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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Midmorning With Aundrea - August 28, 2020 (Part 1)

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Midmorning With Aundrea - August 28, 2020 (Part 1)
Midmorning With Aundrea - August 28, 2020 (Part 1)

(Part 1 of 2) School districts are scrambling to insure the safe travel of children using buses even though social distancing options are limited and there has been a nationwide shortage of bus drivers.

And a former security guard is training to be a doctor!

And a man keeps the memory of his deceased daughter alive with a beautiful sunflower field

It can be in a normal year, about 26 million children take a school bus.

But during the coronavirus pandemic schools are scrambling to create plans to bring kids to and from class safely.

Options for social distancing on buses are limited, and there was a shortage of drivers even before the pandemic.

Kris van cleave reports.

"ok cj come u sweet girl" the first day of school... we've gotta keep our mask on ok?

Brought some big changes to gracie duncan's school bus& ok james it's a little different this year so what i'm going to get you to do is go all the way to back with the rocking r with an a ok?

The handful of students who climbed aboard must wear masks& and go to assigned, distanced seats marked with the school's logo..filling the bus from back to the front kvc: here in radford, virginia the biggest difference students will notice-the bus capacity capped at one-third and they're going to be staggered to promote distancing.

Duncan's bus seats up to 64 but this year will have no more than 20.

And the widows will be down to increase ventilation.

A survey of district parents found only about 25% say they'd let their kids take the bus this year.

I've been in education, this will be my 30th year//this is absolutely the hardest thing we've had to do by far.

Rob graham is the radford superintendent.

Kvc: why not cancel bus service?

Why not just go virtual and and not introduce this risk?

There is a risk, and we've tried to make that as low as possible, radford schools followed cdc recommendations suggesting facial coverings, driving with the windows open, at least once a day cleaning to disinfect buses, and creating distance between students "including seatin children, at least one student per row facing forward and skipping rows between students."

But in georgia- where covid cases have soared--commerce city superintendent joy tolbert says some of the those cdc recommendations just aren't practical.

We do not have student's situated so they're sitting every other seat.

We do have students in every seat on the bus.

Social distancing options remain limited and the district can't use its extra buses because it lacks additional drivers.

There is a shortage of bus drivers and that was even the case before coronavirus.

Both districts have overhauled how they clean.

Using electrostatic foggers the buses are disinfected daily, and between trips the drivers clean again making sure to wipe down all touch surfaces.

"it made me realiz "why haven't w always been done this for flu season?//so i see this as being the new normal.

Neither department had any drivers opt out-in radford gracie duncan says she's happy to be back behind the wheel.

I'm wearing my mask, the kids are wearing there's, we're sanitizing, we're washing our hands.

I'm feelin' really optimistic about getting back to it and being able to do this and keep these kids safe."

And keep the wheels on her bus headed for class.

Kris van cleave, radford virginia.

The new school year is here.

And, with many families preparing for virtual learning, the demand for at home supplies, including desks -- is high.

But as zak dahlheimer shows us -- people throughout one virginia community are rolling up their sleeves to make sure students are ready for the first day.

209 joe our community can only be as strong as each individual.

15 nats joe these are the shelves that i'm measuring out right now.

Joe reinagel's strength -- 37 nats joe sand that off... is woodworking.

31 nats joe it's wonderful 152 joe making desks right now is my new hobby.

203 joe usually by 7 or 8 o'clock at night, i have four made.

12 nats drill 14 nats quick drill and he isn't stopping... 17 nats joe i meausre it out, and just cut.

Anytime soon.

206 joe it makes me feel great.

207 joe motivates me to do more.

Joe and his wife -- carol are members of the 757 virtual learning assistance facebook group.

A virtual learning resource for families throughout hampton roads.

24 nats joe wood on saw carol says the demand for desks is high -- which is why they went to work -- making and donating desks to students and teachers around our area.

106 carol i just thought as a retired teacher could offer some input that might help somebody.

144 carol if that little bit is going to make them feel better and the kids be more excited about everything... we don't want kids to lose their enthusiasm for learning.

Without going to school.

47 zak take a look at these desks right here.

These are some the reinagels have made.

They tell me they've made at least 16 desks in the last ten days.

They have about 200 requests for desks to be made for families all throughout hampton roads.

Jessica perez- mccloud says her group has helped collect hundreds of dollars in donations and supplies for families.

5.58 jessica we're in the middle of a pandemic, people they're growing frustrated.

They just need a outlet, so just to see so much positivity in the group.

And the willingness to help other members, it really warms my heart.

The reinagels will make as many desks as possible -- and hope others join in to help each other out.

139 carol you don't do it because you want people to recognize you.

You do it because there's a need, and it needs to get done.

Zd, news 3 wiping down shopping carts to prevent the spread of covid -19 could soon be a thing of the past - thanks to a bright idea from a team of belgian engineers.

Rylee carlson explains.

Sanitizing shopping carts like this - has become a common sight in the corona-virus era.

But belgian engineers wanted to figure out an easier way.

Their solution..

This metal box... simply wheel in the cart, close the door... and for ten seconds it's blasted with ultra violet light to kill any germs. "we have th equivalent of 2,000 suns in terms of uvc power received by the cart."

Say designer jean demarteau "so th viruses have no chance of getting out."

Exposure to uvc - a short wave ultraviolet light - kills or inactivates micro organisms. three stores in belgium are currently trying the machines.

"we asked th customers to disinfect the trolleys themselves and after a few months there was a lot of waste" says this store owner.

"w immediately took the offer to buy this machine.

It's simply practical."

Other countries are also trying to harness this cleaning power.

In china, banks are using uv light to sterilize paper money... and in argentina these robots are sent through buses - disinfecting hard to reach places with uv light.

Rylee carlson, cbs news, london the basic model of the cart cleaner costs just over 8 thousand dollars when we come back, a hospital security guard takes on a new career.

His story ahead on mid a former guard is now training to be a doctor at the same hospital.

And he's working just as hard to help others follow in his footsteps.

Here's cbs's nikki battiste.

00:07:09 russell ledet there was a time when black people couldn't be a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer or anything.

They lawyer, a doctor, an engineer or anything.

They were just property.

//.

One night in 2010, while working as a guard at louisiana's baton rouge general medical center, ledet was escorting a surgeon to the emergency room when he found some courage.

I was like, do you think i could shadow you?

And he looked at me and he was like, well, why not?

Today, the 34 year old is a third year medical student in rotation at that same hospital and if that isn't impressive enough, the father of two is also a navy veteran with a p-h- d in molecular oncology.

He founded "the 1 white coats" -- wit black medical students seen in viral photos posing in front of former slave quarters.

They're raising scholarship money for aspiring med students.

"so, dr. ledet, ho does it feel to wear that white coat?

"oh, this is it's th highest honor.

// i didn't grow up thinking this is possible.

//.

But to be here is heart jolting because i know there are kids who were like me as a kid.

Who can't fathom being in this place.

And me and a whole bunch of others can be a beacon of light to be like it's ok to dream to be here because we will be here to help you get here."

Nb, cbs news, ny.

A starkville family shares their story from houston.

Mid morning for first time parents having a child can be scary enough.

But try having one in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic as states begin to shut down and take measures to combat the spread of the virus.

We introduced you to the williamson family this week.

Now, they share with wcbi's scott martin the challenges they faced and how they overcame// blake and charlee williamson knew their baby was going to be born in houston, texas.

They knew he would have to fight for his life.

But what they didn't know is that the coronavirus would force the lone star state to shut down.

"we came for preliminary visit in march.

That's when the governor here shut down texas.

By the time we got out here in april, we had to have papers to get here."

A letter from the doctor was their ticket into the state of texas.

"we're like office we have a letter we're going to the hospital and he's just like, go, go, go."

Wilder was born with a mass on one his lungs.

His parents say his best chance of survival was in this texas hospital.

Due to covid-19 restrictions, wilder's parents have to alternate days to visit him.

And no one else is allowed in.

"we can't sen grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins, whatever.

That part is tough because we have to facetime them and show them what's going on."

Even during pregnancy, charlee was the only one allowed to her appointments.

20 has thrown a lot of curve balls at the williamson's.

But the love and support from their hometown of starkville has kept them strong.

"they've been kin of enough to check on our house, taking care of the yard, checking our mail.

Every couple of weeks they'll flush all the toilets and turn all the faucets..ááálaughin gááá stuff like that."

From miles away, home has been the backbone for the williamson's.

Another thing that amazed them is the kindness from strangers.

"it's amazing.

Th outpouring of support from family, friends, strangers, that we know are struggling themselves during this time during the uncertainties with covid and the financial effects for everyone right now.

It was very rewarding and humbling to know that that many care about wilder and care about us."

Wilder is expected to be in a houston hospital at least for the next three months.

We have a link to the gofund me page and a link for you to follow his journey of recovery on our website at wcbi dot com// in tennessee, a father planted memories of his daughter.

He never dreamed her garden would grow the way it has, seena sleem has the story.

News of this sunflower field spread fast... last year planted the first field of them..

Tony brawner says he gets about 40 people a day visiting "amy' garden" to tak pictures.

It just gives me joy..

Joy not only because of the appreciation people have for the flower's beauty...but happiness because through each photo his daughter amy lives on.

Seena sleem its been 23 years since amy passed away but this has been a way to keep her memory alive amy was 14-years- old when she passed away- when amy was diagnosed with cancer of course it devastated everybody but she was just so strong she never sounded scared that resilience he learned from her... she would say get a grip daddy....whenever i get emotional helped him through another tragedy...when he lost his wife 12 years later... i don't want to be bitter i have been while life hasn't turned out the way tony has expected...just like the sunflowers -- he always try to look for the sun... i have a lot of faith and trust god's plan is the way to go and on days where he needs a little help -- he knows he can find solace inside amy's garden.

Butterfly was amy's momma and sunflower was amy in summertown, seena sleem newschannel5.

He loves to travel and he loves to eat.

Mo rocca goes along next on mid morning.

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