Identifying Local Opportunities

1. Opportunity One 
• If Pels can’t re-sign Anderson, they need a talented backup 
• http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15CD65D1DED39230?p=AWNB
• The New Orleans Pelicans endured an injury plagued season including one from their superstar, Anthony Davis. The lack of quality substitutes led to a dismal season for the franchise. Now they risk losing a key reserve who was second in scoring this season among bench players, Ryan Anderson. 
• The Pelicans franchise are faced with losing an intricate player to their team in Ryan Anderson who averaged 16.5 ppg coming off the bench, second among reserves in the NBA. If they lose him, they must find someone who can stretch the opposing defenses and alleviate pressure placed upon franchise player Anthony Davis. 
• The New Orleans Pelicans have the problem. They are faced with possibly overpaying for a reserve player who will receive lucrative contract offers from other teams after his stellar 2015-2016 season. If they decide to let him leave, they must replace him with a player of his caliber at a lower salary for the team to restore the success they enjoyed 2 years ago. 
2. Opportunity Two 
• Pfizer won’t sell drugs for lethal injections 
• http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15CDB76D177061A8?p=AWNB
• Drug manufacturer Pfizer, along with other drug manufacturing companies in the U.S. and Europe, has business and ethical objections against their drugs being used in lethal executions. 
• The scarcity of companies willing to allow their drugs to be used in lethal injections makes it difficult for states to administer the death penalty to death-row inmates by means of lethal injection using FDA approved drugs. States have become less transparent in their means of attaining the drugs used in executions. 
• Death penalty states who use lethal injection as the primary mean of administering executions have the problem. They have to find drugs in clandestine ways or revert to more barbaric forms of execution. Pfizer also has a problem as they acquired the company Hospira and have no way of knowing if their drugs are currently being used in executions as some of the drugs are approved for normal medical use. 
3. Opportunity Three 
• Free-range peacock from West Carrollton has a friend in City Hall 
• http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15CB6A4A152471F0?p=AWNB
• A peacock is causing havoc when he sees his reflection in parked cars. Rather than exterminating the bird, some residents including City Councilwoman Susan Guidry are advocating to add West Carrollton to the city's bird sanctuary list. 
• The problem lies with the damage the peacock is creating to residents parked cars. Some residents would like to have the bird removed while others would like the area declared a bird sanctuary. Residents have proposed solutions such as placing street-side mirrors and offering to pay for paint damage incurred by the bird. 
• Residents advocating for the bird sanctuary retain the issue. They lose money if they offer and have to pay for damage inflicted on cars by the peacock. Also if they lose the ordinance to declare the area a bird sanctuary, the peacock could be removed from the area or worse killed. 
4. Opportunity Four 
• Rain - rain - go away - Saturated soils can lead to big problems in the garden 
• http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15CB1566C7B4EA68?p=AWNB
• There has been increased rainfall in southeast Louisiana which is causing problems with trees and plants either not springing out or dying due to diseases and pests. 
• Increased rainfall is causing disease, pests, and trees to not spring out as in years past. The rainfall restricts oxygen levels required for trees and plants to spring out and creates problems for gardeners. 
• Gardeners and trees have the problem. The increased rainfall makes it harder for gardeners to sustain tree life and they have to take added measures and precautions to keep trees and plants alive. 
5. Opportunity Five 
• Jeff ends leases with 2 health clinics - Future of Marrero, River Ridge sites in doubt, CEO says 
• http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15CD65D18C0E5D60?p=AWNB
• The Jefferson Parish City Council voted to terminate leases for health care centers which could leave patients without service. 
• By terminating leases, many uninsured, underinsured, and indigent patients would be left without health care services. 
• The two affected health care centers and many patients face a new burden. Without renewal of the leases and resources provided from the city, these centers may have to shutdown and many people will feel the repercussions of less than adequate healthcare provisions.