Parkway's Yellow School Buses Going Green

Parkway is buying 30 news buses as it transitions its fleet to become more invironmentally friendly by using compressed natural gas fuel.

A big yellow school bus is a familiar site, but now Parkway School District buses are going green.   (For instant news updates follow Patch on Facebook and Twitter.) District officials tell Patch, the district is taking steps to transition its fleet of 150 buses to become more environmentally friendly.  Parkway Spokesperson Cathy Kelly tells Patch, the buses will use a cleaner, healthier compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel.      CNG costs less than diesel fuel, so Kelley said Parkway will save an estimated $100,000 per year in fuel costs as a result. The fuel will also leave a smaller footprint on the environment, according to Kelly. "It will reduce the amount of emissions emitted into the environment," she said. "The St. Louis area has bad …

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Transfer Students Lawsuit Is Talk Of Town Hall Meeting

Thursday night, state senators and representatives plan to provide information and answer questions about the Turner v. Clayton case involving transfer students from unaccredited school districts.

Lawmakers, including Rep. Sue Allen, R-Town and County, are inviting community members to discuss what could have a big impact on St. Louis area schools. A recent Missouri Supreme Court ruling in the case of June Turner v. School District of Clayton could result in a rapid influx of students from unaccredited schools transferring to neighboring districts. Students from the unaccredited districts can choose to attend any accredited district in the same or adjoining county. Furthermore, the court contends that the accepting district has no discretion in the matter. Despite several proposals, the legislative session yielded no fix to the court decision. Local school officials are concerned that the lack of local control would force them to …

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Manchester Police Clean Up For A Cause

The Manchester Police Department buses tables at Tucker's Place as a fundraiser for Special Olympics.

Thursday night, the Manchester Police Department held its fifth annual Clean Up For Special Olympics night at Tucker's Place, where officers literally cleaned up after patrons, refilled drinks, and handed out donation envelopes. The event came together after Manchester's police chief approached the restaurant about participating . "Tim [Walsh] came in one day and asked if this was an event we'd be interested in. We know these guys from the department and we're fond of them, and it seemed like a fun, great idea," said Tucker's Place owner, Tom Struharik. Chief Tim Walsh tells Patch that Tucker's place usually donates 25 percent of the night's proceeds to the Special Olympics, but "they always give a lot more." Over the past four years, the …

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Parkway West Students in School After Bus Accident

Parkway West High School students are in class after their bus was reportedly struck by a car early this morning.

Parkway West students are in school today after the school bus they were riding in was involved in an accident early this morning. According to Cpt. Dan Sutter with the St. Louis Fire Department, the collision between the bus and pick-up truck happened around 6:30 a.m. on Newstead and St. Louis avenues. Sutter said seven students and the driver were on the bus at the time of the crash and any injuries were minor. He said the parents of four students were able to be contacted and declined treatment.  He said the other three were taken to St. Louis Children's Hospital as a precaution. A hospital spokesperson says all three have been released. Parkway school officials said the students are part of the transfer program where students are bused…