As of Feb. 14, there are 17 Florida counties with a drought index over 500, which indicates drought and increased fire danger ...

Members of Polk's transportation planning board seemed to want to speed up the process for the eastern toll road, but also to protect sensitive areas.

The four possible paths cut through a swath of eastern Polk County, with various impacts on development and the environment. See the routes here.

There are 17 Florida counties with an average drought index over 500, which means there is drought and an increased risk of fire danger: As of Feb. 14, Polk County officially measured 450-499 on ...