Lakeland, Florida - The excitement is building as the legendary Harlem Globetrotters gear up to perform in Lakeland on Monday night. Many of the fans are looking forward to watching one of the players on the team perform because he was born and raised in Mulberry.

Kevin "Turbo" Pearson has played with the Harlem Globetrotters for the past four seasons but he perfected his skills during games he played with the Mulberry High School basketball team.

After graduating, the 25-year-old played at Hillsborough Community College and then at Fairmont State University in West Virginia.

Pearson's older sister, Mary, says she's proud of her brother but admits she was surprised when she learned he'd be a member of the Harlem Globetrotters. She smiles when she says she wasn't the only one.  

Polk County, Florida -- It's one of the highest academic honors a high school student can recieve: the National Merit Scholarship.

Currently, six Polk public school students are 2011 National Merit or National Achievement scholarship finalists, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Recognition from the National Merit or National Achievement scholarship programs are among the most prestigious academic honors for a high school senior in the United States. Click here for further information on either program.

More than 1.5 million students entered the 2011 National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). There are approximately 15,000 finalists. The 2011 National Merit finalists, including five from Polk, represent less than one percent of high school seniors and are the highest scoring entrants on the qualifying test.

Click below to read more about the outstanding local students who are in the running:

Lakeland, Florida - An outspoken Lakeland atheist has been arrested. EllenBeth Wachs was arrested Thursday for allegedly  pretending to be a licensed attorney. But she says her arrest is just retaliation for demanding that God be removed from government.

EllenBeth Wachs is no stranger to controversy. She's a member of Atheists of Florida. With about 500 members, the organization is unhappy that the Lakeland City Commission starts their meetings out, as it has for decades, with prayer.

Photo Gallery: Pictures, Atheists arrested at school board meeting