Citrus Connection, Polk County’s public transit authority, and SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo, one of the…
Month: August 2025
Goodbye to $13 an hour—Florida raises minimum wage in 2025 and moves closer to historic $15 cap
Starting September 30, 2025, workers across Florida will see their paychecks get a little bigger. The state’s minimum wage is going…
Potentially radioactive shrimp recalled at Walmarts in a dozen states
The Food and Drug Administration warned Tuesday against eating certain brands of shrimp because they might be, uh,…
Friends opening wild game processing service in Lakeland
Four Polk County outdoorsmen are launching a new service for hunters hoping to stock up their…
PCSO charges 32 suspects during “Operation Capital City Crack Down,” a yearlong investigation of illegal drug trafficking
Detectives from the PCSO Tactical Drug Unit, Organized Crime Unit, and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking…
CENTRAL FLORIDA BUSINESS EXPO TICKETS ON SALE
Tickets Now on Sale for the 2025 Central Florida Business ExpoGeneral Admission and VIP Experiences Available…
Excel Christian Academy Here We Go Again …. “tickle time”
Some new and interesting information has come out of Excel Christian Academy. A parent of a…
Orlando Health plans hiring event for Lakeland Highlands Hospital Aug. 23 in Auburndale
Orlando Health will hold its first hiring event Aug. 23 for the Orlando Health Watson Clinic,…
Lakeland Man, Former Correctional Officer, Arrested For Domestic Violence
A Lakeland man, a former state correctional officer, was charged with domestic battery after allegedly striking…
Ashley Troutman Enters the Race and Don Burns Has Withdrawn from the Race for the Lakeland City Commission
Ashley Troutman is running for the Lakeland City Commission to represent District C Southwest. As of…
Florida Passes Public School Spanking Law: New Uniform Corporal Punishment Rules
House Bill 1255 mandates opt-in approval from parents and sets new oversight rules for physical discipline,…
‘Bad Dog’ sign at Polk County shelter sparks anger from animal advocates
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office cited a 1949 law as its reason for posting the sign…
Polk Arts & Cultural Alliance
Congratulations to the 2026 Polk Arts & Culture Hall of Fame Inductees! Celebrate and honor these…
Sleepy Hill Elementary School Lakeland Issue
When someone who doesn’t speak fluent English and needs an interpreter. The Principal at Sleepy Hill,…
Is God Dead? Expectancy
From the moral argument presented over the last few weeks, we determined that since the Great…
Buffalo Wild Wings Go Headed to Lakeland
Buffalo Wild Wings’ fast-casual spinoff will open in Oakbridge Centre. The retail center on the northeast…
PCPS Mourns the Passing of School Board Member Rick Nolte
Polk County Public Schools is deeply saddened by the passing of District 3 School Board Member…
Did you Know
By Paul Waldmiller Did you know that the Republican Party of Florida removed a line of…
Movie Review – Freakier Friday
By Bob Garver I remember being a big fan of the 1976 “Freaky Friday” with…
Plantapalooza at Keel Farms Saturday 8/23
“44 years ago, my father Joe started Keel Farms as a tree nursery, so this event…
Polk County Fire Rescue Crew Delivers Child in Highland City
Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) members assisted in welcoming a new life on Tuesday, Aug. 19…
Polk County deputies investigating deadly hit-and-run
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a hit-and-run that left a person dead early Monday. According to…
Polk County Kids Tag Art
We have our finalists! THANK YOU for voting on this year’s STAFF Tag Art Contest. These…
CITY OF LAKELAND AWARDED $50,000 URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY GRANT
The City of Lakeland has received a $50,000 Urban and Community Forestry – Hurricane Ian Recovery Grant from…
SEU Trades Student Awarded mikeroweWORKS Foundation Scholarship
Southeastern University (SEU) student Owen Stephens was recently awarded a 2025 Work Ethic Scholarship totaling $7,000…
Amtrack Naked Man Arrest
Video Courtesy of Jonathan Wayne Andress & Studio61productions.com According to Amtrak, the man was on the train,…
Polk School Board wants you to pay a 1 Mill Tax Proposal for Teacher Pay
After months of planning, the Polk County School Board has disclosed the referendum it wants to…
Is God Dead?
Evolution’s Morality On more than one occasion, I have made the passing comment that “the…
Florida bans 7-OH kratom to prevent ‘fourth wave’ of opioid crisis
Those little bottles sold in front of gas station cash registers? If they contain kratom, they’re…
Fire Volleyball Opens Season with Sweep of Point
SEU Volleyball launched its 2025 season with a dominant performance at the SEU Invitational on Friday…
Florida Poly reaches new heights with record Fulbright participation
Florida Polytechnic University is welcoming the largest cohort of distinguished Fulbright awardees in its history, with…
Marriott to Cut 136 Lakeland Jobs in Shift to Outside Vendors
Marriott Vacations Worldwide is shifting certain administrative functions to third-party vendors, a move that will eliminate more…
Florida citrus growers could benefit from proposed orange juice regulation change
Florida citrus growers are celebrating a proposal from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to change its…
Man recently released from prison gets arrested again after burglary
A man who was recently released from state prison was arrested again by deputies from the…
Spicy Cajun Coleslaw
Cabbage mix tossed with a spicy mayo sauce. Prep Time15minutes mins Chill Time1hour hr Total Time1hour hr 15minutes mins Course: Side Dish…
Polk County legislators hear animal welfare pleas and funding requests in annual meeting
Disappointed with their reception within Polk County, animal advocates addressed their arguments to a higher authority:…