Window Cleaning News

Window washers clean the glass on the Bolshoy Ice Dome. Monday at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games, including Team USA vs. Switzerland in women's hockey, the women's supercombined, men's curling, speedskating, and much more.

Window washer rescue near Hopkins.

Two Rescued From Loose Scaffolding At Hopkins: City fire department crews used ladders to rescue two workers stuck on a malfunctioning scaffolding at one of the buildings at Johns Hopkins Hospital complex. Ian Brennan of the fire department said that a window washing scaffolding appears to be hanging almost perpendicular to the windows at the Outpatient Building, or a nearby hospital building, off of Broadway and McElderry. Brennan declined to say who owns the building but a photo posted on Twitter appears to be the Outpatient Building at Hopkins. There were no serious injuries reported.

Water saving by California government: Here are some of the actions that California state government is taking to reduce water use by 20 percent.

— Department of Transportation is cutting back irrigation along California roadways.

— New, non-essential landscaping projects will be stopped.

— Washing of many state vehicles is banned, except for health or safety reasons.

— Contracts for water-intensive window washing at state buildings are being canceled.

— Signs in state buildings emphasize smart water use in bathrooms, kitchens.

Todays twenty-somethings are a generation blighted by debt and overwhelmed by consumerism. On the plus side, at least they don't have to go down the mines. This documentary delves into the wallets of four such young folk, starting with Ricky, a window cleaner with a seven-year-old son and another child on the way. Cleaning contracts come and go, but Ricky has his heart set on the British welterweight title, finding unwitting sparring partners in those who settle their bills late. Determined to give his kids a better life than his own childhood self, he hopes boxing will provide his payday as he trains hard for the biggest match of his life.

Small businesses losing faith in banks: James Benamor, founder of Amigo Loans, said: "Small businesses have now lost all faith and the lifeblood of our economy; the mechanics, the window cleaners, the shop owners are turning to dangerous payday loans.” He added that payday lenders are spending enormous amounts on marketing in comparison to more responsible lenders who lack such a voice. One in 10 microbusinesses believe banks aren’t remotely interested in lending them, with 2.5 million saying they wouldn’t even bother knocking on a bank’s door.

The figures also revealed that small business are looking at alternative options, as 21% of microbusinesses took out an alternative loan last year, while 29% approached an alternative lender. Benamor added: “Payday loan sharks needn’t be the first port of call for microbusinesses seeking funding. It’s essential they are aware of the safer and more cost efficient lending options available, such as credit unions, peer to peer loans and guarantor loans. “We would like to see a not-for-profit, all of market comparison site for loans, which all lenders are forced to promote on their advertising." Small businesses remain pessimistic about the future, with 45% believing that bank lending to small businesses will not increase in the next year.

Members of Regina Fire and Protective Services and the Regina Police Service were at Hill Centre Tower III on Monday to keep watch on a shattered pane of glass on the 20th storey until the glass was safely removed.

Falling glass closes downtown street: A block of 12th Avenue in downtown Regina was shut down for a couple of hours Monday morning after a piece of a window fell from an upper storey on Hill Centre Tower III. Gerard Kay, deputy chief for Regina Fire and Protective Services, said a call came in at around 10:30 a.m. about glass falling down from a building. He said when crews arrived they discovered a fourby-eight-foot window of the mechanical penthouse located on the 20th floor had shattered and shards of glass had fallen to the street below. "Fire crews worked with police to cordon off the area," said Kay. "We wanted to keep both pedestrian and vehicle traffic out of the area." Kay said as a precaution all the people who were in the tower at the time of the incident were kept inside while workers removed the remaining glass. Four vehicles were also removed from the street below where the glass was falling, for their protection.

Members of the Regina fire dept., and the police service were at Hill Centre Tower III to keep their eye on a shattered pane of glass on a high floor, possibly the 19th of Tower III until it was made safe by window washers.

"A window-washing crew was called in and they rappelled down the side of the building and basically knocked out the remaining glass from that pane, and firefighters backed them up," said Kay. "Our high-angle team was also there just in case someone got stuck." The area was reopened to vehicle and pedestrian traffic at about 12:30 p.m. It took two hours to complete the call because the street needed to be secured and all hazards needed to be removed before work to remove the remaining glass could happen, he said. "There was a fear that a larger piece would go and all of a sudden that acts like a sail so it could end up anywhere (and) that's always our biggest fear," said Kay. "Fortunately, I believe it was tempered glass and it's designed to shatter and not come down in large pieces."

He had no explanation as to why the glass shattered. "We are going to defer that one to the building owner and (let them) look at it from a proper engineering standard, so they can figure out what caused this window to break," he said. This is the second time since the office tower was completed in December 2012 that a piece of glass has fallen from an upper floor. On Aug. 26, a broken window on the 20th storey sent glass into the street. At that time, Roseanne Hill, managing director and vice-president of leasing for Harvard Developments, said the window had been cracked for a while. She said sometimes in new buildings, a small percentage of panes of glass can crack spontaneously due to pressure and natural occlusions in the glass. Hill said the other two towers have also experienced cracked window panes and the normal practice was to tape the window and then replace it.

PageRank Redemption: Escaping the Prison of a Low Google Ranking - With the most recent Google algorithm update, Hummingbird, the ruling search engine is paying more attention to natural semantic language. This newly refined “search intelligence” focuses on real-life questions that users ask when utilizing the platform and recognizes the “how”, “what”, “why”, “where”, “when” questions to quickly return answers rather than results.

This means you’ll have to ensure your website’s content is actually answering the questions of those seeking your business. If a user searches “Where is the closest bakery to my location?” your newly optimized bakery website better answer that question. Or if potential customers search “How much do commercial window cleaning services cost?”, your price should be displayed in the appropriate context on your site.  Take a moment to research your customers’ top questions through surveys, comments, and internal brainstorming sessions.

Local balloon artist Loni Trude helped Tom Lopac with his window cleaning business.

Loni Trude Makes Balloons Her Business: "Look! I made something that will picture your business," Trude said. For weeks, Trude had been sending BW email updates on her adventures as a balloon artist. Starting in December, she began twisting balloon sculptures customized for businesses across the Treasure Valley, submitting photographs of them to local newspapers as under-the-radar advertising and charging $50 for the service. She said that she was able to generate $850 worth of advertising for her first client, Tom Lopac of Picture Perfect Windows, based on print advertising costs. "A lot of the newspapers liked the idea. They needed content ... so they pursued publishing a brief story along with a picture of what she's done," Lopac said. The value of exposure marketing has long been ambiguous--it can be difficult to quantify results--but for companies like Picture Perfect Windows (which received a Trude-crafted, window-washing Santa Claus), exposure and word of mouth can be revenue drivers. Lopac said he may never know exactly how much exposure Trude's photos gave his window washing business, but to him, the experience has been beneficial. "It was a very positive image for our company to be represented in that way," he said.

Toby Harnden - Team of window cleaners, K Street NW, Washington DC.

New window cleaning franchise opens in Xenia: Fish Window Cleaning has opened a new franchise location at 74 North Orange St., Xenia. The location is owned by Shane Hartley. Prior to joining FiSH, Hartley was a police officer/investigator for nearly 13 years and has been in the Army for the past 27 years. He was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. He returned from Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2012, earning a bronze star for working with the Afghan National Army, according to a company release. “Our franchise owners get to draw on FISH’s thirty-five years of knowledge and experience. FISH offers proven methods, training, a nationally recognizable business name, and uniformity,” said Nathan Merrick, vice president of franchise development. “Shane’s vast business experience partnered with his passion and enthusiasm is sure to make his business successful.”

OxBox was formed from former members of Witney TV – a community TV project – and has spread across the county. As the group looks to celebrate its third birthday on March 18, it will launch a new online radio station for Oxfordshire. But all of its 50 contributors work on the project in their spare time, balancing full-time jobs with the demands of an ever-growing website. OxBox can now boast an audience of 30,000 people, which in part could be put down to its match highlights of Oxford City FC matches and its promotion of upcoming county bands. Adie Gargan (pictured) will host one of the new shows on the radio station. Mr Gargan, 42, of Madley Park, Witney, is a window cleaner by day and soon-to-be ‘Steve Wright’-style co-presenter on OxBox radio. The father-of-two said: “I do quite a bit of acting and I have experience in filming and I started doing this about 18 months ago. “I really like the community side of things and am really looking forward to the radio show. It will be a bit of banter and getting people to phone in and stuff like that."

JLG’s 1500SJ has three steering modes including conventional front two-wheel, crab and four-wheel coordinated. The oscillating axle moves 12 inches for better traction and to keep all four wheels on the ground.

Trico Lift Adds Four More JLG1500 SJP Telescopic Booms to Its Fleet: Trico Lift recently announced the availability of four additional JLG1500SJP telescopic boom lifts in its rental fleet; the JLG1500SJP with its 150-ft. elevated platform height is suited for applications including window cleaning and cellular tower construction. “Trico Lift serves the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, which are areas of this country that have resumed and/or maintained large contracting projects where these machines are critical - but perhaps too costly to own,” said Trico Lift President and CEO Chris Carmolingo. “We are pleased to be able to provide accessibility to these additional machines and are confident that we can put them to work immediately where they are needed.”

Father-of-three found hanged at Pendle farm - A father of three was found hanged at his remote farm amid a raft of money and personal worries, an inquest heard. Stephen Haigh was concerned about a tax bill, a looming family court case and even a speeding course he was due to attend, Burnley Coroner’s Court was told. The 51-year-old, who ran his own contract window-cleaning business, was discovered by his estranged wife Katie at Thorny Bank Farm, off Jinny Lane, Barley, on October 31. An investigation by police indicated there was no third-party involvement.

His wife Katie Haigh said her husband was ‘eccentric’ and kept problems to himself, never giving any indication of wanting to take his own life. But he had left a series of small notes, including a line echoing the late comic Spike Milligan which read: ‘I told you I was poorly’. Mrs Haigh said he had discussed wanting the line as the epitaph on his headstone, convincing her that he had intended to harm himself. She told the inquest he was worried at paying a tax bill and the prospect of attending a court hearing over maintenance issues with an ex-partner. “Stephen struggled with expressing himself and he didn’t cope well in social situations,” she said.

“He would have hated the thought of having to go through this process. He couldn’t have coped with it and he was very worried and he asked me if I would come with him.” East Lancashire assistant coroner Mark Williams said he was satisified, after the note had been explained, that with the financial and personal issues he faced, Mr Haigh had taken his own life.

Police launched probe after finding body of man who had lay dead for nine days in Hartlepool house - A dad of six lay dead in his blood-stained flat for nine days, an inquest heard. Mystery surrounded the circumstances in which James Wallace, 54, was found at his home in Wensleydale Street, Hartlepool, and police launched an extensive probe. There had been a suggestion he had told police he was being harrassed for money, and there was also a 999 call made from his mobile phone which was abandoned two weeks before his death. But after a major investigation involving tracing Mr Wallace’s last movements, house-to-house inquiries, CCTV and mobile phone analysis, an inquest into his death ruled out any foul play.

Hartlepool Coroner’s Court heard concerned neighbours contacted Mr Wallace’s landlord, Endeavour Housing, on August 22 last year, having not seen him for a week. Endeavour Housing then contacted police and uniformed officers had to force entry. Mr Wallace, a window cleaner, was found face down near his settee and blood was found in various places, including the settee and on internal doors. Officers from CID were drafted in and the scene was secured as a potential crime scene. Town coroner Malcolm Donnelly told the inquest there was no sign of forced entry or a disturbance, and suggested Mr Wallace had injured himself in a fall in his house. He said: “It could be interpreted as consistent with a person staggering around the room.” Mr Donnelly said inquiries were made into Mr Wallace’s lifestyle and it appeared he had a “drink issue”.

Detective Sergeant Joanne Wright added: “I’m more than satisfied that nothing suspicious happened and there was no third party involvement.” Forensic pathologist Mark Egan said there was a large number of injuries including cuts to the head, and some injuries suggested Mr Wallace had been moving around on his hands and knees. He added that Mr Wallace had moderate coronary artery disease and this could have made him more susceptible to the effects of blood loss.

Forensic scientist Sammy Warner, who specialises in analysis of blood patterns, said there were no obvious signs of an assault at the flat. Mr Donnelly added: “I think he banged his head as a result of an accident, we don’t know precisely where, we never will.” He recorded a verdict of accidental death. After the hearing, Mr Wallace’s family said they were satisfied with the ruling. Michael Wallace said: “There were doubts, but the experts couldn’t have done any better.” Mr Wallace’s daughter Caroline said: “I feel lots better now that we know.”

BT launches home smartphone to block nuisance calls - Following the success of its first landland nuisance call blocking phone, BT has launched a smartphone for use in the home. Calls from companies offering claims against banks which have mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance or services like window cleaning can be filtered out, alongside international, withheld numbers or calls from unknown numbers.

Sisters secret fundraising for Atherton parents' wedding: Weddings can be dauntingly expensive but for one remarkable schoolgirl it is a fundraising challenge worth taking on to see her parents walk down the aisle. Nine-year-old Melissa Todd stunned her parents by announcing that she wanted to help them pay for their special day by selling bracelets and necklaces she has made with her six-year-old sister Courtney and cousin MacKenzie Hartley-Neal, aged 10. The girls have been busy making the jewellery out of wool in the hope of selling them to help pay for the wedding which their parents John Todd, a window cleaner, and Lyndsey Neal have always wanted but not been able to afford. Melissa, of Seaforth Avenue, Atherton, said: "My parents have been engaged for a really long time, since before I was born I think. "I would probably faint to actually see them walk down the aisle." The Atherton St George's Primary School pupil had begun secretly planning the day and wrote to the Journal in a bid to gain more publicity for her fundraising appeal before finally spilling the beans to her mum on Sunday. Lyndsey said: "It is such an amazing thing for her to have wanted to do but I think there are much needier people out there than us, so Melissa is going to carry on fundraising among our friends and family.

Gate fans remember Alan 'best ever header of a ball' - Fans from Margate FC have paid tribute to club star Alan Blackburn who died this month. A striker, Mr Blackburn who played for the club in the 1960s, also played for West Ham United and Halifax Town. One Gate supporter Rich Garner said: "He was the best header of a ball that I ever saw anywhere and a nice man to boot. When playing with the lads up the rec we used to try to imitate his heading ability."

On the club's forum, Harvey Lockwood wrote: "Was in awe of him in my younger days. LEGEND!"

During his time with Margate – from the 1961/62 season to the 1964/5 season – Mr Blackburn scored 121 goals in 211 appearances making him Gate's second highest post-war scorer. The Margate FC history website says of Mr Blackburn: "Alan was a Barnardo's boy who started his career at West Ham, having been spotted playing in Hertfordshire junior football. He signed professional forms for the Hammers aged 17. Mr Blackburn, who had his own window-cleaning business, left Margate at the end of the 1964/65 for family reasons. He died in January 2014 at the age of 78.

Police issue bogus caller warning in south-west Fife: Police in South West Fife are urging householders to be on their guard when dealing with people knocking on their door and claiming to be collecting money.  “I would also like to take the chance to remind all householders that when people come to the door collecting milk money, window cleaning money or where they claim to be collecting on behalf of charity, that they make sure they are paying the right person. “We have seen a couple of instances recently where householders have parted with money, only to receive a call from the genuine collector and the initial caller was bogus. Again, it is the elderly and vulnerable who are favoured by these unscrupulous individuals and my best advice would be to ask any collector for ID or some other form of proof, such as a business card, to prove that the caller is genuine.”

Bogus window cleaner stole cash from Flackwell Heath pensioner: A bogus window cleaner stole 'a considerable amount' of cash from a Flackwell Heath pensioner. A white male with short brown hair visited the property in St Hildas Way on Thursday, January 23 and asked for money for a cleaning job he had not carried out. The occupant, a man in his 80s, gave him the money despite never having requested the service. Between 3.30pm and 4.30pm on Saturday, January 25 the 'window cleaner' returned to the house and requested change. Whilst the victim was looking for change, the man entered the living room and took a cash box containing money. The burglar was wearing a black raincoat down to his knees and a light coloured jacket underneath. A 36-year-old man from Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and bailed until March 5.

Prisoner caught with drugs in buttocks: A driver who caused the death of a 12-year-old boy has been jailed for three months after prison officers found cannabis in his cell. Lisburn Magistrates' Court heard on Monday how prison officers searched 35-year-old Andrew Paul Morrow's cell when they smelled cannabis smoke coming from it on 16 October last year. A prosecution lawyer described how officers conducted a "full body search" and uncovered the small amount of cannabis hidden between the cheeks of his bottom. Appearing in court via videolink from Maghaberry Prison, Morrow, originally from Vara Drive in north Belfast, pleaded guilty to possessing class B cannabis. Window cleaner Morrow is currently serving eight years behind bars after he admitted causing the death of 12-year-old Daniel Mooney by dangerous driving.

Window Cleaning News & Photos

Apple of investors' eye - In this July 21, 2011 photo, a window washer works atop the cube-like structure of glass that houses the Apple Store showroom in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Investors seem to think you want an iPad more than oil, as Apple Inc. became the most valuable company in the United States, surpassing Exxon Mobil Corp. on Wednesday. Apple briefly flirted with the top spot on Tuesday afternoon before settling back slightly below the oil giant.

China's price rises may have peaked but the country still faces inflationary risks, including the possibility of a new round of monetary easing by the United States, China's top economic planner said on Wednesday. A worker pauses from cleaning the exterior window of a hotel in Wuhan, Hubei province March 30, 2009. China's economy would grow 6 percent this year without government help but the 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus plan and other measures will boost growth to over 8 percent, Xinhua news agency quoted a senior government researcher as saying. 

China warns U.S. on managing its debt: China's central bank governor called Wednesday for the U.S. to "take responsible policy measures to handle its debt," a day after the world's largest economy reached a bipartisan deal to reduce its deficit and lift its borrowing limit to avoid a default. The comments from People's Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan, posted on the central bank's website, signal China's lingering concern over America's financial health. China is the U.S.' largest foreign creditor, holding at least $1.16 trillion in Treasury securities. Zhou also warned that stability is needed in the highly traded U.S. debt market, and said China plans to continue diversifying its currency reserves. Pictured above - A window washer works on a Beijing office building.

AB350: Unreasonable and unfair - Legislation would dictate to employers which workers would make up their labor force. If you read Santa Ana Democratic Assemblyman Jose Solorio's explanation of his legislation, the controversial Assembly Bill 350, it's about helping low-wage workers keep their jobs in a tough economy. Don't be fooled. It's really about helping the sponsor of the bill, the Service Employees International Union, retain union membership and improve its bargaining position. The bill requires employers who win new contracts for building services — including janitorial, maintenance, security, window-cleaning and cafeteria services — to hire and retain the previous contractor's employees for three months. If the employees' work is satisfactory during that 90-day period, the new employer would be required to keep them on. This is an unreasonable, unfair and unnecessary constraint on business. It would essentially dictate to an employer what his work force would be.

Under this bill, the new employer would not be able to interview or conduct a background check of the retained workers. Any business — a hospital or a hotel operator, for example — unhappy with the company that provided security or window cleaning previously, could contract with a new company but would still be stuck with the same work force. Existing law calls for a 60-day retention period for janitors and maintenance workers. This measure expands the type of workers who would have to be retained — adding security guards, window cleaners and food-service employees. It then tacks on another month to the time the new contractor or building owner would have to keep the old contractor's work force in place. Finally, it bars the new employer from firing the retained worker unless the employer can show specific incidents in which the retained worker's performance was unsatisfactory. Also here & here.

Body in Eel River identified as missing Santa Rosa man: The body found in the Eel River last month is a Santa Rosa man who may have been the victim of a homicide, authorities confirmed Wednesday. Edward Burton Jensen Jr., a 54-year-old man who had been living in Blocksburg, had been missing since April. The Humboldt County Coroner's Office identified Jensen in a press release sent out Wednesday. ”Investigation into the circumstances of Jensen's death is ongoing,” the release said. Jensen was last seen at a rural residence in the Larabee Creek subdivision area of Blocksburg, walking away from the residence after an argument with another subject. His body was discovered on July 28 in the river off of the 2400 block of Dyerville Loop Road. Responding deputies reportedly located the body in a small pool of water on a stump in the river. It appeared that the body had been in the river for a while. He had been living in Blocksburg with a relative. He had worked as a window cleaner in Sonoma County, but it's unclear whether he held a job at the time of his death.

Unveiled - First picture of new steel and glass roof at King's Cross Station, London: THIS is the first ever picture of the now completed roof in the King’s Cross railway station redevelopment. The giant steel and glass structure, which covers the new western concourse and will be the main entrance to the station, has been shrouded in weight-bearing scaffolding as it was built over the past three years. Designed by architect John McAslan and built by engineers Arup, the roof covers 8,000 square metres and is held up by 17 columns – with one large funnel-shaped column that sits directly in front of the Grade-I listed facade. The work to upgrade King’s Cross, which has cost around £500million, will be completed in stages. The main areas should be finished by March, while the second stage, which includes the demolition of the green canopy on Euston Road, will take place as soon as the Olympics are completed next summer.

The UK government’s Office for Budget Responsibility, in its recent “Fiscal Sustainability Report”, has finally published details of the total liabilities under the PFI (Private Finance Initiative). They come to a fairly astonishing £40 billion. There was also an announcement about the result of a pilot project to look at how money could be saved from existing PFI schemes. An impressive sounding £1.5 billion was suggested as the potential benefit. But hang on a minute. That’s over the whole life of the current schemes, many of which are up to 30 years. And if we apply it to the liability, that would suggest a saving of less than 4%. And how would it be achieved? The Treasury said savings have been made through a combination of changes, including reducing wasteful energy consumption, subletting or mothballing surplus building space, and reviewing service requirements such as window cleaning and frequency of decoration.

Nick’s fond memories of motoring legend father: Charles Rolls, Henry Royce and, locally, Raymond Mays - people know these names and associate them with cars. But the name of Sir John Black is right up there with them, even though you may never have heard of him. He ran the Standard Motor Company, which produced the Standard Vanguard car and the Ferguson tractor, at one time ran the Hillman and Triumph motor companies and was a general high-flyer from the 1920s to the 1950s, mixing with the leading politicians, celebrities and industrialists of the day. He also had a strong connection with Raymond Mays, Bourne’s own motor company mogul. Sir John died in 1965 aged 70 and his son, Nick Black of Cambridge Road, Stamford, has written a book about him entitled Triumph and Tragedy. The book contains fascinating stories, wonderful photos, some local connections and even a mysterious link with the Knights Templar!

Nick, who runs a window-cleaning business and has lived in Stamford for 30 years, decided to write it after inheriting a collection of photographs when his mother, Sir John’s second wife, died eight years ago in Switzerland where she had lived for 40 years. “This is a one-off for me and has taken me five years but I realised that with the photos and stories my mother had told me I had a great story to tell,” says Nick. Nick, who is pictured wearing his father’s blue velvet smoking jacket, only passed his driving test eight years ago and has no real interest in cars. He is married with two children and has led a very different life from that of his famous father.

Man Struck By Lightning After Bolt Goes Through Glass, Ohio— The Medina County Sheriff's Office confirms that a 41-year-old man was struck Tuesday evening by lightning on Kennard Road in Westfield Township. Emergency crews arrived at the scene at approximately 8:30 p.m. At that point, the man was breathing but disoriented. Westfield Township Fire Rescue transported the man to Medina Hospital. He was alert and conscious at the time. A family member who did not want to be identified said that the lightning bolt went through a glass door or window and struck the victim while he was standing inside the home. The family member said the man is being kept at the hospital for observation. Lisa Loparo, a spokesperson for Medina Hospital, said that the victim's name is Fred Waters. Lightning strikes kill 50 people a year on average in the United States. Video here.

Strong exports secure sales increase for Latchways: Shares in Latchways, the maker of devices to stop roofers and window cleaners falling, jumped after it said trading has been robust, with strong export markets helping to lift revenues. Latchways said it has seen strong growth in mainland Europe. “As expected, conditions in the UK construction market remain weak, affecting both product sales and installation margins in our UK Safety Services division,” the company said. “This has been more than offset by the continued growth in export markets.”

A heart broken Blackpool mother today described the brutal murder of her beloved son as like a “matador slaughtering a bull”. Andreas Fantousi was stabbed twice in the neck during a fight with a gang which erupted following a row over a cigarette. The 30-year-old father-of-two’s killers – 19-year-old Sheree Smith and boyfriend Michael Gordon, 22 – now face lengthy jail terms after the murder outside Mr Fantousi’s new home in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent. Mr Fantousi worked in Blackpool as a window cleaner before he moved to the Midlands in February last year to live with his girlfriend. 

Three affected by carbon monoxide poisoning in Wheaton: Three people in Wheaton were taken to a hospital Saturday evening with minor symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services. The three were sitting inside a home on Andrews Street when they became ill with carbon monoxide poisoning after 6 p.m., said fire spokesman Asst. Chief Scott Graham. Paramedics transferred them to a local hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries. Fire officials determined the cause of the incident came from fumes from a pressure washer used outside the home near an open window, Graham said.

Grimsby’s town hall nears completion: The end is near for reconstruction of the town hall, says the Grimsby’s public works manager. Work is almost complete on the expanded and rebuilt town hall, and staff and council are expected to move into their new home this fall. Town hall was originally slated to be open by March 31, and then July 31. Unexpected delays and challenges slowed construction and inflated the final cost from $6.8 million to $8.3 million. Public works manager Bob LeRoux, who described the project as the largest and most complex he’s ever overseen, said the end is finally in sight. “There are 300 per cent more windows than there were before. The window cleaning bill is going to go up,” he said.

Old Windows Find a Following: Barbara Jones had one stipulation when she was renovating her 1794 farmhouse:  keep the original windows. “For me, it’s aesthetics,” Ms. Jones said as she opened a white wooden window, the summer sun bouncing off its wavy glass. “Keeping the importance of what you have.” Old windows have acquired a bad reputation over the last few decades as drafty, inefficient and ecologically suspect: fixtures that should be replaced rather than refurbished. But over the last decade or so, homeowners like Ms. Jones are becoming more common. Many people are keeping their old windows, fixing what they have in the name of appearance, history and, for some, cost savings, according to architects, preservationists and window restorers. 

Covington Councilman Keith Dalton will run for a second term this November, because he feels he's needed. "As tough as economic times are in the whole country and in Georgia - we've had some of the highest unemployment in the nation - my conservative voice is needed now more than it was four years ago," Dalton said this week. Dalton, 46, is the owner of Covington Window Cleaners, which does contract office cleaning, commercial lawn maintenance, pressure washing and carpet and floor cleaning. He employs five full staff and around a dozen part-time employees.

He said, if elected, he will continue to work to keep taxpayers costs down, including taxes and utility rates. The city has invested millions of dollars to keep electricity rates down, and recently agreed to hold off on a water rate increase until customers could be given a few months warning. As far as long term goals, Dalton said it's too difficult to do true long range planning given the economy, so his focus will be on keeping spending down to save money for business and residents. "I don't care if it's my budget, my church's or the city's; you have to be fiscally responsible. You can't spend money you don't have," Dalton said. In addition to owning Covington Window Cleaners on at least a part-time basis since late 1985, Dalton said he was an Oxford police officer for more than six years, including a couple of years as police chief, and a Covington police officer for less than five years.

The mother of all instincts: In the last few weeks of pregnancy, Mother Nature plays a cruel joke. It's called "the nesting instinct," and before I was pregnant I didn't know it was a real thing. Sure I had heard of mommies-to-be actively preparing for bringing home baby, but I didn't know pregnant women actually had this inherent compulsion to clean and scrub and cook. When I asked my mom if she ever experienced "the nesting instinct," she responded with "Nine months pregnant was the only time in my life I've ever washed windows." My mom? Up on a step stool with a washcloth and window cleaner?