Public radio WCPI 91.3 FM and the Warren County School System’s television channel WCS-TV are collaborating to produce school bus safety reminders.
These public service announcements, all recorded by local students, began broadcasting Wednesday morning on WCPI and are aimed at reminding everyone that nothing is more important, or more urgent, than watching out for the safety and well-being of children.
 Reminding motorists to drive carefully and to be alert when in the presence of school buses, the initial radio announcements were recorded Tuesday morning. WCS-TV’s Michele Fuston oversaw Bobby Ray Memorial Elementary fifth-graders Kinsley Lorance, Abby Regan, Caden Stubblefield and Christian Weeter, who recorded the PSAs. Joe Harvey videotaped the messages.
 The PSAs will be taped at all of the county’s elementary schools. Video versions on WCS-TV, which is BLTV Channel 180, will begin showing in the coming days.
 “The children themselves and their parents must also take responsibility for their safety,” said School Board Member Bill Zechman, a WCPI producer. “Private motorists share a large part of this responsibility and are a very basic factor in the overall safety picture.”
 Since WCPI is a non-profit public service agency, the announcements are being presented without cost to the school system. Some local businesses have signed on as financial underwriters to help keep the radio station on the air and in a position to offer this type of public service.
 ”The county schools have the duty not only to educate our children but also to provide a safe, protective environment for them whether they are in the classroom or on or near a school bus,” said Zechman. “While it’s impossible to eliminate all risks, the system and its student transportation contractor, Durham School Services, are trying to minimize the risks everywhere possible.”