Public Safety
Mo’ Peppah: Louisiana Power Crew Gets Gator Dinner
Gator trapper Julie Harter fried and served the reptiles she catches at a Lakeland dinner for 100 visiting electric workers helping with Hurricane Irma recovery.
Commissioner Read Chunks Brick to Save Dog From Gator
With a rock and a brick as weapons, City Commissioner Bill “Tiger” Read got a 10-foot alligator to release a neighbor’s dog from its jaws | Read his version on Facebook
Irma Recovery: Sunday Afternoon Update
With 400 workers on duty, including 100 who arrived today, Lakeland Electric says it’s on track to meet its goal of restoring power to 95 percent of the 78,000 customers who were knocked out by Hurricane Irma.
Gallery: Irma Prep, Damage and Recovery
Photographer David Dickey Jr., who chronicles Lakeland with a documentarian’s eye, has posted a Facebook gallery of Irma images, from preparation to damage to recovery.
Lakeland Electric Outlines Worst-Hit Areas
Lakeland Electric has identified the parts of its grid that were hit the hardest by Hurricane Irma and said some of the roughly 2,000 people there can expect to be without power until Tuesday or Wednesday. All others without power should be restored by Sunday, the utility said in a Facebook post.
The areas that will take longer include:
- Lake Hollingsworth area (southwest side of the lake)
- Southgate Area (Beacon Road south to Imperial Boulevard)
- Sylvester Road area (sest of U.S. 98 and between Sylvester Road and Crystal Lake Road)