Justin Sharpless and Rick Nolte were sworn in to office, as Lisa Miller and Kay Fields begin their second and fifth terms respectively.
Category: People
Posted inPeople
Scott Franklin Reflects on His Military Service and Jan. 6
The Congressman from Lakeland was shaped by his years as a Navy aviator
Posted inPeople
Sammy Taylor Named Lakeland Police Chief
The assistant police chief’s promotion takes effect Dec. 1 upon the retirement of Chief Ruben Garcia.
Posted inPeople
Judd Gives Deputy Blane Lane a Special Honor as He Is Laid to Rest
At the funeral for Polk Deputy Sheriff Blane Lane, his family took turns sharing their happiest – and funniest — memories of him.
Posted inPeople, Public Safety
Funeral for Slain Deputy Blane Lane Set For Tuesday
The funeral for Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Blane Lane, who was shot while serving a search warrant early Tuesday morning, is scheduled for Tuesday, October 11, at 10 a.m. at Victory Church in Lakeland.
Posted inPeople, Public Safety
Suicide Leaves Grief-Stricken Loved Ones Behind
An hour before midnight on Thursday, Sept. 1, Pat Oldenkamp, 75, looked out from her cottage apartment, located in the backyard of her ex-husband’s West Palm Drive home, and saw him puttering in his kitchen, still the tall, handsome, lanky man she had met years earlier when they were both flight attendants for Eastern Airlines. […]
Posted inPeople, Transportation
Air Force Veteran, Air Show Expert Takes Helm at Lakeland’s Airport
Kris Hallstrand, 46, served multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan as a C-130 crew chief and then director of the flight line at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, overseeing 30 aircraft and about 90 men and women.
Posted inPeople
Lakeland Women Pay Respects to the Queen, Catch a Glimpse of the New King
Two women from Lakeland are in the United Kingdom this week and have witnessed firsthand the grief over the death of Queen Elizabeth II, with one catching a glimpse of the new king and the other leaving flowers and a note from Lakeland residents near Buckingham Palace.
Posted inActivism, People
Lakeland Author Makes a Child’s Wish Come True
Quinn McBride has a new favorite book. The 5-year-old, whose favorite holiday is Halloween, is the main character in “Quinn’s Monsters,” a collection of short spooky stories curated and edited by Lakeland children’s author Fred Koehler.
Posted inPeople, Politics
Phillip Walker’s Successor on the City Commission Could Be … Phillip Walker
The interim city commissioner chosen to replace Phillip Walker could possibly be … Phillip Walker. The 13-year incumbent had resigned from his city position in connection with his bid to become a state representative. He lost that race to Jennifer Canady on Tuesday; on Friday morning, just before the noon deadline, he submitted an application […]