A few rather sordid call center news items came across my desk this morning, and I thought it only right to share. With all the software updates, survey results, predictable case studies, and feel-good success stories, we sometimes forget that strange and unsavory things happen in North American call centers every day.

Take the ACCENT Marketing Services call center in Farmington, Missouri. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that 130 agents were taken to hospitals after something in the call center made their eyes sting and breathing difficult. All 338 workers were evacuated Wednesday, and no one knows what caused the foul air.

Meanwhile, in Austin, Texas, someone fired a pellet gun at the windows of the ACS call center on Wednesday morning. It didn't break the windows, and local police think it's random, but people are nervous, according to a report by a CBS affiliate.

A call center run by Encompass in Beaverton, Oregon closed suddenly on Wednesday after a "computer problem," according to Fox 12 Oregon. The company filed Chapter Seven bankruptcy on Wednesday, which came as a surprise to its employees.

The 300 or so Encompass agents may be in for another surprise: some say local banks aren't cashing company paychecks.

Not all news is bad this week. ACS will be hiring as many as 375 new workers at its 120-agent call center near the Nashville, Tennessee airport.

Start your week right with these fascinating call center news updates from the U.S. and Canada.

News updates from America, Canada, the U.K., and the Dominican Republic.

The weekly call center report is back. This week: news from the Philippines, Texas, Ohio, Kentucky, and more.

Yes, even weekly updates needs breaks. The illustrious call center report is back from a relaxing summer vacation with news from Scotland, England, Canada, Florida, and more.

Lots of American news in this installment of the call center report: openings in Oregon, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Missouri

The latest in call center openings and closings from around the world.

Two weeks of call center openings and closings from around North America and the world.

Call center openings and closings from around North America and the world. In this week's news: Apple ditches its India call center plans and HP looks into Bulgaria.

This week: a double issue with news, openings, and closings from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, and America.

In this week's update on the call centers that are opening, closing, and making news worldwide: Dell is hiring 1,000 in Canada, UK cable co NTL is firing 4,000, and Nicaragua opens a center without any clients.

In this week's update on the call centers that are opening, closing, and making news worldwide: Verizon is making big cuts after its MCI buy, Belfast is reeling after Prudential announces a big closing, and UK marketer LBM offers to pick up a third of Prudential's victims.

In this week's update on the call centers that are opening, closing, and making news worldwide: Mostly domestic news and one item from China.

In this week's update on the call centers that are opening, closing, and making news worldwide: Bank of America expands a call center instead of closing it? It's true! Also -- openings in Malaysia, New Zealand, Ghana, Zambia, Wales, and Estonia.

In this week's update on the call centers that are opening, closing, and making news worldwide: Bank of America shuts down three 600+ agent call centers, plains state senators battle for an Airforce call center, and Royal Caribbean opens a call center shaped like a cruise ship.

Here is your weekly update on the call centers that are opening, closing, and making news worldwide. And don't forget to check our Weekly News Briefs in the news well on the front page for summaries of the week's sometimes sordid, sometimes tragic worldwide call center news.

Here is your weekly update on the call centers that are opening, closing, and making news worldwide. And don't forget to check our Weekly News Briefs in the news well on the front page for summaries of the week's sometimes sordid, sometimes tragic worldwide call center news.

The Call Center Report skipped a week on account of a lack of news. So here's two, that's right, two weeks in one. And don't forget to check our new Weekly News Briefs in the news well on the front page for summaries of the week's sometimes sordid, sometimes tragic worldwide call center news.

A rather large dose of our weekly compendium of call centers that are opening, closing, and making the news around the world. See our new Weekly News Briefs in the news well on the front page for summaries of the week's sometimes sordid, sometimes tragic worldwide call center news.

A heaping helping of our weekly compendium of call centers that are opening, closing, and making the news around the world. See our new Weekly News Briefs in the news well on the front page for summaries of the week's sometimes sordid, sometimes tragic worldwide call center news.

A massive double dose of our weekly compendium of call centers that are opening, closing, and making the news around the world.

A weekly compendium of call centers that are opening, closing, and making the news around the world.

A weekly compendium of call centers that are opening, closing, and making the news around the world.

A weekly compendium of call centers that are opening, closing, and making the news around the world.

A weekly compendium of call centers that are opening, closing, and making the news around the world.