Bernice Johnston’s outpatient rehab team at Bartow Regional Medical Center wanted to make sure her upcoming 100th birthday got the attention it deserved.

The Boy Scouts of America’s Greater Tampa Bay Area Council held a record-shattering Scouting for Food Drive in February, with scouts assembling more than 45,000 pounds of food for local pantries across their nine-county territory.

On March 26, the Lake Wales Police Department published a press release and a 197-page document detailing the Polk County Sheriff's Office independent investigation regarding the arrest of Lake Wales resident Chris Cordero. PCSO staff concluded that two LWPD officers had done nothing crimina…

BARTOW — Candidates for the Bartow City Commission squared off last week at a virtual forum where they shared their views on voter-presented issues including why they each ought to be elected, public safety, code enforcement, city communications, the pandemic, quality of life and amenities.

Lake Wales commissioners recently voted 4-1 to send an official “notice of default” to the owner of the Walesbilt Hotel regarding contract breaches related to the site’s redevelopment agreement.

NORTHEAST POLK — On March 15, the Davenport City Commission initiated the process of annexing another 138 acres of land into its city limits.

HAINES CITY — The city manager of Haines City, Deric Feacher, has been chosen to become the next city manager of Daytona Beach, pending contract approval.

WINTER HAVEN — The Winter Haven City Commission passed a resolution on March 22 in honor of former Winter Haven City Manager Robert Carl Cheatham.

HAINES CITY — Plans for transforming a former industrial fertilizer plant into a new public park in Haines City were potentially set back following a Florida Department of Environmental Protection study, the findings of which were recently released.

Polk County Commissioners recently learned that proposed improvements to both Cypress Parkway and Marigold Avenue, in the northeast area of the county, will cost about $45 million — and they also learned that the project has fallen about six months behind its original schedule.

Legoland Florida Resort staff recently applied for a permit to build a shade structure that is more than an acre in size. The shade will be used to cover a portion of the theme park called “Miniland USA.”

HAINES CITY – The Haines City Police Department announced last week it has again been recognized as a nationally-accredited law enforcement agency.

WINTER HAVEN – Over the past year, everyone has been touched by COVID-19 in one way or another.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced that all Floridians ages 40 and older will be able to receive COVID-19 vaccinations starting Monday and that all adults will be eligible on April 5.

Deputies for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office have charged 30-year-old Courtney Wright, of Winter Haven, with vehicular homicide, fleeing an officer and driving with a suspended license following a crash that occurred yesterday, March 23.

Bobby Williams grew up around Eloise and says he never even set foot inside a church until he was 32.

Lake Wales Mardi Gras supporters recently made their first donation of 2021 to KT's Sunshine Foundation.

Dozens of Bartow Soccer Club players paced outside City Hall last week while some of their parents and coaches pleaded for the city commission to fix the soccer fields at Mary Holland Park.

On Friday evening, March 19, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested three PCSO deputies and charged them with felonies related to evidence tampering.

Residents living in some areas southwest of Winter Haven argued to the Polk Board of County Commissioners last week against the development of Spirit Landings, a planned development of about 65 homes on a triangular parcel of land bounded by Spirit Lake Road, Old Bartow Eagle Lake Road and L…

On March 11, United States International Trade Commission staff announced that phosphate fertilizers from Morocco and Russia are subsidized by their respective governments, and as such, harm corporations such as the Mosaic Company.

The weather was absolutely perfect for the 43rd Annual Victor Smith Law Group Central Park Art Festival this past weekend in downtown Winter Haven, hosted by the Ridge Art Association.

The Polk County School Board held an emergency meeting to discuss pay raises for some teachers, paraprofessionals and support staff on March 16.

City of Winter Haven staff are preparing to apply for grants totaling around $275,000 to help remove 52 septic tanks from residential properties surrounding Lake Conine.

The Auburndale City Commission has appointed Jeff Tillman, its current Assistant City Manager, to serve as the next Auburndale City Manager.

Offering one of the most picturesque race routes around, the Carillon Classic 5K presented by AdventHealth returns to Bok Tower Gardens on Saturday, May 1, at 7:30 a.m.

Plans for the proposed “Harmony at Lake Eloise” development on 357 acres of old citrus groves between lakes Eloise and Lulu are being updated.

Publix pharmacies have administered 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to people across the state, the grocery chain announced March 18.

On March 11, the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Front Page Brewing Co. — albeit a bit belatedly.

The Early Learning Coalition of Polk County wants to help parents in need with their childcare expenses.

The Haines City Historical Museum is continuing its mission of preserving the city’s history and heritage even as complications from COVID-19 have made operations more challenging.

Registered voters in the municipalities of Bartow, Dundee, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Lake Wales and Lakeland who are planning to participate in the April 6 Municipal Elections have three easy ways to vote, according to Polk Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards.

Last week, Polk County Commissioners approved the beginning of construction for the new Northeast Government Center in Lake Alfred.

Rain dampened morning activities at the 50th Annual Bartow Bloomin' Arts Festival on Saturday, March 6 — but the rain didn't last long, and the weather was perfect on Sunday, March 7.

BARTOW — The 50th Annual Bartow Bloomin' Arts Festival presented by the Frost Law Firm takes place this Saturday and Sunday in downtown Bartow.

LAKE WALES – Geert D’hollander, the carillonneur at Bok Tower Gardens, was one of four musicians selected out of 347 entrants recently to receive The King’s Singers inaugural New Music Prize.

Thousands of science fiction fans jammed into downtown Bartow on Feb. 20, filling the streets with aliens, spacecraft and cosplayers for the eighth annual SYFY Bartow event.

A Smithsonian poster exhibit that celebrates the invention accomplishments of both locally and nationally-known women opened March 1 in the lobby of the Polk County Administration Building in Bartow.

The search for the next leader of Polk County Public Schools is progressing.

Polk residents may decide in the next general election whether to raise the county sales tax by a half-cent or a penny to help pay for anticipated road improvements needed to handle the burgeoning traffic in the northeast and mid-sections of the county.

Angels Care Center of Eloise co-founder Larry Powell died Feb. 15 after a brief but fierce battle with cancer.

The Southwest Extension District for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences program is about to get an infusion of talent from Polk County.

After being open for two weeks, Polk County officials reclosed K-Ville Avenue (County Road 542) in southwest Winter Haven for 45 days, beginning March 1, to complete the second phase of work to build an eastbound right-turn lane onto southbound Recker Highway (State Road 655).

Journey into Polk history this month at the Polk County History Center.

City residents can thank a local restaurant for helping the Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce find its 2020 Public Servant of the Year.

Fort Meade City Manager Danielle J. Judd submitted a letter of resignation Jan. 21 stating, in part, that “An opportunity has presented itself; one that allows me to pursue another career path.”

Maude Graham, a third-grade teacher at Rosabelle W. Blake Academy in Lakeland, was unveiled Jan. 21 as the 2021 Polk County Teacher of the Year.

On Jan. 22, Lake Wales Mayor Eugene Fultz notified city staff that he and his wife had tested positive for COVID-19. Because four of the five city commissioners, as well as at least two city staff members, were in close proximity to the mayor last week, they agreed to quarantine themselves a…

The Polk State Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center, located off of State Road 60 in Bartow, will soon see some new innovative farming techniques deployed within the corporate center's property, following action last week by the Bartow City Commission.

Polk County's COVID-19 relief funds jumped up another $21 million last week when the county received an additional $21.8 million to provide rent and utility relief to families affected by the pandemic.