South Carolina Mold News

A disabled Texas woman died after being found in her home in deplorable conditions — and her three grown children have been arrested in the disturbing case, authorities said.

Patricia Martinez, 57, died Saturday afternoon in a San Antonio hospital after she was rescued from her home by Bexar County sheriff’s deputies on Thursday, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said Monday.

When deputies came to the woman’s aid last week, the bedridden mother was in “filthy conditions” — with insect infestations in her room and mold growing on parts of her body, Salazar told KENS5.

Authorities were tipped off to Martinez’s neglected condition by Adult Protective Services, who said they were concerned about “a steep decline in her level of health,” the sheriff said.

Martinez’s children, 37-year-old Oscar Dominguez, 24-year-old Roxanna Carrero and 18-year-old Pedro Luis Carrero are charged with injury to a disabled person with serious bodily injury– a first-degree felony, Salazar said Monday.

All three children lived with their mother and had been trained in how to care for her, the sheriff added.

“It’s likely she’s going to pay with her life for their neglect,” Salazar told the San Antonio station before the woman’s death. “God have mercy on their souls when their time comes.”

It’s unclear whether the charges will be upgraded for Martinez’ children now that she had died, the sheriff added.

The University of Colorado mascot poses with first-year students and their parents on the first day of Welcome Week at the Boulder campus. (Photo by Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado)

Rick Miranda, the interim president of Colorado State University, joked that he “is looking forward to carrying a few boxes” as he and his students officially arrive on campus for the national rite of passage that is move-in week. Like many other new institution leaders taking their posts, he will be unpacking, meeting new people and getting settled in.

They represent just a small fraction of the millions that are converging on residence halls and apartments at colleges and universities for the 2022-23 academic year, snarling roads and jockeying for position in hallways as they haul their items up the stairs and into dorms and other spaces, including makeshift hotel rooms.

They are being greeted by more than just fellow students this fall. They will contend with COVID-19 and its variants again, new outbreaks of the highly contagious monkeypox, political footballs such as Roe v Wade and inflation and affordability. How will they respond, and how will their institutions respond in kind?

Many admissions offices and other stakeholders across higher ed—from Georgia Tech in Atlanta and Elon University in North Carolina to the University of Nevada at Reno—have sent out guidance on expectations and handy resources prior to arrival. UNR put out a blog post from alumni to share their tips and tricks for incoming freshmen to survive the first semester. One alum said: “Don’t procrastinate. Write down test dates a week early in your planner so you start studying sooner. Talk to your professors, they have so much knowledge about the things you are interested in.” She also advised students to explore several clubs and “don’t be afraid to try new things.”

They will arrive, in many ways, at traditional-looking campuses, though that will mean traditional challenges, too. A welcome back message to students at Penn State includes this very long list of parking changes that is sure to be problematic for parents dropping off kids and for those distracted by friends they haven’t seen maskless since 2020. There already have been obstacles involving housing, including a few dorm delays at Flagler College, dirty apartments reported at the University of South Carolina, mold in some residences at Augusta College and low water pressure at Jackson State University.

Those institutions are all finding solutions, but perhaps the best came from Western Kentucky University, which allowed students to arrive on campus early because of the historic flooding in the state. The University of Kentucky also went above and beyond for the community and families in early August to help. “Our Office for Student Success mobilized quickly to reach out directly to more than 1,100 students who may have been affected by the flooding, connecting them with resources such as our Counseling Center, housing and other information regarding basic needs,” Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said, noting that its human resources and risk management teams also offered assistance to other colleges as well as employees who lost homes.

More from UB: Housing crunch sends colleges scrambling to find room for students

As for those coming to campus, some will be in residence halls while others will be forced to commute as an explosion of applicants and admitted students pushes space to their limits. There will be others who will arrive at off-campus apartments, paying exorbitant rent. While some institutions are planning a couple of days for move-ins, the big ones will be inviting students in for more than a week. Ohio State University got started last Friday and the process will continue through next Tuesday, as 14,000 strong bring their gear to campus. The university has asked that only one or two guests per student provide help. They will have to do so with masks but without moving trucks. More than 6,000 students will descend on the University of Tennessee in Knoxville starting today, but some of them will be staying at a nearby Holiday Inn run by university staff.

Move-in week, of course, is about more than just moving in, as new students get familiarized with campuses and the long lists of events they have planned. At Montana State University, its Debut lasts for more than a month with a rodeo, block party, in-service day, football game, concert and traditional painting of rocks.

Photo courtesy of Montana State University (MSU Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez)

“We are so excited to welcome all students back to campus,” Chris Pruden, student engagement and leadership adviser, said. “At MSU, we want to give our students the opportunity to achieve academically, but we also want to give them opportunities to engage with the local and campus community. Events like these keep our students connected.”

One of the institutions where residences are being watched closely this fall is Howard University, whose students staged a monthlong sit-in over conditions at its dorms last year. Rashad Young, senior vice president and chief strategy officer, told Howard’s news service The Dig that they “worked hard over the summer to prepare the campus, and students will continue to see ongoing maintenance throughout the buildings. We have contractors, plumbing, HVAC and electrical on-site, even after students move in, to ensure any concerns are immediately resolved. Students will see us very active in the building for weeks and probably even a couple of months after they move in.” They also set up a hotline for housing concerns that they say will be addressed within 24-48 hours.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An update on safety concerns in the dorms at Augusta University.

Around 30 students couldn’t move in Wednesday because mold was discovered in two residence halls.

We have been digging into the company in charge of housing and what we’ve uncovered sounds eerily familiar.

That’s because Corvias, the company in charge of housing on Augusta University’s campus, is also in charge of military housing.

It’s not the same company at Fort Gordon where the I-TEAM has been tracking mold problems for years, but Corvias has been in hot water for mold at places like Fort Bragg and Fort Meade.

On Wednesday, the school told us they discovered mold in some rooms in Elm and Oak Halls. So, they gave 30 students the option to stay at the Marriott until Saturday.

Four took them up on the offer. Others went elsewhere. Since then, a few have been able to get in ahead of schedule. Tomorrow at 11 a.m., the final 25 will be able to move in.

According to the Corvias website, the company handles housing for 14 colleges in five states, but the vast majority of them are in Georgia.

Here is a video out of Georgia State in Atlanta from September of last year, where students reported mold and even mushrooms growing in their Piedmont Central dorm.

Back in 2019, Georgia State’s student-run newspaper uncovered mold too. In the end, 60 students ended up having to be relocated.

Students at Howard University in Washington, D.C. currently have a petition for their private school to break up with Corvias.

This is after students there reported mold.

Some even slept in tents outside the campus center for more than a month to protest the living conditions in the dorms.

We reached out to Corvias Friday but have yet to receive a response back from the company.

We’ve also requested a number of documents through the Freedom of Information Act to hopefully shed more light on this.

Copyright 2022 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

DINGESS, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Mingo County school officials have an extra challenge on their hands ahead of the start of the school year.

Superintendent Johnny Branch said mold had been discovered in five classrooms at the school, citing dampness and a leaking roof as the cause.

He said a commercial water damage response service assessed the situation Wednesday with full removal work expected to get underway Friday.

Branch released a statement Thursday which read in part:

A major roof repair project is currently underway. Any affected carpets, rugs, or other items, as appropriate or necessary will be removed and replaced. This is the process normally followed. The district tries to take a comprehensive approach to clean, disinfect, and to address conditions in hopes of preventing reoccurrences. The district is also collaborating with the Mingo County Health Department. The Mingo County School District is committed to the health and safety of all Mingo County students and staff.

Parents’ minds are not exactly at ease.

Candita Crabtree has six kids enrolled at Dingess Elementary, two with severe asthma and three have mold allergies.

“It’s scary,” she said. “I work full time, it’s very hard. I do hair, so I just can’t come and get them every time if something were to come up, so it is really scary if they were to have an asthma attack at school.”

Branch expects the problem to be fixed in a matter of days.

“I hope they just clean it really good and they do what they need to do so we’re ready for the school year,” Crabtree said.

Branch said school is expected to start on time, with teachers returning Aug. 23 and students coming back on the 29th.

Copyright 2022 WSAZ. All rights reserved.

What was supposed to be an unforgettable girls’ trip turned into a nightmare when three best friends walked into their hotel room to find it was covered in mold.

The women shelled out a whopping $350 per night for the room in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 

“We were looking forward to every bit of it. We’d never been away together,” Kelly Bruce said.

When they opened the door, there was mold everywhere — the floor, bed, walls and furniture. 

“I was traumatized by what I saw,” Lashanda Terry said.

The video was posted to TikTok, where it has been viewed over 7.2 million times. 

One of the reasons the friends were so shocked is that they went online to research the Sea Mist Oceanfront before booking.

When they complained, they say they weren’t prepared for the front desk’s response.

“I asked if she wanted to see the video and she was like ‘No, I believe you,'” Bruce said.

In a statement to Inside Edition, the resort said, “Due to a human error made by the management company, a guest was assigned to a unit that was…in the process of renovations. It was not meant to host guests. We extended our sincerest apology to the guest and provided an upgrade to a newly renovated Jacuzzi suite.”

The women shared video of their upgraded suite —  no mold in sight!

The hotel also says mold is an issue at every resort located in a humid climate.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — Over two dozen students at Augusta University’s Health Sciences campus are not yet able to move into their dorm rooms for several days after mold was discovered in both Oak and Elm Halls.

According to a university spokesperson, the mold reportedly grew in some of the rooms after several weeks of high heat and humidity, which was also exacerbated by a faulty HVAC system.

“To remedy these conditions, Corvias, our facilities service provider, supported by Augusta University and other specialized contractors, is thoroughly cleaning the affected rooms and addressing any contributing HVAC system problems as quickly as possible,” said the spokesperson in a statement.

Students affected by the issue are being given the option to live in their current off-campus residences or stay in free, provided rooms at the Downtown Augusta Marriott. Those who choose to stay at the hotel will be given transportation to dining and activities, storage for belongings, and moving assistance. A resident assistant will also stay at the hotel, and campus police will also respond if needed.

The affected students are expected to be able to move-in to their dorms by Saturday, Aug. 13.