From The Newsroom: The Lakeland Ledger

Kimberly Miller gives a weather forecast for Jacksonville, FL for Sat. Nov 2nd, leading up to the Florida Georgia Rivalry Football Game

"All three of them, standing in the nude. Putting on sun tan lotion."

Wrestlemania weekend is upon us and Ray reunites his Wrestling Nerds "The Matador" and "JD" for a look at some of the key aspects of Sunday's Showcase of the Immortals. Come get down and nerdy with the Big Nerd.

The Big Nerd Podcast hits the hard-court as Ray interviews Florida Southern College senior Slinky Jones. Why’s he called Slinky? Of course I asked! 

Fort Meade's Vice Mayor, Maurice Nelson Campbell, 59, was charged after an investigation opened into a complaint of numerous alleged harassing phone calls. PCSO reported in a news release that the victim told detectives that she and the vice mayor had known each other for years, and said Campbell had repeatedly accused her of having an intimate relationship with Campbell's husband. According to the arrest affidavit, the victim had contacted law enforcement about Campbell in the past, but refrained from pursuing criminal charges after Campbell would stop the harassing communication.

WARNING: Please be advised that parts of this call may be disturbing to some listeners.  Loretta Pickard, 76, called 911 when she noticed her house, located at 13802 Rockridge Road in Lakeland, was on fire. She told dispatch that her husband, James, was at a ball game and she wasn't able to reach him by phone. Loretta spent the last 20 minutes of her life on the phone with dispatch as her home burned down around her. She begged for someone to come rescue her and was assured they would. But rescue never came.  Now, her family wants to know why nobody went inside the house to try to save her life. 

He’s Matt Taven and he’s the REAL Ring of Honor World Champion. He’s also talking about his YouTube series Travel Taven, ROH’s future, his stable The Kingdom and even Harry Potter!  

The Polk County Sheriff's Office says Bobby Staley made calls to banks from inside prison, telling call takers that he was the owner of the business. He established new mailing addresses in Jacksonville, where 5 of the suspects live, the PCSO said, and new credit cards were then linked to the victims' accounts. Staley bragged to witnesses about smuggling cellphones into prison to assist in the scheme, the Sheriff's Office said.

It's October and that means horror movies are in season, so the Big Nerd decided to bring the lead editor of DreadCentral.com Jonathan Barkan onto the show to discuss horror movies and especially the new Halloween movie. 

The voice of Ring of Honor, Ian Riccaboni joined The Big Nerd this week. We talk this week's PPV, the experience of All-In, the future and past of ROH and what strikes a "chord" with him when he's not announcing PPVs and tv tapings.

Episode 5: "Was Winter Haven really supposed to be named Lakeland?" In this episode, Brady Fredericksen talks to local historians to myth-bust a story that's floated around for years. And the answer is simpler than you'd think.  Submit your own question! theledger.com/onlyinpolk Reporting & story: Brady Fredericksen. Audio production: Laura L. Davis.

Episode 4, Part 1: "How do you pronounce "Seward"? Why's it called Lake Seward Drive?" Submit your own question! theledger.com/onlyinpolk Reporting & story: Gary White. Audio production: Laura L. Davis.

Episode 4, Part 2: "How do you pronounce "Seward"? Why's it called Lake Seward Drive?" In this episode, reporter Gary White unravels the source of a name within a name to answer a reader's two-part question. So, which Lake Miriam came first: the woman, that one lake, the other lake/phosphate pit or the shopping center?  Submit your own question! theledger.com/onlyinpolk Reporting & story: Gary White. Audio production: Laura L. Davis.

Episode 3: "What’s behind the gates at the Frances Langford Promenade loggia?" In this episode, Christopher Guinn shines some light on a mystery that's inspired rumors to swirl around Lakeland for years. Is it Blinky’s old home? Where lions made meals of criminals? Hidden tunnels for trysts, illicit deals by the wealthy? Well ... you'd better listen to find out. And we're still not entirely convinced.  Submit your own question! theledger.com/onlyinpolk Reporting & story: Christopher Guinn. Audio production: Laura L. Davis.

WWE's annual SummerSlam PPV is here and The Big Nerd rounds up his wrestling crew to talk about the PPV and to give their predictions on one of the WWE's biggest PPVs of the year!

On Tuesday evening, an employee at Reececliff Family Diner in Lakeland contacted her on Facebook Messenger to confirm a 9:15 a.m. interview. Moments later, the interview was canceled. Why? Words: Christopher Guinn Sounds: Laura L. Davis READ MORE: http://www.theledger.com/news/20180808/applicant-reececliff-family-diner-in-lakeland-canceled-job-interview-because-of-pregnancy    

Episode 1: "What is the origin of Imperial Polk County?" Reporter Eric Pera goes back in time to explore the age-old question from a reader who moved to Polk in 1998. Submit your own question! theledger.com/onlyinpolk Reporting & story: Eric Pera. Audio production: Laura L. Davis.

Episode 2: "What is the status of Daylight Savings Time in Florida? I'm trying to plan a wedding." In this episode, reporter Mike Ferguson dives into an act of Congress to find out if a couple will have sunset light on their wedding day in Ft. Meade. Submit your own question! theledger.com/onlyinpolk Reporting & story: Mike Ferguson. Audio production: Laura L. Davis.

Stand-up comedy is no joke ... Well it's full of jokes but it's a tough gig to pull off. Here how local comedians James and Forrest deal with hostile crowds, bad sets and how they piece together their bits for laughs all right here on The Big Nerd Podcast!

After a brief hiatus, the Big Nerd Podcast returns and we're once again talking wrestling. WWE's Extreme Rules PPV is Sunday and the Matador and JD return to dish out their opinions on what's gonna happen in the final PPV before SummerSlam!  

The Big Nerd returns his focus to the squared circle as The Matador and JD join him to discuss Sunday's WWE PPV Money in the Bank. 

Ernest Combee, 86, has lived long enough to see the world go from people using horses to ride into downtown Lakeland to watching humans launch into space, their rockets streaking a white column across the blue sky beyond his family’s homestead. READ MORE: http://www.theledger.com/news/20180505/interview-with-lakelands-ernest-combee-great-grandson-of-confederate-soldier

This week, co-worker Brady Fredericksen returns to talk to The Big Nerd about spoilers! Wait, was that just a spoiler as well? Argh! Don’t spoil it, bro! 

Florida State head coach Willie Taggart made a visit to Lakeland on Friday. Our own Brady Fredericksen caught up with the first-year Noles coach and talked about getting used to his new job, locals on the roster and more.

Break out your dice, but be sure not to step on the 4-sides ones as we talk roleplaying and table-top games with a three dedicated role playing nerds and of course The Big Nerd himself! 

Ring of Honor wrestling star "The Horror King" Vinny Marseglia agreed to put down his axe and pick up the phone and talk to us about his career and of course his love of horror movies. 

Zach Buss returns to talk upcoming Nerd stuff and we also have our reactions of Wrestlemania 34! 

After a brief hiatus, the Big Nerd Podcast returns and re-enters the squared circle as Ray's group of wrestling nerds talks about the upcoming Wrestlemania weekend. 

Polk County School Board member Billy Townsend provides his take on school safety and the long-term issues that face the school district. Notably, he says, the real power of a local school board in the face of state education policy supremacy is to take a stand and refuse to follow through on orders he says will hurt schools.

Ledger reporter Brady Fredericksen talks RussMatt and Detroit Tigers with Neal Duncan, a senior business development manager at Central Florida's Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing.

Brady looks at the Final Four and what to expect from the NBA races -- playoff and tanking.

Jaron Skipper testifies about his young children, who were severely injured when he slammed a truck into the rear of a city bus when he had methamphetamine in his system. His son, John, who was 5 when the crash occurred in January 2017, was left in a permanent coma. Click here to read the full story.      

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Click here to read the full story.

A Lakeland man and two teenagers could have faced up to 30 years in prison for the armed robbery of a man they met on a social-media app last year. Instead, Austin Fenimore, 24, along with Wyett Earl Davis and Dalton Obermark, both 17, will spend three to four years behind bars after pleading no contest to armed burglary and grand theft in separate agreements with prosecutors.

A robocall was placed to Polk County school parents regarding a Facebook post threatening another shooting at a Florida school. Students were excused from classes Friday.

A political-action committee supporting Josie Tomkow has sent six flyers this month to Republican voters in District 39, including some that describe her opponent as a fan of Hillary Clinton who was soft on crime as a prosecutor.