A passionate speech by conservative political consultant Roger Stone fired up a crowd of nearly 250 people at a Lakeland rally supporting the right of health-care workers to reject an employer’s vaccine mandate. More
A lush, vacant lot across from Southgate Publix lined with stately oak trees is taking on a new life after a group decided it’s the right place for a shared residential lifestyle for seniors and adults with disabilities. More
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 13 News reports. MORE: Silly Sock Saturdays website
An Orlando Sentinel article about expanded LGBTQ-focused venues in Central Florida since the Pulse massacre five years ago opens with a segment about amateur drag competitions at The Parrot in Lakeland. Japonika Work, who performs there regularly, said the Polk community has become more accepting during the last five years. (The article is for subscribers only, but the photo gallery isn’t.)
A resident of the Sunshine Village mobile home park on Reynolds Road has been threatened with eviction if he doesn’t remove his pride flag, Fox 13 News reports. Park management says that only the American flag can be flown, but Jimmy Anderson notes that a neighbor’s “Don’t Tread on Me” still flies. Sunshine Village has not responded to Fox 13’s requests for comment.
One year ago, Lakeland learned it was far from immune to the racial tension simmering across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. More
Thirteen thousand origami swans are hung along a windowed walkway at Lakeland Regional Health, and each one represents a COVID-19 patient treated at the medical center, ABC Action News reports. Most are white; about 600 blue swans represent lives lost. The display will continue for several weeks and then move to the Polk Museum of Art so more people can see it. More
Eighty-six military veterans, most of them from the Korea and Vietnam wars, took a round trip Tuesday from Lakeland Linder Airport to Washington, D.C., to visit national monuments and memorials, News Channel 8 reported. The flight was sponsored by the Polk County Veterans Council’s Flight to Honor program. More
The city of Lakeland has formally recognized Juneteenth — June 19 — as an annual day to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. City commissioners unanimously approved a Juneteenth resolution last week after earlier marking May 20 as Florida Emancipation Day. More
Four city commissioners — a majority — committed to stepping up Lakeland’s efforts to reduce homelessness during Tuesday night’s Nehemiah Action, an annual rally held by a coalition of local churches that unite around social action issues. More
