This past week in nearby Monroe, a teen-age student lost his life because, without thinking, he dashed back out into a busy street to retrieve a skateboard.

It is always a tragedy when a young person’s life is snuffed out. This young man never had a chance to spread his wings and fly off to find out what life held in store for him.

The same thing could easily happen to a student in our community.

You, as a driver, can help to prevent such a tragedy from recurring. Give yourself more time between destinations. Slow down. Be alert for children darting out of every driveway.

When you see a school bus with yellow, then red flashing lights, give that bus plenty of room when you stop.

We don’t want any of our children in Newton County to be hurt this school year.

So take every precaution, including putting down that cell phone while driving.