| All area schools still closed Thursday, delayed reporting allowed for FLW personnel living off-post |
By: Darrell Todd Maurina
|
Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2009 5:29 am
|
PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Jan. 29, 2009) — All schools in the Fort Leonard Wood area have closed Thursday for the third consecutive day due to winter weather conditions, and delayed reporting has been authorized for some but not all Fort Leonard Wood personnel.
Many local government offices closed on Tuesday or Wednesday. No reports of city or county office closures had been received early Thursday morning, but a planned Thursday evening meeting of the Crocker R-II School Board has been rescheduled again. That meeting had originally been scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed to Thursday, and will now be held next week Tuesday, Feb. 3.
In a media announcement, public affairs personnel indicated that personnel living on Fort Leonard Wood should report at their normal hours, but those living off-post have been authorized a two-hour delay if needed for a safe commute. A “liberal leave policy” is also in effect.
“Please exercise extreme caution on your drive to work as some icing may occur overnight,” public affairs staff wrote Wednesday evening. “Off post, if you have ice on the roads in your area, use the two hour delay.”
While the post is open, not all roads are safe for unrestricted travel. Training operations are still limited due to snow conditions on training ranges, and many roads are in “amber” condition with a few in “red” condition.
“Amber” conditions mean that road conditions are difficult to hazardous and that drivers must slow 10 mph below the posted speed limits to maintain traction and a safe stopping distance. Roads are icy and snow-packed but passable due to clearing operations. Roads in that situation include primary and secondary roads in the cantonment and housing areas, cantonment training areas, FLW Route 1 south of Forney Airfield, primary range roads, ranges, Forney Field, the East Gate, Polla Road and the West Gateand TSB Ammunition Delivery. All those roads are plowed and salted, but some slick spots remain.
Three main areas are in “red” condition”: secondary range roads and training areas, which have been plowed and salted but still have large parts that remain slick, and TMP Troop Transport, for which post officials should be contacted for details on transportation availability. Red conditions mean that most intersections have difficult stopping conditions or that vehicles cannot stop, clearing operations have not kept priority number one roads easily passable, and black ice or ice sheeting has made passage hazardous. Driving above 10 to 15 mph can cause vehicles to lose traction and safe stopping distances have significantly increased.
Click here to comment for local opinion |
|
Printer-friendly format
|
|
