Zack Kirkland, a teen who started a project 4 1/2 years ago to bring cheer to children at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, has received a letter from the White House praising his work. His Silly Sock Saturdays, now a nonprofit organization, delivers bags with colorful socks, coloring books and other fun items monthly, Fox […]
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 inCity Hall
City Commissioners Split on Tax Rate, Body Cameras
Lakeland city commissioners are at odds over two key pending decisions: next year’s property tax rate and whether to equip police officers with body cameras. At a budget workshop Tuesday, commissioners discussed either keeping the tax rate at the current $5.46 per $1,000 of assessed value or reducing it to $5.43, The Ledger reported. Both […]
Posted inHealth
LRH Suspends Elective Surgeries Requiring Overnight Stays
With the number of patients testing positive for COVID-19 rising eightfold since late June, Lakeland Regional Health today announced it will temporarily postpone elective surgeries that require an overnight hospital stay.
Posted inHealth
Estates at Carpenter Requiring Its Staff to Vaccinate
With COVID-19 infections in Polk surging, The Estates at Carpenter senior living facility is requiring all employees to be vaccinated, News Channel 8 reports. Its CEO says the move is for the safety of residents and he is calling on Lakeland Regional Health to also require all of its staff be vaccinated. A hospital spokesman […]
Posted inHealth
Polk Again Sets New Highs for COVID Cases, Test Positivity
LkldNow’s COVID-19 chart, below, illustrates the virus’ trajectory in Polk County far more dramatically than our words can. This week’s 5,703 new cases is the highest weekly number yet, and Polk’s average positivity rate of 26.3 for the past week is also a record.
Posted inHealth
Polk Schools Not Planning to Challenge State Ban on Mask Mandates
Local medical professionals say the science shows that children should mask up in schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but Polk School Superintendent Fred Heid said his hands are tied by the state, News Channel 8 reports. Polk’s school district has no plans to defy Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order on masks, as other […]
Posted inHealth
Polk Health Leaders Ring Alarm Over Spread of COVID-19
Propelled by the ultra-contagious delta variant, COVID-19 is spreading rapidly through Polk County, sending record numbers of people to the hospital, most of them younger than 50 and almost all of them unvaccinated. That was the message Thursday afternoon at a news conference called by the leaders of Lakeland Regional Health, Watson Clinic and the […]
Posted inSchools
Five Lakeland Schools Get New Principals, Assistants
With public school classes starting Tuesday, several campuses in Lakeland are getting new principals and assistant principals. They include:
Posted inNeighborhoods
County Approves 188 Imperial Lakes Houses, Denies 200+ North Lakeland Apartments
Polk County commissioners today made very different decisions on two land-use issues that both faced major opposition from neighbors, The Ledger reports. They unanimously approved rezoning land at the Imperial Lakes Golf Course for 188 homes. They rejected 4-1 a request involving 200+ apartments that front U.S. 98 North and back up to single-family residences, […]
Posted inCity Hall
South Florida Avenue Road Diet Update Brings Mixed Messages on Safety
The number of accidents along South Florida Avenue in Dixieland has decreased from a high of 15 during the first month of the one-year road diet there, a Florida Department of Transportation engineer told Lakeland city commissioners Monday. But Steven Davis Jr. said he’s hoping to see more improvement.