The parents of Lindsey Bonistall, a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Delaware who was violently raped and murdered in her off-campus apartment in May 2005, have founded a non-profit organization dedicated to off-campus student safety in her memory, the New York Times recently reported. The mission of the new nonprofit, dubbed "Peace Outside Campus," is to promote the safety of college students who live in off-campus housing. Chapters of the group are being founded at colleges throughout the country, and are initiating mentoring sessions dubbed "Teens in Transition," during which college upperclassman offer high school seniors guidance on living safely on their own. The foundation also offers "Living Off-Campus 101," a safety guide, and is in the process of developing a off-campus housing certification program.
High schools and colleges around the United States have been reporting a significant increase in staph infections, the New York Times reported last week. Drug resistant strains, particularly worrisome to health officials, have also been on the rise. These strains do not respond to the regular antibiotic treatments and can lead to more serious illness or death. A recently published federal report indicates that the bacteria causing staph infections, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, or MRSA, is responsible for more deaths in the United States each year than AIDS. The bacteria can be spread by skin to skin contact, or through the sharing of materials such as towels, razors and sports equipment. Notably, many of the recently reported cases have occurred due to transmission outside of staph's usual infection zone, health care centers, and instead are occurring in public places. The best way to prevent infection is through scrupulous hand-washing and other personal hygiene practices.
ABC's popular reality TV show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will come to Manchester, N.H., next week, according to the Union Leader. Reynald and Casey Voisine and their four children will be the recipients of a newly constructed home thanks to the program. Seventeen months ago, the family's house was completely flooded during a storm. Once waters receded, FEMA declared it unfit for rehabilitation. The family had the home razed, and then discovered that they could not qualify for a FEMA reconstruction loan due to an unpaid emergency medical bill. Reggie Moreau, whose construction firm will oversee construction of the new home, told reporters he and his staff are anxious to get started on the work, which will continue for 100 hours straight until the project's completion. Moreau and his staff have been working 20-hour shifts for much of the past month in preparation. Extreme Makeover relies entirely on volunteer labor and materials. Over 2,000 members of the Manchester community have signed up for either skilled labor or support roles.
