Following two fatal crashes on Kathleen Road earlier this week, Lakeland police are cracking down on speeders along the busy corridor, News Channel 8 reports. Officers issued 10 tickets to drivers averaging 15 mph over the 45 mph speed limit in a 90-minute period. More
The 61-year-old man who was shot and killed by Lakeland police officers at an I-4 construction site Sunday morning was a Miamian who has been working nightly at the site, Fox 13 News and News Channel 8 reported. Police said officers fired after the man pointed a gun at them when they tapped on the window of his parked car, which had been reported as suspicious. The man, who stayed in his personal car while monitoring a pump overnight, started carrying a handgun after being awoken a few weeks ago to men prowling the construction site near Kathleen Road, a friend of the man told the TV stations. | Earlier LkldNow article | More
A 61-year-old man was shot and killed after he pointed a gun and possibly fired at two Lakeland police officers who approached his vehicle parked in a construction zone on Interstate 4 early this morning, police said. More
It will be 2024’s storm season before NOAA’s Lakeland-based Hurricane Hunters can use the Gulfstream 550 they’ve been seeking, the Associated Press reports. NOAA started trying for the new aircraft in 2019, wanting their fourth storm-chasing aircraft to be active in 2022. The agency’s 2022 budget request includes $100 million for the jet, and delivery is expected to Lakeland Linder Airport in time for the 2024 storm season. | Previous coverage
A Lakeland Police Department recruiting trip to New York City has resulted in 13 trained officers moving here to join the force, Fox 13 News reports. Some of the officers said they were drawn to Lakeland because it lacks the anti-police sentiment they experienced in New York. More
No injuries were reported when a semi-trailer overturned in the intersection of Florida Avenue and Memorial Boulevard this afternoon. LPD advises driver to seek alternate routes since several lanes will be blocked until the debris is cleaned up. Eastbound Memorial is partially blocked and the right turn lane of Florida Avenue is blocked.
Around 4:30 p.m., LPD said it will probably two more hours before the intersection is fully open.
“There was an issue with the equipment brought in for the trailer removal. Backup equipment has arrived, but we anticipate another two hours before the roadway is clear,” spokeswoman Robin Tillett said
Check LPD’s Facebook post for updates.
The Lakeland Police Department’s responses to calls this year have been roughly evenly divided between the four quadrants of the city, according to police department data. Calls involving northwest Lakeland comprise 25.26% of the total, not 90%, as claimed by mayoral candidate Saga Stevin at a forum this week, according to the data. More
The names of two Lakeland police officers who died while on duty were added to a memorial wall during Polk County’s annual service in memory of fallen officers on Thursday. The names of Officers Ken Foley and Paul Dunn were added during a ceremony at Veterans Park in Lakeland that was delayed twice because of COVID-19, Fox 13 News reports. ALSO: ABC Action News | LPD video of the ceremony | More
Lakeland firefighter/paramedic Clay Geiger, 31, returns to work today after 16 months’ treatment for a rare form of cancer. It will be several years before he will know if he is in full remission, News Channel 8 reports. ALSO: Instagram
With nearly a third of its sworn employees out because of COVID-19 cases or quarantines, the Lakeland Fire Department paused “non-essential duties” and had some firefighters working 48-hour shifts regularly during September, department leaders told city commissioners on Monday. Normal operations resumed Oct. 1, The Ledger reported in a subscribers-only story.
