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Americans flocking from major metropolitan cities to these southern 'ex burbs'

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Americans flocking from major metropolitan cities to these southern 'ex burbs'


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One American county, known as “the heart of the citrus industry,” now has many people flocking to it in groves.

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Haines City in Polk County, Florida — located between Tampa and Orlando — joins a list of several other southern communities experiencing a population boom. Haines City has seen an increase of 30,000 new residents last year, according to US Census Bureau data, snagging the title as one of the “hottest migration destination[s] in the entire country.”

(Haines City saw an increase of 30,000 new residents last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.)

Labeled as “ex-burbs,” these areas are usually 40-60 miles away from major metropolitan cities and can offer more peaceful ways of life and “affordable housing” options. 

Anna, Texas, Fort Mill, South Carolina, and Lebanon, Tennessee, are among the other hot spots that are being lauded for witnessing high population increases. 

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Increasing its population by a third since 2020, and located 45 miles north of Dallas, the city dubbed as “your hometown,” Anna, Texas, shared in a press release earlier this year that its growth could be attributed to location, housing options, and development plans for both residential and commercial.

The population in Fort Mill, South Carolina — home to PuckerButt Pepper Company, the original producer of the world’s hottest peppers — once sat at 24,514, but has seen an increase of 37.2% since 2020, according to a local paper. 

Fort Mill, South Carolinia, has seen its population increase by 37.2% since 2020, according to a local paper.  (Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images)

In the middle of Tennessee, Lebanon grew from 8.9% from July 2023 to July 2024, the population now sitting around 48,000 residents. 

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Katie Worthington Decker, senior vice president of the Lakeland Economic Development Council, offered her explanation as to why “ex-burbs” are booming, specifically in Polk County. 

“The Lakeland-Winter Haven MSA which includes all of Polk County, Florida, has experienced significant growth for many years, but it accelerated over the last four years. We believe that the expedited growth is in part due to pandemic-era policies to expedite the reopening of Florida in comparison to other parts of the country. The diversity of the types of business in Polk County also contributed to our economy bouncing back quickly after 2020, as we aren’t reliant on tourism as many other areas of Florida are,” Decker shared. 

Decker continued, “Polk County’s location in the center of the state offers the same moderate Florida weather but with comparative affordability (median home price is ~100K less than Tampa and Orlando) to our surrounding metro markets, low tax rates, connectivity to other metro market by car, rail or commercial air service, and diverse quality of life offerings from the urban downtown lifestyle in Lakeland, to 55+ communities, to 554 lakes, to numerous areas of farmland acreage.”

COVID-19 brought on the trend of more migration to different communities for anyone who could work from home or anywhere else, in search of lower housing and living costs.  (Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Cited as one of the reasons by the U.S. Census Bureau, COVID-19 brought on the trend of more migration to different communities for anyone who could work from home or anywhere else, in search of lower housing and living costs. 

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Called at the time “zoom towns,” several American cities — like Bend, Oregon, and Asheville, North Carolina — saw large population increases as workers were able to use tools like Zoom to connect with their company and colleagues. 

However, as some major companies reinstate a return to office policy, it’s unknown what the future of working from home, and living in the “ex-burbs,” hold. 

“While return to the office policies could certainly impact those individuals who have chosen to live somewhere and work remote to take advantage of the quality of life, I think Polk County and Central Florida are well-positioned to offer employment to those individuals should they decide to stay,” Decker explained.

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Decker continued, sharing her thoughts on whether returning to the office would be beneficial to both the company and the employer. 

“We personally believe that return to work policies are favorable for the company’s culture as well as for the employees’ long-term career growth. We do, however, also believe employees will continue to demand flexibility and a greater focus on work-life balance when deciding where they work. Those employers that realize that will be more competitive in their recruitment efforts. Polk County has a very limited number of companies who are still fully remote. Even our largest employers competing for national talent quickly reverted back to a full-time or hybrid schedule in the office within a year of the pandemic beginning,” Decker concluded.



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Dallas, TX

Maxx Crosby-Ravens Trade Dead, Opening Perfect Cowboys Opportunity

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Maxx Crosby-Ravens Trade Dead, Opening Perfect Cowboys Opportunity


Dallas Cowboys Nation’s hopes of landing superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby were dashed last weekend when it was announced that he was being traded to the Baltimore Ravens. However, less than 24 hours before the new year, the trade has fallen apart.

On Tuesday night, the Las Vegas Raiders announced that the Ravens have backed out of the trade.

“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby,” the statement read. “We will have no further comment at this time.”

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The news sends a major ripple for the league, with the Crosby sweepstakes once again open. Before his trade to the Ravens, the Cowboys were considered one of the teams closely monitoring the situation and a team that made a legitimate offer for Crosby.

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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby leaves the field following a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

At this time, there is no word on why the trade between Las Vegas and Baltimore fell through. When the trade was first reported, the Raiders were set to receive a 2026 and 2027 first-round pick from the Ravens.

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Now, his future is in limbo. Before he was traded to the Ravens, it was believed that the Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Los Angeles Rams were the top candidates to land him. In fact, the Cowboys were “considered runner-ups” in the sweepstakes.

Dallas’ Original Trade Offer

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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby reacts during the second half at SoFi Stadium. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys initially offered the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-round pick, and an unnamed veteran player.

“Dallas kept a hard line throughout. The franchise wasn’t willing to part with two first-round picks, hoping its 12th pick in April’s draft, plus a future second-rounder, would be enough to entice Las Vegas. Dallas was also willing to package a veteran player to sweeten the deal, but Vegas wasn’t interested in that. The Raiders prioritized picks,” Fowler wrote.

Last season, Crosby recorded 73 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, 20 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.

We’ll have to see if Dallas ends up being his new home, now that the team has a second chance to make something special happen, but there will be some serious competition. The 2026 NFL calendar year officially begins on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m. ET.

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Miami, FL

Miami Dolphins Fans Sound Off On The Signing Of QB Malik Willis

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Miami Dolphins Fans Sound Off On The Signing Of QB Malik Willis


What I would have done is taken my lumps and rolled with Ewers during the 2026 season. From my understanding, the reality of Willis’ deal is two years x 22.5M. After that, the Dolphins can part with him, no harm, no foul. Hiwever, don’t you think that the Dolphins could have used that money, considering their salary cap situation, in other areas? Yeah, to me, this is a textbook Steve Ross engineered deal where the Dolphins are bidding against themselves and hoping against hope that they’re not as bad as they’re predicted to be.

As for Willis, he reminds me of another ex-Green Bay QB named Matt Flynn. Like Willis, Flynn was the 2nd string QB at GB and shined in a couple of relief appearances for Aaron Rodgers during the 2011 season. He is best remembered in Green Bay for his record-setting 480-yard, 6-touchdown game in 2011 versus the Lions. That set him up for a big contract with Seattle, but he never really did anything there due to the emergence of Russell Wilson.



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Atlanta, GA

NBA cancels Hawks’ plans to celebrate Atlanta strip club

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NBA cancels Hawks’ plans to celebrate Atlanta strip club


Magic City Night in Atlanta is off.

The NBA has canceled the Atlanta Hawks’ plans for a celebration of the city’s Magic City adult entertainment club, saying Monday that it was responding to concerns from many across the league.

The event was supposed to happen next Monday during a game against the Orlando Magic.

Atlanta announced the plan last month, calling it a tribute to an “iconic cultural institution” with food — including the club’s lemon pepper wings, a version of which is named for former Hawks guard Lou Williams — along with music and exclusive merchandise.

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“While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision,” the Hawks said Monday. “As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta — with authenticity — in ways that continue to unite and bring us all together.”

Some elements of the plans for the night will remain, the Hawks said, including a halftime performance from rapper T.I. — and there are plans for lemon pepper wings to be sold.

But some plans for merchandise have been scrapped, as has a live recording of a podcast that was to feature Hawks primary owner Jami Gertz, T.I. and Magic City founder Michael Barney.

Plans for the celebration were met with mixed reactions — some for, some against. One NBA player, Luke Kornet of the San Antonio Spurs, spoke out about the idea of promoting a strip club and urged the parties involved to reconsider.

And the league evidently heard the same message from others.

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“When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks’ scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “While we appreciate the team’s perspective and their desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees.

“I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community.”

The Hawks have ties to the club. Gertz was a producer for a five-part docuseries that explored the club’s history, its place in Black and hip-hop culture and what it means to the city.

“This collaboration and theme night is very meaningful to me after all the work that we did to put together ‘Magic City: An American Fantasy,’” Gertz, who is also a filmmaker and actor, said when the promotion was announced. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”

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