Phillip Walker was re-elected to the Lakeland City Commission today since he did not receive opposition for his northwest Lakeland seat by noon, the end of the period to qualify for office.
In an unexpected move, former School Board member and County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson entered a five-way race for an open City Commission seat. And in the other contested race, incumbent Bill Read picked up an opponent, Jiwa Farrell. More
When asked what starting time would boost attendance at City Commission meetings, Lakeland Now readers overwhelmingly favored evening meetings. More
Carol Erkes didn’t imagine she would go from being a dancer to an impresario, managing an arts organization instead of creating art. “I never had any intention of getting to where we are today. It snowballed,” she said.
Erkes retired in June as the executive and artistic director of Florida Dance Theatre, the professional dance company she founded in 1993 as a ballet school. More
Should the city of Lakeland approve plans for a single-user office building on a prime parcel overlooking Lake Mirror — or should it take a long-term view and hold out for a potential multi-use project more in keeping with the vision of downtown planners?
That was the question posed by Lakeland Downtown Development Authority board member Greg Sanoba this morning before the board voted 4-1 to approve the design concept for an eight-story office building/parking garage planned by Summit Consulting. More
I asked millennial music maven Megan about which local shows we should highlight this weekend. I’m going to go with her text response and add some hyperlinks. The music calendar (newly updated by Megan) follows. More
Summit Consulting is negotiating with the city of Lakeland to buy a key property on Lake Mirror and build an eight-story office building there. It’s being hailed as the largest downtown construction project in decades, and supporters say it will transform the skyline, bring 500 mostly high-wage jobs downtown and spur more private development. More
The SpringHill Suites hotel being built next to the RP Funding Center should open by mid-April next year, according to an announcement that construction of the steel frame has been completed. More
A year after the Lakeland City Commission changed the starting time of its twice-a-month meetings from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at least one commissioner wants to return to a morning start. More
It hasn’t been long since a run-down house was demolished along an alley in Dixieland. Developer Gregory Fancelli plans to place some two-story apartments there eventually. But for now, it’s home to a 30-foot long dragon, Dixieland’s newest resident. More
Music for many moods: Featured performances this weekend range from outlaw country and classic rock to funk, classic/pop fusion and romantic classics. Read on and view our updated live music calendar: More
