Two X-treme Air & Home Care technicians arrested for exploiting the elderly

Lakeland police arrested Carl Hassel, 39, and Joshua O’Neal, 33, for grand theft and exploitation of the elderly after they allegedly charged a woman in her 70s hundreds of dollars for work that was not completed.

Prescribed burn planned for Polk County Thursday

Where there is smoke, there is usually fire. And there will presumably a lot of smoke coming from a prescribed burn set by Florida Forest Service starting Thursday.

Road surveyor dies in Lakeland crash, police say

A road surveyor passed away after the driver of a pickup truck crashed into him Monday afternoon, police said.

Lakeland mom steps in after 'crazy river otter' attacks dog, girl

A Polk County girl opened the door to help her dog escape an otter, then tried to shut the door quickly. But apparently not quickly enough. The otter squeezed in and attacked her, too.

Publix mechanic keeps supermarket’s iconic scales working

Publix mechanic Gene Anderson is the one and only person who fixes and refurbishes a unique Florida icon -- Publix's popular scales.

Study shows snowbirds are staying longer and spending more money 

Snowbirds are flocking to Lakeland and it’s a bigger than usual invasion, which means a bigger boost for the local economy than in previous years.  

Polk deputies injured after patrol car struck by wrong-way DUI driver

Two Polk County deputies were taken to the hospital after their patrol car was hit head-on by a drunk driver going the wrong way Tuesday night.

Cold snap puts tropical fish farmers on edge

It's been a chilly couple of days in the Bay Area. Runners and walkers bundled up Wednesday morning on Bayshore Boulevard. Fortunately, the warmup has already started and temperatures are beginning to rise but for some, the damage from this week's cold snap will linger.

PCSO: Alcohol may have played a role in fatal pedestrian crash

A 56-year-old man died Saturday evening after being hit by a car while walking to a gas station in Lakeland, investigators said.

Funeral plans set for Lakeland police officer

The Lakeland Police Department said the public is welcome to attend funeral services for Officer Paul Dunn on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at Lakes Church (formerly known as the First Baptist Church at the Mall), located at 1010 E Memorial Boulevard in Lakeland.

Lakeland police officer dies in motorcycle crash

A Lakeland police officer and Marine Corps veteran has passed away after crashing his motorcycle while he was on his way to work this morning, deputies have confirmed.

PCSO: Lakeland man arrested for aggravated child abuse in death of 2-month-old baby

Kyle Reese is facing charges of aggravated child abuse after a 2-month-old baby died in his care in December, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

PCSO: Lakeland man arrested for April 2019 DUI crash that caused the death of his girlfriend

Rodney Calvin Wimberly is behind bars tonight on charges of DUI manslaughter that stem from an April 2019 crash in which he was the driver and his girlfriend Shannon Oglesby was a passenger, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.