Grady Judd Blasts ‘Cesar’ As Illegal Car‑Break‑In Suspect In Winter Haven
On Thursday, April 23, 2026, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd took to X with a blunt early-morning warning about a man he identified only as "Cesar." In the brief post, Judd told followers that "Cesar" "is here illegally" and is allegedly breaking into cars and committing other crimes in Winter Haven. The message, part of the sheriff's regular #MorningBriefing routine, quickly drew attention...
On the Front Lines of Prevention: Polk’s Public Health Nurses Tackle the Root Causes
Nursing is a profession many people recognize, but few understand the specialized paths nurses can take. Public health nursing is one of those roles. To highlight this work, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County (DOH-Polk) speaks with three of our Senior Community Nurses: Amy Thao, Katherine Pate, and Crystal Williams. With over 25 years of combined experience across clinics and the...
Smokin’ In The Sun: Pitmasters In Paradise Hits Central Florida This Weekend
Pit Masters in Paradise is the first competition run by Lakeland’s own celebrity barbecue chef,...
This Lakeland Playground Is a Colorful, All-Abilities Space Where Every Kid Can Play Together
There is a playground in Lakeland, Florida, where the swings are full, the laughter is loud, and no child is ever left standing on the sidelines. It is the kind of place that makes you stop and think, why don’t more playgrounds look like this?. Designed with every ability...
What to know about Florida’s SNAP changes
Soda and sweets are no longer eligible purchases under Florida's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Why it matters: Hundreds of thousands of households in Tampa Bay can no longer use their benefits to buy a box of Little Debbie's, a liter of Coca-Cola or a Hershey bar at the checkout.
FDOT commits $31M to operate Tampa Bay traffic control system
The Florida Department of Transportation’s District 7 has awarded a five-year, $31 million contract to Iteris Inc. to operate the Tampa Bay region’s Regional Transportation Management Center. The agreement, announced April 22, continues Iteris’ role overseeing traffic systems across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. The contract...
Lakeland watching Fort Meade data center as water concerns grow
A Maryland-based developer, Stonebridge, is proposing a 4.4 million-square-foot data center on roughly 1,300 acres in northwest Fort Meade — a former phosphate mining site now used for cattle grazing. The facility would become the first “hyperscale” data center in Florida. The project, which Fort Meade commissioners...
Things To Do in Tampa This Weekend: April 24-April 26
Tampa Bay is turning up the volume this weekend across stadiums, waterfront parks, and fairgrounds. BTS brings their global phenomenon to Raymond James Stadium, the Tampa Bay Black Heritage Music Festival celebrates culture and community at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, and Ink Mania Fest packs three days of tattoo artistry and live performance into the Florida State Fairgrounds. It's a weekend worth planning around...
Homesick Bagels, a classic neighborhood bagel shop
In this week’s Made in Tampa Bay segment, we head to a neighborhood north of Hyde Park where the owner of the most popular pizza joint in town, opens Homesick Bagels. Fox 13’s Corey Beckman takes us there.
Seagrasses are on the rebound in much of the Tampa Bay region
The health of much of the waters around Tampa Bay is looking good. That's the preliminary results of a survey being done by water district officials, who say part of the reason is our ongoing drought. Regular surveys of seagrass around the region are done by teams from the Southwest...
