Lakeland FL

The groundwater pollution legacy of Piney Point phosphate continues and is expanding to other parts of Florida. Florida approved pumping millions of gallons of phosphate wastewater into a deep well in 2021, marking the first time phosphate wastewater was allowed to be deep-well injected in the state. Additional plans...

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – In a development for gun rights in Florida, a recent ruling by the First District Court of Appeal has declared the state’s ban on open carry unconstitutional. In response, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has issued a public statement, offering guidance to residents and emphasizing the importance of...

Oh boy, Florida just keeps on giving, doesn’t it? Today’s gem comes straight out of Polk County, where the “Sunshine State Shenanigans” file has just been updated with a fresh entry: the Orange County Sheriff’s Office had to fire one of their shiny new recruits because—wait for it—he was arrested for soliciting...

The love of dance brings mother, daughter together. FOX 13 photojournalist Barry Wong has their story.

Community theatre runs on passion. Stages are built by volunteers, costumes are stitched by parents, and audiences fill the seats not for spectacle but for the joy of seeing neighbors and friends create something together. These organizations survive on heart, generosity, and trust. But sometimes, trust becomes the...

A Polk Avenue Elementary School fifth-grade teacher was apprehended after Lakeland Police alleged she engaged in a scheme involving returns and unpaid merchandise at the Target on Harden Boulevard. According to an arrest affidavit, officers responded to the store at 9:36 a.m. on August 31 after being notified of a...

Two brothers who were convicted of murdering a 21-year-old in Polk County have both been sentenced to life in prison, the state attorney’s office said Tuesday. Angel Lobato received his life sentence last week. His brother, Jo Lobato, was sentenced late last year. Both were charged with first-degree murder and...

Six individuals have been apprehended by the Polk County Sheriff's deputies after an incident that culminated in a 21-year-old man's death, suspected to be caused by a hit-and-run and subsequent concealment of the body. According to a release published by the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the event transpired at the...

Demetrius Antonio Walls, 39, of Winter Haven, was apprehended and booked into the Polk County Jail on Tuesday in connection with an alleged armed disturbance that occurred late Monday morning. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Walls is suspected of being involved in a fight at a Citgo on...

FOX 13's Charley Belcher takes us to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay for a look at their pet pantry to help support those who struggle to fill the needs of their fur babies.