Lakeland FL

Inside Lakeland’s All American Gym on a Friday morning, 74-year-old Nancy Georges is powering through her third workout of the week. Deadlifts, bench presses, rows, and pulls. Just another training session for a woman redefining strength at any age. “My motivation is to age gracefully. I don’t want fall...

Doesn’t always drive a sleigh and wear a red, fur-trimmed suit. Sometimes he (or she) drives a big red and silver truck with a ladder. My Christmas present. came early today, and I am so very thankful. On the way to the vet with two kittens, I made a...

Lakeland officials haggled long and hard before committing to selling off three Mass Market properties for a total of nearly $3 million. The commission voted 6-0 to approve sales terms to transfer ownership of three properties owned by the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency at 310 Plum St. and 820 and 830 N....

Good evening, Tampa Bay. We're wrapping up the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather outlook. Friday's cold front will cool us down for Saturday morning. But the airmass isn't terribly cold, it won't last long. By afternoon, we should be well...

Bartow, Fla. (Dec. 19, 2025) — The Polk County Board of County Commissioners has approved a new, three-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with I.A.E.P. Local 917 R-5. Commissioners unanimously approved the new contract Tuesday, Dec. 16. The agreement covers bargaining units for single-certified emergency...

LAKELAND, Fla. – A Lakeland man is behind bars facing a laundry list of charges after allegedly going on a destructive joyride that targeted neighborhood mailboxes, ending only when deputies found him passed out and huffing compressed air. Read on. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd detailed the incident on...

Haines City has reinstated its body-worn camera program after a two-month pause brought about by performance issues with its previous cameras. The city said in a news release Dec. 19 that all police officers and code enforcement officers are now equipped with AXON body-worn cameras. "The Haines City Police Department...

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – It was supposed to be a public defense, a chance for Robert Reynolds to clear his name and explain how a business dispute spiraled into a felony theft charge. Instead, his appearance on a true-crime podcast gave Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd exactly what he needed: a warrant.

George Tucker, Jr., a tax preparer from Lakeland, has been sentenced to seven years and six months in federal prison for his role in a scheme that defrauded the Internal Revenue Service. U.S. District Judge Virginia Covington handed down the sentence. Tucker had been responsible for preparing clients’ tax returns.

One restaurant was temporarily closed by an inspector and three others had double-digit violations during the first two weeks of November, according to state inspection reports . On Nov. 3, Tortilleria La Mexicana #5 at 701 Hinson Ave., Haines City, was temporarily closed by an inspector after 21 live roaches were...