Normally I do not get political with my Religion in the City column. The articles are supposed to challenge and be an inspiring muse in people’s spiritual life. It has never been my intention to write to the left or right in either our community’s churches or government. I do not stand on the side of pro-lifers any more than I speak for pro-choicers. My articles are meant to be mindful expressions on the side of love, grace, hope and dignity for all of God’s children.
Pay your real estate and tangible property taxes today and the Polk County Tax Collector will give you a 1% discount. Of course, since the offices are closed, you'll have to pay through www.PolkTaxes.com by 11:59 pm February 28, 2009. But, wait, there's more! You can walk-in to one of the Polk County Tax Collector's Offices tomorrow and get the 1% discount. You have to get there before 5 pm. Yes, there's a deadline after the deadline. For more information, call (863) 534-4721... on Monday. They're closed today.
The Polk County Sheriff's office spends considerable time training officers. Just before the Thanksgiving holiday the department added a tool to improve that training. Imagine a room with a wall size video screen. Like a videogame on steroids, videotaped actors move through scenarios, responding or not to a live trainee's commands and weapon fire.
When it comes to the site of a proposed high speed rail station in Polk County, we’ve heard from the Florida Department of Transportation, the City of Lakeland, the University of South Florida Polytechnic and now a landowner on the corridor. Below is the full text of a press release from the WIlliams Acquisition Holding Company. [...]
Saturday afternoon, the players at Joker Marchant Stadium looked younger than usual. Find out why inside...
Some news is best delivered in bits and pieces...like our series of articles on red light cameras. Each commission meeting, each interview with the players, added a new view of the cameras and how they'd make a difference in our community. Sometimes, it's best to start with the framework and add the details later. The red light camera series was a collection of traditional news articles, analysis, and commentary. That will also be true of our coverage of the Polk Neighborhood Stabilization Program (Polk NSP). Congress passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 to give $4.92 billion dollars to local communities to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties. Approximately $14.5 million was given to Polk County to purchase and rehab at least 61 homes in the county. That program became Polk NSP. This week the organization announced they were open for business. Familiar with the process to this point, we met with the two principles to discuss the project.
For almost two years now I’ve been preaching the gospel of micro irrigation. Estimates are that 50% of our total potable water consumption goes towards lawns and gardens. The use of micro irrigation is a valuable tool conserving our water resources. But here’s the catch – I’d never actually installed or used a micro system, and was thinking it was about time to rectify that situation....
Housing prices continue to fall throughout the Polk County region, and Winter Haven’s January stats show this to be the case for our town as well. Average sold prices have decreased to $114,306 ($68.30 per sq.ft.) a decline of 10% from the previous month and a sharp drop of 30% for the month of January [...]
I've cross posted a piece I did for Lakeland Local. Now, before you skip it because it's "Lakeland" and you're all about Tampa, Orlando, or Winter Haven, rest assured it touches on the failure of your newspapers to keep their audience. Only the names would change if I wrote it about the Sentinel, Tribune, or News Chief. As a matter of fact, I do mention the Winter haven paper. I promised to count the locally written stories in the same manner as I did for the Ledger. However, I found a mere four local bylines in today's News Chief. That's what you get for your quarter. On to what I wrote about the paper of record for Polk County...and by example...your paper.
Florida's Polk County is home to the state's 8th largest school district with 90,000+ students, and for the last 4 years Gail F. McKinzie. Ph.D., has been the district's School Superintendent. She has enjoyed the accolades of the County's School Board, receiving high praise, and even higher wage increases. So what does James MacMeekin think of McKinzie's performance?
We have a new set of photos by Tom Hagerty in our front page slideshow. This week, we’re featuring 15 photos Tom recently shot in Polk County’s Lakeland Scrub. Remember, you can click any photo to open it larger in a new window.
Metro I4 News welcomes a new contributor as James MacMeekin shares his thoughts on Bernard Madoff and the downfall of his Ponzi scheme. Just who knew what and when did they know it? MacMeekin suggests Madoff's sons might have known of the plan before they turned in their father.
If you blog, tweet, post on Facebook, or use the Internet to communicate -- you're invited Thursday, January 15th at 6pm for a meeting of like minds. Black and Brew Coffee House 205 E. Main St. Lakeland, FL 33801 (863) 682-1210 All ages welcome. Please pass it on. View Larger Map
Flu and deadlines have kept me from pointing out some recent articles in the always fun "main steam media." • You must read Fasano has concerns about CSX proposal Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, told the Buzz this morning he has "concerns" over the proposed $490-million deal that would have the state buying rail lines from CSX, and over proposed legislation that would exempt CSX from any liability as they operate. Don't miss the comments: • Yesterday Billy Townsend, re-introduced Polk County to the fine readers of the Tampa Tribune: You know Polk's rap. It's the county of oranges, phosphate mountains and trailer parks. It's where they spread hepatitis through meth use, once elected a white supremacist sheriff, and often find themselves in perp walks on Orlando or Tampa Bay TV. If that lead doesn't convince you to read his story, you're a lifelong Lakeland resident and consider that old news. Townsend takes a good look into the perception though. (Read his blog for a point that didn't make it into the article.) Three years ago, when I was looking to move here, I made a few inquiries about Lakeland. I didn't hear about the sheriff, but meth was mentioned. However, I was moving from the Northern meth capital and it didn't seem to be a big change. I heard much more about how boring I'd find life in Lakeland. Well, if Lakeland is boring, I don't want to be excited. I like life here. I'm just afraid we're in a rush to join Tampa or Orlando. • "There's an old police saying," Judd said. "No people, no problems; a few people, a few problems; a lot of people, a lot of problems." Who knew Sheriff Grady Judd was so hip? That had to be a reference to The Notorious B.I.G's most famous quote, "The more money you make, the more problems you get." • Remember when Wired noticed Polk County? Well, they've kept an eye on Florida. Their blogger, Brandon Keim, was pleased with this week's Florida Board of Education vote: The 4-3 vote was obtained by including a last-minute amendment to the standards. Suggested last Friday by religious conservatives and dubbed the "academic freedom proposal," the amendment required that the curriculum's references to "evolution" be replaced by the "scientific theory of evolution." The amendment's supporters called the language change a victory -- and it is, though not in the way they imagine. Not only will Florida's students learn about evolution; they'll also learn that the scientific definition of a theory is different from the everyday definition, referring not to wild-eyed speculation but to a vast body of observation and testing that confirms a hypothesis so strongly that it might as well be considered fact. A big thank-you, then, to religious critics of evolution education. The language change will better help Florida's children understand not only evolution, but science itself.
Bio: Chris Craig received his Master’s in Social Work from Tulane University and his Master’s in Pastoral Care & Counseling from Garrett Seminary. Chris guest preaches, leads spirituality classes, and works in social services in Lakeland. Chris is not ordained in any church, and his columns do not speak for any churches or organizations where he might be affiliated.