Winter storm closes schools, results in multiple accidents

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County residents, as did the rest of the state, had plenty of warning before last week’s winter storm moved through the area, and for the most part, there were fewer problems than during last year’s “deep freeze” that occurred at almost exactly the same time of the year.

Sleet and then snow coated streets and highways on Wednesday evening, as expected, with freezing conditions continuing through Thursday and Friday before warming up on Saturday.

However, in contrast to the 2021 “snowpoco­lypse,” when few people ventured out,  there were about 10 reported accidents last week, including several rollovers, that were the direct result of drivers losing control due to road conditions, according to deputy Jason Price with the Shackelford County sheriff’s department. Price attributed much of the activity to traffic rerouted through Albany when I-20 was shut down. No significant injuries were reported, said Tina Ulbrich with the EMS.

Although schools dismissed early on Wednesday, Feb. 2, and classrooms were empty through the end of the week, neither Albany nor Moran will need to utilize bad weather days to make up for the missed instructional time, and both districts still have “banked minutes” to use if needed.

Because of the moisture, county judge Robert Skelton lifted the county-wide burn ban until at least Monday, when commissioners will review it.