Arkansas judge dismisses seat belt lawsuit
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — A lawsuit alleging that a school bus involved in a fatal crash was defective and unsafe because it wasn’t equipped with seat belts has been dismissed. Thomas Built Buses and one of its distributors were named in the lawsuit filed in the wake of a May 19, 2003, crash of a school bus that killed a 14-year-old girl and injured 20 other children.
Source: The Morning News, 7/6/06

Contractors reimbursed for high fuel prices
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox County school board members voted to divide $65,000 from the past year’s budget among the 115 bus operators who contract with the school system. Contractors will receive about $160 per bus to help compensate for recent high fuel prices.
Source: WVLT-TV, 7/5/06

School bus beating caught on camera
ROSEVILLE, Mich. — An attack on an 11-year-old that was captured on a school bus surveillance camera stemmed from the girl getting good grades, a county prosecutor said. The bully, also 11, had reportedly been harassing the victim throughout the school year for getting straight A’s. On June 8, the bully leaped from her seat and began pummeling the victim, leaving her crying with a bloody nose.
Source: The Detroit News, 7/14/06

Amphibious buses could help evacuate residents
SYOSSET, N.Y. — A retired aerospace engineer has opened a garage where he hopes to build a prototype vehicle capable of traveling on land and water. Tony Caserta said that in a natural disaster or terrorist attack, thousands of school buses equipped with the technology could be used to help evacuate Long Island residents.
Source: Newsday.com, 7/11/06