We like to say we are 25,000 Lakelanders talking about the news together.
LALtoday is a community-driven conversation. The best way for us to know what is happening in your world is for you to make sure we are aware of what all you have going on. |
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From social media messages and direct emails to press releases and event listings — our product is built around a back-and-forth conversation, and we’re grateful for those people doing great things and every response and scoop sent our way. And, because of the nature of our product, we receive *a lot* of messages.
We put together this guide to help you navigate our product so that you are better able to share your story ideas and be featured in our newsletter, website + social channels. The content we decide to cover is based on overall relevance, diversity, and timeliness. We’ll get to this more later, but if you want to skip ahead, you can guarantee inclusion with some of our paid content opportunities.
Here, you’ll find all the different components that make up our email newsletter each day, along with a description of how they work and tips for how you can tailor your pitches to us. ⬇️ |
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Got any friends who might want to work with us? Share this conversation with them and let them know.
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Weather
○ 81º | Scattered T-Storms | 80% chance of rain
○ As of 5 p.m. Sunday, Tropical Storm Eta was nearing Florida and Cuba with the potential for an upgrade to a hurricane. To stay up to date on all of Eta's activity, click here.
Development
○ Commissioners last week approved in a 3-1 vote the development of a 170-home neighborhood to be erected in Bartow. The news did not come as excitement to Bartow residents as some claim that the development may take away from the rural area’s character. At this time, the proposal for this build is set to take place on 79 acres at 830 Walker Rd. nN. and west of Swindell Rd. H.C. Dairy Farm. Additionally, should the development come to fruition, it will mean the end of the last-standing dairy farm in the county. (The Ledger)
Biz
○ Lakeland Electric’s C.D. McIntosh Unit 3 is unlikely to continue operations and maintain functionality between now and its scheduled closure in 2024. The electric company recently alerted city officials of the news and notes the impending early closure due to the 40-year-old plant only operating at 53% this year. (The Ledger)
Edu
○ Last week, Florida Southern College’s Polk Science Building Planetarium received a $250,000 grant from the National Park Service (NPS) of the U.S Department of the Interior to restore the structure. The building is the only planetarium constructed by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright and is the largest of his buildings on FSC’s campus. The grant received is a part of a larger program, Save America’s Treasures, and will match each applicant's grant money by the dollar – making FSC’s total grant $500,000. (The Lakelander)
○ Heads up, Polk County parents. Schools will be closed this Wednesday in honor of Veteran’s Day for Polk County Public Schools. Those participating in pick-up meal service for eSchool students will not have a pick-up on Wednesday, all will be ready to go on Tues., Nov. 10.
Cause
○ The Lakeland Magic along with Florida Blue are fundraising to fight hunger across Central Florida. The fundraiser’s goal is to virtually fill up the RP Funding Center by donating $10 or the cost of a Lakeland Magic ticket. The number of tickets needed are 3,200 to virtually fill the venue. Those interested can visit LakelandMagic.com/FillTheBowl. All proceeds will benefit Feeding Tampa Bay, KidsPACK, and One More Child. (Our Sports Central)
Asked
○ Friday, Reader Justin K. asked us on Facebook: “Do you know what they are building in front of the Shore Luxury Apartment, on 33 by Bridgewater?” Any clues, Lakeland? Send us all of the deets to hello@laltoday.com. Thanks for reaching out, Justin.
Job
○ Are you a news junkie? Always ‘gramming at local events? Love writing and grammar? Then you should apply for our Editorial Internship program. Must be detail-oriented, a self-starter + ready for a fun, fast-paced environment with daily deadlines. See position details + apply. 💻
TheBuy
○ ‘Tis the season for holiday shopping and finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Enter: Catapult’s 2020 Holiday Gift Boxes, featuring 3 different carefully curated packages of locally crafted, artisan goods from Catapult’s Kitchen Incubator makers. Boxes are for sale now through Monday, Nov. 16. Get gifting. 🎁Ⓟ
Dish
○ Nov. 14 is National Guacamole Day. DYK? Guac lovers can find all the organic ingredients they need – like avocados and limes – to make the perfect guac at GreenWise Market. Bonus: You can skip the grocery store. Order your groceries ahead of time and pick them up curbside. 🥑 Ⓟ
DealOfTheDay
○ Don’t let the big box stores win on Black Friday. Our email on Nov. 27 is going to be all about local deals and we’re offering the first one to you right now. Submit your deal and take $175 off using code NOV27DEAL. Offer ends Sun., Nov. 15.
Coronavirus
○ Last week, Gov. DeSantis announced that Florida nursing home residents may come and go from their respective facilities as they please without additional COVID testing. The update comes from the governor wanting residents to be able to see their families during the holidays. Now, instead of returning to their homes with a COVID test, residents will be screened for COVID-like symptoms. (FOX 13)
○ On Sunday, the Florida Department of Health announced 6,820 new cases of COVID-19 and 22 additional deaths in Florida. That brings the total number of cases in FL of COVID-19 to 843,897 + the total deaths to 17,333. (Orlando Sentinel)
○ You can find more updates concerning COVID-19 case numbers on the Florida Department of Health dashboard. See Lakeland + Polk numbers here.
Click the button below for local resources regarding the coronavirus.
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Do you work with or cherish an organization (non-profit, charity, or other) that gives back to our local community in a major way? This month, we’re partnering with Trinity Medical Group to donate $1,000 and a highlight in our newsletter to one lucky organization that helps support our local community.
Here’s how you can get involved and help your favorite organization win the grand prize:
Step 1: Fill out this entry form.
Step 2: Enter your name, email address, zip code, and the name of the local non-profit or local organization you wish to support. Please be sure you use the full proper name of the organization (✅ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Florida vs ⚠️ SPCA).
Step 3: Share our giveaway on your social media (Instagram, Facebook + Twitter to name a few) and tag the local organization you’re supporting.
To ensure we keep things as fair and equal as possible, the winner will be chosen at random. Anyone living in Lakeland and surrounding areas – can enter through Nov. 22, 2020, 11:59 p.m. You may enter once every 24 hours and the more times you enter, the more chances you and your organization will have to win.
Subscribe to the newsletter to find out the winner on Tues., Nov 24.
We’re excited to kick off this initiative and work together to bring awareness to the organizations that help keep our communities connected and running. Thank you for participating!
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Active
○ Yoga: Breath, Flow & Glow | Mon., Nov. 9 | 6-7 p.m. | Soul Tree Yoga Studio, 330 Doris Dr. | $10 | Find your inner peace at this yoga class for all skill levels featuring fun glow bands for your hands. 🧘🏿
TryThis
○ Live Trivia at Cob & Pen | Mon., Nov. 9 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Cob & Pen, 1221 S. Florida Ave. | Prices Vary | Challenge yourself and your friends at this trivia night and compete for prizes while enjoying grub and drinks from the menu. 🏆
Learn
○ Windows 10 Basics | Mon., Nov. 9 | 10-11 a.m. | Lakeland Public Library, 100 Lake Morton Dr. | Free, RSVP | Brush up your skills and learn more about the new features of the Windows 10 software, how to customize a start menu, manage multiple tabs, and more. 💻
Drink
○ Craft Beer + Bingo | Mon., Nov. 9 | 7-8 p.m. | Craft + Kitchen, 3234 S. Florida Ave. | Free | Hit the town + join this bingo night where you can compete for top prizes. 🍻 |
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Disclaimer: It is up to readers’ discretion to determine whether they feel comfortable participating in any mentioned events based on COVID-19 protocols and precautions. If you have questions, please contact the event’s organizers directly.
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LALtoday Editor Kaylee learning how to save some dough (and the planet) thanks to the pros at Lakeland Electric through their new Virtual Energy Audit offering | Photo by @thelaltoday
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This may sound pretty *shocking,* but DYK that in just 30-min., you could save $100+ a year on your electric bill and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time? Say *watt?*
We recently got the chance to talk with an energy analyst at Lakeland Electric (over the phone + for free) about how we can save some money on our electric bill – and we wanted to share the wealth of knowledge we learned from our experience with y’all on how you can #TryThis for yourselves.
From replacing our incandescent light bulbs to LED ones to learning how the weather really does affect our A/C, here are the (nuts) + *bolts* of what we learned. ⚡
Experience:
Virtual-Home Energy Audit with Lakeland Electric
What we tried (with pricing):
We scheduled a phone call with Energy Analyst Jimmy through the Virtual-Home Energy Audit website (the service is free). On the scheduled date and time, Jimmy called and “walked” us through a questionnaire to help us find out how we can save money on our electricity bill.
The whole call took about 30-min. (perfect to accomplish when you have a short break in the day), and – by the end of it – we had a whole new game plan on how we could save on our electric bill in our apartment.
Click below for what not to miss during this experience, plus our #ProTips for when you schedule this service for yourself. Ⓟ
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📖 Check out our Editorial Ethics Policy here. |
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Greenville, SC 29602
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