Four of the seven seats on the nonpartisan Polk County School Board are being contested in the Aug. 23 primary election. Each seat represents a separate geographic area, but School Board members are elected countywide. Three of the races involve an incumbent and at least one challenger supported by ultra-conservative organizations. A fourth race will […]
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 inDowntown, Events
Guide to Red, White & Kaboom Sunday Night
Are you planning to go downtown Sunday evening for Lakeland’s annual Red, White & Kaboom Independence Day celebration and fireworks? LALtoday put together a guide to what you can expect, including a schedule, food trucks and entertainment. Source: LALtoday
Posted inBusiness, Dining
Biscuits & Benedicts Opens in Dixieland
The long-anticipated Biscuits and Benedicts has opened on South Florida Avenue in Dixieland following nearly three years of challenges. With brunch entrees ranging from $8.95 to $15.95, the eatery emphasizes local products from businesses like Concord Coffee, Tea Largo and Bee-Haven Honey Farm, as well as works from local artists, The Lakelander reports. Owners Troy […]
Posted inNews Roundup
Read It in the Morning Paper: Publix IT, COVID in Polk, Legislature
PUBLIX Super Markets has confirmed it has chosen the FedEx building in downtown Lakeland as an information technology center. The company won $500,000 in local incentives that will be paid if it creates a promised 100 new jobs there at a promised average salary of at least $93,500. Publix is also asking the city for […]
Posted inNeighborhoods
City Declines to Start Regulating Short-Term Rentals
Lakeland city commissioners have declined to draft regulations over short-term rentals such as those offered through AirBnB or VRBO, The Ledger reports. “We’re not interested in doing something proactively short term,” Mayor Bill Mutz said Friday during a work session held to explore the topic. The city legal staff had briefed commissioners on a Florida […]
Posted inPeople, Politics
Julie Fancelli Paid Kimberly Guilfoyle’s $60K Speaking Fee on Jan. 6
A donation from Julie Fancelli of Lakeland funded the three-minute, $60,000 speaking engagement by Kimberly Guilfoyle, a fundraiser for former President Donald Trump, at the rally on Jan. 6, 2021, that preceded the Capitol riot, according to a breaking story by The Washington Post. (A shorter version is available at MSN.) Fancelli, a daughter of […]
Posted inPeople, Public Safety
Polk Lieutenant Honored as Deputy of the Year
Polk Sheriff’s Lt. Duane Tompkins, who was first to a north Lakeland massacre scene, was recognized Tuesday as Deputy of the Year by a coalition of Lakeland service organizations. Presidents’ Roundtable service awards also went to nearly a dozen other local first responders, Fox 13 News reports. ALSO: News Channel 8
Posted inNews Roundup
Read It in the Morning Paper: Commission Vacancy, EMS Station Planned
COMMISSION VACANCY: Applications will open soon for people living in northwest Lakeland who want to become a city commissioner. Phillip Walker is resigning effective Nov. 6 to run for a state House seat, so the City Commission will select somebody to fill the last year of his four-year term. Anybody appointed must have lived in […]
Posted inCity Hall, Consumer
Fuel Charge on Lakeland Electric Bills Rising in July
Lakeland Electric’s fuel charge will increase July 1 from $40 per 1,000 kilowatt hours to $60. The change, necessitated by increases in natural gas costs, was approved Monday by the Lakeland City Commission. For a typical home owner, that will mean a $20 increase in the monthly bill, a utility spokeswoman told News Channel 8. […]
Posted inPeople, Politics
Another Republican Leaves Primary for an Open U.S. House Seat
The crowded Republican primary field for an open U.S. House seat that will represent the western half of Lakeland continues to shrink. Jerry Torres, a new Lakeland resident who has pledged to spend up to $15 million on his campaign, has switched races, deciding to run instead against Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor of […]