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Yesterday was International Women’s Day, but with as many influential female figures as we have in Lakeland, the celebration keeps rolling all year long. Get to know some of the game-changing women who are paving the way for the future in Swan City.
Dr. Anne B. Kerr
Throughout her 20-year tenure as Florida Southern College’s 17th president, Dr. Kerr led the school through a significant expansion. Now, she’s continuing her impact on higher education by serving as Polk State College’s interim president through the summer.
Danielle Drummond
This Lakeland Regional Health president and CEO has made a name for herself as a healthcare trailblazer. She’s on Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Power 100 list of influential business leaders for the third year in a row — and she’s the onlyLakeland woman on this year’s list.
Mark Zuckerberg is about to become Florida’s latest billionaire resident. The Facebook cofounder just bought a $117 million waterfront mansion on an island in Miami. Live like Zuck in this French-inspired estate with private access to Scott Lake. (Creative Loafing Tampa Bay)
Open
Get a moo-ve on to the new Chick-fil-A near Shepherd Road in south Lakeland. It’s now open Monday-Saturday, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. with dine-in and drive-thru options.
Lakeland Athletic Club gave a sneak peek of its new gym, set to open on Monday, May 4. You’ll have to weight to find out the location, but it will include air conditioning, open gym memberships, new equipment, and a 50-ft turf strip.
Seasonal
After losing an hour of sleep this past weekend, it’s time to make it worth it. Now that the sun is setting after 7 p.m. again, we can spend more time exploring Lakeland’s beautiful parks. If you need some inspo, our events calendar will be full of outdoor fun for the foreseeable future.
Sports
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is underway, with Team USA set to play Mexico tonight. Want to catch America’s pastime closer to home? You have two weeks left to catch the Detroit Tigers during spring training.
Pets
Why did the chicken cross the road? To become friends with a pack of dogs, apparently. We can’t guarantee your pup will make friends of the poultry variety, but they’ll still have a good time at Lakeland’s dog-friendly businesses. (Guardian)
Try This
March is National Craft Month — the perfect excuse to dive into a creative hobby. Whether you want to pick up a new skill or DIY some fresh home decor, free classes at the Lakeland Public Library are a great place to begin.
$0. That’s how much 94% of Nourish patients pay out of pocket to talk to a dietitian covered by their insurance. You could be covered, too — check your coverage + get matched with a dietitian who can cut through the food noise and build you a plan to thrive.*
We give this cat two thumbs up — no, really. Meet Pancake, a 1-year-old cat available for adoption at SPCA Florida. Pancake’s claim to fame is that she’s polydactyl, meaning she has extra toes on each paw. She’s affectionate, talkative, and ready to be adopted.
The Buy
Travel-size mouthwash you can take anywhere. Perfect for vacations, tossing in your purse, or keeping in the glovebox, this TSA-approved, top-rated mouthwash comes in portable pouches so you can freshen up anytime, anywhere. Bonus: It’s alcohol-free and safe for sensitive teeth.
Yawn — this time change is getting to me. Unfortunately, Dunkin’s 48-oz coffee buckets are currently only being tested in the northeast, but that’s the equivalent of three 16-oz drinks from one of Lakeland’s coffee shops. If you see this editor sipping three large lattes this week, just ignore me.
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