Lakeland FL

Good evening, Tampa Bay. We're wrapping up the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather outlook. Friday's cold front will cool us down for Saturday morning. But the airmass isn't terribly cold, it won't last long. By afternoon, we should be well...

Bartow, Fla. (Dec. 19, 2025) — 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 Tuesday, Dec. 16. The agreement covers bargaining units for single-certified emergency...

LAKELAND, Fla. – A Lakeland man is behind bars facing a laundry list of charges after allegedly going on a destructive joyride that targeted neighborhood mailboxes, ending only when deputies found him passed out and huffing compressed air. Read on. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd detailed the incident on...

Haines City has reinstated its body-worn camera program after a two-month pause brought about by performance issues with its previous cameras. The city said in a news release Dec. 19 that all police officers and code enforcement officers are now equipped with AXON body-worn cameras. "The Haines City Police Department...

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – It was supposed to be a public defense, a chance for Robert Reynolds to clear his name and explain how a business dispute spiraled into a felony theft charge. Instead, his appearance on a true-crime podcast gave Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd exactly what he needed: a warrant.

George Tucker, Jr., a tax preparer from Lakeland, has been sentenced to seven years and six months in federal prison for his role in a scheme that defrauded the Internal Revenue Service. U.S. District Judge Virginia Covington handed down the sentence. Tucker had been responsible for preparing clients’ tax returns.

One restaurant was temporarily closed by an inspector and three others had double-digit violations during the first two weeks of November, according to state inspection reports . On Nov. 3, Tortilleria La Mexicana #5 at 701 Hinson Ave., Haines City, was temporarily closed by an inspector after 21 live roaches were...

Chief Hirrihigua’s Daughter Saves Spanish Captive Juan Ortiz. The Tocobaga built a life on Tampa Bay’s shores for 600 years. They ate well from the water’s gifts – oysters, fish, and clams – plus deer and wild plants from the land. But in 1528, Spanish...

A Polk County man accused of stealing a trailer is back behind bars after investigators say he incriminated himself while appearing as a guest on a podcast.

The business is still operating. The four Alan’s Air Conditioning Service office staff have been displaced for three months. All techs and install crews are still out working every day. “We are really trying to do our best to provide the same service and customer service that we did six months ago,” Tiffany Lewis,...