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Students show support for bus driver after cancer diagnosis
After a cancer diagnosis forced Heidi Carston to leave her job with ISD 196, students stepped up to show their support for the beloved school bus driver.
ROSEMOUNT, Minn. — As a bus driver, Heidi Carston is used to picking up kids for school. Now, her students are the ones picking her up.
“Who knew? Who knew that a bus driver could make an impact on them?” Carston said.
Years ago, Carston left her job as a medical transcriptionist and applied to be a school bus driver. She’s been a driver for Independent School District 196, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan for the past 10 years.
“I love the kids,” Carston said. “They crack me up.”
But life took an unexpected turn when at the end of November, Carston came home from her morning bus route to a phone call from her gastroenterologist. The biopsy showed cancer in the 64-year-old’s stomach.
“In one phone call my life was changed forever,” Carston said.
Carston — whose family has a history of cancer — has stage 4 metastatic gastric cancer.
“There is no cure for me at this point. It’s just chemotherapy trying to get me into remission and extend my life for a little bit longer. So I’m on a new journey, different adventure now. I miss these kids every day,” Carston said.
Carston started chemotherapy in January. One of the side effects is an extreme intolerance to cold.
“I knew at that point that there was no way that I could go out and work in a freezer on wheels,” she said.
Carston completed her last route on bus 347 on December 13. She told her kids she would not be returning because of her cancer.
“A lot of gifts, flowers, cards, hugs… lots, and lots, and lots of hugs,” Carston said. “These kids just amaze me.”
The cards include illustrations of bus 347 and Carston wearing a crown with the words, “You are a warrior” on top.
One of the cards said, “Someone as incredible as you has everything you need to get through this… you are the best bus driver.”
“Just thinking about all of this gives me a little more will to fight,” Carston said.
“I really do miss her. I wish she was our bus driver again,” said Noah Webber, 11.
Webber, a sixth grader at Black Hawk Middle School in Eagan, had only been on Carston’s route since September.
When he heard about his bus driver’s cancer diagnosis, he said, “I started thinking about trying to do something. I just really couldn’t stand there and watch it happen. So that’s why I chose to start fundraising.”
He came up with a bake sale, making his grandma’s homemade banana bread and then Webber found a recipe for apricot muffins. With the help of his parents, he reached out to neighbors and friends about the bake sale.
When it was time to deliver the money to Carston, Webber recalled, “My mom was like, ‘Alright, are you ready to seal the envelope?’ And she told me the amount and I was like, ‘Wait, mom.’ I went to my… money stash and I picked $26 from it and I added it to the pile to make exactly $1000.”
The family delivered baked goods, a card and $1,000 cash to Carston and her husband at their home in Rosemount.
“I just couldn’t even believe it. Couldn’t even believe it,” Carston said.
The pair met up at Carston’s home for Monday’s interview. Carston gave Webber a hug and said, “My whole life has just been turned upside down and there’s a kid that rides my bus, that’s in his kitchen, and he’s baking to raise money for me. I had no idea. You’re just awesome.”
Webber responded to his bus driver, “You too.”
If you would like to help support Carston as she navigates new expenses from her cancer diagnosis, a GoFundMe page has been set up here.
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MINNEAPOLIS — How much do you know about your grandma’s upbringing?
“The Stories From My Grandmother’s Hands” is a book that aims to show young Black children how their grandmas lived through beautiful illustrations and descriptions.
KARE 11 News at Noon shared more on Thursday about the impact that this book will have.
Gary Peterson and his friends are collecting donations to help people in their community.
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — A St. Louis Park pumpkin display is raising money for their local food shelf.
Gary Peterson started carving and painting three pumpkins over a decade ago. It’s now grown to over 100.
“I’ve heard people say they’ve come from Hutchinson,” he said.
Peterson along with two of his neighbors have spent the last 14 years growing their display, turning it into a neighborhood event.
“It’s been incredible, I just can’t believe how much this has expanded,” he said. “We did it just because we like to and then people were asking to give us money to cover the cost.”
The trio refused to take people’s money, but then one of them had an idea.
“My neighbor, Steve Leensvaart, just mentioned how about we just do it for the STEP program and the STEP program is our local food shelf in St. Louis Park,” he said.
So, they started to collect donations to help families in need. They’ve raised hundreds of dollars and donated hundreds of pounds of food over the last few years, carving for a cause.
“It is more gratifying every year,” Peterson said.
He estimated they have over 100 unique pumpkins in their yard. They’ve created the displays and come up with new family-friendly concepts for people to enjoy. Peterson said about 30 of their neighbors carved their own pumpkins to be put on display, and it’s been a big hit.
“It’s great. In the last couple of years, it’s turned into more of a neighborhood event,” said Sarah Durch.
“We love this Halloween display, we come every year to see it. We love that the whole community gets involved to craft and carve the pumpkins,” said Jami Gordon-Smith.
“The shading and the details are unbelievable,” said Elizabeth Hanson.
Hanson hopes to take her 2-year-old son trick or treating for the first time but is worried the cold temperatures might keep them indoors.
“We’re going trick or treating hopefully,” she said. “He’s going to be a firefighter, but we’re probably going to have sweatshirts maybe like two pairs of sweatpants underneath. We’re going to be bundled up.”
Gordon-Smith said her family will be out Halloween night no matter the weather.
“Halloween only comes once a year, so you really have to take advantage and enjoy the evening no matter what the weather brings,” she said. “Guess it’s not totally unheard of in Minnesota to have a cold Halloween, but we are going to try and modify and do a lot of layers underneath our costumes and then we might add some hats and maybe some warmer socks.”
Durch also isn’t surprised they’re in for another chilly night.
“Well, what would Halloween be without Minnesota cold? I feel like every time you plan a costume you have to plan for how you can make this work if it’s snowing,” she said.
Peterson said they will have a bonfire and some hot chocolate and cider on Halloween to keep trick-or-treaters warm while they look at their pumpkins.
Click here to learn where you can see the pumpkins and how you can donate.
Jeremy Jourdain was 17 when he was last seen on Halloween 2016.
BEMIDJI, Minn. — The search for Jeremy Jourdain, who was last seen on Halloween in 2016, continues now eight years later.
Jourdain was last seen at a family member’s house in Bemidji, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs. He left the residence near the 500 block of Wood Avenue after midnight and while people followed him, no one was able to find him.
Jourdain was 17 at the time.
Officials said he was wearing a blue and grey sweatshirt, and blue jeans when last seen. He is Native American and is described as 6 foot 5 and 175 pounds.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, you can contact the Bemidji Police Department at (218) 333-9111. Tips can also be sent to 1-833-560-2065, or you can email ojs_mmu@bia.gov.
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