Lakeland FL

(This article was revised to include the driver's name.) A Lake Wales man was found dead in an SUV that was halfway submerged in a Haines City lake on Jan. 9. The Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that it received a call about 8:50 p.m. from a resident who saw lights with its front end submerged at...

POINCIANA, FL – Polk County deputies are looking for a man accused of pushing his luck by targeting the same convenience store twice in a single evening. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect entered the 7-Eleven at 6519 Marigold Avenue on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. At approximately 5:45 p.m., a...

A Central Florida man was arrested for critically injuring a three-month-old baby. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 24-year-old Zachary Ingram, of Eagle Lake, and charged him with aggravated child abuse, a first degree felony, for causing critical injuries to a three-month-old baby for whom he was caring....

Attorney General James Uthmeier said Monday that "homelessness is not permitted" as he addressed a notice sent to Winter Haven last week alleging violations of a state law that bans overnight camping on public property. The city responded to the notice on Friday, insisting Winter Haven is in compliance. The...

Tongue Tinglin Meats, a “daddy and daughter” food truck, will soon be purveying barbecued items in Lake Wales. Jessie Durrance and his daughter, Alexis Durrance, plan to hold a grand opening Jan. 17 starting at 11 a.m. at 18643 U.S. 27, near the Lake Wales Inn. The elder Durrance will handle the cooking, while...

A Marion County man died Jan. 10 in an all-terrain vehicle crash in northern Polk County. Travis Sneden, 32, of Fort McCoy was driving a 2018 green Kawasaki ATV at about 3:30 p.m. and attempted to travel down a steep cut with an approximate 24- to 30-inch vertical drop, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a...

Atlanta-based real estate firm Quinn Residences has delivered its first residential community in the greater Tampa Bay area, adding new rental housing in one of Manatee County’s fastest-growing corridors. The company completed Quinn Residences at Moccasin Wallow in Parrish, a purpose-built rental community with 284...

Good morning, Tampa Bay. Here's what you need to know today. Morning temperatures will be near 50 around Tampa Bay to near 40 for the Nature Coast. The breeze in the morning will make it feel colder. High clouds will continue to stream across the state making for partly sunny...

Florida may be known for beaches and theme parks, but another era quietly thrives here. Across the Sunshine State, neon signs hum softly while grills stay busy from open to close. These classic drive-ins preserve the rhythm of a simpler, slower kind of living. Burgers arrive wrapped in paper, fries...

BARTOW, Fla. — The former mayor of Bartow loves passing on his passion for the power of words. Steve Githens has been delivering thousands of special dictionaries to third-grade students in Polk County for many years. On a recent morning, Githens was loading up a dolly with boxes of...