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Adam Putnam to proclaim: ‘Florida can be launch pad for American Dream’

in 2017 by

Adam Putnam will detail his vision for Florida’s future, laying out a plan to make Florida a “launch pad for the American Dream” when he formally announces his 2018 gubernatorial bid later today. Putnam, the state’s agriculture commissioner, will launch his gubernatorial bid on the steps of the Old Polk County Courthouse in Bartow at 11 a.m. today. Afterward, he’s scheduled to attend a Florida Grown Hometown BBQ hosted by his political committee, Florida Grown, in downtown Bartow. According to…

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Airbnb inks tax deal with Polk County

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Airbnb, the internet-based home-sharing lodging service, announced Thursday it reached a deal with Polk County to collect tourism taxes from host clients. The company said it is seeing rapid growth in Polk County over the past year, ending 2016 with 160 hosts — people who make their houses or apartments available through Airbnb for visitors on a night-by-night basis -and about 3,000 guest arrivals. That’s more than double the 2015 activity. Based on that, Airbnb projected it could collect more…

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Resident chases Christmas thieves with metal pipe

in Apolitical/Top Headlines by

Two Florida men are spending the holidays in jail, thanks to observant neighbors who spotted them taking Christmas gifts from a nearby home and another homeowner who chased them with a metal pipe. The Polk County Sheriff’s department announced that a Lakeland resident heard a loud noise Wednesday morning and called another neighbor, who looked outside and saw the men taking gifts from a nearby home. The neighbor yelled and they fled in a car. Lakeland police and sheriff’s deputies…

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Gwen Graham still not satisfied after receiving DEP records regarding Mosaic sinkhole issue

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham is speaking out critically about the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, after she reviewed public records regarding the massive sinkhole at Mosaic’s facility in Polk County. “Unless there are records that were not produced as required by law, the disclosures show an alarming lack of communication among state regulators about a threat to the health and safety of Florida families and our environment,” said Graham in a statement. “I am very concerned that we had a watchdog agency asleep at the wheel.”…

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Joe Henderson: Issue 1 in 2018 Gov’s race, fixing Florida environment

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

I think we have one of our first major campaign issues for the 2018 race to succeed Rick Scott as Florida’s governor. Any serious candidate who doesn’t come out strongly in favor seriously beefing up the state Department of Environmental Protection will miss a great opportunity. In just the last couple of months alone, an understaffed and likely overwhelmed DEP has had to deal with the algae bloom that threatened to trash summer tourism in Stuart and surrounding areas. Recriminations…

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Bill Rufty: House District 41 candidates going for the money

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Sam Killebrew, Republican candidate for Florida House District 41, has raised a campaign war chest double that of Democratic candidate Bob Doyel, who nevertheless raised more than any Democrat running for the district in 16 years. The battle for the open seat is the only competitive race among the seven legislative seats in Polk County that have elections. In the latest campaign finance reporting period, Sept. 3 through Sept. 16, Killebrew reported raising $7,400 to bring his total contributions during…

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Mosaic’s Walt Precourt: Our community, our responsibility

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Earlier this week, I addressed the Polk County Board of County Commissioners on the recent sinkhole and water loss incident at our New Wales production facility, and believe the updates and sentiments that I shared are pertinent to the entire west-central Florida community. The most important thing for the community to know is that on behalf of Mosaic, I would like to express our sincere regret that the sinkhole and associated loss of water on our property have caused concerns…

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