Polk County

Polk County is working to make sure the odds of malaria spreading northward are as low as possible.

Across the U.S., teachers are quitting. This year, more than a third of K-12 teachers who responded to a Merrimack College Teacher Survey say they’re planning to quit within the next two years.

Polk is also the seventh-fastest growing county in the country, driven by a younger demographic, according to a study.

Scientists say Florida phosphates are significant sources of rare earth elements, highly sought for everything from cell phones to EVs. Is a new era ahead for the state’s phosphate industry?

Florida’s old phosphate mines have been turned into housing developments, parks, bass lakes, golf courses and restored habitat. Does “reclaiming” live up to the claims?

The president of the Sarasota/Manatee Realtors Association attributes it to the number of people moving to Florida following the pandemic.

Polk County issued a burn ban following a wildfire that covered 1,000 acres.

Twelve cities in Polk County now mandate the Florida Water Star program for new homes, making it the epicenter of the program statewide.

One Florida grower reported saving about $30,000 over three years by using the FAWN weather stations. Another reported saving $1,000 per year since 2010, and a third said tens of thousands of dollars were saved between 2010 and 2018.

The new toll road connector would allow travelers going from the Polk Parkway to State Road 60 to avoid heavily-traveled local roads.

Areas along the Peace River, which flows from Polk to Charlotte counties, were largely spared from a major rain or flooding event on Thursday.

Colleen Burton will return to the state Senate and will be joined by fellow Republican Ben Albritton in representing Polk residents. Meantime, Scott Franklin won reelection to Congress.