Polk County deputies crack down on saw palmetto berry thefts
POLK COUNTY, Fla. - Deputies in Polk County are cracking down on illegal saw palmetto berry harvesters who target private property to profit off high pharmaceutical demand. Fifty-five-year-old Rodney Michael of Lake Wales was arrested last week after deputies caught him trespassing on private property to harvest protec
Trail cameras help protect Florida panthers as I-4 wildlife overpass takes shape
Deep in the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest, a network of trail cameras is documenting the wildlife moving through a landscape increasingly intersected by roads and development. For the past three years, ZooTampa at Lowry Park and the nonprofit fStop Foundation have worked together to monitor those cameras, collecting da
Winter Haven To Mark 9/11 Milestone With 17th Annual ‘Honoring Our Heroes’ Event
A marker at the temporary memorial, near Shanksville, PA, honors the passengers and crew of...
Ellie B’s Ice Cream Looks to Be Planning First Brick-and-Mortar
Based in Lakeland, Ellie B’s Ice Cream is a mobile ice cream concept that “serves signature soft serve ice cream from our vintage trailer, creating a fun, photo-worthy dessert experience for weddings and events.”. “Hi, I’m Amanda! Founder & owner of Ellie B’s Ice Cream,” says an introductory...
Woman found dead in backyard during Highland City house fire
HIGHLAND CITY, Fla. - A woman was found dead after a suspected gunshot wound in the backyard of a burning home in Highland City on Wednesday morning, according to Polk County Fire Rescue. Highland City house fire. What we know:. Polk County Fire Rescue crews arrived on Featherwood Trail shortly...
Polk County dogs all adopted during Brooks Law Group fundraiser
All four dogs at the Brooks Law Group adoption event in Winter Haven found new families by late morning on August 1.
Polk County Fire Rescue chaplain dies in line-of-duty crash
EAGLE LAKE, Fla. (WWSB) - Polk County Fire Rescue volunteer Chaplain Hector Cruz died Wednesday after a crash in the Eagle Lake area, the agency said. Cruz was traveling between Polk County Fire Rescue stations to check on crews when the crash occurred, according to PCFR. The agency described his death as a line-of-dut
Winter Haven residents raise concerns about speeding on 8th Street NW
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Winter Haven is moving forward with traffic safety improvements on 8th Street NW and Avenue L NW after residents raised concerns about speeding, cut-through traffic and pedestrian safety in the growing area. City documents show that Winter Haven was awarded $1.2 million from the Florida...
Plant City launches AI dispatcher
An AI dispatcher is now answering non emergency calls for the Plant City Police Department. FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.
K9 Ace presented with Commendation for Valor after being shot in line of duty
POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — K-9 Ace was presented with a Commendation for Valor on Tuesday after he was shot in the line of duty. Ace was critically injured earlier this month after a suspect, who investigators identified as Angel Bowers, fired at least four rounds at deputies who were attempting to arrest him for faili
