Decorated Polk County deputy dies from COVID-19
A 32-year-old Polk County deputy and a father of five has lost his ongoing battle with COVID-19, the sheriff’s office announced.
Peppa Pig offers sneak peek at new Winter Haven theme park
Peppa Pig, a wildly popular porcine with her own TV show and videos, showed up Thursday at what will be the Peppa Pig Theme Park in Winter Haven.
Polk fire chief: Leave 911 calls only for most serious emergencies
If you need an ambulance, you want one to arrive as quickly as possible. In Polk County, COVID-19 is causing "significant delays," according to the fire chief, who is asking residents to only call 911 for serious emergencies.
Polk sheriff: Disney employees, nurse and California man among 17 arrested in undercover child predator sting
Seventeen suspects thought they were speaking to young teens online, but it turned out they were speaking to undercover detectives across several agencies in central Florida. Among those arrested include Disney employees, a registered nurse, and a married man visiting from California, officials say.
Auburndale man wanted for murdering girlfriend, Polk County deputies say
The 20-year boyfriend of an Auburndale woman is on the run after he shot her to death in her home Monday, according to Polk County deputies.
32 charged in Polk County undercover drug trafficking investigation
Detectives in Polk County arrested more than two dozen people in a drug trafficking sting following a 16-month undercover investigation.
Sheriff: Man shot and killed after charging at Polk County deputy with knife
A 37-year-old man was shot and killed by a Polk County deputy, after he charged at the deputy with a knife, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Solid waste employee accused of illegally dumping furniture, debris in undeveloped parts of Poinciana
A Haines City man was arrested for using his employer’s work truck to haul and illegally dump garbage, according to the sheriff’s office.
Polk deputies join call for tips about Florida man accused of assaulting Capitol police
The FBI and Polk deputies are asking for help finding a man accused of assaulting police officers during the Capitol riot.
Fort Meade woman arrested for 2-month-old’s death
Investigators said the 2-month-old baby had multiple head fractures and severe brain bleeding when paramedics rushed him to the hospital, where he died.
Images show Lakeland group repeatedly attacking officers during Capitol riot, FBI says
More details have been released about five Floridians charged in connection with the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot, several of whom allegedly beat officers with flagpoles and riot shields while shouting, "We didn’t come all this way just to stand here!"
Search ongoing for suspect who stabbed man in face, Florida deputies say
Deputies said that 39-year-old Carmelo Fernandez-Lopez got into a fight with another man and stabbed him in the face.
Roommate of girl who died at Lakeland boarding school says medical requests were not taken seriously
“If it was like, we needed to see a doctor, you pretty much knew you were not going to. You could fill out requests but you just kinda automatically knew it was not going to happen,” the roommate told FOX 13 News.
Former students of Lakeland girls school come forward to describe conditions at facility where girl died
Former students of a Lakeland boarding school for girls are speaking out after a girl died there. Naomi Wood died in May of 2020 after weeks of stomach pains and asking to see a doctor but being denied, according to a report from the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Girl dies after being denied treatment for stomach pain while living at Lakeland children's home
A 17-year-old girl living at a boarding school for girls in Lakeland complained of stomach issues for nearly a month – but was denied professional medical treatment – before she died in May of 2020, according to reports by the Polk County medical examiner and the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Fugitive arrested in Mexico after giving fake name -- of another long-wanted fugitive
After 14 years, authorities thought they had arrested the man responsible for a drunk-driving crash that killed a Polk County couple. However, it turns out the man arrested in Mexico was the wrong guy.
‘Let’s do it’: Hospice chaplain helps Bartow man fulfill lifelong dream of flying
Day after day, John Kimball would sit on his porch and watch planes from Bartow Municipal Airport fly overhead. He's in his 80s, under hospice care, and had never flown -- until recently.
FHP: Florida man who killed couple in DUI crash arrested in Mexico after 14 years on the run
After nearly 14 years on the run, U.S. Marshals captured a man in Mexico who was wanted in connection with a crash that killed a central Florida couple in Polk County back in 2007.
Thieves steal costly plywood from homes under construction in Winter Haven
Police are investigating after thousands of dollars in plywood were stolen from a Winter Haven construction site.