Paul Catala, The Ledger

Paul Catala

The Ledger

Lakeland, FL, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • The Ledger
  • The Palm Beach Post
  • Herald-Tribune
  • news-journalonline
  • News Chief

Past articles by Paul:

Looking for a special dinner on Valentine's? Here's just a small sample of Polk's finest

If you still haven't decided on a place for Valentine's Day, here's a small sample of special menus around Polk. → Read More

Florida man shared cellblock with famed Alcatraz escapees

A Florida man spent almost five years with three men who are in the history books for an unusual accomplishment: they may have made it across the cold waters of San Francisco Bay to freedom from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on June 11, 1962. → Read More

Florida man shared cellblock with famed Alcatraz escapees

A Florida man spent almost five years with three men who are in the history books for an unusual accomplishment: they may have made it across the cold waters of San Francisco Bay to freedom from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on June 11, 1962. → Read More

Family lore: Men did escape Alcatraz to Lake Wales, then Brazil

Writer's account: I recall being as young as 10 when I first heard the tale of my distant cousins' improbable-yet-daring escape from “The Rock. → Read More

Lake Wales man shared cellblock with famed Alcatraz escapees

Robert Schibline spent almost five years with three men who are in the history books for an unusual accomplishment: they may have made it across the cold waters of San Francisco Bay to freedom from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on June 11, 1962. → Read More

Lake Wales man shared cellblock with famed Alcatraz escapees

Robert Schibline spent almost five years with three men who are in the history books for an unusual accomplishment: they may have made it across the cold waters of San Francisco Bay to freedom from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on June 11, 1962. → Read More

Calvary Baptist Church service pays homage to local military heroes

This year, U.S. Army Specialist Zachary Shannon, U.S. Marine Cpl. Ronald Payne Jr. and U.S. Air Force Col. Peter Stewart were honored for giving the ultimate sacrifice during duty. → Read More

Calvary Baptist Church service pays homage to local military heroes

This year, U.S. Army Specialist Zachary Shannon, U.S. Marine Cpl. Ronald Payne Jr. and U.S. Air Force Col. Peter Stewart were honored for giving the ultimate sacrifice during duty. → Read More

23rd annual Pigfest brings competitive barbecue, live music to Lakeland

This year, 60 professional, 60 “backyard” amateur squads and about 50 children's teams have registered, coming from across Florida and as far as Iowa, Missouri and Maine to compete. → Read More

23rd annual Pigfest brings competitive barbecue, live music to Lakeland

This year, 60 professional, 60 “backyard” amateur squads and about 50 children's teams have registered, coming from across Florida and as far as Iowa, Missouri and Maine to compete. → Read More

23rd Lakeland Pigfest brings competitive barbecue, live music to Lakeland

LAKELAND — Chad Ward says the secret is getting the rub, sauce and smoke just right to complement the meat.Ward and his team, Whiskey Bent, have won awards 10 out the 12 years they have competed in the Lakeland Pigfest. They don't expect this year to be any different.Pigfest is a Kingsford professional barbecue competition and a Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned event. This year, 60… → Read More

23rd Lakeland Pigfest brings competitive barbecue, live music to Lakeland

LAKELAND — Chad Ward says the secret is getting the rub, sauce and smoke just right to complement the meat.Ward and his team, Whiskey Bent, have → Read More

Messages of hope, awareness

HAINES CITY — Abused women, a couple murdered soon after their wedding, a woman who deliberately burned her face. The images couldn't be ignored as they cycled through the screen behind the Rev. William Devlin.Since 2006, Devlin has worked and given his time as an international humanitarian, spending weeks and months in some of the most dangerous, unwelcoming parts of the Middle East conducting… → Read More

Downtown Lakeland intersection gets makeover

On Sunday, the geometric mural painted at the intersection of East Main Street at North Ingraham Avenue was given a more permanent boost of color about a year and eight months after it was originally created. → Read More

Downtown Lakeland intersection gets makeover

On Sunday, the geometric mural painted at the intersection of East Main Street at North Ingraham Avenue was given a more permanent boost of color about a year and eight months after it was originally created. → Read More

Stripper charged with threatening multiple shootings

LAKELAND — An exotic dancer from Lakeland was charged with threatening to commit a mass shooting.The Lakeland Police Department reportedBrein Basarich, 31, a dancer at Plant City's Showgirls Men's Club, had posted on social media under the user name "taking lives" about alleged urges to commit homicide.According to an arrest affidavit, Basarich was arrested at her home in Lakeland on Jan. 2.… → Read More

Winter Haven hosts Miss Winter Wonderland pageant

WINTER HAVEN — For Madison White, it was the ultimate way to spend Sunday.The 5-year-old girl from North Port was the “Ultimate” overall winner in the Miss Winter Wonderland pageant, where she was crowned the overall winner in the poise and style competition for boys, girls and women from newborns to more than 50 years old.For the first time, two community-service pageants joined together to… → Read More

Winter Haven hosts Miss Winter Wonderland pageant

WINTER HAVEN — For Madison White, it was the ultimate way to spend Sunday.The 5-year-old girl from North Port was the “Ultimate” → Read More

Dancer charged with threatening multiple shootings

LAKELAND — An exotic dancer from Lakeland was charged with threatening to commit a mass shooting.The Lakeland Police Department reported Brein → Read More

Dancer charged with threatening multiple shootings

LAKELAND — An exotic dancer from Lakeland was charged with threatening to commit a mass shooting.The Lakeland Police Department reported Brein Basarich, 31, a dancer at Plant City's Showgirls Men's Club, had posted on social media under the user name "taking lives" about alleged urges to commit homicide.According to an arrest affidavit, Basarich was arrested at her home in Lakeland on Jan. 2.… → Read More