A Virginia bus driver who claimed her young daughter suffered terminal cancer to gain sympathy and more than $3,000 in cash and gifts from co-workers was sentenced to serve three months behind bars. The 26-year-old mother testified that she couldn’t justify the lie, and continuing to tell people that her daughter had leukemia and would soon die, “snowballed” out of control. To make amends, the woman has been volunteering for several months at a pediatric and palliative care and hospice program that provides specialized care and emotional support to families of children with life-threatening or fatal conditions. A Richmond prosecutor asserted in court that the lie inflicted great harm and was “mean and hurtful,” preying on the kindness of those trying to help. “She stole their friendships; she stole their hearts,” said the prosecutor.
No holiday cheer goes on without a scrooge to sour it. A 30-year-old bus aide in central New Jersey has been accused of stealing money from five special needs students on her bus. The amount of money taken from the students is unknown, and was slated to pay for class trips. After a thorough investigation, the aide was arrested at her place of employment and charged with nine counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition from a person. The aide was taken to a correction center and held on $75,000 bail with no 10 percent down payment.
Winter in most parts of the country is filled with dreadful weather, as a result, though, many students are granted snow days when conditions become too hazardous to get anyone to school safely. One West Virginia school district, in order to combat the missing days in the classroom during the long, cold months, is exploring the implementation of different bus routes on days where classes might have previously been canceled because of snow. The move preserves instructional days so extensions don’t cut into summer break. Over the last 15 years, the county, which runs 20 buses over 942 square miles, averaged 11.85 snow days per calendar due to hazardous road conditions.
A Denver bus driver arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence following a single-vehicle crash was written up for unsafe behavior a year previously after being told to “touch and verify every lug nut to insure that each is securely fastened to the wheel of the vehicle you are operating,” according to records. This infraction, discovered during a routine maintenance check of the bus, marks the only time Burris was written up; however, the technician who found the problem felt that the driver should have noticed the issue during the morning check of the bus. The recent transgression has led the driver to be charged with DUI, child abuse and vehicular assault after a rollover that injured five of the eight children on board. The driver, who was also injured, failed a sobriety test, telling a state trooper she was on “about six prescription medications.” While the driver is currently on paid leave, a district spokesman commented that a failed drug test leads to immediate removal from the position.
