Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

I Google Image searched Craig Spencer. I didnt recognize him from the night before; he looked like so many people who had been at the bar that night. News articles said his Ebola test was still being processed.

When I arrived outside my boyfriends office, he tried to hug me. I backed away, feeling somewhat virtuous for doing so, as I could have used a hug.

Youre not going to give me Ebola just by hugging me. I dont think thats how Ebola works, he said.

Are you sure? I asked.

He wasnt, so I didnt hug him. Just to be safe. We decided the best course of action was to go home and call his mother, a physician, for advice.

While waiting for our Uber, we ducked into the lobby of an upscale seafood restaurant on 19th Street. The airy wooden dining room was filled with what now seemed like creatures from another planet: carefree New Yorkers in business attire, hoisting bulbous glasses of chardonnay to their lips. I couldnt help imagining all of those diners bleeding from their eyeballs. I chastised myself for being so dramatic, and then defended myself to myself. After all, if there had ever been a time for drama, this was it.

Meanwhile, our Uber driver couldnt seem to locate us, so my boyfriend canceled the car. Perhaps, I thought, the driver just unwittingly saved his own life.

We flagged down a cab. As we got in, I felt a flash of sympathy for the driver. I rationalized that at least I was exposing only one more person to my deadly Ebola, not an entire subway car full of people. After we gave the driver our address, I recorded his medallion number in my phone. Just to be safe.

Read: The quiet end to the U.S. ebola panic

During that cab ride home, my anxiety reached its apex. I tried to separate paranoia from reasonable worry, which was not possible, so my mind kept pinging around with nowhere to land. My boyfriend was behaving strangely because he was frightenedfor me? for himself? both?which scared me even more. As we crossed the Williamsburg Bridge, my Google search finally turned up the headline Id been looking for: Dr. Craig Spencer had tested positive for Ebola. The news was a punch to the gut. Ebola had infiltrated New York City.

At home, we called my boyfriends mother. I felt guilty calling her; she and I got along fine, but here I was, thrusting her son into the path of danger. Her brisk tones were an immediate salve. She was laughing.

Its ridiculous they closed the bar, she said. No one who was there last night is in any danger. I mean, maybe if you cleaned his blood off the bar. Or if you cleaned a toilet he used with your bare hands. A thousand tiny muscles in my jaw unclenched as I told her Id done no such thing. Ebola isnt easy to catch, she assured me. Even when the patient is contagious. And if he only got a fever today, he wasnt contagious last night. Theres zero risk.

Excerpt from:
The Paralyzing Uncertainty of Not Knowing Whether Youll Get Sick - The Atlantic

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Robert Kotei, a fisherman was charged to clean a portion of the Mamprobi drains after he was caught openly defecating in broad daylight.

READ ALSO: GES blame poor BECE results on Free SHS and teacher absenteeism

The Environmental Health Team, who caught him in the act of openly defecating in the gutter by the Korle-Gonno and Chorkor road in the early hours of 10 am tasked him to clean the drains.

He was given two options to choose from when he was caught either to immediately choose between Court action and cleaning the entire section of the drain. He chose the latter.

Speaking to the Environmental Health Team, he explained though there was a toilet facility in his community, he decided on the gutter because he was miles away from home.

READ ALSO: List of the 75 countries affected by the deadly Coronavirus and the number of cases confirmed

Robert Kotei expected to clean the Mamprobi drain for a whole week after which he will weed the environment.

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Man forced to clean choked drains after he was caught openly defecating at Mamprobi - GHPAGE

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Craftsman Style Modular Homes | Westchester Modular Homes

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Modular Building Market Report 2020 With Market Positioning Of Key Vendors: Laing O'rourke, Red Sea Housing, Atco, Bouygues Construction,etc - News...

DALTON, GA / ACCESSWIRE / March 5, 2020 / The Dixie Group, Inc. (DXYN) today reported financial results for the year ended December 28, 2019. For 2019, the Company had net sales of $374,582,000 as compared to $405,033,000 in 2018. The profit from continuing operations for 2019 was $15,619,000 or $0.95 per diluted share, as compared to a loss from continuing operations of $21,479,000 in 2018. Net income for the year of 2019 was $15,271,000. For the quarter, the profit from continuing operations was $26,019,000 or $1.60 per diluted share. On a non-GAAP basis, as shown on the attached schedule, the results from continuing operations for the fourth quarter was a profit of $1,182,000 or $0.07 per diluted share.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, we sold our Susan Street facility and signed a lease with options for a period of up to twenty years. The gain on the sale was approximately $25 million, or over $1.50 per share. Our senior credit facility was paid down by $36 million as a result of the sale. Our total debt reduction from the third quarter of 2018 through the end of 2019 has been over $50 million. Our total stockholders' equity increased 50% over the third quarter of 2019.

Commenting on the results, Daniel K. Frierson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "2019 was a year of change for both Dixie and the industry. The residential soft surface business was impacted by the weakness in soft floorcovering for the industry. The residential soft surface market was down high-single digits in 2019 relative to 2018. We also saw substantial changes in the mass merchant channel as these retailers shifted more floor space to hard surface products.

This emphasis by our mass merchant customer impacted our sales in the second half of the year. Despite the decline in our mass merchant sales, we outpaced the market in the specialty retail segment, where our soft surface sales declined low to mid single digits and our hard surface sales grew by approximately 50%. At Surfaces, our national industry trade show, we featured around 50 new styles in soft surface, including STAINMASTER, EnVision 6,6, and Strongwool. We continue to be a leading manufacturer in STAINMASTER carpet and are proud to launch some of the most unique and beautiful STAINMMASTER products on the market. We are also taking steps to diversify our offering with our new EnVision 6,6 program, which we initially launched in late 2018 and saw significant traction and growth in 2019. In 2020 we have 17 new styles in EnVision 6,6, across all our divisions. In our Masland Energy line, we are adding new products in broadloom and tile addressing some key opportunities in that program. We are featuring a patent pending yarn innovation, Colorplay, in a new PetProtect product named Grace, in our Masland product line. This Colorplay innovation gives us a unique color story for solution dyed nylon, with natural striations across 16 different colors. We are very excited about a new tufting technology, "TECHnique", which is being showcased in our Masland and Fabrica lines. TECHnique delivers a woven visual with a crisp clean finish and products that are more work of art than floor covering.

We have continued to focus on growing our luxury vinyl flooring business. With the successful launch of TRUCOR and TRUCOR Prime we are poised to continue the substantial growth we achieved in 2019. We are growing the number of items in our TRUCOR family of products by over 40%. We are building out our TRUCOR SPC program with updated visuals and new sizes in our 5", 7" and 9" wide plank and tile programs. We are featuring a new innovation in tile, "Integrated Grout Technology" where the locking system is engineered to simulate a real grout line. We are launching this integrated grout program with 12 beautiful visuals in multiple sizes including exquisite 24"x 24" Carrara marble designs. We are launching our new TRUCOR Prime WPC program, including 18 oversized planks in contemporary, clean visuals. The feature product in this offering is our XXL plank, 10 inches wide and 84 inches long, inspired by high end French Oak visuals. This is the longest and widest rigid core plank product on the market. We

are expanding our Fabrica wood program with nine new products including European White Oak and American Hickory. This enhancement will give us colors, finishes, and price points to continue growing this new offering in our Fabrica

Story continues

division. To accelerate this growth, we are adding dedicated sales representatives to our residential sales team to focus exclusively on our hard surface products under our Fabrica, Masland and Dixie Home brands.

In 2019, we completed the realignment of our commercial business. Our commercial soft surface sales for the year were down over 12% while the commercial soft floorcovering market, we believe, was down marginally. Despite the drop in business, we feel that we have positioned Atlas | Masland Contract for growth with one of the most extensive product lines in the commercial business. As we have merged the two commercial businesses into Atlas | Masland Contract, we are positioned with our complete line of broadloom carpet, modular carpet tile, luxury vinyl flooring and commercial rugs to service our customers with excellent service and cutting edge design from our focused operational facilities dedicated to the commercial marketplace. As part of this broad product line, we have introduced one of the most unique innovations: Crafted Collection with Sustaina backing. This environmentally conscious and installer friendly product line comes in a beautiful set of patterns. The Sustaina modular tile backing system is a PVC and polyurethane free cushion modular carpet tile backing with very high recycled content. The product is breathable and able to be installed in environments up to 99% relative humidity and up to a pH of 12 when utilizing our custom formulated Sustaina 99 adhesive. Crafted collection along with our Sustaina backing has an 81.5% total recycled content, the highest available on the market today. This product innovation differentiates us in the market to our environmentally conscious designers and commercial customers.

We completed our Profit Improvement Plan in 2019. Since the beginning of 2017, this plan cost over $18 million to implement and generated over $18 million in annual savings relative to our 2017 cost structure. As part of this plan we have shut down or realigned five plants.Throughout the implementation of this plan our cost of quality has been reduced by over 25%. Our headcount has been reduced by 20% since the beginning of 2018. The combination of the sale of our Susan Street facility and reduction in our working capital has reduced our debt by over $50 million. The reduction in working capital has come about from a focused just in time planning and scheduling system. In addition to the Profit Improvement Plan, in 2020 we anticipate cost reductions, including changes in our medical plans, raw material reductions and savings in processing of over $5 million per year as we continue to work to restore our margins to acceptable levels.

We are excited to celebrate 100 years in business in 2020. Over our 100-year history, the company has transformed itself again and again. From cotton yarns to textile synthetic yarns, then to carpet yarns. Then from a yarn supplier to carpet manufacturer, and today we continue the transformation to a full service floor covering provider with a growing hard surface program. We are proud of our history and heritage, and we are excited about starting the next 100 years as a company," Frierson concluded.

Our gross profit margin for the year was 23.0% for 2019, up from our 21.5% gross profit margin in 2018. Our selling and administrative expenses for the year were 22.4% of net sales, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points from our level of 22.8% in 2018. Our gross profit was negatively impacted by $5.6 million in restructuring and inventory write downs taken during the year as part of our Profit Improvement Plan (the Plan"). Despite this difficult year from a profitability perspective, we have put in place the foundation of operational capabilities that should benefit us in the future.

Our receivables decreased $5.4 million as compared to the end of the year in 2018, primarily due to our reduction in sales for the period. Net inventories declined $9.7 million during the year. Net of adjustments related to the new lease standard implemented in 2019, our accounts payable and accrued expenses declined by $6.6 million year over year. Our capital expenditures for the full year of 2019 were $4.5 million and are planned for 2020 at a maintenance level of approximately $5.0 million. Interest expense was $6.4 million for the year of 2019 and our debt decreased by $39.7 million during the year. Our availability at the end of the year was $18.8 million under our bank lines of credit.

As the year 2020 began, business activity was slow and behind the levels of last year. Fortunately, as the quarter progressed, order activity and sales have improved. Sales and orders in February have improved significantly and are above the level of last year. We have experienced improvement in both the residential retail and commercial business, however, our mass merchant sales continue to underperform. For the quarter to date, excluding our mass merchant sales, our sales are slightly behind this same period in 2019.

A listen-only Internet simulcast and replay of Dixie's conference call may be accessed with appropriate software at the Company's website at http://www.thedixiegroup.com. The simulcast will begin at approximately 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on March 5, 2020. A replay will be available approximately two hours later and will continue for approximately 30 days. If Internet access is unavailable, a listen-only telephonic conference will be available by dialing (877) 407-0989 and entering 13698022 at least 10 minutes before the appointed time.

The Dixie Group (www.thedixiegroup.com) is a leading marketer and manufacturer of carpet and rugs to higher-end residential and commercial customers through the Fabrica International, Masland Carpets, Dixie Home, Atlas | Masland Contract and Dixie International brands.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates, projections, beliefs and assumptions of management and the Company at the time of such statements and are not guarantees of performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to risk factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements. Such factors include the levels of demand for the products produced by the Company. Other factors that could affect the Company's results include, but are not limited to, availability of raw material and transportation costs related to petroleum prices, the cost and availability of capital, integration of acquisitions, ability to attract, develop and retain qualified personnel and general economic and competitive conditions related to the Company's business. Issues related to the availability and price of energy may adversely affect the Company's operations. Additional information regarding these and other risk factors and uncertainties may be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements based on the occurrence of future events, the receipt of new information, or otherwise.

THE DIXIE GROUP, INC.Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations(unaudited; in thousands, except earnings per share)

NET SALES

Cost of sales

GROSS PROFIT

Selling and administrative expenses

Other operating (income) expense, net

Facility consolidation and severance expenses, net

Impairment of assets

OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)

Interest expense

Other (income) expense, net

Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes

Income tax provision (benefit)

Income (loss) from continuing operations

Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax

NET INCOME (LOSS)

BASIC EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE:

Continuing operations

Discontinued operations

Net income (loss)

DILUTED EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE:

Continuing operations

Discontinued operations

Net income (loss)

Weighted-average shares outstanding:

Basic

Diluted

THE DIXIE GROUP, INC.Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets(in thousands)

ASSETS

Current Assets

Cash and cash equivalents

Receivables, net

Inventories, net

Prepaid expenses

Total Current Assets

Property, Plant and Equipment, Net

Operating Lease Right-Of-Use Assets

Other Assets

TOTAL ASSETS

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current Liabilities

Accounts payable

Accrued expenses

Current portion of long-term debt

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

Total Current Liabilities

Long-Term Debt

Operating Lease Liabilities

Other Long-Term Liabilities

Stockholders' Equity

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information:

(in thousands)

The Company believes that non-GAAP performance measures, which management uses in evaluating the Company's business, may provide users of the Company's financial information with additional meaningful bases for comparing the Company's current results and prior period results, as these measures reflect factors that are unique to one period relative to the comparable period. However, the non-GAAP performance measures should be viewed in addition to, not as an alternative for, the Company's reported results under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. In considering our supplemental financial measures, investors should bear in mind that other companies that report or describe similarly titled financial measures may calculate them differently. Accordingly, investors should exercise appropriate caution in comparing our supplemental financial measures to similarly titled financial measures reported by other companies.

Non-GAAP Summary

Net income as reported

Income (loss) from discontinued operations

Income from continuing operations

Inventory write-downs related to Profit Improvement Plan

Facility consolidation and severance expenses, net

Gain on Sale of Building

Tax effect

Profit Improvement Plan related expenses

Income/Loss

Diluted shares

Adjusted loss per diluted share

Further non-GAAP reconciliation data are available at http://www.thedixiegroup.com under the Investor Relations section.

CONTACT

Allen DanzeyChief Financial Officer706-876-5865allen.danzey@dixiegroup.com

SOURCE: The Dixie Group, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/579153/The-Dixie-Group-Reports-an-Operating-Profit-for-the-Fourth-Quarter-of-2019

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The Dixie Group Reports an Operating Profit for the Fourth Quarter of 2019 - Yahoo Finance

Air pollution from transport has hogged the spotlight in recent months, but poor air quality inside our homes and workplaces can be even more damaging, reports Jamie Hailstone.

Even the most battle-hardened environmental sceptic will accept that there is air pollution on Britains streets.

Anyone who is a regular visitor to London, or any other of the UKs larger cities, cannot fail to notice the faint aroma of exhaust fumes as they traverse this nations highways and byways. But how many of us think about the air that we breathe inside our homes? Is it as clean as you might think?

Research published last year by the Clean Air Day campaign claimed ultrafine particle pollution levels are on average 3.5 times higher inside than outdoors and at some points in the day, it can peak at 560 times outdoor air pollution.

The research also found that 55% of parents said their children spent more time indoors when they are not at school or college than they did at their age, which means they could be exposed to more indoor air pollution than previous generations.

With children spending increasing hours indoors exposing them to ultrafine particles of pollution, which can enter the bloodstream and could have a greater impact on vital organs, urgent action needs to be taken to address this issue of indoor air pollution, says leading expert, Professor Stephen Holgate.

Indoor pollution can come from some unexpected sources and everyday activities. Even burnt toast can send indoor air pollution through the roof.

Most people are aware that dust and pollen can cause allergies and breathing difficulties, such as asthma but there are other sources that are less well known and equally as toxic, explains the chief executive of air quality monitor manufacturer Airthings, yvind Birkenes.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), like formaldehyde, are off-gassed by common items such as furniture and mattresses.

Traditional paint and related products, such as polyurethane, can include a whole host of toxic chemicals which are slowly released over time and carpets emit high levels of VOCs in the first few days after they have been installed, he added.

Asking for low VOC products and educating yourself on how some products are made is a good way to better understand what you are bringing into your home. Scented candles, wood-burning stoves, chemical cleaning products and air fresheners all emit VOCs.

We dont want people to think they cant use their favourite products, but we want people to know when chemical levels are rising so they can take control and keep their family safe and healthy, adds Birkenes.

Cooking up trouble

The social media manager of air quality masks manufacturer Airinum, Maria Ahnlund, says the kitchen is also another unreported source of indoor air pollution.

People use a variety of heat sources to cook food, including gas, wood, and electricity, she tells Air Quality News. Each of these heat sources can create indoor air pollution during cooking. Natural gas and propane stoves can release carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and other harmful pollutants into the air, which can be toxic to people and pets.

Cooking can also generate unhealthy air pollutants from heating oil, fat and other food ingredients, especially at high temperatures. Self-cleaning ovens, whether gas or electric, can create high levels of pollutants as food waste is burned away. Studies show that air can be unhealthy to breathe when people cook in kitchens with poor ventilation, adds Ms Ahnlund.

She also adds it is important to have a properly installed, high-efficiency hood over a kitchen stove to ensure good ventilation.

But it is not just in kitchens that poor ventilation can be a problem and contribute to poor indoor air quality, as the founder and CTO of heating systems manufacturer Logicor, David Bowen, explains: In all homes, we find (VOC) present.

Furthermore, we see humidity occurring, an inevitability of the current practice of creating air-tight homes. This provides a perfect breeding ground for many difficult to see creatures such as dust mites to thrive, he adds.

When their waste comes into contact with our skin or is inhaled, it can result in a range of allergic reactions that we can visibly see such as watering of the eyes, itching, asthma attacks, eczema, sneezing and a runny nose.

Equally, many homes are affected by Radon gas, particularly in areas with high proportions of granite. It is a colourless, odourless radioactive gas formed by the decay of small amounts of uranium that occur naturally in all rocks and soils.

When this occurs it produces other radioactive elements which attach themselves to dust particles in the air and, if inhaled, they will stick to the airways of the lung.

Musty smells

The World Health Organization has linked Radon exposure to between 3-14% of all lung cancer cases.

Damp in our homes most commonly occurs because of condensation, and if left untreated will eventually lead to mould growth. This is because if it is left to develop over time then damp patches may start to appear on walls and in the end black mould will grow.

This leads to musty smells, damage to the fabric of the house and it can also result in health problems.

Good ventilation is key to resolving the above issues, says Mr Bowen. The problem we face is that, historically, we have heated our homes with convection heating (warming the air) which has led to a practice of making our homes as airtight as we can to trap hot air for as long as possible.

For decades we have looked at solving the problem of reducing our heating bills with scant regard for the effects it could have on our health, instead of looking at technologies that would allow ventilation and heating to co-exist such as infrared central heating.

To me, its worse because Im not entirely convinced that we didnt know what we were doing. Its entirely understandable that a baker or candlestick maker might not know that poor ventilation could lead to a raft of health problems but, I find it difficult to believe that others, responsible for our health policies, didnt know, adds Mr Bowen.

As building techniques evolve and new homes become more energy-efficient, the issue of ventilation will become even more important, but there are plenty of simple steps to help improve indoor air quality, like opening the windows from time to time and where possible, keeping a lid on a frying pan.

That way, to paraphrase Arthur Daley, you can stay out of trouble with air indoors.

This article appears in Issue 2 of theAir Quality Newsmagazine which you can readhere.

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06.03.2020 Are you having trouble with 'air indoors'? - AirQualityNews

WADESBORO- Religious, political, and community leaders from across Anson County met at South Piedmont Community Colleges Lockhart-Taylor Center on Thursday, February 27 to celebrate one of their own: Grammy-award winning composer and Anson County educator, Richard Lewis Spencer. The event was the culmination of events throughout late January and February planned and coordinated by the Anson County MLK, Jr./Black History Month committee.

The event was presided over by Rev. Anthony Hall and Min. Christine Hall. Special guests walked the red carpet before approaching the stage. Attendants of all races were encouraged to dress in African attire and many wore garments emblazoned with vibrant colors and featuring elaborate patterns and designs. Richard Spencer was unable to attend due to health issues so his brother, Joey Spencer, accepted awards in his siblings honor.

Were here to honor a great man and I want you all to really get into the program, said Min. Hall, who added, Were here to have a good evening, okay? So, were not here to just be sitting still, were here to enjoy the festivities in honoring Mr. Richard Spencer, alright? Were here to celebrate! And as a celebration, we have fun!

The festivities included live music performed by Mr. Spencers siblings, Joey, Rodney, and Sherrie Spencer with keyboard accompaniment by Mitchel Patton. Kenya Miles from the HOLLA Organizations production of The Lion King, Jr. gave a thunderous rendition of The Circle of Life from the play. Sylvia Pratt gave a live reading of Langston Hughess poem Mother and Son. Betty Huntley choreographed an interpretive dance piece. There were also lip-syncing performances of hits by Tina Turner and The Emotions.

Richard Spencer received awards honoring his achievements in music, writing, education, and ministry. Leon Gatewood, of the HOLLA! Organization, and NC House candidate Gloria Harrington Overcash presented a replica of the Grammy Spencer received in 1970 as bandleader of the R & B group The Winstons for their song Color Him Father. In addition to the Grammy, Spencer received awards for his book The Molasses Tree and his tenure teaching at Anson High School.

I was doing pretty good until Color Him Father came out, said Joey jokingly, That record deprived me of the right to live in poverty like the rest of my friends. You know, its because of that record that I was deprived of the privilege of cutting firewood. What kind of brother wakes his six-year-old sibling at 3 oclock in the morning? Who does that? And next thing I know Im on a 747 jet on the way to Washington D.C. And when I got to this mansion, there was a Christmas tree, it was so tall I thought it was growing through the floor. I remember my brother, Richard, coming down the stairs saying, Joey, no, you dont climb that.

Brenda Broadway and Cornelia Liles presented Joey with Richards Lifetime Achievement Award. Lets go back to the 1970s. In 1970, we were in the throes of the Vietnam War. Richard Nixon was president. This building were in now was a fully-functional textile mill. A 16 oz coke was 25 cents and so were cigarettes and a gallon of gas. There were no cell phones. The source of music in your car was the radio unless you were lucky and someone installed an 8-track in your dash, said Liles,

One of the favorite activities in Wadesboro at that time was cruising around Salisbury Street. Despite all this, word had spread around Wadesboro real good that one of our homeboys was coming out with a song and that it would be released on Fathers Day. We couldnt wait to hear it. After that release, cruising had a new meaning. We turned our radios up a notch whenever that song came on. Years later a seasoned young man returned to Wadesboro and taught at the high school in the Social Studies department, said Liles. That man was, of course, Richard Spencer, and all of Anson County is proud to call him one of their own.

Attendants to the Lifetime Achievement Award were encouraged to wear African attire.

Rev. Dannie Montgomery quoted James Brown, Say it loud, Im black and Im proud!

Betty Huntley choreographed an interpretive dance piece to the song Glory by Common and John Legend.

Kenya Miles performed a rendition of the song Circle of Life from Disneys The Lion King.

Candidate Gloria Harrington Overcash and Leon Gatewood, of HOLLA!, presented Spencer with a replica of the Grammy he received in 1970 for the song Color Him Father.

Spencers siblings, Sherry and Joey Spencer, were the honored guests of the event.

Spencers other brother, Rodney Spencer, sang during the event as well.

Reach Charles Wood at 704 994 5471 or at cwood@ansonrecord.com

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Anson honors one of their own - Ansonrecord

A Toronto infection control physician says there is no evidence in Canada that travelling on public transit increases the chances of contracting novel coronavirus.

While Dr. Alon Vaisman, an infection control physician at University Health Network, applauded the extra measures being taken by the TTC and GO Transit to clean their buses and trains, he says the likelihood of someone getting the COVID-19 during their daily commute is already very low.

Things that increase risk is having face-to-face contact, having surfaces where the virus does not easily die and areas that are not easy to clean, he said.

Right now, there isnt much of a concern, because there hasnt been a single transmission thats unrelated to (overseas) travel, he said. Riding on a GO Train from Ajax to downtown, is very low risk at this point.

He said if cases start popping up in the community then exposure during daily commute may become more of a concern.

If a bus or subway is not being cleaned at all, then that increases the risk, he said. Its hard for me to say that it increases it by this much, or that much.

Vaisman said the vast number of cases documented are of people who have travelled overseas and if it was transmitted, it was from direct contact.

We have not seen a single Canadian who acquired the illness by travelling on a bus, train or by using the subway, he said.

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That kind of tells us something about whats going on, he said.

A passenger who later tested positive for COVID-19 travelled on a GO bus from Pearson airport to Richmond Hill last week. The other passengers were contacted and the bus was cleaned with an anti-microbial cleaner as an extra precaution.

We will see if anything comes out of that, he said, adding that its unlikely more cases will arise as a result.

He said coronaviruses are transmitted predominantly through droplets, which means that coughing and sneezing leads to the suspension of particles in the air, that then quickly fall to the ground.

It all comes down to the amount of contact commuters are having with an infected person.

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Someone touching those surfaces then putting their hands in their eyes, mouth or nose, increases the likelihood of infection. Thats why constant handwashing is critical to general disease prevention, he said.

Hospitals tend to avoid surfaces that are hard to clean such as carpets, Vaisman says, adding that its good protocol to clean crevices, cloth seating and carpeted areas throughout the transit system.

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Thats going to be a different risks versus a subway where youre have more concentration of people face-to-face, he said.

He said the move by Metrolinx to install hand sanitizers for GO Transit buses and stations is a good measure to promote good hygiene habits that reduce risk.

Part of that is showing the public that they are taking it seriously, he said

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Does your risk of coronavirus exposure increase on public transit? We had a Toronto doctor explain the risk - Toronto Star

A pair of landlords have been ordered to pay their tenant $7020in compensation and rent rebates after renting out a property with an illegal bedroom, a leaking roof and no insulation.

Tenant NawalKishoresaid the roof leaked at the Papatoetoe, south Auckland property for more than a month, causing "significant mould".

He told the Tenancy Tribunal the property, for which he paid $650 per week in rent, also suffered from damp conditions, especially in the third and fourth bedrooms.

The Tenancy Tribunal said the leak caused mould, dampness and "unhealthy living conditions" for Kishore and his family.

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"The tenant's chattels have also been damaged due to the failure by the landlord to maintain the premises in a reasonable state of repair," it said.

Kishore claimed his landlordsShantilal Jattan and Manjula Jattan, trustees for Jattans Family Trust, had also failed to insulate the property.

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A roof leak at a Papatoetoe property caused mould, dampness and unhealthy living conditions for a man and his family.

Insulation has been compulsory in all rental homes, except where installation is impossible, sinceJuly 1, 2019.

Since the requirements came into effect, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has received a total of 394 "inquiries" from tenants nationwideclaiming a landlord breach in relation toinsulation.

The tribunal said the trusthad not provided any evidence to indicate it had complied with mandatory insulation requirements.

It awarded Kishore a total of $2000in compensation for the leaking roof and the damage it caused, and a further $2000 in exemplary damages over the lack of insulation.

Kishore also received $4350 as a rent rebate for the 87-weektenancyas the landlord had rented out a fourth bedroom which was not legally consented as one.

The Tenancy Tribunal said the fourth bedroom had been converted from a sitting/rumpus area.

Auckland Council had only consented the property as a three bedroom. The fourth bedroom did not have "adequate protection" against the elements, insulation or a proper ceiling.

"The property should not have been rented out to the tenant at all as a four bedroom house," the tribunal said.

Kishore himself was ordered to pay his landlord $1330 for rubbish removal, repairs to the front sliding door, carpet cleaning and one week's rent in lieuof 21 days notice.

The landlord also claimed Kishore was subletting the property and sought compensation and exemplary damages asKishore was allegedly using the grounds of the property as a "demolition yard". Both of those claims were not proved.

The tribunal said Kishore had parked his work vehicle a tow truck at the home, and sold used chattels and vehicles, which was his right.

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South Auckland tenant awarded $7k over illegal bedroom, roof leak, no insulation - Stuff.co.nz

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) If youve been down the 800 block of Lyell Avenue, you know that you have to watch your step. The sidewalk drops off into a deep crater where a house locals called The Yellow Brick Road once stood.

The demolition took place a few days ago and had a ripple effect on surrounding properties, like the one Daniel Torres owns and operates.

You cant live like that. Its not safe, its not healthy, said Torres who runs the apartment building behind the crater.

Torres said when G. Frederico Wrecking did their work, it severed water and sewer lines to his complex, leaving Torres five tenants without water for three days. The water line was just restored Thursday afternoon by the City.

But now, he says the sewage is draining out into the hole.

Torres said he cant figure who ordered the demolition, or why it was planned so poorly. Nobodys owning up to whats happening and now Ive just been told its going to cost the owner $40,000 to re-connect for a problem that we had zero to do with, said Torres.

Carl Polisseni, a plumber brought to the site, said the new sewage and water lines will involve digging up an already busy road a huge project.

Its going to have to be engineered now. Because we have to have a brand-new sewer and a brand new water line out into Lyell Ave., said Polisseni.

Residents who wanted to remain anonymous say the sewage is attracting rats, and that water restoration today by the city Thursday didnt help.

There was black water. When they turned the water on it was all black water coming out, one resident said.

Torres said he has to put each tenant into a hotel until the issues are resolved.

Both the City and the demolition team were on-site and said they have no comments. Torres said someone needs to take responsibility for permanently fixing this issue.

We didnt cause it, we didnt ask for it, nothing. It just happened and the citys just like were sorry well help you as much as we can,' said Torres.

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Lyell Ave. demolition leaves crater, severed sewer and water lines - RochesterFirst