Lakeland FL

On Saturday, February 21, 2026, the City of Lakeland will kick off Black History Month celebrations with a Black History Festival at Jackson Park and the Coleman-Bush Building, located at 1104 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Lakeland. This free event which begins at 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., is open to all ages, and...

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force arrested 51 suspects and seized significant quantities of narcotics during two multi-agency operations.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Edith Thomas has been working in Polk County Public Schools for 31 years. She started out as the school nurse at R. Bruce Wagner Elementary and then decided to become a paraeducator. She says she wanted to help children in her community. “I still enjoy what...

Polk County Fire responded to over 30 fires over the weekend. On Monday, authorities noted that many of them started because residents disregarded the burn ban.

A growing scheme involving a Bitcoin machine is draining millions of dollars from victims across Florida.

Data indicates the plane last week completed trips between Marco Island and Bartow, Florida. Flight data has revealed new details about a small private plane that crashed near the Florida Everglades less than an hour after it left Marco Island Executive Airport. Authorities on Feb. 15 rescued two people after...

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County leaders are looking for ways to keep up with the influx of people moving to the area. They recently approved a nearly $2-million contract for a new water well supply in the northeast part of the county. Stepping out into his backyard, Sean...

BARTOW, Fla. - A family in Polk County was forced to evacuate their home last week to escape a brush fire. Since the beginning of the month, brush fires have destroyed several homes, including one belonging to a retired Polk County firefighter. Taylor Mcelroy says seeing the damage to her...

Polk County Commissioners voted to limit general public comment on non-agenda items to just 15 speakers per meeting. This change was passed unanimously on a consent agenda, without public discussion. For years, residents have shown up to speak about issues affecting our community, including animal welfare and public...

After the recent uptick of brush fires, Polk County Fire Rescue wants to remind everyone that the countywide burn ban remains in effect. Following the burn ban is important as it prevents avoidable emergencies, keeps you and your neighbors safe and allows better resource allocation on other calls for service.