Farmer Jon’s Popcorn is heading south from its Rochester, New York, base, choosing Lakeland as the location for its new manufacturing facility. The company co-owned by Peter Causyn has leased warehouse space from The Ruthvens at 4000 N. Combee Road, choosing it over other locations in surrounding counties. This gives the gourmet popcorn company a […]
The coronavirus pandemic has reached into almost every sector in some way, including ones you might not think about, like garbage. From more residential and less commercial to much more yard waste and junk, Polk County’s two largest public works departments are finding new ways to handle the surge. “Everyone is home purging their stuff […]
With NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center predicting an above-average Atlantic hurricane season — 13 to 19 named storms, of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes — the agency’s Lakeland-based Hurricane Hunters are preparing for their busiest time of year. “We really do anticipate an active season, and that makes everyone nervous,” said Carl Newman, deputy […]
If developed as planned, the 3,000-acre Central Florida Innovation District (CFID) may provide $5.2 billion in economic impact and 32,000 jobs in the next 20 years, far exceeding the $2.4 billion and 20,600 jobs expected without such a district, according to a study by James Farrell, Ph.D., CFA, an associate professor of finance and economics […]
Four city managers and the county manager have learned a lot from the coronavirus pandemic and will use that knowledge moving forward. They will share, as they’ve been doing, having relied on strong communication networks to help them through this crisis. Lakeland City Manager Tony Delgado said Polk County managers are used to dealing with […]
The Polk County Board of County Commissioners has debuted a new program to assist businesses and residents during the coronavirus pandemic. The website offers links and information on how small businesses and residents in Polk County can apply for part of the $126 million the county received as part of the federal government’s Coronavirus Aid, […]
Reopening parks and recreational facilities that were closed as the coronavirus crept into Polk County is helping people cope during the crisis. “Keep in mind that the whole concept of public recreation in America started from an understanding that being outdoors and engaging in recreation and leisure has tremendous benefits for health (physical and mental) […]
Local school officials and community leaders continue working with students and encouraging them to graduate high school, a premise at the heart of improving the graduation rate in Polk County. That number increased from 86.5 percent to 88.8 percent in 2018-19 among Polk County’s 14 traditional public high schools. “Improving the graduation rate equates to […]
As Polk County continues to focus on education, it’s seeing results: More teenagers are graduating from high school, and more residents have college degrees. The Florida College Access Network, an organization of community leaders that Polk County joined to improve talent development, and the Talent Pipeline Committee, formed by Polk Vision and the Central Florida […]
Just as the show must go on, so must teaching and learning. Polk County’s seven universities and colleges are ensuring they do just that, adapting quickly with creative solutions to finish the spring semester and prepare for the summer and fall. Learn more about how each institution is moving ahead in the time of the […]