Newswires

February 13, 2014 Newswires

[Live blog] KUB: Snow impact minimal

The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tenn.

By The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tenn.
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Feb. 13--Check out our Rebel Mouse page, which has compiled photos, videos and tweets of the snow storm. If you tweet @knoxnews with the hashtag #knoxwx, your posts could be included.

Check out the High On LeConte blog for new posts and photos from the snow storm.

5:54 p.m. -- Pellissippi State

Pellissippi State Community College will be open tomorrow Feb. 14 and operating on a regular schedule.

2:27 p.m. -- Maryville College students build big snowman

Four Maryville College students were putting in the effort Thursday to make a snowman large enough to conceivably still be around when graduation rolls around in less than 100 days.

Ok, maybe that's a stretch, but it was a big snowman.

Ryan Indelicheo, Amelia Brumbaugh, Taylor Ragatti and Roman Lay were hard at work playing in the snow. At one point, all four were lifting a second large ball of snow onto the first ball in the process of creating the snowman's torso.

Lay said it Brumbaugh' and Ragatti's idea to build a snowman.

"We just rolled a huge ball of snow and we were like, 'Let's build a huge snowman,'" he said.

Brumbaugh said she didn't expect to to build a snowman as big as they did.

"I just looked over and they had this giant block of ice," she said.

Lay said he had another reason for enjoying the day.

"We don't have school," he said.

2:03 p.m. -- Knoxville police return to Level 1 weather plan

The Knoxville Police Department returned to level 1 of its severe weather plan at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Motorists involved in property damage crashes will still need to exchange information with the other driver, then contact their insurance company once they reach a safe location.

Officers will still respond to injury crashes or crashes that block a major roadway. Officers will also continue to utilize winter weather vehicles to respond to calls for service.

1:59 p.m. -- McClung demolition not slowed by snowfall

Snow accumulations did not slow down demolition progress at the McClung site on Jackson Avenue, officials with the city of Knoxville and Knoxville's Community Development Corp. said Thursday afternoon.

"As far as we are aware, the winter weather will not affect the timeline for demolition/debris removal," said Amanda Shell, KCDC spokeswoman. "Demolition is still in process on the buildings."

Shell said Alvin Nance, KCDC executive director and CEO, will visit the site later this afternoon to observe progress and will give any update if the timeline changes.

Full demolition is expected to be completed within "three to four days," Kirill Vladimirovich, head of business with North Carolina-based J.W. Demolition, said Monday. Debris cleanup will take a few weeks, he said.

1:57 p.m. -- KAT upgrading to regular service

The Knoxville Area Transit will upgrade to regular service at 2:15 p.m. Thursday.

The bus service had been on snow routes earlier in the day.

Officials will monitor weather this evening to determine if they must change routes again.

1:56 p.m. -- Guard units mobilized during storm

Two units of the Tennessee Army National Guard were mobilized during the winter storm Wednesday night to assist motorists in Jefferson and Greene counties.

??The 190th Engineer Company and the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment utilized equipment including High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles to assist those in need.

Guard units through East Tennessee from Cookeville to Kingsport were placed on standby to help Tennesssee Highway Patrol if needed. Only two units were actually called out.

The Tennessee Army Guard acted as part of the Tennessee Emergency Response Plan, providing the Governor with a ready response force.

1:22 p.m. -- Knox County road crews still rolling

KNOXVILLE -- Knox County still has 12 trucks on the roads Thursday afternoon.

The crews are primarily plowing snow and spreading salt on a limited basis.

Around 500 tons of salt were used overnight.

1:18 p.m. -- KUB: Snow storm impact minimal

In the wake of Wednesday night's snow storm, the Knoxville Utilities Board is reporting 643 electric customers without service -- a number KUB says is relatively low.

They are accrediting the low outages to improvements on their Vegetation Management Program implemented in recent years. The improvements were based off of recommendations from a 16-member Tree Trim Review Panel in 2010 and 2011.

The program prunes trees across the 688-square-mile service area on a 3- to 4-year cycle. KUB believes this program significantly impacts the system in a positive way during storms like this that weigh down trees and branches.

Crews are being released today to support restoration efforts in areas with severe outages. Should conditions change, crews remain at the ready.

1:12 p.m. -- Dogs and adults enjoy snow, too

Samantha Hinson and Alex Okowita took their dog, Corbin, out this morning and then decided to play in the snow themselves.

"The fact that there is snow is exciting," Hinson said. "To get here was kind of crazy because it kept changing. First it was it's coming Monday. Now it's coming on Tuesday. It finally came on Wednesday."

Hinson and Okowita said they were watching the Olympics in Sochi on Wednesday night as the snow began to fall.

"It kind of helped put us in the mood for the Olympics," Hinson said with a chuckle.

When they woke up today with snow on the ground, Hinson said the goals for the day became making snow cream and a snowman. And they were glad that they weren't going to have to brave the roads.

"It's much easier to fall as a person than get in crash as a car," Hinson said. "So it makes it fun."

Hinson and Okowita aren't the only folks playing in the snow today.

John and Sara Fanjoy used the snow to take their 17-month-old son Parker out for a little sledding.

"Other than a few weeks ago, this is his first big time snow," Sara Fanjoy said. "I'm supposed to be at work (this morning), so we're trying to take advantage of it while we can. Our first priority was to feed him breakfast and then come out and play. Well, put 100 layers on him and then come out and play."

1:02 p.m. -- Knox Emergency Operations Center closed

The Emergency Operations Center activated at 3 p.m. Wednesday to make the best use of available resources during the snowstorm was officially closed about 11 a.m. Thursday, according to Colin IckesKnoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency.

Representatives of emergency agencies across Knox County -- fire, ambulance, rescue squad and law enforcement agencies -- staffed the EOC throughout the storm to direct about 15 available 4-wheel drive vehicles to medical and rescue emergencies. Using the 4-wheel drive vehicles allowed emergency service providers to keep large trucks off the snow-covered roads unless the equipment was needed.

Ickes said about 4-6 of the 4-wheel drive vehicles continued to operate in hard-to-reach areas after noon, but the operation was winding down.

The Knoxville Police Department and the Knox County Sheriff's Office had its own 4-wheel vehicles in operation in addition to the ones other emergency services deployed.

12:40 p.m. -- Main Sevier roads pretty clear of snow, ice

Law enforcement agencies in Sevier County reported Thursday afternoon that most main roads had been cleared of ice and snow.

A dispatcher with the Sevier County Sheriff's Office said back roads and side streets "are still pretty bad" but few accidents had been reported.

Dispatchers with the Gatlinburg Police Department reported similar road conditions with main roads "slushy" but passable while side roads remained slick.

11:23 a.m. -- TDOT resting after weary a night and morning

Region 1 roadways have improved after being battered overnight by snow.

Tennessee Department of Transportation crews are resting. The snow has stopped, and interstates are passable.

11:18 a.m. -- Park facilities to remain closed Thursday

GATLINBURG -- Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced Thursday that Sugarlands Visitor Center, Oconaluftee Visitor Center and park headquarters will remain closed all day Thursday due to inclement weather.

Currently all roads are closed in the park except for the following: Newfound Gap Road from Gatlinburg to Sugarlands Visitor Center, the Spur between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and Newfound Gap Road from Cherokee to Smokemont Campground.

For more information about current road conditions, please visit the park's website at www.nps.gov/grsm, call the park's Road and Weather Information Line at 865-436-1200, or follow road updates on Twitter @smokiesroadsnps.

11:16 a.m. -- Jefferson Co. schools closed Friday

After driving backroads in Jefferson County for the last hour, Schools Superintendent Charles Edmonds said he has already decided to cancel classes for Friday.

"It's just bad," he said. "Some roads are in bad shape, so I decided to call it now early because it's not going to clear up."

Edmonds said reports are that because the snow that fell was wet, it is expected to turn into black ice when the temperature falls overnight, also led him to cancel classes for another day.

The school system has used all of its snow days that are built into the calendar and with classes out both today and tomorrow, he said, they will have at least two school days that will need to be made up. Students are scheduled to be out of class on Monday for President's Day, he said, but he will not use it as a make up day.

At this time, the only other district that has cancelled classes for tomorrow already is Rogersville City Schools.

11:12 a.m. -- Malls to open at 1 p.m.

Knoxville Center and West Town malls will open at 1 p.m. Thursday after being delayed by the overnight snowfall.

Mall officials are continuing to monitor weather conditions.

11:08 a.m. -- Your Photos

(Can't see the above photo gallery? Try this link.)

11:02 a.m. -- KAT upgrading to regular snow routes

KNOXVILLE -- Knoxville Area Transit will upgrade to regular snow routes at 11:15 a.m. Thursday.

It has been operating on severe conditions snow routes due to the overnight accumulation.

11 a.m. -- History center, museum also closed

Among the institutions closed today are The East Tennessee History Center and the Museum of East Tennessee History on Gay Street in downtown Knoxville.

10:51 a.m. -- Clarence Brown Theatre cancels evening performance

The University of Tennessee'sClarence Brown Theatre canceled its Feb. 12 evening performance of "The Whipping Man" at the Carousel Theatre because of the weather. This morning the theater announced that today's performance has been canceled as part of the university's closing because of inclement weather.

The theater says ticket-holders of either of the canceled shows may exchange their tickets for a future performance. Those patrons should call the box office at 865-974-5161. The box office won't be open until Friday, Feb. 14 but will open then from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In addition, the theater has added three performances of "The Whipping Man." The play had been scheduled to close Feb. 16 after its matinee. The additional performances are 7:30 p.m.Feb. 16 as well as 7:30 p.m.Feb. 22 and 2 p.m.Feb. 23. There is limited availability for the play's 7:30 p.m.Feb. 14 and the 2 p.m.Feb. 16 shows. A Feb. 15 evening show is already sold out.

10:40 a.m. -- Scattered KUB power outages

As of 10 a.m. Thursday, Knoxville Utilities Board was showing 1,137 customers without electrical service in three counties, mainly in Knox County.

KUB had 666 customers in Knox County without power, according to the KUB web site. Those were scattered across Kodak, Corryton, Gibbs, Bearden, Rocky Hill, Sequoyah Hills, Luttrell and South Knoxville.

In Grainger County, 273 customers were without service, mainly in the Powder Springs area.

In Union County, 198 customers were awaiting service in the Maynardville area.

10:30 a.m. -- Knoxville Zoo closed

The Knoxville Zoo announced it is closed today due to weather.

10:24 a.m. -- UT library to open at 4 p.m.

The University of Tennessee has canceled classes for Thursday, but the library will open at 4 p.m.

Other essential services also are operating for the more than 7,000 students living on campus.

The dining services at Presidential Court and Volunteer Hall are still open.

T Link and Access van service is still running. Weather and road conditions could affect some service areas and drop-off points. The Hill, the Fort and the Neyland Express routes will not run today.

10:18 a.m. -- Blount County making progress on roads

MARYVILLE -- Blount County road crews are making progress clearing roads, and the wet snow is plowing off the roads easily, one official said.

Blount County Highway Superintendent Bill Dunlap said he started sending his crews out at 4 a.m., to plow.

Because snow showers were passing through as his crews were plowing, often snow would start to accumulate on top of the cleared roads.

The showers, however, are getting less frequent, he said.

"You can see the asphalt and the temperature is coming up and where we're plowing is causing it to melt faster," Dunlap said.

10:07 a.m. -- Maybe some rest for the weary

Officials with various emergency agencies across Knoxville and Knox County opened the Emergency Operations Center at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Representatives from fire, ambulance, rescue squad and law enforcement agencies staffed the EOC and coordinated use of 15 four-wheel drive vehicles serving medical and rescue needs, said Colin Ickes, operations officer with the Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency. Law enforcement agencies had other vehicles employed for emergencies, he said.

"It got quiet after 11 p.m. when everyone got home," Ickes said.

But at 7 a.m., emergency calls began rolling in at an increased rate, he said.

"We were really hoping people would stay home, but we had a significant number of crashes," Ickes said.

Emergency officials will get a briefing at 10:30 a.m. Thursday from the National Weather Service and then decide how to proceed with public safety efforts.

Most of the emergency officials who started Wednesday at 3 p.m. were able to leave by 9 a.m. Thursday, Ickes said, and were replaced with new representatives from each agency. Ickes, however, has had no break. He started working at 8 a.m. Wednesday and hopes to get home sometime this evening.

10:02 a.m. -- Major routes in Maryville open, treacherous

MARYVILLE -- Most major routes in Maryville are passable but treacherous following Wednesday night's snow storm, one official said.

Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp said no weather-related wrecks had been reported.

Crisp said The snow storm came in at a good time and most folks heeded the advise and got home.

"Public Works personnel have done a good job of clearing the snow," he said. "The major arteries are passable but treacherous and folks should use due care."

More details as they develop online and in Friday's News Sentinel.

9:49 a.m. -- UT cancels classes, but students won't go hungry

Classes may be canceled at the University of Tennessee, but some essential services are still operating for the more than 7,000 students who live on campus.

The dining services at Presidential Court and Volunteer Hall are still open.

T Link and Access van service is still running. Weather and road conditions could affect some service areas and drop-off points. The Hill, the Fort and the Neyland Express routes will not run today.

The libraries are currently closed, but students and staff should continue to monitor the webpage for updates. UT is also posting updates and campus conditions on its Facebook page.

The university first announced shortly after 5 a.m. that it would be opening at 11 a.m. Though roads were relatively clear when administrators visited campus early this morning, the continued snow fall and worsening conditions prompted the university to close for the day, a UT spokeswoman said.

9:46 a.m. -- Anderson Co. BOE meeting rescheduled

The Anderson County Board of Education announced its meeting has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. due to weather.

9:40 a.m. -- City neighborhood streets next target

Knoxville public works employees who have been concentrating on spreading salt and plowing snow on streets around hospitals and on major routes will turn their attention Thursday afternoon to neighborhood streets (Level III), according to city spokesman Eric Vreeland.

A dozen workers Thursday morning were tossing snow from downtown sidewalks and Market Square, Vreeland said. No snow plows there, just back-breaking shoveling.

Vreeland said city workers fired up 21 trucks and even a few pickup trucks early Thursday morning to spread salt and plow.

9:25 a.m. -- KUB reporting outages

KNOXVILLE -- KUB is reporting about 1,500 customers without power in its service area.

One concentrated outage where power is out for several hundred is located in a residential section on Emory Road east of Broadway.

A similar outage is being reported not far from the Knox County-Grainger County line on U.S. Highway 11W. Perhaps as many as 200 metered customers are without power in an area near Westland Drive west of Northshore Drive

9:12 a.m. -- Fall injuries increasing

Rural/Metro ambulance dispatcher is warning people to stay inside because ambulances are getting numerous calls on folks injured from falls while trying to sweep snow from their vehicles.

The dispatcher noted fall injuries start to pile up when people try to pull their garbage cans back to the house, get mail or try to shovel off walks and driveways. The calls are spread all over the city and county, the dispatcher said.

"If you don't have to, don't," the dispatcher said of getting outside.

9:03 a.m. -- Art exhibit canceled

Due to inclement weather, the art exhibit "#Diversity" at Austin East Magnet High School has been canceled for tonight and has been rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20 from 6-7:30 p.m.

8:55 a.m. -- KPD reports 2 dozen property damage crashes

KNOXVILLE -- The Knoxville Police Department handled more than two dozen property damage crashes and only two injury crashes between 7 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. Thursday.

The total does not include numerous calls of vehicles that had gone off the roadway or had been left abandoned, according to KPD spokesman Darrell DeBusk.

Secondary roads remain snow covered, and motorists who must travel should use caution.

Traffic volume is light.

KPD remains at Level II of its Severe Weather Plan, which means snow is throughout city with bad conditions on all roads, including main roads, streets and interstates, but traffic is moving. Responses include all emergency calls or any involving violence and crashes with injury, especially crashes blocking traffic.

Motorists involved in other property damage crashes should exchange information and contact their insurance companies.

8:50 a.m. -- City workers keeping roads clear

City workers since 3:30 a.m. Thursday have spread 550 tons of rock salt on city roads around hospitals and on major routes, according to Eric Vreeland, spokesman for the city of Knoxville.

Vreeland said there have been no mishaps involving city vehicles spreading salt.

On Friday and Tuesday, in preparation for snow, city workers applied 62,200 gallons of brine, Vreeland said. City officials said between the pre-treatment and temperatures not dipping drastically, city streets are not as bad as the roads could have been.

8:24 a.m. -- TDOT crews treating, clearing roads as snow continues

ALERT: ACCIDENT I-40 EAST BOUND, 350 MILE MARKER. INTERSTATE CLOSED DUE TO TRACTOR TRAILER ACCIDENT. TRAFFIC BEING REROUTED.

DISTRICT 17:

Carter: Roads wet, slushy. Roan Mtn (SR 143) snow covered, crews treating roadways, temp 20s.

Johnson: Roads have patches of snow. Crews treating roadways. Use caution.

Sullivan: Snow-covered roads, snowing, crews treating roadways. Use caution. I-26: patches of snow, crews treating. I-81: patches of snow, crews treating.

Unicoi: I-26 patches of snow, crews treating roadways. SR: Snow covered, crews treating roadways.

Washington: Snow-covered roads, crews treating roadways. I-26 and I-81: Patches of snow.

Greene: Flurries, roadways covered, crews pulled back to run interstate and 4 lanes. Air temp, mid-upper 20s; pavement temp, lower 20s.

Hamblen: Flurries, roadways covered, crews pulled back to run interstate and 4 lanes. Air temp, mid-upper 20s; pavement temp, lower 20s.

Hancock: Light snow, roadways covered, crews running routes. Air temp, mid-upper 20s; pavement temp, lower 20s.

Hawkins: Snow, roadways covered. Crews pulled back to run 11W, and south or Rogersville to interstate. Air temp, mid-upper 20s; pavement temp, lower 20s.

I-81 in Greene/Hamblen: Trucks still running from the 8 to the 50. Working on the second lane in Hamblen, about to get one lane clear in Greene.

DISTRICT 18:

I-75, I-640, I-140, I-40, I-275: All Interstates roads are snow covered, crews are out treating. Use extreme caution.

Knox: Snowing, roads snow covered. Crews treating. Temp 27.

Sevier: Snowing, roads snow covered. Crews treating. Temp 27.

Union: Snowing, roads snow covered. Crews treating. Temp 26.

Anderson: Snowing, roads snow covered. Motorists use caution. Crews treating. Temp 30.

Cocke: All roads: TRAVEL NOT ADVISED. Snow and ice covered. Temp 26.

Grainger: All roads: TRAVEL NOT ADVISED. Snow and ice covered. Temp 25.

Jefferson: All roads: TRAVEL NOT ADVISED. Snow and ice covered. Temp 27.

DISTRICT 19:

Campbell County: Heavy snow. I-75 and state routes, roads covered in snow. Crews are out salting and plowing roads. USE CAUTION.

Claiborne County: Heavy snow, roads are covered. Crews are out salting and plowing roads. USE CAUTION.

Scott County: Snow, roads are covered. Crews are out salting and plowing roads. USE CAUTION.

Roane County: Snowing. All State Routes and I-40 are snow covered. I-40 (Rockwood Mtn) VERY SLICK; use caution. Crews are out treating and plowing roadways.

Monroe County: Snowing, SR165 in TSIS as Hazardous. All other state routes and I-75 in TSIS as caution. Crews are out treating and plowing roadways.

Morgan County: Snowing. All State Routes in TSIS as caution, Crews are out treating and plowing roadways.

Loudon County: Snowing. All State Routes and I-40 and I-75 in TSIS as caution. Crews are out treating and plowing roadways.

Blount County: Snowing. All State Routes in TSIS as caution. Crews are out treating and plowing roadways.

-- TDOT

8:09 a.m. -- UT cancels classes

The University of Tennessee has canceled classes for the day.

The university had earlier delayed classes until 11 a.m., but deteriorating weather conditions prompted the university to close.

See our complete list of school closings and delays here.

7:26 a.m. -- Mayor Tim Burchett rides roads all night

KNOXVILLE -- Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett</person> was up all night riding with crews salting, sanding and plowing the county's roads.

He did swallow a slice of cheese pizza and gulped a Diet Coke.

"I went out about 7:30 or 8 p.m.," he said Thursday morning. "The guys just work, go back in the back, sleep, come back out, drink a cup of coffee and go back out again."

He traveled with crews all over the county, with conditions a bit worse in South Knoxville and in Corryton. He said snow was falling so hard at one point, that visibility was limited in the Seymour area.

"We have over 20 trucks out," he said. "With that many trucks out, there are always maintenance issues. We had to change a blade out on one."

The crews hit the primary roads first, he said, and continued then to secondary roads.

A lot of drivers didn't pay attention to conditions, he said, noting several four-wheel drives and other vehicles in ditches.

He said it was a good night for the crews with no accidents or injuries.

He praised the county's crews, noting the science and art of traversing roads while salting, sanding and plowing.

"There is a sort of science to driving the roads," he said. "They have a certain amount of salt or sand and know how to drive on the roads with the weight of the load.

"We also use GPS in all the trucks and know which side of the hill to be on when the load begins to empty.

"The art is watching the guys go down the road, flip the switch and get the salt or sand out of the back of the trucks at the right amount."

He said he couldn't remember the last time he saw the interstates as deserted, except maybe the opening day of the 1982 World's Fair when organizers asked local folks to stay home so the visitors could get into the exposition.

"It was sort of like the zombie apocalypse, except you don't have the cannibals," he said, before checking out and heading home about 7 a.m.

7:20 a.m. -- News Sentinel delivery late

Delivery of the News Sentinel will be late Thursday. Carriers have been asked to deliver as many papers as they can this morning and then go back out to finish their deliveries as soon as road conditions improve. In some cases it may be late afternoon before deliveries are completed.

Thanks you for your patience and understanding.

We also invite you to activate your digital account, if you haven't already, so you can keep up with the news online, even if the paper is delayed.

We'll be continuously updating weather and other news throughout the day. If you have problems with digital access, call us at 865-342-6143, and we'll get back to you quickly to help you get access to your digital account.

7:10 a.m. -- Knox County roads 'difficult'

KNOXVILLE -- Knox County road conditions remain "difficult" Thursday morning after heavy wet snow fell much of the night.

Roads that haven't been plowed since the snowfall slowed or stopped pose serious problems for drivers.

Main roads are expected to be passable once they're plowed, according to Brian Hubbs, Knox County's director of highway maintenance.

Drivers should continue to avoid traveling, especially on unplowed roads, Hubbs said.

Plowing, combined with the extensive pretreatment that roads received, seems to be effective, he said.

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett was riding with road crews all night.

"In all seriousness, I tell people don't get out," he said Thursday morning. "It's not safe. We saw a lot of four-wheel drives in the ditches."

7:09 a.m. -- No Waste Connections pickups today

Waste Connections is not picking up garbage or recyclables in Knoxville today, according to Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero. If operations resume Friday, Waste Connections will operate one day behind schedule.

7:05 a.m. -- Flights canceled out of TYS

According to McGhee Tyson Airport's Twitter account, there are more than 20 cancellations to/from Atlanta, D.C., N.Y., Philadelphia, Dallas and Newark.

Anyone with travel plans for today is advised to contact their airlines directly.

6:45 a.m. -- NWS report posting snow depths

The National Weather Service has been posting snow depths from various locations in East Tennessee all night. Check their list here.

6:35 a.m. -- TDOT crews out and working

Here is an update for road conditions by district/county.