Florida now has more than 8,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 following the addition of more than a thousand new cases on April 1. As of 11 a.m. April 2, the Florida Department of Health says there are 8,010 cases in Florida — 7,717 of which are Florida residents.
LAKE WALES – City commissioners recently instructed city staff to hire an individual whose role would primarily be to help residents living in the northwest sector of Lake Wales.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he will issue an executive order calling for Floridians statewide to stay at home, a move that he had been resisting as other states took similar steps because of the novel coronavirus.
POLK COUNTY — There’s an old adage, something to the effect of “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
POLK COUNTY — On Tuesday, April 7, voters in Bartow, Davenport, Haines City, Lake Hamilton, Lake Wales and Mulberry will head to the polls for Polk County’s municipal elections.
BARTOW — Even while dealing with a massive effort to combat the spread of coronavirus, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners has additional business to tend to, including the recent decision to okay the construction of a new stadium at the Lake Myrtle Sports Park in Auburndale.
WINTER HAVEN – While the Lakeland Magic basketball team has already moved into its space within the new $25 million AdventHealth Fieldhouse, the older portion of the complex — including most of the original building — is still under construction.
POLK COUNTY — While Polk County is reeling from the steady climb of COVID-19 cases, some of those who deal with crises daily are at the “office” with business as usual — and their business is always high-stress.
LAKE WALES — To honor the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower, the Lake Wales Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution recently honored 16 local students at an award ceremony held at the Lake Ashton Health & Fitness Center.
Distance learning, which began for students around the state this week, will continue through the end of April for Polk County Public Schools students and other students around the state.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Florida continues to ascend and the number of cases in Polk County has experienced an increase of its own.
HAINES CITY — The Haines City Police Department announced March 26 that a third accuser has come forward and Joshua Ayers, who was arrested in late-February for sexually battering two young girls, is facing nine additional charges for being in possession of sexually-suggestive photos.
A spokesperson for Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets, Inc., confirmed on March 26 that the grocery store chain would be installing plexiglass partitions on a companywide basis as part of the response to the spread of COVID-19.
On Wednesday, March 25, undercover narcotics detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at 114 Harbor Drive, in Winter Haven, in response to complaints and information that illegal narcotics were possibly being sold from the home.
The spread of coronavirus continues to take a toll on local businesses, both big and small.
POLK COUNTY — Registered voters in the cities of Bartow, Davenport, Haines City, Lake Hamilton, Lake Wales and Mulberry who plan to vote by mail in the April 7 municipal elections have limited time to do so.
LAKE WALES – The Rotary on the Ridge Candidate Forum on March 16 featured a debate between Lake Wales Vice Mayor Robin Gibson and challenger Bob Wood for Lake Wales City Commission Seat Five.
POLK COUNTY – Public school teachers represented by the Polk Education Association voted 1,717-670 on March 19 in favor of ratifying a contract negotiated between the union and the Polk County School Board.
Last week, the Bartow City Commission approved a proclamation supporting the county's efforts to encourage residents to participate in the ongoing national census.
HAINES CITY – City staff and Florida Department of Environmental Protection staff formalized a contract on March 12 to begin the process of transforming a former fertilizer plant into a new park.
A release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on March 24 announced the arrests of two Polk residents for stealing more than $600 worth of merchandise from a Walmart in Mulberry.
With Floridians hunkered down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried are trying to focus attention on scams and price gouging that stem from the crisis.
Coming out of the weekend, the volume of positive coronavirus cases in Florida continues to tick up and the number of cases in Polk County is in double-digits.
TALLAHASSEE — State lawmakers on March 19 approved a record $93.2 billion budget for next year, with attention already focused on a potential need to revisit the spending plan this summer as the novel coronavirus upends the economy.
POLK COUNTY – Around 60,000 devices will be deployed to students once Polk County Public School’s Spring Break is over March 30, meaning that learning will continue in an online capacity as the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt the daily life of Polk residents and people around the world.
Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the Poinciana area of Kissimmee, in unincorporated Polk County, the morning of March 19 and learned that a man there had shot and killed his live-in girlfriend and then refused to exit the home.
Undercover detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and partnering agencies conducted a seven-day undercover operation, from March 16, during which detectives posed as girls and boys online — on social media platforms and online dating sites — to investigate those who prey upon and t…
Publix officials announced Thursday that the Polk-based supermarket company is designating Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, from 7 – 8 a.m., as “senior shopping hours” intended only for customers age 65-and-over.
The second presumptive positive coronavirus case in Polk County is a student who takes courses at Polk State College's Winter Haven Campus, per an announcement from the school last night.
BARTOW – Candidates for Bartow City Commission Seat 4 participated in a Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum March 5 at the Carver Recreation Center.
BARTOW — A robust crowd of Bartow area residents were in attendance March 14 for the grand opening of the town’s new brewery — Front Page Brewing Co.
LAKE WALES — Ana Pizarro arrived in Lake Wales a couple of years ago and, after taking the job coaching the Lake Wales High swim team, realized the program did not have a club swim team to function as a feeder.
LAKE WALES — Kathryn “Kat” Gates-Skipper and 16 other Floridians were inducted into the Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame at the Florida State Capitol Building in Tallahassee March 9.
POLK COUNTY — Drivers in northeast Polk will have to wait a few more years, but the widening of County Road 557, from Lake Alfred to its interchange with Interstate 4, will move ahead after the county commission last month okayed plans for the multi-laning of six miles of the overburdened tw…
On Tuesday, March 17, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that schools in Florida will remain closed until Wednesday, April 15 — but that districts are expected to begin some type of online or remote instruction on March 30.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday took far-reaching actions to combat the coronavirus as he ordered bars and nightclubs to close for the next month and as state universities moved to hold online classes for the rest of the spring.
There’s no escaping it — precautions related to mitigating the spread of novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, have become the dominant force in daily life for the foreseeable future.
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Monday that Florida will begin a $50 million bridge-loan program for businesses hurt by the novel coronavirus and that he has directed the state’s revenue department to extend deadlines for businesses to pay corporate income taxes.
LAKE WALES — As the global pandemic precautions for COVID-19 continue to unfold, Bok Tower Gardens remains committed to the safety of our visitors, volunteers and staff.
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis, while contending that many Florida residents are not at risk of getting the coronavirus, announced on March 14 a 30-day ban on visits to nursing homes as he acknowledged that the virus is spreading through some communities.
BARTOW — Bartow city commissioners were met with a salvo of complaints from city residents last week who claimed the city police department was rife with discrimination.
Polk County has agreed to spend $1 million to help officials representing Lakeland Linder International Airport lure commercial passenger service to the growing west-county airport.
POLK COUNTY — Luck must be in the air in east Polk County.
The Winter Haven Police Department (WHPD) is excited to invite you out for the WHPD 5K! Walk, jog or run your way around Downtown Winter Haven to earn a finisher medal and burn some calories in a fun way! WHPD has a close relationship with Special Olympics Florida and your entry fee will go …
Staff for the Early Learning Coalition of Polk County put out a statement last week encouraging parents to help prepare their preschoolers for kindergarten by signing them up for VPK — or Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten.
TALLAHASSEE — A short-lived, yet high-profile, fight to merge Lakeland’s Florida Polytechnic University into the University of Florida died March 6 in the state House.
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday declared a state of emergency that would broaden his powers to respond to the novel coronavirus, including allowing him to deploy National Guard troops if necessary.
BARTOW — City commissioners were expected to meet the morning of March 4 to discuss two issues: signage for the city's nearly-finished dog park, located within Mary Holland Park, and what to do about parking issues at the city's golf course.
LAKE WALES – The 49th Annual Citizens Bank & Trust Lake Wales Art Festival took place this past weekend, with a pair of local artists — Tim and Erika Peters, of Winter Haven — winning Best of Show honors.
LAKELAND – Gov. Ron DeSantis was the keynote speaker at the SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate 2020 Lay of the Land Florida Land Conference at the RP Funding Center Friday, Feb. 29.
POLK COUNTY – Municipal elections are set to take place in Bartow, Davenport, Lake Wales, Haines City, Lake Hamilton and Mulberry on April 7.
