09.05.2023

Today’s Forecast

90º | Partly cloudy | 10% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:08 a.m. | Sunset 7:44 p.m.

Lakeland’s economy on top

Is your city one of Milken Institute’s best-performing cities?

Lakeland’s growing tech scene has it ranked on this national list. | Photo by @emnoel_

Curious exactly how strong Lakeland’s economy is? A nonprofit think tank called The Milken Institute released its “Best-Performing Cities of 2023 Index” which provides an objective evaluation of the economic performance and resiliency of over 400 US cities.

How the ranking is determined

The Milken Institute ranks cities based on 12 indicators of economic growth and access to opportunities — namely, employment + wages, technology, housing affordability, broadband access, and GDP growth. (Did you know? GDP stands for “gross domestic product” — or the final value of the goods + services made in an area.)

Read the full methodology.

Breaking down our score

The Lakeland-Winter Haven area ranked at No. 36. This Tier Two rank came in part due to the area’s job growth (6.1% for 2020-2021) and wage growth (12.9% for 2020-2021).

Our tech scene seems to drive these rates with a high-tech GDP ranking of No. 30 for 2020-2021. Tech yeah. In 2020, information technology produced $200 million in GDP for Polk County, and the Central Florida Innovation District continues to grow.

Lakeland’s one-year high-tech growth saw a 15.5% increase from 2020 to 2021. Compare that to San Francisco’s one-year growth of 19.2% and we’d say we’re on our way to becoming the next Silicon Valley.

Compare our score

Events

Tuesday, Sept. 5

B-I-N-G-O | Tuesday, Sept. 5 | 6:30-8 p.m. | The Joinery, 640 E. Main St., Lakeland | Free entry | Play for prizes at this monthly BINGO night — enjoy discounted beverages during the extended happy hour.
Molly’s Musicians Showcase | Tuesday, Sept. 5 | 9 p.m. | Molly McHugh’s Irish Pub, 111 S. Kentucky Ave., Lakeland | Free entry | Take the stage or support local musicians at this open mic night in downtown Lakeland.

Wednesday, Sept. 6

Free Child Development Screenings | Wednesday, Sept. 6 | 9-11:30 a.m. | United Way Children’s Resource Center, 650 Bonnet Springs Blvd., Lakeland | Free | Children aged birth to five years old can be screened by professionals at no charge — sessions are 15-20 minutes per child.
Trivia Night | Wednesday, Sept. 6 | 7-9 p.m. | Union Taproom, 245 W. Central Ave., Ste. 102, Winter Haven | Price of purchase | Pour your own drinks and enjoy fresh pizzas at Union Taproom while showing off your general trivia knowledge.

Thursday, Sept. 7

City Budget Hearing | Thursday, Sept. 7, Thursday, Sept. 21 | 6 p.m. | Lakeland City Hall, 228 S. Massachusetts Ave., Lakeland | Free | Attend these public meetings in the City Commission Chambers to learn about the proposed budget for the next fiscal year.
Cookies ‘n Convos | Thursday, Sept. 7 | 6-7 p.m. | Florida Air Museum, 4175 Medulla Rd., Lakeland | $0-$5 | Kids in grades 2-5 and their parents can learn about aviation careers from a new speaker each month.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Home

Think before you pour

oil being poured from a pan into a container

Drop off used cooking oil for recycling, do not dump it down the drain. | Photo provided by City of Lakeland’s Wastewater Department

Did you know you shouldn’t dump used cooking oil down the drain? That’s because oil solidifies inside pipes and can cause major issues (think: Back-ups in home plumbing, sewage spills, overflows onto streets, and foul odors in homes + communities).

Enter: City of Lakeland’s oil disposal program Cooking Oil Recycling Effort (C.O.R.E.).

All Lakelanders need to do is collect cooled cooking oil in a C.O.R.E.-provided jug and take it to a Cooking Oil Recycling Effort station for proper disposal.

Protect my pipes

News Notes

Sports

Pickleball players, Waterford neighborhood residents, and city officials met last week to discuss changes at Woodlake Park. Nearby residents brought concerns about park noise. Proposed solutions included noise-reducing fences, trees, or a court cover, but a decision is yet to be made. (LkldNow)

Civic

The Polk County Supervisor of Elections’ office is seeking new election workers ahead of this year’s voting cycle. Sign up for one of three informational meetings — including one at the Simpson Park Community Center on Friday, Sept. 15 — to learn more.

Award

The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame is seeking nominations for its next inductees through Wednesday, Nov. 1. Those chosen will be honored in a ceremony on March 1, 2024, at Florida Southern College. (Growing Produce)

Try This

Calling all adventurers. The Lakeland Downtown Development Authority is holding an End of Summer Scavenger Hunt through Saturday, Sept. 23. Grab a game card from the LDDA office at 117 N. Kentucky Ave. and find clues in downtown storefronts to win prizes.

Arts

Are you a member of the Polk Museum of Art? Take advantage of Member September to enjoy a month of perks, including a member reception, 20% off in The Shop, and other perks. Not a member? Sign up.

Answered

We put your lakes knowledge to the test

A panoramic shot of Lake Morton shows swans in the grass, birds flying overhead, and the sun setting over the lake. — Viewing Lake Morton wildlife at sunset is a Lakeland staple.
|
Photo via @thehikerdad

Last week, we shared our guide to Lakeland’s top lakes and tested your local water wisdom with a quiz. The average score of 400+ readers was a 64%. Here are a few of the results:

Lake Morton became home to Queen Elizabeth’s royal swans in what year?
Only 47% knew that our flock began in 1957.
Which lake features a 7.5-acre stormwater treatment pond?
Most guessed Lake Parker, but 44% knew it was Lake Hunter.
This lake is known for its 3-mile walking and biking trail.
There was no stumping you here — 95% correctly guessed Lake Hollingsworth.

Get the guide + take the test

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Connor

From the editor

Not only does the downtown scavenger hunt sound like a ton of fun, but you can also win Market Bucks for completing it. Just turn in your completed card at the Market Info tent during the farmers market (find it in front of 117 N. Kentucky Ave.).

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