PLANT CITY

Visitors from around the world come to the market for the strawberry shortcake.

Ron DeSantis gave strawberry shortcake that honor at the Strawberry Festival in Plant City. READ: Florida gas prices climb to new recordsDeSantis signed Senate Bill 1006, designating strawberry shortcake with natural Florida dairy topping as the state’s official dessert. Ron DeSantis made strawberry shortcake Florida's official dessert at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City. READ: Happening Tuesday: Florida Senate to vote on controversial Parental Rights in Education billFlorida strawberry farmers produce 75% of the winter strawberry crop in the United States. Strawberry shortcake will, however, have to share the spotlight with the key lime pie — the state’s official pie.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is holding a news conference at the Florida Strawberry Festival.

The Florida Strawberry Festival kicks off 11 days of fun on Thursday with concerts, rides and lots of new food for guests to enjoy.

For 11 straight days, the strawberry will be celebrated.

If you bought a Florida Lotto ticket in Plant City last year, check your ticket.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is assessing the impact recent freezing temperatures had on the state’s agricultural industry.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order Wednesday declaring a state of emergency in 30 counties where agriculture was hit hard by a cold front in late January.

The Florida Highway Patrol says at least seven cars struck and killed a 48-year-old man as he walked across Interstate 4.

Florida Weather Ice clings to a strawberry in a field Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, in Plant City, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (Chris O'Meara)ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — (AP) — A cold snap in Florida is different than in other places. We put on heavy coats when it's 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). When it gets cold, below 40 degrees Fahrenheit about 4 degrees Celsius), they go into a sort of suspended animation mode. Yet the unseasonably cold weather in Florida prompted one church on the Gulf of Mexico side of the state to rethink how it would welcome parishioners and visitors.

Florida Weather Ice clings to a strawberry in a field Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, in Plant City, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (Chris O'Meara)ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — (AP) — A cold snap in Florida is different than in other places. We put on heavy coats when it's 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). When it gets cold, below 40 degrees Fahrenheit about 4 degrees Celsius), they go into a sort of suspended animation mode. Yet the unseasonably cold weather in Florida prompted one church on the Gulf of Mexico side of the state to rethink how it would welcome parishioners and visitors.

Florida Weather Ice clings to a strawberry in a field Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, in Plant City, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (Chris O'Meara)ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — (AP) — A cold snap in Florida is different than in other places. We put on heavy coats when it's 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). When it gets cold, below 40 degrees Fahrenheit about 4 degrees Celsius), they go into a sort of suspended animation mode. Yet the unseasonably cold weather in Florida prompted one church on the Gulf of Mexico side of the state to rethink how it would welcome parishioners and visitors.

People who want to pay tribute to Florida while finishing up a meal might have to order two desserts.

Florida man wins $1M lottery prize: 'I haven't even told my wife yet' Plant City resident Joseph Bozeman, 36, bought a scratch-off ticket for the Florida Lottery's new 50X the Cash game during a recent stop at Walden Lake Food Mart. (Florida Lottery)PLANT CITY, Fla. — A Florida woman was in for the surprise of her life after her husband won a $1 million lottery prize. “I haven’t even told my wife yet,” Bozeman, who claimed an $820,000 lump-sum payment, said in a statement. 🚨 Joseph Bozeman of #PlantCity just claimed the FIRST $1 million top prize from the new 50X THE CASH Scratch-Off game! 💰https://t.co/miLQzijcrB pic.twitter.com/J1O48feAxl — Florida Lottery (@floridalottery) January 25, 2022The convenience store also scored a $2,000 bonus for selling Bozeman his $5 ticket for the game, which launched Jan. 17, the lottery said.

What's the first dessert you think of when you think of Florida? No, not that one. No, not that one either. If you made your...

The homeowners in Orange County will receive about $700 per healthy tree destroyed as part of an order issued in state court in Orlando last month. While unharmful to humans, citrus canker can cause the leaves and fruit of citrus trees to drop prematurely and create unappealing lesions on the fruit. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services had argued that the homeowners' trees were a public nuisance and didn't have value worth compensating. As compensation, the state in the 2000s offered Florida homeowners $100 Walmart gift cards for their first destroyed tree and $55 for each additional tree. The Florida Legislature approved payments for the Orange County homeowners last year.

Sixteen years after their legal battle began, about 18,000 homeowners in central Florida will be paid more than $42 million collectively by Florida’s agriculture agency for destroying their citrus trees during a state effort to eradicate a harmful citrus disease.

Florida already has an official state pie — key lime — but might soon designate strawberry shortcake as the official state dessert.

The music lineup for the 2022 Strawberry Festival in Plant City is here, and it includes a wide range of country stars, R&B, oldies, and...

Florida woman arrested Sally Jo "Sajo" Davis is accused of stealing a Bentley sedan from a parking garage. (Clearwater Police Department )A Florida woman is accused of stealing a Bentley sedan worth about $200,000, authorities said. According to the Clearwater Police Department, Davis entered a gated condominium in Clearwater Beach by following a resident’s vehicle into the parking garage while the gate was open, WFLA reported. According to police, Davis entered a penthouse suite through an unlocked door and took the keys to the Bentley. Davis then found the luxury vehicle in the parking garage and allegedly drove it to her home, according to WFLA.

An 18-year-old from Plant City is in the Polk County Jail after turning himself in at a Polk County Sheriff’s Office substation, hours after he hit a a pedestrian in Mulberry and then fled the scene, deputies said.

Alligator on patio A Florida family was surprised when they found a 9-foot alligator on the back patio of their home. (Bob D'Angelo/Cox Media Group)PLANT CITY, Fla. — A Florida family had an unwelcome visitor knocking at the back patio of their home Tuesday – a 9-foot alligator. I was thinking it was probably his tail that was moving backwards and forward hitting the door,” Mark Pomfret told WFLA. Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrived and safely removed the alligator, according to the television station. KNOCK, KNOCK🐊 on June 1, a Plant City family woke up to a knock on their sliding glass doors from a GATOR.

A banging noise woke up Mark and Peggy Pomfret at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.

A Florida man went from living in his car with his son to making popular videos on YouTube.

Plant City Police are looking for the man who stole a car containing vials of a COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday. The man was able to take the car because the keys were left in the ignition, records show. The vaccine was supposed to be distributed at the Plant City vaccination site, which is at the Strawberry Festival Grounds. Surveillance video shows person of interest in stolen vaccine case, police say (Copyright 2021 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.) A nationwide alert has been put out to help find the stolen car, according to the release.

Law enforcement officials are continuing an investigation into a Sheriff's Office pursuit and crash in Ocala in which a Plant City man was killed early Monday morning. James C. Brown, 40, died following in the crash, which occurred at 12:33 a.m. near the intersection of South Pine Avenue and Southwest 17th Street, according to the Ocala Police Department. The driver, Michael Edward Taylor, 50, of Polk City, got out and was detained by a deputy. Taylor told the arresting deputy his license is suspended for failure to pay child support, according to MCSO. Taylor faces charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing and eluding law enforcement officials, and driving on a suspended drivers license, according to the arrest report.

More than 50 breweries, hundreds of labels and it's all happening in Orlando this weekend. - LINK WOW!!! - LINK On the screens in Orlando this weekend...Ford V Ferrari. Our small but mighty local team works tirelessly to bring you high-quality, uncensored news and cultural coverage of Central Florida. Whether it's a one-time acknowledgement of this article or an ongoing pledge, your support helps keep Orlandos true free press

Published: November 14, 2019, 10:51 am Updated: November 18, 2019, 8:23 amThere are 11 days of strawberries and music coming to Florida. The 85th annual Florida Strawberry Festival announced its 2020 concert lineup which includes country-music favorites Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sara Evans, Josh Turner, Eli Young Band and more. Floridians can head to Plant City to enjoy their fair share of strawberries and live music from Feb. 27 to March 8, 2020Festival-goers can get their hands on fresh strawberries, strawberry shortcake, strawberry shortcake milkshakes, strawberry coated nuts, chocolate-dipped strawberries, strawberry pie and cheesecake, strawberry pizza and more. Concert tickets are additional. The Oak Ridge Boys7:30 p.m. Rascal FlattsFriday, February 283:30 p.m. Tommy James & The Shondells7:30 p.m. Michael RaySaturday, February 293:30 p.m.

click to enlarge photos by Seth Kuberskyclick to enlarge photos by Seth Kuberskyclick to enlarge photos by Seth Kuberskyclick to enlarge photos by Seth Kuberskyclick to enlarge photos by Seth KuberskyThe final weekend before Halloween is here, and hard-core haunted house fans are still seeking one last scare before the season ends. Have you already exhausted the intellectual properties at Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights , and engaged with the interactive spirits at Dark Horizon ? Then it's high time for you to brave the trip down I-4 to, the most frightening haunt we found in Central Florida this year. Ominous Descent is located in Plant City at Sir Henry's Haunted Trail , which took in the fledgling haunt during its first year when a 2017 storm destroyed their original intended location . But Ominous Descent isn't only about blood and guts; there are also some truly awe-inspiring aesthetic touches, like a laser-lit fog swamp that conceals an applause-worthy saurian surprise.Ominous Descent and the two Sir Henry's Trails (2837 S. Frontage Road, Plant City) are open 7:30-11 p.m. on Oct. 25 & 26, and 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on Oct. 27.