New Nevada law requires students attend school for driving privileges

A new state law goes into effect on Jan. 1 that requires students attend school regularly in order to apply for and keep their driver licenses and learner's permits.
The law says students who want to apply for a license or permit, must submit to the Department of Motor Vehicles office a completed DMV-301 form signed by a school official. The form will verify the applicant has attended at least 90 percent of the school days in the current semester.
The form must be submitted at the time of application. If the student obtained a permit prior to Jan. 1, the form must be submitted at the time of the driving skills test.
Nancy Wojchik with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles said the State Department of Education is behind the law, which encourages kids to go to class.
"And get a message to the parents as well, you need your child to stay in school," said Wojchik.
Las Vegas resident Barbara Neagle, who has three kids, said she thinks it's a good idea.
"I think it's a motivator for those kids who aren't going to school," she said. "To get your license, it is a privilege and it's something they usually look forward to, so I think that this might help them to go to school."
The forms, also known as Certificates of Attendance, will be available at Nevada DMV offices. But Wojchik advises teenagers to go online and print them out. That way, the students can fill them out and have their school administrator sign off on them before the student applies for a license or permit at the DMV.

This new law will create more paperwork, especially for the schools. But administrators are hoping that it can be a driving force to get more students to come to campus and eventually leave with a diploma. 

Driving Academy expects increased traffic for drive-only licenses

Middlesex Driving Academy owner Caroline Mormile expects a deluge of new business as the state’s new drive-only program kicks off.

The self-described “new guy on block,” Mormile seeks to be proactive in responding to special needs of administering the new drive-only license offered by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. The program allows undocumented individuals 16 and older, who are unable to establish legal presence in the United States or lack a Social Security number, to apply for a legal license to drive a vehicle.

Since opening her Durham business in 2012, Mormile has trained several hundred clients each year, mainly first-time teen drivers from towns spanning from Farmington to Old Saybrook, she said.
The new program also involves applying for a learner’s permit that can then lead to a drive-only license. Learner’s permits are now required of all new license applicants regardless of age and level of driving experience.

After they pass the written test, applicants will get a learner’s permit which, for those 18 and older, is in effect for three months, For teens age 16 and 17, there are other special training requirements and the permit is operational for a longer period of time.

Applicants then will be required to take an eight-hour driving course before they can take the road test and get the license.

There is a big emphasis on applicants studying the driver’s manual because getting another appointment will likely take some time, given the interest. The test will be offered in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and Polish, while Mandarin will be available soon.

The DMV website has an overview of the process and a link to the checklist of documents needed to apply.

There is also an app that can be downloaded from the DMV website to take a practice test. Seymour said there are three tests for a total of 61 questions out of the 300 that could be asked.

The Department of Motor Vehicles makes the point that new procedures are permanent and there is no need to rush.For many people however, they want to get a license as soon as they can.

William Seymour, spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, said more staff have been hired to handle the new procedures that could impact anywhere between 60,000 and 160,000 individuals.

Since many immigrants are already driving, the program is intended to make the roads safer with licenses issued for all residents who are properly trained and who buy insurance was the main selling point for the new law, which passed in 2013, but took a year to implement.

Since Mormile is required to submit the school’s driving class schedule to the state one year in advance, there wasn’t time to consider needs of the thousands of immigrants who will likely flood the system. Mormile feels that some the estiamtes of undocumented immigrants has been largely underreported, she said.

A member of the state’s Driving School Industry Taskforce, Mormile fears a potential bottleneck as driving schools respond to this increased demand.

“We knew it was coming down pipeline, but we didn’t know its impact on driving schools,” said Mormile.

A friend of Mormile’s recently sought information so that her father, a Cambodian refugee, could apply for a license.

As Mormile began to research the request, she found a “difficult hunting process” for people seeking the information needed, according to Mormile.

“I just want to make it as easy as possible,” said Mormile, who invites email questions in any language, including Spanish, Cambodian, French, Italian, Russian,Mandarian, Portuguese, and more.“I’ll get back to you.”

The purpose of the Drive Only license program is to improve public safety and to try to ensure that all drivers are tested, know how to drive and understand the rules and laws for driving. A Drive Only license is not valid for state or federal identification purposes, and cannot be used to vote.

Middlesex Driving Academy is also trying to coordinate transportation for students with the 9 Town Transit, Middletown-area transit, and Dial-A-Ride services to her Durham training facility. Mormile is currently working with Middlesex Chamber of Commerce to identify a larger location to accommodate future expansion.

This includes hiring new driving instructors, said Mormile, whose eight-hour driving classes are already booked through March. The maximum cost for an 8-hour course is $150, and soon the academy will offer online register where a $25 deposit can hold a space in the class. Students can take the class prior to paying the full amount, but will not be issued the required certificate until after the full cost is paid.

The vision and knowledge testing for the Drive Only license will begin at DMV on January 2, 2015, by appointment only. No walk-in service is provided.Once an applicant passes the vision and knowledge tests at a DMV office, he or she will receive a learner’s permit by mail.

Those 18 and older must hold the permit for 90 days, while 16 and 17 year-olds have special training requirements and must hold the permit for a longer period of time. A road test is taken after having the learner’s permit for the required time for training.

he written knowledge test will be offered in the following languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and Polish. Mandarin will also be available shortly.

The Department of Motor Vehicles expects thousands of immigrants to begin taking the steps needed to obtain a new state-issued driver’s license or learning permit. Online appointments can be made on the DMV’s website to schedule a written test for a Drive Only License. Appointments can only be made online.

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Chongqing Police Raid Adds to Uber Issues

Uber is in hot water in China’s spicy-hotpot capital of Chongqing.

Last Wednesday, police raided a training session organized by Uber Technologies. According to a report by the 21st Century Business Herald newspaper, more than 20 drivers were in attendance—including one person who had recently been released from prison after a conviction for theft.

A spokeswoman for the car-hailing app company confirmed that the raid happened but said the company hadn’t received any official notice from authorities there. “We are actively communicating and seeking clarification with Chongqing government,” a statement from Uber said. “The company remains dedicated to serving the local transportation needs in Chongqing, and making contributions to smart transportation development through our leading technology,” the statement added.

She declined to comment as to whether the company would suspend training activities there.

Authorities in Chongqing didn’t respond to requests for comment. But a statement posted Monday on the Chongqing traffic authority’s website said it will crack down on illicit cab operations capitalizing on the car-hailing apps including Uber. Private car drivers who make money through car-hailing services will be fined up to 100,000 yuan, or more than $16,000, the statement said.  It didn’t mention the Uber raid.

That police action in Chongqing came on the same day Uber announced a tie-up with Chinese search company Baidu Inc. and its chief executive and founder Travis Kalanick told The Wall Street Journal about its desire to make rides safer as it pushes into new markets, including in China.

Last week, the authorities in Taiwan declared its car-hailing service illegal. Uber said Monday it was disappointed by the Taiwan authorities’ statement.

Uber is available in a range of cities across China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Chengdu. It started operations in Chongqing around one month ago, according to the spokeswoman.

The San Francisco company’s troubles in Chongqing are the latest in a string of legal obstacles it faces around the world from India to Spain to Thailand and in its home state of California.

Pictures of the raid online show uniformed officers in what appears to be a training room with an overhead projector screen.

An article accompanying the photos on information technology-focused Internet portal Chinabyte.com said the police raid follows a meeting earlier this month in which traffic enforcement officers in Chongqing discussed methods for regulating taxi applications in the city. Other cities in China such as Shanghai already have imposed regulations including on the use of taxi apps at certain periods during the day.

Competition in the electronic cab-hailing market is intense in China, with IT giants Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings, investing in upstart apps as part of a broader effort to dominate the world’s largest base of Internet users.

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Every Driving School In America

My experience at Mini's Miles Ahead Performance Motoring School at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was one of the highlights of my year. Of course it was — what gearhead doesn't want to go to a driving school, where they learn how to fling cars around racetracks under the watchful eye of pro drivers?

The good news is there are a ton of options if you want to attend a driving school. But as reader ClevelandInKorea pointed out, there doesn't seem to be a big list anywhere that includes every school in the U.S. and their prices.

I'd like to fix that, and I need your help. Can we list every driving school in America in this post? I think so, and I'll do a few obvious ones to get started.

If you want to join in, please post a comment that includes the name of the school, its location, and its price tag. And if you've participated before, let us know what it was like. Remember, we're talking about on- and off-road performance schools, not driver's ed programs. Those are boring. These are fun.

Schools driving Artstraws success

"We work very hard on the school side, constantly amending our range to suit what the schools are looking for," says firm.

Arts and crafts firm, Artstraws has enjoyed a positive 2014, largely thanks to the school market.

Around 60 per cent of the company’s turnover goes in to the school market, as Artstraws supplies the companies that supply schools with equipment. The other 40 per cent goes in to the retail market.

“2014 has been strong because it’s been very good on the school side,” Artstraws, MD Roger Russell told ToyNews. “We work very hard on the school side, constantly amending our range to suit what the schools are looking for.

“We have been around a long time in the school market, but the schools used to know us for Artstraws alone. Now they know us for our arts and craft range and our Play & Discover range.

“It’s very rewarding to know that children are using our products to help them right the way through the curriculum. When they are using artstraws or pipe cleaners in art classes, it helps little kids become more dextrous and have fine motor control, which helps them learn to write.”

The firm has also had a good year when it comes to awards with its Play & Discover range.

Its Play People was awarded a Gold by Practical Pre-School magazine, while its Pipe Pieces with Wheels was awarded a Silver by Primary Teacher Update.

Russell added: “We are extremely chuffed with the awards. If you think of pipe cleaners and feathers, we try to give good service, good prices and good quality product, but none of that is ever going to win an award. So, with our Play & Discover range winning an award, we were really pleased with that.”

On the retail side, Artstraws has found greater success with the independents and believes some of the larger toy retailers are missing out by avoiding arts and crafts lines.

Russell said: “We do well with independent toy retailers but we don’t do anything with the likes of The Entertainer and Smyths. Back in the late 90s, we supplied big stores like Tesco, Boots and Woolworths but they were always after something new, so we opted out of all of that.

“There are groups out there that are missing a trick because the margin you can make on our product is really good. The independents are aware of that and know that it works. The products are consumable so the customer comes back for more.”

Artsraws will be introducing new products at London Toy Fair in January.

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Sole traders are driving UK business growth

Sole traders are at the forefront of UK business growth, with almost 200,000 starting up last year, according to government figures published today.
At the start of 2014 there were 5.2 million private sector businesses, 330,000 more than a year earlier. And of those 330,000 new businesses, 197,000 are thought to be sole traders, according to the Business Population Statistics report.
It is the first time the business population has exceeded five million – prompting business minister Matthew Hancock to tweet today: “Yet more proof that our long-term economic plan is working. More UK business, creating more jobs & more hardworking families are better off.”
In total, 76% of businesses were non-employers, and 80% of growth in the past year has been among non-employing businesses.
The report states: “Increasing self-employment has been the key driver of business population growth since 2000 and remains so in the increase of 330,000 businesses since the start of 2013.”
However the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) says too few businesses are hiring staff.
Everyday Employers, a report by the RSA, finds that just 3% of one-person businesses hired and kept an employee on between 2007 and 2012.
It said government schemes aimed at encouraging sole traders to hire their first member of staff have failed.
Benedict Dellot, senior RSA researcher, says: “With so few self-employed people taking on staff, we need to ask ourselves where the jobs of the future will come from. Whilst the government has sought to address low recruitment rates with several new initiatives, few have had any meaningful impact – despite costing millions.”
The report argues that initiatives have not worked “because they do not speak to the full set of barriers that prevent people from taking on staff”.
Three schemes, the National Insurance Contribution Holiday, the Youth Contract and the Shares for Rights initiative, are highlighted in the report as having low take-up rates. The Youth Contract, introduced in 2012 to encourage businesses to take on young people, helped 12,000 people into work against an original target of 160,000, says the RSA.
Dellot says the government should “reassesses its current approach” and “design a support system based on how business owners actually behave, rather than how we think they should behave.”
However the department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) says that there has been an increase of 66,000 businesses that employ staff. Small businesses employ 12 million people, with a combined turnover of £1.2 trillion.
Business secretary Vince Cable says: “Small firms make up the majority of our business community and it is those with the creativity and commercial nous that will continue our legacy as a world-leading enterprising nation.”
At the start of 2014, 5.2 million small businesses accounted for 48% of UK private sector employment, according to the ONS figures.
The RSA includes several recommendations in its report that the government and businesses could use to encourage firms to take on staff.
They include: employee sharing, where employment agencies and business groups would coordinate to promote “carousel-like workforce models”; small business careers fairs to attract graduates; triggered “growth prompt” messages questioning recruitment intentions as soon as a business’ financial data shows a strong business performance.
The RSA also suggests that accountants take on a wider business advice role. They would be encouraged to support business clients in growing their business, possibly enabled through a “new business coaching module in their accountancy training.”
Sign up to become a member of the Guardian Small Business Network here for more advice, insight and best practice direct to your inbox.

PG&E's $75M training center gets environmental hearing in Winters

The city of Winters on Monday will hold a scoping meeting on the environmental report required for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to build a $75 million technical training center in the city.
A rough schematic of the 40-acre center shows a main campus, a utility village training area, along with areas for crane certification, transmission training, pipeline inspection, wellhead simulation and several large areas for commercial driver training on a tarmac and equipment training on dirt. The schematic calls for at least 200 parking stalls, along with parking for heavy equipment and room for a future 20,000-square-foot building.
Scoping meetings consider what the environmental document will cover, including such things as air quality, aesthetics, land use, noise, transportation, traffic, geology, biological resources and whatever else may come up at a the meeting.

Comments can be made verbally at the scoping meeting, which is at 6:30 p.m. at Winters City Hall, or can be submitted in writing to the city by Dec. 9. Scoping meetings are required by the California Environmental Quality Act.
Technical studies are underway now in the development of a draft environmental document, which should be released in March. With timely approvals, the training center could begin construction in the fall of 2015.
The training center is centrally located and will allow the utility to train its workers from all over Northern California. With a few exceptions, PG&E serves gas customers from Bakersfield, to the Central Coast to Nevada and to Oregon.

The San Francisco-based utility is building the training center to help its gas-line employees avoid accidents and respond to emergencies. The utility has suffered some high-profile gas-line accidents, including the 2010 San Bruno explosion and a 2008 explosion in Rancho Cordova.

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Boone bus drivers recognized for safety

On a typical school day as Jerry Harwood drives students from home to school or school to home, his bus is filled with laughter.

Passing a duck pond on the way to school, he'll often ask his students "Why are ducks always snoozing at noon?"

The answer: "They get up at the quack of dawn."

The tiny giggles bring great joy to Harwood, a 46-year Boone County Schools bus driver.

"We're always joking," he said. "It's good for the kids and me."

School bus driving, however, is a "serious matter," according to Harwood who recently received recognition for 35 years of accident-free driving.

Harwood and 47 other Boone County Schools bus drivers qualified for this year's Safe Driver Award, sponsored by Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society. This year the award was given to drivers from one year of being accident-free to 35 years.

Virginia Lainhart with Woodmen of the World said she is impressed with the service Boone bus drivers provide. Growing up in Boone County herself, she said she remembers when the school system had only two bus drivers. Now there are 245 drivers. She said it is important to recognize those drivers who practice the utmost safety.

"This helps to let parents and the community know that the transportation department is very safety conscious," she said.

Boone County Schools Transportation Director Heather Roth said having 48 drivers receive the award this year is quite a feat and speaks volumes about their training and their regard to safety.

"We transport approximately 17,000 students, over 11,000 miles every day for 175 days a year," she said. "Drivers take pride in receiving this award. We have a dedicated group of professional drivers that take pride in providing safe, reliable transportation."

Harwood, 70, of Burlington, started driving for Boone County Schools when he began teaching at Ockerman Elementary School in the 1970s. He went on to teach at Ockerman Middle and Collins Elementary before retiring in 2001. He continued to serve as a bus driver because he "loves the kids."

"You have to like kids if you're going to drive a school bus," he said. "It's hard work, a serious job. But the kids and I have fun. We tell jokes. When you're around kids, something funny is bound to be said."

Several years ago, Harwood started making notes of his jokes, and wrote, illustrated and published "Jokes from the School Bus" and "A Joke Book for Kids." The books are dedicated to the children who inspired him.

"While on the bus the kids are always helping me think of new jokes," he said. "Kids love hearing and telling jokes. When we would see something funny as we were making our way to and from school, I would hand a notebook to someone in the seat behind me and say, 'Here write this down.'"

According to Harwood, riding a school bus can be a "significant part of a child's education."

"The driver and the children develop a special relationship that both remember as they move on through life," he said.

Want to continue the conversation? Tweet @MStewartReports

miDrive launches the easiest way to gift and pay for driving lessons

08 December 2014: miDrive, a popular UK learning to drive app, today announces miDrive Vouchers and miDrive Pay.

miDrive Vouchers can be used to pay for driving lessons with more than 3,000 instructors around the country. This allows learners to find a qualified instructor that’s right for them.

miDrive Vouchers make an excellent Christmas gift for the 750,000 people currently learning to drive in the UK. They can be set at any monetary value, and can be bought or requested at www.midrive.com/vouchers. Learners who receive a miDrive Voucher simply deposit the credit into a personal miDrive account.

miDrive Pay enables learner drivers to transfer lesson fees directly into instructors’ bank accounts from the convenience of their phones. A learner can use miDrive Pay with a miDrive Voucher and/or money from their personal bank or credit card.

Scott Taylor, CEO of miDrive says: “Driving lessons are expensive for young people and miDrive Vouchers help family and friends share the cost. Rather than giving learners cash, a miDrive Voucher makes sure the money is spent on driving lessons while allowing learners a wide choice of top quality instructors.”

miDrive’s innovations are also expected to be popular with instructors. Stephen Lavender, an instructor for the past 18 years based in Folkestone, notes: “miDrive Pay streamlines lesson admin. The learner simply clicks a few buttons on their phone and the money is sent to my bank account. I no longer need to worry about carrying cash or taking cheques to the bank.”

The miDrive app, which is completely free, enables learners to pass their exams more quickly by providing them with tools such as the ability to easily track and review practice drives. Learners can also use miDrive’s marketplace to find the right driving instructor, which can reduce instruction costs by as much as GBP300. This powerful platform also enables any of the UK’s 44,000 driving instructors to attract new customers.

In the past 11 months, miDrive’s network has grown to include more than 30,000 learners and 3,000 instructors. An estimated GBP3 million worth of driving lessons have been driven through its platform. 

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Teen driving in the Parkway and beyond

Teenage drivers are statistically more likely to be in a car crash than drivers from any other age group. Crashes kill more teens than anything else. In fact, nearly 40 of the Bay State's 2012 traffic fatalities were young men and women between the ages of 16 and 20.

In Massachusetts, 39 people ages 16 to 20 were killed in car crashes in 2012, the most recent year for which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a full set of data. People ages 16 to 20 accounted for more than 11 percent of all traffic fatalities statewide, compared to a national rate of 9.6 percent.

India Vickers, a 17 year old who takes driving classes at Parkway Auto School in West Roxbury, said teenagers make driving mistakes for a number of reasons.

“Too much overconfidence leads teens to think they are able to get behind the wheel when they are in no condition to do so,” said the Hyde Park resident in an emailed statement. “Also showing off! Teens love to show off, whether it's your grades, your license or the speeds at which you drive a car.”

Vickers attends Boston Latin Academy with West Roxbury’s Mark Delamere, who was injured in a serious car crash on the Arborway in September of last year. He was 14 at the time and sustained life-altering injuries to the brain and spine after being ejected from the vehicle.

The driver, Nikolas Papadopoulos, was charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle in West Roxbury Municipal Court on Nov. 14.

Papadopoulos at first entered a plea, hoping the judge would not include jail time. After an emotional impact statement from the family of Kevin Cellucci, who was also severely injured after Papdopoulos’ vehicle crashed into his, the judge issued a two-year sentence, and Papadopoulos then withdrew the plea. A trial date was set for March 3.

“I do feel like what happened (in that crash) can serve as a cautionary tale for teens when getting behind the wheel of a car because it reminds you that you have to be safe, wear a seatbelt, and be cautious of your surroundings while driving,” she said.

Joe Hernandez, one of the two instructors at Parkway Auto School, located at 1752 Centre St., said his goal is to create safe drivers.

“I look at these kids and teaching them to drive and I think of the thrill of first getting behind the wheel,” he said. “I’m teaching the kid how to be a safe driver.”

He likes to give his students homework, which involves observing others.

He asks them to watch their parents drive, and notice what they do right, and what they do wrong. Do they talk or text on their cell phone, or not pay attention to the road in other ways?

Count your blessings for country drivers

As has become my near daily tradition, I depart our home at 6:30 a.m. for cardio rehab at the Dulin Center. The morning drive up our driveway is always full of surprises: a wild turkey may run into the woods, an owl or a hawk may fly by, and in warmer seasons I may stop to either move or allow a turtle or snake to cross the drive. Once I reach Old John’s Road it is rare to see an automobile. In warmer days I’m more likely to see a neighbor out for his or her early morning walk.

Then, turning left and heading north into town, I slowly accelerate my Prius in order to maximize its fuel efficiency. Rarely is there a car coming up behind me. My frugal nature has proven that taking the 9- mile round trip consumes just 25 or less ounces of gasoline, or less than 1/5 of a gallon.

The peaceful drive on our country road is never without surprises. Everything from an occasional deer, raccoon, fox, or just simply watching the changes in the seasons are there to digest.

Earlier this month, I drove — taking Lizi on one of our Daddy-Daughter Days — to Raleigh to visit her cousin Sarah and later to attend a Duke basketball game.

U.S. 1 from Sanford to Raleigh ain’t exactly a country road, but it could be worse. The speed limit is either 70 or 90, depending upon the driver (who reads signs?) and if you ain’t driving at least 70, it is because the driver behind you knocked you and your car into a ditch.

My knuckles were white as I tightly gripped the steering wheel and focused totally upon the road ahead, behind, and beside. These drivers are in a different world. Any wildlife venturing close to this road will become immediate road kill or disintegrated in an instant.

My next driving lesson started when we approached “The Beltline” or Interstate 440 at Raleigh. Certainly the full moon was shining somewhere, as possessed animals were driving every other automobile. Turn signals were nowhere to be seen, as they changed lanes on a whim! Somehow a six-wheel pickup truck — with its tailgate down — found room to sneeze in the 10- or 12-foot space between us and the car up front — again, with everyone going at least 70 miles per hour.

Seeing that our exit, Glenwood Avenue, was approaching a general feeling of ease and relief swept over me. The driving foolishness would soon be behind me.

WRONG!

As the traffic light on the exit ramp off of the Beltline turned green and we were the first car to make the left turn, one more car on Glenwood Avenue decided that they had enough time to beat us through the intersection. Ten more feet and it would not have been pretty.

That driver proved to be our Glenwood Avenue orientation. Every driver on that drag strip/demolition derby road was possessed by the Evil Driver Demon!

Finally, Creedmoor Road approached and what I thought to be relief quickly became a reverent prayer. I eased into the right lane for my right turn ahead onto Millbrook Road only to discover what every local driver knew and every visitor didn’t: there were orange and white barrels blocking the right lane ahead as work on a new Harris-Teeter Super Market commenced.

Turning on my left signal in vain attempt to merge we slowed to 20, then 15, then 5 miles per hour in vain hopes that someone would let us merge. Fat chance!

Remember, turn signals mean nothing in Raleigh!

Coming to a complete stop in the right lane just a few feet from a barrel, a small opening appeared behind us in the left lane and the little Prius — the fuel efficient automobile — proved that it could act like a 472 cubic inch V-8 engine was under the hood. Twenty-five ounces of gasoline SEVERAL TIMES OVER were consumed to make that abrupt move into the left lane and in front of another driving maniac.

By the grace of God we arrived at our destination — where it took several minutes to pry my fingers off of the steering wheel and wipe the frozen and frightened look off of my face.

Thankfully, I’m a quick learner: If you can’t beat them, join them. For a later shopping run and a trip to and from Duke University I drove like a complete maniac, or in other words, just like a seasoned city driver.

Now, we’re back home unscathed. Old John’s Road is quiet as always, and the air is fresh and clear. As Lizi surprised me upon stepping out of the Prius: “Ah-h, smell that! The air smells so good back home!”

Very true, and here I will not kill anyone, die of road rage generated stress, nor have to stay inside for safety.

That’s real country living Scotland County style, so let’s count our blessings!

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Program for ‘drive only’ licenses for undocumented residents begins

A new state law that will allow undocumented individuals to receive a Connecticut driver’s license will go into effect Jan 2.
But those interested can already get a jump start on the process: starting this past Monday, Dec. 1, those interested in receiving a drive only license were able to begin registering online to make a mandatory appointment to take the written test, which is the first step in the licensing process.
If Monday’s online activity is any indication, interest in the license will be extremely high. The Department of Motor Vehicle website received an unprecedented 16,000 hits Monday, while 6,500 people registered online for testing appointments in the first 15 hours.
Applicants can only apply for a regular driver’s license; applicants will not be eligible for motorcycle, CDL or other special licenses. Tests will be given only by online appointment; no walk-ins to DMV offices will be accepted.
The idea for licenses for undocumented individuals was born at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in New Haven several years ago, when parishioners told their leaders they yearned to lead lives of dignity.
“How do you hold a job,” asked Angel Fernandez-Chavero, a St. Rose Lima church leader. “Well, you hold a job when you can drive. And you want to drive safely and without stress and without worry.”
After that meeting, church leadership and a group called Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut lobbied legislators for the law, which was passed and is set to take effect Jan. 2.
“You get potentially up to 55,000 drivers off the road, who were unlicensed, uninsured,” said Fernandez-Chavero. “Now, they’re licensed and insured. That’s a benefit to all of us.”
The DMV urges these new applicants for a license to wait to make an online appointment until they have studied the driver’s manual and successfully passed practice tests. Both the manual and practice tests are available on the DMV Mobile app at www.ct.gov/dmv/apps. Failing the written test means a required two-week delay before being allowed to take the test again. And, given the high level of interest in obtaining these licenses,  the wait for a retest could be substantially longer.
A full list of requirements to participate in the program can be found at here.
This new program was approved by the legislature in 2013 for undocumented individuals who are 16 and older and have yet to establish their legal presence in the United States. They can apply for a drive only license; however, it will not be valid for state or federal identification.
The first step to obtain this license begins with applying for a learner’s permit, which all new applicants for state driver’s licenses must hold for a minimum of three months–and longer for those 16 and 17 years old. A road skills test, the last step in the process, comes after the permit training time. The permit allows any newly licensed applicant to practice driving with a licensed driver so that they can successfully pass the road skills test.
Those who are 16 and 17 years old must follow special training requirements.  All applicants, regardless of age, are also required take an eight-hour safe-driving-practices course, which is offered at DMV-licensed driving schools in Connecticut. Also, 16- and 17-year-old applicants have a special parent/guardian segment of that course.
Starting  on Tuesday, Dec. 2, the DMV will have delayed openings in offices across the state to train its staff on the drive only license program. The training, which will affect a limited number of offices per day, is scheduled to be completed on Dec. 19. DMV’s Hamden Office, located at 1985 State St., will be closed on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. The office will open to the public at 1 p.m. and close at its regularly scheduled time of 4 p.m.

In addition, later this week, several other DMV offices will have limited hours due to staff training for the drive only license program.  Below is a list of office closings scheduled for that week.

Eastern Iowa schools score big for safe driving

CASCADE (KWWL) -
It felt like a homecoming pep rally in the Cascade Junior-Senior High School Tuesday.

High-pitched screams resonated from what seemed like every corner of the gym.
Yet, the students of Cascade weren't here to pump up their football team. They were here to find out if they had won some big money for their school.
They were part of State Farm's Celebrate My Drive program, which encourages people to be safe drivers. They spent 10 days in October collecting as many pledges as they could. 
The top two winners of the contest win $100,000 for their school and a private concert from the country music group The Band Perry. Ten schools win a $100,000 grant, and 90 schools win a $25,000 grant.
Students listened as a parade of school administrators, teachers and community members said a few words about the hard-working spirit of Cascade. They even got to see a number of their teachers in re-makes of State Farm's commercials.
And after nearly 35 minutes, they revealed a $100,000 check made out to Cascade.
The roar for the check was pretty impressive.
But one last commercial was set to air, and when The Band Perry showed up on the screen, the school went into a frenzy. Students were screaming, jumping up and down, and high-fiving as they celebrated their grand-prize win.
"The money is great and is going to help our school. But the private concert -- that's just going to be awesome," Nolan Weber, a senior at Cascade, said.
Everyone involved said the project was really a city-wide effort.
"It just shows how strong this community in Cascade is," Devin Green, a junior at Cascade, said.
Jeff Vander Lugt, principal of Cascade, said they'll use the money towards improving furniture in the classroom and getting new lockers as well.
He said the classroom upgrades will be ongoing throughout the spring, and the new lockers will be added during the summer.
South Tama High School also won $100,000. Western Dubuque and Beckman Catholic High Schools won $25,000 each.

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DRIVING LESSONS: The 5 obstacles to healthy connections

We don't know people's stories.
Until we know them.
The people. And their stories.
But, there are some things that get in the way of knowing people and their stories.
To be more specific, there are five common things we do with others that keep ourselves from truly connecting with people and keep us from being seen, known and valued by others.
1. We jump to conclusions about people's motivations.
How many times have you felt offended by someone's actions — a stranger, a friend, colleague or even relative — and then realized, in a moment of clarity, that it wasn't at all as you perceived? Our perceptions are birthed in the long years of our childhood and adolescence, when we are taking in millions of bits of information per second, filtering them down to a handful of conscious thoughts while the rest of our experience sorts itself out in our unconscious mind and informs our body of how to conduct itself.
2. We make presumptions based on our own experiences.
Ever meet people who have a very specific perspective about how relationships work? For example, "Things never last." Or, "Don't let people know too much about you." Or, "The more I give, the more people take." And so forth. We often presume others will see us a certain way and then blame them for seeing us that way.
3. We anticipate disappointment or conflict based on our back-stories of loss.
So we see people as potential joy-squashers, hear their comments as criticisms, even perceive their inaction as a threat! "He didn't call me for my birthday … until the evening!" When we look at relationships as possible sources of disappointment and betrayal, we unwittingly (and sometimes knowingly) set them up to fulfill our perceptions. And then we say, "You see!? I knew it!" When we connect the dots on our early stories of loss, we can re-write our present-day stories so that we are not re-hashing our old hurts thinking that's the only story we know.
4. We create a persona or self-image and then live in the fray between how others see us and how we see ourselves.
The CEO who secretly doesn't feel like a leader. The successful professional who is a wreck at home. Sometimes we split off from who we are early on, as children, when we vie for love and approval in a conditional relationship where we can never get enough or are taking on a parent's rejection or disconnection as our own personal flaw in order to maintain our ideal notion of our caregiver. And sometimes, we create a glossy cover through social media, through hustling for attention and envy, through trying hard to pretend our way into a thousand likes (this week). And then when all the accolades pour down, the "persona" beams but the person behind the mask hides.
5. We fear others will reject or judge us once we let our guard down. So we don't.
Living our truth is a hard-won lesson that often doesn't hit us until well after our 40s, if at all. If we reflect on our own fears early on in our adolescent and young adult lives, and teach the same to our kids, we can avoid decades of disconnection and unnecessary emotional distance, and in its place, and make room for intimacy, trust and what I like to call "mutual relational resilience."
That's a gift we give each other by supporting each other's bounce-back capacity through our relationship.
We are wounded in relationship and we are also healed through relationships with others.
We can learn to choose those wisely.
Lu Hanessian is the author of 'Let the Baby Drive' (St. Martin's Press, 2004) and 'Picnic on a Cloud' (2011), former NBC anchor and host of 'Make Room for Baby' on Discovery Health Channel, a parent educator, consultant, speaker, founder of parent2parentu.com and WYSH Wear Your Spirit for Humanity. wearyourspirit.com Her newest book is 'The Garden: A Parenting Parable.'

Back-seat Driving after Twilight Trial

Better late than never—that is why, I decided to learn driving in the twilight of my life (70 to be precise) that I took the plunge. I had been riding two-wheelers for the past 30 years, however.
On Day 1 at the driving school, I was literally trembling as I sat on the driver’s seat.
My “teacher”—reverently called Asan (master) by everybody—was sitting on the front seat beside me. He looked into my eyes and asked me to pray, as if God alone could save me. I heaved a sigh of relief when I realised he had a duplicate brake, clutch and accelerator that he could act on in an emergency.
I started the engine. “Press the clutch pedal,” Asan ordered. First gear...second... and now third... gently press the accelerator.” I obeyed his commands and everything went off fine.
Day 2 was quite eventful. It was 4pm. Girls were coming out from their schools in groups. Our car was just in front of the gate. Unmindful of the learner’s L pasted on the windshield, two girls crossed the road. “Brake!” Asan’s shout was followed by a curse in Malayalam that I wouldn’t like to translate. I am sure it was intended for me, because instead of pressing the brake pedal, my foot was on the accelerator.
Asan applied his “duplicate” in the nick of time, else the next day’s papers would have carried the tragic news “Schoolgirls die in accident, satirist J Philipose Thiruvalla arrested.”
Without any other serious mishap I successfully or rather unsuccessfully completed the classes. Asan somehow managed to get a driving licence for me. God alone knows how!
It was the wedding day of a close relative’s son at Kumbanad, around 12km from our place.
Our Maruti Alto was in our car shed; the driving licence issued by Kerala’s motor vehicles department was in my pocket. But my wife was not confident and she suggested a taxi. “What a shame!” I shouted. Being a male chauvinist I brushed aside her objections and decided to drive. My “confidence” didn’t allow me to exceed speeds of 20-25kmph.
Whenever cyclists overtook our car, I could hear chuckles from the back seat where my wife and daughter-in-law were.
We had almost reached our destination when a small stray dog crossed the road without any prior hint. As usual I pressed the accelerator instead of the brake pedal and the inevitable happened. My wife and daughter-in-law screamed seeing the martyr lying on the road bathed in blood. “No driver could ever save a dog bent upon committing suicide,” I murmured. Thankfully, only an insignificant mishap followed after this when a maternal uncle of the bridegroom was hit by my car when I was reversing it.
Next day, the honourable family court read out the judgment—no more driving by Appa on the roads. If he is very particular, he can drive in our spacious courtyard. Nowadays, whenever our neighbour’s driver takes us for a wedding, a funeral or some other event in our car, I sit on the back seat giving directions. After all, I am the “Muthalaly”, the Master, and not the driver.

Greasing the wheels at driving school

Like many young adults across the world, Harold Chen could hardly wait to get his driving licence. But the bubble of excitement quickly popped when test time came.
Chen, a 22-year-old Guangzhou resident, was taking the exam with three women. Two of them asked their driving instructor whether paying a 2,000 yuan (HK$2,530) bribe to the city invigilator could guarantee they would pass. They were told it might.
"Two girls who took the test with me offered him the money, and he let them pass after they started driving for one minute," he told the South China Morning Post. Chen didn't offer a bribe and failed the exam after about five minutes.
Chen's frustration is common among driving students on the mainland, where the system for obtaining a permit is not only long - it can take several years in some cases - but riddled with graft.
Driving schools press students for bribes, and the schools in turn bribe city officials to ensure the permits are awarded, according to Fan Li, deputy director of the drivers' committee of the China Road Transport Association, an industry non-profit group.
A vehicle management department in Shijiazhuang , Hebei province, was recently found to have taken 1.81 million yuan in bribes from 40 driving schools. In February last year, more than 40 police officers at a department in Zhanjiang in Guangdong were fired for taking bribes from learner drivers. The corruption is the result of too many people chasing too few licences. There are more than 300 million drivers plying mainland roads, according to official figures released Thursday, and the number is expected to grow by 20 million a year for the next 10 years, authorities say.
On the mainland, driving permits fall under the purview of the Ministry of Public Security, and they are issued through municipal-level vehicle management departments.
Fan said that as a way to control the number of vehicles on the roads, many cities had limited the number of people who could sit the exam and the overall pass rate.
To enlarge their quota, driving schools bribed the vehicle management departments and then charged students a "guarantee pass fee", ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand yuan, Fan said. That's on top of the tuition fee, which in big cities like Guangzhou can run to about 6,000 yuan.
"Whichever [driving school] can send money to a department and maintain good relations with it will be the one whose students pass the exam," Fan said.
Apart from the arbitrary charges, the long wait time for training and sitting the exam angers many would-be drivers, and the situation is worse in big cities, where the rush for permits is greatest.
Under existing rules, applicants must complete a minimum of 78 hours of training at a driving school before they can take the exam, which comprises four parts covering theory and driving.
It can take an applicant anywhere from a few months to more than two years to complete the process, depending on the city. Retaking a portion of the exam can add several more months.
"I registered for the exam 2½ years ago and am still waiting to retake the road test. I needed to wait three to six months before taking each subject. Some people who registered around the same time as me even haven't passed the second test yet," Chen said.
To get around the backlog, some schools were bussing their students to cities in other provinces where the wait was shorter, an instructor with 12 years of experience in Guangzhou said. Cities in Guangxi , Jiangxi and Hunan were popular alternatives, the instructor said.
"In those provinces, 30 days after you pass the first theory test, you can take the remaining three tests three days in a row. Students only need to travel there twice and can get a licence in two months. It saves a lot of time."
Although faster, the out-of-town option deters some student drivers because it can add several thousand yuan to the overall cost.
To ensure the most number of students pass the exam in the shortest time, some driving schools are imposing "exam-focused education" - but that doesn't guarantee they learn the necessary skills to drive safely.
Some schools even provided "crash courses" that ignored the 78-hour training minimum required by law, said Tan Henglin, the director of the drivers' committee at the transport industry association.
One 23-year-old student in Beijing said he took part in one such course and got his licence in nine months.
"We didn't even have 50 hours of training time. My hours were about half of what is said in the rules," he said.
The authorities appear to be aware of the problems. On Monday, Huang Ming, the deputy minister of public security, announced possible reforms aimed at improving the quality of training and reducing corruption. Huang was short on specifics but it appears the idea is to encourage a greater role for independent instructors.
Learners will be able to register online for the exam and train on their own, although they will have to use a properly equipped instructor's vehicle. These can be bought by qualified drivers who have an instructor's licence.
Online registration might help limit the deal-making between the vehicle management departments and driving schools, Tan said. "The vehicle management departments hold the power … and they set the conditions for corruption," Tan said.

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Hop on the bus, Gus: Laurel schools pining for more bus drivers

Like many other Montana school districts, Laurel schools could use a few additional bus drivers. To help fix the problem, Laurel school administrators have come up with novel methods to add to their bus driver ranks.
They parked a school bus downtown with a sign indicating that new bus drivers will be trained to secure their commercial driver’s license and other needed endorsements.
Last week, they held a training event that included a talk about the need for drivers and a discussion on the rewards of driving a bus and helping students. After they were done indoors, school authorities gave participants the keys to assembled buses and told them to take the big yellow rigs out for a spin. They did so — but only in the parking lot, and under strict supervision.
So far, few new drivers have signed up, even though the district offers them training to secure needed licenses and endorsements. But Laurel School Superintendent Tim Bronk figures the more he talks about the need, the likelier it is that a driver or two will step forward.
“It’s fun to work with kids. I’d encourage people to consider it,” said Bronk, who himself has — as have other Laurel school administrators — taken to driving a school bus on occasion when needed.
This school year, the need is more acute than in past years, Bronk said. People who hold a commercial driver’s license can make much more money in the Bakken than they can driving a school bus, he said. Full-time drivers often work a split shift, early in the morning and then again after school. Trips can be long, late — and are sometimes punctuated by bad weather, student upheavals and the random deer crossing the road.
Then there are the requirements. Drivers must hold a CDL and a passenger endorsement. They must be certified with air brakes and hold cards that prove their first aid and CPR training. The district can train prospective drivers and help them acquire all the needed certification, Bronk said.
In Laurel, school bus drivers start at more than $13 per hour. They make a little less if they’re driving students to activities, since they get paid for the entire time they’re out — even for their time waiting during the game, performance or other activity.
The district has about 23 buses, with eight full-time drivers and a number of substitute drivers. One substitute driver’s life situation is illustrative: Bronk said one driver’s last day was Friday because she’s a snowbird who winters in Texas. “She’s a great driver,” Bronk said, and he’s hoping someone will fill in for her.
Schedulers try to be creative to make up for the shortage of drivers. A few routes have been combined. Laurel middle school wrestlers sometimes ride to meets with their counterparts from Columbus.
“We have been fortunate enough to juggle things around in order to get students to all their activities,” Bronk said. “We are OK so far, but we have had to double things up. If we could get four or five drivers, we’d be fine. But if we get just one person (as a result of the publicity), I’d be happy. There is opportunity here for someone who is interested.”
To learn more about school bus driver positions in Laurel, visit the district’s website, www.laurel.k12.mt.us/Page/1. Or call the district at 406-628-8623.

C.R. England Asks for Exemption from Driver-Trainer Rule

Refrigerated carrier C.R. England has asked federal regulators to exempt the company from a requirement that truck drivers with learning permits who have passed their commercial driver license skills test be accompanied by an experienced driver-trainer.
“C.R. England believes that the exemption, if granted, would allow such a driver to operate more freely and in a way that benefits the driver, the carrier, and the economy as a whole,” said the request for exemption, scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Nov. 29.
The Salt Lake City-based carrier, which partners with five driving schools, said the exemption would allow a learner permit holder to participate in a “revenue-producing trip” back to his or her state of domicile to obtain the CDL document.

“C.R. England advises that Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations is aware of the trucking industry’s need for qualified and well-trained drivers to meet increasing shipping demands,” the company said. “C.R. England believes that [the regulation] limits its ability to effectively and efficiently recruit, train and employ new entrants to the industry.”
The company said that prior to a regulatory change, states routinely issued temporary CDLs to drivers who passed the CDL skills test. The temporary CDL allowed carriers to route the new driver to his or her state of domicile to obtain a CDL and place the new driver into an on-the-job training position with a driver-trainer.

“The driver-trainer supervised and observed the new driver, but was not required to be on-duty and in the front seat at all times,” the company said. “Thus, the new driver became productive immediately, allowing more freight movement for C.R. England and compensation for the new driver.”

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Audit reveals uncertified school bus drivers

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —An audit of one of the bus companies serving Albuquerque Public Schools found that children were riding on a bus where the driver was not certified.

The audit by the New Mexico Public Education Department turned up some startling findings about the East Mountain Bus Company. According to the audit, seven randomly selected bus drivers were not certified to drive a school bus. Some drivers were not given drug tests either.
“This is our first try at getting into the bus business and as a result, it was kind of a rushed process,” APS Chief Operations Officer Ruben Hendrickson said.
APS took over the East Mountain Bus Company this year. The district said the switch happened last minute and wasn’t planned. It thought all the drivers were up to par.
“The fact that we did not go back on a timely basis, take care of all the administrative side of the business, I'm not all that surprised given the fact we were rushed the way we were,” Hendrickson said.
According to the audit, one driver gave up their commercial driver’s license in 2011. If that person was driving a school bus, that would violate state and federal law, creating a huge liability for APS.
The audit also found one driver was never trained and another never got CPR certification.
APS said it has since completed record and background checks on the drivers. The school district no longer owns the business.
Funding shortages are causing some contractors to get out of the business, so APS may have to get back into the busing business in the future.

Dangerous on the road: RTHS students get a lesson in drunk driving and texting while driving

RANTOUL — The Rantoul Township High School driver’s education program is taking a hands-on approach to teaching the dangers of drunk driving and texting while driving.
Driver’s ed teacher Chris Wagner, along with the help of School Resource Officer Kurtis Buckley, set up a small road course in the staff parking lot using orange traffic cones. Students then drove golf carts, on loan from Willow Pond Golf Course, along the course with goggles on that simulated alcohol-impaired vision or were asked to text a list of groceries to someone.
“It wasn’t really that bad (with the goggles), but it was kind of weird, especially because everything was green,” sophomore Skyler Banbury said. “The texting is really hard. I ran over like four cones while I was texting. I was just like, ‘I’m done. Never doing that.’”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10,322 people were killed due to drunk driving, and more than 421,000 people were injured because of distracted driving in 2012.
“Texting and driving is just so much more common, and every one of these students will have the opportunity to do that,” Wagner said. “Not all of them will take the opportunity to drink and drive, so it’s important they know just how dangerous texting and driving is.”
Wagner said the students performed worse when they were asked to text.
“They were all over the cones when they had to text. They were everywhere,” Wagner said. “They were actually a little worse texting than they were with the goggles, believe it or not.”
Wagner said texting may be worse because the driver has his or her eyes off the road.
“You have your eyes down when you’re texting,” he said. “When you’re impaired, the driver may still be looking up. Again, that is not to say that driving drunk is better, by any means. Neither one of them are good.”
Wagner said the students took the training seriously, even though it was “out of the norm” for them.
“When you put those goggles on, everything turns goofy,” he said. “It’s hard to judge exactly what they’re getting out of it, but at least they’re getting the experience. Hopefully, they’ll take it heart.”
Wagner was thankful to all who helped with the new training.

“It was a big effort,” Wagner said. “We had a number of teachers come out and help. It was cool to see such a big effort for something like this.”

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Franklin Co. school bus driver arrested for DWI, blows .10

LOUISBURG, N.C. - A Franklin County Schools bus driver was arrested Thursday morning on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol.
School officials said Barbara Thorne has been placed on paid administrative leave while the incident is investigated.
Louisburg Police Chief Rick Lassiter said police were alerted by an assistant principal at the school who reported smelling alcohol on Thorne's breath around 10:30 a.m. when she arrived at Terrell Lane Middle School Thursday morning with a bus full of students.
Lassiter said a Louisburg police officer determined there was probable cause that Thorne was under the influence of alcohol. Thorne was given a breathalyzer test about an hour and a half after the principal first smelled the alcohol. She blew a .10 at the time.
Lassiter said Thorne was released on a $1,000 unsecured bond and her license has been taken away. She is scheduled to appear in court on January 6th.
The Franklin County School District released a statement saying, "The safety and well-being of our students is Franklin County Schools' first priority and we will continue to strive for excellence in all facets of our community. School officials work tirelessly to ensure the continued safety of every student - incidents such as this do not represent the dedication and integrity of Franklin County Schools' faculty and staff."
All students on board bus number 196 were OK.
One parent with children at the school, Linda Hayes, was stunned by the events.
"Kids are precious cargo," she said. "You should think about that. ... You've got lives at stake."
The state requires all school bus drivers to have a valid commercial drivers license. However drivers will lose their CDL for one year if they operate a commercial vehicle with a BAC of .04 or more. For a second offense, the driver will lose their CDL permanently.
WNCN checked with the Wake County Public School System for its policies on school bus drivers. The system has 850 full-time drivers and 50 part-time. Drivers must:

• Be 18 years old.
• Possess a valid NC driver's license.
• Have had a valid driver's license for a minimum of two years.
• Have a clean driving record in the past 12 months:
• Have no conviction of any moving violation
• Have no pending charge of any moving violation
• Have more than one charge of any moving violation, regardless of disposition within past 60 months

The Durham Public Schools said it employs approximately 291 bus drivers who are required to go through a pre-employment screening process that includes:

• DMV drivers license record check to determine eligibility
• Criminal Record Check performed by human resources
• Pre-employment drug testing
• DMV Driver Certification Class, which includes classroom training and behind-the-wheel training
• Employment packet with a list of references

Cumberland County Schools said it employs about 550 drivers who must attend a three-day CDL class taught by the Division of Motor Vehicles that includes three days of on-road training with a DMV instructor.
CCS further said human resources conducts a background check on its eligible drivers, including a driving record check by both the Transportation Department and the DMV.
Copyright 2014 WNCN. All rights reserved.

Alameda High School Wins $25,000 Grant for Teen Driver Safety Efforts

Celebrate My Drive, powered by State Farm, is pleased to announce Alameda High School is one of 100 winning high schools, earning a $25,000 grant. They were among 3,283 registered high schools who participated in this year’s program. Students, parents, administrators and the entire community rallied in support of teen drivers, making online safe driving commitments, helping the Hornets reach their goal.
Crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and the first year behind the wheel is the most dangerous. Celebrate My Drive is an opportunity to celebrate new drivers, focusing on the freedom, but also the responsibility, that comes with earning a driver’s license. It’s a chance for teens and their high schools to amplify conversations about this important topic and help be part of the solution.
“State Farm is proud of Alameda High School’s efforts to generate excitement among students, faculty and the entire community to make safe driving commitments and have positive conversations about teen driver safety,” said State Farm Agent Kelly Lux. “We appreciate all of the wonderful support of the program to help reduce teen crashes and save lives.”
Alameda High School is required to invest 10 percent of the grant award on a teen driver safety program for students. The school may choose how to use the remaining funds.A complete list of the 100 winning high schools will be available on www.celebratemydrive.com on Dec. 15.
Information submitted by State Farm
Photo via Shutterstock

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Franklin County bus driver accused of DWI while taking students to school

LOUISBURG, N.C. (WTVD) --

Police have charged a Franklin County school bus driver with DWI while driving students.

The school district said 63-year-old Barbara Thorne was carrying 40 students to Terrell Lane Middle School in Louisburg Thursday morning and was arrested after she completed her run.

No students were hurt.

Louisburg police said an assistant principal smelled alcohol on Thorne's breath while talking to her and contacted a school resource officer. The officer found there was probable cause that Thorne was under the influence of alcohol.

A breathalyzer test revealed a blood-alcohol level of .10. The legal limit in North Carolina is .08.

Police are investigating the incident, working to find out whether bus 196 was equipped with cameras or GPS that may help determine how far Thorne traveled with the students and the route she took.

"I have to give praise to the Franklin County School System," said Louisburg Police Chief Rick Lassiter. "They do not tolerate any misbehavior by a bus driver."

Bond was set at $1,000. Thorne was put on paid administrative leave pending further investigation by the school district.

"The safety and well-being of our students is Franklin County Schools' first priority and we will continue to strive for excellence in all facets of our community. School officials work tirelessly to ensure the continued safety of every student - incidents such as this do not represent the dedication and integrity of Franklin County Schools' faculty and staff. We are fortunate to report no students were injured as a result of this incident," said the district in a statement.

The district said Thorne has been an employee for 12 years.

Families sue Whitehall bus driver, schools after assault allegations

Families of the children who were allegedly assaulted by a Whitehall bus driver filed a civil rights lawsuit against him, Whitehall schools and the city of Whitehall in federal court yesterday. They are asking for $2.5 million in damages.

The parents of Tynez Knight, 11, and Jordyn Brooks, 6, said the school district failed to protect the children from false imprisonment, assault and battery from former Whitehall bus driver Christopher Litostansky.

Litostansky, 48, already faces criminal charges: two counts of endangering children, one count of assault and one count of unlawful restraint, all misdemeanors. He is due in court Dec. 1.

Litostansky resigned last week, following a police investigation stemming from an Oct. 14 complaint. He worked for the district for about a year and was making $20.51 an hour. His route transported students who live in Whitehall but attend other schools.

According to the lawsuit, on Oct. 10, Litostansky struck Brooks in the face with his hand and used a strap he picked up from his home during his bus route to tie down Knight’s feet, seemingly to prevent the boy from kicking Brooks. Knight, who has been diagnosed with severe autism, is regularly placed in a harness that restricts his movement on the bus but doesn’t restrain his arms or legs.

Three days later, Litostansky bound Knight’s legs again after the boy was playfully roughhousing with Brooks, the lawsuit said. He also threw the girl across her seat with such force that her head struck the window. When she began to fall asleep in her seat, Litostansky poked her in the head several times with the end of an umbrella.

Afterward, he had the girl sit on his lap while he was driving, where he stroked her hair, apologized for his actions and kissed her on her head.

“He proceeds to hold her hand for several minutes before turning and looking at her to say ‘ How does that feel?’ ” the lawsuit said.