A Winter Haven man was spared the death penalty Thursday for his role in the 2006 slaying of a Polk County drug dealer. ...more

March 6, 2009

One of five Polk County teens accused of beating a classmate last March was sentenced this morning to one year of probation. Britney Mayes was sentenced as a juvenile by Circuit Judge Keith Spoto at the Polk County courthouse in Bartow. ...more

March 5, 2009

Five teens accused in the videotaped beating of a Polk County cheerleader were due in court today but attorneys asked the judge to continue the proceeding until Nov. 18. Mercades Nichols, 17, Brittini Hardcastle, 17, April Cooper, 14, Britney Mayes, 17, and Kayla Hassell, 15, were scheduled for pretrial hearings this morning at the Polk County courthouse in Bartow. Their attorneys told Judge Keith Spoto they needed to delay the proceeding because of depositions set for later this month. The judge granted the requests. ...more

October 7, 2008

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in an occasional series profiling South Shore residents. ...more

June 11, 2008

In her first year as coach of the Lennard Longhorns' junior varsity cheerleading squad, Andria Ward is impressed by her team's ability and enthusiasm. ...more

October 17, 2007

He grew up in Polk County, playing for a youth football team called the Buccaneers, working his way into primary ball-carrying duties as a sophomore at Mulberry High School. His long-term dream was to start in Florida State's backfield. ...more

October 13, 2007