A “Triple D” restaurant is opening next Monday in Polk County. The restaurant is Metro Diner and it will be opening on November 18th and it is located at 5293 S.Florida Avenue in Lakeland. Located on Florida Avenue South, between Fitzgerald Road and West Pipkin Road/ Lake Miriam Dr, Metro Diner Lakeland is across the street from Crunch Fitness.

Whether you’re craving Charleston Shrimp & Grits for dinner, a Classic Burger for breakfast, or Biscuits and Sausage Gravy for lunch, know that you will be able to order anything, any time of day at Metro Diner Lakeland!

Metro Diner’s story began in 1938 when the building that would become the first location opened in Jacksonville, Florida. Officially branded in 1992, Metro Diner quickly became the go-to local restaurant for comforting classics and reimagined favorites.

With the help of Master Chef Mark Davoli and his family, Metro Diner continued to grow and even earned a spot on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

“Guy’s right when he says Metro Diner “is not your typical diner.” They’re changing our landscape of comfort food by serving a layer of french fries atop steak salad. Even their French toast is layered with a banana-cream cheese filling smothered between two slices of challah.” from Food Network.

Editors Note: This is Carl, cofounder of the DailyRidge. My wife and I have had Metro Diner in several locations over the years and it has been fantastic. Definitely worth a visit to see if they have brought their magic with them to Lakeland! Our personal favorite is the chicken & waffles with hot sauce!

Here is the Triple D episode:

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating a fatal crash that occurred on Friday, November 8, 2024, at approximately 12:40 PM. The two-vehicle crash occurred at the intersection of Old Soldier Road and Highway 98 North in Lakeland, and involved a semi-truck and a sedan (Toyota Corolla).

PCSO deputies and Polk County Fire Rescue responded to the scene. The Florida Department of transportation also responded to assist in shutting down all lanes of Highway 98 North. The road was closed at approximately 12:40 PM and remained closed for about 5 hours, until 6:00 PM.

The stretch of Highway 98 North on which the crash occurred is currently under construction. The semi-truck was carrying a trailer of metal pipes from a construction area and was executing a left turn from Old Soldier Road in to the northbound lanes of Highway 98 North. The Toyota Corolla was travelling south on Highway 98 North and collided with the rear end of the semi-truck while it was executing its turn. The driver of the Toyota, a 58-year old from Lakeland, was killed.

The PCSO Traffic Homicide detectives responded to the scene assumed the investigation. The Traffic Homicide Unit investigates all fatal crashes. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating a single-vehicle crash that occurred at the intersection of Lake Parker Drive East and Broadway Street in Lakeland, Florida. The crash occurred on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at approximately 5 PM, and resulted in three injuries and one fatality.

The single vehicle (a white Kia sedan) had three occupants, the driver, a 30-year old from Winter Haven, and his two young children. It appears the car was traveling west on Broadway Street, towards the intersection with Lake Parker Drive East. The car travelled through the intersection, into a grassy, wooded area and collided with a tree. The car caught fire, and Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire Rescue responded to the scene.

A witness and the driver attempted to extricate the children from the back seat of the car. One was successfully extricated, but the other child tragically died in the fire. The driver and the surviving child were taken to the hospital to be treated for their injuries. The witness who helped at the scene was also taken to the hospital to be treated for burns sustained while helping pull the occupants out of the car.

PCSO Traffic Homicide detectives respond to all fatal crashes. They are investigating the crash. The investigation is still ongoing at this time.

Orlando Health team members, Polk County officials and community members celebrated a major milestone during a Topping Out Ceremony held at the Orlando Health Lakeland Highlands Hospital construction site, near the corner of the Polk County Parkway and Lakeland Highlands Road today.

The group gathered to sign the final beam, just before it was hoisted by a crane and swung into place. The celebration commemorates the end of vertical construction on the 7-story facility

When the Orlando Health Lakeland Highlands Hospital opens in 2026, it will open with 302 inpatient beds. That’s more than double the originally announced opening bed count of 136 beds.

“Following additional review, Orlando Health determined that it can best meet the healthcare needs of the Lakeland and greater Polk County communities by opening a hospital with more inpatient capacity than we originally announced,” said Jamal Hakim, MD, COO, Orlando Health. “As one of the state’s fastest growing communities, Orlando Health recognizes that it needs to accelerate its delivery of high-quality, outcomes-based healthcare to these communities. We are excited about our revised plan and its many benefits for the community.”

In addition to the increased bed count, on opening day, the hospital will also feature nearly 30 ICU/progressive care rooms, 16 patient rooms to support a women’s birthing program, shelled space for a future neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a 48-bed emergency department and additional medical and support services including imaging, lab, pharmacy, dining and gift shop, among others.

“Located at the southeast corner where the Polk Parkway meets Lakeland Highlands Road, the Orlando Health Lakeland Highlands Hospital will be a stunning 7-story facility set on an attractive, welcoming campus,” said Matt Taylor, senior vice president of asset strategy for Orlando Health. “Our goal is to always provide convenient access to the healthcare services so greatly needed by the community, on a campus our patients and visitors can easily navigate and use.”

The hospital, which is approved for up to 360 beds, is slated for a summer 2026 opening.

LAKELAND, FL (November 6, 2024) – On November 5, 2024, at 6:32 a.m. the Lakeland Police Department responded to a residence on North Fork Drive for a stabbing which just occurred. The 911 call was placed by Deljie Tyson, age 50, who was at the residence. Tyson told dispatchers he just stabbed his wife, Sandra Green, age 46, during an altercation where he claimed she was acting erratic. 

Tyson was still at the scene when officers arrived, and Green was found in the residence on the kitchen floor with numerous apparent stab wounds to her upper body. Two knives and a handgun were located nearby in the kitchen, however, it did not appear the gun had been fired during the altercation. Tyson also suffered stab wound to his arm and a small cut on his finger. 

Polk County Fire Rescue and the Lakeland Fire Department arrived on scene to provide life-saving measures for Green. Both Green and Tyson were transported to Lakeland Regional Health. Medical professionals pronounced Green deceased a short time later. During treatment it was discovered that Green suffered more than 20 stab wounds. Tyson was treated for a minor injury and taken into custody by Lakeland Police. 

Detectives and Forensic Technicians responded to investigate and process the scene. Based on evidence gathered, Tyson was arrested and charged with Second Degree Murder with a Weapon. Tyson retained legal counsel and refused to speak with detectives about the details of the incident.

The investigation remains active for compete processing of the evidence. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Troy Smith at [email protected].