Lakeland FL

Construction is already one of Polk County’s largest industries, employing about 8.5% of the local workforce. The industry faces growing demand for skilled workers. New 2026 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows many skilled trade jobs are now outpacing starting salaries for college graduates. In...

Kevin Lamont Reed Jr., 23, was arrested and faces a second-degree murder charge after a parking lot shooting left a 48-year-old man dead outside a pool hall early Thursday, according to the Lakeland Police Department. Police say Steven Magee was shot multiple times in the parking lot of Wally’s Poolhall...

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds will share a live capstone from their first decade as musical partners this spring. The longtime collaborators will contribute the contents of their February 10, 1997, concert at Branscomb Memorial Auditorium [Lakeland, Fla.] shortly, providing fans and followers the ultimate chance to...

DAVENPORT, Fla. – A fatal collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian has shut down a major travel artery in Northeast Polk County tonight. Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene at approximately 8:01 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2026. According to investigators, the...

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Students at Floral Avenue Elementary were relocated Friday morning after a power outage impacted the school. Polk County Public Schools says a traffic accident in the area led to the power being turned off for an undetermined amount of time. Students were relocated to the...

During a Feb. 26 Highlands County ag tour hosted by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, participants had the opportunity to go inside a citrus under protective screen (CUPS) pod. Bill Bohde, director of agronomy for Dundee Citrus Growers Association, led the tour group through...

An alligator wandering onto the grounds of Snively Elementary in Winter Haven briefly turned yesterday into a classic Central Florida moment, but officials say the encounter ended quietly when the reptile left school property and headed back to a nearby canal with no further incident. District Shared Photo On Social...

In celebration of Women's History Month, Polk County is highlighting Susan Wadsworth Roberts, the first Public Defender for the City of Lakeland and the first woman to serve as a judge in Polk County. Born in 1945, Roberts graduated from the Florida State University College of Law in 1969, becoming the first woman to...

A 25-year-old Tampa man died after he was thrown from his pickup truck and struck by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 75 in Hillsborough County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The man was driving a Dodge 1500 northbound when he rear-ended a Chevrolet box truck driven by a 35-year-old Valrico...

PLANT CITY, Fla. – Drivers in Plant City should prepare for a significant change to their morning commute starting Thursday, March 5, 2026. Very early that morning, the Florida Department of Transportation will shift all traffic on SR 39 to the east side of the highway. This specific shift affects the stretch of road...