•April 13, 2016•

What looked like a long boring wait for a busload of students from Springfield turned into a pizza party at Sullivan Civic Center last week.

It all started when a charter bus carrying 35 students from Grant Middle School broke down about 3 p.m. next to Jim Warren Auto Sales.

“Jim Warren called me when he saw those kids waiting around the broken bus,” Sullivan police chief John Love said. “Officers sent to the scene learned it could be several hours before another bus could be sent for the students.”

Love said he made two calls; the first to Sullivan school district where director of transportation Kevin Landrus immediately sent a Sullivan School bus for the students.

“The replacement bus was coming from Jacksonville, and there was going to be about a 4 hour wait/delay,” Landrus began.

“I sent Michael Puyear, employee within the transportation department of Sullivan Schools out to pick them up and we shuttled them to the Civic Center.”

“I can’t imagine trying to keep 35 middle school aged kids occupied for four hours, let alone on a bus sitting on the side of the road. We were glad to do our part and offer assistance to the kids and adults on board,” he concluded.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.