Crittenden County weathers winter storm

Community thawing out after deep freeze none the worse for wear

By JOHN RECH

news@theeveningtimes.com

Two worries when winter weather hits the area are power outages and travel. Interstate travel crawled on the ice Thursday and Friday last week, while power outages in West Memphis were minimal according to city officials.

Assistant Police Chief Brent Bradley lauded police, fire and utilities workers for their storm responses during the February police commission meeting that followed the ice.

“The police weren’t grounded in the foul weather as it was under the previous administration,” said Bradley. “We were out there on patrol helping with traffic and serving the public during the icy conditions.”

The fire department stayed busy on Thursday and Friday working jack knifed semi-trucks on the elevated portion of Interstate 55 near AFCO Road, both Interstate Bridges and Interstate 40 near Lehi.

While Memphis Light Gas and Water reported 10,000 customers without power, it was a different world in the ice blanketed West Memphis.

“Somehow the city escaped without any major power outages,” said Bradley.

Utilities General Manager Todd Pedersen knew why and reported the results in an interview on Thursday.

“I know exactly why that was,” said Pedersen. “We had a few very short spot outages, but we escaped having anything major. First, the heavy ice seemed to skirt north of us before dropping down to hit Memphis. Second, we had just finished a four-year tree trimming project along utility lines, so nothing fell on feeder lines.”

The utilities were set to

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The West Memphis Fire Department B shift shared photos of some of the big rig crash scenes they responded to during the ice storm. Icy Interstate highways proved hazardous along the Interstates through the city creating work for wrecker services, fire fighters and EMTS.

Photo courtesy of the West Memphis Fire Department WEATHER

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resume contracted tree trimming on the same fouryear clean-up cycle beginning in the spring.

Mayo Marco McClendon shut down non-essential city government on Thursday and Friday but opened city hall for the regular City Council meeting on Thursday. Some aldermen braved the roads and the icy sidewalk to attend in person, some attended via a video conference connection.

McClendon noted the work of the street department and the cohesion of city services and city administration leadership. “Our street and sanitation departments were out,” said McClendon. “as well as the police, fire, EMTs and utilities.”

McClendon concluded his remarks by thanking Emergency Management Director DeWayne Rose, Communication Director Nick Coulter, City Senior Clerk Patricia Lane, Steve Jones with the mayor’s office and Purchasing Agent Kenneth Johnson for their support services during the storm.

It wasn’t all drudgery during last week’s winter storm. Mom Starla Baker sent in a couple of photos she snapped of young Cherish (blue) and Raegan (purple) frolicking in the winter wonderland.