In Lakeland, the revolution might not be televised, but it will play out in social media. There’s a push to replace the city’s council-manager form of government with a strong mayor system, and the people promoting it are using Facebook as a listening post to get feedback before they even offer a formal proposal.
Author Archives: Barry Friedman
Barry Friedman founded Lkldnow.com in 2015 as the culmination of a career in print and digital journalism. Since 1982, he has used the tools of reporting, editing and content curation to help people in Lakeland understand their community better.
Posted inA & E, Neighborhoods
Dixieland Revival Getting Attention
The resurgence of small businesses in the historic Dixieland neighborhood must be ready for prime time. It’s gotten attention in the last few days from Tampa’s Fox 13 and Bay News 9.
Posted inBusiness
Ledger Lays Off Eleven in Newsroom
Eleven news employees, including three photographers and three copy editors, were laid off by the Ledger Media Group this week.
Posted inDining, Downtown
What’s With the Fancy P?
People have been wondering about gray postcards showing up around town with a fancy script P on them. The faint letters give a date of 3.14.15 and the URL patriotlakeland.com. Go to the site and you find out “It’s coming. It’s about craft” and you can sign up to get updates. What kind of craft?
Posted inCity Hall, Public Safety
Tony Kirk Not Going to LPD, But Plans to Stay in Lakeland
After moving to the Lakeland area and finding himself unexpectedly jobless, Tony Kirk plans to stay put. “God put me here for a reason,” he told the Topeka Capital-Journal Friday night after withdrawing from a job as Lakeland’s assistant police chief that he was supposed to start on Monday.
Posted inHealth, Scenes
Gallery: Promise Run
Hundreds of runners and walkers participated in this morning’s Hollis Cancer Center Promise Run to benefit the fight against cancer. Check out photos and videos people shared of their personal victories.
Posted inCity Hall
Those Fighter Jets Are Part of a Training Exercise
A lot of people have been wondering about the loud fighter jets screaming overhead lately. It turns out that they are part of a military training program being conducted by Drakken International at Lakeland Linder Airport.
Posted inDowntown, Neighborhoods
‘Mecca of Cool’ Fades to Quaint, Charming, Genteel
Detroit Free Press travel writer Ellen Creager invented a motto for downtown Lakeland when she wrote about our city as a “small mecca of cool” as the 2004 Spring Training season approached. Creager yesterday gave Free Press readers another of her regular Lakeland travelogues. There’s still praise, but it seems tempered.