief-Stricken Loved Ones Behind
An hour before midnight on Thursday, Sept. 1, Pat Oldenkamp, 75, looked out from her cottage apartment, located in the backyard of her ex-husband’s West Palm Drive home, and saw him puttering in his kitchen, still the tall, handsome, lanky man she had met years earlier when they were both flight attendants for Eastern Airlines. It was the last time she would see Glenn Leppert, 72, alive. More
Polk Opening 13 Emergency Shelters Tuesday at Noon
As Hurricane Ian approaches Florida, Polk County government is opening 13 emergency shelters at public schools — five of them in Lakeland — starting at noon on Tuesday. In addition, separate shelters will open for people with special needs and people with pets. More
Polk Public Schools Will Close Tuesday and Wednesday as Hurricane Ian Approaches
12:30 P.M. UPDATE: Polk County public schools will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday as some schools activate as storm shelters for people evacuating their homes in advance of Hurricane Ian’s high winds and rain, Polk County Public Schools announced today. All after-school events, including athletics, are being suspended both days. No decision has been made yet on whether schools will remain closed beyond Wednesday. More
In Preparation for Tropical Storm Ian, Polk Will Distribute Sandbags, Close Environmental Lands
As Lakeland residents spend the weekend preparing for the possibility of Tropical Storm Ian strengthening to a hurricane and striking Florida’s west coast next week, Polk County announced it will start distributing sandbags on Sunday. The county also announced that Circle B Bar Reserve and other environmental lands will be closed starting Monday. More
High School Football Scoreboard
Check our high school football scoreboard below for Friday-night results from Lakeland-based teams. More
City Approves Budget Adding Police, Firefighters Without Raising Millage
In a 10-minute meeting, the Lakeland City Commission on Thursday night unanimously passed a $730 million budget for 2022-23, with a 5.4323 millage rate for property owners – the same as this year. The budget includes funding to add 13 police officers, 12 firefighters and a new fire station north of I-4. More
Air Force Veteran, Air Show Expert Takes Helm at Lakeland’s Airport
Kris Hallstrand, 46, served multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan as a C-130 crew chief and then director of the flight line at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, overseeing 30 aircraft and about 90 men and women.More
Fiery Crash Snarls I-4 Traffic Near Florida Poly
A fiery crash shut down Interstate 4 both ways in the vicinity of Florida Polytechnic University for several hours early this morning and sent two people to the hospital, one with serious injuries, according to breaking news reports. More
RP Funding Center Faces Budget Challenges as New Season Opens
The RP Funding Center opens its 2022-23 entertainment season this month as Lakeland city commissioners decide on an annual budget that would lower operational costs and prompt programming changes that are hoped to attract new audiences. More
Lakeland Regional Health’s Kathleen Road Site Doubles in Scope
Workers have already begun building Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center’s satellite site at Kathleen Road and Interstate 4, but now Polk County’s first hospital got a green light from city commissioners Monday to double the square footage to add an emergency room and possibly a nursing home on the 20-acre site. More
