Bus driver shortage at MLSD
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 6 months AGO
The Moses Lake School District announced there is a bus driver shortage that will impact morning and afternoon routes for students. Parents will be notified if a route is not going at 5:30 a.m. and it will be posted on the MLSD website. The district is currently hiring four part-time driving positions, one substitute driver and one bus assistant.
NANCE BESTON/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District announced a driver shortage Friday, which will impact morning and afternoon bus routes. The MLSD transportation department will notify parents by 5:30 a.m. each morning if the route is canceled for the day.
“Bus driver shortages are not unique to this school year or unique to Moses Lake,” MLSD Marketing and Public Relations Specialist Claren McLaughlin said. “It is a nationwide issue.”
McLaughlin said that if a morning route is canceled, the afternoon route is also canceled. The MLSD said in its statement that special education bus routes will not be impacted. The canceled routes will also be posted on the Moses Lake School District website.
The MLSD is hiring a school bus driver for routes 75, 21, 37 and 34, according to the website. Salaries for the positions are listed as $25.15 to $28.15 an hour. All four jobs are 20 hours per week, Monday through Friday. The district is looking for someone with a high school diploma or G.E.D., a commercial driver’s license, a current Washington State Bus Driver’s Authorization and a valid First Aid Card.
The district is also hiring a substitute bus driver, who is only allowed to work 600 hours per school year and has the same requirements as the daily drivers.
The final open position is a substitute bus driver assistant, which is also limited to 600 hours a school year. This position must have a First Aid Card and be able to provide supervision and assistance to students riding the bus. It is not listed how much this position pays.
For those interested in these roles contact Transportation Director Lorri Smith at 509-793-7203 or [email protected].
ARTICLES BY NANCE BESTON
1 arrested after Highway 17 stop; detectives recover fentanyl, firearms
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Street Crimes Unit conducted a traffic stop on Highway 17 near Randolph Road and executed a search warrant Friday morning as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation.
4th-year drought declaration in WA, subtle effects in the Columbia Basin
EPHRATA — Washington’s fourth straight year of drought is expected to hit some regions hard, but in Grant and Adams counties, the impacts will look different – quieter, less visible and centered underground. Statewide, the Department of Ecology issued an emergency drought declaration after a warm winter left Washington with about half its usual snowpack, raising concerns about low summer streamflows, stressed fish populations and heightened wildfire risk. Seven of the past 10 years have included drought somewhere in the state. “If you look at our mountains, the challenge we are facing is clear,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said during a press conference Wednesday. “We’re taking emergency action to protect fish, farmers and communities across Washington.”
Sleep Diagnostic Center to close after doctor’s sentencing
MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Sleep Diagnostic Center announced it will be closing its doors effective April 30. This includes locations in Moses Lake, Spokane Valley, Brewster and Wenatchee. The announcement follows the March 25 guilty plea from Dr. Eric Edward Haeger, 57, in United States District Court to adulterating and misbranding medical devices with the intent to defraud or mislead, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “The adulterations by Dr Haeger show a dangerous disregard for the safety of his patients,” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said in a statement. “This is a win for patient safety, for protecting public dollars from fraud, and for ensuring citizens of Washington get necessary healthcare. This case exemplifies the great work our team is doing in collaboration with our federal partners to fight fraud and protect Washingtonians.”