Hello Wednesday.
April 24 2024
The City of Lakeland will set aside $17,800,000 of the $22,700,000, granted via federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.
What will 80% of the money go towards, you ask? An overdue infrastructure project, relating to the city’s sewage and wastewater.
According the director of water utilities, a 2.7-mile long sewer line on the southwest side of town (from Lake Hunter to Beacon Hill), is in desperate need of attention + replacement. This pipeline alone will cost $20 million with a 3-year end date and will utilize the $2,200,000 that the city originally budgeted.
With the biggest chunk of the change going towards that line, the rest will be divvied up according to the following amounts:
- $1,000,000 for an affordable housing budget boost
- $500,000 to the Chamber of Commerce for BIPOC, women, and veteran small businesses, plus an additional $500,000 for any other measures needed as it relates to these businesses.
- $640,000 towards the improvement of the city’s walkability
- $250,000 for the arts + nonprofits
- $100,000 for neighborhood programming or community involvement in neighborhoods without an HOA
- $60,000 for software for emergency operations management
This leaves the city with roughly $1,850,000, which must have a designated purpose by 2024.
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TryThis
Trivia
- Trivia Wednesday: General Knowledge | Wed., June 14 | 7 p.m. | Swan Brewing | Free | Bring your team of 6 or less + put your skills to the test for a trivia-filled evening, with food available from Cuban B’s Burger and Bakes.
ForKids
- Kids Cook Take Home Family Dinner | Wed., July 14 | 5-6:30 p.m. | What’s Cooking Lakeland, 6935 South Carter Rd., Ste. 6 | $50+ | Save the shopping, cooking & cleaning with this kid’s cooking class (ages 5-13) that results in a take-home dinner for four.
- Songs To Make You Smile | Wed., July 14 | 7:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Sign-on and smile as Gabriella Graves performs mixes of songs you know and love — be sure to keep an eye out for a few special guests, too. 🎼
PlanAhead
Existing MIDFLORIDA members can earn up to $500 with refer-a-friend | Photo via Unsplash
As MIDFLORIDA Credit Union continues to expand, members can now participate in their Refer-a-Friend Program. For every new checking account opened, members will receive $50 with each friend they refer — up to $500 (a maximum of 10 referrals).
How it works: Print + complete a member referral card — and make sure your friend mentions your name.
Bonus: The new member (your friend) also receives $200 when they open a free checking account with direct deposit. Ⓟ
Weather
- 86º | Scattered thunderstorms | 40% chance of rain
Edu
- Polk State College is officially a Hispanic-Serving Institution now that the college’s Hispanic population is slated to surpass 26%. The title was awarded by The Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities which allows PSC access to HSI STEM federal grant funds, along with newfound eligibility for Title V. (The Ledger)
Number
- $40,000. That’s how much Polk County received from a CPTA grant. The money will serve the city of Winter Haven + its plan for a Downtown Community Redevelopment Plan. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
WaterCooler
- Polk County had 8 players drafted into the MLB Draft, including Lakeland Christian's Jake Fox + Ty Evans, George Jenkins' Brady Allen, FSC's Vaun Brown, Jacob Cande + Jacob Teter, Tampa Prep's Jose Pena Jr., of Winter Haven, and Polk State's Thomas Ireland. ⚾️ (The Ledger)
FeelGood
- Sabrina’s Delicacies, a charcuterie board biz in Lakeland celebrated a milestone this week. Sabrina's charcuterie boards took off in the Disney community after Disney Food Blog (a prominent theme park blogger) mentioned the Lakeland biz on their site. This notoriety has now allowed the business to shift from a passion to full-time.
NowOpen
- Do Or Dye officially opened on Monday at 1117 Florida Ave. S. Ste. 101. The salon features an eclectic style as soon as you walk in the door, bringing another trendy space to Dixieland. ICYMI, Do Or Dye is situated a couple doors down from Born & Bread Bakehouse.
Civic
- With a vacancy on the Polk County Court, Gov. DeSantis asked the Tenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission to provide candidates to fill Judge Lori A. Winstead's seat. Applicants must meet the qualifications for the outlined in the Florida Constitution (Article V, Section 8), and apply by July 23 at 5 p.m. (The Ledger)
Deal
- What’s a Florida summer without a Disney vacay? Walt Disney World announced a Florida Resident deal this season with a 4-day ticket for $215 (that’s $54 a day). The deal allows for visitors to enjoy 1 park per day, with the option to upgrade a ticket for an additional $35 to hop to another park. ✨ (Fox 35 News)
Ranked
- 7. That's how Florida ranked, from the bottom up, on WalletHub’s list of “States that are recovering the quickest from COVID-19.” The study looked at key metrics, like COVID health + economy & labor market, to determine its rankings and placed Florida in the top 10 for slowest states to recover. (WalletHub)
ComingSoon
- Benefits of living at Lake Gibson Village’s new Memory Care Unit include 24-hour access to care staff personnel, weekly light housekeeping, scheduled transportation for medical appointments + recreational outings, life enrichment and wellness programs based on the Reflections Memory method + more. Reservations for the specialized unit are now open. Ⓟ
Wellness
- Drink LMNT replaces essential electrolytes with no sugar, no coloring, no artificial ingredients or any other junk found in conventional electrolyte drinks. Get your free LMNT Sample Pack here (you only cover the cost of shipping). Ⓟ
Yesterday was International French Fry Day and we decided that the only way to celebrate was to visit our local PDQ and sip on the exclusive french fry milkshake — yeah, we’re talking french fries blended into a chocolate shake. Remind you of anything?
Here’s our hot take on the shake:
“If you love dipping your salty fries in a sweet shake, this is for you — I would rate this 9/10 waffle fries.” — Katelyn
“You don’t need an excuse to try a milkshake by any means, but if you’re looking for one anyway, here it is. Fans of salty + sweet combinations should try this fry-day treat.” — Rilee
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Answered: Monday, we asked about your comfort levels in returning to Walt Disney World after its 1-year reopening anniversary. Here’s how 125+ of you voted:
- 34% — I'm feeling comfortable again — I visit frequently
- 26% — I'm feeling comfortable — I'm planning a trip back
- 26% — I'm still very uncomfortable with the idea at this point
- 14% — I'm feeling alright — Still waiting a bit before returning
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