LAKELAND - Detectives on Sunday arrested four teenagers and a 21-year-old man in the fatal beating of a Lakeland bar owner that erupted after a fight over a football game, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said. ...more

January 13, 2008

A homeless man pretended to be a Tampa police officer Thursday night and ordered a Centro Ybor security guard to give him his gun before he attacked the guard with his fists, police said. ...more

January 11, 2008

Floyd Mayweather Jr. didn't need to dance to beat Ricky Hatton. His fists proved a lot more potent than his feet. ...more

December 9, 2007

AVON PARK — An Avon Park man received three jolts from a Taser on Sunday before he gave in to police commands to show his hands after a domestic squabble at his home, according to Avon Park police. ...more

December 6, 2007

Tampa's James Blake held off feisty Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3) Friday night to give the United States a 2-0 lead over Russia in the Davis Cup final. ...more

December 1, 2007

Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson had no doubt how his Commodores would react, even if many others did, following last week's disheartening loss to Georgia. ...more

October 21, 2007

Yorvit Torrealba can't hide his emotions. 'They just come out,' he said with a laugh. ...more

October 16, 2007

TAMPA – A half-dozen high school athletes are waiting to find out whether they'll be disciplined for a fight that broke out after a junior varsity football game between Alonso and Jefferson high schools Thursday night. ...more

October 5, 2007

SEBRING — Kids ruled the Heartland Idol stage on Thursday night. About 350 fans, the largest audience yet this year, saw two new 2007 Idol champions crowned. Stacy Jingst, 17, took the teen idol title with a rousing rendition of "God Bless the USA" and 12-year-old Christopher Hawthorne picked up the top Junior Idol spot after singing the Stevie Wonder tune, "Superstition." Judge Rooter Rush told lead-off teen singer Lindsey Varis, 16, that none of the following four finalists could top her perfect score and said he happily anticipated the upcoming attempts. Judges gushed often about quality of entertainment as 10 finalists performed for the huge crowd. ...more

September 29, 2007

Several hundred mourners gathered in a cavernous church Friday evening to celebrate a girl who danced in the rain, lit up a room and died too soon. Raquel Carreras, killed in an auto accident one week ago, was remembered by family and friends as an eternally cheerful and energetic 14-year-old who made friends by the dozens and who will not be easily forgotten by them. ...more

September 21, 2007