Joe Bjerke breathed a little easier when the dispatch center passed along the phone message from a local motorist. "I was following Bus 65 this morning, like I do every day," the caller reported. "But today I noticed that the bus wasn't smoking anymore. I wanted to tell you that whatever you're doing, I appreciate it."
Just the day before, Bus 65--a 1989 Thomas with a 8.3 L Cummins 240 hp engine--had become the first bus in the Clovis, Calif., Unified School District's fleet to ...