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Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Homes in Polk County sold for higher prices recently: See how much here
Newly released data from for April shows that potential buyers and sellers in Polk County saw higher home sale prices than the previous month's median of $310,000. The median home sold for $315,000, an analysis of data from shows. That means April, the most recent month for which figures are available, was up 1.6% from March. Compared to April 2024, the median home sales price was down 4.4% compared to $329,637. sources sales data from real estate deeds, resulting in a few months' delay in the data. The statistics don't include homes currently listed for sale and aren't directly comparable to listings data. Information on your local housing market, along with other useful community data, is available at Here is a breakdown on median sale prices: Looking only at single-family homes, the $320,000 median selling price in Polk County was slightly up in April from $317,000 the month prior. Since April 2024, the sales price of single-family homes was down 3.5% from a median of $331, single family homes sold for $1 million or more during the month, compared to 28 recorded transactions of at least $1 million in April 2024. Condominiums and townhomes slightly increased in sales price during April to a median of $269,495 from $268,500 in March. Compared to April 2024, the sales price of condominiums and townhomes was down 3.4% from $278,995. No condominiums or townhomes sold for $1 million or more during April. In April, the number of recorded sales in Polk County dropped by 29.2% since April 2024 — from 1,725 to 1,222. All residential home sales totaled $410.7 million. Across Florida, homes sold at a median of $380,298 during April, a slight decrease from $380,563 in March. There were 35,857 recorded sales across the state during April, down 15.3% from 42,340 recorded sales in April 2024. Here's a breakdown for the full state: The total value of recorded residential home sales in Florida decreased by 10.1% from $24.9 billion in March to $22.4 billion this April. Out of all residential home sales in Florida, 9.14% of homes sold for at least $1 million in April, down from 10.12% in April 2024. Sales prices of single-family homes across Florida slightly decreased from a median of $401,633 in March to $400,000 in April. Since April 2024, the sales price of single-family homes across the state was down 3.2% from $413,277. Across the state, the sales price of condominiums and townhomes rose 1.2% from a median of $306,778 in March to $310,369 during April. The median sales price of condominiums and townhomes is down 6.4% from the median of $331,645 in April 2024. The median home sales price used in this report represents the midway point of all the houses or units listed over the given period of time. The median offers a more accurate view of what's happening in a market than the average sales price, which would mean taking the sum of all sales prices then dividing by the number of homes sold. The average can be skewed by one particularly low or high sale. The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Please leave any feedback or corrections for this story here. This story was written by Ozge Terzioglu. Our News Automation and AI team would like to hear from you. Take this survey and share your thoughts with us. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Homes in Polk County sold for higher prices recently: See how much here
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lakeland Police Department to host controversial training program banned by 9 states
The Lakeland Police Department plans to host a controversial training program that has been accused of teaching "inappropriate tactics," so much so that nine states have banned law enforcement from taking the company's courses. Lakeland is scheduled to host Street Cop Training at its training center northeast of Lake Parker in August. The program is entitled "Pro-Active Patrol Tactics" and would be taught by the company's founder and CEO Dennis Benigno. The course is marketed as "The foundational course Street Cop Training was built on," according to the company's website. Street Cop Training, formerly of New Jersey and now based in Crestview, Florida, was investigated by the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller with a 43-page report published in December 2023. The State Attorney's Office concluded "the training taught unconstitutional policing tactics, glorified violence, denigrated women and minorities, and likely violated a myriad of state laws and policies." Former Edgewater Police Officer Daniel Rippeon is one of hundreds of Florida law enforcement who have taken the Street Cop Training since it relocated to Florida in January 2024. The company held its annual training conference in Kissimmee that same year. Rippeon resigned in June after being accused of using aggressive tactics to arrest a 22-year-old CVS worker who was sitting outside the store awaiting a ride after his shift, according to a report from the Daytona Beach News-Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network-Florida along with The Ledger. Body camera footage showed Rippeon threatening to tase Wert and deploy his K-9 on him when he did not produce an ID. Wert was charged with resisting arrest without violence, which was later dropped. The Ledger has attempted to speak with the Lakeland Police Department about the decision to host Street Cop Training and received an emailed statement from Chief Sam Taylor. "We evaluate training opportunities through the lens of our community, our department standards as well as our commitment to constitutional policing. Officers attending any training program are expected to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and accountability," Taylor wrote. The chief is expected to give a presentation on "Hiring, Training and Retaining Lakeland Police Officers" to city commissioners at their commission meeting 9 a.m. June 16 at City Hall, 228 S. Massachusetts Ave. Street Copy Training was founded by Dennis Benigno, a former law enforcement officer who worked with a municipal police department in Middlesex County, New Jersey, until 2015, according to the News-Journal. Benigno founded the company in 2012 in an effort to deliver high-quality training he felt necessary to provide law enforcement with knowledge and skills to be effective in the field, according to his website. The Ledger has reached out to Street Cop Training's media team in effort to speak with them about the upcoming Lakeland event with no response, including how the company's training and curriculum may have evolved or changed over time. Benigno told the News-Journal in a phone interview the New Jersey investigation into his company was politically motivated. "We teach constitutionality, respect and restraint," he said in the phone interview. "All the negative things in the New Jersey report were politically driven. Out of 1,000 people, they took one negative comment and made a big deal of it." Benigno also issued a statement in response to the report on his company's Youtube Channel. Video excerpts from the 2021 Street Cop Training conference investigated by the New Jersey State Attorney's office are posted online by NJOIT Open Data Center. At least eight other states have followed New Jersey's lead ― California, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada and Oregon — prohibiting their law enforcement agencies from attending the company's training. Lakeland officers have faced public criticism and scrutiny for aggressive tactics, from the use of excessive force to questionable decisions in the field leading to injury or death in the past three years. In January 2023, BLM Restoration Polk asked FDLE to launch an investigation into the Lakeland Police Department and four officers accused of using excessive force in arresting a Black man after a traffic stop. In January 2025, four officers resigned from the department after the State Attorney Brian Haas discovered evidence that "appeared to show officers intentionally turning off recording devices, both in-car and body-worn cameras." Of these, three were involved in the excessive force complaint. The department faces a "wrongful and untimely" death lawsuit for a February 2023 incident when former LPD officer Eric Harper pursued the late Alex Greene in a high-speed chase before ultimately shooting him. Harper resigned prior to the lawsuit. This August will be the first time Lakeland has hosted the company's training, according to Kerr, but no one from the department has been made available to discuss the decision. Six Lakeland officers were among 1,000 other officers in attendance at the 2024 conference in Kissimmee, according to Officer Stephanie Kerr, a police department spokesperson. The annual conference cost $699 per attendee, or about $4,200 in total, which Kerr said was recouped from the police department's investigative costs as is standard procedure. Other Polk County law enforcement agencies, including the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Bartow Police Department and Winter Haven Police Department, say none of their members have attended any Street Cop Training program. These agencies say none of their members are enrolled for the upcoming August event. No Lakeland officers are currently enrolled to attend the August training, according to Kerr. However, the police department does receive an incentive to allow Street Cop Training to use its facilities. Hosting agencies receive one free registration for every 10 individuals who register for the course, up to a maximum of 10, according to its website.. The course costs $299 per student. Taylor said some of the topics he expects to be covered in the August training include, 'How To Implement Kindness and Compassion For A Successful Career" and "A Comprehensive Understanding of Case Law Application and Legal Steps Police Officers Must Follow." The chief said he believes this training will equip Lakeland officers with critical tools for decision making, de-escalation and officer safety skills. "My responsibility is to prepare our officers to respond effectively, ethically, and decisively in high-stakes situations," Taylor wrote. "If new information from our attendees indicates that this training no longer aligns with best practices or the expectations of our community we will reassess our participation accordingly," he said. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland will host a police training program banned in 9 states
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shark, stingrays, fish arrive as Sea Life Florida at Legoland plans June 6 opening
The first marine animals have arrived at Sea Life Florida at Legoland Florida Resort in Winter Haven as the aquarium prepares for its grand opening June 6. The resort posted images of a reef shark imported from Germany, now residing in its main oceanarium, called a Theme Park Under the Sea. The new residents include clownfish, cownose stingrays and unicorn tangs, Legoland Florida said in a news release. 'This moment marks the shift from construction site to conservation site,' Sarah McMahon, curator at Sea Life Florida, said in the release. 'From building walls to building connections between people and the ocean. Every fish, ray, and shark that arrives is a chance to spark curiosity and inspire care for our planet.' Sea Life Florida will have more than 25 interactive exhibits, including a stingray bay, hands-on rockpools, and 10 underwater-themed galleries. The aquarium will be fully ADA accessible, and Sea Life Florida aspires to earn a designation as a Certified Autism Center, a resort-wide initiative, the release said. Annual passholders will be given exclusive early access on May 23, ahead of the official grand opening. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Marine animals arrive as Sea Life Florida plans June 6 opening
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Black Business Expo planned for June 6 at The Well in Lakeland
The Central Florida Diversity Business Council will present the Black Business Expo on June 6 at The Well, 114 E. Parker St., in Lakeland. Presentations and panel discussions will cover building business credit, AI innovation and applications, wealth generation, effective community partnerships and going green with solar energy. A VIP breakfast starts at 8 a.m., followed by a welcome and the expo at 9 a.m. A luncheon with keynote speaker is scheduled for 1 p.m. The vendor marketplace starts at 4 p.m. Advertising, vendor and sponsorship opportunities are available at For more information, call 863-513-0416 or 863-668-1541. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Black Business Expo planned for June 6 at The Well in Lakeland Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
April 17 is deadline to request mail ballot for Haines City Commission runoff election. More detail
Haines City will hold a runoff election April 29 for a City Commission seat. The candidates who advanced to the runoff are Anne Huffman and Horace West. Registered voters in Haines City who wish to vote by mail must request ballots by April 17 at All mail ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Walk-in voting will take place April 21 through April 28 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Bartow Election Headquarters, 250 S. Broadway Ave., and the Winter Haven Election Operations Center, 70 Florida Citrus Blvd. Polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on April 29. Incumbent Commissioner Huffman, seeking election to her third term, faces former Commissioner West in the runoff. In the April 1 municipal election, Huffman led the voting in a four-way race with 46.9% of the vote, falling short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff. West received 36.9%. Edwin Perez took 14.1% and Alisa Romero 2.1%. Huffman, 64, was first elected to office in May 2017, winning a runoff election against Kenneth Kipp. She became the first Black female elected official in the city's history. In 2021, Huffman beat Kipp after a runoff again to keep her seat. She was selected to serve a one-year term as the city's mayor in 2022. Huffman told The Ledger she's "accessible to residents" and has a "no-nonsense leadership style." She said she has been advocating for Haines City to spend $3.4 million on housing rehabilitation through its community redevelopment agency. She said she wants to ensure large-scale businesses moving into Haines City are employing local residents, creating local jobs, particularly if they are asking for incentives from the city. Huffman said she wants to work with Citrus Connection to bring more public transport into the city. Previous report: Haines City's Seat 5 up for grabs West, the brother of current Haines City commissioner Morris West, previously served more than 20 years on the commission. He opted not to run again in 2022, when he filed to run for the state House of Representatives in District 51. He failed to qualify, seemingly because of an error on a check he wrote to cover the qualifying fees. according to a previous Ledger report. The lifelong Haines City resident has a background in underwriting for State Farm, and he holds a bachelor's degree in public administration from Bethune Cookman University. His 2025 campaign motto is "Hope, Belief, Change." He has promised to tackle the city's ongoing traffic issues and create new opportunities for citizens, on his campaign's Facebook website. Information from a previous report by The Ledger's Sara-Megan Walsh was used in this report. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: April 17 is deadline to request mail ballot for Haines City runoff
