Eloise
LATEST NEWS
VIDEO: Endangered panther spotted walking around Polk County
LAKE WALES, Fla. — A Florida panther was spotted on video walking around the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest earlier this month. ZooTampa monitors this camera and five others in that area to track animal movements across the state. Panthers are listed as an endangered species, and it's illegal to harm or harass them. They are usually found south of Lake Okeechobee, and there are only up to 230 adult panthers in the population, according to the commission.
Lakeland police's 'Summer Trades Camp' expands to east Polk County due to growing popularity
LAKELAND, Fla. - Kids in Polk County are keeping busy this summer, learning different vocational trades while working with law enforcement. The Lakeland Police Department is hosting a third year of its "Summer Trades Camp" at the IES Center on US-98 in north Lakeland. "I wasn't that interested in trades...
Lakeland airport to opens its doors to residents with new airline
LAKELAND, Fla. — Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL) soon will begin to fly passengers with the first commercial airline to serve the Lakeland region in more than a decade. The Polk County airport has been known for hosting the NOAA Hurricane Hunters and industry airlines like Amazon, as well...
Florida woman who allegedly robbed former McDonald's workplace at gunpoint was recognized by employees
LAKELAND, Fla. - A woman was arrested after she allegedly committed an armed robbery at the McDonald's she used to work at. Iesha Williams, 33, was arrested and charged with robbery with a firearm, four counts of armed kidnapping and four counts of tampering in a first-degree felony proceeding after the incident that unfolded at the fast food restaurant at 2835 South Florida Ave. in Lakeland on Sunday, according to the Lakeland Police Department.
FWC begins search for nuisance alligator catchers in Polk County
POLK COUNTY, Fla. — While serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida, the state is aiming to proactively combat alligator threats by hiring contracted nuisance alligator trappers. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is accepting applications in Polk County through the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program...
Woman charged as an accessory to 2020 Frostproof triple-slaying could be released in July
Until a week ago, Mary Clare Whittemore could have faced a lengthy stay in prison for lying to protect former boyfriend T.J. Wiggins, who prosecutors say was the triggerman in a triple murder of three men at a Frostproof lake. Wiggins, has been charged in the killing of three men...
Blue-green algae shuts down Polk County business for weeks
WAUCHULA, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health is reporting several blue-green algae blooms in the Tampa Bay region. And now, after our long drought followed by heavy rain, the blooms are only expected to worsen this week as that rain may push runoff into the rivers, lakes and ponds, acting as nutrients for the algae to feed off of.
Polk County feels governor's vetoes, but funding for Polk State Northeast campus escapes
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed multiple allocations for Polk County in this year’s budget, but some major projects escaped his deletions. DeSantis signed the $116.5 billion state budget on Wednesday, and his office later released a list of hundreds of line-item vetoes totaling about $1 billion. ...
Politically connected contractor gets another lucrative Florida warehouse project
TALLAHASSEE — A politically connected company received a lucrative no-bid contract from the state Wednesday to build and manage a warehouse for the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s hurricane response needs, such as storing food and water and providing a staging area for rescue workers. The Florida Cabinet unanimously voted without discussion to buy 40 acres in Auburndale along ...
Yates Road in Lakeland isn't closed after all. Not yet. Here's what you need to know
Yates Road in Southwest Lakeland isn't closed after all. Polk County's Roads and Drainage Division said late last week that Yates Road would be closed starting Monday for 60 days of work related to the West Pipkin Road widening project. But on Tuesday, a day after the road was supposed to close, the county said the closure has been postponed because of weather.
Orlando man accused of crashing into police cruiser while driving drunk in Polk County
DAVENPORT, Fla. – An Orlando man was arrested Tuesday morning after crashing into a police cruiser while driving under the influence, according to the Davenport Police Department. Jose Enrique Hernandez-Gonazalez, 21, was in a pickup driving in the wrong lane of traffic on South Boulevard in Davenport around 1:35...
Fort Meade votes to hire a city manager who had a short, contentious tenure in Haines City
Fort Meade may finally have a permanent city manager soon. The City Commission voted 4-1 during Tuesday night’s regular meeting to offer the position to Edward Walker Dean – to the disappointment of some residents, who wanted Interim City Manager Dustin Burke to remain in charge. ...
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.