Plus, Lakeland budget hearings
 
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6AM City In-house

Today’s Forecast

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

✏️ Pencils at the ready

New educational opportunities coming to Polk County
A group of five sit on stools in a panel discussion
Katie Worthington-Decker of the LEDC moderated the panel featuring (left to right): Melody Rider, Alec Macaulay, Sheila Paul, and Superintendent Frederick Heid. | Photo by Jacob Blair, Blair Media Company
School is already underway for Polk County Public Schools, but on Monday, Superintendent Frederick Heid said he’s keeping a close eye on the future.

Heid met with local business leaders at the Lakeland Economic Development Council meeting on Aug. 28. In addition to the superintendent, three other leaders in education took part in a conversation moderated by the LEDC’s Senior Vice President, Katie Worthington Decker. The panel included:
We’re breaking down what you need to know about changes coming for Polk students, starting with IDEA Schools.

IDEA Schools

A man in a dark blue suit speaks into a microphone

Alec Macaulay of IDEA Schools spoke to Lakeland business owners.

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Photo by Jacob Blair, Blair Media Company

About

IDEA Public Schools is a high-performing, high-achieving K12 charter network. Initially from Texas, the tuition-free education group has been helping students get to and through college for 20+ years.

At its core, IDEA aims to serve historically underserved populations and provide them with access to high-quality educational choices and options.

Fast facts:
  • IDEA students graduate from colleges at a rate six times higher than their peers.
  • 94% of IDEA Schools students in Florida are economically disadvantaged.
  • Enrollment will be open to all of Polk.
A gray building will soon be IDEA School.

IDEA School is coming to Lakeland’s north side.

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Image via Google Maps

What’s next for Lakeland

IDEA isn’t entirely new to Florida. There are already two campuses in Tampa, two in Jacksonville, and soon, one is coming to Lakeland. The school will be located at 1775 Interstate Dr., off of Kathleen Road in the old GC Services LP building.

With the building already one-third built out and functional, a tentative opening has been set for August 2024.

Looking to join the cause? Jobs are posted on the website. The team is looking for teachers with knowledge of the Lakeland community to join the IDEA-trained teachers on staff.

Keep an eye out for more updates on IDEA School, Bezos Academy, and other educational opportunities for Lakeland students.
Lakeland Economic Development Council
 
Events
Thursday, Aug. 31
  • 3 Witchy Gnomes | Thursday, Aug. 31 | 7-9 p.m. | Painting with a Twist, 3670 Harden Blvd., Lakeland | $39 | Get in the Halloween spirit early by painting these gnomes inspired by “Hocus Pocus.”
Friday, Sept. 1
  • Yoga for Beginners | Friday, Sept. 1 | 10-11 a.m. | Coleman-Bush Building, 1104 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Lakeland | $5 | Bring your mat and water to this class for all levels of yogis 16 or older — locations vary by day.
  • Swan City Improv Comedy Show! | Friday, Sept. 1 | 7:30-10:30 p.m. | Rec Room, 202 N. Massachusetts Ave., Lakeland | $10-$15 | Laugh along at these improvised comedy shows — all ages are welcome to the 7:30 p.m. show and the 9:30 p.m. show is 21+.
Saturday, Sept. 2
  • Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market | Saturday, Sept. 2 | 8 a.m.-2 p.m. | Downtown Lakeland, 210 E. Main St., Lakeland | Free entry | Kick off the 20th season of Lakeland’s farmers market by shopping for fresh produce, plants, food, and locally handcrafted items.
  • Pokémon Go in the Park | Saturday, Sept. 2 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Bonnet Springs Park, 400 Bonnet Springs Blvd., Lakeland | Free | Bring your smartphone to catch virtual Pokémon with other gamers.
Sunday, Sept. 3
  • Paint Pour! | Sunday, Sept. 3 | 4-5:30 p.m. | Painting with a Twist, 3670 Harden Blvd., Lakeland | $45 | No brushes are needed in this art class — just pour your paint to create a unique piece.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
News Notes
Civic
  • The City of Lakeland’s new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, 2023. Attend one of the public budget hearings on Sept. 7 or Sept. 21. The agenda for the first meeting on Thursday, Sept. 7 is live — preview it before you attend.
Community
  • Polk County was minimally impacted by the effects of Idalia this week. According to Lakeland Electric’s power outage map, fewer than 200 customers still did not have power as of 8 a.m. Most customers had power restored within a few hours. Dundee and Lake Hamilton saw 500+ customers affected. (The Ledger)
Feel Good
  • Residents from Pinellas, Hernando, Manatee, and other counties found shelter from Idalia at various Lakeland hotels. Many selected Swan City for its inland location and lower probability of storm surge. Hotels including Hyatt Place and The Courtyard by Marriott participated. (The Ledger)
Ranked
  • No. 5. That’s what Southeastern University ranked on Niche’s list of the Top 5 Colleges in Tampa Bay. Factors analyzed include food, campus life, athletics, and academics. Additionally, a new “economic mobility” index was added to determine graduates’ ability to improve their economic status. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
The Word
  • Dropsonde. That’s a weather reconnaissance device used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Aircraft Operations Center to collect storm data during Idalia. Crews from Lakeland also flew above and through the storm to collect data on rain rates, wind shear, and other storm metrics. (WFLA)
Tech
  • Researchers from Florida Polytechnic University are partnering with Estonia-based Tallin University of Technology (TalTech) to improve safety in autonomous vehicles. The partnership hinges on validation and verification expertise from Florida Poly’s AV researchers and AV technology from TalTech. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
Regional
  • A Lakeland 7-Eleven at 290 Lakeland Park Rd. was one of the 17+ stations impacted by contaminated gas in Tampa Bay. Human error at the Port of Tampa led to diesel fuel in gas lines. Impacted customers fueled from 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26-Sunday, Aug. 27. (Bay News 9)
Weather
  • You can still track Idalia with live updates on The Ledger. The storm made landfall yesterday morning near Keaton Beach with wind speeds of 125+ miles per hour. Waters could still rise and power, drinking water, and flights may be affected. (The Ledger)
Kids
  • Looking to entertain kids who are home from school today? Local illustrator Bump Galletta made his coloring sheets free to print online. Happy coloring.
Read
  • Little Bus Books will host a Banned Book Swap on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 6-8 p.m. Bring your favorite read from any banned book list to trade with a fellow reader, enjoy mocktails + cocktails, and hear about local literacy efforts from a guest speaker.
Lakelander
  • ICYMI, we recently spotlighted fellow Lakelander Meghin Magliano, a local entrepreneur whose pop-up bakery features baked goods with a unique twist. See her business + find out how she got her start.*
Health
  • Don’t let the unexpected hold you back from getting the kids off to school or grabbing dinner with friends. Lakeland Regional Health’s two convenient Urgent Care locations (no appointments needed) mean you can get back to your routine instead of being stuck inside with allergies, scrapes, colds, and sprains.*
 
Eat

Rolling into round 1

LALtoday sushi bracket
A green LALtoday sushi bracket graphic
What’s your favorite sushi in Lakeland? | Graphic by 6AM City
Earlier this year, our readers crowned Palace Pizza as Lakeland’s best pizza place. With thousands of votes, comments, and emails, it’s safe to say Lakeland is passionate about naming the best eateries. This time around, we’re asking you to share your favorite Swan City sushi.

How it works

We will host several voting rounds within our newsletters and social channels to determine Lakeland’s best sushi. Who moves on is up to you. Vote for your favorites, and the sushi place with more votes moves on. Simple as that. We’ll go until we have a champion. You will be able to vote once per round.

Round 1

Going head-to-head in the first round are:
Vote for your top four sushi places in our survey by Monday, Sept. 4, 2023.
Share LALtoday
 

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The Wrap
 
Rilee-Delgado-Headshot-LAL

Today’s edition by:
Rilee
From the editor
What’s the first thing you’ll shop for when the Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market returns this weekend? I’ve got my eye on some new house plants.
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