LAKELAND

A former Florida city commissioner has been sentenced to three years in prison for fatally shooting a shoplifter at his store.

Polk County Sheriff’s deputies are looking for a woman who allegedly threw a tantrum at a Lakeland McDonald’s because her order took too long.

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.

A 57-year-old Florida man is now $1 million richer after he purchased a scratch-off Lottery ticket while making a pit stop at a 7-Eleven store, the Florida Lottery announced on Monday.

Rachel Balkovec was a winner as the first woman to manage a minor league affiliate of a Major League Baseball team.

Baseball’s regular season begins this week, so that means the abbreviated spring training session for teams, which started late due to the offseason lockout, is over.

More than 50 Volkswagen makes and models, from antiques to current, with air-cooled and water-cooled engines.

Another day, another alligator on a Florida golf course.

A Lakeland boy celebrated his fifth birthday with a theme that most Floridians will find very familiar.

Officials at the Publix grocery store chain say that they will start offering paid parental leave to employees who are new parents.

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.

A 20-year-old substitute English teacher at Lakeland High School was arrested on Friday by Polk County Sheriff’s deputies, after being charged with sexual battery.

Carol Jenkins Barnett, a well-known philanthropist and the billionaire daughter of the Publix Super Markets founder, died Tuesday night at her home in Lakeland, the company said. She was 65.

The billionaire daughter of the Publix Super Markets founder has died after having early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

The billionaire daughter of the Publix Super Markets founder has died after having early-onset Alzheimer's Disease, the company announced Wednesday. Carol Jenkins Barnett was 65. Barnett died Tuesday night at her home in Lakeland, Florida, Publix said in a news release.

Publix heiress, daughter of Publix founder George W. Jenkins, dies at 65 from Alzheimer's disease.

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%.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s team will add a Gulfstream 550 to the three other aircraft at its home base at the Lakeland Linder International Airport in central Florida.

New details are emerging about the newest dozen police officers lauded by Gov. Ron DeSantis for moving to Central Florida from New York City to escape what the governor described as low morale and a lack of support from Democratic politicians there.

The newest dozen police officers lauded by Gov. Ron DeSantis for moving to Florida from New York City include one previously fired as a Walmart security guard, one with only three years of experience who demanded more than double his salary, and others with mysterious gaps in their resumes.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody announced Thursday that they are filing a lawsuit against the federal government for ordering that all federal contractors be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene.

Reflecting on brother's 9/11 death

Erie County Board of Elections votes not to certify the General Election ballot yet.

Lucky lottery players in Lakeland and Zephyrhills are celebrating $1 million wins from Florida Lottery scratch-off tickets.

Florida's governor Ron DeSantis said that cruise lines who require proof of vaccination from passengers will be breaking a new state law that goes into effect July 1.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is holding a news conference at 10:50 a.m. at the LifeScience Logistics Distribution Center in Lakeland.

Surgeons at the hospital said that the girl received severe damage to her internal organs

Gov. Ron DeSantis is holding a news conference with the executive director of the Department of Economic Opportunity in Lakeland on Friday morning.

The Islands of The Bahamas is the premier and exclusive destination being featured at the 47th Annual Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone takes a drink of water during a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla., Tuesday, March 9, 2021. “Just a lot different, honestly,” Boone said before Sunday’s road game against the Toronto Blue Jays. “So I can’t like lift weights like I normally do but that will be hopefully a few more weeks. AdNOTES: Boone said INF-OF Miguel Andújar (sore right hand and wrist) and C Robinson Chirinos (broken right wrist) will both see a hand specialist on Monday. Andújar first felt discomfort taking a swing in a winter league game.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the heiress to the Publix Supermarket chain contributed about $300,000 to former President Donald Trump's rally that preceded the Jan. 6 riot on the Capitol. PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Publix supermarket heiress Julie Jenkins Fancelli contributed funding for former President Donald Trump’s rally just previous to the riot on the U.S. Capitol, according to the The Wall Street Journal. Jenkins Fancelli gave about $300,000 to the Jan. 6 event through a former fundraising representative for Trump’s campaign, the newspaper reported Saturday. “Her money paid for the lion’s share of the roughly $500,000 rally at the Ellipse where Mr. Trump spoke,” according to the newspaper. The money was acquired through a top fundraising official for the former president’s campaign, according to organizers.

“There is a pretty high bar that those that are objecting to the results will have to pass, but since I’m to sit there as basically a juror, I will sit as a juror and I’ll listen to the evidence and then I’ll make up my mind once I listen to the evidence,” he said. As of Friday, he said he hadn’t seen evidence that Biden shouldn’t be sworn in.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)NEW YORK Gerrit Cole could make his New York Yankees debut in a tasty opening-day treat for fans, facing Juan Soto and World Series champion Washington at Nationals Park. The Yankees and Nationals are set meet when the virus-delayed season begins next month, a person familiar with the game told The Associated Press on Saturday. He pitched the Houston Astros past the Nationals 7-1 last October for a 3-2 edge in the World Series. The Yankees and Nationals met twice this year, including New Yorks 6-3 win on March 12 on the final day before MLB stopped spring training because of the virus outbreak. The Yankees are hopeful that slugger Aaron Judge has fully recovered from a rib injury that bothered him during spring training in Florida.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Publix is expanding its open hours and will do away with senior hours in the morning. Starting Saturday, Publix stores will open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to the company’s website, and the pharmacy will return to regular operating hours. “Thank you for your patience over the past several weeks while we’ve operated under reduced hours,” Publix says on its website. “With our newly expanded hours, we will suspend reserved shopping hours. We do understand some customers prefer to shop when the stores are less crowded.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Investigators are searching for the driver involved in a Florida hit-and-run crash that left a 3-year-old boy dead over the weekend. The crash happened Sunday afternoon on a stretch of Interstate 4 between Orlando and Lakeland, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. A car with six occupants was traveling east on I-4 when another car hit it while changing lanes. The first car’s driver lost control, spun into the median and hit a guardrail, FHP said. The other car’s driver fled the scene.

Lakeland is our hometown, and Boca Raton was home to a former Publix GreenWise Market prototype until earlier this month, said Publix President Kevin Murphy in a news release. Our customers in these communities have been excited to see the difference between what theyve come to know about us and what weve created for them. Our teams are looking forward to sharing this new experience with everyone who comes through our doors.