UNITED WAY: After a three month search, the board of the United Way of Central Florida (UWCF) chose Christina Criser Jackson as the next president and CEO of the organization. Criser Jackson is currently serving as the UWCF vice president of Resource Development and will take over the new position April 1st. MAKERSPACE: A pilot […]
Author Archives: Chuck Welch
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REGISTRATION: Polk County Democrats and the Polk County chapter of the League of Women Voters are helping those with felony records, who have completed all terms of their sentences, register to vote at various events this month. EDUCATION: Without leaving school, some teachers and administrators at Kathleen High School are working toward master’s degrees. The […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Tonight’s Town Hall to Explore Hurricane Impact
Spectrum News Florida is hosting a town hall at 7 p. m. tonight in the RP Funding Center to examine the effect Hurricane Michael had on Florida’s panhandle and what could happen if the Polk County area suffered a similar fate. Spectrum has invited lawmakers, storm victims, emergency personnel, and meteorologists to discuss the devastation, […]
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FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE: Pete Meyer is retiring as Florida Southern’s Director of Athletics. After 20 years at FSC, Meyer is moving to Indiana to start a private venture with his wife, Julie. LONE PINE: Originally scheduled for Summer 2018, the 42nd annual Polk County Amateur Championship is finally being held this weekend at Lone Palm […]
Posted inCity Hall, Politics
Special Election Today: Polls Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Lakeland voters today decide who will fill the southwest district seat on the Lakeland City Commission that was vacated by Michael Dunn. Polls in the special election are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Candidates are Patrick Shawn Jones, Sara Roberts McCarley and Bill Watts. Review election coverage here. Some polling locations have been […]
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NEW SCHOOL: A new tuition-free, private middle middle, is set to open this summer at what was once the Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine Building at the corner of Lakeland Hills and Memorial boulevards. Academy Prep of Lakeland is open to students who qualify for free or reduced lunch and who pass the admissions test. The […]
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PARADE: The 41st Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King parade was held Saturday. There were 121 parade entries this year, with awards presented at the Feb. 4 Lakeland City Commission meeting. VISION: Last year, Lakeland city commissioners asked Community and Economic Development Director Nicole Travis for a new vision for the city’s downtown. Travis felt […]
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TUMBLING: The Lakeland Dreadnaught cheerleaders will leap into the state finals after capturing the Large Non-Tumbling division title. SPRAWLING: The second of three Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency sponsored murals nears completion at the corner of South Florida Ave. and Cresap Street. The artist, Timothy Haas, has numerous murals in the Lakeland area. ARRESTED: Winfred “Carl” […]
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SMOKING: Thursday saw the start of the lawsuit brought by the family of Robert McCain Sr. against cigarette maker R.J. Reynolds. McCain smoked over 50 years before dying in 2007 at 67. His family is seeking compensation from the Reynolds company. ROUNDTABLE: The Polk County School Board held its first roundtable discussion this week. The […]
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BUS SERVICE: Citrus Connection Executive Director Tom Phillips briefed the agency’s board of directors that the federal government shutdown could affect bus service. Phillips noted that approximately 50 percent of the local bus agency’s funding comes from federal sources and the first of two rounds of cuts would likely come February 14th. CITY HALL: Brian […]