Senators concerned over poor conditions at American Indian schools

WASHINGTON — Federally supervised Indian schools in Northern Minnesota, which failed testing standards and are in desperate need of building repairs, have senators concerned that they will miss out on additional funding under education reform, according to MinnPost.

According to the story, approximately one-third of Indian schools are categorized as in "poor condition," but lack the funding to make necessary repairs — and may not see funding for years, even decades.

Minnesota Senator Al Franken said: "No student in Minnesota should have to contend with mold problems or huge leaks, but that's what kids in some reservation schools deal with every day. Students can't be expected to achieve at high levels when their school building is falling apart."

Under President Barack Obama's proposed 2011 budget, $9 million would be cut from the Indian school construction line down to $52.8 million — far shy of the estimated $1.3 billion it would cost to repair every "poor condition" school, the story stated.

Franken said: "The people need to know what dismal conditions these schools are in. Only then will Indian schools become a priority in the federal budget."

There are a total of 64 federally supervised "poor condition" Indian schools in the United States, the story added.

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State dedicates first LEED-certified prison building

SOLEDAD, CA — The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation will dedicate the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified building in the state prison system, according to the Salinas Californian.

According to the story, the building, a mental health treatment center, will be dedicated in a ceremony on Tuesday next week at its location at the Salinas Valley State Prison.

The 36,500-square-foot facility will be used for housing and to provide inmates with inpatient care, and will use 50 percent less water and one-third of the energy as a traditional mental health facility, the story stated.

The prison is located in Soledad, California, the story added.

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Red Lobsters to go green

ORLANDO, FL — Darden Restaurants Inc. — parent company of Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse and other restaurant chains — announced that it will incorporate Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards in the building and remodeling of its locations, according to GlobeSt.com.

According to the story, eight locations have already begun the process of obtaining LEED certification from the U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) over the next two years.

Darden Senior Vice President of Development Suk Singh said: "While we may not seek LEED certification for every restaurant we build or remodel, we can make a positive impact by learning from the eight restaurants where we are seeking LEED certification and applying best practices across our entire portfolio."

One of the restaurants seeking LEED certification is an Olive Garden location in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the story noted.

According to the story, the company plans to include LEED points-earning measures like recycled building materials, more windows to allow for natural lighting, energy-efficient fixtures and reclaimed heat from air-conditioning and freezer-system condensers.

Darden Restaurants is currently awaiting LEED Gold certification on its newly-built headquarters in Orlando, Florida, the story added.

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Student dies in third meningitis case on campus this school year

COLUMBUS, OH — Andrea Robinson, an 18-year-old freshman at Ohio University, died after being hospitalized with bacterial meningitis, the third case for the school this academic year, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

According to the study, custodians have been busy cleaning and sanitizing Robinson's dorm room and common areas at the on-campus house where she lived in an attempt to ward of any additional cases of the deadly disease that infects the linings of the brain and spinal cord and attacks quickly.

Earlier this month, a student living in a different residence hall contracted the disease but recovered and returned to campus, and officials say there doesn't seem to be any connection between the two students, the story stated.

A third student who contracted the disease in October of 2009 also recovered, the story noted.

The university, although not legally required to do so, has elected to make the information regarding the illnesses public, the story stated.

Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi said: "Our philosophical approach has been that any time there is a reason for a public-health concern, we do our best to share the information that we can with our population so they can take steps to protect themselves."

Lombardi was told by a parent that it seemed the university had more cases of meningitis than other schools, but he said that may be due to other schools electing not to report instances to the public, the story added.

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OSHA check scammer swindles thousands

ST. PAUL, MN — Minnesota authorities are notifying businesses that paid Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines in 2009 that they may have been victims of a check-fraud scam by a state employee, according to SafetyNewsAlert.

According to the story, Terri Lynn Brennan was arrested for allegedly gathering account information from OSHA fine payment checks and using it to create counterfeit checks and cash them.

Authorities say that while 759 businesses paid OSHA fines in 2009, so far only a handful of companies have been found victims of the scam, with a total loss of a few thousand dollars, the story stated.

Because of the scam, officials have since changed the rules on the handling and storing of OSHA fine checks, and authorities believe Brennan acted alone in the scam, the story added.

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Police station evacuated due to mold

BUFFALO, NY — Police and employees were ordered to evacuate the D-District precinct station after tests showed mold and poor air quality in the building, according to WGRZ-TV.

According to the story, Buffalo Common Council Member Joe Golombek says there are complaints about the station from as early as 1997 and at least 10 officers have been diagnosed with various illnesses — including cancer and chest infections — over the past decade.

The department hired a professional cleaning company to remove more than three feet of standing water in the basement, clean air ducts and assess for any additional damage, the story stated.

Dr. Stanley Schwartz pointed out that it was too early to tell if the illnesses were linked to the presence of mold, saying "When one sees a variety of different cancers showing up at a particular site it makes you question is that mold related or is it just a blip that occurs. There are these statistical blips that occur, you have these outbreaks of cancer or infections in a particular area and it's a statistical fluke."

The police have moved temporarily to a closed school while remediation takes place at the 14-year-old building, the story added.

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University pays $1.2 million in Legionnaires' lawsuit settlement

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio State University has agreed to a $1.2 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by a woman whose husband contracted and died from Legionnaires' disease after drinking from a water faucet, according to the Dayton Daily News.

According to the story, Sharron Morris filed the lawsuit in April of 2007 after her husband, David Morris, contracted the disease from drinking tap water at the Ohio State Medical Center.

The hospital staff was aware the water was contaminated with bacteria causing the disease, but did not warn patients, the story stated.

Morris family attorney David Shroyer said: "Instead, they just handed out bottled water, but didn't specifically instruct patients not to drink the water nor did they have any signs saying not to drink the water."

David Morris was in the hospital receiving treatment for leukemia and died five months after contracting Legionnaires' disease at the facility, the story added.

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