Lakeland Adding More Butterfly Gardens to Boost Monarch Population
The city of Lakeland is adding two more butterfly gardens to the four it already maintains in an effort to help restore the monarch butterfly population.
Lakeland Youth Council to Shift Focus to Eighth Graders
City commissioners say the changes will allow more students to participate, build on seventh grade civics class, and better fit teens’ schedules.
Lakeland Approves Wedgewood Agreement Despite Traffic Concerns
Lakeland commissioners approved a long-disputed development agreement for the former Wedgewood golf course on Monday, May 18, in a 6-1 vote, despite another tense public hearing dominated by traffic concerns from area residents. Ten neighbors spoke against the agreement, arguing congestion around Carpenters Way and U.S. 98 has worsened dramatically since the project’s original traffic…
Canady Returns to Lakeland Public Library for Mobile Office Hours
Rep. Jennifer Canady will hold mobile office hours in Lakeland on Wednesday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to noon at…
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Lakeland Now Originals
Harrison Arts’ Janiyah McAllister a National Musical Theatre Semifinalist
Harrison School for the Arts incoming senior Janiyah McAllister, 17, of Davenport, is a semifinalist in the National High School…
MORE LAKELAND NEWS
- Lakeland’s new fee for youth leagues using city athletic fields will help fund their maintenance | Fox 13 News
- Grant will fund sports fields and restrooms at Lake Crago | The Ledger
- Burst water pipe and pavement issues at Wabash and 10th linked to ground settling | Bay News 9
- Lakeland veteran, 87, struggles with VA to get treatment for Korean War ailments | News Channel 8
- Roundabout project will keep Galloway-Sleepy Hill intersection closed through next week | ABC Action News
- Polk’s school district joins a lawsuit against e-cigarette company JUUL | 10 Tampa Bay
BUSINESS
Continuing Bent’s Legacy: Lakeland Bicycle Co. Opens in Dixieland
Less than a quarter mile from the former Bent’s Cycling, Zachary Kulp’s new shop builds on more than 60 years of tradition.
Lakeland Watching Fort Meade Data Center as Water Concerns Grow
State officials warn the project’s water use may be underestimated, adding pressure to an already strained regional supply.
Alta Schoolhouse Plans Second Lakeland Preschool Campus at Former Little Sprouts Site
The Tennessee Avenue expansion will add care for one-year-olds and increase childcare capacity in a city where preschool openings remain limited.
City Hall
Dixieland’s Alleys Move to Center Stage in New CRA Vision
Residents asked for safer crossings, slower traffic, better sidewalks, and more walkable connections.
New Wedgewood Proposal Cuts Homes, Adds Roads, and Rekindles Doubts
The developer’s latest rewrite would reduce density and improve traffic flow around Carpenter’s Way, but residents say trust remains the bigger issue.
New Congressional Districts Shift Boundaries in Lakeland and Surrounding Areas
The new map puts the majority of Lakeland and Polk County within District 18, represented by Congressman Scott Franklin.
People
LCS Mock Trial Team Secures National Championship
Lakeland Christian School’s Mock Trial team won first place at the National High School Mock Trial Championship held May 7-9, 2026, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Heroes Remembered at Annual Law Enforcement Memorial
The 38th Annual Polk County Peace Officers’ Memorial Service on May 7 remembered local law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.
Army Maj. Cody Khork Returns to Polk County
The hearse carrying Khork’s remains was escorted by hundreds of law enforcement and veterans from Lakeland Linder International Airport to Oak Ridge Funeral Home in Winter Haven.
HEALTH
As Polk Ages, Families Struggle to Find Affordable Adult Day Care
More than 12,000 Polk County seniors are estimated to need help with daily activities, but families and providers say cost…
Polk Schools Commits to Improving Student Access to Mental Health Care
At PEACE’s 26th Annual Nehemiah Action, Superintendent Fred Heid agreed to create a plan to improve student and guardian access…
Study: Florida in the Middle of the Pack for Child Health, Dragged Down by Dental Care
Analysts with the personal finance website compared all 50 states and Washington, D.C., using 33 metrics tied to cost, quality,…
Coronavirus
New COVID Cases Reported in Polk Are Declining
Polk County’s latest uptick in COVID-19 cases has peaked. The number of new cases has shown a downward trend over the last four weeks after increasing steadily over a four-month period, according to weekly tallies reported by the Florida Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the week ending…
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Polk Museum of Art Announces a Major Expansion
The Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern college today announced a $6 million, 10,000-square-foot expansion that will triple the gallery space and add classrooms and art labs. Here are some of the particulars: WHO: Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College WHAT: Major expansion and renovation – 10,000 square feet; $6 million; two stories WHEN: Construction begins later…
More News
Harveys Supermarkets Become Winn-Dixie Stores on May 16
Two former Harveys Supermarkets will officially open as Winn-Dixie stores this Saturday, May 16, at 7:30 a.m.
Gospel Village Opens 48 New Apartments for the Chronically Homeless
The biggest expansion in Gospel Inc.’s history welcomes its first residents on Friday, May 15.
Tunes by the Lake Brings Local Music to Colt Creek State Park on May 17
Colt Creek State Park will feature local musicians at Tunes by the Lake on Sunday, May 11, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Lakeland’s Squeeze Shuttle Is Going Uber-Style
The free downtown circulator will shift to app-based, on-demand rides Oct. 1, including long-awaited Dixieland service.
Search Committee Recommends Kamoutsas for Polk State President
The Polk State College Presidential Search Committee has recommended a single finalist in its search for the college’s sixth president — Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas, Florida’s current commissioner of education.
Dead Fish on Lake Hollingsworth Raise Concerns
Lakeland city officials said they are aware of a fish kill on Lake Hollingsworth and have reported it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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Lakeland Events
Obituaries
Richard “Dick” Lloyd Lincoln, 89
LTC (Ret) Richard Lloyd Lincoln (Dick) passed away on October 9, 2022. He was born on September 12, 1933 in…
Wayne Earl Brackin, 74
Wayne Earl Brackin was born in Slocomb, Alabama on September 6, 1948 to Bunion Young Brackin & Mertie Jewel Smith…
William G. “Billy” Kirkland, 39
William G. “Billy” Kirkland was born in Panama City, Florida on September 9, 1983, to William E. and Georgia B.…
William John Stieren, 93
William John Stieren, 93, of Lakeland died peacefully on Saturday, October 8, 2022. Bill was born in Springfield, IL on…
Elizabeth “Bettie” English, 97
Elizabeth “Bettie” English, age 97, went home to be with the Lord on October 5, 2022. Bettie, born on August…
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