THE BLESSING BUS

"It is a joy, a blessing," Lela Carpenter said. "It is large enough for our family to go places and be together. It's great."

Lela and her family purchased the "blessing bus" when it was declared surplus property for the county.

The commissioners requested that the County Clerk's Office handle the bid process, and it went out for bid two different times. The first time there was no bid. The second time, the Carpenters bid $500 and they were the only bid, so they received the "blessing bus."

KCTS acquired the vehicle from the Chappell transit, according to KCTS administrator Christy Warner, "as part of the deal to help provide transportation" to that area.

"We have used it since 2019 until the cluster of gauges on the dash went out," she said.

Attempts were made to repair the entire cluster without a satisfactory outcome. Due to safety concerns, public transit would not allow after-market gauges to be mounted on the dash. Hence, the van became surplus property.

Warner said, "While the bidding process allows for the bus to be bought for any purpose, such as turning into a camper or work vehicle, it's a great feeling to know in this particular case it went to someone who truly needs a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

"KCTS gives people a chance to get out for short times such as appointments and shopping," Warner said. "Having a wheelchair-accessible vehicle means they can do things like go with family to family get-togethers and holidays."

With the Blessing Bus now in their possession, Oliver Lake is on the agenda for this summer with the whole family.

Since the incident at home where she broke the C3 vertebrae, Lela continues to keep a positive attitude and says that she is progressing.

On July 1, 2023, Lela passed out after taking a shower at her home and suffered a spinal cord injury.