Tony and Taylor review the most compelling takeaways from STN EXPO East in Charlotte, North Carolina this past week. From rock star leadership and workplace culture advice, to a bus mirror training that went viral, to the latest in cutting edge tech shown on the Trade Show floor, attendees and vendors connected in meaningful ways.
Last year, bus window and glass provider Lippert acquired seating supplier Freedman Seating and HVAC manufacturer Trans/Air. Dan Cohen, vice president of sales for Lippert’s transportation products group, and Austin Lehnert, regional sales manager for Trans/Air by Lippert, join us to share new safety technology innovations.
Christopher Faust, transportation director for Sangamon Valley CUSD #9 in Illinois and John Daniels, vice president of marketing for Transfinder, discuss utilizing multiple “finder” technologies to assist in operational and procurement challenges at the district.
They also share how and why to participate in the Top Transportation Teams challenge, which is led by Transfinder and currently accepting signups.
Marty Savino, national account manager for School-Radio, explains communications upgrades that districts can make for increased safety and security during incidents like school shootings.
Michelle Summers, assistant director of transportation for Lamar Consolidated Independent School District in Texas, discusses the value of coming to conferences and participating in the inaugural STN Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program, as well as superintendent relationships and technology upgrades.
Learn more about our upcoming April magazine, inflation and fuel prices, internet for school buses, record revenue for Zum, district efforts amid ICE enforcement, and a driver dressing to impress.
Michael Signer, chief policy and legal officer for EverDriven, discusses the evolution of alternative student transportation from safety and regulatory perspectives to help school districts meet student needs alongside yellow buses.
We examine the impact of the war in Iran and Clean School Bus program updates on district fuel choices, as well as a Pennsylvania school bus driver arrested after driving over 50 students while intoxicated.
We are joined by Nate Springer, vice president of market development at TRC Companies, the presenter of the upcoming Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) EXPO. He unpacks the reasoning behind various fuel choices available to school districts today and funding options amid changes to the Clean School Bus program.
We unpack the National Action Plan for School Bus Safety, which sheds light on the non-fatal effects of illegal passing. Plus, transportation directors comment on green buses during a recent EPA Clean School Bus webinar.
Denise Donaldson, the editor and publisher of Safe Ride News Publications and a frequent trainer at STN EXPO and the TSD Conference, previews her STN EXPO East workshop on when to use child safety restraint systems (CSRS) in school buses or alternative vehicles.
We consider what recent headlines mean to the school transportation industry: proposed updates to the Clean School Bus Program, Blue Bird fully acquiring Micro Bird, Trump tariffs being struck down and safety conversations at STN EXPO East this March.
Mike Ippolito, chief operating officer of School Radio, discusses the future of bus communications – including multi-carrier SIM cards and satellites – and what school districts looking to the future should know to maximize safety and efficiency. Real-world emergency scenarios and radio as a service are also examined.
We discuss the potential impact of the national jobs report on school district budgets, the DOT’s non-domiciled CDL final rule and cutting-edge technology takeaways from the Geotab Connect conference.
“It’s all about service: I went from servicing my country to now servicing my community.” Bernando Brown, director of student transportation for DeKalb County School District in Georgia, shares how his military experience shaped his work ethic, leadership style and focus on training and mentorship. He also discusses handling retention, budgeting and operational challenges.
Insights on national school bus contractor First Student’s purchase of Chicago area contractor Cook Illinois Corp., the Blue Bird 2026 Q1 earnings report, and a California study on lap/shoulder seatbelt efficacy.
“Make sure that the right people are on the right seats on the bus.” Heather Perry, superintendent of Schools for Maine’s Gorham Public Schools, was named as one of four finalists for the 2026 National Superintendent of the Year Award by The School Superintendents Association, AASA. She discusses her leadership journey, winter transportation operations, the value of collaboration and staff support, and a robust student career support program.
The February edition of STN magazine is out, where we continue discussions on the oversight of autonomous vehicles and alternative student transportation. Plus, sign up for school bus inspection training and many more learning opportunities at STN EXPO East in Charlotte, North Carolina, this March.
In the aftermath of a high-profile school bus rollover last August at Leander Independent School District in Central Texas, Director of Transportation Tracie Franco talks lessons learned in emergency response, lap-shoulder seatbelt enforcement, first responder collaboration and staff training.
We cover a harsh winter ice storm, takeaways from the 2026 NSTA Midwinter Meeting, updates to the U.S. EPA’s 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.
“Education, engineering and enforcement.” 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 NASDPTS’ 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.
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Since its debut in March, the “Plaster + Patina” podcast has inspired excitement in Green Bay’s Astor neighborhood.
Residents have pitched stories about their historic homes to the podcast team and opened their homes to them.
The first season focused on homes between Monroe Avenue and the Fox River.
The team does extensive research and searches for interesting stories about the properties they feature.
Inside Skip Heverly’s 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.
The group members, all residents of Green Bay’s Astor neighborhood, are preparing to spend the evening trading bits of local lore and hatching ideas that could make for an interesting deep dive.
The neighbors run “Plaster + Patina,” a podcast series that digs up long-buried — and sometimes spooky — tales tied to the historic homes in Astor, one of Green Bay’s oldest neighborhoods. Through the project, they hope to create a shared sense of wonder and community among neighbors while memorializing the area’s history.
“Slowly but surely, I think we’re kind of seeing how this is really helping to bring the community together,” 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.
From left, Jim Gucwa, Paul Jacobson, Al Valentin, Skip Heverly and Morgan Fisher discuss ideas for an upcoming episode of the “Plaster and Patina” 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 he’s collected and spark inspiration for a future episode.
The first season of “Plaster + Patina” uncovered a forgotten spring water bottling business; examined architectural changes that speak to larger societal shifts; and told tales of ghosts, among other topics.
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 doesn’t currently have sponsors or advertisers to generate revenue, or plans to do so. The team pools resources, leveraging each others’ connections, interests and skills.
“That’s what a neighborhood’s about,” said Paul Jacobson, the podcast’s historian.
Bringing people out of their homes — and into others’
Between the 1830s and 1920s, a high, dry slope running parallel to the Fox River — colloquially known as “The Hill” — was an attractive place for doctors, lawyers and other businessmen to build their homes.
Today, the houses in the affluent neighborhood still reflect the period in which they were constructed. A 1980 historic district designation, championed with Gucwa’s help, preserves the homes’ exteriors from being substantially altered, among other protections.
A postcard of Salvator Springs is pictured. The “Plaster and Patina” podcast featured the mineral spring on episode 6.
Astor’s 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.
“People have kind of gone into their (homes),” Fisher said. “They’re not on their porches anymore. They’re not out meeting their neighbors as much.”
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.
The “Plaster and Patina” podcast created an episode about how this Italianate home in Green Bay’s Astor neighborhood is marked by tragedy and connected to prominent Green Bay figures. (Miranda Dunlap / Wisconsin Watch)
This home on Lawe Street in Green Bay’s Astor neighborhood served as the subject for the sixth “Plaster and Patina” podcast episode. (Miranda Dunlap / Wisconsin Watch)
The corner of Spring Street and Madison Street in Green Bay’s Astor neighborhood. (Miranda Dunlap / Wisconsin Watch)
Attendees gather for a free concert at St. James Park in Green Bay’s 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.
“What better way to do that than a podcast?” Jacobson said.
Tales of ghosts, lost springs and … 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, “everyone just lit up,” said Heverly, the producer of “Plaster + Patina.”
The first season focused on homes nestled between Monroe Avenue and the Fox River.
Al Valentin, right, and Paul Jacobson look through documents on Nov. 16, 2025, in Green Bay as the “Plaster and Patina” podcast team works on ideas for an upcoming episode. (Mike Roemer for Wisconsin Watch)
“It’s nice to stay within an area, just to kind of really lay out that area,” host Al Valentin said. “We want to create a visual while you’re listening to it of what the neighborhood looked like at that time.”
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 — his favorite — fire insurance maps, which include detailed hand drawings of buildings in the area dating back to the 1880s.
After Jacobson goes “down a rabbit hole,” they zoom out and choose the most interesting event or detail he found. “Otherwise, you could spend five hours on one particular home,” Valentin said.
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.
“We kind of shoot from the hip,” Valentin said. “When you hear us converse on the podcast, it’s pretty real, with our knowledge and expertise.”
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 “ums,” “uhs” 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.
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 neighborhood’s first backyard pool signaled the shift of leisure from front porches to more private backyards — and was once home to an alligator.
An excerpt from the eighth episode of “Plaster + Patina.” (Miranda Dunlap / Wisconsin Watch)
For a Halloween edition, Valentin interviewed a paranormal investigator who shared supernatural experiences at Astor’s Hazelwood House — 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.
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.
Green Bay’s historic Hazelwood house, pictured from the Fox River Trail, was featured in a “Plaster and Patina” podcast episode about ghost stories and rumored hauntings. (Miranda Dunlap / Wisconsin Watch)
“Especially in today’s world, we’re all looking for that connection. We want to be a part of something that’s bigger than ourselves,” marketing and writing director Maddy Szymanski explained in the podcast’s first episode. “When you live in an old neighborhood — or a new neighborhood, really anywhere — you’re a part of something that is bigger than you. You’re a part of a community and you can build that connection.”
The team is currently producing a final episode before moving onto the podcast’s second season. Find the episodes here.
Miranda Dunlap reports on pathways to success in northeast Wisconsin, working in partnership with Open Campus. Email her at mdunlap@wisconsinwatch.org.
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.
Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured Hannah Borg in season1, episode 5.
Hannah is a sixth-generation farmer from Wakefield, Nebraska. In 2019, she returned home to the family business, Borg Farms. She and her family raise crops, cattle, and chickens for Costco. She holds a degree in agricultural communications from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
In the episode, Hannah discusses what it was like to grow up on the farm, navigating the transitions between generations, how she came to be raising chickens for Costco, among many other topics.
Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured A.G. Kawamura in season 1, episode 4.
A.G. is a third-generation farmer in Southern California and operates Orange County Produce with his brother. He served as California Secretary of Agriculture from 2003 to 2010. He is founding chair of Solutions for Urban Agriculture, which grows produce for area food banks. He is involved in many other organizations, including as founding co-chair of Solutions from the Land, and with Farm Foundation as a Roundtable Fellow since 2011, and currently serving on the Farm Foundation Board of Directors. He also serves on the board of Western Growers.
In this episode, A.G. discusses what it means to be a landless farmer, his work to solve food insecurity, and some of the dynamics of the fresh produce industry that are not widely known.
Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured Steve Kaufman in season 1, episode 3.
Steve is a fifth-generation farmer. He returned to his family’s Idaho farm full time in 2014 when his uncles and father were ready to retire. He and his two brothers farm 14,000 dryland crop acres, growing primarily winter wheat, spring wheat, peas, garbanzo beans, and canola. Prior to that, he worked at Northwest Farm Credit Services while also farming part time. Steve is an alum of Farm Foundation’s Young Farmer Accelerator Program.
In this episode, Steve talks about how gratifying it is to produce enough grain for 30 million loaves of bread on his farm, the hard work of trying to balance life with young kids and farm life, and what the process was like to switch over to no-till.
Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured Amanda Butterfield and her daughter, Evelyn, in Season 1, Episode 2.
Amanda Butterfield is director of corporate partnerships at The Meat Institute, and she also owns and operates a farm in Pennsylvania. With her husband and daughter, they raise beef cattle at Maple Valley Cattle Company, a 180-acre cow-calf operation. The farm was recently selected as a finalist for the 2024 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award, which honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.
At her farm, Amanda uses strategies like rotational grazing, cover crops, integrated pest management strategies, and has preserved the farm’s woodlands and wetlands and native grasslands to improve soil health and support biodiversity.
The conversation covered some of the logistics of rotational grazing and land restoration on the farm, Amanda’s path to farming as a first-generation farmer, and what the future holds for young people on the farm today.
Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured Klaas Martens in season 1, episode 1. Klaas is a third-generation farmer in New York. He operates Martens Farm and Lakeview Organic Grain Mill with his wife Mary Howell Martens and their son Peter. On 1,600 acres, he produces numerous crops, including corn, soybeans, spelt, wheat, einkorn, emmer, triticale, buckwheat, oats, barley, rye, cabbage, dry beans, and hay. He’s been farming since the 1970s and shifted to organic farming in the 90s. Klaas is a Farm Foundation Round Table Fellow (since 2015) and also serves on the Farm Foundation Board of Directors. He also serves as a mentor in our Young Farmer Accelerator Program.
In this episode, Klaas discusses being the son of immigrant farmers, how his farming practices changed over the years, and one of his favorite things about wheat. He also shares some stories of how he has helped young farmers get into farming and the importance of community.
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