A school bus driver from Saskatchewan became a millionaire last month. Patricia Desjarlais won the March 6 Western Max draw with the same lottery numbers she’s been playing with for 30-plus years. Desjarlais, who also works as a courier, told The Star Phoenix that while she was still thinking about what she would do with the money, she was not necessarily planning to quit her job.
“I’m generally a very busy person and I like to be busy, and I really can’t just sit still,” she said.
Two bus drivers from the Clark–Pleasant Community School Corporation in Indiana were recently honored for protecting children during dangerous situations. Mark Howe administered a medication to a student who had two seizures while on the bus.
“Howe’s quick response ultimately saved the student’s life,” said Clark-Pleasant Transportation Director Bob Downin.
Shirley Snider was driving students home one afternoon in February when she noticed two men with guns exiting the home of one of her student passengers, after what appeared to be a burglary. Snider kept the student on the school bus and drove for two miles before she pulled over and contacted police.
“She not only kept her composure, but she also got the bus to a safe place to write down the license number,” Downin said.
Steven and Sarah Nick, school bus drivers with alleged ties to the Michigan militia are facing embezzlement and gun charges. According to authorities, the couple exploited $50,000 from Sarah’s mother and used the money to purchase weapons. Police found 17,000 rounds of ammunition and dozens of firearms, including handguns, shotguns and rifles, as well as bulletproof vests in the Nick home.
“They were well hidden. They were in the basement. We only got to it because we started the investigation on an exploitation case,” said Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell regarding the weapons.
The couple is also facing other money-related charges including larceny by conversation and unlawful use of a credit card.
Yesterday they were both released on bond.
A man from Connecticut was arrested Thursday after attacking a school bus that he claimed had awakened him in the morning. According to police, the bus was stopped to wait for a student. Keith Patzlaff, who lived nearby, approached the bus and started yelling at the driver because the sound of the idling engine interrupted his sleep.
The driver closed her window, which Patzlaff tried to pry open. After realizing he was unable to, he threw snow and ice on the bus and pulled at the windshield wipers. He then went around to the back of the bus and tried to open the emergency exit but was not successful. But he did manage to force open the bus’ side door. Patzlaff told police he would do the same thing again if the bus returned to his street.
