Lakeland FL

On Thursday, November 13, 2025, Jonas Christopher Kaiser, 28, of New Port Richey, was arrested after fleeing a traffic stop on I-4 near Lakeland. A Polk County Sheriff's deputy recorded Kaiser’s vehicle traveling at 89 mph in a 70 mph zone. During the stop, baggies of marijuana fell from his pocket, and Kaiser drove...

An overnight burglary at a local gas station leaves a store clerk shaken as suspects are still at large. In the wee hours of the morning on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, the QP Gas Station, located at 704 N. Scenic Hwy. in Lake Wales, was the location of the burglary.

"When you walk into a store and try to leave with nearly $2,500 worth of unpaid merchandise, that’s not a mistake—that’s a crime," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. The post 'That's not a mistake': Florida sisters caught trying to steal nearly $2,500 worth of merchandise by covering their shopping carts with...

On November 13, 2025, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office checked seven convenience stores in Auburndale and Lakeland. The checks were part of Operation Pop Top, which aims to stop the illegal sale of alcohol and restricted products to minors. The operation used Cadet 1000, a program for high school students interested...

There are growing concerns about the air quality around the Polk County Animal Control facility due to its close proximity to the landfill. Landfills can release gases such as ammonia, methane, and hydrogen sulfide, as well as dust, mold, and bacteria that can travel through the air. This kind of...

POINCIANA, Fla. – A dead person was found Saturday morning in Poinciana near a golf cart that had left the road, according to Polk County Fire Rescue. First responders got the call around 9:13 a.m., arriving to the scene in the 60 block of Bell Tower Crossing to find the golf cart off the road, as well as the dead...

Whataburger is officially returning to the Tampa Bay area. Ahead of its planned February 2026 opening, leaders from the company visited schools, local officials and community partners to better understand the neighborhoods they will soon serve. The visit included a ceremonial groundbreaking in Largo and a $10,000...

Brandon residents and those passing through South Kings Avenue should prepare for a shift in their commute. Starting Monday night, utility work is necessitating traffic changes that will be in effect until the early days of April. Per an announcement from Hillsborough County, the northbound lanes of Kings Avenue from...

Every day that we fight for animals in Tampa Bay, it becomes clearer that we are not just battling cruelty — we are battling systems that protect themselves rather than the beings they claim to serve. On one side of the bridge, we have SPCA Tampa Bay, an organization...

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – A head-on collision involving three vehicles on County Road 54 (CR-54) resulted in one fatality and one serious injury, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP). The crash occurred just east of Lumberton Road when an eastbound Kia Soul reportedly entered the...