Author Archives: Chuck Welch

The downtown housing complex NoBay moved in its first residents Lakelander Tammy Wright and others are featured for writing snail mail, mail art, and similar old-school methods of communication. The Ledger’s Editorial Board writes no to amendment 2 and not enough to the City of Lakeland’s audit. It appears there are many new hotel options […]

A memorial to prisoners of war and those missing in action was dedicated in Veterans Memorial Park on Friday A lot in downtown Lakeland was the scene of Friday’s Homeless Veterans Stand Down; an event to bring together a variety of agencies to help the population. Lakeland has one of the rare locally-produced tech columns […]

Gary Whites makes interesting a story about the Lakeland Fire Department rescuing a cat from a tree. Eric Pera reports that VISTE and other charities are delaying building free home wheelchair ramps as Polk County streamlines code enforcement. The volunteer organizations were previously under the impression that permits were not required. I couldn’t find a […]

Marilyn Meyer reports that Polk State is accepting transfer credits from ITT students. Lakeland illustrator Fred Koehler has a new book and Gary White has the details Polk County School District’s Half-Cent Sales Tax Oversight Committee is looking for support to get their tax for capital projects proposal on the ballot according to Madison Fantozzi […]

Tom Palmer gives a synopsis of the Polk County budget, notes no citizen spoke at the first hearing, and reminded readers the final budget hearing is Monday, September 19th at 6:30 p.m. Kevin Bouffard gives the background of a new organization, LakelandRocks.com, which aims to encourage younger citizens to get up and vote. A Lakeland […]

I’m a little late today. Morning comes earlier than I remember in Lakeland. Marilyn Meyer profiles Annette Hutcherson, the Department of Nursing Director at Polk State College. Tom Palmer still has the skinny on the environment with a profile of the Green Horizon Land Trust, an organization celebrating its 25th anniversary protecting Florida’s environmentally important […]

Talking with Gary White, area residents share personal stories about September 11, 2001 Correspondent Brenda Joyce Patterson reflects on cultural literacy and the role of the library. Tom Palmer, still covering Polk County Government, notes that the county’s $1.3 billion 2017 budget will debut at a public hearing Monday night at 6 p.m. in the […]

MetalTek International – SCMI Division is shutting down their facility at 4121 Drane Field Road. The company plans to close by December 30th. (BizJournals.com) The Ledger’s Marilyn Meyer has a nice short history of Watson Clinic as they celebrate 75 years in business. John Chambliss informs readers about newly released documents pertaining to the case […]

The Lakeland City Commission held their first hearing on the 2016-17 city budget, voting 6-0 to support spending $577 million while leaving property rates unchanged. The next hearing is September 20 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. The vote will follow immediately. Polk State College is smoothing the process for students of the failed ITT […]