'Overwhelmed by his generosity'
08.10.11
“I was overwhelmed by his generosity,” said Beverly Condo of Robert Street. “I was born and raised here, 63 years. This was my grandparents’ home. … Nobody has ever done that much for us in our lifetime.”
Odachowski’s Maryland-based disaster-cleanup company, Royal Plus Inc., has for the past two weeks been working for a client in the Luzerne Products building in Plainsville, a low-lying and oft-flooded section of Plains Township.
Odachowski and his employees have distributed more than 60 dehumidifier units for residents of Plainsville. He also is helping connect residents with free equipment and professional cleaning supplies and today will host a block party for residents in Plainsville’s park.
Odachowski, 44, said his company typically tries to reach out to neighbors whenever they come to a disaster-struck community by passing out food, water and cleaning supplies, and he can pinpoint the moment he realized how desperately Plainsville needed help.
Source: Wilkes Barre Times-Leader
Faulty dehumidifier blamed for Cedar Rapids house fire
14.09.11
CEDAR RAPIDS – On Wednesday, a nationwide recall was placed for a popular small home appliance. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling 98,000 Goldstar and Comfort-Aire brand dehumidifiers.
This is the second recall for the units, which were first recalled back in December 2009 . According to officials, wiring in the units could short-circuit and cause a fire.
Cedar Rapids fire investigators believe one of the recalled dehumidifiers may have caused a house fire in July.
“We went down into the basement and you could not see anything,” said fire victim Kelly Gorsch.
Gorsch and her family of four rushed out of their home on M Street Southwest in Cedar Rapids.
“We found out later it was the dehumidifier that caught on fire,” said Gorsch.
Even though it was badly burned, one fire investigator believes it was a unit that was recalled back in December 2009.
“The wheels that were on that dehumidifier at the M Street fire were indication of the Goldstar humidifier that was part of a recall,” said Cedar Rapids Assistant Fire Marshal Vance McKinnon. “There was a short-circuit within the compressor that sparked a fire,” said McKinnon.
Source: The Gazette: Eastern Iowa Breaking News and Headlines