Jeffco Public Schools has welcomed six electric school buses, bringing the prospect of quieter rides and less tailpipe exhaust to routes across Jefferson County.

The buses and six bidirectional chargers arrived through a partnership with Xcel Energy and Highland Electric Fleets, with Xcel contributing about $3.4 million toward vehicles, charging infrastructure and management systems.

Bidirectional charging could eventually allow parked buses to send stored electricity back to the grid, though the district has not said when that might happen.

Drivers are receiving classroom and hands-on training, while mechanics and other staff prepare the buses for daily service.

District transportation leader Nathan Reimer hopes this first group will lead to more electric buses, but expansion will depend on what Jeffco learns from operating them.

For students and neighbors, the most immediate difference may be a quieter school morning.

ARS Landscape Materials and Supply is accepting fall soil amendment orders through October 31, with delivery dates available into late November for Arvada-area homes and businesses.

The window gives gardeners time to spread and mix material into beds before frozen ground makes digging difficult.

A November delivery date does not guarantee workable soil, so customers should consider their yard conditions and the time needed to finish the job.

For a 1,000-square-foot bed, three cubic yards makes a layer about one inch deep; a new bed needing three to four inches could require roughly nine to twelve cubic yards.

ARS offers compost, screened topsoil, planter’s mix and screened fill dirt by the cubic yard, with pickup also available at its yard at 9470 Indiana Street.