The city of Lakeland will advance a languishing request by Talbot House Ministries to help pay for two new boilers the nonprofit had to install last year when its existing system failed by using money from a $50,000 U.S. Housing & Urban Development block grant.
Author Archives: John Haughey
Posted inCrime / Justice, Public Safety
Lakeland Golf Cart Thefts a Surge, But Not a Trend
Golf cart theft is a growing concern in several Florida communities with what appears to be organized rings responsible for a rash of heists since August in Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, The Villages and Charlotte County. Lakeland has also experienced a recent spate of 16 golf cart thefts, but the Lakeland Police Department and Polk County […]
Posted inCity Hall, Neighborhoods
Updated Plans for Apartment Complex Exclude Entrance on Airport Road
Lakeland’s planning board today approved several changes to a 300-unit apartment complex planned for Airport Road at the entrance to Carillon Lakes: The buildings will be fewer but taller than originally planned, and for now a hoped-for access off Airport Road will be for emergency vehicles only.
Posted inBusiness, City Hall
City’s Pooled Investments Earned $18.8 Million in 2021
The city of Lakeland’s pooled investment fund earned $18.8 million in 2021, a 3.26% return that fell $2.2 million below the previous year but was still “well above the average earning index” for municipal governments, city Treasurer Jeff Stearns told commissioners today during an update on the city investment performance and policies.
Posted inCity Hall, Politics
Florida Cities Brace for Struggle With State Over Local Authority
The Florida Legislature convened last week and, once again, the 60-day legislative session will be marked by power struggles with cities and counties as state lawmakers have submitted more than 40 bills that cuff local government regulatory authority or cede municipal control to the state.
Posted inPeople, Politics
Underdog Florida Senate Candidate Benny Valentin Says He’s In It to Win
Benny Valentin of Poinciana filed last February to run next November for the Florida Senate District 22 seat being vacated by the term-limited Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, and hasn’t been heard from since.
Posted inConsumer, Housing
Lakeland Rental Costs Have Leveled Off After Huge Spikes, But More Increases Are Expected
The average cost of rental housing in Lakeland has increased by more than 25.3% since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in March 2020, Apartmentlist.com reports. But for the second consecutive month, median monthly rents in the city appear to be stabilizing with a negligible 0.7% increase last month, according to the digital platform’s December Rent Report, which […]
Posted inActivism, City Hall
City of Lakeland Seeks Feedback Via Annual Quality-of-Life Survey
It’s January and that means it is time for the annual Lakeland quality-of-life survey where the city government asks area residents to rate Lakeland across a series of metrics and to identify their top concerns for the coming year.
Posted inBusiness, Dining
Fresh Kitchen Plans a Build-a-Bowl Restaurant for Lakeland
Fresh Kitchen, a Tampa-based build-your-own-bowl restaurant chain, will open its first Lakeland site adjacent to the new Aldi store that is set to open in late 2022 on South Florida Avenue at Alamo Drive.
Posted inPolitics
Libertarian, 22-Year-Old Pilot Join Race for State House
The race to succeed term-limited Rep. Colleen Burton in next fall’s Florida House District 40 election features two familiar names with long local legacies and two newcomers — a Libertarian educator and a 22-year-old pilot.