FORT MEADE, Florida -- Former Bay News 9 morning show anchor Jennifer Holloway was arrested for DUI in Fort Meade Sunday night, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

A citizen called police to complain that a black Volvo was driving recklessly, according to the arrest...more affidavit. When a deputy responded to the scene, he saw the vehicle run off the shoulder of the road and travel approximately 20 feet before returning to the roadway.

Read: Jennifer Holloway's arrest report (PDF)

The sheriff's office says the driver, Holloway, had glassy eyes and smelled of alcohol. Holloway reportedly told deputies she had had three drinks and was trying to get home from a friend's house in Bradenton. According to the report, she also told deputies that her friend works for the St. Petersburg Police Department and asked them to let her just go home.

Deputies conducted a field sobriety test on Holloway, which she failed. They say she had a blood alcohol

Bartow, Florida-- The Bartow public library will show more movies in the month of May! 
Families are welcome to come and enjoy films for free, and refreshments for a small charge on May 19 at 2:30 p.m.
The movie title is subject to change, but as of now, they will show Born to be Wild, (G, 40 minutes) on May 19.

Bartow, Florida-- The Bartow Public Library offers a computer class for adults.
One takes place on Monday, May 14, and the other takes place on Monday, May 21. 
Both classes begin at 1 p.m. 
For more information, visit the City of Bartow website.

Bartow, Florida-- The Bartow Public Library offers a computer class for adults.
One takes place on Monday, May 14, and the other takes place on Monday, May 21. 
Both classes begin at 1 p.m. 
For more information, visit the City of Bartow website.

Bartow, FL -- He was Vice Mayor. Now you can just call him Mayor.
Leo Longworth has been elected to a one year term as Bartow's new city leader.
Longworth, according to his official city biography, was first elected in November 1995, and took office January 1996.
His current term...more as Seat No. 5 Commissioner is set to expire May 2014. 
When not performing his Mayoral duties, Mayor Longworth is the owner of a State Farm Insurance agency.
If you want to reach out to the new Mayor - here's his email address!
llongworth@cityofbartow.net

 
Polk County, Florida-- Have you been ripped off by 42-year-old Shawn Jordan, 42?  Jordan is currently in the Polk County Jail on charges ranging from Battery and Trespassing, to Grand Theft, and Fraud.
Seniors vs. Crime, a joint partnership between the Florida Attorney General’s...more Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Haines City Police Department, and senior citizen volunteers, has six listed complaints so far, and there may be others.    
They work with Seniors who may have been victimized by fraud or who have serious consumer complaints.  For more information on their complaints, or about Seniors Vs. Crime, call their Haines City office at 419-3701. 
Jordan’s scam isn’t new; he offered various home repair services to elderly or disabled victims with a request for payment up front, but then never returned to finish what he was paid to do.
Take a close look at his booking photo. If you’ve been scammed by Jordan, please call the PCSO at

Bartow, FL -- You never know what treasures you may uncover at the Bartow Antique Fair.
This weekend, Main Street Bartow is holding an Antique Fair from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. May 12 in the 300 and 400 blocks of East Main Street in downtown Bartow.
If you want to try to sell some of your...more priceless treasures, booth spaces for the fair are available for $15 each and can be reserved by contacting the Main Street Bartow office, (863) 519-0508.

Polk County, Florida-- Polk County Sheriff's detectives arrested John Robert Browning, 33, today after he attempted to get the Mosaic Corporation to pay him thousands of dollars for a digital media card he claimed stored incriminating photos.

According to the affidavit, Browning...more called the Mosaic office in Lithia on May 7, and told a legal secretary that he found a broken camera and that the media card inside had "1,137 pictures of Mosaic property with chemical spills and damaged property, that could cause damage to their reputation if the wrong entity possessed them." 

He told the secretary that he wanted a finder's fee to turn the card over.

Hamp Plowden, security superintendent for Mosaic, who is also a former full-time PCSO deputy sheriff and current Reserve Deputy Sheriff, called Browning and spoke with him two more times.

Browning asked Plowden for a "finder's fee" for the photos, and stated several times, "I am in this for the

Polk County, Florida-- 2012 graduation season is here. As this year’s graduates prepare to take the next step towards their future goals, we share in their excitement.

Students who earned their diplomas will be honored at graduation ceremonies throughout the months of May and June. To...more view a complete commencement schedule please visit this website.

The Mission of Polk County Public Schools is to ensure rigorous, relevant learning experiences that result in high achievement for our students.
The school district is the eighth largest in Florida and 31st largest in the United States.
Polk County Public Schools has 163 school sites and centers. More than 94,000 students are enrolled representing a diverse student body.

Bartow, FL -- You may have heard the phrase before - "What can't duct tape do?"
Well, chalk up another use!
In Bartow, on Thursday, May 10, the Duck Tape Club will help lead you through the steps of making a duct tape rose for your mother for Mother's Day.
The event is for kids...more ages 9 - 12.
It all takes place at 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. at the Bartow Public Library, 2150 South Broadway Avenue.
For more information, contact (863) 34-0131.

Polk County, Florida-- This Thursday, May 10,at Lakeland Police will join other local Police Departments, the Polk County Sheriff's Office, and State and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies in the 25th Annual Polk County Peace Officers' Memorial Service.
The event begins at 10 a.m. at...more Veterans Park on Lake Beulah.
Officer Arnulfo Crispin of the Lakeland Police Department died in the line of duty on December 21, 2011 while serving the citizens of Lakeland. He will be commemorated on the Polk County Law Enforcement Memorial.  
Members of the police department and Officers Crispin's family will be at the memorial to honor his service to his family, the Lakeland Police Department, and the community he served.
For more information on the schedule of events, please visit the Polk County Sheriff's website. 
 
 
 

 
Polk County, Florida-- New state-mandated high school graduation guidelines now require students who are taking Algebra I or Algebra I Honors to successfully pass the Algebra I End-of-Course (EOC) exam to receive a standard high school diploma.
For the next two weeks, ninth grade...more students and middle school students throughout the district will be taking the exam. Testing started Monday, May 7, and ends Friday, May 18.

For the last couple of months, teachers have been preparing students for the 60-65 question computerized test, a mixture of multiple choice and fill-in response questions. Students will be given 160 minutes to complete the assessment.

All students who are first-time ninth graders this academic school yea,r or middle school students, will be required to score at achievement Level 3, 4, or 5 on the Algebra I EOC Assessment.

Students who do not pass the Algebra I EOC cannot graduate from high school, even if all of the classroom

Polk County, Florida -- The Polk County Sheriff's Identity Task Force have arrested 19 people on charges of defrauding local taxpayers and the IRS of over $475,000.

Mug Shot Gallery: Polk tax fraud arrests

The investigation revealed 399 fraudulent identities and uncovered...more $475,995 that had been obtained by the IRS.

According to the sheriff's office, Tuesday's arrests were a continuation of a 2011 investigation that led to the Sept. 13, 2011 arrest of 41-year-old LPN Cathy McClain, of Winter Haven.

Police discovered McClain had been working with 30-year-old Derail Bess, of Davenport, providing him with 83 identities that belong to residents of Brandywyne Nursing Home.  Bess used 18 of the stolen identities to obtain over $87,000 from the IRS.

Bess was convicted and sentenced to 5 years in prison, 20 years probation and restitution. McClain has not yet been sentenced.

In addition to Bess and McClain, detectives recently arrested

Bartow, Florida -- Bartow Police have identified the woman killed in a hit-and-run May 5 along Highway 98 in Bartow as 62-year-old Shirley Radloff from Lakeland.

Police say Radloff was in Bartow for personal reasons during the day on Friday, but didn't say why she remained in Bartow...more to such a late hour. She was hit twice around 2 a.m. Saturday and detectives are still searching for the driver who initially hit her.

The investigation is still pending at this point and no further information has been released yet.

They are still asking anyone who may have witnessed the accident or with any other relevant information regarding the investigation to contact the police department at (863)534-5034.