Mohawk reduces water, energy use

Mohawk Industries Inc., the world's largest floorcovering manufacturer, said Wednesday it cut a record amount of energy, water and material consumption in its manufacturing processes last year while shedding a combined 8,500 pounds from its own employee waistlines in its wellness programs.

During 2012, Mohawk used more than 29 million pounds of recycled crumb rubber -- the equivalent of 1.45 million rubber tires -- to create and recycle about 3 billion plastic soda bottles to manufacture EverStran carpet. The company also recycled nearly 5 million pounds of glass into fashionable tile products last year. Since 2008, water consumption at Mohawk facilities is down 30 percent.

"Across our entire organization, 2012 was a tremendous year of progress in employee wellness and safety as well as in energy, emission and water reduction," William Kilbride, chief sustainability officer at Mohawk, said in the company's annual sustainability report.

Photo agency sues stations

A photo agency is suing WUSY-FM (US-101) in Chattanooga and 10 other Clear Channel radio stations for using its photographs on station websites without permission. National Photo Group LLC claims in a lawsuit filed in Austin, Texas, that the Clear Channel stations violated copyright laws by including pictures of Jason Aldean, Brittany Kerr, Demi Moore and Drew Barrymore, among others.

The suit seeks damages of $150,000 per infringement.