With schools preparing to open, our rural roads will have more traffic, and children will be standing beside roads and highways to catch the bus. Emergency responders like police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians, and utility crews also find themselves working near busy roadways. Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative reminds everyone to put safety first:

• Hands-Free. Remember that Tennessee is hands-free when it comes to cell phones. Keep your hands, mind and eyes off your phone and on the road.

• Watch the STOP. When buses extend their STOP signs, give yourself...