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4-minute read Kaitlin Gracie Kramer is running for mayor of Lakeland in what is now a four-way race. She will face Kay Klymko, Sara Roberts McCarley and Cedrick Valrie. The qualifying period for the Nov. 4 city election ended on Friday, solidifying the ballot. Kramer, 24, said when she tells people that she’s running for […]

1-minute read Terry Coney ” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ConeyHeadshot.jpg?fit=300%2C267&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ConeyHeadshot.jpg?fit=780%2C693&ssl=1″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ConeyHeadshot.jpg?resize=300%2C267&ssl=1″ alt=”” class=”wp-image-516578″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ConeyHeadshot.jpg?resize=300%2C267&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ConeyHeadshot.jpg?resize=768%2C683&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ConeyHeadshot.jpg?resize=780%2C693&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ConeyHeadshot.jpg?resize=400%2C356&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ConeyHeadshot.jpg?resize=706%2C628&ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ConeyHeadshot.jpg?w=955&ssl=1 955w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ConeyHeadshot-300×267.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px”>Terry Coney | terryconey.com Terry Coney is elected to the City Commission and will take office at the first commission meeting in January 2026. As the only candidate […]

5-minute read When Skylar Mulligan and her husband bought a 104-year-old house in Beacon Hill last year, they were prepared for updates, including having an asbestos tile roof professionally removed and covering any lead paint. After thorough inspections, they thought they had a house that was both charming and safe. So they were stunned to […]

2-minute read At Monday’s Lakeland Housing Authority board meeting, multiple speakers — including residents and City Commissioner Guy LaLonde — highlighted concerns ranging from Section 8 vouchers to transparency in decision making. Roughly 20 to 25 people attended, at least six speakers addressed the board during the public comment period. Speakers referenced concerns affecting dozens […]

5-minute read Ten years ago, Barry Friedman launched LkldNow. Since then, we’ve published over 9,100 posts with Lakeland front and center. Friedman often worked out of local coffee shops, connecting with readers, community members, and supporting other local businesses. He wanted readers to understand: “We are local, our focus was local, everything about us was […]

For the first time since 2012, Lakeland’s minor league baseball team, the Lakeland Flying Tigers has clinched the state championship. The team won two straight games during a best of three series with a 9-2 win over the Daytona Tortugas in Game 2. The Flying Tigers won Game 1 in Daytona, 6-1, on Sunday, followed […]

5-minute read Within hours of the City Commission’s 6–0 vote to allow an upscale cocktail lounge where Dissent Brewing used to be, Jeremiah Joaquim was on the phone. The 40-year-old Lakeland entrepreneur has an ambitious plan to open his new venture — the Velvet Swan — in just eight weeks.  He and his wife Tabitha […]

4-minute read Kay Klymko is running for mayor in the Nov. 4 city election. As of Sept. 12, two other candidates vying for the role: Commissioner Sara Roberts McCarley and Cedrick Valrie. Klymko, 75, ran for a seat on the Lakeland City Commission in 2023 and Polk County Commission in 2024. “For the last three […]

5-minute read A South Florida primary care physician is expressing his concerns that Florida’s plan to rid vaccine mandates will affect the entire country and the health care system as a whole. By law, children in Florida must get vaccinated against diseases like whooping cough, polio and mumps in order to attend school. However, according […]

3-minute read Students can step into the Project Prom/Project Homecoming store in Lakeland Square Mall and explore the array of colorful gowns, dapper suits, and sparkly accessories. Project Homecoming, led by UthMpact teen leaders, offers free formalwear to all Polk County high schoolers, ensuring milestone moments like homecoming and prom remain within reach for families […]