WHITEHORSE, YK, Canada — MacAulay Lodge, an extended care facility, has been put under quarantine by Yukon health officials following an outbreak of norovirus, a highly contagious gastrointestinal infection whose eradication requires extensive cleaning of surfaces, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
So far, 31 individuals have been sickened, including 19 residents and 12 staff members, the story stated.
Group activities have been suspended and confirmed infected residents are being confined to their rooms until their symptoms subside, the story noted.
The quarantine of MacAulay Lodge will remain in effect until all residents no longer show symptoms of the virus for at least two days, as the virus is still contagious for up to 48 hours after symptoms clear up, the story added.
Click here to read the complete article.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Military training aids in death scene cleaning
OPELIKA, AL — Benjamin Lichtenwalner learned his trade of cleaning up the aftermath of deaths through his service in the Marine Corps Mortuary Affairs Unit in Iraq, according to the Monterey Herald.
Already possessing the necessary skills to perform the work, Lichtenwalner and fellow Marine Ryan Sawyer started Biotrauma after returning from a tour of duty in 2006, the story stated.
Lichtenwalner said: "We realized we had the skills to help people in these tragic situations. We decided to try to do some good beyond being just a janitorial service — get the job done, but be compassionate and sensitive, too."
The work is stressful and many of Lichtenwalner's workers quit before they ever complete five cleanups, the story noted.
A typical death scene cleanup costs around $4,000 and takes roughly four hours to complete, the story added.
According to the story, Lichtenwalner sends a detailed report after each cleanup to both the homeowner and the insurance company as proof that the scene was correctly and professionally cleaned.
Click here to read the complete article.
Already possessing the necessary skills to perform the work, Lichtenwalner and fellow Marine Ryan Sawyer started Biotrauma after returning from a tour of duty in 2006, the story stated.
Lichtenwalner said: "We realized we had the skills to help people in these tragic situations. We decided to try to do some good beyond being just a janitorial service — get the job done, but be compassionate and sensitive, too."
The work is stressful and many of Lichtenwalner's workers quit before they ever complete five cleanups, the story noted.
A typical death scene cleanup costs around $4,000 and takes roughly four hours to complete, the story added.
According to the story, Lichtenwalner sends a detailed report after each cleanup to both the homeowner and the insurance company as proof that the scene was correctly and professionally cleaned.
Click here to read the complete article.
Health District sued over deadly mold
LAS VEGAS — The Southern Nevada Health District is being sued by a former employee and the widow of another former employee over the negligent refusal to remediate a mold problem the plaintiffs claim the Health District was aware of, according to KTNV-TV.
Dan Pauluk suffered mold poisoning from working in the toxic building and had problems breathing, problems thinking and painful rashes over most of his body before his death, the story stated.
Laurie Boswell, who worked at the Health District for 13 years, developed immune system disorders, respiratory problems, a severe rash, has had 10 root canals and been told she has to have all of her teeth pulled as a result of the mold poisoning, the story noted.
According to the story, environmental tests show that mold has been present in the Health District's main building for more than a decade.
Pauluk's wife and his caretaker Dean Zachrison became sick and lost all of their teeth due to the mold poisoning they contracted while caring for Pauluk, the story added.
Boswell says that she is fearful not only for her own life, but for those of her family, children and the people who still work at the Health District.
Click here to read the complete article.
Dan Pauluk suffered mold poisoning from working in the toxic building and had problems breathing, problems thinking and painful rashes over most of his body before his death, the story stated.
Laurie Boswell, who worked at the Health District for 13 years, developed immune system disorders, respiratory problems, a severe rash, has had 10 root canals and been told she has to have all of her teeth pulled as a result of the mold poisoning, the story noted.
According to the story, environmental tests show that mold has been present in the Health District's main building for more than a decade.
Pauluk's wife and his caretaker Dean Zachrison became sick and lost all of their teeth due to the mold poisoning they contracted while caring for Pauluk, the story added.
Boswell says that she is fearful not only for her own life, but for those of her family, children and the people who still work at the Health District.
Click here to read the complete article.
DuPont posts grim earnings
WILMINGTON, DE — Chemical giant DuPont reported a first-quarter net income of $489 million, down 59 percent from the $1.2 billion net income in the year-ago quarter, according to Market Watch.
Total first-quarter sales dropped $1.5 billion, from $8.77 billion one year ago to the current $7.27 billion, the story stated.
The company is blaming the decrease in sales on the "severe decline in global industrial demand," the story noted.
DuPont's earnings of 54 cents per share were on par with analysts predictions of 53 cents per share, the story added.
Click here to read the complete article.
Total first-quarter sales dropped $1.5 billion, from $8.77 billion one year ago to the current $7.27 billion, the story stated.
The company is blaming the decrease in sales on the "severe decline in global industrial demand," the story noted.
DuPont's earnings of 54 cents per share were on par with analysts predictions of 53 cents per share, the story added.
Click here to read the complete article.
New York Governor's Mansion is LEED-Gold certified
ALBANY, NY — The New York State Governor's Mansion has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to the Albany Business Review.
The effort, which originally sought Silver certification, began under former Governor Eliot Spitzer's administration, the story stated.
Some of the sustainable aspects of the building that was built in 1856 include the use of solar panels and energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, the story noted.
The cost of the energy-saving retrofits was not released, though the efforts have contributed to a 25 percent reduction in energy usage over the past few years, the story added.
According to the story, news of the certification was announced at the Northeast Green Building Conference in Albany.
Click here to read the complete article.
The effort, which originally sought Silver certification, began under former Governor Eliot Spitzer's administration, the story stated.
Some of the sustainable aspects of the building that was built in 1856 include the use of solar panels and energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, the story noted.
The cost of the energy-saving retrofits was not released, though the efforts have contributed to a 25 percent reduction in energy usage over the past few years, the story added.
According to the story, news of the certification was announced at the Northeast Green Building Conference in Albany.
Click here to read the complete article.
Clorox Company sues S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.
OAKLAND, CA — The Clorox Company is suing industry rival S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. for hiring one of its top executives, according to an Associated Press story hosted by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Clorox claims that S.C. Johnson's hiring of former Clorox Vice President Timothy Bailey would jeopardize some of Clorox's valuable trade secrets as Bailey was involved in several high-level, long-range strategy meetings, the story stated.
According to the story, Bailey is slated to head S.C. Johnson's manufacturing division in early May.
Clorox claims that Bailey, while never having signed a noncompete agreement, did sign a nondisclosure agreement that legally prevents him from revealing trade secrets and other company documents to competitors, the story noted.
According to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Milwaukee, Bailey committed several "suspicious" acts prior to his resignation, including: Entering the office on April 11 with a small briefcase then leaving about two hours later with a large bag on rollers; entering the office at about 3:50 a.m. and leaving at 6:30 a.m. on April 14 before coming back to resign; and the possibility that files Bailey downloaded onto a flash drive included documents titled "Comparison Spreadsheets" and "Contacts."
An S.C. Johnson spokesperson says that Bailey's duties at S.C. Johnson will be different from those he had at Clorox so there is no reason to believe he would compromise any of Clorox's secrets, the story added.
Clorox claims that S.C. Johnson's hiring of former Clorox Vice President Timothy Bailey would jeopardize some of Clorox's valuable trade secrets as Bailey was involved in several high-level, long-range strategy meetings, the story stated.
According to the story, Bailey is slated to head S.C. Johnson's manufacturing division in early May.
Clorox claims that Bailey, while never having signed a noncompete agreement, did sign a nondisclosure agreement that legally prevents him from revealing trade secrets and other company documents to competitors, the story noted.
According to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Milwaukee, Bailey committed several "suspicious" acts prior to his resignation, including: Entering the office on April 11 with a small briefcase then leaving about two hours later with a large bag on rollers; entering the office at about 3:50 a.m. and leaving at 6:30 a.m. on April 14 before coming back to resign; and the possibility that files Bailey downloaded onto a flash drive included documents titled "Comparison Spreadsheets" and "Contacts."
An S.C. Johnson spokesperson says that Bailey's duties at S.C. Johnson will be different from those he had at Clorox so there is no reason to believe he would compromise any of Clorox's secrets, the story added.
America's tallest LEED-certified building
PHILADELPHIA — The Comcast Center, the tallest building in Philadelphia, recently received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at the Gold level, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.
The certification awarded to the 58-story Comcast center from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) makes it the tallest LEED-certified building in America, the story stated.
Some of the sustainable aspects of the building include: Low-flow fixtures and waterless urinals that combine to save over 4 million gallons of water annually; and coated glass that blocks 60 percent of incoming heat while allowing in 70 percent of the natural light from the sun, the story noted.
The building's shaded plaza reduces the heat-island effect caused by pavement by 70 percent, drastically reducing the amount of energy used to run air conditioning units, the story added.
Click here to read the complete article.
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