Weeks before leaving Washington, where he’s represented Lakeland in Congress for the last eight years, Dennis Ross discusses his role at Southeastern University and whether he will run for office again. At SEU, he is heading a “conservative think-tank and leadership program” that he says will emphasize compromise. As for politics, he’s not closing options.
Retired Ledger sports writer and web editor Mike Cobb and his family were displaced from their home of 25 years at 1836 Michelle Lane after a fire destroyed its middle section. No humans were injured, but eight cats are feared dead and a dog is hanging on for life.
Vince and Monica Strawbridge and their four children are within 50 miles of finishing a 2,650-mile hike along the Pacific Coast Trail from Canada to Mexico. The trip has been an opportunity for family bonding, self discovery and fund-raising for favorite causes.
MORE: Follow on Facebook | Trip website | Lakelander article
Republican Josie Tomkow, elected this week (the second time this year) to a Florida House seat representing a largely rural district north and east of Lakeland, says when she finally serves in Tallahassee, she will advocate for agriculture, promote foster care and adoption and support school choice.
In a wide-ranging discussion with podcaster Bump Galletta, real estate investor Gregory Fancelli says he envisions another push for a strong mayor for Lakeland. “I firmly believe that the opportunity to do this again will present itself pretty soon,” said Fancelli, who spearheaded last year’s unsuccessful attempt to change the city charter to allow an elected chief executive for the city of Lakeland. The next attempt will need a broader group backing it, he said. The mayor discussion begins 33 minutes into the podcast.
CBS Sports traces Steve Pearce’s route from a Lakeland-raised son of a Red Sox diehard from Massachusetts through seven MLB teams to Boston’s World Series MVP.
We hardly knew ye …
Leroy Foster, an Air Force veteran whose tales of spraying Agent Orange defoliant over Guam during the Vietnam era are disputed by the government, has died of diseases he says were caused by the toxic chemical | Background
