Government workers usually face little punishment if they’re caught misusing a Florida law enforcement database that contains sensitive personal data, according to a 10News investigative report. But Lakeland’s police department proved the exception: The police chief said an officer who was accused of using the database for personal reasons would have been fired if he […]
Author Archives: Barry Friedman
Barry Friedman founded Lkldnow.com in 2015 as the culmination of a career in print and digital journalism. Since 1982, he has used the tools of reporting, editing and content curation to help people in Lakeland understand their community better.
Posted inBusiness
The Ledger Loses Decades of Experience to Buyouts
The Ledger, Polk County’s daily newspaper, will lose more than a century of experience and institutional knowledge on Dec. 1 when six of the newsroom’s 14 employees — including the top editor — end their employment under a voluntary buyout offer from parent company Gannett.
Posted inCrime / Justice
Deputies Charge LHS Teacher, Coach with Child Porn Possession
Shawn Fitzgerald, 46, a Lakeland High School special needs teacher and soccer coach, has been charged with 408 counts of possessing child pornography by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, News Channel 8 reports. There is no evidence the files were produced locally, the Sheriff’s Office said. The Polk School district says it is in the […]
Posted inPeople
Kelli Stargel Named Florida Senate Budget Chair
Lakeland Republican Kelli Stargel caps her legislative career as chairman of the Florida Senate’s powerful Appropriations Committee for the next two years. She was appointed to the position Friday by new Senate President Wilton Simpson, a Lakeland native who lives in Trilby. The position puts her in a key budget role during a period when […]
Posted inCrime / Justice
Police Accuse Man of Pawning Jewelry Stolen from David and Edie Henderson
Lakeland police today announced the arrest of a man who they say pawned jewelry that had been stolen from David and Edie Yates Henderson’s house on the day they were murdered last week.
Posted inNews Roundup
Read It in the Morning Paper
COVID-19 cases in Polk County continue rising this month following two less-active months. The seven-day rolling average of new cases stands at 163.6 per day, compared with monthly averages of 100.3 in October, 100.2 in September and 146.3 in August. UNEMPLOYMENT in Polk registered at 7.3% in October, a drop from 7.9% the previous month […]
Posted inHealth
LRH Receives Drug to Prevent COVID-19 Hospitalizations
A new therapy intended to prevent COVID-19 symptoms from worsening and keep patients from needing hospitalization is now in use at Lakeland Regional Health.
Posted inArts & Culture
Live Music in Lakeland This Weekend
Live performers you can catch in Lakeland this weekend include Shawn Rahn, James Mummey, Sheldon Benjamin, Jon Corneal & Masked Compadres, Paul Mazzarella, Sixx L Sixx, Red Headed Stepchild, Johnny Debt, Ya Boy Pax, Graves, YG Hypnos, Nardo Lombardo, Jade Koth, Fire Light, Jamie Floyd, Tommy Butch & Rich Mistretta, and Lubeck. Keep scrolling for […]
Posted inPeople
LkldNow in View: Barry Friedman on Local News
Barry Friedman talks with LkldNow in View host Andrea Oliver about the career path that led him to launch LkldNow in 2015 as an independent, community-driven news organization focusing its reporting on efforts to make Lakeland more livable.
Posted inPeople
Lakeland Native Mizelle Confirmed as Federal Judge
Lakeland native Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, 33, becomes a federal judge in Tampa after a 49-41, party-line confirmation by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday evening. Her nomination by President Trump became controversial when the American Bar Association rated her unqualified because she lacks the desired 12 years’ experience and had participated in only two trials, both […]