Latest news with #OrlandoUtilitiesCommission
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Map Reveals States Where Youth Are Most At Risk
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Research conducted by WalletHub has determined which states contain the most at-risk young people. WalletHub researchers looked at people between the ages of 18 and 24 across the country and factored in their education levels, number of connections, and health, to see which youth are faring the best and worst. The study determined that the three states where young people are the most at risk are Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The three states where young people are least at risk are Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. Newsweek has contacted the offices of the Governors of Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico for comment. Why It Matters Without schooling or steady employment, young people can find themselves in cycles of poverty. WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said that stagnant youth pose a danger to the "future economic and social prospect" of their state. One option for unemployed and undereducated young people can be the military, but a 2022 study from the Pentagon found that 77 percent of young Americans are ineligible to serve due to their weight, drug use, or mental and/or physical health. A recruiter with the Orlando Utilities Commission, center, talks with a job seeker during the 24th Mayor's Job Fair, featuring over 80 companies looking to fill open positions at the Orange County Fairgrounds, Wednesday, Jan.... A recruiter with the Orlando Utilities Commission, center, talks with a job seeker during the 24th Mayor's Job Fair, featuring over 80 companies looking to fill open positions at the Orange County Fairgrounds, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Orlando, Florida. More Phelan M. Ebenhack via AP/Associated Press What To Know Researchers determined that Louisiana is the state with the most at-risk youth, as 16.6 percent of people aged 18-24 in the state are not working and are not obtaining education beyond a high school degree. This is the highest percentage of unemployed youth not in school in the country. This, combined with the 13.9 percent of Louisiana youth without a high school degree, and the second-highest youth poverty rate and third-highest teen birth rate in the country, has resulted in conditions that make it difficult for young people in Louisiana to improve their financial status, determined WalletHub researchers. Youth in Oklahoma were determined to be the second most at-risk by WalletHub due to their unemployment rate of 14.4 percent. They are also not reaching educational standards in school, as only 17 percent of eighth graders in the state are demonstrating math proficiency, and only 20 percent of eighth graders are proficient at an eighth-grade reading level, according to WalletHub. New Hampshire youth, who are seen as the least at-risk in the country by WalletHub, were determined by researchers to be the least disconnected from school or employment and have the lowest youth poverty rates in the country. Many experts who spoke with WalletHub about their findings discussed the gap between rural and urban youth. Kent Bausman, professor of Sociology at Bausman University, discussed the "broadband divide" between rural and urban populations, saying that remote work needs to be made more available to rural youth, and said that transportation access needs to be improved between rural and urban areas to more easily facilitate travel to internships and jobs. Jacqueline Yahn, Associate Professor of Teacher Education, Ohio University, told WalletHub that people often focus on mobility outside of rural areas, but do not invest inside the rural areas themselves, making it difficult for young people to build up their lives in the area they're from. What People Are Saying Kent Bausman, professor of Sociology at Bausman University, told WalletHub: "As the world continues to shift toward telework and remote employment opportunities, it is incumbent for policymakers to bridge this broadband divide so that young rural individuals are not left behind. Bridging this broadband divide would also increase rural residents' opportunities to attend school online for degree completions or certifications, strengthening their competitive position in the labor market and generating new social connections beyond their immediate geography." Jacqueline V Lerner, Professor of Applied Developmental Psychology at Boston College, told WalletHub: "Policies that fund programs for youth to become involved in gaining life skills and leadership opportunities would enable more youth who have become disconnected to succeed." What Happens Next Louisiana's state government has the Louisiana Youth for Excellence program, which enters schools to teach young people about life skills and leadership.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announces he will sign fluoridation ban
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday he will sign into law legislation that bans local governments from adding fluoride to public drinking water, ending a decades-old practice that health professionals have long credited with slashing rates of tooth decay, especially in poor communities. Once DeSantis signs the bill, Florida will become the second state in the country to prohibit the cavity-fighting mineral, following Utah which ended fluoridation this year. 'It's forced medication when they're putting fluoride into your water supply,' DeSantis said. 'Why should this be forced on people? It really shouldn't be forced on people.' Both Orange County and the Orlando Utilities Commission — which combined serve about 370,000 customers and had resisted earlier calls to halt fluoridation — said they would change course once the bill is signed. In contrast, Seminole County and dozens of other municipalities in Florida in recent months – including Lake Mary, Longwood, Tavares and Leesburg — had moved on their own to ban the mineral from their water, as opposition to fluoride moved from a fringe issue to a mainstream political one. DeSantis compared fluoridation of public water supplies to government rules during the pandemic, which he disliked. He railed against COVID-19 face mask requirements, the closing of schools and the shuttering of restaurants and other businesses. 'Honestly, because we saw how out of whack many of these medical elites were during COVID, I think people are much more skeptical when these elites are trying to jam anything down our throats,' he said. DeSantis made the comments during a press conference in Miami while standing next to Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who for months has strongly urged Florida to ban fluoride, citing research that the mineral can be toxic. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also has claimed fluoride is linked to various health problems. However, the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups have disputed those studies, and continue to endorse water fluoridation as one of the simplest, healthiest and most cost effective ways to reduce cavities, especially among young children whose teeth are forming. But Ladapo said those health professionals are citing old research. He compared them to the Peanuts comic strip character Linus, who clings to a blanket for security. 'We have professionals, doctors, dentists who are holding on to fluoride like that blanket,' Ladapo said. Fluoride, a mineral naturally found in water and soil, has been added to public water supplies in the United States since 1945. In Florida, utility providers add enough additional fluoride to bring levels to 0.7 parts per million — or about three drops in a 55-gallon barrel of water. The fluoridation ban is part of a wide-ranging agricultural bill approved by the Legislature last month that prohibits public and private utilities from putting health-related chemicals in drinking water. DeSantis said he would sign the bill as soon as the legislature officially transmits it to his office. Like DeSantis, state legislators in support of the prohibition called it a matter of personal choice and pointed out that most toothpastes and many mouthwashes contain fluoride. 'This is about your liberty,' state Rep. Danny Alvarez, R-Dover, said before voting for the bill last month. DeSantis, who acknowledged that fluoridation is beneficial to dental health, said the legislation would not prevent residents from adding fluoride to their own tap water. But opponents said ending fluoridation would be detrimental to poor families who cannot afford good dental care. They added that most dentists recommend using fluoridated drinking water along with toothpaste as one of the best ways to prevent cavities. 'This is a gift to conspiracy theorists at the expense of common sense and public health,' state Rep. Daryl Campbell, R-Fort Lauderdale said last month. 'This bill takes a safe and proven and affordable public health tool and rips it away' from low-income families. Orlando Utilities Commission, which serves about 150,000 water customers, will stop adding fluoride 'pending the governor's final signature,' spokeswoman Michelle Lynch said Tuesday. The fluoride should then dissipate from OUC's water system within 72 hours. Orange County, which delivers drinking water to about 220,000, will stop adding fluoride before July 1, when the ban would take effect, officials said. Tuesday's press conference took place just hours after Miami-Dade commissioners voted to override Mayor Daniela Levine-Cava's veto on a county ordinance banning fluoride in drinking water approved by commissioners last month. The anti-fluoride bill also would prohibit the labeling of plant-based foods as related to poultry, meat, milk or eggs, such as calling almond or soy milks dairy products. But the labeling prohibition would not take effect until at least 11 other Southeastern states enact similar bans. Florida Secretary of Agriculture and Consumer Services Wilton Simpson also attended Tuesday's event at the Rohde Building in Miami. 'Today, we announce that drinking water in Florida will hydrate, not medicate,' Simpson said. _____
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
South Street traffic squeeze officially underway in Downtown Orlando
After a one week delay, a new phase of construction is finally underway in the Summerlin Avenue Improvement Project near Downtown Orlando. Crews lined sections of South Street and Summerlin Avenue with new construction barrels Monday morning. A stretch of busy South Street was reduced from three lanes to one. Here's how the changes are expected to affect drivers over the next five months: South Street impact: Only one westbound lane of South Street will be open to traffic from South Mills Avenue to just west of Summerlin Avenue. Traffic on South Street will then resume three lanes. Summerlin Avenue impact: Traffic traveling north and south on Summerlin Avenue will be rerouted around the closure between East Anderson Street and Pine Street. The City of Orlando and Orlando Utilities Commission said the temporary changes are necessary because of the long-term project that aims to upgrade OUC's drinking water and Orlando's sanitary sewer and stormwater systems. For more information about this phase of the Summerlin Avenue Improvement Project, click HERE. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
South Street snarl: When will traffic delays begin near Downtown Orlando?
There's been a one week delay in some construction work that will significantly impact drivers near Downtown Orlando. Channel 9 has learned that lane closures along a section of South Street will now start on Monday, May 5. The stretch of busy road will go from three lanes down to a single lane. Here's how it will affect drivers: South Street impact: Only one westbound lane of South Street will be open to traffic from South Mills Avenue to just west of Summerlin Avenue. Traffic on South Street will then resume three lanes. Summerlin Avenue impact: Traffic traveling north and south on Summerlin Avenue will be rerouted around the closure between East Anderson Street and Pine Street. The City of Orlando and Orlando Utilities Commission said the temporary changes are necessary because of the ongoing Summerlin Avenue Improvement Project. The long-term project aims to upgrade OUC's drinking water and Orlando's sanitary sewer and stormwater systems. The South Street lane reductions are expected to be in place for about five months. For more information about this phase of the Summerlin Avenue Improvement Project, click HERE. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Traffic Alert: Extended closure for a section of South Street begins Monday in Orlando
Traffic headaches near Downtown Orlando could begin to rise on Monday. That's because on April 28, City of Orlando and Orlando Utilities Commission will start the next phase of the Summerlin Avenue Improvement Project. This part of the project will put the squeeze on traffic along a well-traveled stretch of South Street. Officials said the temporary traffic changes are necessary in their ongoing efforts to upgrade OUC's drinking water and Orlando's sanitary sewer and stormwater systems. What does it mean for motorists? For the next five months, drivers should prepare for delays on South Street and might even consider an alternate route. South Street impact: Only one westbound lane of South Street will be open to traffic from South Mills Avenue to just west of Summerlin Avenue. Traffic on South Street will then resume three lanes. Summerlin Avenue impact: Traffic traveling north and south on Summerlin Avenue will be rerouted around the closure between East Anderson Street and Pine Street. Detour signage should help drivers navigate the temporary changes. As for the traffic headaches, an occasional aspirin might help over the next 150 days. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
