Several times a year, local musicians come together for an amazing concert known as Underground Polk. Underground Polk is held at the historic Polk Theatre in downtown Lakeland. In this segment we talk to Polk Theatre...

Sevil is an eighteen-year-old exchange student from Azerbaijan. She is from the city of Baku which is the capital as well as the largest city in her home country. She is staying with the Melendez family in Lakeland and...

Childhood obesity is rising faster than we can say freeze. About 1 in 5 school-age kids are obese (1 in 3 in some cities). You might think that even if “baby fat” is still accumulating in elementary school, kids...

After a trip to New York City, a friend of ours brought us a book back called P.S.- I made this… This book inspires and encourages everyone to embrace the author Erica Domesek’s creative motto: “I see it. I...

When you host a foreign exchange student, your entire family will discover a world of fun and enlightening adventure. Simply by sharing your home for just a school year (or perhaps a shorter term), you will be giving an...

Drinking and driving is something frowned upon in our society and for a good reason. But the amount of people who drink and drive clearly must be high. I have no numbers or facts to prove this point other than the fact, my...

Local Lakelander, Dana Stancil Mercaldi, has literally taken trash to treasure over the past year. What started as a home decorating project has now grown into a monthly warehouse show. Last year Dana fell in love with...

Editor’s Note: This marks the first column in a series of short interviews with students who’ve come to spend a school-year in Lakeland. Steve Munson is one of the volunteers for ASSE, one of the...

If you have unhealthy cholesterol levels or are looking to prevent them, one of the first things you should examine is your diet. Are you eating foods that help reduce cholesterol and are you avoiding the ones that cause...

Exercising regularly is thought to ease stress, mild depression and anxiety, while reducing the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, obesity and many other health related diseases. How Much Exercise? – The minimum...

Eating dessert is a stress reliever for some, but baking dessert is how Ron James clears his mind. In addition to his full-time job, James spends 20 hours a week baking for Sugarbuzz Dezert Company, his special order...