Lakeland FL

The Polk County Board of County Commissioners has approved a new, three-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with I.A.E.P. Local 917 R-5. Commissioners unanimously approved the new contract on Tuesday, Dec. 16. The agreement covers bargaining units for single-certified emergency medical technicians (EMT) and...

A tax preparer who tried to game the IRS using fabricated gambling winnings has been ordered to federal prison. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Virginia Covington sentenced George Tucker, Jr. of Lakeland, to seven years and six months behind bars for leading a massive conspiracy to commit wire fraud and file false tax...

CLEARWATER – Have you ever bought a goat from a vending machine? How about warm clothing for a child, groceries for a family or job training for someone seeking a fresh start?. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invites Tampa Bay residents to experience the joy of...

Plant City Officer Demarcus Smith has been named Officer of the Year by the Olin S. Wright Lodge #79, the Plant City Police Department announced this week. The award recognizes his dedication and service to the community and includes a plaque as well as a forthcoming assignment in the department’s Criminal...

As Tampa Bay moves toward 2026, mergers and acquisitions activity across the region continues to gain momentum, particularly in the middle market. Strong population growth, a resilient local economy and a business-friendly environment continue to attract both strategic and financial buyers. At the same time, a...

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Highway Patrol troopers are asking for the public’s help to locate a driver involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash late Saturday night on US-92. The incident occurred around 10:37 p.m., just east of Mobile Villa Drive. According to investigators, a vehicle traveling westbound...

Sunday starts off cool with some patchy haze and fog, but high pressure across the region supports a nice warm-up for Sunday afternoon. Expect another rain-free day Sunday with a mix of sun and clouds, and above-average highs in the mid-to-upper 70s. Tampa looks to top out near 79°. Skies remain partly cloudy for the...

A St. Petersburg man is in custody after troopers say he fled the scene of a crash that killed a pedestrian on Gandy Boulevard Wednesday afternoon. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, John Delucchi, 51, was driving a Ford sedan westbound on Gandy Boulevard just before 5 p.m. when a 66-year-old man attempted to...

After driving home from work in Bartow, Kimberly steps into her room at an extended-stay hotel in Brandon. On a nightstand sits a tabletop Christmas tree she hopes captures some of the holiday spirit for her three daughters, ages 22, 19 and 5. Working, parenting, holding it together. In October,...

The Plant City Police Department secured third place at the 2025 Sheriff Chad Chronister Sporting Clay Shoot, held at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays in Land O’Lakes. Sponsored by the Friends of the PCPD Foundation, the team demonstrated strong marksmanship and coordination during the competition. The event, held yesterday,...