Identifying Local Opportunities

Happy Friday!

I chose The Ledger as my local newspaper of choice for this blog, Identifying Local Opportunities.

Opportunity #1:

• Lakeland man charged with kidnapping after Ohio highway chase
• http://www.theledger.com/article/20160520/NEWS/160529998?tc=cr
• In this article, a man kidnapped a woman and ran from the police when they tried to pull him over for reckless driving. It turned into a car pursuit and ended when the kidnapper lost control of his vehicle and wrecked. After a struggle, he was finally detained. The woman was reunited with her family. 
• The problem presented here is that the police didn't even know the woman was kidnapped until she signaled for help and the man took off again with her still in the car. I think there is an opportunity here for a better way to get help if you are in danger or kidnapped. In banks, there is something called a panic button that employees can press if they are being robbed and it sends a silent signal to the police. It would be helpful if women or children had something similar to this, whether it be an app or actual button as well. It would transmit real time GPS location to the police once it is pressed. It would help prevent kidnappings, domestic violence, rape, etc.  
• Mostly women and children are victims of these crimes, but it can really happen to anybody. 

Opportunity #2:

• Killer Nile crocodiles in Florida? Experts say it's possible
• http://www.theledger.com/article/20160519/NEWS/160519325?tc=cr
• Huge and dangerous crocodiles from the Nile in Africa have mysteriously ended up in Miami and the Everglades. How did they get there? What was the intent?
• The problem is that people are bringing them here illegally. The second problem is that we don't know why. Was the release into the wild an accident or malicious intent? The opportunity here is to put GPS tracking chips into the crocs to study their migrating patterns and origin. Maybe if we work backwards, we can track the source. 
• This can negatively affect anyone that comes into contact with these crocs as they are carnivores and can kill and eat humans. 

Opportunity #3:

• Fallen Heroes 5K will cause blocked traffic in Lakeland Saturday morning
• http://www.theledger.com/article/20160520/NEWS/160529996/0/search
• Some streets will be blocked for this awesome 5K Saturday morning and drivers are asked to take alternate routes.
• There are two opportunities I can think of to approach this problem. One way would be to reroute this 5K off of the streets and around one of Lakeland's many beautiful lakes. Prettier views for the runners anyway! The second way to approach this problem is to somehow take advantage of the fact that it is blocking traffic and create some way for the traffic to get involved such as donations to the Fallen Heroes families, etc. 
• Drivers on Saturday morning are going to have this problem. 

 Opportunity #4:

• Ex-Polk State professor faces 2nd trial after hung jury in fraud case
• http://www.theledger.com/article/20160519/NEWS/160519318/1338/news00?Title=Ex-Polk-State-professor-faces-2nd-trial-after-hung-jury-in-fraud-case
• A Polk State College professor, David Broxterman, faked a PhD and taught without proper credentials for five years. He said he "thought he had a PhD."
• An opportunity for a solution to this problem is to check into applicant's backgrounds, view their official transcripts and degree. Have a more thorough system that credits their claims. 
• Broxterman's students and the other faculty as well as Polk State College's name are negatively affected by his false claims. 

Opportunity #5:

• Florida now facing problems obtaining drugs used in lethal injections
• http://www.theledger.com/article/20160519/NEWS/160519330/1003/news00?Title=Florida-now-facing-problems-obtaining-drugs-used-in-lethal-injections
• Florida's death penalty is under scrutiny. Pfizer, the drug manufacturer, has banned their drugs from being used for lethal injection and execution purposes. 
• The opportunity here is to have Florida reconsider their standpoint on this and vote on it. If majority vote is to continue with legal injections, then find a new source to get the drugs from.
• This affects the State of Florida and its 390 death row inmates.