A routine traffic stop in Lakeland ended with a 68-year-old Rotonda West woman facing a fentanyl-trafficking…
Category: Local
Lakeland Budget Cuts: Vetoes and Tax Reforms Loom
Here is what’s on the table as Lakeland faces budget belt-tightening and potential spending cuts across…
Lakeland distribution center housing PepsiCo’s Gatorade operations sells for $61.5M
Here is a breakdown of the transaction details and context around the property: Transaction Overview Tenant…
How Amendment 3 Could Cost Lakeland $14.5M
Discover how Florida's Amendment 3 could cost Lakeland $14.5M in revenue and what this property tax…
WE ARE EXTENDING THE FREE RABIES to Wednesday Wellness
Missed us on Monday? Good news—Wednesday Wellness is almost here! Receive a FREE Rabies Vaccine with…
83 Years of Hurricane Hunters: NOAA Legacy at LAL
Right here at Lakeland International Airport, The NOAA Hurricane Hunters continue a remarkable aviation legacy that…
TNR does it work?
Discover if Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) actually works. Learn how this humane method stabilizes community cat populations and…
4 Ghost Towns to Explore Near Lakeland, Florida
Polk County’s rich history in early 20th-century phosphate mining and logging created a series of company-owned…
History of Lodwick Field: From WWII Airport to Tiger Town
Lodwick Field is a former municipal airport in Lakeland, Florida, that operated from 1936 until around…
Donate Pet Food for SPCA Florida 7 Days of Giving
Lakeland Fire Department is partnering with SPCA Florida as a community collection partner for the 7…
Retail Theft Ring Busted!
Lakeland Police bust an organized retail theft ring targeting Bath & Body Works customer accounts. Three…
Silver Moon Drive-In: Lakeland’s Historic Theater Documentary
The iconic Silver Moon Drive-In on New Tampa Highway continues to be one of Lakeland’s most…
Chick-fil-A employee saw something and said something; the burglar was quickly arrested
#ArrestedByThePolkCountySheriffsOffice – 43-year-old Jason Allan Braden of Lakeland. A South Lakeland Chick-fil-A employee played an important…
Detectives with the Lakeland Police Department arrest a Tampa man after he arranged for and then traveled to have a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl.
On July 14, 2026, 48-year-old Fozi Nagi Al-Zokari initiated a text conversation with a Lakeland Police…
Lakeland Regional holds a healthcare summer program to create a pipeline of workers for the future
Lakeland Regional Health’s DISCOVER Summer Enrichment Program is designed to build a local pipeline of healthcare…
Cannabis company cuts 211 jobs in Hillsborough, Polk
Atlanta-based multi-state cannabis operator Parallel—which operates in Florida under the Surterra Wellness brand—eliminated 211 jobs following…
Reclaiming Your Focus in a Hyper-Connected World
In an era where our pockets buzz with constant notifications and our screens demand perpetual attention,…
Kelly Quinn, “The Board of County Commissioners is not powerless here.”
Kelly for Polk ( Kelly Quinn), candidate for Polk County Commission, District 2, addressed the Polk…
Pollution Notice
Pursuant to Section 403.077, F.S., the Department of Environmental Protection has received the following Public Notice…
The Lakeland City Commission unanimously approved a series of annual base rate increases for Lakeland Electric that will total 15.87% over four years
Key Details Why Is the Rate Increasing? According to a formal Cost of Service Study conducted…
Peace River Crisis Center Shut Down After State Investigation Into Patient’s Tragic Death
One of Polk County’s busiest mental health crisis facilities has been ordered to stop admitting new…
Publix vendor lays off 168 people in Lakeland, Sarasota after losing contract
A company that unloaded merchandise at five Publix Super Markets distribution centers, four in Lakeland and…
Lakeland Police Investigating Shooting at South Lakeland Apartment Complex
Lakeland Police are investigating a shooting at The Park at Verona Apartment Homes in South Lakeland.…
The proposed 12-month moratorium in Lakeland extends beyond municipal borders due to how municipal utility services operate
While standard land-use or zoning moratoriums usually apply only within a city’s incorporated limits, Lakeland’s draft…
𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗞 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗟: 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗔 𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗘
You can’t tell people to 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣 feeding cats and then claim they 𝗢𝗪𝗡 those same cats…
Assistant director of a Lakeland middle school criminally charged for physical outburst during traffic stop
The Assistant Head of School at Academy Prep of Lakeland, a not-for-profit private school, was arrested…
Gun at Country Chicken and Fish
By Yolanda Larocca Valoy At Country Chicken and Fish. Felt confused on if I should be…
Polk County Fire Rescue Battles Blaze on Combee Road
Polk County Fire Rescue crews responded to a two-alarm fire at a commercial structure on Combee…
Lakeland City Manager Shawn Sherrouse Announces Leadership Transition at Lakeland Electric
Lakeland City Manager Sherrouse announced that Michael Beckham, General Manager of Lakeland Electric, has submitted his retirement…
Lakeland man arrested for exposing himself at Mulberry Walmart
On July 8, 2026, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office published a Crime Stoppers video on YouTube…
The data center developer addresses the public as Lakeland Commissioners consider a moratorium
Both residents and developers spoke out Monday as the city of Lakeland considers a one-year moratorium on…
Data center developer says ‘we want to be a partner’ with the City of Lakeland
That quote speaks right to the heart of the intense debate playing out at City Hall…
‘Cat scratch fever’: Florida man arrested after exposing himself to DoorDash driver
That sounds like a classic Grady Judd-ism fresh off the press. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office…
Data centers already have no place in Lakeland’s codes
According to Lakeland’s Land Development Code (LDC), data centers are not listed as a permitted use…
Say hello to the sweetest little firecrackers you’ve ever seen!
By Lakeland Regional Health Say hello to the sweetest little firecrackers you’ve ever seen! As America…
The T. Mims Corp. Red, White & Kaboom festival at Lake Mirror took place last night, Friday, July 3, 2026
The T. Mims Corp. Red, White & Kaboom festival at Lake Mirror took place last night,…
Ultralight plane crash-lands in Mulberry
An ultralight aircraft made an emergency landing directly on State Road 60 in Mulberry (Polk County)…
1000’s of gallons of raw sewage run down the ditch on 98 north
City of Lakeland is letting raw sewage run down the ditch on 98 north. July 3,…