We cover a harsh winter ice storm, takeaways from the 2026 NSTA Midwinter Meeting, updates to the U.S. EPAβs Clean School Bus Program and illegal passing by Waymo autonomous vehicles.
Industry consultant Tim Ammon gives tips for transportation budgeting and business efficiency while maximizing educational access for students. He will lead sessions at STN EXPO East this March in Charlotte-Concord, North Carolina.
Ryan and Taylor discuss upcoming student transportation awards, the NTSB investigation of a fatal school bus dragging, and a Florida bus aide arrested for child abuse.
βEducation, engineering and enforcement.β Student safety is a passion of Derek Graham, an industry consultant and former state director of pupil transportation with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as well as past president of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS). He joins us to discuss NASDPTSβ annual illegal passing survey and additional safety efforts which he will present about at STN EXPO East this March in Charlotte-Concord, North Carolina.
Back-from-break headlines cover winter weather conditions, rockstars and leadership at STN EXPO East, updates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and what impact recent developments in Venezuela could have on the school bus industry.
Keynote speaker and best-selling author Jim Knight, who rubbed shoulders with musicians and celebrities during his tenure with Hard Rock International, discusses building a student transportation brand and improving workplace culture. He will present a keynote and Transportation Director training at STN EXPO East in Charlotte, North Carolina this March.
Tony, Ryan and Taylor discuss the most-read online articles from stnonline.com during 2025, which focused on illegal passing incidents, school bus driver misconduct and students injured or killed. Training is needed for students, parents and drivers.
Tony, Ryan and Taylor discuss the most-read School Transportation News magazine articles from 2025, which focused on student safety, operational efficiency and technological advancement. STN also recognized outstanding individuals and teams in the industry through programs like Innovator of the Year, Garage Stars, Rising Stars and Transportation Director of the Year.
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Since its debut in March, the βPlaster + Patinaβ podcast has inspired excitement in Green Bayβs Astor neighborhood.
Residents have pitched stories about their historic homes to the podcast team and opened their homes to them.Β
The first season focused on homes between Monroe Avenue and the Fox River.Β Β
The team does extensive research and searches for interesting stories about the properties they feature.
Inside Skip Heverlyβs modified Dutch Colonial home, five people thaw from the near-freezing November evening by a green-tiled fireplace. Between them, a coffee table is littered with loose-leaf newspaper clippings, notepads and snacks.Β
The group members, all residents of Green Bayβs Astor neighborhood, are preparing to spend the evening trading bits of local lore and hatching ideas that could make for an interesting deep dive.Β
The neighbors run βPlaster + Patina,β a podcast series that digs up long-buried β and sometimes spooky β tales tied to the historic homes in Astor, one of Green Bayβs oldest neighborhoods. Through the project, they hope to create a shared sense of wonder and community among neighbors while memorializing the areaβs history.
βSlowly but surely, I think weβre kind of seeing how this is really helping to bring the community together,β said Morgan Fisher, podcast chief editor and treasurer of the Astor Neighborhood Association. Each person on the podcast team is also a volunteer member of the association, which advocates for the area to local government and organizes events.Β
From left, Jim Gucwa, Paul Jacobson, Al Valentin, Skip Heverly and Morgan Fisher discuss ideas for an upcoming episode of the βPlaster and Patinaβ podcast team on Nov. 16, 2025, in Green Bay. (Mike Roemer for Wisconsin Watch)
After debuting in March, the series has inspired excitement around the neighborhood, with residents pitching their own houses to be featured and opening their homes to the team. At the mid-November brainstorm, the group invited longtime local civic leader Jim Gucwa to share stories heβs collected and spark inspiration for a future episode.Β
The first season of βPlaster + Patinaβ uncovered a forgotten spring water bottling business; examined architectural changes that speak to larger societal shifts; and told tales of ghosts, among other topics.Β
Each person has a unique role in the process, from digging through yellowed archives to splicing audio. Several enrolled in nearby community college to learn the skills they use. The project doesnβt currently have sponsors or advertisers to generate revenue, or plans to do so. The team pools resources, leveraging each othersβ connections, interests and skills.Β
βThatβs what a neighborhoodβs about,β said Paul Jacobson, the podcastβs historian.Β Β
Bringing people out of their homes β and into othersβ
Between the 1830s and 1920s,Β a high, dry slope running parallel to the Fox River β colloquially known as βThe Hillβ β was an attractive place for doctors, lawyers and other businessmen to build their homes.Β
Today, the houses in the affluent neighborhood still reflect the period in which they were constructed. A 1980 historic district designation, championed with Gucwaβs help, preserves the homesβ exteriors from being substantially altered, among other protections.Β
A postcard of Salvator Springs is pictured. The βPlaster and Patinaβ podcast featured the mineral spring on episode 6.
Astorβs design encourages social connection. Homes with large front porches sit close to the sidewalks lining each street. Parks host an ice rink, a wading pool and a shell where local bands regularly perform.Β
βPeople have kind of gone into their (homes),β Fisher said. βTheyβre not on their porches anymore. Theyβre not out meeting their neighbors as much.β
When the Astor Neighborhood Association coalesced in 1974, it started as a way to improve the area and combat crime. It now focuses on maintaining a sense of community among residents, Fisher said.Β
The βPlaster and Patinaβ podcast created an episode about how this Italianate home in Green Bayβs Astor neighborhood is marked by tragedy and connected to prominent Green Bay figures. (Miranda Dunlap / Wisconsin Watch)
This home on Lawe Street in Green Bayβs Astor neighborhood served as the subject for the sixth βPlaster and Patinaβ podcast episode. (Miranda Dunlap / Wisconsin Watch)
The corner of Spring Street and Madison Street in Green Bayβs Astor neighborhood. (Miranda Dunlap / Wisconsin Watch)
Attendees gather for a free concert at St. James Park in Green Bayβs Astor neighborhood in July 2025. (Miranda Dunlap / Wisconsin Watch)
To do that, last summer several neighborhood association members discussed creating something where people could walk around the area, learn the stories behind the architecture they see and feel more connected to its past and present.
βWhat better way to do that than a podcast?β Jacobson said.Β
Tales of ghosts, lost springs and β¦ alligators?
At first, the group was nervous about how the endeavor would turn out. But once they started chatting about history and architecture, old stories of folks from the area, βeveryone just lit up,β said Heverly, the producer of βPlaster + Patina.β
The first season focused on homes nestled between Monroe Avenue and the Fox River.Β Β
Al Valentin, right, and Paul Jacobson look through documents on Nov. 16, 2025, in Green Bay as the βPlaster and Patinaβ podcast team works on ideas for an upcoming episode. (Mike Roemer for Wisconsin Watch)
βItβs nice to stay within an area, just to kind of really lay out that area,β host Al Valentin said. βWe want to create a visual while youβre listening to it of what the neighborhood looked like at that time.β
Once they choose a home, Jacobson digs up the stories behind it. He dives into a slew of online resources, including newspaper archives, historical atlases and β his favorite β fire insurance maps, which include detailed hand drawings of buildings in the area dating back to the 1880s.Β
After Jacobson goes βdown a rabbit hole,β they zoom out and choose the most interesting event or detail he found. βOtherwise, you could spend five hours on one particular home,β Valentin said.Β
The team then drafts a rough script, a bullet-point list of topics they want to hit during the show. Finally, they record the episode for free in a studio at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. They invite homeowners or people connected to the stories to appear as guests for a live interview.Β
βWe kind of shoot from the hip,β Valentin said. βWhen you hear us converse on the podcast, itβs pretty real, with our knowledge and expertise.β
An example of the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps the podcast team uses to learn more about homes in the Astor neighborhood. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress)
Lastly, Heverly edits out βums,β βuhsβ and any mistakes made during recording. He learned the skill at NWTC, where he studied audio editing, video editing, social media marketing and how to use Adobe applications.Β
Since March, the team has created eight episodes.
In one, Jacobson shared the story of a forgotten mineral spring he unearthed when scouring old hand-drawn maps. Residents bottled and sold the water, marketing it as a natural health remedy, he discovered.
In another, they explored how the neighborhoodβs first backyard pool signaled the shift of leisure from front porches to more private backyards β and was once home to an alligator.
An excerpt from the eighth episode of βPlaster + Patina.β (Miranda Dunlap / Wisconsin Watch)
For a Halloween edition, Valentin interviewed a paranormal investigator who shared supernatural experiences at Astorβs Hazelwood House β including an apparition descending stairs, a baby cradle rocking on its own and echoes of drums played by the Native Americans who first called the area home.
Throughout the season, local support for the project has grown.Β
Lawn signs advertising the show sprouted up in front yards across the neighborhood. People asked for their home to be featured. Residents opened up their homes to the crew, giving them tours to aid the podcast.Β
Green Bayβs historic Hazelwood house, pictured from the Fox River Trail, was featured in a βPlaster and Patinaβ podcast episode about ghost stories and rumored hauntings. (Miranda Dunlap / Wisconsin Watch)
βEspecially in todayβs world, weβre all looking for that connection. We want to be a part of something thatβs bigger than ourselves,β marketing and writing director Maddy Szymanski explained in the podcastβs first episode. βWhen you live in an old neighborhood β or a new neighborhood, really anywhere βΒ youβre a part of something that is bigger than you. Youβre a part of a community and you can build that connection.β
The team is currently producing a final episode before moving onto the podcastβs second season. Find the episodes here.Β
Miranda Dunlap reports on pathways to success in northeast Wisconsin, working in partnership with Open Campus. Email her at mdunlap@wisconsinwatch.org.
Wisconsin WatchΒ is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to ourΒ newslettersΒ for original stories and our Friday news roundup.
The school bus industry focuses on safety and service amidst students killed by both passing motorists and their own school buses as well as federal shifts in funding and changes to the Department of Education. Plus, we revisit the 2021 murder of a school bus driver and school bus security.
From routing to training, Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella talks top technology trends of 2025 and the upcoming annual Top Transportation Teams competition.
Analysis on the annual National School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey which found six students were killed by school buses over the 2024-2025 school year, a safety PSA in the works around the upcoming Super Bowl, and new plans to dismantle the Department of Education.
We are joined by the two youngest transportation directors in Washington state, Cassidy Miller (22) of Cashmere School District, also a Child Passenger Safety Technician and a 2024 STN Rising Star, and her boyfriend Bowen Mitchell (24) at Entiat School District. They discuss leadership strategies, operational insights, TSD Conference attendance and more.
Tony, Ryan and Taylor recap the lessons, experiences and takeaways from the Transporting Students with Disabilities & Special Needs (TSD) Conference and Trade Show last week. It covered evacuation training in a smoke-filled school bus, legal issues like onboard sexual assaults or objectionable clothing, tips to promote good student behavior, an in-depth session on deafness and much more.
EverDriven CEO Mitch Bowling reviews how the alternative transportation company prioritizes safety standards and promotes collaborative brainstorming to provide safe service to the ever-growing population of students with special needs.
AlphaRoute CEO John Hanlon shares real-life stories about districts that have optimized daily operations by leveraging routing technology and discusses how the upcoming AI solution βAlphieβ can help.
Keba Baldwin is the director of transportation for Prince Georgeβs County Public Schools in Maryland and STNβs newest Transportation Director of the Year. He joins us to discuss his career history and leadership style.
Marty Savino, national account manager for School-Radio, shares how reliable bus radios support student safety and provide dependable communication services for school bus operations.
For the three-year anniversary of the founding of FirstAlt by First Student, Vice President Gregg Prettyman addresses common misconceptions about alternative transportation safety standards, as well as a Samsara partnership incorporating live video for added oversight.
Tim Logan, director of transportation for Garland Independent School District in Texas, and John Daniels, vice president of marketing for Transfinder, discuss how Transfinder technology helps the transportation department streamline operations and better serve students with special needs and their families.
Discover the new STN Transportation Director of the Year featured on our November issue cover. Other headlines include a NHTSA investigation after a driverless Waymo car illegally passed a stopped school bus and NTSB recommendations on seatbelts following a Texas school bus crash.
Frank Girardot, senior communications director for RIDE, discusses the electric school bus manufacturerβs School Bus Safety Week efforts.
Jennifer Gardella, director of transportation for Rockwall Independent School District in Texas and a 2025 STN Rising Star, discusses her childcare background, improving student relationships, training staff and receiving inspiration from fellow student transporters.
After a year of being STNβs Transportation Director of the Year, Craig Beaver of Beaverton School District in Oregon joins us to discuss the ins and outs of running a large mixed-fleet school bus operation, pushing the limits with technology and data, navigating current federal changes, and looking to the future of the industry.
Headlines on βThe Lost Busβ movie set during recent California wildfires, a school bus Wi-Fi solution for fiscal year 2025, a $10 million Ohio safety grant for seatbelts, and a Maryland school bus driver union sending flyers home with students to gain parental support of a strike.
Gregg Fox, transportation director for Franklin Square Union Free School District in New York and a 2025 Top Transportation Teams Award winner, discusses improving workplace culture, retaining staff amid a changing economy, leveraging technology for efficiency and meeting the challenging state electrification mandate.
Headlines include federal restrictions on undocumented workers obtaining CDLs and an investment into education technology.
Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella shares how the companyβs technology tools support students with special needs and discusses the value in participating in the free annual Top Transportation Teams program.
Special education attorney and returning TSD Conference keynote speaker Betsey Helfrich joins us to discuss current legal issues such as bus video and student cellphones, as well as overall support for students with special needs.
Analysis on upcoming TSD Conference education, National Association for Pupil Transportation election results, the Federal Brake for Kids Act and the Federal Communications Commission revoking E-Rate eligibility of school bus Wi-Fi.
Jeff Cassell, president of the School Bus Safety Company, discusses the need for safety leadership training, removing risk and reducing accidents in student transportation.
Glenna Wright-Gallo, vice president of policy at neurotechnology software company Everway, has worked at the state government level and served as the assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Educationβs Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services. At the TSD Conference this November, she brings her perspective as a person with a disability on educating and empowering individuals with disabilities.
More federal and legal wrangling over school bus Wi-Fi and emissions regulations, plus bus manufacturing updates. Read the new October issue of School Transportation News magazine and watch our recent webinars.
βIβm thankful I had the job that I had, to do the work that I had, at the time that I did.β Jeremy Stowe, director of transportation for Buncombe County Schools in North Carolina, transports us into the story of when Hurricane Helene hit last September and how student transporters assisted with emergency response and recovery. The dedication of the districtβs maintenance team is reflected in the Garage Star award it won this year. Stowe also discusses benefits of vendor partnerships in technology and alternative transportation.
The struggle continues over E-Rate funding for school bus Wi-Fi, the NCST addresses the omission of alternative transportation in its national specs manual, and NASCAR star power boosts a school bus illegal passing PSA in Michigan.
Just announced: the Zonar Bus Suite, an all-in-one routing ecosystem. During Julyβs STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada, STN Publisher and President Tony Corpin caught up with Zonar CEO Charles Kriete and ez enRoute Founder Amit Anand to discuss their partnership that produced this solution.
Brad Hayn, director of transportation for Hoover City Schools in Alabama and a 2025 Top Transportation Teams Award winner, discusses building relationships for a cohesive team and successful technology implementation.
Headlines on tragic violent incidents, electric endeavors, drug testing, a bus fire and more.
Sean Hollas, interim transportation director for Goddard Public Schools in Kansas and a 2025 Top Transportation Teams Award winner, discusses fostering positive workplace culture and leveraging technology for efficiency.
Take a look behind the operational curtain with Brenda Boyd, transportation director for Holland Public Schools in Michigan and the Technology Super User featured on the STN September issue cover.
Dive into school bus safety, technology and data security in the new STN September issue. We also analyze a Canadian study on electric bus equity and the school bus industryβs lobbying efforts in the U.S.
Lisa Navarra, certified child behavior specialist, author and upcoming TSD Conference keynote speaker, discusses bringing together education and transportation personnel to support good behavior in student bus riders with special needs.
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