Identifying Local Opportunities

1. Story One
1. Lane Ranger: Why are four lanes slower than two?
2. https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200126/lane-ranger-why-are-four-lanes-slower-than-two
3. The lanes of SR-20 were widened from two lanes to four lanes. In the four lane area, the speed limit is 45 mph, when it decreases to two lanes, the speed limit is 55mph. 
4. This causes a problem because it creates a speed trap in this area. Not only this, but naturally on a four lane road, people expect to drive faster and they are limited less by other cars so it makes this possible. This has caused more people to be pulled over for speeding.
5. This problem effects most drivers in the Gainesville area.
2. Story Two
1. West End fades away
2. https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200125/west-end-fades-away
3. A local golf course is closed down after it stopped receiving the funds and customer traffic necessary to stay financially afloat
4. With the loss of this golf course, there are now even fewer public golfing locations for people that want to play golf in Gainesville, especially at the beginner level.
5. This effects people in Gainesville who are not a part of a private golf club, specifically those that are entry level players.
3. Story Three
1. UF Health monitors rumors of coronavirus spreading to Gainesville
2. https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-health-monitors-rumors-of-coronavirus-spreading-to-gainesville/article_69a9b1a0-426c-11ea-86b2-87354e5a2a4e.html
3. According to rumors from a popular Chinese social media app, WeChat, a parent of a UF student traveled to Gainesville from Wuhan before a quarantine of the city took place. Wuhan is the center of the coronavirus outbreak that has now killed 130 people. UF health is monitoring the situation and the people whom this parent came in contact with
4. The problem is that this virus is deadly and now has the opportunity to spread to UF which, with communal living spaces, can accelerate the spread of the virus. 
5. This problem effects everyone in the Gainesville area.
4. Story Four
1. UF requires health insurance, but do students want that?
2. https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-requires-health-insurance-but-do-students-want-that/article_3f77d344-3907-11ea-bf77-abcfeab20e68.html
3. UF requires students to pay for health insurance from the school if they do not have health insurance from their family. The rate of this health insurance goes for $2500 annually at UF. Some students don't have the money to pay for this, but are forced to anyway.
4. The problem here is that college students already struggle to make ends meet with the cost of tuition. The added cost of the health insurance furthers this burden and may entice students to take out expensive student loans to cover it.
5. This problem effects students at the university who don't currently have health insurance and are forced to pay for the pricey, UF-backed insurance.
5. Story Five
1. Local vape shops lose profits due to recent tobacco law
2. https://www.alligator.org/news/local-vape-shops-lose-profits-due-to-recent-tobacco-law/article_6033000a-42d4-11ea-bd9f-4f3ed2b963e4.html
3. The story highlights how vape shops in Alachua County have been hurt by the raise in legal smoking age to 21. The owners of these stores say that over twenty percent of their customers were between the ages of 18-20.
4. The problem that is evident in this story is that business owners are losing profits because of the decrease in traffic to their stores because of the change. This translates into lower wages for employees as businesses attempt to lower costs to offset the change.
5. This problem affects local business owners as well as employees who may receive lower wages and reduced hours. It also affects people who were of age before the ban went into place, and are now underage.