The Lakelander

10/03/2025

What happens when the foodie geniuses behind Omusubee and Wafu come together to offer fresh and innovative takes on American and Asian favorites?

Answer: Sora Eatery

If you haven't check out this gorgeous space with friendly staff and all the flavors, textures and creations you can imagine, you should. Your taste buds will thank you.

Read all about Sora Eatery ⬇️
https://www.thelakelander.com/new-restaurants-2025/family-recipes-meet-indulgent-dining

09/29/2025

Locals can't seem to get enough of the layered donuts at Parlor Doughnuts that are crispy on the outside and light and fluffy in the inside.

Even sweeter though is the story of how the ownership team, including General Manager Justin Williams, have intentionally built a space for people to come together and connect amidst the chaos of modern life.

Through life's challenges, every one of them has relied on God and a strong support system to help keep them moving forward—which is one doughnut, breakfast sandwich, latter and refresher at a time.

A story even better than the doughnuts they make ➡️ https://www.thelakelander.com/the-lakelander-issue-116/sweet-success-with-more-layers-than-you-can-imagine

09/09/2025

“You know, it’s wild. I think it’s a little bit of ‘pinch me.’ The kids deserve all the credit because I got conference Coach of the Year and I was there for four months?” - Florida Southern College head men's golf coach Brian Richey

An impromptu return to the Florida Southern College Moccasins has Richey motivating and directing a talented group of golfers toward aspirations of a national championship this season.

Find out how the former professional golfer landed the gig and what the Mocs are doing to contend with the nation's best: https://www.thelakelander.com/the-lakelander-issue-115/building-on-a-rich-tradition

09/02/2025

Dr. Manuel Alberto Molina-Vega and Dr. Kelly Koch know the complex and lengthy names of countless types of cancers and diseases, but the most important names to them are of the patients they passionately serve, who are often on uncertain and scary paths involving cancer.

At Lakeland Regional Health the surgical oncology team is led by Molina-Vega’s and Koch’s complementary expertise and embodies a human-centered approach where the team is very sensitive to its role and committed to doing everything it can to improve outcomes.

Find out how they are providing treatments that show the evolution of medicine in Polk County ➡️ https://www.thelakelander.com/health-care-heroes/cancer-experts-close-to-home

08/29/2025

"'Notta' is that friend you meet in the middle of a crowded room who somehow makes the whole place feel like yours. She’s dressed in color you can’t quite name, laughing at the edge of the conversation, pulling you toward something you didn’t know you needed to see," writes Tony Agnello.

Who or what is Notta? It's an art gallery that aspires to be so much more than a place to simply look at art that is opening in downtown Lakeland on Friday, Sept. 5.

Agnello, Danielle Klonecki, Andy Webb and Katie Webb are partners on a business that Agnello jokes is "going to try to de-program our people from Hobby Lobby."

“You can go there and buy the same thing that a hundred thousand other people bought or you can come here and buy something that no one else has, which [includes] a connection with someone that created it."

Find out more of the inspiration behind and what to expect from Notta Gallery ➡️
https://www.thelakelander.com/the-lakelander-issue-115/this-is-not-a-gallery

08/27/2025

Josie Hill has ALWAYS loved school.

“You know how they say, ‘I walked two miles in the snow uphill,’’ Hill said of the epic—often-exaggerated—phrase told to young students. “There were days when I would wake up in a blizzard and I would actually walk the two miles to school in the snow. And school would be closed and I would be like, ‘oh no, I want to go to school.’”

You probably have heard of Montessori schooling, but might not know that Hill is a pioneer of the alternative learning method who helped bring it to Lakeland, including founding Lakeland Montessori and serving on the council of The Montessori Foundation.

Go behind the scenes of her passionate journey and inside the classroom --> https://www.thelakelander.com/the-lakelander-issue-115/cultivating-curiosity

08/25/2025

Depending on where he is, you may see Dr. Leonard Gitter in his medical coat, a t-shirt or even a Tampa Bay Lightning jersey.

But no matter where Dr. Gitter is, a quick glance at his right wrist reveals a simple bracelet bearing a Jewish symbol: the word Chai, which means “life” or “to live.” It’s a deeply meaningful word—both personally and professionally—for the Oncology-Hematology doctor, who has been caring for patients at Watson Clinic for nearly six years.

Gitter opens up about what that word means to him, and where he is on his journey: https://www.thelakelander.com/health-care-heroes/giving-patients-a-piece-of-his-heart-and-mind

08/22/2025

"I think we’re very proud of the “B’ but quite frankly, if you were to ask me, we’re an 'A' district all day, every day because we do great things for kids," said Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid in a recent exclusive interview with The Lakelander.

In this candid Q&A Heid gets honest about the new School Grades, school vouchers and opportunities for growth ➡️
https://www.thelakelander.com/the-lakelander-issue-115/proud-to-b-but-striving-for-more

08/20/2025

Dr. Tarek Garas comes from a distinguished lineage of physicians, a heritage deeply rooted in legacy and purpose. From a young age, his mother often told him she believed that he would one day become a doctor—a vision spoken not merely as a hope, but as a conviction.

Thankfully for Watson Clinic and thousands of patients, Dr. Garas has served as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Urogynecologist & Reconstructive Pelvic Surgeon for the past 23 years. What began as a maternal prophecy became a sacred calling, one confirmed by faith and fulfilled through the art of medicine.

Find out more about his lifelong journey --> https://www.thelakelander.com/health-care-heroes/here-to-serve

08/18/2025

“There’s a stigma with chiropractors, where they try to tell the patient that it’s going to require all these visits to get to the end of this problem," says Dr. Steven Love, co-owner of Love Chiropractic. "I wanted to have a practice where people could trust my opinion and I would give them a reasonable recommendation.”

Aches and pains are something almost everyone deals with, but the Loves aim to do more than just help relieve them—they work to identify underlying causes and treat the whole person.

Read about how they are helping Lakelanders live their best lives ➡️ https://www.thelakelander.com/the-lakelander-issue-114/from-stigma-to-solutions

08/14/2025

Lakeland Regional Health has grown from roughly 40 physicians to more than 400 physicians in less than a decade as the demand for services has escalated.

The urology team is an example of how the community healthcare provider is expanding the number of experienced and empathetic professionals available to serve our community.

Find out how this group of skilled doctors is improving the quality of life for Lakelanders and working toward better outcomes every day. ➡️ https://www.thelakelander.com/health-care-heroes/building-something-special

08/05/2025

Inside a hybrid operating room at Lakeland Regional Health that Dr. Andres Medina helped design and bring to life, cardiologist and cardiothoracic surgeons work side by side to literally bring life to ailing hearts using a technique that Medina helped pioneer and that Dr. Mohammed Hassan and the CVT team use as a minimally invasive alternative to traditional open heart surgery.

There's so much ❤️ to this story. Go behind the scenes with a couple of local health care heroes.

Inside a hybrid operating room that Dr. Andres Medina helped design and bring to life, cardiologist and cardiothoracic surgeons work side by side to literally bring life to ailing hearts using  a technique that Medina helped pioneer and that Dr. Mohammed Hassan and the CVT team use as a min