Sheriff lifts county snow emergency

Van Wert independent/submitted information

Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas M. Riggenbach lifted the county snow emergency at approximately 10 p.m. Tuesday. Non-emergency vehicle travel is now permitted on township, county and state routes within the county.

The sheriff noted that county snowplow crews have been able to open roadways in the county, but also noted that roads remain hazardous.

“Some roads may not be two lanes open, but are passable,” the sheriff noted in a news release. “People traveling still need to use caution when driving, as roads are snow- and ice covered and very click.”

Sheriff Riggenbach said drifting is still occurring on roads, but snowplow crews continue to work at removing the drifting snow.

Meanwhile, Ohio Department of Transportation crews have resumed treating roadways with salt and calcium chloride, with District 1 Deputy Director Kirk Slusher noting that good progress was made on Tuesday. Today, ODOT crews will be using both substances more heavily as temperatures warm up, while subsiding winds will also aid efforts to clear roads of ice and snow.

Slusher did note, though, that road conditions will remain icy at least through Wednesday.

With Van Wert City Schools using its fifth calamity day for the 2013-14 school year,  the school district’s plan is to provide students with online assignments for any additional calamity days or use “Blizzard Bags” for students without Internet access.

According to Technology Director John Butler, additional calamity days would be handled as follows:

Students will access the assignments for each of their classes when they become available on their student grade access page. The assignment will appear in a column next to each subject approximately one hour after the calamity day (6, 7 or 8) is officially announced and school is closed for the day.

Students without access to a computer will be given a “Blizzard Bag” (basically a paper copy of the assignment) following the calamity day to be completed outside of school.

Students will have two weeks to complete the assignments.

For more information, email Butler at John@vwcs.net or call Superintendent Ken Amstutz’s office at 419.238.0648.