Identifying Local Opportunities

Opportunity 1: 

• Airlines cancel thousands of flights as big storm advances
• http://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/article56192835.html
• This article tells the story of thousands of flights that were cancelled this week, mostly on Thursday and Friday, all over the Eastern U.S.. Many airlines hope to be up and running once again on Sunday. Since Saturday is the slowest day in most airports, it gives those in charge a chance to get things together and prepare for the busy day that Sunday will most likely be.
• The problem is that a blizzard affected all of the Eastern U.S. this week. Due to this unfortunate, unforeseen and uncontrollable climate change, a huge amount of flights had to be cancelled. Many were able to reschedule their flight but due to the inconvenience others just had to cancel.
• Those with this problem are people trying to fly from one place to another. They are probably exhausted, jet-lagged, freezing, or just simply annoyed. Many travel in groups of friends, family or just by themselves. Whatever the case, I am glad that I am not stuck in an airport because of the weather.

Opportunity 2:

• Knockoff-cigarettes pipeline sends man to prison
• http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-counterfeit-cigarettes-port-everglades-20160122-story.html
• Gaurav Jayaseelan trafficked more than 51,500 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes to the United States from Dubai and India. It was worth more than $5.5 million. He was arrested in August and will spend 16 months in jail, after he will be sent back to India (his homeland). 
• There is more than one problem in this story told in the article. Besides it being wrong that this man, Gaurav, trafficked counterfeit cigarettes, there is also an issue with the "sin-tax" that is normally imposed on consumers by Goverment tax coffers. However, the major problem is that there was dangerous levels of arsenic and other toxic substances such as metals found in these cigarettes. The packaging is all too believable and people have no idea what they are consuming. Cigarettes are already deadly but these just speed up the process.
• The consumers have the problem because they are being affected negatively by these counterfeit cigarettes in every way possible.

Opportunity 3:

• Dole salad recalled in Florida, 20 other states after deadly listeria outbreak
• http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/consumer/os-ap-florida-retailers-recalling-dole-salad-listeria-outbreak-20160122-story.html
• Packaged kits of salad by Dole sold all over the U.S. has been taken off the market and discontinued due to the fact that about 12 people have been hospitalized because of the lettuce. Although other facilities have not been linked with the outbreak of listeria in the salads, they are still withdrawing sales from more than 20 states and three Canadian provinces. 
• The problem is that there have been several people affected by the listeria outbreak because of Dole. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped all the Dole production in many places so that definitely ruins Dole's reputation and income/growth as a corporation. 
• Dole has the problem as well as those that were affected by the deadly Listeria outbreak.

Opportunity 4:

• Chip Southworth: Cultural Council's call for artists 'screwed my entire art community'
• http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/arts/2016-01-22/story/cultural-councils-call-artists-streetscape-art-public-spaces
• Chip Southworth, also known as Keith Harring's ghost, is a local artist in Jacksonville who does streetscape art. He convinced the City Council to allow this art on public property. Now, they are paying other artists to complete six projects in Downtown Jacksonville. Many artists have been thrown under the bus now because all the attention and money is being drawn towards these specific artists that were chosen for these projects. Southworth has ranted away on social media and is very unhappy with the high bid for these projects.
• The problem is that many local artists in Jacksonville, such as Chip Southworth, have gotten arrested and fined for streetscape art on public property. Now, it is no longer illegal and on top of that, the City Council is not just letting it slide by but they are also paying hundreds and thousands of dollars for "worthy" artists to make streetscape art on public property, or so called projects. Artists like Chip are now left in the dark. The worst part is that he was the one who convinced the city council to allow it in the first place. 
• Chip Southworth and all other local streetscape artists in Jakcsonville

Opportunity 5:

• Hoverboard explodes inside home
• http://www.sfltimes.com/business/hoverboard-explodes-inside-home
• Many of the hoverboards used all over the country have been causing problems, injuries and explosions. Although no one was injured in this particular explosion of a hoverboard, it still lit a chair on fire and burned the carpet.
• The problem is that the hoverboards are exploding constantly and although it hasn't severely injured anyone, there's a huge possibility that it could. At this point it's probably just been luck for most using this hoverboard. 
• Those with this problem of exploding hoverboards are those who use it and those around them, it could easily injure them.