Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 23, 1995                   TAG: 9506230049
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

BUS DRIVER HAS 1ST DAY IN COURT

``I entrusted my kids to her, and I came here to make sure the court was going on ahead with this,'' Woolwine said.

Woolwine brought her two daughters, Blacksburg Middle School students Thelma and Eva Early, to court as well.

On June 1, they were riding on bus No. 72 when Wilson reportedly drove into the back of another school bus. They say they saw a can of beer hidden in a student's backpack and watched as a police officer gave Wilson a sobriety test on the grounds of Blacksburg Middle School.

The accident caused minor damage, and no one was injured. But police did arrest Wilson on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, transporting an alcoholic beverage on a school bus and possession of an alcoholic beverage on school grounds. All are misdemeanors.

At Thursday's brief arraignment, General District Judge Thomas Frith Jr. appointed Blacksburg lawyer Fred Kellerman to represent Wilson. He also set a trial date of July 26. Wilson remains free on $3,000 bond.

A week after Wilson was arrested, the Montgomery County School Board unanimously agreed to fire the 39-year-old Elliston woman. She had been a school bus driver for the county for several years.

That action relieved Woolwine, who said the incident frightened the entire family.

``They were 25 minutes late in coming home that day,'' she said of her children. ``After that, they said they didn't want to ride the bus anymore.''