Best Friends Animal Society and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services have come together to save vulnerable kittens through a new shelter diversion and foster program.

Polk County commissioners decided last week to redo, replace, rejuvenate and initiate a variety of projects — and approved the funds to do all of the above.

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe finalized a 30-year gambling agreement on Friday, inking a deal that would deliver at least $2.5 billion to Florida over the next five years in exchange for giving the tribe control over statewide sports betting.

Bartow city commissioners opted last week to invest in upgrading the existing soccer fields at Mary Holland Park rather than to relocate the city's primary soccer fields to Mosaic Park, which would involve the removal of some of the city’s mature trees.

Two implementation agreements that officials say will help build the access to Polk’s future water supply were approved by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners on April 20.

A new trailhead for the Panther Point Trail is now open and adds nearly four miles of trail, bringing the total for Panther Point Trail to eight miles.

WINTER HAVEN — The Winter Haven City Commission and city staff discussed whether to participate in a $240 million federal loan to build water infrastructure April 21.

CHAMPIONSGATE — Like so much else during the pandemic, the work of the Four Corners Area Council and the "Four Corners, One Vision" initiative it is spearheading had to pause and adapt.

Polk State College, in partnership with the Florida Department of Health in Polk County (DOH-Polk), will host an on-site COVID-19 vaccination event for Polk State students, faculty, staff, and their families.

An entrepreneurial team of Florida Polytechnic University students has earned thousands of dollars in funding for the development of an innovative gesture-control device for electric longboards.

Many Winter Haven area residents helped to clean shorelines around the Chain of Lakes on Saturday during the Project E.A.G,L.E event, hosted by Keep Winter Haven Clean and Beautiful staff and supporters.

WINTER HAVEN — The intersection of U.S. Highway 17 and Cypress Gardens Boulevard is the busiest intersection in Polk County.

Haines City Deputy City Manager Jeffrey E. Brown submitted a letter of resignation on Friday, April 16, stating that his resignation will be effective May 14 if accepted by the city commission.

Lake Wales Main Street’s most recent mural project at Scenic Highway and Stuart Avenue — called “Slice of Happiness” — is about to get a whole lot happier.

Dr. Debra Wright Hudson, the acting principal for McLaughlin Middle and Fine Arts Academy, said she is working toward two goals: turning McLaughlin around from a ‘D’ school to an ‘A’ school and removing the word acting from her job title.

WINTER HAVEN — Flanked by uniformed law-enforcement officers, including Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed into law a controversial law-and-order measure sparked by nationwide protests that erupted last year after George Floyd’s death.

A Winter Haven-based corporation recently abandoned a problematic sewage treatment plant near, but not associated with, Warner University in Lake Wales.

Around a hundred veterans, along with some friends and family, participated in an American Legion Riders motorcycle and Jeep “Poker Run” to benefit the Polk County Homeless Coalition April 17.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office is investigating an officer-involved shooting involving a Winter Haven Police Department Sergeant that occurred in the Orchid Springs area near Winter Haven Saturday night, April 17, at approximately 10:10 p.m.

Five finalists vying to become the next superintendent of Polk County Public Schools will take part in a whirlwind of activities this week.

The City of Bartow may have to dip into its reserve funds to relocate three soccer fields from Mary Holland Park to Mosaic Park since other money isn't available to pay for the upgrade needed to provide playable fields for dozens of players.

Lake Wales held its second-ever Third Thursday Market on April 15 in the parking lot at the southwest corner of Stuart Avenue and Scenic Highway.

Polk County Public Schools hosted a pandemic-safe version of its annual All-County Fine Arts Festival on April 9 and 10.

WINTER HAVEN – Imagine having 1,000 employees — but every year 500 of them resign.

Polk County Public Schools staff announced April 15 the school district will continue to require face coverings for the remainder of this current school year (2020-21).

With Haines City City Manager Deric Feacher having been offered and accepted the same role for the City of Daytona Beach, formal goodbyes have begun.

The Florida Department of Health in Polk County, in partnership with Polk County Board of County Commissioners, has closed Polk County’s COVID-19 vaccine portal.

BARTOW — Staff and elected officials representing the City of Bartow met on April 16 to discuss how best to try and ensure the city would have sufficient water supplies through 2045.

The City of Auburndale announced on April 9 that Amy Palmer has taken the position of Assistant City Manager.

Winter Haven High School student Kamya Williams, holding a plaque, and other Polk County Students Working Against Tobacco — known as Polk County SWAT — have been traveling around the county in April accepting proclamations.

A 300-acre expansion of Bone Valley ATV Park continues with the recent approval of a $1 million federal grant administered by the state and $200,000 in matching county funds to build a bridge linking the two sections of the park.

Sunshine Foundation is hosting its 19th Annual RunWalkBark4Dreams during May and June 2021.

WINTER HAVEN – Last year, an incredible 798 dogs got a second chance with forever homes thanks to Stefanie Badillo and her Crossed Paws Pet Rescue.

The City of Lake Wales named April 7, 2021, as “Joe Jenkins and Roy Wilkinson Day” during a city commission meeting on the same date.

During a Lake Wales City Commission workshop March 31, City Manager James Slaton said that before the City of Lake Wales makes a full commitment to borrowing $240 million from the federal government to build county-wide water infrastructure, the City of Lake Wales ought to do a city-specific…

The George W. Harris Youth Shelter in Bartow is the only emergency shelter for children in Polk County.

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.