School zones, buses are in motion today as school begins

‘The majority of drivers are pretty cautious during the school zone-‘ LPD Officer Mikey Lawson

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- The first full day of school is today all across Campbell County, and law enforcement officers are once again be manning school zones. La Follette Police Sgt. Timothy Collingsworth and Officer Mikey Lawson were out early Tuesday checking on the school zones equipment at La Follette Middle and Elementary Schools where they’ll be on post come 7:15am Thursday.

“We want to make sure everyone gets to school and back home safely. We understand that everybody’s in a hurry,” said Collingsworth. As long as we all pay attention and be mindful of our surroundings, everybody gets there safe in a timely manner, the sergeant added.

“Folks also need to remember to stop for school buses when they’re stopped for students to board or exit the bus,” said Lynn Letner, veteran school bus driver/owner. Tennessee state law reads “The driver of a vehicle upon a highway, upon meeting or overtaking from either direction any school bus that has stopped on the highway for the purpose of receiving or discharging any school children, shall stop the vehicle before reaching the school bus, and the driver shall not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or is signaled by the school bus driver to proceed or the visual signals are no longer actuated”.

Police are mindful of students, drivers and buses. “I’m looking for speeders, people using their cellphones while driving their vehicles and pedestrians crossing the road,” said Lawson.

For the La Follette school zones, officers arrive around 7:15am and put the flashing lights on at 7:30am. They return for school dismissal at 2:40pm.

“The volume of traffic is about the same for the morning and afternoon. However, people are in a little bit more of a hurry in the afternoon, said Collingsworth. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-08/07/2025-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON)