Good morning Lakeland! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Free Dog Training Class and 2 more events.
Today's riddle: What dries when it gets wet? 🤔 (Answer below!)
Weather forecast:
1. Lakeland Woman Killed In Overnight Crash On Memorial Boulevard (tampafp.com) — A 47-year-old Lakeland woman died early Thursday when her car hit a barrier wall near the I-4 entrance off Memorial Boulevard, according to Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers say she was not wearing a seatbelt, and investigators are still determining why she lost control.
2. How many homes are getting built in Lakeland in 2026? (wftv.com) — Lakeland is seeing hundreds of new housing permits each month, with more than 500 issued this January alone, shaping what future neighborhoods will look like. A new Redfin analysis compares those local numbers to national building trends, offering context for why home prices and availability feel so tight across the city.
3. Is that Air Force Two at Lakeland Linder? (theledger.com) — Lakeland Linder International Airport briefly shut down Friday morning after a bomb threat email forced an evacuation and halted flights, but police quickly cleared the scene and operations resumed within an hour. Later, a U.S. Air Force Boeing 757, often used as Air Force Two, landed and remained on the runway, drawing attention after the tense morning.
4. To alleviate toxic algae in Florida's waters, Lakeland scientists are filtering fertilizer nutrients (wusf.org) — Lakeland’s Se7en Wetlands will serve as the real-world testing ground for a new filtration system designed to strip fertilizer nutrients from water and curb toxic algae blooms. Florida Polytechnic researchers, backed by a state grant, will scale up from lab tanks to floating limestone-and-biochar columns that could help protect local wildlife, waterways, and even pets from harmful algae toxins.
5. Window Shopping At The Funeral Home: Melbourne Woman Arrested In Lakeland (tampafp.com) — Law enforcement in Lakeland arrested a woman late Thursday after deputies say she was prowling around a closed funeral home and looking through its windows. Because she was on felony probation and deemed to be loitering suspiciously, she was charged and taken to the Polk County Sheriff’s Processing Center, where she remains in custody.
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Ok Lakeland! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A towel (Thank you Christy H. for sending it in!)Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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