He was born Charles Crofford Dockery in May 1933, but Lakelanders grew to know and love him as Doc Dockery, a self-made man, the founder of Summit Consulting, a political kingmaker, an advisor to governors and author of two books.
Tag: lkldnow
Posted inCity Hall, Consumer
City Sets Record Fuel Rate for Lakeland Electric Starting Sept. 1
Driven by an imperfect storm of hot weather, rising natural gas prices and transportation bottlenecks, Lakeland city commissioners today adopted a record fuel adjustment rate for Lakeland Electric customers of $75 per 1,000 kWh. The new rate, which was passed unanimously, takes effect Sept. 1.
Posted inHousing, Neighborhoods
Affordable Apartments Planned For Westgate Neighborhood
A 96-unit apartment complex is planned for the Westgate neighborhood, south of George Jenkins Boulevard and west of Lake Beulah, and should bring new affordable housing to the area, city officials said at Monday morning’s Lakeland City Commission meeting.
Posted inActivism, Politics
Note From the Publisher: Our Voter Guide Is Online
It’s election season. The primary election — where quite a few races will be decided — is Aug. 23, less than a month away, and the general election is Nov. 8. To help you prepare, LkldNow has published our Voter Guide 2022.
Posted inNeighborhoods, Transportation
Residents Raise Concerns About Side Street Traffic on South Florida Avenue
The South Florida Avenue road diet is shoving traffic into nearby neighborhoods, residents said Monday night.
Posted inSchools
Raises Approved for Polk Public School Employees
Polk County Public School teachers, support staff and other union employees received a raise this month, which will show up in their Aug. 30 paycheck; non-union employees are set to receive raises on Sept. 30 that are retroactive to July 1.
Posted inPeople, Public Safety
Part 4: Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd Becomes a National Figure
As Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd’s star rose during the 2000s, so did his political cachet. He has spent time in Washington, D.C., at The White House and at local campaign stops with several presidents. Those meetings stretch back to the early 1980s, when President Jimmy Carter came to Polk County to fish and shook […]
Posted inSchools
Heid Announcing Opt-In Policy for Controversial Books
Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid will inform School Board members Tuesday during an afternoon work session about the implementation of a new policy that deals with 16 books one conservative groups deemed “pornographic” or “age inappropriate” earlier this year.
Posted inPeople, Public Safety
Part 3: Sheriff Grady Judd Has Faced Controversies, Protected Children
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd’s career has had its share of controversies that made him a sometimes polarizing figure. One sticking point with some residents has been his adamant opposition to equipping his deputies or their patrol cars with cameras, saying it’s an invasion of privacy, costs too much, and that most people in the […]
Posted inHealth
Three Monkeypox Cases Reported in Polk County
Polk County has three known cases of monkeypox, all reported this month, according to the Florida Department of Health. The virus is spreading globally, and it was declared “a public health emergency of international concern” by the World Health Organization on Saturday.