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Thomas McMahon

Executive Editor

Thomas had covered the pupil transportation industry with School Bus Fleet since 2002. When he's not writing articles about yellow buses, he enjoys running long distances and making a joyful noise with his guitar.

Articlesby Thomas McMahonFebruary 19, 2013

Child-check devices: a vital reminder

To protect kids from being left stranded, drivers have to carefully check their bus. Electronic systems can help keep that duty from being neglected.

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Newsby Thomas McMahonFebruary 13, 2013

Ralph Braun: a pioneer in mobility

Braun, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at 6 years old, went on to develop innovative mobility products, including a motorized scooter and a vehicle wheelchair lift. The founder and CEO of The Braun Corp., who passed away on Feb. 8 at age 72, is also remembered for his contributions to safe pupil transportation.

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Newsby Thomas McMahonFebruary 12, 2013

More details on Alabama bus driver’s heroic response

The confrontation between an armed intruder and school bus driver Charles Poland lasted more than four minutes, with Poland standing in the aisle to block the gunman from his students and refusing to move, according to a report from CNN. Meanwhile, students in the back of the bus opened the rear emergency exit so they could escape.

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School Bus Fleet Blogby Thomas McMahonFebruary 11, 2013

Don’t fall out of your seat

Do some school bus drivers need their passengers (or someone else) to remind them to buckle up? Several incidents that have made the news should serve as cautionary tales to those who haven’t made it a priority to properly wear their seat belts. ...

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Newsby Thomas McMahonFebruary 11, 2013

Bill would exempt Louisiana districts from fuel tax

Under the new legislation, fuel used for school buses operated by municipal and parish school boards would not be subject to the state fuel tax. Currently, contractor-operated school buses in Louisiana qualify for a refund of three-fourths of the fuel tax.

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Newsby Thomas McMahonFebruary 7, 2013

Road by hostage site expected to be named for Charles Poland

Under a resolution passed by the Alabama Legislature, a half-mile stretch of U.S. 231 in Dale County would be designated the "Charles 'Chuck' Albert Poland, Jr., Memorial Highway," after the school bus driver who was fatally shot in the line of duty.

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Newsby Thomas McMahonFebruary 6, 2013

EPA names winners of $2 million in school bus rebates

Agency officials call the response from school bus fleets “overwhelming” — there were more than 1,000 applications for rebates. The 30 randomly chosen recipients include school districts and contractors from various states.

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Newsby Thomas McMahonFebruary 4, 2013

UPDATE: Boy held in bunker rescued, abductor dead

Ending a nearly weeklong standoff with a man accused of killing a school bus driver and abducting a 5-year-old passenger in Alabama, FBI agents enter the man's bunker and rescue the boy. Suspect Jimmy Lee Dykes, 65, is killed during the operation.

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Newsby Thomas McMahonFebruary 1, 2013

Labor board finds NYC bus driver strike legal

The now two-week-old strike by unionized school bus drivers in New York is found to not violate the National Labor Relations Act. The strike began on Jan. 16, with the union calling for the continuation of job protections that Mayor Michael Bloomberg contends "the city is not legally allowed to provide."

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Newsby Thomas McMahonJanuary 30, 2013

School bus driver killed, student taken hostage

An Alabama man identified by neighbors as Jimmy Lee Dykes, 65, allegedly boarded a school bus on Tuesday and demanded two children. When school bus driver Charles Albert Poland Jr. refused, he was fatally shot. The suspect then took a 5-year-old kindergartner and retreated to a bunker on his property, where they remained as of Thursday.

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