Weather forces more closings; travel treacherous

By NOREEN HYSLOP

Managing Editor

Closings continue across Stoddard County, with little relief from the cold temperatures in sight.

Government offices in Bloomfield remained closed on Tuesday. Dexter City offices were also closed, and emergency situations were directed to the Dexter Police Department. Calls of vehicles in ditches and stranded motorists were common throughout the day. Police officers assisted disabled motorists throughout the city, and on Highways 114 and 60.

Many areas of Highway 60 and Highway 25 remained snow-covered. With temperatures well below the freezing mark, the 9-10 inches of snow that fell in the area on Monday is now hard packed on the highways, creating dangerous driving conditions.

Missouri Department of Transportation crews have been out in full force, as have city crews, to clear roads since the storm hit. On Tuesday morning, officials said state roads remained covered with snow in all but the very northern section of the state. Motorists are advised to take it slow when traveling and to plan additional time for their trips today.

MoDOT crews will continue to plow and treat the interstates and most heavily traveled roads until they are "mostly" clear. Lower volume roads are being plowed for two-way traffic and treated at critical areas such as hills, curves and intersections.

Motorists who must travel are urged to carry a cell phone and winter survival supplies with them in their vehicle and to check road conditions with MoDOT's Travel Information Map at http://www.modot.org/. MoDOT continues to urge people to stay home unless travel is an absolute necessity.

All Stoddard County schools remained closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, with announcements expected late in the day regarding closures for the remainder of the work week. Additionally, all classes at Southeast Missouri State University and at Three Rivers College campuses were canceled on Tuesday. Bloomfield Schools announced before noon on Tuesday that they would remain out of session through at least Thursday. Dexter Schools were out for their third consecutive day on Wednesday, as were all other county schools.

Since the Stoddard County Senior Center follows the school closing schedule, there have been no Meals on Wheels delivered this week, and since all city offices were closed on Tuesday, Keller Public Library was also closed. Other closings included the Gospel Mission, State School No. 27 and the Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop.

Relief from the weather is not in sight. The National Weather Service is calling for the temperature Thursday morning to plummet to about -10 degrees in the area with some mixed wintry precipitation late Friday into the first half of the weekend.