►A group of Florida Polytechnic University students and faculty are working on research funded by a North Atlantic Treaty Organization grant, aimed at streamlining the manufacturing and efficiency of handheld radiation detectors, which could be used at nuclear sites as well as for border patrol.
►Gary Ralston received the William Loftin Commercial Realtor of the Year award for 2018 by Lakeland Realtors.
►Jeff Bewsher joined the Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate’s Forestry Group in Lakeland as a sales associate in addition to his current role as hunt lease administrator.
►Former U.S. Representative Dennis Ross joined the Lakeland office of Gray Robinson.
►The Polk County School District named Horizons Elementary School math teacher Jennie Cyran as its 2019 teacher of the year and Sandhill Elementary cafeteria manager Cynthia Wimberley as its school-related employee of the year.
►Chief Larry Giddens retired after serving with the Lakeland Police Department for 34 years.
►Academy Prep of Lakeland, a tuition-free, private middle school, is scheduled to open this summer for students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and can pass an admissions test.
►Century Ariva Apartments in Lakeland sold to Centennial Holding Co. for $54.6 million.
►Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets will acquire the leases for two Western Market locations near Birmingham, Alabama, in Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills.
