Odd-but-True Stories

GMO Mosquitoes in Florida

Hundreds of genetically modified insects have been released in the Florida Keys in a groundbreaking project by British biotech company Oxitec and the state’s Mosquito Control District.

Oxitec and Florida Keys Mosquito Control District announced last Thursday that release boxes, non-release boxes, and netted quality control boxes have been left at six sites across the Keys. The 12,000 bugs will be released into the wild each week for the next three months.

The initiative aims to protect Floridians from dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and other vector-borne diseases. With the mosquitoes genetically altered to prevent future procreation, Florida officials hope that they will destroy the native mosquito population by mating with their female counterparts. This will prevent female mosquitoes from laying eggs, something that would drastically lower the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. While previously introduced in Brazil, Panama, the Cayman Islands and Malaysia, Oxitec’s method has never been used before in the United States.

Oxitec has worked with Florida health officials since 2010 on the program, which has struggled to gain regulatory approval due to local backlash. The project is hotly opposed by environmentalists, who argue that it will damage native ecosystems and cause unforeseen consequences.

Yet Florida officials have rejected the contentions, reiterating that using genetically modified mosquitoes has been proven as a safe way to lower the state’s rapidly growing mosquito population.

In an interview with the Miami Herald, Andrea Leal from the Florida Keys Mosquito Control said the bugs have developed resistance to insecticides, making the project necessary due to the shrinking “tool box” they had to combat dangerous viruses.

“Dengue was something we worried about in other areas,” Leal said. “Once that came to our doorstep, we’ve seen other diseases. Dengue for us last year and Zika in Miami-Dade. This is really why we’re looking at these new tools for mosquito control.”

Patience Purchase

If you’re running out of the patience for the busy life you lead, it may be time to check out Rhode Island.

There is a house for sale in the small state that can be yours for a mere $399,000. The best part? Its address.

The house is located at 0 Patience Way in the Ocean State’s Narragansett Bay. This is the first time it’s been up for sale since the original owners erected the cottage in 1972.

Redoing the cottage may require a bit of patience. The 600 squarefoot space has no electricity. The charming cottage on the 0.39-acre lot features two bedrooms, a kitchenette, half-bath, a screened porch, and quick access to the beach.

According to Rhode Island Real Estate Service, the seaside retreat is a “very special opportunity” readymade for “comfortable camping, getaways, amazing Airbnb potential and more.” The home has been owned and loved by the same family for 49 years.

Patience Island, officially part of the town of Portsmouth, is about one-third of a square mile – all to yourself.

Better buy now before (your) patience runs out.

High-Flying Baby

A flight to Hawaii last week landed with an extra passenger onboard – a brand-new baby, who was born mid-flight.

The lucky mom gave birth to the little boy at just 29 weeks pregnant. She was lucky that a doctor happened to be onboard the Salt Lake City-Honolulu flight along with a trio of neonatal intensive care nurses.

The medical personnel sprang into action when they heard the mother needed assistance.

“I went to see what was going on and see her there holding a baby in her hands, and it’s little,” said nurse Lani Bamfield.

The mother, Lavinia “Lavi” Mounga, had unexpectedly welcomed the baby boy, whom she named Raymond, while on her way to a family vacation.

The team helped to keep the baby stable for the next three hours on the flight. The doctor and the nurses used shoelaces to tie the umbilical cord and made baby warmers out of bottles that were microwaved.

“The great thing about this was the teamwork,” Dr. Dale Glenn said. Everybody jumped in together and everyone helped out.”

Park ‘n’ Ride

Ever circle the Gourmet Glatt parking lot only to come up empty after ten times of navigating the lanes? Then you’ll understand how tough Gareth Wild had it when he set off on his quest to park in all 211 parking spaces in his local supermarket’s parking lot.

Wild went about the project in a determined way. Starting in 2015, he used a map and spreadsheet to make his shopping excursions more interesting. Now, after six years, the dad of two has finally accomplished his mission of parking in every space in the car park at Sainsbury’s in the center of Bromley, southeast London.

“I do the weekly shop in our family, and I’ve been going to the same Sainsbury’s for the last 16 years,” Wild said.

“It was only six years ago when I said to myself, ‘Wow I could probably park in every single one of these spaces given enough time,’ and time is on your side when you’re doing the weekly shop.”

Wild admits, “It’s a long time to do anything, let alone something as trivial as this. I’ve been through three different cars in that time. I find enjoyment in the little banal things in life.”

Wild was methodical in his approach to conquering the parking lot. He assigned “good-tier” bays. There were at least 29 bays he suggests to others to avoid.

Some spots were just really hard to nab.

“Without getting too technical,” Wild said, “when I say B7 and B8 you’ll know exactly what I mean. They were really difficult to get. I don’t know what it is because they’re not even great spots but people seem to love them.

“So, I went down one evening for snacks quite late, and I managed to snag B8...ooh, that was quite a moment in my life.”

Seems like he knocked this one out of the park.

College Boy

Although most of us spent our time during Covid eating ice cream and watching videos, Mike Wimmer used his time wisely.

The 12-year-old North Carolina boy took a few extra classes in his spare time during the Covid-19 pandemic and is now preparing to graduate high school and college in the same week.

Wimmer will graduate Rowan-Cabarrus Community College with an associate’s degree on May 21 and will graduate Concord Academy High School just seven days later on May 28.

He has a 4.0 GPA at the college and

a 5.45 GPA in high school, earning him the role of his class valedictorian.

“I went through all of the grades in school at a faster pace,” Wimmer explained. “I’m like a sponge. I take in knowledge very fast.”

He completed the equivalent of two years of high school and two years of community college classes in a single year.

As for what he is going to do next, Wimmer has his heart set on technology.

“My entrepreneurial goal is to build technology that enables people to live better lives,” Wimmer told CNN.

Despite his lofty goals, Wimmer is still a kid at heart and makes time for activities like basketball and Lego.

“A lot of people think I’ve given up my childhood or somehow lost it,” Wimmer said, “and I say to them that I’m having the time of my life.”

Wimmer, you sound like a real winner!

An Excellent Assemblage

What happens when there are just too many really smart students in your class?

Nine students in a Texas high school have been named valedictorian for the year.

The students at Bellaire High School achieved a 5.0 grade point average, breaking the record for the most students to attain the title at the Houston Independent School District.

The nine valedictorians are Alkiviades Boukas, Daniel Chen, Evie Tseng-Ying Kao, Angela Ling, Miles Mackenzie, Wenson Tsiah-Hao Tang, Christopher Zhou, and twin sisters Annie and Shirley Zhu.

“I began to consider the idea of two to three valedictorians, but I never imagined nine,” Bellaire High School Principal Michael McDonough said.

McDonough said that the 2021 class showed its excellence early on as freshmen. The students are involved in after-school activities and lead various school organizations, he said.

“To juggle their schoolwork and extracurriculars, then throw in a pandemic and virtual learning, and still maintain a 5.0 GPA, it is nothing short of amazing. I could not be prouder of them,” he added.

HISD calculates both “weighted” and “unweighted” GPAs. A weighted GPA accounts for courses known to be more rigorous, including AP courses or dual credit courses, according to the district’s website. Students with weighted grades can attain a GPA higher than the standard 4.0.

“When coursework gets challenging and balancing academics with extracurriculars gets hard, remember to cut yourself some slack, because making mistakes is the best way to grow,” said Annie Zhu, who plans to attend Stanford University and major in symbolic systems, a program that encompasses various concentrations, from computer science to math to linguistics and philosophy.

“One of the things that I’ve really learned is understand how everyone comes from different backgrounds and so becoming more open-minded about my classmates’ situations in their households when we do group projects,” Annie Zhu said in a video produced by her school. “I think everyone is exposed to people putting the best version of themselves online. You should never compare yourself to the best version of other people.”

Looks like she has mastered a really good version of herself.