Polk County Local News Roundup for Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Rick Wilson, Kelly Quinn, Kate Wallace, Sarah Corona, Victor Sims, Kay Fields, Sam Neelam, Justin Sharpless, and Kasen Hampton are all on your ballot in six days. Tonight, at a hangar at Sun ‘n Fun, you can stand in a room with candidates and ask them anything you want. Early voting ends Saturday. Grab your cup of The Citrus Tea News. This one has some good news in it.
Fourteen Races, One Hangar, Tonight at Six in Lakeland
Politics in the Park returns tonight at the Skylight Hangar at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, hosted by the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Orlando Health Watson Clinic and Lakeland Highlands Hospital. The candidate forum runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m., followed by community networking until 8. The public portion is free.
The event is nonpartisan and covers candidates in 14 local, legislative and statewide races ahead of the Aug. 18 primary. Attendees can take part in a nonbinding straw poll conducted on site by local election staff.
If you have been meaning to ask a school board candidate what they actually think about anything, tonight is when you get to do it in person at this meet and greet.
Polk County School Board Elections
Three Polk County School Board seats are up, and all school board races are nonpartisan and decided countywide. In District 3, incumbent Kate Wallace, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in November 2025, faces Sarah Corona, CEO of Florida Behavioral Medicine, and Victor Sims, a senior program officer and Polk State College graduate. It is the only three-way race on the ballot, and if no one clears 50%, the top two go to a runoff in November. In District 5, six-term incumbent Kay Fields faces Sumanth “Sam” Neelam, a technology executive and Florida Polytechnic University trustee. In District 6, board chair Justin Sharpless faces Kasen Hampton. District 7 incumbent Lisa Miller drew no opponent and was reelected by default, so that seat is not on the ballot.
Three Days Left to Vote Early in Polk County
Early voting runs through Saturday, Aug. 15, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 10 locations countywide. During early voting, you can cast a ballot at any site. After Saturday, voters must go to their assigned precinct on Election Day, when polls run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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County Commission and 10th Judicial Circuit Elections
Every registered Polk County voter, regardless of party, can vote in six races on Aug. 18. Here is who is in them.
County Commission District 2 is a universal primary between incumbent Rick Wilson and challenger Kelly Quinn. Both are registered Republicans and no Democrat filed, which is exactly why the race opens to every voter in the county. Whoever wins on Aug. 18 wins the seat. There is no November rematch. The district covers southern Polk County, including parts of Mulberry, Bartow, Lake Wales, Fort Meade and Frostproof, but the vote is countywide.
Two open seats on the 10th Judicial Circuit Court are also on every ballot. Lakeisha Latoya Babers faces Chris P. Spath, and Andrea DeMichael faces Candice Dixon. The 10th Circuit covers Polk, Hardee and Highlands counties. Six sitting circuit judges and all three Polk County judges were unopposed and will not appear.
Early voting sites include the Polk Street Community Center in Bartow, the Polk County Sheriff’s Northeast District Office in Davenport, the Haines City Public Library, the Northeast Polk Government Center in Lake Alfred, the Lake Wales Family Recreation Center, the Polk County Government Center and Simpson Park Community Center in Lakeland, the Mulberry Civic Center, the Poinciana Community Fitness Center and Nora Mayo Hall in Winter Haven. Full addresses are in our early voting guide.
Florida is a closed primary state, so registered Democrats and Republicans vote their own party’s contests for governor and other partisan offices.
Roughly a quarter of Polk County voters are registered with no party affiliation, and they are not shut out. Every NPA voter can still vote in all six races listed above.
The deadline to request a mail ballot passed Aug. 6. Voted mail ballots must reach the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not count. You can drop a voted ballot at any early voting site during voting hours, or at Election Headquarters in Bartow or the Election Operations Center in Winter Haven on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
K9 Ace Is Home in Polk County After Losing a Leg
K9 Ace is out of the hospital and back home with his handler, Deputy Natalie Oestreich.
The 7-year-old Polk County Sheriff’s Office K9 was shot in the chest Aug. 6 during an attempted arrest in the woods off Rushing Road in Kathleen. Sheriff Grady Judd said the bullet exited through Ace’s left shoulder, shattering his front leg and clipping the brachial artery. Ace was stabilized at Parkway Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Lakeland, then airlifted by Tampa General’s Aeromed helicopter to the Veterinary Medical Center at Lakewood Ranch in Manatee County.
Surgeons could not save the leg. It was amputated Aug. 7. Ace has been released and is now retired.
Steve and Mary Anne Wiltse of Tampa, who founded the Wiltse Family Foundation in 2019 to support first responders, covered the entire cost of Ace’s medical care. They also committed to paying for the K9 who will replace him.
Polk Sheriff’s Charities, Inc. has a K9 Fund for anyone who wants to help with ongoing care, at polksheriff.org/donate by selecting K9 from the dropdown.
Judd credited Ace with saving the lives of the three deputies who walked into those woods with him. The suspect, 27-year-old Angel Bowers, died at the scene. The 10th Judicial Circuit Officer-Involved Deadly Incident Task Force investigation is ongoing.
Lakeland School Zone Cameras Are Not Warning You Anymore
Lakeland’s 14 school zone speed cameras began issuing real citations Tuesday, Aug. 11, the first day of the school year. The warning period is over.
Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said the department reviews and approves every violation before a citation goes out, and that drivers who obey the limit will never receive one. The cameras are part of Lakeland’s Vision Zero initiative. Roughly 8,000 warning notices went out during the grace period.
Drivers traveling more than 10 mph over the posted school zone limit while the flashing lights are active get a $100 civil penalty mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner. The cameras sit near eight school entrances: Lincoln Academy on 10th Street, North Lakeland Elementary on West Robson Street, Lakeland High School on Hollingsworth Road, Lakeland Highlands Middle on Lake Miriam Drive, Sleepy Hill Elementary on Sleepy Hill Road, Crystal Lake Elementary and Crystal Lake Middle on Crystal Lake Drive, and the Beacon Road corridor serving Dixieland Elementary, Southwest Elementary and Southwest Middle.
Polk Health Care Plan Income Limit Jumps to 300% of Federal Poverty Level
This one deserved more attention than it got. On July 21, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners raised the income cap for the Polk HealthCare Plan from 200% to 300% of the federal poverty level, and streamlined the application while they were at it.
In practical terms, that moves the ceiling for a family of four to roughly $99,000. WMNF reported the change could open the door for nearly 19,000 additional residents.
Polk County Health and Human Services Administrator Joy Johnson said the increase is meant to adapt to changing economic conditions, pointing to rising living costs, inflation, Medicaid changes and the expiration of Affordable Care Act marketplace subsidies. Medicaid enrollment in Polk County has fallen from 202,020 in June 2024 to 186,518. Over the same stretch, average monthly membership in the county plan rose from about 5,600 to 5,900.
About 15% of Polk County residents under 65 are uninsured. Johnson said many working residents assume they earn too much to qualify and never apply. The plan connects members to primary care, specialty care, behavioral health, urgent care, emergency services and prescriptions through a network of roughly 800 local providers. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents, have no other coverage or premiums costing 9.12% or more of household income, and meet the income guidelines. Details are at polkhealthcareplan.net.
If you or someone you know went without healthcare because income was over the limit, it’s time to check again.
A Free Seminar in Winter Haven
Polk County is hosting a free environmental seminar on hazardous materials and waste management from 10 a.m. to noon Monday, Aug. 24, at the Polk County Emergency Operations Center, 1890 Jim Keene Blvd. in Winter Haven. It is open to government facilities and to businesses of any size that manufacture, use, or store hazardous materials, and covers federal and state regulations, generator categories, recordkeeping, and workplace safety. Registration is by email through the county. POLK COUNTY WEATHER
Weather Forecast
Weather is exactly what August in Polk County always is. Highs near 93 today with about a 35% chance of rain, climbing to 95 by Saturday. Friday looks wettest at roughly 70%, worth knowing if Friday was your plan for early voting.
So, get out there and Go vote before Saturday. Slow down in the school zones. Put on some sunscreen and get out to community events, because Great things are happening right here in Polk County.
This is what local journalism looks like. Follow The Citrus Tea on Facebook.com/thecitrustea for more Polk County coverage, or subscribe to The Citrus Tea News Weekly at thecitrustea.com/subscribe
The Citrus Tea News does not endorse candidates and reports on all races without partisan preference. We accept paid political advertising, which is clearly labeled and offered to every candidate in a race at the same rates. Advertising has no influence on our coverage. School Board District 5 candidate Sam Neelam is a current advertiser with The Citrus Tea News.
Sources: “What’s On Your August Ballot? A Polk County Voter’s Guide To The 2026 Primary,” The Citrus Tea, thecitrustea.com, June 24, 2026; “Meet The Candidates: Polk County’s 2026 School Board Races,” The Citrus Tea, thecitrustea.com, June 25, 2026; “Polk County School Board Candidates on the Record: Forum Coverage and Full Questionnaire Responses,” The Citrus Tea, thecitrustea.com, July 31, 2026; “Polk County Commission District 2 Candidates Split on Growth, Water and Data Centers,” The Citrus Tea, thecitrustea.com, August 6, 2026; 2026 Primary Election, Polk County Supervisor of Elections, polkelections.gov; “Income Limit Increase for Polk HealthCare Plan Eligibility,” Polk County Government, polkfl.gov, July 23, 2026; “Polk County to Host Free Environmental Seminar on Hazardous Materials, Waste Management,” Polk County Government, polkfl.gov, August 10, 2026; Eligibility and Requirements, Polk HealthCare Plan, polkhealthcareplan.net; Lakeland School Zone Speed Safety Program, City of Lakeland, lakelandgov.net; Polk County Sheriff’s Office, polksheriff.org; “Ballot Set for August Election,” LkldNow, lkldnow.com, June 12, 2026; “Politics in the Park Returns to Connect Voters to Candidates,” LkldNow, lkldnow.com, August 6, 2026; “Lakeland’s School-Zone Cameras To Begin Issuing Citations Aug. 11,” LkldNow, lkldnow.com; “A Lifeline for the Middle: Polk HealthCare Plan Opens Doors to Thousands More,” LkldNow, lkldnow.com; “Here’s Who Is Running for Polk County School Board in 2026,” The Ledger, theledger.com, June 12, 2026; “Meet the Candidates for Polk County School Board District 3,” WUSF, wusf.org, July 28, 2026; “Polk County K9 Ace’s Surgery Paid For by Tampa Couple’s Non-Profit,” FOX 13 Tampa Bay, fox13news.com, August 10, 2026; “Polk County K9’s Leg Amputated After Shootout in Woods, Forced to Retire,” FOX 13 Tampa Bay, fox13news.com, August 7, 2026; “Polk County Expands Income Eligibility for Its Free Healthcare Plan,” WUSF, wusf.org, July 29, 2026; “More People Are Now Eligible for Polk County’s Health Care Plan,” WMNF 88.5 FM, wmnf.org
