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🌱 Patch AM: Lakeland pays $125,000 after police K-9 injures uninvolved mother

Spotted on the Lakeland calendar: GMF Online Auction

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Hey there, Lakeland! Let's get started with what's happening in and around town. Read on and stay in the loop. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Lakeland pays $125,000 after police K-9 injures uninvolved mother
  • Where can you get a flu shot in Lakeland this week?
  • What JD Vance's Lakeland visit means for Florida's GOP future

Also on today's calendar: GMF Online Auction and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What do you call a belt that is made of watches? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: Showers and a heavier t-storm, with a high of 90 and low of 74 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Friday: Showers and a heavier t-storm, temps: high: 89, low: 74.
  • Saturday: A shower and thunderstorm, with a high of 90 and low of 73 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Florida police arrest uninvolved Black family during suspect search, then allegedly unleash K-9 on the mother (newsbreak.com) — A Lakeland family has received a $125,000 settlement from the City of Lakeland after a 2019 police search for a suspect led officers to their apartment complex, where a K-9 seriously injured the mother. The article recounts how the encounter escalated, the criminal charges and outcomes for family members, and how the civil rights lawsuit over excessive force and false arrest was ultimately resolved.
   

2. What to Expect This Flu Season in Polk County (lkldnow.com) — Lakeland residents are being urged to get their flu shots now, with local doctors recommending vaccination in late September or October before cases typically peak after the holidays. The piece explains current low flu activity in Lakeland, what symptoms should send you to urgent care, and exactly where around town you can get free or low-cost vaccines, including Lakeland Regional Health, Watson Clinic, DOH-Polk sites, and neighborhood pharmacies.
   

3. How Trump's slump is reshaping politics for Florida's Republican candidates (miamiherald.com) — Lakeland is set to host Vice President JD Vance on Thursday for a rally backing U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds' campaign for Florida governor, followed by a high-dollar fundraiser in the city. The story explains how Donald Trump's slipping popularity and high gas prices are reshaping Republican strategies statewide, including whether candidates like Donalds should embrace or downplay Trump's support in front of Polk County voters.
   

4. Two Indian nationals charged with smuggling counterfeit Ozempic from China: DOJ (newsbreak.com) — A federal indictment alleges a Lakeland-based company agreed to buy deeply discounted Ozempic from an overseas supplier that prosecutors say was shipping counterfeit drugs into the United States. Two Indian nationals are charged in Tampa with smuggling and selling fake Ozempic, in a case highlighting risks for local patients and businesses as demand for GLP-1 weight-loss medications surges nationwide.
   

📸 Around Lakeland

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🪧 Patch Classifieds

  • 2025 Brand New Coachman Destination 40 Foot
    Purchase our Brand New 2025 Coachman Destination Unit that is 40 Foot  All set up and ready to be taken over.  We offer Owner Financing at 8%.  Lot... (More info)

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • On his 11th birthday Mikey is mandatorily retired from service dog work.
    The agency's research has shown effective service dog work lasts about 9 years or so. Yes I get to keep him as a pet. And yes I can get a successor… (Nextdoor Fairfax)
  • Pitbull adoption opinions needed please.
    I am about ready for a dog and I found a rescue that wants me to foster a pitbull until she's healthy. Then I have the option to adopt her. I saw her… (Nextdoor Morgan Combee - Woodland)
  • Rooms to Go Furniture posted a job opening for Warehouse Equipment Operator II in Lakeland. Apply here.
  • Guest Services posted a job opening for Supervisor, Catering in Lakeland. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Lakeland here.

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 waist of time. (Thank you Martin L. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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