In Praise of Excellent Customer Service Barry Friedman Editor & Publisher We all know what bad customer service feels like: the company is slow to respond; the rep doesn’t understand the issue; they’re reading from a script that doesn’t take your situation into account; you’re on the phone for hours. We hear the complaints, but […]
Category: News Roundup
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Read It in the Morning Paper: National Night Out, R.I.P. Charley Woodsby
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT events take place all day today in Lakeland to celebrate ties between the Police Department and neighborhoods. | See the complete list. R.I.P. CHARLEY WOODSBY, 91, founder of Red Lobster, Talk of the Town and other restaurants. | Family-placed obituary
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Read It in the Morning Paper: Burlington Coat Factory, County Garbage
BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY is leaving its anchor location at Lakeland Square mall and moving across U.S. 98 this fall to Shoppes of Lakeland alongside retailers like Target and Ashley Furniture. COUNTY GARBAGE: County commissioners are again raising concerns about garbage collection in unincorporated western Polk amid rising homeowner complaints this month about missed pickups by […]
Posted inDowntown, News Roundup
Read It in the Morning Paper: Kress Building, Tom Shaw
THE KRESS BUILDING, built 97 years ago as a department store and home to Explorations V Children’s Museum for two decades, is under contract for sale next month to Gaspar Properties Inc. of Tampa for an undisclosed sum. The building will undergo historic restoration, and possible uses include an event space on the bottom floor […]
Posted inDowntown, News Roundup
Read It in the Morning Paper: Downtown Apartments, Kathleen Subdivision
DOWNTOWN APARTMENTS: A land-use change to allow up to 500 apartments along with offices, retail space and parking garages on the parking lots of The Ledger building was approved by the Lakeland Planning & Zoning Board. The newspaper would remain housed on the property under the proposal, which still faces review by the City Commission. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Read It in the Morning Paper: RP Funding Center, Kathleen Subdivision, Piano Festival
RP FUNDING CENTER, currently operated by city of Lakeland employees, could come under outside management. The city is soliciting proposals from companies experienced in running arena, theater and convention facilities. City commissioners specified they are looking for a management company, not a consultant, City Manager Shawn Sherrouse said. | Invitation to bid KATHLEEN SUBDIVISION: A […]
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Read It in the Morning Paper
BUSINESS: Lakeland native Sly Buford, 34, says the private equity firm he founded, Tenth Street Group LLC, is looking to invest $1 million in local businesses doing $1M to $25M in revenue. (Subscribers only) | Tenth Street Group | LinkedIn | Sly Buford’s website SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY has named two new vice presidents. Michael Steiner goes […]
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Read It in the Morning Paper: Judicial Elections, Rehab Hospital
JUDGES: Brenda Ramirez, a Lakeland lawyer, will become a circuit judge in January as she was the only candidate who filed for an open seat on the 10th Judicial Circuit. In addition, 11 incumbent circuit judges have been re-elected since nobody challenged them by the deadline. On the county bench, three judges were re-elected and […]