BISMARCK (AP) undefined The North Dakota Supreme Court has ruled that Washburn Public Schools can be sued for allegedly not properly supervising a janitor after a parent complained about his conduct.

The Bismarck Tribune reports that the unanimous decision handed down this week returns the lawsuit to district court.

The 16-year-old student alleged that the head custodian touched her inappropriately and made inappropriate comments to her during her employment, which lasted until 2003.

More at source: Jamestown Sun

Hartford and New Haven area office cleaners voted Thursday to authorize their SEIU 32BJ bargaining committee to call a strike if necessary for the nearly 2,000 janitors it represents. Asked if they wanted to authorize a strike the janitors and office cleaners shouted “Si se puede!” from the pews at Central Baptist Church in Hartford. When they were asked “No podemos” which translates to “we can not” the room fell silent. The voice vote was unanimous and a strike can proceed if necessary.

More at source: CT News Junkie

Scientists from the U.S.have developed a washing machine designed for the International Space Station (ISS). It usespressurized steam, compressed air and microwaves. The machine was constructed on the orders of the American space agency NASA.

Until now, the astronauts  were provided with new uniforms and other garments  by the Progress transport ships, which when the clothing was worn out, or simply dirty, got placed together with other space junk in the modules that would be sent into the atmosphere and burne

More at source: GreenFudge

Voters will be asked to approve $3.2 million to pay for cleaning contamination at the middle school and fund other expenses, including costs incurred during Tropical Storm Irene, at a special Town Meeting on Tuesday night.

PCB contamination cleanup at the middle school has already been mostly completed, but now the School Department needs the funds to pay bills for the work.

Read more at source: Herald News

Small businesses may be losing revenues, losing profit and their owners even losing sleep – but they are not losing determination to succeed, according to a new survey released Tuesday by business insurance company Hiscox Inc. of New York City, N.Y. The survey included U.S. small businesses as well as those in other countries.

More at source: Central Valley Business Times

Intellibot Robotics LLC, a maker of robotic commerical cleaning devices, has relocated its corporate headquarters to Portland from Richmond, Va.

The new headquarters, located at 5410 S.W. Macadam Ave., houses a seven-person administrative, finance and marketing staff.

The company employs 30 in total, including at a manufacturing operation that remains in Richmond.

The company declined to disclose its sales data.

More at source: Biz Journals

You may think spring is the season for cleaning, but cold winter weather brings friends and family indoors, making this the best time to prepare a clean home. Use this checklist to make sure your home is ready for cozy nights and cooler temperatures.

What To Switch Out

Many homes feature different linens and rugs for winter, as well as closets full of warmer outerwear. Switch out these items at the end of fall to get your house ready for the coming season.

- Change area rugs around your house to sturdier, water resistant options if possible. If you don't normally use doormats, winter is the time to change that. Using stain and water resistant floor covering and doormats will help keep mud and water covered shoes from tracking their debris onto your carpets and furniture.

More at source: WBTV

Preparing to have a big crowd over for the big Thanksgiving holiday? You could be serving up a dose of cancer-causers, allergens, and hormone disruptors alongside

More at the source: Rodale.com

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Rockin' Green, an eco-friendly laundry detergent and cleaning products company, took home top honors last week at the Stevie® Awards for Women in Business. The company's founder, Kimberly Webb, was named "Best Entrepreneur" for a non-services business up to 100 employees, and the company was named the "Fastest-Growing Company of the Year."

"These awards celebrate our hard work and dedication to the families we support, such as those in the cloth diapering and natural living communities, with natural, clean rinsing and safe detergents and cleaning products," says Webb. "We are honored to add the Stevie Awards to our list of accolades and are now inspired to keep continue on our mission to provide eco-friendly cleaning products to more families worldwide."

More at source: Market Watch

As the clock ticked down to a midnight deadline, Harvard and unionized custodial workers struck a new five-year contract late last night that includes wage increases, health care, and four weeks of paid vacation time.

If an agreement had not been reached by midnight -- when the union’s contract expired -- Harvard’s janitorial staff would likely have gone on strike, union officials said.

Sarah Betancourt, a spokeswoman for the union, said in a statement that the new contract was “a victory for Harvard janitors and the 99 percent,” referring to the Occupy Wall Street movement.

“Harvard University janitors have fought for one Harvard, with fairness and dignity for all,” she said in the statement. “With Harvard’s reputation as a preeminent institution for higher education, this agreement will be seen as an example for other universities to treat workers with the dignity and respect they deserve.

More at source: Boston.com