Winter Haven, FL news and local guide

BusinessOrlando, FLOrlandosentinel

Parade of Homes Orlando returns with 60 properties on display

From DeLand to Winter Haven, dozens of Central Florida homes will be open to the public through May 17 as part of the 73rd annual Parade of Homes Orlando.

Public SafetyFox13News

Lakeland man accused of beating driver with hammer during road rage: 'Violent and brutal'

A Lakeland man was booked on multiple felony charges after deputies say he brutally attacked another driver with a hammer during a road rage incident in Wint...

PoliticsTampa, FLWTSP 10 Tampa Bay

Pennsylvania man arrested for making threats to Winter Haven woman in online relationship, police say

In one message, the suspect told the woman, “I hate cheaters and if you cheat on me, I’ll shoot you,” police say.

PoliticsTampa, FLWTSP 10 Tampa Bay

Winter Haven man, on probation, arrested after flashing gun at recreation and cultural center

Police arrested a 20-year-old man on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly flashed a gun at a mother and son.

Local NewsFox13News

Polk County commissioner and former NASCAR driver Rick Wilson reflects on Kyle Busch's racing legacy

Fans of Kyle Busch are reacting to the tragic and shocking news of his death across Central Florida.

CrimeThe Smoking Gun

Man Celebrates Wedding By Getting Arrested For Soliciting Hooker On His Honeymoon

Meet Mohammed Ahmed. The 21-year-old was one of scores of men arrested in a prostitution sweep conducted last week by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in F...

Public SafetyWTSP 10 Tampa Bay

20-year-old hospitalized after crash in Polk County

Troopers say the 20-year-old was on his way home from college for Mother's Day when the crash happened.

Public SafetyWTSP 10 Tampa Bay

Pilot walks away uninjured after small plane flips over during emergency landing in Polk County

The plane was experiencing engine trouble shortly after taking off from South Lakeland Airport in Mulberry, officials say.

CrimeTampa, FLWTSP 10 Tampa Bay

Polk County deputies still searching for hit-and-run driver who left 59-year-old man dead in 2019

REST IN PEACE 🙏 On May 6, 2019, Ramond Johnson was killed while riding his bicycle in Lake Wales. Seven years later, deputies continue searching for a sus...

Local NewsCBS12 News

$1 lottery ticket turns into $2 million jackpot for Florida man A Polk County man is celebrating a big lott...

$1 lottery ticket turns into $2 million jackpot for Florida man A Polk County man is celebrating a big lottery win after turning a $1 ticket into a $2 millio...

Public SafetyTampabay

Zip-tied iguanas? Florida troopers say they found 13 of them in man’s truck

  . Iguanas zip-tied like criminals were found in a trailer in Polk County Thursday morning. [ Florida Highway Patrol ]Chris Tisch is the senior news ed...

CrimeLocal10

Community ‘Santa Claus’ among 19 arrested in Polk County child predator sting

Polk County arrested more than a dozen men in a child predator sting -- including a Florida man known in the community as Santa Claus.

CrimeNews4Jax

‘Santa Claus’ arrested in Central Florida child sex sting, sheriff says

On Wednesday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd took to the podium to announce the results of a recent undercover sting — including the arrest of a local “S...

Public SafetyFort Myers, FLNBC2 Southwest Florida

Fort Myers woman accused of holding child underwater at Central Florida hotel pool pleads no contest

Tiffany Griffith, a Fort Myers woman accused of holding a 6-year-old child underwater at a hotel pool in Kissimmee, has pleaded no contest to a child abuse c...

PoliticsTampa, FLTampa Bay Times

Family matters for international students facing restrictive immigration rules

  . Arshia Esmaeilian poses for a photo with University of South Florida President Moez Limayem during the commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 9, 2026...

OpinionTampa, FLTampa Bay Times

618 dead walkers. What’s Tampa Bay’s excuse? | Column• Viewpoints comment

The Tampa Bay area and five other Florida metro areas are once again among the worst in the country for pedestrians.

PoliticsGraham, FLTampa Bay Times

I used to make fun of Bob Graham’s notebook habit. Now I log every meal and mile • Viewpoints comment

Turns out the former Florida governor was onto something with his meticulous records of daily life.

Public SafetyPalm Beach, FLSun Sentinel

10 South Florida restaurants that permanently closed (or are closing): Spring 2026 edition

EntertainmentFort Lauderdale, FLSun Sentinel

‘Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel’ isn’t leaving South Florida just yet — blockbuster exhibit extended

"Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition" at Galleria Fort Lauderdale, 2414 E. Sunrise Blvd., has been extended through July 12.

PoliticsSun Sentinel

DeSantis, Florida Cabinet OK $90 million for immigration enforcement

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet on Tuesday approved $90 million in grants for local law enforcement agencies for items related to enforcement of illegal im...

WeatherOrlando, FLOrlandosentinel

‘Free Izzy’: Orlando resident fights for release from ICE detention in Pennsylvania

Aly, a 40-year-old green card applicant and a former University of Central Florida student, was arrested Dec. 23 after arriving at Philadelphia International...

Local GovernmentHomestead, FLOrlandosentinel

Seminole commissioners warn of severe cuts in services if tax referendum approved

Seminole County commissioners commented for the first time on a referendum Florida voters will face on the Nov. 3 ballot that would drastically reduce the ho...

BusinessNola

Florida Panhandle shark attacks leave 2 injured, 1 Navy base worker in critical condition

Two shark attacks over three days leave a fisherman and Navy worker injured, with the navy worker’s arms being mauled. Experts say shark attacks are rare i...

PoliticsWesh

Woman files lawsuit for emotional distress, 'humiliation' against FHP after wrongful arrest

Lindsey Brooke Isaacs has filed a lawsuit against the Florida Highway Patrol following her wrongful arrest in a deadly hit-and-run that killed three people.

CrimeWesh

Appeal filed for man awaiting execution for Orange County murder

Dusty Ray Spencer, convicted of murdering his wife in Orange County in 1992, has filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Supreme Court as his execution date...

Local NewsWesh

'Tired and sunburned and hungry:' Boaters make it home after going missing off Florida coast

It was a team effort to safely rescue two boaters who went missing for more than a day at sea off the Central Florida coast.

CrimeLocal10

Man faces DUI manslaughter charge for crash that killed friend on I-95

A South Florida man is facing serious charges after police said he caused a crash that resulted in the death of his passenger.

CrimeLocal10

Arrest made in murder of South Florida insurance executive in midst of whistleblower suit

Authorities have made an arrest in the murder of a South Florida businessman. Arman Motiwalla, 37, of Plantation, was a successful insurance executive and fa...

CrimeFort Pierce, FLLocal10

‘Using the bathroom in a bucket’: Florida pastor neglected 5 children left under her care, cops say

A Fort Pierce pastor is behind bars, facing five felony charges of child neglect.

SportsMarietta Daily Journal

Miles Russell qualifies for the US Open at age 17 with Tiger Woods' son on the bag

Top junior Miles Russell is headed to his first U.S. Open. He got the last spot in a Florida qualifier with the son of Tiger Woods caddying for him. Russell

Public SafetyFort Myers, FLWINK News

Southwest Florida

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—A watchdog group says state lawmakers are wasting $830 million in this year

Local NewsFort Myers, FLWINK News

WINK Stop

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — The world's biggest soccer tournament is kicking off, and one Fort Myers hotspot is inviting Southwest Florida fans to join the p...