MANTON — Donna Valkner still drives a Manton school bus through the village of Kalkaska and rarely thinks about a collision with a plow truck that sparked an uproar in her community.
The incident occurred Feb. 26 on U.S. 131 as Manton's wrestling team traveled to a meet. Adults on the bus said a Michigan Department of Transportation plow truck based in Kalkaska sped up to catch the bus, then slid over and bumped it.
But Kalkaska County Prosecutor Brian Donnelly sided with the plow truck driver's version and said the bus driver caused the accident. He instructed Michigan State Police to issue tickets to Valkner, 54, for improper lane use and improper passing.
The Manton community and Valkner's employers rallied round her, hired an attorney and fought the tickets at a hearing with testimony from several of those who rode the bus the day the collision occurred.
An assistant county prosecutor, state police trooper, Michigan Department of Transportation supervisor and plow truck driver Aaron Begley showed up to make sure the tickets stuck.
Judge Lynne Buday dismissed the ticket that alleged Valkner caused the accident, but found her responsible for improperly passing the plow truck prior to the accident.
"I don't think about it," Valkner said. "I just feel like I was caught in the middle of this dispute. I paid my fine and put it behind me."
The fine was $130, plus $250 for half the lawyer's fees. Valkner also was suspended for five days without pay for not immediately reporting the accident to her supervisor, Linda Stahl.
Stahl, though, was among Valkner's biggest advocates for fighting the tickets. The incident lessened in importance as the days slipped by.
"Life moves on and everything went back to normal," Stahl said.
MDOT took no disciplinary action against its plow driver, state records show.
Valkner still sees the MDOT supervisor who showed up at her hearing, since his child rides her bus to school.
"I still talk to him and we are friends," Valkner said. "I don't have any hard feelings or anything."
Valkner said it's easy to keep the accident in perspective after an unrelated event this summer. Her sister, Deanna Searles, 46, was killed by a drunken driver on Aug. 21 in Van Buren County.
"She had a family and a zest for life," Valkner said.
Newsmakers 2011
Newsmakers: Bus driver 'put it behind me'
-
-
Newsmakers: Little Artshram fights to survive
The Traverse City and Garfield Township recreational authority canceled its management agreement with Little Artshram, a nonprofit that ran an unlicensed summer camp where a bucket served as a restroom for children. Before Little Artshram can be evicted, mediation and arbitration will be used in an effort to settle differences.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Overdoses present 'huge problem'
Several Grand Traverse area residents died from drug overdoses in 2011, a continuation of a trend that doesn’t show signs of slowing down.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Vet's death still painful
Joe Baker wishes his son asked for help when he returned from his second tour in Iraq.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Van crasher awaits court
Doug McCallum would like to call the Traverse City Social Security office and apologize to employees there, but that will have to wait until after his court date.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: More river changes coming
On maps, the Boardman River winds like a blue vein through the heart of the Grand Traverse region. In real life, the river and its ponds have changed drastically.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Ex-deputy's case confuses bosses
Kipp Needham's actions still have his old bosses scratching their heads. Needham, once a decorated deputy with the Grand Traverse Sheriff's Department, now works at Ward Eaton Towing.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Anti-bully policy draws backlash
Traverse City school board members voted early this year to include sexual orientation as a protected group in its bullying policy, but the decision remains fresh in opponents’ minds and could impact upcoming board elections.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: TADL drama may be over
Metta Lansdale wasn’t the most popular woman at the Traverse Area District Library, but she and her bosses believe the drama is over. Lansdale in 2009 replaced Michael McGuire, who retired after 30 years with the library. Her management style and structural changes rankled some employees, and the tension culminated in February when the library board held a meeting to address employee concerns. It was a tough time, Lansdale said, but she believes the library is headed in the right direction.
Continued ... -
Some second-guess decision on septage plant settlement
Some local township officials continue to second guess a decision to accept a $725,000 cash settlement from the people who oversaw the Grand Traverse County septage treatment plant's design and construction. Local officials this year agreed to the settlement from plant engineering firm Gourdie-Fraser, Inc. and project manager Michael Houlihan, which was used to cover plant losses for 2010 and 2011. The plant faces anticipated losses as high as $460,000 in 2012, so the county Board of Public Works has begun preparations to levy a new tax on all county properties with septic tanks. The settlement simply wasn't enough money to "compensate for the whole fiasco," said East Bay Township Supervisor Glen Lile.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Downtown Wi-Fi project in works
Wireless Internet could be up and running in downtown Traverse City by July. Traverse City Light & Power and the city's Downtown Development Authority continue to work on plans to install wireless Internet in the downtown's two tax increment financing districts, where tax-captured dollars would help pay for the project. Wireless service would follow the zigzagged map of the districts, which includes Front Street, the Warehouse District and areas in Old Town. The service could be running by July 1, if the project receives the various required city approvals.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Former school system administrator eligible for parole in year 2051
Michael Porter, a former top administrator at the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District, received a lengthy prison term in May. Jurors in April found Porter guilty on five counts of possessing child sexually abusive material, three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and a count of using a computer to commit a crime.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Facility opens for area veterans
Calvin Murphy thinks the Traverse City Vet Center could have changed his life. Murphy returned from Vietnam in 1967, what he called a “difficult time to be a soldier.” He said there were limited resources for the troops coming home, and he didn’t get help for his own post-traumatic stress disorder for decades. “It would have been life-changing,” Murphy said of the new vet center, which opened in January on U.S. 31 in Traverse City. “I never went into the VA system till 1993. I lived in the streets, crawled into a bottle, and when the situation was made clear why I had the problems I did, I got help through VA, but I had to travel. Now everything’s within reach.”
Continued ... -
Munson employees comply with vaccines
More than 95 percent of Munson Healthcare's 4,800 employees, doctors, and volunteers received a mandatory flu shot to maintain their jobs or privileges at the organization's two hospitals and ancillary divisions. Less than 100 people applied for exemptions, and hospital officials remain optimistic they won't have to fire anyone for non compliance.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Discovery left men curious
A storage unit finding and subsequent foray into the world of federal bureaucracy left Lawrence Betz curious and Bill Petersen bitter.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Boardman decision looms
Plans for Boardman Lake Avenue have been on the city's drawing board for more than a decade, but city officials made significant progress on the route this year.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Animal shelter rebounds
News broke this year that Cherryland Humane Society faced financial difficulties. How are they doing now?
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Utility pole to be removed
A blue-and-white striped utility pole painted to look like a lighthouse will be removed next year.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Swan killer not yet identified
David O'Connor said he'll never forget the summer day he and his family saw a man on a jet ski bludgeon to death a mute swan on West Grand Traverse Bay.
Continued ... -
Newsmakers: Embezzlement won’t sully Cherry-T Ball’s future
Those who help transform downtown Traverse City into a miniature Times Square on New Year's Eve still have sour feelings about thefts committed by one of their own.
Continued ...
-
Wild weather for Memorial Day weekend
Inspiration for the class of 2012
Colorado College Student Shot While Trespassing
Will Smith & Josh Brolin on "Men in Black 3"
80-Year-Old Skydiver's Nightmare Jump
JWoww Sizzles in a Black Bikini
Sliders on the Grill
Cruise ship crunch
Backstage With Beyonce
Ultimate Creamy Potato Salad
Pope's Personal Butler Under Arrest
Jenny McCarthy's New Man
Tyler's Classic Coleslaw
Britney Spears Under X Factor Fire
Flesh-Eating Bacteria Victim Hits Milestone
Hurricanes and Heat Waves Across America
Kristen Stewart Is Red Hot
Shark Attacks Australian Fishing Boat
Bradley out for playoffs
Kayaker Survives Trip Over Washington Waterfall
