Unusual odor at NJ elementary school sickens teacher, spurs evacuation

PATERSON, N.J. (AP) -- Hundreds of students were evacuated from a northern New Jersey elementary school after an unusual odor sickened a teacher.Paterson police say the teacher was in the basement of Public School number 10 when she began to feel lightheaded around 9:30 a.m. Thursday.Fire officials recommended that the school be evacuated while the building was checked out, so at least 600 students were taken to another city school for a few hours.Crews eventually determined the odor was peppermint oil. The affected teacher was being evaluated at a hospital but didn't appear to have suffered any serious health issues.No students were harmed by the odor.District officials say the school has been declared safe, and the evacuated students were due to return there later in the day.