A Gwinnett County school bus driver in Georgia was  sentenced to five years in prison and lifelong registration as a sex offender after being convicted of masturbating on board his bus while students were present.

Steven Edward Wilkins, 67, was found guilty of six counts of child molestation and four counts of public indecency. He had worked as a school bus driver for students with special needs in the Gwinnett County School System.

The investigation reportedly began Feb. 9, 2023, after a parent walking her child to the bus reported seeing Wilkins behaving suspiciously.

Prosecutors said investigators reviewed footage from cameras installed on the bus. The video showed Wilkins using a tablet sexually stimulating himself while the bus was parked in the bus lane at Suwanee Elementary School.

The conduct occurred on at least four days between Jan. 31 and Feb. 9, prosecutors said. At least one student was on board the bus during each incident. Officials did not release the ages of the students or provided additional information about them.

The Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office also noted that Wilkins portrays Santa Claus each Christmas at a local church.

A judge sentenced Wilkins to 20 years of close supervision by law enforcement authorities, including five years in prison. Following his release, Wilkins will be required to register as a sex offender for life and will be prohibited from having contact with minors.

“This is absolutely reprehensible behavior and will not be taken lightly,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson told local reporters. “We are committed to protecting all victims, particularly those who are most vulnerable. This defendant will be monitored closely for the next 20 years and held accountable for the rest of his life.”

Officials did not provide information about when Wilkins stopped working for the school district. The district’s response to the conviction was not immediately available. No other details about the court proceedings were immediately released.

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San Francisco transportation officials in California approved a plan to lower speed limits near approximately 230 public and private school campuses citywide as part of an effort to improve safety for students and their families, reported CBS News.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors approved the plan last week. The changes will be implemented over the next two years and will establish a default speed limit of 20 mph near schools while expanding the locations where 15 mph limits may be used.

School zones throughout San Francisco reportedly have speed limits of either 15 mph or 25 mph. According to the agency, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 20 mph has approximately a 90 percent chance of surviving. That chance falls to about 20 percent when a vehicle is traveling 40 mph.

“As families get ready for the new school year, they deserve to know that they’ll be sending their kids out to safer streets so they can get to class and back home, every day, without fear,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said.

San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su said the lower speed limits represent an important step toward protecting students, supporting families and making streets safer for everyone. Officials plan to implement lower limits near several campuses before the new school year begins. Those schools include Dr. William L. Cobb Elementary, Leonard R. Flynn Elementary, St. Anthony-Immaculate Conception School, Jefferson Elementary, Roosevelt Middle and Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts.

The expanded limits were reportedly made possible by Assembly Bill 382, which the California Legislature passed zone5. The agency is also pursuing other traffic safety improvements around campuses. Planned measures include more than 40 school-zone crossing improvements and daylighting at more than 2,300 intersections near schools.

Crossing guards and Safe Routes to School programs will continue supporting student safety. Additionally, a project is underway near Mission Bay Elementary School to install protected bicycle lanes and high-visibility crossings. The school is scheduled to open in August.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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A 20-year-old New York man has been indicted on felony charges after allegedly pointing a handgun at a school bus carrying three children with special needs during a road rage incident earlier this year, reported Mid-Hudson News.

According to the news report, a Westchester County grand jury indicted Michael Alarcon of Mahopac on charges of criminal possession of a weapon, menacing and endangering the welfare of a child.

The incident reportedly occurred Feb. 4 on the Taconic State Parkway in the town of Mount Pleasant. Authorities allege Alarcon pointed what appeared to be a pistol at the school bus driver while the driver was transporting the three children.

New York State Police located Alarcon later that day and took him into custody. During the investigation, authorities reportedly recovered a .22-caliber handgun equipped with a green laser and a weapon-mounted light.

No injuries were reported in connection with the incident. “The defendant’s actions were egregious,” Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace said via the article “The fact that the victims were special needs children only amplifies the recklessness. Thankfully, he was quickly apprehended, and no one was injured.”

According to the report, the most serious charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in state prison if Alarcon is convicted. He was 19 when he was arrested following the alleged incident and is now 20. The indictment follows Alarcon’s initial arrest and arraignment in Febuary. He remains free on bail while the case proceeds and is scheduled to return to court Oct. 14.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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The family of an Indiana teenager filed a lawsuit against Amazon after a company delivery driver struck a school bus carrying a high school baseball team and caused serious injury, reported CBS News.

The lawsuit stems from a May 8, 2025, crash involving Shawn Akison and a school bus carrying members of a La Porte County High School baseball team. Akison was working as an Amazon delivery driver when he struck the bus.

Lucas Bradshaw, who was reportedly 17 at the time, was ejected from the school bus during the crash. Attorneys said via the report that he suffered a traumatic brain injury, a brain hemorrhage and a broken arm. He remained in a coma for nearly two months following the collision.

Akison later pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and is serving a sentence related to the crash. Details about the length of his sentence were not provided.

According to the article, the lawsuit alleges Amazon failed to conduct an adequate background check before allowing Akison to drive and permitted him to continue working despite a history of driving and substance abuse-related violations.

Attorneys for Bradshaw’s family said Akison’s criminal record goes back decades and includes driver’s license suspensions and substance abuse-related incidents in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. The lawsuit also alleges Akison had been arrested for heroin possession several months before the school bus crash.

The family argues that a more thorough review of Akison’s history should have prevented him from being placed behind the wheel of a delivery vehicle. The specific damages sought in the lawsuit were not disclosed.

Amazon expressed sympathy for Bradshaw, his family and others affected by the collision but declined to discuss the allegations because the case remains pending, according to local news reporters.

“This was a tragedy, and our hearts are with the families affected as they recover and the entire LaPorte County community,” Amazon said via the article. “Given this is active litigation, we have no further comment.”

Written with the assistance of AI.

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