ABC Columbia
May 13, 2021 11:34 AM EDT
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– According to Richland School District Two, the bus driver who helped de-escalate the situation during last week’s bus hijacking will be honored in a ceremony Friday. Officials say Kenneth Corbin was driving students to Forest Lake Elementary NASA Explorer School when an armed soldier who walked out of Fort Jackson boarded the bus. Authorities say Corbin drove the bus for a short time before he and the students were able to leave the bus safely. Corbin will be honored for utilizing his training to de-escalate the tense situation.
The ceremony is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. at the Richland Two Institute of Innovation, located at 763 Fashion Drive in Columbia. While the event is not open to the public, you can still live stream the ceremony at www.richland2.org/livestream.
The district pointed to problems in adhering to the governor s rules right away. Author: WLTX Updated: 11:26 PM EDT May 11, 2021
COLUMBIA, S.C. Richland School District Two says they ll still be requiring masks for students at school, at least for now, after getting a notice from the South Carolina Department of Education.
The district sent a letter to parents Tuesday night just hours after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order overturning all remaining mask mandates statewide, including for schools.
With schools, however, McMaster said he s asked the state s health agency, DHEC, as well as the education department to come up with a form for parents to let their children opt out of the mask rules.
Richland Two announces it will still require students wear face coverings
May 11, 2021 9:48 PM EDT
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) – Despite an executive order from the Governor Tuesday, Richland School District Two announced it will still require students wear face coverings at its schools.
The executive order gave parents the power to opt their children out of wearing masks in public schools. However, the announcement from Richland Two shared a message received by the state Department of Education that said, “Due to the lateness of the Order, the legal ambiguities, and the absence of a DHEC opt out form, the state face covering guidelines will remain in effect.”
Manning says, Yesterday s incident was the worst nightmare for parents, for the school district employees, first responders and us as school board members. The first phone calls we received yesterday, they tremendously shocked us. I don t think you can ever be prepared for that phone call, where you have an armed person that has hijacked the bus, Manning said.
The district is praising the bus driver for his calm response during the situation. District superintendent Dr. Baron Davis said, We have let the bus driver know how much love and support he is receiving from the Richland two community and from beyond.
They wasn t supposed to witness that, not at that age : Student on hijacked bus describes what happened
10-year-old Ke-aundre James describes what happened on his school bus when it was hijacked by a Fort Jackson trainee. Author: Eleanor Tabone (WLTX) Updated: 1:19 AM EDT May 7, 2021
COLUMBIA, S.C. It s a family s worst nightmare, and it is an experience 10-year-old Ke-aundre James will never forget.
A Richland School District Two school bus was hijacked early Thursday morning after making its first stop of the day at Eagle Park Drive on Percival Road. I heard yelling and cussing at the front of the bus, and it was this man, and he had a gun, Ke-aundre said.