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A rip current statement in effect for 3 regions in the area

See the complete list

WEATHER ALERT

A rip current statement in effect for 3 regions in the area

POLK COUNTY


Florida sheriff looking for 'spring break squatter' caught on home surveillance showing 'shiny rear end'

Authorities in Florida are searching for an alleged spring breakers who trespassed into someone's yard and relieved herself in their bushes before vacating their private yard.

foxnews.com

Boater stops to use restroom in Florida yard — and thousands have seen the video, cops say

It’s not your typical case of trespassing, officials say.

news.yahoo.com

Search on for Florida boaters missing in lake near Legoland

Authorities are searching for two boaters missing and believed drowned in a central Florida lake near the Legoland theme park.

Search on for Florida boaters missing in lake near Legoland

Authorities searched Sunday for two boaters who were missing and believed drowned in an accident on a central Florida lake near the Legoland theme park. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference that the two men had jumped into Lake Eloise to save a third person from their group, a woman, who was struggling in the water. The third person, 38-year-old Velcky Velazques, was rescued by sheriff's deputies who had been summoned when a 10-year-old girl on the boat dialed 911 on a cellphone.

news.yahoo.com

Florida man wanted for murder nabbed at church where sheriff was guest speaker: 'The devil is in the details'

Police located 56-year-old murder suspect John Skeen inside a church on Sunday morning and arrested him, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

foxnews.com

A Lakeland 13-year-old used a bullhorn during a protest at Munn Park. She was arrested soon after

Lillie "Rain" Johnson, 13, spent less than an hour at the police station before returning to Munn Park and rejoining about 200 people at the rally.

news.yahoo.com

Gov. DeSantis announces plans to expedite 20 major road projects across Florida

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday morning his administration is moving forward with a proposal to expedite 20 major interstate and roadway projects across the state of Florida in the next four years.

Baby girl ‘still attached to a placenta’ found abandoned in Polk County after woman heard ‘noises coming from woods’

She was still attached to a placenta.

Iowa law blocks fentanyl testing strips from inclusion in harm reduction boxes; seen as drug paraphernalia

Iowa harm reduction boxes in Polk County will not include fentanyl testing strips as a result of a state law that classifies them as drug paraphernalia.

foxnews.com

Woman dies in test drive crash outside Florida car lot

Sheriff's officials say a 76-year-old passenger was killed when a vehicle being test driven by an 86-year-old man turned into the path of another car just outside the Florida car dealership.

Woman attacks police with car after they question her about stolen credit card, sheriff says

Three investigations are underway following a deputy-involved shooting with a woman accused of using a stolen credit card at a pawn shop in Polk County, Florida.

foxnews.com

Florida sheriff's office makes record fentanyl bust, arrests 3 people trafficking drugs sent from Mexico

Florida authorities arrested three suspects and seized more than 11 pounds of fentanyl as part of an undercover drug trafficking bust. One suspect was in the U.S. illegally.

foxnews.com

Sheriff lays into 'way out of control' Florida father and son who police say shot 7 times at an innocent woman after they got a Ring doorbell alert: 'What kind of craziness is that?'

"We have a wonderful Stand Your Ground law. That doesn't mean you can go search people out and shoot them," a Florida sheriff said.

news.yahoo.com

NEW VIDEO: Bodycam video from Polk County Sheriff’s Office shows deputy shooting

The Polk County Sheriff's Office released video showing what happened when a man fired at a deputy.

Florida deputy shot while wearing bulletproof vest recovering, suspect in custody

A suspect is in custody after allegedly shooting a Polk County, Florida deputy. Sheriff Grady Judd says the deputy's bulletproof vest saved his life.

foxnews.com

Buccaneers honor sheriff's deputy killed in line of duty

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held a moment of silence before their game Sunday for Deputy Sheriff Blane Lane of Polk County, who was killed in the line of duty last week.

foxnews.com

Florida Sheriff pushes Hurricane Ian victims to ‘shoot’ looters until they look ‘like grated cheese’

In wake of Hurricane Ian, the sheriff of Polk County, Florida, Grady Judd, strongly urged armed homeowners to actively defend themselves and their homes.

foxnews.com

Cartersville deputy police chief hired undercover deputy he thought was a prostitute, officials say

The officer paid the undercover detective $180 and a pack of White Claw.

news.yahoo.com

Awkward arrest sees naked man and woman in towel arrested in Florida, deputies say

A woman wearing nothing but a towel answered the front door.

news.yahoo.com

Pregnant Florida woman caught on video throwing violent tantrum at McDonald’s arrested

A woman who was upset with how long her order was taking in a McDonald’s drive-thru in Lakeland stormed into the restaurant, threw a violent tantrum and began twerking Thursday afternoon, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said.

news.yahoo.com

Man arrested after father of 5 found stuffed in a toolbox, police searching for 2nd man

A suspect is under arrest for the murder of a man found stuffed in a toolbox along a rural road.

news.yahoo.com

Retired Cook County judge arrested in Florida on suspicion of soliciting a prostitute during human trafficking enforcement operation

A former Cook County judge was arrested in Florida on suspicion of solicitation of a prostitute. He was one of 108 people arrested as part of a law enforcement operation against human trafficking.

chicagotribune.com

‘Operation March Sadness 2′ leads to 108 arrests on human trafficking charges

A six-day undercover human trafficking operation in Polk County led to more than one hundred arrests.

Florida substitute teacher charged after alleged Snapchat showed her having sex with student

Polk County sheriff's detectives said Ayanna Davis admitted to having sex with the student — reported to be 16 years of age or younger — four times.

news.yahoo.com

Mental Health: Law enforcement officers are Baker Acting people at alarming rates

Florida's population has increased by about 22% to 21.5 million people, but the number of people being Baker Acted has skyrocketed by 121%.

news.yahoo.com

New Peppa Pig theme park to open as certified autism center

The all-new Peppa Pig Theme Park will open as a certified autism center, leaders announced Tuesday at the IAAPA Expo at the Orange County Convention Center.

Florida judge awards nearly $35 million in improper HOA fees

Residents of a central Florida 55-plus neighborhood have been awarded nearly $35 million in a civil case following a judge’s ruling that they were charged improper homeowners’ association fees.

Sheriff: Deputy shoots woman who lunged at him with shovel

Officials say a Florida sheriff’s sergeant fatally shot a woman who lunged toward him with a shovel.

Motorcyclist dies, hit by a trooper and run over by a truck

Authorities in Florida say a state trooper struck a motorcycle rider on I-4 sending the man onto the pavement, where a tractor-trailer ran over him.

17 Florida school district employees have died from COVID-19 since the school year began in August

A dozen of the Polk County Public School employees were actively working before becoming ill.

cbsnews.com

Gun battle between motorcycle gangs on Interstate 4 leaves 1 dead, 1 injured

Two people on motorcycles were shot on Interstate 4 early Friday during a gun battle between members of two motorcycle gangs, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. A woman who was riding on the back of one motorcycle was shot in the head and thrown from the bike, Judd said. She died Friday, the Sheriff’s office announced Saturday. A second motorcyclist was shot in the back. The incident ...

news.yahoo.com

Brutal beatings leave two people dead and a third near death, Polk County Sheriff says

Three people were brutally beaten in Polk County, leaving two dead, Sheriff Grady Judd said Saturday. The third victim is also not expected to survive. Judd said sheriff’s deputies arrested Shaun Runyon, 39, for the murders after a two-hour manhunt. At a news briefing in Davenport, a community near Haines City, Judd outlined the series of events. Runyon worked for a Pennsylvania electric ...

news.yahoo.com

Florida man accused of killing girlfriend, attacking deputy

A Florida man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend after he confessed to his mother and she called police.

This timber rattlesnake may have squirmed 100 miles through Florida brush to find a mate

A resourceful rattler has captured the attention of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

news.yahoo.com

Ex-Marine held without bond in shooting of Florida family

A former Marine sharpshooter accused of invading the home of apparent strangers in Florida and fatally shooting a woman, her 3-month-old baby and two others was ordered held without bail.

Florida gunman killed 4, including mom still holding baby

A Florida sheriff says a man wearing full body armor fatally shot four people, including a mother and the 3-month-old baby she was cradling, and engaged in a massive gunfight with police and deputies before getting wounded and surrendering.

Florida gunman killed 4, including mom still holding baby

A Florida sheriff says a man wearing full body armor fatally shot four people, including a mother and the 3-month-old baby she was cradling, and engaged in a massive gunfight with police and deputies before getting wounded and surrendering.

Shooter in Lakeland, Florida kills 4, including infant, shoots 11-year-old girl multiple times, sheriff says

Four people were killed, an 11-year-old girl was shot and deputies came under fire early Sunday in a neighborhood in North Lakeland, Florida.

news.yahoo.com

Sheriff: Teen ‘ambushed,’ fatally shot in Florida park

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says a teenager was “ambushed” and fatally shot in a central Florida park where he had apparently gone to “sell some marijuana” to someone.

Florida pastor helps bust a man who was seeking sex from a 16-year-old girl, deputies say

A Florida pastor has helped bust a registered sex offender who had left two handwritten notes taped to the doors of a Polk County church’s middle school and high school youth group buildings seeking girls “of any age” according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

news.yahoo.com

Woman who admitted hitting Black and Latino kids with her car was racially motivated sentenced to 25 years in prison

Nicole Franklin's attorney said she was experiencing severe schizophrenia and was not taking medication for it because she was pregnant.

news.yahoo.com

Ready to pay more? DeSantis signs online sales tax law

Gov. Ron DeSantis late Monday signed into law a plan to require out-of-state online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made by Floridians, with the estimated $1 billion a year in revenue going to curb a pair of taxes on Florida businesses.

COVID-19 hospitalizations top 6,000 in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With steady increases in recent months, more than 6,000 people were hospitalized Monday in Florida with “primary” diagnoses of COVID-19, according to information posted on the state Agency for Health Care Administration website. As of a midday count, 6,081 people were hospitalized, including 1,018 in Miami-Dade County. By comparison, 2,081 people were hospitalized with primary diagnoses of COVID-19 on Oct. 1; 2,371 were hospitalized on Nov. 1; 4,282 were hospitalized on Dec. 1; and 5,514 were hospitalized on Dec. 21, according to information The News Service of Florida has compiled from the agency’s website. The increases in hospitalizations have come as Florida has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases. As of Sunday, the state reported 1,271,979 cases since the pandemic started, according to the Florida Department of Health website.

Former neighbors organize vigil for slain Putnam County boys

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Friends and loved ones gathered Wednesday evening to remember two brothers who were killed last week in their Melrose home. The vigil in honor of Robert Baker, 12, and Tayten Baker, 14, was held in Mulberry in Polk County, where the family lived before recently moving to Putnam County. The vigil was organized by the family’s former neighbors, including Chelsea Coyner. Dozens of former teammates, classmates and neighbors attended the vigil. Mark Wilson Jr., 30, who was identified as the boyfriend of the boys’ aunt, is charged with first-degree murder in the boys’ deaths.

Florida sheriff: $30,000 reward offered in triple homicide

FROSTPROOF, Fla. Authorities in central Florida have offered a $30,000 reward for information that helps solve the killings of three best friends who had gathered last Friday for a night of fishing. In a Facebook post, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the reward was made possible by contributions from Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Sheriffs Association. Tillman arrived at the lake first to meet his friends for night fishing for catfish. The father arrived about 10 minutes later but forget his cellphone in a rush to help his son. By the time help arrived, his son had died.

3 friends slain while preparing to fish at Florida lake

Three friends were slain just moments after gathering together for some night fishing at a lake in central Florida, authorities said Saturday. This is a horrific scene, Judd said at a news conference Saturday near Lake Streety where the bodies were found. Judd said this is what investigators believe happened: Tillman arrived at the lake first to meet his friends for night fishing for catfish. He drove to a nearby convenience store, and the clerk helped him reach authorities, but by the time they arrived, Rollins had died. This is a dirt road, a clay dirt road, way out in the middle of what we call Gods country, on the way to a nice little fishing lake.

Florida motorcycle officer killed in crash

LAKELAND, Fla. – A Florida motorcycle officer was killed in a crash while driving his police-issued Harley-Davidson to work Thursday morning, authorities said. Officer Paul Dunn, 50, died shortly before 6 a.m., according to a post on the with the Lakeland Police Department’s Facebook page. Passing motorists saw the motorcycle and stopped to help Dunn, Judd said. “We have suffered a tragic loss out here this morning,” Garcia said during the news conference. “It’s a tragic loss for the agency and the community as well.

Disney security guard arrives naked to Florida prostitution sting

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Florida authorities have arrested 124 people in an undercover sting. Investigators were targeting those involved in prostitution, human trafficking and child predators in Polk County. Most were caught arriving for the sex they thought they were promised in an online ad. Including Rodney Davis, a Disney security guard. A pastor and a Universal Studios waiter.

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