‘ARCTIC BLAST’ SLOWING EFFORTS TO CLEAR COUNTY ROADS, DES SAYS

LOUISA, Ky. — Lawrence County and much of the Levisa-Tug area woke up again this morning to a chill in the air and ice still on their roads in many rural areas where roads have been closed for traffic except emergency vehicles.

“Our county roads are still closed at the moment,” Lawrence County Emergency Services director Travis Hughes said at noon. “Hopefully, Judge Carter will lift that sometime today.”

“We do still have some back roads county roads that are covered that are still slick but Our County Rd. crews are out working trying to clear these roads.”

Hughes said the brutally cold air with temps getting only into the 20s Saturday, and nighttime readings hovered around the zero mark Saturday night.

“Salt during this arctic blast that we’ve got right now just is just not helping, you know, but hopefully the weather is gonna break and we’re gonna have some warmer weather come Monday,” he said.

But county and state officials are also preparing for flooding if the snow melt is too fast, Hughes said.

“With some rain it’s gonna follow don’t know exactly how much rain we’re gonna get but you know obviously all this snow is gonna melt then what rain we got coming, who knows.” Hughes said today.

Hughes said he’d been out delivering groceries and taking the employees home from the nursing home that needed to get back to their house after working. He also said citizens here should be proud of the job local and state officials have been doing to keep traffic open and roads safe.

“I know it’s frustrating. I know people are aggravated and that they just got to understand that, you know, Lawrence county is a big county and we we’ve got a lot of county roads a lot of miles on those roads so hats off to Joby Moore, our county road foreman and judge Carter and all that crew there” Hughes said. “They’re working around the clock there, they’re putting in their best effort now, I applaud them, I really do, and the same way with the state guys. They’re working around the clock Todd Moran is doing a great job with them and, you know, we’re slowly getting it… we’re slowly coming out.”

Moran could not be reached for comment this afternoon.

“Our crews finished up plowing operations today at noon. We sent them home for much needed rest and to regroup,” District 12 Communications director Shantana Woodward said. “Crews will be back out at 5am in the morning ahead of the morning commute to treat ice and other problem areas.”

She sais A,B, and C routes looked good at the noon hour.

“We still have snow in medians and shoulders on some routes. This week we will focus on much needed repairs to our trucks and equipment. We also need to clean trucks and evaluate our salt and other supplies.”