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Reports that Long & Scott Farms in Zellwood might sell out to developers has new Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini’s attention.

The former member of the Florida House of Representatives won a seat on the commission last fall, and has posted to Facebook that he’s going to have county staff reach out to the owners of the nearly 700-acre farm near the Lake-Orange County line after news broken by GrowthSpotter earlier this month revealed the owners were looking to sell after more than 60 years in business.

“I would strongly support Lake County taking a robust role in working with the owners to add this land to the county’s future land buying program and for it to remain as agriculture,” Sabatini posted. “We cannot allow the essential agricultural landmarks of our community to be replaced.”

Sabatini wants to find out where the owners are in the contract process, and has added it to the commission’s Tuesday budget for discussion.

Located northwest of Apopka and east of Astatula, the farm began when Frank Scott Jr. moved to Central Florida from Virginia partnering with friend Billy Long to buy 100 acres for $500 and set up the farm in 1963, according to the farm’s website. At one point, the farm grew to 1,200 acres, but underwent changes in the late 1990s when surrounding muck farms sold, Long retired and Scott handed off running what was left to his son Hank Scott. read more

By STAN CHOE

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks fell sharply after reports showed worries about President Donald Trump’s policies may be hitting the economy. The S&P 500 sank 1.7% Friday for its worst day in two months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.7%, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 2.2%. One report suggested U.S. business activity is close to stalling, with optimism slumping because of worries about tariffs and other potential policies from Washington. Reports on consumer sentiment and home sales also came in weaker than expected. Akamai Technologies weighed on the market after giving financial forecasts that fell short of expectations. Treasury yields fell in the bond market.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are falling sharply Friday after reports showed worries about President Donald Trump’s policies may be hitting the U.S. economy.

By James Royal, Ph.D., Bankrate.com

If you’re changing jobs or have been laid off, chances are that your 401(k) account is the last thing on your mind. But it pays to include that money in your moving plans — even if you don’t deal with it right away.

The deadline for filing your income tax return for 2024 is approaching: Monday, April 15. Below I will discuss some details that may help you file your tax return. But first I’ll discuss recent regulations around required minimum distribution (RMDs).

Under the SECURE Act, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2020, if you inherited a retirement account from someone other than your deceased spouse, it is likely that you are subject to the 10-year rule for distributions. From the year after your inheritance, you will have 10 years to withdraw the entirety of the inherited amount. In addition, you may be required to start taking RMDs starting in 2024. You should discuss this with your financial planner or tax preparer.

Some beneficiaries may not have to take annual RMDs. The custodian of your retirement account is not required to advise you regarding your RMDs in 2024. The IRS did not require individuals who inherited retirement accounts after January 1, 2020, to take RMDs until 2025. If you are required to take minimum distributions in 2025, and do not, you will be subject to penalties, and the IRS has increased the interest rates for these penalties, so make sure you do take the required distributions in 2024. read more