From Unlocked Doors To Handcuffs: Central Florida Theft Spree Ends In Davenport
DAVENPORT, Fla. – A month-long investigation into a rash of vehicle burglaries across Central Florida reached a conclusion this week when deputies caught up with a 23-year-old suspect hiding out in a Davenport residence. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office took Jeffrey Elijah Gilbert into custody on Tuesday, February...
Kathleen Residents Object to New Government Center
Polk County Commissioner Michael Scott called for a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17, so residents could voice concerns and share ideas about a planned North Lakeland Government Center in Kathleen. The new center would replace the one currently housed in the former Sears building on Memorial Boulevard near downtown...
After historic freeze, Florida farmers count losses that could reach $1.5 billion
A powerful cold front earlier this month could’ve caused over one billion dollars in damage to Florida agriculture, according to Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. A local Hillsborough County farmer says he felt the hit in the loss of thousands of dollars in lost crops. “That’s my dad, he’s ninety,...
Lakeland man dies after single-vehicle crash in Mulberry
A 23-year-old Lakeland man died after a single-vehicle accident in Mulberry the evening of Feb. 17. The accident happened on Church Avenue and Northeast 5th Street about 6:15 p.m. The Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that when first responders arrived, they found Jeremiah David MacDonald, 23, of...
Opposition Grows Against Proposed Tampa Bay Cruise Port
The petition against the possible new Tampa Bay Cruise Port continues to grow as lawmakers also take preventative action. Opposition Grows Against Proposed Tampa Bay Cruise Port
Deputies: Man in black gown crawled into Lakeland storage unit, took luggage
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff's Office says a man was caught on video wearing a black gown and no shoes, crawled underneath the roll-up door of a storage unit and took two suitcases that didn’t belong to him. Investigators say it happened Feb. 2 at Safer...
.Chick-fil-A Supply Plans Winter Haven, Florida, Logistics-Distribution Operations
Specialized food-service distribution company Chick-fil-A Supply plans to establish logistics operations in Winter Haven, Florida. The more than $150 million project is expected to create 180 jobs. The company’s new 244,000-square-foot distribution facility, located at the Central Florida Integrated Logistics Park,...
Fake Child Protective Services Worker Tried to Kidnap 4 Children From Florida Home, Sheriff...
A Florida woman accused of posing as a child protective services employee tried to kidnap four children from a home after she arrived to “remove” a 9-year-old boy from the residence, authorities said. Nicole Terry Thomas, 56, was arrested Friday, February 13, on four counts of attempted kidnapping, one count of...
Lakeland’s new burger shop Grievous Angel
A much-anticipated Downtown Lakeland burger shop that hopes to reinvigorate a property with a troubled past has opened its doors. Grievous Angel, a burger joint created by LoveBird Almost Famous Chicken owners Jeremy and Leah Brumley, will launch a soft opening 4 p.m. Monday at 801 E. Main St. The soft opening will...
Motorcyclist Killed On Old Avon Park Road Near Frostproof
A collision between a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle southeast of Frostproof left one person dead and shut down a stretch of Old Avon Park Road. Deputies and emergency crews rushed to the area near TS Wilson Road after calls came in shortly before 7:50 a.m. today, and the rider was pronounced dead at the scene....
