City News

LAKELAND, FL (Nov 21, 2022) | Take your photo with Santa in the beautiful Hollis Garden. On Saturday, December 10^th, 2022, Hollis Garden will be hosting the Second Annual Selfies with Santa event.  This year, the gates open at 9:45 a.m. and Santa will be available for pictures until 1:00 p.m.   Reservations are not required, just be sure to bring your own camera! 

Promotion Ceremony to be held on Friday, December 2, 2022, at the Lake Mirror Auditorium LAKELAND, FL (November 18, 2022) - The Lakeland Police Department is proud to announce that Captain Marvin Tarver and Lieutenant Cheryl Kimball have been selected as the department’s newest Assistant Chief and Captain, respectively. Upon assuming the role of Assistant Chief, Tarver will ...

LAKELAND, FL (November 17, 2022) | As a City-owned utility, our goal is to provide Lakeland with reliable electric service, but we also feel it is our responsibility to help improve the quality of life for our customers.  To help our fellow citizens in need, a program called Project Care was developed to assist people with paying their Lakeland Electric bills. Lakeland Electric customers who are 60 and older and/or disabled are eligible for assistance. Project Care is about people caring for people, neighbors helping neighbors.

LAKELAND, FL (November 16, 2022) – A Florida Purple Alert has been issued for 56-year-old Lisa-Marie Martin-LaFave. Mrs. Martin-LaFave is believed to be traveling in a 2018 white Jeep Cherokee Trail Hawk, bearing Florida tag Z25DTY. She was last seen in the area near the 800 block of Rockingham Road in Lakeland on Sunday, November 13, 2022, at approximately 6:30 p.m.   M ...

In anticipation of approaching Tropical Storm Nicole, the Code Enforcement hearing scheduled for Thursday November 10, 2022 at 9 a.m. in the City Commission Chambers has been canceled. All active cases will be added to the agenda for the January 5, 2023 hearing. ...

LAKELAND, FL (November 7, 2022) | The City of Lakeland is very excited to announce Sammy Taylor Junior as Lakeland’s next Chief of Police as current Chief Ruben Garcia readies for retirement with his last official day approaching at the end of the month.  City Manager Shawn Sherrouse said, “I believe it is very important that we name Chief Garcia’s successor now so we can smoothly transition into Taylor’s leadership role as Chief of the Lakeland Police Department.”

LAKELAND, FL (November 4, 2022) | The Lakeland Christmas Parade is a time-honored tradition, enjoyed by the community for generations.  This year, the parade takes place on Thursday, December 1^st.  The parade starts with a firework display over Lake Mirror at 7 p.m.  As the first firework is launched, the parade officially begins.  Leaving the RP Funding Center, the parade travels down Lemon Street toward downtown.  The parade then turns at Main Street to Cedar Street and winds around Lake Mirror, going up Orange Street and ending at the RP Funding Center. 

LAKELAND, FL (November 3, 2022) | The Water Utilities Wastewater Collection Division will repair and replace a failing sewer main that crosses the Lakeland Square Mall Access Road between the Chili’s Restaurant and the Rooms-To-Go store on US Highway 98 North. Older clay and cast-iron pipes will be replaced with PVC.  Crews are unable to determine the exact issue at this time because the remote camera can’t get through the failed pipe.

LAKELAND, FL (November 2, 2022) | On Saturday, November 12^th at 10 a.m. there will be a ceremony unveiling the Spanish-American War Monument at Veterans Park located at 701 West Lime Street.  Veterans Day is observed annually on November 11^th, the anniversary of the end of WWI. On this day we honor the men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces. The Veterans Day Parade will step off immediately following the ceremony. The parade will leave the RP Funding Center at 11 a.m. and travel down Lemon Street to downtown Lakeland, turning left on Kentucky Avenue, and ending at Munn Park.

LAKELAND, FL (October 31, 2022) - On Sunday, October 30, 2022, at approximately 9:50 p.m., officers responded to a traffic crash near US 92 and Holly Road. Prior to the crash, a 2004 Honda Accord was traveling eastbound on US 92 in the inside lane of travel. As the Honda exited the curves of the roadway, the driver suddenly noticed a pedestrian walking in the roadway. The drive ...