Boy, 3, dies after accidental shooting inside vehicle in Polk County, deputies say

A 3-year-old boy died Thursday evening after shooting himself in the face with a handgun inside a vehicle at a Burger King in Bartow, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Polk County K9 Ace receives custom prosthetic leg after line-of-duty shooting

A retired Polk County K9 is running and playing once again after being fitted with a custom artificial limb following a line-of-duty shooting in August.

Bus driver hailed hero after fatal Polk County bus crash that killed 2, including high school student

A Polk County school bus driver is being hailed a hero following a head-on crash involving a Polk County school bus, a car and a Jeep. Two people lost their lives, including a 10th grade Winter Haven High School student, and dozens were hospitalized after the crash on Monday morning.

Video: Trooper stops accused drunk driver traveling wrong way in Polk County with kid in car

A woman accused of being drunk and driving in the wrong direction with a child in the backseat was arrested after a trooper performed a P.I.T. maneuver to disable her vehicle. 

K9 Ace becomes first canine patient saved by Tampa General Aeromed

K9 Ace is retiring at home after emergency air responders flew him to Manatee County veterinary hospital after he was shot by a suspect during a shootout in Polk County. 

Polk County K9 Ace's surgery paid for by Tampa couple's non-profit

A Tampa non-profit organization has stepped in to cover all medical expenses for a Polk County Sheriff's Office dog who had his leg amputated after being shot in the line of duty last week.

Polk County K9 shot: Suspect killed in Kathleen woods shootout

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd credits a K9, who was shot and critically injured by a suspect, with saving the lives of three deputies Thursday evening. 

Clearwater Beach ‘teen takeover’ shooting suspect arrested

A 16-year-old boy accused of shooting another teenager multiple times during a ‘teen takeover' on Clearwater Beach on Sunday has been arrested. 

Family of fallen Army Capt. Cody Khork launches ROTC scholarship at Florida Southern College

Before he was a captain serving his country overseas, Cody Khork was a student at Florida Southern College. He was a political science major, a fraternity brother, and a young man defined by a deep-seated heart for service.

How Florida farmers, landscapers are preparing for the cold

Florida is preparing for at least a three-day stretch of dangerously cold weather, where overnight temperatures will dip into the 20s and 30s. Add in the wind chill – and those temperatures will feel even colder, potentially as frigid as the single digits, forecasters say.

New report details deadly alligator attack at Lake Kissimmee State Park

A newly released report describes how a canoe startled an 11-foot alligator in shallow water, leading to a deadly attack on a woman at Lake Kissimmee State Park in May.

‘Super speeders’ arrested in Brevard, Polk counties after topping 110 mph, deputies say

Two drivers are facing charges in separate incidents in Brevard and Polk counties after deputies say they were caught traveling well over 100 mph during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Florida man wrongly jailed after deputies confuse him with suspect of similar name

A Jacksonville man spent nearly two weeks in jail and missed the birth of his child after deputies mistakenly arrested him in place of a suspect with a similar name, his attorneys said.