Local News in Polk County
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Polk County 146 storiesWiden to Greater Lakeland
Daily Ridge
Published September 18Lake Wales Man Arrested for 4th DUI During Waverly Traffic Stop
On Thursday, September 17, 2026, a PCSO deputy sheriff conducted a traffic stop in Waverly on a Jeep that he observed swerving in the southbound lanes of U.S. Hwy 27, and after a check of the registered vehicle’s owner revealed a suspended license due to previous DUI arrests. As…
Daily Ridge
Published September 18Auburndale Police Department Hosting Blood Drive September 22
The Auburndale Police Department is hosting a OneBlood drive on Tuesday, September 22nd from 8:00am-1:00pm. All donors will receive a $20 eGift card and a Cancer T-shirt. To schedule an appointment, please visit:https://donor.oneblood.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/1795666…
Daily Ridge
Published September 17PCSO Releases Haunted Trail Tour Dates
Polk County Sheriff’s Office- For those who loved our Haunted Jail Tours in the past, we’ve created a brand-new scare! This year we present: SHERIFF’S HAUNTED TRAIL TOUR! As you may know, the old jail in Bartow where we held our haunts has been torn down. Boo! Thanks to our…
William F. Kelly
William F. “Bill” Kelly, 46, died Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at home. He was born Feb. 15, 1980, in Lakeland, […]
Daily Ridge
Published September 17WHRCC Hosting No Stress Book Club Event
Winter Haven Public Library – Dying to talk about that new book you just read but your friends/family/significant others have already heard about it and they just don’t get it like you want them to? Don’t worry, the librarians will listen. Come to our new No Stress Book Club at…
Daily Ridge
Published September 17Polk Mosquito Control Steps Up Dengue Prevention As Cases Rise In Nearby Counties
Polk County Mosquito Control is increasing prevention efforts as health officials continue tracking dengue cases in neighboring counties. A Polk County news release issued Sept. 15 does not report any locally acquired human dengue cases in Polk County. Instead, officials are…
Daily Ridge
Published September 17Polk County Football Preview Week 5
By Ethan Jones With another week of high school football in the books, it is hard to believe just how quickly the season is moving. We are now heading into Week 5, and what once felt like the beginning of the season is starting to feel like the heart of it. Teams have had several…
Daily Ridge
Published September 17140-Year-Old Shakespeare Book Discovered in Winter Haven Home
140-Year-Old Shakespeare Book Discovered in Winter Haven Homeby James Coulter Most of us studied Shakespeare in school. But few of us ever cracked open a textbook printed more than a century ago, let alone one once owned by a man whose family helped start an entire city and…
NewsTalk 730 AM (WWTK)
Published September 17News Update for 09/17/26
The trial of TJ Wiggins is moving forward in Polk County over the 2020 Frostproof killings of three men. On the second day of testimony, a medical examiner detailed the victims’ fatal injuries, while prosecutors showed surveillance video from businesses visited by Wiggins and the…
Daily Ridge
Published September 1629 Year-Old Driver Killed In I-4 Crash Involving Lakeland Man Near SR 33
A 29-year-old Riverview man was killed Wednesday morning in a crash on Interstate 4 involving a pickup truck driven by a Lakeland man. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at approximately 10:10 a.m. Wednesday, September 16, near the State Road 33 Exit 38…
Daily Ridge
Published September 16Additional Details After Florida Attorney General Announces Charges Against Man Accused of Videotaping 8-Year-Old Child For Exploitation
Lakeland, Florida – A child exploitation case announced Tuesday by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has roots in a Polk County investigation dating back more than a year, after a woman allegedly discovered a disturbing video on a phone used by the suspect. Rafiq Osborne…
Daily Ridge
Published September 16Polk State Revives Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program With Florida Department of Education
Polk State College is bringing back a registered apprenticeship program aimed at preparing local students for cybersecurity jobs while helping Polk County employers fill a growing need for skilled workers. The college announced Wednesday that it is revitalizing its Cybersecurity…