University employee contracts Legionnaire's disease

BETHLEHEM, PA — A contract worker at Lehigh University has come down with Legionnaire's disease after coming in contact with bacteria in a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) unit at the University Center, according to The Morning Call.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Legionella bacteria are found naturally in the environment, growing best in warm water, large plumbing systems or the air-conditioning systems of large buildings and are spread by breathing in vapor contaminated with the bacteria and not from person to person.

A crew treated the entire HVAC system following accepted protocols to eradicate the bacteria, the story stated.

The university notified students and staff of the "health advisory" by e-mail over the weekend, the story noted.

Lehigh spokeswoman Jennifer Tucker said: "The minute we thought he might have it, we began testing the potable water and the air. We'll continue testing those units, but right now there is no cause for alarm."

Though tests came back positive for the presence of Legionella bacteria in at least one HVAC unit, the University Center remains open, the story added.

Schools go 'green' to save green

BROCKTON, MA — Many schools in and around the Brockton area are going "green" to save green — and the planet, according to Wicked Local Brockton.

Over the summer, Rockland Public Schools upgraded all of their light bulbs to energy-efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, a project whose costs were reimbursed by National Grid up to 70 percent, and through a $180,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, solar panels were installed on the Rockland High School roof, the story stated.

The Mary E. Baker School, a 112,000-square-foot building that opened last year in the Brockton Public School District, is equipped with solar panels on its roof and sensors that turn off classroom lights and lower heating and cooling when rooms are unoccupied, the story noted.

Rockland Public Schools Superintendent John Retchless said: "One of the nice things is that you can go green and save money at the same time. You just have to look for those opportunities."

According to state experts, high-performance green school buildings save an average of 25 percent in energy costs over traditional schools and have superior indoor environmental qualities.

In many area schools, students are running green campaigns to educate everyone on the benefits associated with being environmentally friendly, the story added.

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Capital Contractors Inc. sold to Palladium Equity Partners LLC

NEW YORK — David N. Deutsch & Company, an investment banking firm, announces the sale of Capital Contractors Inc. (CCI) and its affiliates to Palladium Equity Partners LLC, according to a press release.

According to the release, Capital Contractors is one of the largest privately held providers of janitorial and facilities maintenance services in North America.

Founded and privately held since 1932, Capital Contractors operates through a network of 31 branch offices throughout the United States and Canada, the release stated.

Erik Scott, principal at Palladium Equity Partners, said: "CCI is well known by its customers for providing high-quality support and responsive customer service at a competitive price for over 75 years. With its network of offices throughout the United States and Canada, the company is well-positioned to manage large-scale national accounts through a single point of contact, while also serving local businesses with its local knowledge and expertise. We see significant long-term growth potential for a proven, cost-effective provider like CCI, particularly given promising industry trends in outsourcing and vendor consolidation."

Terms and conditions of the transaction, to which David N. Deutsch & Company served as exclusive financial advisor, were not released, the release noted.

Capital Contractors' future strategic initiatives include growing the company's impressive list of national and local customers, furthering its expansion into Canada and expanding its platform to include enhanced heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, landscaping, repair and maintenance and other services, the release added.

Mold forces employees out of building

NASSAU, Bahamas — Employees in the Ministry of Education building, which is also occupied by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, walked off the job yesterday in protest of an ongoing mold problem, according to The Nassau Guardian.

Some employees claim the mold problem is continually getting worse and contamination is now clearly visible on the ceiling of the building, the story stated.

President of the Bahamas Public Services Union John Pinder said: "The union was concerned with the fact that the mold was making a number of the members sick. The ministry has agreed that all persons who suffer any respiratory or any illnesses as a result of the mold will be relocated immediately."

According to the story, the most difficult task will be moving all 500 employees out of the building to temporary work sites to complete the necessary work.

In addition to hiring a contractor to completely remediate the mold, the owner of the building, the National Insurance Board (NIB), will spend $3 million to replace the malfunctioning heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, the story noted.

At least seven women who were pregnant at some point since the Ministry of Education relocated to the building in 2003 said their children have asthma-related problems believed to be caused by the mold, the story added.

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Australia investing in green roof initiative

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, Australia — Victorian Minister for Environment Gavin Jennings says a green roofs research project envisions the state's future skyscrapers covered with trees, plants and grasses, according to Landscape Design News.

According to the story, the state government has contributed $120,000 over three years to the University of Melbourne's Green Roof Research Program, which will look at tackling climate change through planting vegetation on city roofs.

Following the implementation of green roof legislation in many European nations and parts of Canada, green roofs in Australia would make the landscape more attractive, enhance the liveability of the urban environment and help reduce heating and cooling costs for building owners, the story stated.

Jennings says a lot of building owners are interested in establishing green roofs and the Green Roof Research Program will help inform them about which plants are best adapted to be grown on roofs, which soils are most appropriate and what the impact is on stormwater run-off, the story noted.

A Green Roof Australia Conference will be held at the University of Melbourne's Burnley Campus September 23-25 to help drive support for the initiative, the story added.

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Housekeeping manager charged with homicide

NEW YORK — A housekeeping manager at The Essex House, a 45-story Art Deco apartment building, was arrested and charged with the second-degree murder of Andree Bejjani, according to the New York Times.

Derrick Praileau, a longtime employee at The Essex House, placed himself at the scene of the crime early Saturday in a recorded confession, having gained access to the apartment Bejjani was staying in by using several key cards, including one from a fellow employee, the story stated.

According to the story, the victim was found by a maid strangled with a rope around her neck and a bread knife sticking out of it in a 10th-floor apartment she had been leasing.

Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner, said that the cause of death was strangulation.

Law enforcement officials said investigators are looking into the possibility that there was a sexual motive in the killing; there are no signs of a previous relationship between Praileau and Bejjani, the story noted.

Praileau, who neighbors say is a quiet family man, is being held without bail, the story added.

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Middle school has confirmed case of MRSA

KETTERING, OH — A confirmed case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a potentially dangerous type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics and may cause skin and other infections, has surfaced at Kettering Middle School, according to the Dayton Daily News.

Kettering Principal Doug Cozad, upon learning of the case, alerted parents and guardians via telephone and sent home a letter explaining the causes and effects of MRSA and offered tips to keep students and the larger community safe and healthy, the story stated.

It remains unknown how the school learned of the infection, who was sickened by it and in what condition that individual is in, the story noted.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people can get MRSA through direct contact with an infected person or by sharing personal items, such as towels or razors that have touched infected skin.

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