08.22.2023

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Today’s Forecast

77º | Light thunderstorms and rain | 90% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:20 a.m. | Sunset 5:49 p.m.

🗺 Call us community cartographers

Find your next favorite spot in Lakeland with our community maps

A gif featuring a slideshow of five maps of Lakeland, FL. Different points are highlighted on each map.

We’re mapping Lakeland’s top parks, eateries, coffee shops, and more. | Maps via Proxi

Consider LALtoday your friend who knows all the best places in Lakeland and gives the most accurate directions (take a right at Lake Hollingsworth and a left on South Florida Avenue). We didn’t get here based on our sense of direction alone, though. That’s where our community maps come in.

We use Proxi to create interactive maps that everyone in Lakeland can add to. In case you missed them, here are a few we’ve created so far:

Here’s how you can help other Lakelanders out: If you notice that your favorite spot is missing from one of our maps, you can add it in just a few seconds. Simply click the green icon that says “Add Point,” choose the best-fitting category, and add the location. You can even show off your photography skills and upload a photo.

We’re always on the lookout for new maps to create so you can discover new food, drinks, activities, and events. Is there a map you’d like to see? Let us know what we’re missing and we may grant your wish in our future newsletters

Payne Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. c/o McQueen Marketing

Events

Tuesday, Aug. 22

B-I-N-G-O | Tuesday, Aug. 22 | 6:30-8 p.m. | The Joinery, 640 E. Main St., Lakeland | Free entry | Join this weekly game to play for prizes while sipping on drinks from the bar at happy hour prices.
Let’s Go Party! Set | Tuesday, Aug. 22 | 7-9 p.m. | Painting with a Twist, 3670 Harden Blvd., Lakeland | $39 | Come on Barbie, let’s go paint a colorful canvas featuring the famous doll.

Wednesday, Aug. 23

Yoga for Beginners | Wednesday, Aug. 23 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Simpson Park Community Center, 1725 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Lakeland | $5 | Bring your mat and water to this class for yogis 16 or older.
Knit One, Crochet Too! | Wednesday, Aug. 23 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Lakeland Public Library, Larry R. Jackson Branch, 1700 N. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Free | Bring your current knitting or crocheting project to share tips and tricks with other crafters.

Thursday, Aug. 24

Yogadance | Thursday, Aug. 24 | 4-5 p.m. | Lake Crago Outdoor Recreation Complex, 525 Lake Crago Dr., Lakeland | $5 | Dance to music from around the world in this uplifting exercise class for all levels.
Trivia Thursdays! | Thursday, Aug. 24 | 7:30-10 p.m. | The Back Nine, 124 S. Tennessee Ave., Lakeland | Free entry | Join for food + drink and play TV trivia to win prizes.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Biz

Ready for Shark Tank? Apply for Catapult’s Launch Pitch Night 2023.

Lakeland entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses pitch their big ideas at Catapult’s Launch Pitch Night.

Lakeland entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses can pitch their big ideas at Catapult’s Launch Pitch Night for the chance to win up to $10,000 in funding. | Photo by Catapult

Calling all small businesses with big ideas: Applications are now open for Catapult’s Launch Pitch Night, a Shark Tank-style business pitch competition happening on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

The semi-annual program gives startups and small businesses the chance to apply and pitch their business ideas to judges from local financial institutions for up to $10,000 of micro-grant funding.

The Launch Micro-Grant was created to help entrepreneurs scale their business operations by providing access to capital to aid in the purchase of a business asset. Through funding and expertise, judges determine grant recipients by assessing a variety of factors.

Key dates to know:

Yesterday, Aug. 21: Applications opened
Thursday, Aug. 24: Launch Pitch Applications Lunch and Learn
Monday, Sept. 18: Applications due
Thursday, Oct. 19: Pitch Night

Interested? Learn more about the program, requirements, funding details, and how to fill out the application on Catapult’s website, or call Christiaan Abbott, Workspace Director, at (863) 940-9660.

Learn more and apply

News Notes

Development

The former Florida Citrus Mutual building at 411 E. Orange St. will be demolished to create parking for Publix employees. City commissioners approved the demolition, but Publix must build a pedestrian plaza and protect perimeter trees during the project. (The Ledger)

Civic

Judge John K. Stargel asked the City Commission to donate land to develop a permanent space for the Sixth District Court of Appeals. The court has operated from temporary spaces since being established in January, but it’s now looking to build a facility close to downtown. (The Ledger)

Real Estate

A Lakeland home with six bedrooms, a movie theater, and a heated pool sold for over $2 million last month, making it Polk’s most expensive home sale in July. Take a peek at four more luxury homes that were sold last month in Winter Haven, Davenport, and Lake Wales. (The Ledger)

Tech

Polk County will introduce a new customer portal for payments and billing on Monday, Aug. 28. Pro tip: Recurring payments will not carry over to the new portal, so customers will have to set up new payments. (The Ledger)

Coming Soon

New signage for Hong BBQ & Hot Pot has been spotted outside the former Shells Seafood location at 5125 S. Florida Ave. This will be the Korean barbecue and hot pot restaurant’s third location in Florida.

Number

$30 million. That’s how much funding Polk County will receive for opioid abuse prevention and treatment over the next 18 years. The county and Polk Vision will host an event on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at Polk State College to hear community priorities for using the funding. (The Ledger)

Edu

Florida Southern College was recognized in The Princeton Review’s 2024 guide to the 389 best colleges in the US. FSC ranked highly for its career services, theater program, and professors. It also ranked as the sixth most beautiful campus.

Job

Learn about firefighter and paramedic careers at Polk County Fire Rescue’s job fair. Bring your resume, certifications, and other documents to the fair at Fire Station 24 – Winston Creek (1140 N. Galloway Rd., Lakeland) on Friday, Sept. 8, 2-6 p.m. (The Ledger)

Eat

#TerraceTabletop: Savor the flavors of summer at Downtown Lakeland’s Terrace Grille. Offering the perfect ambiance for all ages, the modern fine dining restaurant features only the freshest ingredients and is open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner, happy hour, and weekend brunch. Explore the menu + make a reservation.*

Shop

Whoa. Our eyes are seeing a whole lotta double — as in a lot of BOGO deals happening at Publix. See the 1,289 BOGO items on sale this week.*

Edu

If you’re all about location, location, location for your next home, discover Grasslands West. Nearby public schools include Dixieland Elementary, Sleepy Hill Middle + Lakeland Senior High, while Lakeland Christian School and Geneva Classical Academy are close private schools options. See what local activities and hot spots are nearby.*

Answered

What readers think of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets becoming Aldi stores

Lakeland reacts to Aldi’s purchase of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets

An exterior shot of an Aldi super market

Aldi opened its second Lakeland location in early 2023. | Photo by LALtoday

When it was announced that Aldi had purchased the Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket brands, many Lakelanders wondered what the deal would mean for local grocery stores.

Plans have yet to be announced for Winn-Dixie and Harveys’ five collective locations in Lakeland, but our readers share mixed reviews about the possible change.

“Yeah, I love Aldi!” — Reader Francine H.

“I do not like that idea at all! Winn Dixie has good prices. Not even in the same league as Aldi.” — Reader Linda C.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea since Aldi has such cheap and reasonable prices.” — Reader Wendy F.

“Please change the Harvey’s on Ariana to an Aldi.” — Reader Karen W.

“No way....sorry not an Aldi fan. Keep my Winn-Dixie with buy 1 get 1....” — Reader Kathy H.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Connor

From the editor

Have you visited Purrology Cat Cafe yet? I shared my experience when I first visited, and I give it two paws up. If you prefer to do yoga with furry friends, there are a few spots left in the cat yoga class on Thursday, Sept. 7.

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