LOCAL NEWS

WORDS Barry Friedman/LkldNow.com

AIRPORT MANAGER HAS PLANS TO REDUCE JET NOISE COMPLAINTS

Amazon cargo jets flying over Lakeland benefit the city budget, but their rumble has irritated many people who live in the flight path. Lakeland Linder Airport is taking steps to reduce noise complaints, its director says. When winds are calm, nighttime flights will approach from and depart toward the west and fly over less-populated areas. In addition, the airport is working with the FAA to allow jets to reach higher altitudes faster, and they’re planning approaches that would put more flights over the Polk Parkway instead of neighborhoods.

‘AMERICAN IDOL’ GETS ANOTHER LAKELAND SINGER

A year after then-George Jenkins High School senior Kimmy Gabriela made it into the “American Idol” Top 20, another Lakeland student got a chance to sing for stardom. Zack D’Onofrio, a 20-year-old music management major at Florida Southern College, aced his audition and was given a shot to advance to Hollywood Week. It was Zack’s second round on “American Idol.” He was eliminated during Hollywood Week three years ago when he was a high school student from Wesley Chapel whose crooning was compared to Frank Sinatra’s.

ROAD DIET STATS SHOW MIXED EFFECTS ON TRAVEL TIMES

Some preliminary findings of the Florida Avenue “road diet” study: It’s typically taking 60 seconds longer to drive between Lime and Ariana streets, but the drive between George Jenkins Boulevard and Edgewood Drive is 10 seconds less than it did before the study; injury accidents are down 12.7%. Facebook posts from the city of Lakeland announcing those findings were met with a barrage of comments, most of them critical of the plan to reduce Florida Avenue from five to three lanes in Dixieland.

LAKELAND MAGIC WIN NBA G-LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

The Lakeland Magic capped a onemonth “bubble” season at Walt Disney World by capturing the NBA G-League championship. Devin Cannady produced 22 points in the 97-78 championship game against the Delaware Blue Coats and was named the G-League Finals MVP. Lakeland entered as sixth seed in the eight-team, single-elimination playoffs. It probably didn’t hurt that much of the staff from the Orlando Magic parent team could easily attend the games at Disney and support the Lakeland offspring.

INTERPRETATIONS DIFFER ON EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN THE CITY’S HOSPITAL LEASE

Depending on who you talk to, the Lakeland community is either a winner or loser in a recent change in Lakeland Regional Health’s lease with the city of Lakeland. The deal lets LRH prepay the lease at a discount, and supporters say the agreement will foster growth at the region’s primary acute care hospital in a time when increasing competition is threatening its long-term prospects. Critics say the deal carries risks and will deprive taxpayers of expected benefits since it will stifle the flow of dollars that have paid for parks and public safety facilities.

MUSICIAN DELIVERS A LOVE LETTER TO LAKELAND IN HIS LATEST EP

Eric N. Collins, a musician known to fans as MrENC, sent a love letter to Lakeland in the form of his latest EP, “We Do Our Own Thing.” The recording with his band evokes growing up in Lakeland in the 1990s, and the video for the title song includes scenes from Southgate Shopping Center, Florida Southern College’s Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, local high schools and Twistee Treat. Sonically, the album returns Collins and his band to the 90s rock sound that propelled their initial interest in playing music.

LAKELAND STARTING TO LOOK INTO BODY CAMS FOR POLICE OFFICERS

City commissioners are starting to look into whether Lakeland police officers should be equipped with body cameras. The cameras were requested by many people during last spring’s social justice protests, Mayor Bill Mutz has said. At a workshop last month, Police Chief Ruben Garcia said cameras come with costly requirements for storing and managing video archives. Commissioners said their next step will be to hear from medium-size Florida cities that use the cameras about their experiences.

JUDGE REJECTS FORMER COMMISSIONER DUNN’S BID TO AVOID MURDER TRIAL

Former City Commissioner Michael Dunn is closer to standing trial for second-degree murder after Circuit Judge Donald G. Jacobsen denied his motion to dismiss the charge on self-defense grounds. “The state has proved by clear and convincing evidence that deadly force was not justified at the time the Defendant shot and killed the victim,” Jacobsen wrote in an eightpage order. Dunn faces a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of Cristóbal Lopez on Oct. 3, 2018, at the Vets Army Navy Surplus store that Dunn managed in downtown Lakeland.

CHURCH COALITION PROMPTS CITY TO STEP UP ITS HOMELESS EFFORTS

Four city commissioners — a majority — committed to stepping up Lakeland’s efforts to reduce homelessness during March’s Nehemiah Action, an annual rally held by a coalition of local churches that unite around social action issues. The commissioners agreed to increase funding for affordable housing to $750,000 a year and to prioritize multi-bedroom housing units available for families making less than $30,000 a year or 50% area median income. The rally was held by PEACE, the Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS RETURNING INDOORS AFTER MOVING TO STADIUM LAST YEAR

Graduation ceremonies for traditional public high schools in Lakeland are moving back at the RP Funding Center this year after they were held outdoors at Joker Marchant Stadium last year as a coronavirus precaution. Each graduate will receive four tickets for family and friends; seating will be socially distanced and face coverings will be required. The ceremonies will be livestreamed on the Polk Public Schools YouTube channel for those unable or unwilling to attend. For dates and times, check polkschoolsfl.com/graduation