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LHS WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Lakeland High School’s football team edged Venice High in a tightly contested Class 4S state championship game. The Dreadnaughts’ won their eighth state championship, marking Bill Castle’s 474th win and seventh time finishing a season with a perfect record. They came away with a 21-14 victory over Venice, which won the Class 8A State Championship last year. The victory capped off head coach Bill Castle’s 47th season as the Dreadnaughts’ head coach.

LGHS SPANISH TEACHER TOP IN DISTRICT

Natalie McSwain, a Spanish teacher at Lake Gibson High School, was named Polk County Public Schools 2023 Teacher of the Year. MIDFLORIDA Credit Union gave McSwain a $5,000 check, and Lakeland Automall donated the use of a new Hyundai Elantra for two years. Julie Whiteley, the principal’s secretary at Fred Garner Elementary in Winter Haven, is the district’s School-Related Employee of the Year. MIDFLORIDA gave Whiteley a check for $2,500. Both women received a custom ring donated by Herff Jones, as well as other gifts. PCPS also recognized the district’s Principal of the Year, Rodrick Gray from Laurel Elementary; as well as the Assistant Principal of the Year, Sarah Miranda from Mulberry Middle.

TALBOT HOUSE HAS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Maria Cruz, a key figure behind Orlando’s homeless diversion and prevention program, has been named the new executive director of Talbot House Ministries, succeeding Brenda Reddout, who is retiring after seven years at the helm. Cruz, 42, joined Talbot House eight months ago as senior director of programs and services. Located in Lakeland’s Midtown area near the intersection of Parker Street and Massachusetts Avenue, Talbot House Ministries provides social services for adults experiencing homelessness. In her new role, Cruz said, her priorities in the first 90 days will be building partnerships, meeting with community stakeholders and donors, fundraising, and analyzing the budget and infrastructure of the organization.

WEDGEWOOD’S GOLF COURSE BEING DEVELOPED

Following four hours of presentations and discussion, the Lakeland City Commission approved a modified version of a plan for 954 homes, townhomes and apartments on the former Wedgewood Golf Course at Carpenter’s Home. In the process, the commission eliminated two apartment buildings with 20 units each from the plan. Residents and some commissioners were concerned about increased traffic in the area. The development, which will be called Gibson Trails, will be built in several phases; it now includes 834 apartments, 60 townhomes and 60 single-family homes – all on nearly 130 acres.

HEID’S CONTRACT EXTENDED

Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid’s evaluation by the School Board is in and shows he earned a highly effective rating from six out of seven members in August, when the evaluation was completed, with Kay Fields giving him an effective rating. In addition, the School Board voted 5-0 to extend his contract through the end of June 2027. Heid earns $255,000 a year and has the use of a vehicle to travel the school district, which is slightly larger than Delaware. The School Board offered him a raise, which he was going to donate for college or trade school scholarships, but income tax implications thwarted that plan and he turned down the offered increase. He earned an average score of 22.23 out of 24.

PCPS NAMES PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS

Polk County Public Schools recently celebrated 39 students as honorees in the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program and two Lakeland students as the district winners. The U.S. Department of Education initiative recognizes high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education. Each year, up to 161 students are named Presidential Scholars at the national level. It is considered “one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.” Eligible PCPS students are those who are in good academic standing, who either score high on the SAT/ACT or demonstrate achievement in Career and Technical Education programs. District winners for 2023 are Belen Valdivieso from Lake Gibson High and Cullen Wyatt from Lakeland High. They will represent PCPS at the state level for the Presidential Scholars Program.

AIRPORT CONCENTRATING ON CARGO

Lakeland Linder International Airport has switched its expansion focus to cargo now that a multi-year effort to attract a passenger airline has drawn little interest, Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz says. His comment came after a lengthy discussion about Amazon’s expansion at the airport. The commission voted 5-0 to approve an amendment to Amazon’s airport lease that allows for a new taxiway and two additional 767s flying in and out. Commissioners Mike Musick and Bill Read were absent from Monday’s meeting. Currently Amazon, the largest retailer in the world, has up to 24 flights daily in and out of Lakeland. The expansion will add eight flights in and out. Airport Assistant Director Adam Lunn said Amazon officials are hoping to have the construction finished by October.

FSC STUDENT DEVELOPS APP TO KEEP RUNNERS SAFE

Propelled by $20,000 she won in pitch competitions, 21-year-old Florida Southern College athlete Brooke Lierman is on track to market a device designed to make runners feel more secure. Lierman, an FSC lacrosse player and a member of the Catapult startup incubator in downtown Lakeland, developed OverTheShoulder, which uses smart sensors to alert runners to danger; they can then push a button clipped to their clothing to alert their contacts of the emergency and their location. “My true goal is to revolutionize the running experience for women and give them freedom from fear,” Lierman said.

FLORIDA AVENUE ROAD DIET PERMANENT

The Road Diet is here to stay. Lakeland city commissioners voted to recommend that the Florida Department of Transportation maintain a three-lane configuration on South Florida Avenue in Dixieland and remove the current temporary concrete barriers to accommodate sidewalks that would be 11 to 12 feet wide. Their resolution made several other recommendations, including left-turn signals at three intersections and banning non-delivery tractor-trailers “with an alternate truck route being determined around the Downtown and Dixieland Districts.” The decision follows five-plus years of discussion and months of tests to determine the effects of reducing Florida Avenue to three lanes between Ariana and Lime Streets.

HEARTLAND FOR CHILDREN NEEDS MORE FOSTER HOMES

Heartland for Children is in need of 25 additional foster homes in the Lakeland area to serve teens, siblings and children, including those with autism and developmental delays. Overall, the organization is hoping to add 50 new foster homes in its entire coverage area of Polk, Hardee and Highlands counties, according to Kim Daugherty, chief operations officer for Heartland for Children. Couples and single people can become foster parents. Heartland for Children staff initially attempts to place children with relatives and people who have known the children, such as neighbors or friends of the family. If these attempts are unsuccessful, then the children are placed in a licensed foster home, shelter home or group home. The agency prefers to place children in homes that are close to the schools the children are already attending. The agency works with caregivers to determine the age and gender of the children being placed in their home.