Category: News Roundup

With bulldozers preparing  a just-closed parking lot for construction of Broadway Real Estate’s NoBay retail-residential complex downtown, a neighboring property owner and merchant is hopping mad — at the city, not the developer. As she retires from The Ledger after more than 30 years, medical writer Robin Williams Adams looks at Lakeland Regional Health‘s recent rapid growth. As […]

A grieving mom thanks Lakeland-based FHP staffers for their compassion … Obituary: Tanya Comparetto Friel, former president of Lakeland Bar Association, dies at 55 … That “rain-slicked devil named El Niño” is the main threat to renovating Joker Marchant Stadium by spring training … A CSX train hits a truck hauling new cars

Loud, low-flying military jets scare and annoy homeowners … Benjamin Smiley, 23, is found guilty of shooting and killing 46-year-old robbery target Carmen Riley in her home … Polk Life magazine includes features about Florida Dance Theatre, belly dancers, volunteer Laura Anderson and local farmers. Source: The Ledger

Responding to a Lakeland mother’s request, a Polk School District committee recommends 10-20 minutes of recess daily for grades K-2 and 50-80 minutes weekly for grades 3-5. Polk County is unlikely to follow Lakeland’s lead in relaxing Sunday alcohol restrictions. Commissioner Ed Smith: “If I had my way, I’d bring back Prohibition.” Two citrus industry leaders, including Lakeland’s Jim […]

A block north of downtown that used to house the Salvation Army is being transformed into an artists’ colony, shared commercial kitchen space and housing for urban pioneers. Lakeland resident Bob Behr, who holds a doctorate in agricultural economics, is taking over as CEO of Florida’s Natural Growers. Source: The Ledger

Faith fuels couple’s businesses … Assistant prosecutor quits after Lakeland DUI arrest … Green Swamp Sasquatch hunters risk ridicule Source: The Ledger

Fire: Finding two gas cans in the bedroom of a mobile home that burned Wednesday, officials are investigating the fatality there as a suicide. Publix: The supermarket giant was ranked as the nation’s 15th largest privately held company. (Publix came in 12th last year.) Burt Reynolds: The 79-year-old actor, in town to sign autographs at an auto show, recalled […]

Lakeland Regional Health: Rates are going up; so are the employee census and emergency room visits. Also: an IRS filing reveals top 2013 salaries and contractor payments. A&E: Art Crawl at Polk Museum of Art; “Fiddler” at Harrison Arts Center; Last Comic Standing at The Lakeland Center.

Source: News Channel 8

GiftIdea: GiveWell GiveCard … Arrest made in fatal crash … 200 applied; 14 were hired; 13 became full firefighters Source: The Ledger