‘Blood, sweat and tears’: Fire destroys Dover family home of nearly three years
A married couple lost their home early Monday morning after a fire tore through the residence they had shared for nearly three years.
Polk Sheriff Grady Judd, gun shop owner weigh in on open carry
LAKELAND, Fla. — Beginning Thursday, Florida residents will be able to openly carry firearms after the First District Court of Appeal struck down the state’s open-carry ban last week. What You Need To Know. Florida’s open-carry law takes effect Thursday after a state appeals court struck down the...
David Pittman Executed by Florida 35 Years After Murdering a Family of Three
David Pittman was executed by the state of Florida on September 17, 2025, for the 1990 triple murder of his estranged wife’s family. The Florida Attorney General’s Office opposed his appeals, which included claims of intellectual disability. Key details regarding the case and the attorney general’s involvement:
All Veterans Center works to feed the community and prevent veteran suicide
POLK COUNTY, Fla. — The All Veterans Center works to make a difference in the community through its free food program, homeless prevention program, and suicide prevention program. Centered in Polk County but active in others, they've helped feed numerous people and say their efforts have prevented eight veteran...
CFHC Brings Life-Saving Mammogram Access to Lake Wales, Davenport
Central Florida Health Care has announced it will be providing in-house mammograms at their Lake Wales and Davenport health centers. With October widely recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this new development is perfectly timed to give patients access to critical breast cancer screening tools. “Mammograms...
Pennsylvania Fugitive Apprehended On Florida Park Bench, Awaiting Extradition
A 52-year-old fugitive wanted for forcible rape in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, was apprehended without incident on Tuesday afternoon in Lakeland, Florida. Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) deputies arrested Scotty Lee Benton after following a tip that he was on East Main Street. According to a PCSO report,...
Well-known Lakeland restaurateur takes over popular eatery after the death of its visionary
(This story was revised to correct a misspelling in the first graph and a headline.) The Peach House has changed hands to new ownership after the death of its creator and co-owner, Jeannie Weaver Lopez, in November 2024. Lakeland restaurateur Jeremy Brumley said he has taken over the popular downtown Lakeland dining...
Lakeland Police seeks assistance in locating 13-year‑old girl
POLK COUNTY, Fla. - The Lakeland Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 13‑year‑old Jaiden Amari Dupree, who has been missing since Friday, September 19. Officers say she was last heard from shortly after 7:00 p.m., when she contacted her mother via landline. According...
Operation ‘Fool Around and Find Out – Again’ leads to 246 arrests, Sheriff Judd...
Hundreds of people have been arrested in another "Fool Around and Find Out — Again" operation.
Florida abruptly loses another factory as layoffs spike
The bad news keeps piling up in Florida. Fresh off a string of painful and embarrassing factory closures that have rocked the state, now another employer is downsizing. Mizkan America…
