Day 4: County roads, schools, offices still closed

Published 12:00 am Friday, January 31, 2014

Things are slowly getting back to normal after two days of debilitating weather; however, as of this morning, all Covington County roads remain closed, as do all county schools.

County Engineer Darren Capps made the announcement just before 4 p.m. Wednesday, citing another round of freezing temperatures.

“We have many roads in the county – particularly in the north and some in the south – where the sun didn’t get to the ice spots or sections in the road. Those areas were shaded and did not thaw out like the rest of the roads.”

Which means that last night’s freeze only solidified the ice, make travel very dangerous, Capps said.

“The thing is, you could have a half-mile of good road, come over hill, and hit a big icy section,” he said. “You think everything is safe, and then you hit a patch of ice. Travel is just too dangerous.”

Capps said county crews began working to break up the ice before dark fell Thursday. Crews will be at work early today doing more of the same.

“We hope to speed it up, too,” he said. “That, with the warm weather – we hope things warm up and thaw some. Some of our dirt roads are still almost solid white. And that’s another problem, so we’re asking you to stay off the county roadways, unless there’s a disaster or an emergency. If it’s an emergency, go slow. Be watchful of what’s over that next hill.”

The call was made just before 5 p.m. Thursday that county students would not report to school today; however, Superintendent Shannon Driver said that all extended contract employees are to report at 10 a.m.