Lakeland school for girls closes two years after student's death; parents announce planned lawsuit
The death of 17-year-old Naomi Wood at Lakeland Girls Academy was made public last year after an investigation showed she complained about stomach pains in the weeks before but was denied access to a doctor.
Deputies investigating fatal Polk County crash
A 19-year-old woman died early Saturday morning after losing control of her car and striking a tree, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
‘Things are finally getting back to normal’: Businesses benefit as spring training returns to Bay Area
Spring training is back, and so are the crowds, which means big bucks for area businesses.
Polk County man arrested in Georgia for killing elderly Auburndale man found in shallow grave
Law enforcement agencies in Florida and Georgia helped arrest a man suspected of murdering an elderly Polk County resident, burying him in a shallow grave, and then fleeing to Georgia in the victim's vehicle.
Carbon monoxide at Lakeland hotel sends 8, including children, to hospital
Four adults and four kids staying at the Sleep Inn and Suites in Lakeland, were taken to the hospital on Sunday after being exposed to carbon monoxide.
'Bracket of losers': More than 100 arrested in undercover Polk County sex sting
Polk County detectives say dozens were arrested during an operation focused on human trafficking, prostitution, and child predators.
Trash continues to pile up in Polk County, despite emergency plan
Polk County commissioners just trashed the company responsible for picking up garbage on the west side of the county.
Pedestrian hospitalized after crash involving Winter Haven officer
Polk County deputies are investigating a crash involving a Winter Haven police officer and a pedestrian.
Lakeland man wins $5 million from scratch-off lotto ticket
A Lakeland man is now a multi-millionaire after he bought a $20 scratch-off lotto ticket -- and won $5 million.
Florida AG issues warning after overdoses linked to fentanyl-laced drugs
Florida’s Attorney General is issuing a warning after five West Point cadets overdosed on fentanyl last week while on spring break in the Fort Lauderdale area.
Auburndale man arrested in Georgia following 'suspicious disappearance' of 81-year-old man, deputies say
A Polk County man is facing a murder charge after he was found and arrested in Georgia.
Orlando man dies in Polk County crash involving semi-truck, troopers say
Florida troopers are investigating a deadly crash in Davenport after a semi-truck entered the path of a pickup truck.
Former Lakeland commissioner pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2018 shooting
A former Lakeland city commissioner, who was charged with murder, has entered a guilty plea in the 2018 fatal shooting of a man who, he says, was trying to steal from his store.
'Don't come to school tomorrow': 14-year-old student brings gun to Poinciana campus after threat, deputies say
The middle-schooler took the handgun from his parent's room while they were out-of-town, and showed it to other students, saying he was going to 'shoot up the school' and that 'nobody will make it out alive.'
Retired Polk County physician on-hand to help in Ukraine
A retired Lakeland doctor with ties to Ukraine is possibly risking her life by volunteering to help victims of violence in a restaurant turned makeshift medical facility about 30 miles southwest of Kyiv.
Lake Wales 9-year-old with rare disease learns to walk for the first time
Jordon was born with a rare disease called Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome, which only affects 500 people worldwide. Doctors told his mom he would probably never be able to walk. But he's now proving them wrong, taking his first steps on his own at the age of 9.
Florida teacher accused of biting 2 students over jar of pickles
According to the Polk County School District, Rhonda Rice is accused of biting two students in an attempt to get a jar of pickles from them.
Bicyclist killed in Auburndale hit-and-run crash, police say
Police in Auburndale are trying to track down the person behind the wheel who drove away after crashing into a bicyclist.
Woman whose grandfather was lynched searching for descendants of Polk County lynching victims
Cars and trucks zip by the Peace River Bridge on State Road 60 just east of Bartow as Doris Moore-Bailey stands on the bank pondering the gruesome thought of lynchings that happened on that site.
Family hopes for more explanation about how father of 3 was crushed by bulldozer at Polk County landfill
A father of three whose family said recently turned his life around was killed Friday evening while inside a portable restroom, crushed by a bulldozer on the site of a Polk County landfill.