Lakeland FL

PLANT CITY, Fla. — Choosing the best education for a child comes with a lot of decisions, whether it involves selecting a public school, homeschooling or a private school. In Florida, that decision is leaning more toward a private education for many parents. From home life to education, Elizabeth...

POINCIANA, Fla. (WFLA)— The Polk County Sheriff’s Office opened up the agency’s sixth district office on Monday in Poinciana. The new office is the result of extensive growth in the northeast area of Polk County, the sheriff’s office said. The expansion is also part of a combined commitment by the Board of...

BARTOW, Fla. – In a move to bolster its command staff, the City of Bartow announced on Tuesday that it has selected not one, but two new leaders to serve as Deputy Chiefs for the Police Department. Following a national search that drew 35 applicants from 15 states, city...

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) - A 39-year-old Altamonte Springs man was arrested for armed trespassing after deputies found him at a construction site wearing unusual clothing and carrying a concealed firearm. Matthew Zaccarino was discovered by Polk County deputies in a vehicle at the construction site. When deputies...

WAUCHULA, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested a 43-year-old woman Monday following an investigation into alleged unlawful sexual activity with a minor. Marie Ibarra of Wauchula was taken into custody on January 5, 2026, after the mother of a 16-year-old male reported discovering explicit videos on...

PALMETTO, Fla. (WWSB) - An 18-year-old driver in a stolen vehicle died after a crash Monday night in Palmetto, deputies said. Deputies received an alert about a stolen vehicle out of Hillsborough County about 8 p.m. Jan. 5 and later located the stolen Honda Accord on U.S. 41, according to authorities. Deputies...

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Relief is on the way for drivers frustrated with the road conditions of State Road 37. Mulberry resident David Downs has been asking for repairs to the road for years. “It’s all coming apart,” Downs said. “The road is coming apart. There are places where...

TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) - The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Cold Case Unit has closed its investigation into the 2005 murder of Tammy Fickey. On March 12, 2005, deputies responded to a report of an unresponsive woman in Tampa. Upon arrival, they found 31-year-old Tammy Fickey dead. Her death was ruled a...

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County resident William Dunn is dedicated to helping kids get a chance to go fishing. It’s something he does all year, but especially this year for Christmas. Dunn spent countless hours traveling from home to home to hand out fishing gear to underserved...

Large portions of the Tampa Bay region have entered severe drought conditions at the start of 2026 following months of below average rainfall.