After nearly a year leading the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency as its interim manager, Alis Drumgo got the “interim” removed. His promotion to manager of the anti-blight agency was announced in an after-hours post on Facebook today. More
Amazon is planning to build a major jet cargo operation at Lakeland Linder International Airport that’s expected to cost $100 million and employ 800 to 1,000 workers.
Amazon Services Inc. is the long-held-secret negotiator for an intermodal center on the northwest side of the airport, City Attorney Tim McCausland announced this morning during a City Commission study session. More
Lakeland city commissioners and their top staff spent the better part of eight hours today previewing potential new projects for 2020. Commissioners liked most of what they saw but rejected a few projects and trimmed others. Here are some highlights as seen by posts on Twitter: More
Highlights of today’s City Commission meeting, as shared on Twitter and Instagram: More
City and Lakeland Regional Health officials are bracing for the unknown financial impact of the Florida Legislature’s expected repeal of the Certificate of Need process.
That process, established more than 45 years ago, has protected the market for Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, ensuring it is the only general hospital in the community. More
The city of Lakeland tallied the cost of moving the Confederate monument from Munn Park to Veterans Park at about $185,000, which was about $40,000 less than anticipated. The largest part went to the Tampa moving contractor, whose $165k payment was $15k higher than the original estimate because they ended up engineering and constructing a new base for the monument.
People receiving emailed links to an online survey about high-speed Internet have raised questions about whether it’s legitimate, City Manager Tony Delgado says. He confirms that the survey is authorized; it was sent randomly to 38,000 Lakeland residents by a consultant hired to create a business plan for a possible city broadband service.
After six months, Donna Perry, 38, is leaving her $105,000-a-year job as Lakeland Police Department attorney, signing a $17,296 severance package that includes salary through the end of May and a $900 car allowance. “This is voluntary and one of convenience of both parties,” City Manager Tony Delgado told The Ledger. “It’s not a result of any misconduct at this point.”
At a rousing faith-based rally Tuesday night, four Lakeland city commissioners pledged to reach a goal of adding 500 housing units for families with homeless children by 2023. Mayor Bill Mutz and commissioners Stephanie Madden, Justin Troller and Phillip Walker drew cheers for their pledges from the approximately 1,400 participants at the 19th annual Nehemiah Action rally of the Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment, or PEACE, at Resurrection Catholic Church in Lakeland. More
Amid hints that increased funding for the arts may lie in the future, the Lakeland City Commission today unanimously approved a resolution increasing the number of organizations represented on the Mayor’s Council for the Arts. The resolution added three educational institutions – Harrison School for the Arts, Florida Southern College and Southeastern University – to the list of art and art-related organizations entitled to a seat on the council. More
