Lakeland, FL -- Polk County Sheriff's deputies are investigating the single car crash that killed 71-year-old Dixie Watling of Lakeland Friday night.

According to police, around 10 p.m., Watling was traveling south near the 700 block of Woodland Avenue when, for unknown reasons, her van left the road and onto the left shoulder near Golfview Avenue.

The van hit a speed limit sign and continue into a drainage ditch colliding with a concrete culvert.

Three graduating seniors from Polk high schools will be honored May 10 for 13 years of perfect attendance in the Polk Public Schools. There are approximately 5,900 seniors in Polk high schools.

Three seniors with perfect attendance from kindergarten through 12th grade being honored are Eric Konkol-Bennett of Bartow High, Kurt Lambert of Lakeland’s Harrison School for the Arts and Brant Snell of Lakeland’s George Jenkins High.  Eric is a Lake Wales resident while Kurt and Brant are from Lakeland.

Eric, Kurt and Brant will be honored during the special recognition portion of the May 10 school board meeting held at the school district administrative office in Bartow.  The special recognition portion occurs shortly after the meeting begins at 1:30 p.m.

FCAT Writing Scores Up

2011 FCAT writing results released May 4 show that Polk’s mean scores improved in two of the three grade levels tested.

All three of Polk’s grade levels taking the test showed percentage increases in students achieving the highest scores.

FCAT writing is administered in grades four, eight and ten and writing tests are scored from a 1 to a 6.

Complete FCAT writing results are available at http://fcat.fldoe.org/mediapacket/2011/default.asp.

A summary according to grades: