Eaton Park, FL

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Deputies say speed is believed to be a factor in a fatal motorcycle crash that occurred early Saturday morning in Winter Haven. Traffic Homicide detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash, which occurred at about 1:51 am

Lakeland — Lakeland native Denise Gilmore has worked three long years to see her vision become reality: The doors of Mary's Bagel Café opened Thursday morning. Gilmore, 52, has envisioned a New-York-styled eatery off the corner of North Florida Avenue and 8th Street since 2019. It has been her dream to improve...

LAKELAND, Fla. - Kids Pack, which provides food for needy kids in Polk and Hillsborough Counties, is in a squeeze. It has seen the number of children it serves triple in the last two years or so. Executive Director Patty Strickland says there are few reasons for the dramatic increase.

PLANT CITY, Fla. – A 67-year-old Plant City man was killed in a pedestrian crash that happened on Thursday around 7:08 pm. The Plant City Police Department received a 911 call regarding a traffic crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian with injury. Upon police

POLK COUNTY, Fla – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is searching for suspects that burglarized cars in Winter Haven, then used stolen credit cards in Lakeland. According to investigators, between 3:30 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, January 21, 2023, three unknown black male juvenile

According to Lakeland Community and Economic Development Planning and Transportation Manager Chuck Barmby, area developers are asking a question that lots of Polk County residents are also asking. When will SunRail make it into Polk County?. “Every multi-family developer that wants to develop in downtown Lakeland, and I’m sure this...

Tribal Community Development (TCD) officials continue to move forward on construction plans for a community building on the Seminole Tribe’s Lakeland Reservation. In addition, phase two of homebuilding is underway at the site. TCD’s director of construction management, Ricardo Rivera, told the Seminole Tribune in early January that four...

Four Corners, Florida saw more lightning in 2022 than any other community in the United States. According to environmental technology company Vaisala, Four Corners ranked first in lightning density this year with 474 lightning events per square kilometer, or 1,229 lightning events per square mile. Four Corners is an unincorporated...

The Business Observer is once again putting out a call for action for the Top Contractors in the paper’s coverage area, which extends from Tampa to Naples and includes Polk County. The company to beat this year is Manhattan Construction Group. The company slipped into the No. 1 spot...

Congratulations to our newest #firefighters — Kaitlyn Biecker & Chelsea Mercer. They complete their #LFD new hire orientation and transition to shift work next week. Please join us in congratulating these ladies for their hard work and wishing them luck in their future careers with #LakelandFD!

When military birds flying over Florida get thirsty, they know where to stop for a sip of fuel.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Four officers are being placed on paid administrative leave, and the Lakeland Police Department has brought in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate allegations of police brutality. Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said a video of police officers punching and tasing a man on...

An investigation revealed that the car’s owner had left the car’s ignition on while he was inside the store, and he ended up receiving two tickets after the ordeal.

Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor requested a use-of-force investigation from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) after officers were found using excessive force.

A corrections officer working at the Osceola County Jail was arrested Wednesday about a month after a woman said he attacked her and tried to trap her inside a Polk County home. Joshua Díaz, 35, is currently in the Polk County Jail facing charges of domestic battery and false imprisonment. A press release by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Díaz and the victim were arguing Dec. 12 when he ...

Vance Whitaker, with the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, discusses the science behind breeding the berries and offers insight into the … umm … field. Florida has been the winter strawberry capital of the United States for more than 100 years. It began with...

Winter Haven's trail system includes many shops, restaurants, theaters and other amenities. MLK Park is part of the City of Winter Haven’s trail network, which spans more than 14 miles.

Lakeland’s oldest homeless shelter is on a mission to help the less fortunate and is making improvements and changing lives for the better. Talbot House Ministries has been around in Polk County for more than 40 years. “We provide emergency shelter, and we have a health clinic,” said Maria...

There is certainly no shortage of great teachers at Lakeland Regional High School, but one common consensus is that math teacher, Mr. Andrew Truong, is near the top of this list. There are many qualities that define a great teacher as it takes more than just a solid educator to truly make the experience enjoyable for students. This certainly applies to Truong (as he is referred to by his students’) as he goes above and beyond in many different ways to do this for them.

This week on Cops Corner, Plant City Police investigate: Missing appliances, a fleeing suspect and stolen batteries. 3500 block of W. Baker St. Beverage violation / warrant arrest: An officer met with an assistant manager at the business at the listed location who stated that an unknown white male took a portable radio. One individual was location and an FCIC/NCIC check was conducted, revealing that the individual had an active warrant out of Hardee County. The warrant was confirmed and the individual was subsequently transported to Orient Road Jail.