Story 1 – Hurricane Irma flood victims awash in memories one
year later
Description of the Story – A common problem we face in
Jacksonville, Florida is the yearly threat of hurricanes. Until we come up with
a way to deflect these storms from coming onshore we will always face the
devastation they bring. This story talks about flooding in two problem areas in
Jacksonville that are constantly on the news when a storm, not necessary a
hurricane, targets the city – Black Creek and San Marco. I lived in San Marco
about 12yrs ago and flooding was a major problem then.
Problem Presented in the Story – Flood prone areas that
consistently go through the same problems every year when we have severe
thunderstorms. Band-Aids cover up the real issue until the next storm.
Who has the problem – Approximately 60,000 people living in
the San Marco or Black Creek area.
Story 2 – Duval County Schools again outspend revenue
Description of the Story – In this story we first see that
Duval County is spending more than it is taking in. More students are leaving
the public-school system and going private and charter schools are on the rise.
Problem Presented in the Story – The real question here is
why. Duval schools historically have been below the nations average.
Who has the problem – The impact of this problem hits many
areas: 130,000 students, the families of these students who want the best
education for their children, and the city of Jacksonville that needs to keep
funding failing schools.
Story 3 – Vystar employee indicted for embezzlement of $5.4
million
Description of the Story – An employee of Vystar who worked
in the mailroom stole stamps and sold them in small portions over many years to
another company that sold them at 80% market value and gave the employee a
portion of the proceeds.
Problem Presented in the Story – I am not sure if I can
fault the company that bought the stamps although they should have mechanisms
in place to make sure the stamps they receive are legitimately owned. Where is
the oversight? Surely when a cost incurs there’s a trace to the expense. Maybe there
needs to be better checks and balances in the accounts payable department at
Vystar.
Who has the problem – Ultimately the bank will try to recoup
these costs which likely mean higher fees being introduced to its members.
Story 4 – Mayo Clinic announces $144 million expansion
Description of the Story – This story hits home as my wife
works for Mayo at this location. The story is about expansion and additional
buildings they are planning for. It’s great to see growth like this but when
you read the headlines and hear the real story it’s not all it seems to be. The
new parking garage they built is great but what you don’t see in the story is
that it forced employees to park a quarter of a mile further away. Not a big
deal unless you are coming off a shift at 3am and now must walk 1.5 miles to
your car.
Problem Presented in the Story – The story itself does not
present a problem with the new construction, however, being involved at a
personal level I know the problems are going to be with their employees now
having to walk further across the campus with very little security.
Who has the problem – Employees at Mayo are going to have a
problem with this.
Story 5 – Undocumented immigrant charged with murder,
manslaughter in death of Nassau County deputy
Description of the Story – This seems to be a major issue
that hits home across the nation and here in Jacksonville. Undocumented or
Illegal immigrant charged with murdering a US Citizen. While police questioned
6 individuals in the back of a pick-up truck one of them took off and the
officer gave chase with a Border Patrol agent. The chase caused the officers to cross a road
in which the 32-year-old officer was struck by a car and died. He leaves behind
a wife and 6yr old daughter.
Problem Presented in the Story – Weak immigration policies
Who has the problem – The problem is nationwide in the US
All of these stories are very different, and I like how you are able to access an opportunity in each of these situations. I think that there are definitely some clear cut problems in each of the situations here but I think that some of them are more positive and could make a profit but some of them seem like semi tragic.
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