Efren Vences, the man accused of striking and killing 13-year-old Keith Jones at his bus stop Tuesday morning, apologized to the boy’s family on Wednesday, saying the incident was destroying him and that he couldn't tell what hit his car because it was dark out. Meanwhile, a Go Fund Me page set up to help cover funeral expenses has raised more than $16,000.
Read More →A freshman student of Garinger High School in North Carolina was allegedly “causing problems on the bus” when a school resource officer tried to talk the student down and then restrained him before using his stun gun. Police said the officer shocked the student after he cursed at the officer and tried to punch him.
Read More →The Wake County (N.C.) Public School System school buses caught fire last week in a lot at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School. An initial review ruled out an electrical short as the cause, and although other buses in the same lot were vandalized and damaged earlier last week, it is not clear whether the fire is related to that incident, officials said.
Read More →New evidence, which forced an earlier mistrial in a case about a car driver allegedly passing a stopped school bus, striking and killing Hasani Wesley, 11, led to a prosecution plea deal. At issue was whether the bus was stopped, with red lights flashing and stop arm out, when Wesley was hit, but the bus driver’s record and her supervisor conducting an improper investigation significantly weakened the case against the car driver.
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Joyce Key was named Driver of the Year at a Bus Drivers Appreciation Banquet last week. Key began driving a school bus 29 years ago and has not had an accident.
Read More →The federal agency selects the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the Division of Air Quality in the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources for a Clean Air Excellence Award in the Transportation Efficiency Innovations category. The program that the EPA recognizes, “Clean School Bus NC: Kids Breathe Here,” is chosen for its impact, innovation and replicability.
Read More →In 2010, the school bus manufacturer became the primary sponsor for Oak Hill Elementary School in High Point, N.C., as part of an effort to improve the school’s performance. Thomas Built’s funding and volunteer support have helped Oak Hill Elementary become the highest performing Title 1 school in the state, officials say.
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The U.S. Secretary of Transportation attends Friday’s main Love the Bus event in High Point, N.C., and says school bus drivers are “unsung heroes.” In a follow-up blog post on Monday, he says that the data on school transportation indicate that the safest way for students to get to school is on a school bus with a “well-trained driver.” He adds that the data are “even more remarkable when you think about just how many students are riding the bus every day.”
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From coast to coast in the U.S. and in some Canadian provinces, this week’s cold snap has impacted pupil transportation operations. Issues such as thickened fuel and oil and frozen air lines cause districts to cancel bus service and close schools or delay school start times.
Read More →Thirty-five buses in New Hanover County (N.C.) Schools’ Laney Bus Garage were vandalized over the weekend, delaying many bus pickups on Monday. The estimated cost of damage is between $14,000 and $18,000, including labor costs.
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