PUTTING THE BUS ISSUE TO REST

This will be the last post having to do with distracted school bus drivers. We’ve received a lot of feedback, both good and bad, on the issue. We didn’t do this story to sensationalize the issue or get drivers in trouble. We did the story to raise awareness of the issue. It’s true, being a school bus driver is a thankless job. While we were shooting this story, the vast majority of drivers were obeying all the rules, but we did find some drivers doing some things that could be considered distracting. A viewer commented, “I agree with the drivers that there are many distractions involved with driving a bus load of children. That is why I believe that there is no excuse for adding to the distraction by eating, drinking, talking on cell phones, or having ipods attached to your ears.” That, I believe, is the point here. There are many other drivers on the road, and they have their own distractions that can make a bus driver’s job even more difficult. But, if a bus driver can take personal responsibility by limiting his or her own distractions while transporting our children, that would help keep our children a little safer.

One viewer commented saying, “Thank you for getting my children to and from school every day.” I’m guessing most bus drivers have never heard those words. So from me, thank you for what you do and maybe this story could just be a reminder of how important your job really is to all of us in the community.

Below is Ronnie’s last report on the issue.



Thanks for your input and for watching.
-Billau

Distracted School Bus Drivers

In case you missed the I-Team’s investigation into distracted school bus drivers, here is the story that aired in its entirety. Some of the clips that didn’t make air are available at the 13 ABC Photog Blog page.



Let us know what you think. Just click the comment link below. You can even do this anonymously . Thanks for watching. -Billau

Luckey Elementary Tour

Sometimes covering local news stories can be very depressing. There are a lot of negative stories that are reported on. One of the few escapes is when we get a tour here at WTVG. Our Newsreel segment focuses on the positives happening in our community. As you may have seen in today's Newsreel segment, some students from Luckey Elementary came to visit the station this morning. Their tour guides showed them everything from the newsroom to the control room to the studio. My favorite part was when the kids got to see how the blue screen technology worked as there bodies disappeared when they were on camera. Below is my raw video from the tour. Be patient while it loads, it's almost four minutes long. Thanks for watching!
-Billau

The Drug Task Force

Illegal drugs...weapons...and the people bringing them into our communities. These pictures offer a snapshot into the dangerous work officers with the Seneca County Drug Task Force face each night on the job.


Task Force officers surround a suspect's car.


Task Force officers pull a suspect from a car.


Officers take down another suspect.


Evidence seized by the Drug Task Force during a bust.



-Billau