Lost In Florida: Visiting UK 7-Year-Old Rescued At Lake’s Edge After Tense Search In...
POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A terrifying ordeal for a family visiting from the United Kingdom ended in relief Friday morning after a massive search effort located a missing 7-year-old boy safe along the shoreline of Lake Marion. The incident unfolded just after 10 a.m. near Lake Marion Creek Road...
Lakeland native plays Elder Smith in ‘Book of Mormon’ coming to Sarasota this month
Ronnie Spoto, a Lakelander, returns home as Elder Smith in 'Book of Mormon.' The post Lakeland native plays Elder Smith in ‘Book of Mormon’ coming to Sarasota this month appeared first on Creative Loafing Tampa .
FSC Dining changes under new director John Lopez
FSC students returned to campus this fall to find some big changes in the dining services on campus. Mostly centered around Wynee’s Bistro, the changes include an allergy-friendly station, an expanded salad bar and a new and improved international menu rotation designed to bring flavors from around the world to campus.
‘Flesh-eating bacteria’ cases are down for the year, but continue popping up
The Florida Department of Health reported a new case of Vibrio vulnificus, commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria, in an update earlier this month. This new case occurred in Polk County. The statewide total now sits at 31 for the year, with five deaths reported. It’s the lowest since 2019, when...
Publix-anchored Lakeland landmark sells after 60 years
Grove Park Shopping Center in Lakeland has been sold. The 120K square-foot Publix-anchored center has served Polk County for more than 60 years. The center is fully leased and continues to perform at a high level with Publix, CVS, Dollar Tree and Humanitary Medical Center as its anchors. Publix rebuilt...
Polk County author transforms crane encounters into book for children
It all started with what sounded like someone knocking on the glass front door of Autumn Cochella’s house in Lake Wales. The persistent rapping, Cochella discovered, originated not from knuckles but from the bill of a sandhill crane, apparently responding to its own reflection by pecking at the glass. “And so that's...
Florida bill would provide legal protections to owners of former phosphate mining land
The bill would create a new legal shield for people who own former phosphate mining land. It helps owners remove what's called “strict liability” if someone sues over harms caused by pollution. A bill is making its way through the Florida House that could impact Floridians’ houses —...
‘Nothing Short of a Miracle:’ Polk County family welcomed home after 20 hours stranded...
AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Four generations of a Polk County family returned to church Sunday, one week after being rescued from their capsized boat. Pastor Dennis Woods, his son-in-law Chris Harding Sr., grandson Chris Harding Jr., and 90-year-old Clarence Woods, were stranded for roughly 20 hours after their boat capsized...
License Plate Shuffle Leads Deputies To Drugs And Stolen Osceola County Tag In Lakeland
A quick check of a license plate turned a routine patrol into a double arrest Friday afternoon after a deputy noticed something off about a red Ford F-150. Around 1:45 p.m., a Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted the truck and trailer parked at the 7-11 on US 92 in Lakeland. The tag on the Ford came back as...
Lake Wales Clerk Arrested for Selling Alcohol to Minor During Sheriff’s Operation
On November 20, 2025, Polk County Sheriff's deputies arrested a sales clerk at the Food Mart on US 27 in Lake Wales. The clerk was accused of selling alcohol to a 17-year-old. The arrest was part of Operation Pop Top, a program to prevent alcohol sales to minors in Polk County, Florida.
