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1-minute read Beginning at 4 a.m. this Saturday, July 19, CSX will close the North Florida Avenue railroad crossing for construction. The closure is expected to extend through Tuesday, July 22, at 10 p.m. The crossing is between Pine Street and Main Street. “This closure is part of a phased construction schedule to improve critical […]

5-minute read In its heyday, the historic building at 121 and 123 N. Kentucky Ave. was a Montgomery Ward department store. But for most of the past 25 years, it has sat empty facing Munn Park, falling into progressively worse repair and frustrating downtown revitalization efforts.  A short walk away, the century-old Hartsell building at […]

1-minute read “On a mission to save dogs and cats when natural disasters and man-made disasters strike,” SPCA Florida and its Polk County branch are offering classes to train volunteers for the Florida State Animal Response Coalition (FL SARC) — to “ensure these animals have someone on their side when they need it the most,” according […]

4-minute read Seeing the black-and-orange wings of a threatened Monarch butterfly in Hollis Garden, I felt lucky. The majestic insect paused briefly on the garden’s dwarf poinciana tree before fluttering away. I had to move quickly to get a photo. On my way out of the garden, I glimpsed another, smaller butterfly: mostly black with […]

2-minute read What started as a stalled housing project on a too-small lot is now advancing thanks to Lakeland Habitat for Humanity’s persistence and renewed support from the city of Lakeland.  Habitat’s plan: build one-bedroom “legacy homes” for seniors in aging, unlivable houses that are at risk for demolition due to code violations. When a […]

4-minute read Inspiration pictures for the revitalization of Memorial Boulevard include landscaped plazas, new office buildings, hip-looking restaurants and alleys with string lights. The vision, adopted by the City Commission on Monday, did not include a new, larger homeless shelter for Talbot House Ministries being proposed at a key intersection between the “downtown gateway” and […]

5-minute read Lakeland commissioners have cleared the way for a community of 30 two-story townhomes north of Memorial Boulevard and east of the city’s medical corridor.  The decision at Monday’s City Commission meeting passed 5-2 after a contentious debate over traffic and parking. Planning logic: The proposal for “affordable workforce housing” by Orlando-based Neiel Group […]

1-minute read With a broken-heart emoji, Ax-Caliber, the Lakeland restaurant that allowed patrons to throw axes among other activities, announced Tuesday that it would shut its doors for good on July 27. Ax-Caliber in Lakeland, at 204 E. Orange St., has been open for just short of five years, since November of 2020. The first […]

2-minute read Jeremiah Mcparlin’s path to high school graduation wasn’t paved. It was uphill, uneven, filled with hurdles. But he walked it anyway — all the way to the top. And when he crossed the stage in June and received his diploma, at New Beginnings, the charter high school, he did so as the valedictorian. […]

4-minute read Polk County Public Schools earned a long-sought B grade from the Florida Department of Education in results released Monday. “We just got our report card, and Polk County Public Schools is B-B-B-Back!” the district said in a news release. The achievement came after three consecutive years of C grades, which frustrated district officials. […]