5A - Identifying Local Opportunities

Study: Lionfish-killing contests help curb them
     http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/1696CD5784A233F8?p=WORLDNEWS

     In summary, this article is about the invasive (and venomous) lionfish population in Florida and its negative impact on the environment, and how there are lionfish-killing events to try and combat the growing population. Scientists weren't sure if these killing contests were having an impact on the lionfish population or not, or even if these contests had unforeseen environmental impacts, but a recent study now shows that the lionfish population is down by around 50% in Florida now.

     The problem in this story is the huge population of the invasive and venomous lionfish. They (like many other invasive species) have little competition and destroy the balance of the ecosystem, and are also dangerous to humans. The problem is being addressed with lionfish-killing contests, but these might not be a perfect solution as they might have other unforseen environmental impacts.

     Who has the problem are environmental scientists who are trying to find a way to remove invasive species from Florida's delicate ecosystem without disrupting other factors in the environment.

Parents 'distraught' after son's rabies death - Eustis boy, 6, dies after contact with rabid bat
  http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/1697CD8E0C2D5328?p=WORLDNEWS

     In summary, this article is about a six-year-old boy who died of rabies from a bat bite. His father brought an injured bat home from work to nurse back to health, not realizing that bats could carry the disease. The bat bit the little boy, who lied to his parents and said it was just a scratch, and later that month he started to show symptoms of rabies and was rushed to Arnold Palmer. He passed away in the hospital on Sunday, January 14th, after being put into a medically induced coma in the hopes of bouncing back. Someone else in the US died of rabies in 2017, and in the past ten years or so there were less than a dozen other fatalities from rabies.

     The problem in this story is not knowing their son had rabies for all of that time leading up to his hospitalization and ultimately his death. The son should never have even had contact with the wild animal, and the parents were negligent in bringing a bat home without thinking about the possibility of disease or even thinking of taking the bat to a wildlife reserve (rather than trying to care for it themselves). My mom always warned me about rabies from bats, raccoons, possums, and other wildlife growing up, and this boy's death (not to mention all the other people in the US who die of rabies annually) was preventable with just a little caution.

     Who has the problem is anyone in the US who comes into contact with wildlife that could carry rabies, and not knowing whether or not an animal has it or not. Parents especially have this problem when their children handle wild animals, and not knowing if a scratch has infected the child with rabies or not.

Realtors express concern - on affordable housing here
     http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/1697CD8E1426C488?p=WORLDNEWS

     In summary, there is currently a shortage of affordable housing in Orlando. This year, there will be the least supply of houses on the market in over 10 years, and this is a growing concern for realtors in the area.

     The problem is that the supply of houses in Orlando is shrinking, specifically affordable housing in Orlando, and realtors won't be able to sell as much if they only have McMansions to sell.

     Who has the problem are realtors in Orlando (and people in Orlando who need to buy a house pr apartment at an affordable price).

Scott seeks more federal aid, loans for businesses near Pulse - Closures hit hard the firms near scene of shooting
  http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15DAEF0FE8690050?p=WORLDNEWS

     In summary, the businesses near Pulse Nightclub have been hit hard since the shooting. People don't want to shop or eat near Pulse because of the tragedy associated with it, so those businesses are stagnating. 59 businesses were closed following the shooting and were blocked off from traffic because of the crime scene. Governor Scott gave those businesses loans and urged the public to buy from those businesses, but it is a temporary help to a long-term problem. The Pulse memorial will have a lasting impact on the area (and already has).

     The problem is that after the shooting at Pulse Nightclub, customers don't want to shop at nearby businesses anymore because of the associated tragedy and how fresh the pain of losing so many people still is.

     Who has the problem are the business owners adjacent to Pulse Nightclub and in the surrounding area (but particularly the ones on that same street).

Smart to bar phony support animals
  http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/169AC39315D20388?p=WORLDNEWS

     In summary, airlines have had an increase in the amount of pets brought onto flights because many are designated as emotional support pets. It is a common practice for customers to get their pets certified as emotional support animals, even if they have no genuine need for one, just so that the animal can be brought onto the flight. An animal can be officially designated as an emotional support animal by a doctor or a psychiatrist, and apparently people pretend to be emotionally distressed or that they have anxiety for the sole purpose of designating their pet as an emotional support animal. The airlines have had an increase in incidences of dog bites, urination, and other accidents on flights as a result of untrained animals arbitrarily given the status of an emotional support animal.

     The problem is that some people fake having a mental illness in order to get their pet designated as an emotional support animal, then bring those untrained animals (sometimes unfit to be in small spaces for prolonged periods with other people) onto airplane flights, taking advantage of the requirement that airplanes allow emotional support animals onto flights. This delegitimizes emotional support animals, which is bad for people who genuinely do need them, and creates problems on flights. Sometimes other passengers even have allergic reactions to these phony emotional support animals, which is also problematic.

     Who has the problem are airlines who have no way of determining if an animal is legitimately an emotional support animal or not.