http://cmmonline.com/news.asp?N_ID=71755

MEMPHIS, TN — The Memphis City School Board approved an $875 million budget for the entire district, which means 246 custodians will lose their jobs, according to WPTY-TV.

The Memphis City School District hopes to save $2.83 million from the 346 total layoffs, the story stated.

Many argued against the cuts, but when facing severe budget deficits, job cuts are a necessity, the story noted.

The district still needs to come up with another $1 million to cover operating costs, but claims there will be no other layoffs, the story added.

$750,000 state park restroom facility

GRAND HAVEN , MI — A $750,000 restroom facility at Grand Haven State Park earned an honor award for sustainable design from the Grand Valley Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, according to the Grand Rapids Press.

The restroom features windows that allow lots of natural lighting, solar panels, timer-controlled showers and on-demand water heaters and is the prototype restroom facility for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the story stated.

The facility was designed by Integrated Architecture LLC, and the state plans to use the design in parks throughout Michigan, the story noted.

Architect Ryan Brouwer said: "They wanted to come up with a new, sustainable prototype. It's good to see the state thinking about these things."

DMV mold remediation project completed

WEST HAVERSTRAW, NY — After being closed for a month to facilitate a mold remediation project, Rockland County's only Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) branch has reopened, according to the Journal News.

The project included cleaning mold inside the building's walls and mold that had infiltrated the ventilation system, the story stated.

The mold problem began last fall after a water leak in a pet store located above the DMV flooded the back offices and the area around the front counter, the story noted.

DMV officials are unsure of the total cost of the remediation project, the story added.

NYC schools join Green School Alliance

NEW YORK — New York City Public Schools are the first in the nation to join the Green Schools Alliance program, which will analyze the energy efficiency of the district's 1,260 school buildings, according to the Epoch Times.

The effort is part of New York City's overall effort to reduce municipal government energy consumption and carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2017, the story stated.

According to the story, through the Green Schools Alliance, schools share experiences and expertise to lower their energy consumption and carbon footprint.

Schools will be benchmarked through a rating system that factors in: Indoor environmental quality, the site of the school building, water and energy consumption and construction materials utilized; additional credits will be given for sustainable choices such as low-emitting furniture, storm water recovery, use of natural light and roof quality, the story noted.

Rohit Aggarwala, director of the Mayor's Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability, said: "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. The Department of Education's benchmarking of 1,260 school buildings will enable us to make decisions as to which measures we should implement to reduce our city's greenhouse gases and save money on our energy bills. It also demonstrates that benchmarking is an easy process that yields important information for any kind of building."

Boston hospital tagged for infection control problems

BOSTON — After 18 mothers and 19 infants contracted Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) over the past six months, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has been cited for serious problems with its infection control practices, according to the Boston Globe.

Department of Public Health officials noted significant lapses in the hospital's policies for preventing infections and training employees during a recent inspection of the facility, the story stated.

Officials have yet to determine the source of the outbreak and have enlisted the help of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the story noted.

Hospital chief executive Paul Levy said: "While we are justly proud of many of our quality and safety initiatives at BIDMC, we have to acknowledge that we still fall short in a number of ways."

All of the patients once infected have been treated and have fully recovered, the story added.

Fishing - Deal, MD Chesapeake Bay with PSI

Jeremiah with PSI (Permanent Solutions Industries, Inc.) invited me to go fishing out on the Chesapeake Bay. We left the Happy Harbor located in Deal, MD around 2:00 p.m. and returned around 7:30 p.m. The fishing was pretty bad, with 25 lines in the water we managed to snag 3 Rock Fish. We were hoping for better fishing. I want to thank Jeremiah for invitening me out on the trip it was very enjoyable. I do hope to do it again soon when the blues are running.


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Hospital workers complain of unsafe conditions

OAKLAND, CA — Workers at Alameda County's Fairmont Hospital, represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021, held a rally yesterday to protest what they call unsafe working conditions, according to the Oakland Tribune.

One incident involved Lillie Ray, a six-year veteran at the hospital, being attacked by a patient with an infectious disease, the story stated.

According to the story, many workers are afraid of complaining about unsafe and potentially dangerous situations for fear of losing their jobs.

SEIU Local 1021 leaders claim that talks with the hospital about improving training and safety measures have produced no results, the story noted.

Valery Myers, a nurse at the hospital, said: "I can honestly say I felt safer working at a jail than I do here."

The rally drew roughly 30 attendees and was a chance to unveil a new whistle-blowers hot line for hospital workers to report unsafe conditions, the story added.