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3-minute read Two weeks after local business owners requested it, Citrus Connection unveiled plans for a six-month pilot of a ‘Dixieland Squeeze’ that could launch as soon as December. “I’ve never seen so much community excitement for transit, so I’d say the probability of this happening is high,” Citrus Connection General Manager Tom Phillips said. […]

3-minute read Sausage House Market will open soon at 4204 S. Florida Ave., Suite H, in Lakeland. Owners, Piotr and Dariusz Kotarowski, are carefully curating high-quality products for their shop, but they said there is an even more important ingredient: “It’s also tradition. We are Polish.” The brothers were born and raised in Kielce, Poland, […]

3-minute read After repeated washouts, four blocks of Easton Drive from Fairmount Avenue to Buckingham Avenue will be repaved within the next year, according to Jamin Smith of the city’s communications department.  The city allocates about $200,000 each year to remove asphalt and restore bricks on streets that have them, however, Easton Drive — which […]

The Rose Dynasty Foundation, in partnership with Pineapple Healthcare, will host the first-ever Rainbow Roots Festival from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at Lake Mirror Auditorium, 121 S. Lake Ave., Lakeland. The free, family-friendly event celebrates queer creativity and resilience during LGBTQ+ History Month and National Coming Out Day.  What to expect: More […]

4-minute read Meet Kimberly Kimberly works full-time as an ESE paraprofessional for Polk County Public Schools, supporting students with disabilities.  At home, Kimberly is also a caregiver for her adult daughter with disabilities, and two younger children. Her youngest is currently enrolled in VPK. In between, she’s pursuing an associates degree at Polk State College, […]

1-minute read The month’s residential beautification award winner, John Tankson, has spent five decades tending the lush, Florida-friendly landscape at his home at 1003 W. 13th St. Horticulturist Stacy Smith said a small ribbon of grass winds through islands of plants, including crotons, copper plants, bromeliads and other tropical species. “Most of the things you […]

5-minute read When asked about her father, Reverend Richard Richardson, Karen Pruitt recalled, “He didn’t necessarily want to take a lot of credit for anything.” Richardson, 95, passed away on Sept. 30, 2025. “He just is doing what the Lord asked him to do,” she said. “He just had a servant’s heart. I think that […]

2-minute read City elections are just over a month away. In the balance are three city commission seats, including the Mayor, as well as three ballot amendments that would make changes to our city’s charter.  LkldNow’s 2025 Voter Guide is your tool to make candidate research easy and to demystify how city elections and local […]

Register to vote: Register to vote or update your voter information online Download a printable registration form Get paper registration forms at banks and multiple other locations throughout Lakeland Frequently-asked questions and answers Check your voter status Election Day: Nov. 4: Polling places are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for in-person voting. Early voting: […]

Lakeland voters won’t just be electing a new mayor and two commissioners on Nov. 4. They will also be weighing in on three proposed changes to the City Charter. The City Charter is like a municipal constitution. It’s the legal document that establishes the city’s form of government.  After a year of review, a 15-member […]