INSIDER
‘We feared this might be a copycat’: Teen arrested in threat of Polk County high school day after shooting in Georgia
Read full article: ‘We feared this might be a copycat’: Teen arrested in threat of Polk County high school day after shooting in GeorgiaA Florida teen is accused of threatening to shoot up a school just a day after a shooting at a Georgia high school.
Jacksonville woman killed, children among 3 injured in crash near Davenport, sheriff’s office says
Read full article: Jacksonville woman killed, children among 3 injured in crash near Davenport, sheriff’s office saysA Jacksonville woman was killed and her two children were among three others hurt in a single-vehicle crash Friday evening near Davenport, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Floodwaters start receding around Houston area as recovery begins following rescues and evacuations
Read full article: Floodwaters start receding around Houston area as recovery begins following rescues and evacuationsFloodwaters in the Houston area and parts of Southeast Texas are starting to recede, allowing residents to begin returning to their homes and assess damages after days of heavy rainfall.
UF pre-med student stabs mom to death in Polk County because ‘she got on my nerves,’ sheriff says
Read full article: UF pre-med student stabs mom to death in Polk County because ‘she got on my nerves,’ sheriff saysA 21-year-old college student is charged with first-degree murder after Florida authorities say he drove to his mother’s home and stabbed her multiple times because she got on his nerves.
St. Johns County church leader gets unwanted attention after man with same name, similar truck arrested in Florida
Read full article: St. Johns County church leader gets unwanted attention after man with same name, similar truck arrested in FloridaA St. Johns County man said he’s been inundated with calls and messages by people asking if he’d been arrested and accused of pointing a gun at a Highway Patrol Trooper in Polk County.
Gov. DeSantis announces plans to expedite 20 major road projects across Florida
Read full article: Gov. DeSantis announces plans to expedite 20 major road projects across FloridaFlorida 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.
Woman dies in test drive crash outside Florida car lot
Read full article: Woman dies in test drive crash outside Florida car lotSheriff'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.
Florida judge awards nearly $35 million in improper HOA fees
Read full article: Florida judge awards nearly $35 million in improper HOA feesResidents 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.
Ex-Marine held without bond in shooting of Florida family
Read full article: Ex-Marine held without bond in shooting of Florida familyA 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
Read full article: Florida gunman killed 4, including mom still holding babyA 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
Read full article: Florida gunman killed 4, including mom still holding babyA 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.
Ready to pay more? DeSantis signs online sales tax law
Read full article: Ready to pay more? DeSantis signs online sales tax lawGov. 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
Read full article: COVID-19 hospitalizations top 6,000 in FloridaTALLAHASSEE, 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
Read full article: Former neighbors organize vigil for slain Putnam County boysPOLK 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
Read full article: Florida sheriff: $30,000 reward offered in triple homicideFROSTPROOF, 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
Read full article: 3 friends slain while preparing to fish at Florida lakeThree 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
Read full article: Florida motorcycle officer killed in crashLAKELAND, 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
Read full article: Disney security guard arrives naked to Florida prostitution stingPOLK 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.