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🌱 Patch AM: Why Lakeland’s planning board said no to Talbot House’s big move

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Hello again Lakeland! We’re bringing you the latest town highlights. Don’t miss out, keep going! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Why Lakeland’s planning board said no to Talbot House’s big move
  • How a quiet North Lakeland neighborhood was shaken by a deadly fire
  • How a Lakeland schoolhouse grew into an award-winning education network

Today's riddle: Playing golf is bad for your brain. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Find out what's happening in Lakelandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: Sunny and pleasant, with a high of 68 and low of 44 degrees.
  • Friday: Pleasant with clouds and sun, temps: high: 74, low: 53.
  • Saturday: Breezy in the afternoon, with a high of 76 and low of 62 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. ‘Not the Right Location': Planning Board Blocks Talbot House Move to Memorial (lkldnow.com) — Lakeland’s Planning and Zoning Board has blocked Talbot House Ministries’ plan to move its homeless shelter to a larger Memorial Boulevard campus, despite city staff support and warnings about possible federal civil rights issues. The 4–1 vote leaves the future of expanded services for unhoused residents uncertain as the ministry weighs whether to appeal to the Lakeland City Commission within 30 days.
   

Find out what's happening in Lakelandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

2. Lakeland house fire kills one person, sends another to the hospital (theledger.com) — A deadly house fire in the Huntington Hills Golf Course community in North Lakeland killed one person and critically injured another on Wednesday morning. Polk County Fire Rescue crews quickly contained the blaze on Bendelow Drive, airlifting one victim to a hospital while finding another deceased inside the home. Officials expressed condolences and emphasized the tragedy of such a loss during the holiday season.
   

3. Announcing the 2025 Enterprising Founder Award Winners! (fee.org) — A Lakeland-founded microschool network, WonderHere, has earned national recognition as co-founder Tiffany Thenor wins the 2025 FEE Enterprising Founder Award for her innovative, family-centered learning model. Starting from a single Lakeland schoolhouse in 2016, WonderHere has expanded to multiple microschools and training programs, highlighting how local education entrepreneurship can reshape options for families well beyond Polk County.
   

4. Marcelle Waldon to be sentenced Jan. 5 for Lakeland murders. Will he get death? (theledger.com) — A man convicted of killing a former Lakeland city commissioner and her husband in their Lake Morton home is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 5 in Bartow, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. The case, which deeply shook Lakeland, has also helped clarify how Florida’s new non‑unanimous death‑penalty rules and intellectual‑disability standards will apply in other Polk County capital trials.
   

📸 Around Lakeland

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🗓 Events Nearby

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    Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • I just wanted to say Happy almost New Years to everyone and also I hope 2026 is the best year ever for everyone.
    Be kind, pay it forward when you can, good things happen to good people! Much love to all ~Tami~ AKA… (Nextdoor Lakeshore)
  • Look at Carmel Drizzle.
    He is the tiniest little guy at 10 weeks old…so skinny. But he is full of love and affection. He is our newest foster from Lakeland SPCA. He is… (Nextdoor Villages At Bridgewater)
  • REFRESCO GROUP posted a job opening for Forklift Operator, Dayshift in Lakeland. Apply here.
  • Williams-Sonoma, Inc. posted a job opening for Forklift Operator 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: I just heard a golfer say he had four strokes on the first hole!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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