Georgia-Pacific launches hand hygiene campaign

ATLANTA — Georgia-Pacific Professional recently launched a campaign focused on the company's commitment to promote good hand hygiene practices, according to a press release.

The Healthy Solutions campaign is based on the idea of "The New Chicken Soup" and stresses the importance of hand washing to prevent illness, the release stated.

Alex Volpe, director of the towel category for Georgia-Pacific Professional, said: "Proper hand washing and drying with a paper towel are the foundations of successful infection control practices. Through our easy-to-use washroom products, Georgia-Pacific Professional provides effective hygiene solutions every day while consumers are away from home."

The Healthy Solutions website features specific information about promoting proper hygiene in public places such as schools, food processing facilities, restaurants, airports, health care facilities and office buildings, the release noted.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends regular, vigorous hand washing with soap and water for at least 15 to 20 seconds, the release added.

Click here to read the complete release.

Landlord forces woman out of moldy home

LOUISVILLE, KY — A single mother of six is being forced out of her rental home after she complained about mold growth to her landlord, according to WHAS-TV.

Jo-Manda Quarrells complained that a leaky sink had caused mold to grow in her bathroom, bedroom and closet about five weeks ago, the story stated.

Her landlord, Cook Properties, failed to respond to her complaints for several weeks and the problem continued to get worse, the story noted.

After eventually returning her call, Quarrells' landlord said she had a couple of weeks to leave the property and find a new place for her and her half-dozen children to live, the story added.

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America's five most unusual restrooms

WASHINGTON — For those who care more about unique aesthetics than any other atribute, here is a short list of the five most unusual restrooms in America, according to Digital City.

CBGB's in New York City ranked number five for having every inch of the walls covered in graffiti, the story stated.

Art Chicks in Louisville, NE, came in at number four for its chic, all-pink décor geared towards women, the story noted.

According to the story, the Madonna Inn located in San Louis Obispo, CA, landed the number three spot for its cave-designed men's room with urinals that looks like waterfalls and sinks that resemble large clamshells.

Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield, OH, scored the number two position for its restroom entrances fashioned to look like port-o-potties, the story added.

As reported in the article, the winner of the most unusual restroom in America is the heaven and hell themed facility at the Brio Restaurant in Rockford, IL.

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Indoor air quality issues for Louisville-area schools

LOUISVILLE, KY — Jefferson County students are regularly exposed to toxic chemicals more than nearly any other metropolitan area in the United States, according to WHAS-TV.

The conclusion came after the data from a year-long USA Today study that measured indoor air quality in the 263 Louisville-area schools was released, the story stated.

According to the study, all but 5 of the 263 public and private schools in greater Louisville were ranked in the bottom 10 percent of toxic schools; 18 Jefferson County Schools were ranked in the bottom one percent.

Dr. David Pollares said: "Plants are there, the factories and the schools are right near them and it’s just kind of a no-brainer. The kids are going to get exposed because it’s right around that vicinity."

According to the story, in 2002, Jefferson County ranked last out of 736 counties in the southeast for health risks from air pollution.

As a result of the poor air quality, the Strategic Toxic Air Reduction (STAR) Program was formed in 2005, which adopted new standards for toxic waste emissions in Louisville, the story noted.

The Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District disputes the study’s findings, saying the figures used in the study, which were from 2005, came from before the STAR program started, the story added.

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Custodian sues school district for racism

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The night custodian at Isaac E. Young Middle School is suing his former supervisor and the New Rochelle School District over the handling of a situation that involved hanging nooses in management offices, according to the Journal News.

Robert Johnson, a black custodian, claims his now-retired white supervisor, Phil Carino, hung three nooses in a shared office space between September 2006 and July 2007, including one wrapped around the neck of a toy monkey, the story stated.

Johnson said: "Ever since I came forward and brought this up, I've been getting a lot of snippy looks from certain people. There's just been a lot of racial tension at work that shouldn't be there."

According to the story, Johnson is seeking $1.5 million in compensatory damages from the school district and $3.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages from Carino.

Though it took the school district nearly an entire year to discipline Carino after Johnson first complained, he was eventually suspended for three weeks without pay over the matter, the story noted.

A February 2008 report stated that Carino had become interested in making nooses when he read a World War II adventure story called "The Dirty Dozen," but that he had been unaware of the offensive historical connotations of the noose for African-Americans and that they were not directed toward Johnson.

After the media reported the noose incidents in February of last year, the district held a one-day seminar of diversity workshops in April 2008, the story added.

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School custodian uses taxpayer money for home repairs

QUEENS, NY — A 20-year veteran school custodian admitted to using taxpayer money to have custodians work on his home and purchase various supplies and charge them to the city, according to the Daily News.

Gerard O'Brien agreed to pay a $20,000 fine for the thousands of dollars worth of detergent, light bulbs, toilet paper and labor he charged to the New York City Department of Education (DOE), the story stated.

O'Brien said school custodial staff painted his house and installed shelves for him on DOE time; another custodian used a city-owned power washer to clean O'Brien's deck, also on Department of Education time, the story noted.

O'Brien billed the personal supplies he purchased to John Adams High School in Ozone Park, New York, with false invoices to cover his tracks, the story added.

O'Brien said: “I purchased items with DOE funds for my personal use, such as bug cleaner, weed killer and 60-watt bulbs, which items were not used at John Adams. From 2001 to the present, I submitted 10 to 15 false Best Paint invoices to the DOE.”

According to the story, O'Brien resigned in February when he faced "serious disciplinary charges" after the scope of his wrongdoings were realized.

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Broadway's first LEED-certified theater

NEW YORK — Henry Miller Theatre on West 43^rd Street in Times Square is the first performing arts venue to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, according to SustainableBusiness.com.

The 1,055-seat, 50,000-square-foot theater is located behind the preserved and restored neo-Georgian façade of the original 1918 theater planned by writer, producer and actor Henry Miller, the story stated.

Sustainable aspects of the theater include: 95 percent air filtration; carbon dioxide sensors to maximize fresh air supply; waterless urinals; and the selection of recycled and local building materials, the story noted.

Forty-five percent of the cement in the foundation was replaced with blast furnace slag, a by-product of iron manufacturing that significantly reduces the amount of CO₂ released into the atmosphere, the story added.

Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: "This project sets the standard for environmental stewardship in theater design and, given the visibility of the project, it admirably recognizes Broadway’s potential to influence public opinion and inspire positive action."

Click here to read the complete article.