Lakeland FL

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – Justin Thornsberry, 37, a deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. The arrest followed a domestic violence investigation that began on April 4 after reports of misconduct were filed. Detectives determined the incident originated from a personal...

LAKELAND, Fla. — A tense standoff in a quiet Lakeland neighborhood ended in gunfire Tuesday night after a man allegedly opened fire on deputies who were attempting to prevent his suicide. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd confirmed that 76-year-old Ronald Breese is deceased following the confrontation in the 2900 block of Socrum Loop Road West.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WFLA) — The Jarrett Gordon Ford Lincoln dealership in Winter Haven said 21 people are in new cars after a fire tore through their facility in January. The fire started in the service bay of the dealership at around 10:40 a.m. on Jan. 20. While crews were able to get the blaze under control in less than an hour, widespread damage was done.

A Lakeland resident and community activist is urging city commissioners to remove four of seven members of the Lakeland Housing Authority (LHA) board, escalating months of frustration over how the agency is run. Speaking at the end of the April 6 City Commission meeting, Harlem Turner said: “I’m asking this...

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — “Please help me.”. That was the desperate plea from a driver who crashed her car into a Hillsborough County retention pond last week and watched as the vehicle began to fill with water. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office recently released 911 call audio...

A semi-truck crash is causing delays on I-4 in Polk County.

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Polk County Public Schools has officially opened the doors for families looking to switch things up for the upcoming 2026-27 academic year. Starting this week, the Controlled Open Enrollment (COE) window is active, giving parents a chance to snag a seat at a public school outside their usual zone.

Students can now order food online, and an AI-powered food delivery robot will bring it directly to their location. Would you like to see this tech in another part of Lakeland?

DAVENPORT, Fla. — Joel Degraaf has spent his entire teaching career at Loughman Oaks Elementary. For 19 years he’s been connecting with students there and sharing his love of reading with them. He’s the media specialist. What You Need To Know. Joel Degraaf has spent his entire...

Polk County plans to reconstruct the Crystal Lake boardwalk and add a stoplight at a busy intersection near Southeastern University. Here's when it will happen.