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Associated PressSeptember 16, 2016

A phosphate company says more than 200 million gallons of contaminated waste water from a fertilizer plant in central Florida leaked into one of the state’s main underground sources of drinking water after a massive sinkhole opened up beneath a storage pond. Mosaic, the world’s largest supplier of phosphate, said the hole opened up beneath […]

Bill RuftySeptember 4, 2016

Polk County will likely never return to the Democratic bastion that was home to four U.S. senators, three governors, and four presidents of the Florida Senate. But from Tuesday’s primaries and the fielding of candidates for the Nov. 8 general elections, Polk Democrats are slowly learning to make the now-GOP bastion a two-party county again. There […]

Scott PowersJuly 26, 2016

This year, Central Florida voters have an unprecedented diversity of candidates to pick from for the region’s five congressional districts, and at least one, probably two, and possibly more heterosexual-white-male dynasties will fall. Straight, white, male members of Congress have always held the congressional seats in Florida’s 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Congressional Districts. […]

Mitch PerryJuly 15, 2016

Florida’s primary election takes place Tuesday, Aug. 30, but early voting will begin days, or in some cases weeks, earlier, depending on where you live in the Sunshine State. Here are the dates and some starting times for Florida’s largest counties. In Miami-Dade, Duval, Hillsborough and Palm Beach counties, early voting takes place for the maximum 14 days, Monday, Aug. […]

Drew WilsonMay 12, 2016

A Polk County Democrat announced this week that she will run against Lakeland Republican Sen. Kelli Stargel in the newly redrawn Senate District 22. Former Polk County School Board member Debra Wright made the announcement Monday during the Open House at the Democratic Headquarters in Haines City, During the same meeting she earned the support […]

Bill RuftyMarch 30, 2016

David Charles Poulin, a Lakeland Democrat, recently opened a campaign account for Florida House District 56, occupied by Wauchula Republican Ben Albritton, who is seeking his fourth two-year term to the seat. Poulin’s entry means all five House seats in or including parts of Polk County now have Democrats running in them. That hasn’t happened […]

Bill RuftyMarch 11, 2016

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Motorists nearly always complain about the traffic on Interstate 4, but in the last two days with the Democratic and Republican primaries Tuesday, many on the crowded highway have been presidential candidates. On the Democratic side, both former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders worked Orlando, Kissimmee and Tampa Wednesday and Thursday. […]

Associated PressMarch 9, 2016

Florida health officials say they’ve confirmed the first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus in the state. Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong‘s office announced Wednesday that two new cases of Zika had been confirmed in Polk County. Officials say one instance was travel-related and, in the other case, the virus was sexually transmitted from […]

Bill RuftyMarch 8, 2016

A fourth two-year term in Congress is what U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, a Lakeland Republican, is wishing for. On Thursday, Ross, 56, made his official announcement for the post in the three counties of his 15th Congressional District after redistricting orders from the Florida Supreme Court, warning of terrorism and the national debt. “Our work is […]

Drew WilsonJanuary 20, 2016

Ed Smith has gathered enough petition signatures to qualify for the House District 41 race, the Bartow Republican announced Wednesday. “The campaign has got momentum,” Smith said. “I thank everyone who signed a card for me and I have enjoyed meeting new friends along the way.” The former Winter Haven police officer is the first […]

Tag: polk county
Image via AP.

Sinkhole leaks fertilizer plant’s water into Florida aquifer

Bill Rufty: Polk becoming a two-Party county?

Straight, white, male dynasties falling in Central Florida congressional districts

Early voting for Florida’s Aug. 30 primary depends on where you live

Kelli Stargel draws Polk County Democrat challenger in SD 22 race

Democrats becoming challengers on I-4 again?

I-4 heavy with traffic … of presidential candidates

Florida reports 1st case of sexually transmitted Zika virus

Dennis Ross makes official announcement; running for fourth term

Ed Smith submits enough signatures to qualify for HD 41 race