The Nation

LAREDO, Texas – The Texas Department of Public Safety found 28 undocumented immigrants jammed inside the cab and sleeper area of a bob-tail tractor on Wednesday near Laredo. There were 21 males, six females and one juvenile male found inside the truck after a traffic stop. Authorities arrested the truck’s driver, Dartavious Raytrell Dixon, of Houston, on 28 felony counts of human smuggling.  

COLUMBUS, Ind. – The world’s global supply, manufacturing and transportation sectors should prepare for continued COVID-19-related disruptions for the foreseeable future, according to a new report from Americas Commercial Transportation (ACT) Research Co. “COVID risks have increased materially as the highly contagious Omicron variant continues its global sweep, and reports indicate growing strains on staffing across the US and global economies,” an ACT news release noted. According to Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst, the world should be planning for a January of meaningful labor disruption, along with increased manufacturing challenges, both locally and globally. “Low-cost manufacturing countries with low vaccination rates have had trouble in previous COVID waves,” Vieth said. “The Delta variant knocked Indian steel production off-line and disrupted automotive sub-assemblers in Southeast Asia. To combat Omicron, the Chinese government has instigated shelter-in-place quarantines, continuing their strict lockdown policy. As China remains the world’s workshop, Chinese parts suppliers and ports going off-line is a real short-term risk.” Vieth continued, “Beyond the bad news, there is the silver lining that Omicron’s rates of serious infection and mortality are materially lower, especially for the vaccinated. And the Omicron has almost taken the more serious Delta variant off the map: On Dec. 10, there were 43 Omicron cases in the US. On Jan. 4, 95% of new US COVID case were the new variant.” Regarding the impact to the North American commercial vehicle industry, Vieth said that despite broad-based demand strength, traction on commercial vehicle build has been elusive. “The exception at year-end was better Classes 5-7 build rates related to the ability of the large pickup truck-based OEMs to move chips from smaller to larger GVW vehicles,” he said. “That allowed some additional incomplete units to be finished into year-end. With fewer components requiring semiconductors, trailer production also showed some modest traction into year-end, suggesting some easing in commodities capacity.” He concluded, “It appears that the industry will begin 2022 with still unfinished 2021 units. At the levels we suspect, this is an unprecedented situation. If your company has parts on all those ‘built, but not built’ units, some adjustment will be required to align your 2021-22 output with reported and forecast data.” ACT Research is recognized as the leading publisher of commercial vehicle truck, trailer and bus industry data, market analysis and forecasts for the North America and China markets.  

FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas attorney who specializes in trucking safety says he’s worried about the uptick in 18-wheeler accidents, claiming that the pandemic is only making matters worse. Over the past year, the number of trucking accidents has been steadily increasing nationwide, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of serious injuries. Although winter weather conditions can be blamed for a portion of these incidents, some legal experts point the finger elsewhere. Fort Worth attorney Seth D. McCloskey of the Law Offices of Steven Laird PC attributes the surge in commercial truck accidents across the country on supply chain pressures created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the way, he claims, that the major trucking companies have “mishandled the worker shortage.” The number of fatalities from truck crashes increased by 10.5 percent in the first three months of 2021 alone, according to the Associated Press. “We’ve seen an increased demand placed on commercial drivers as a whole,” McCloskey said. “Motor carriers and trucking companies are having a very difficult time keeping up with demand. The pandemic has really played a huge role in this labor shortage.” Because of the sheer size of 18-wheelers, truck crashes often result in serious injuries and deaths. A recent fiery collision in North Texas involving a fuel tanker not only caused major delays but resulted in one death and others injured. “The trucking industry is quite frankly allowing some of this to take place, putting profit over safety,” McCloskey said. “Safety is taking a backseat at this point in time. That’s the reason we are seeing more and more fatalities and serious injuries on roads in Texas and across the country.” McCloskey warns the end might not be near. “It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. We are reading reports, we are seeing the studies. Everyone needs supplies,” he said. “The trucks are going to keep rolling, the danger is going to continue to be there as long as the pandemic is surging.”

QUINCY, Mass. — A bridge in Massachusetts named for seven generals with local ties is set to open this week, six months after its original completion date. The $35.6 million Generals Bridge funded by the city of Quincy and the state will provide an alternate route to downtown from the Thomas Burgin Parkway, the Patriot Ledger reported. City officials told the newspaper Friday that the bridge would be open to traffic by the end of this week. Construction on the bridge that spans the MBTA tracks started in 2019 and was originally scheduled to be completed in May, the newspaper reported. It is named for seven generals with Quincy ties who served in the Army, Air Force, National Guard and Marines, the newspaper reported. Along with the bridge, two nearby roads were renamed and a park was dedicated to generals from Quincy this past year.

ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. — Sun glare is the likely cause of a deadly Monday morning crash along Interstate 40 in Tennessee involving an 18-wheeler and multiple other vehicles, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP). An incident report noted that the tractor-trailer driver had slowed down due to another crash ahead of them when a Ford Transit slammed into the back of the semi’s trailer. Both people inside the Ford died at the scene, the THP said. Two people inside the semi were uninjured. The THP said that the sun was a likely factor in three separate accidents, including the fatality, that happened in this same area of I-40 about 50 miles west of Knoxville, Tennessee.

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Two bridges crossing the Mississippi River, spanning from the banks of Bettendorf to Moline, represent over 100 years of history. They sit close together, graceful arches butted up against dark, rigid towers. One sits empty, while the other is filled with cars crossing state lines. Just a few months ago, their positions were switched. The Quad-Cities entered a new era in December when the new I-74 bridge fully opened and the old bridge closed for good. What once inspired annoyance in many and even terror in some, now gives people an easy, convenient and safe route between Illinois and Iowa. It took decades, but both sides of the river and beyond came together to see it through until today, the Quad City Times  reports. “It takes time, so we all believed in it,” said Bi-State Regional Commission Executive Director Denise Bulat. “We had support from everyone, and that’s why it became reality.” While the work isn’t done yet, here’s a look back at what it took to get these bridges made, and what is to come of both of them in the future. Before 1935, the only methods of crossing the Mississippi River in the Quad-Cities were on a ferry or over the Government Bridge, from Davenport to Rock Island. As vehicles became more available and the area’s population grew, one local entrepreneur saw an opportunity to provide an efficient way over the river and generate revenue. According to an Iowa Historic Property Study submitted to the Iowa DOT and State Historic Preservation Office in 2012, William P. Bettendorf, the man who founded Bettendorf Co. and the City of Bettendorf, first had the idea to build a private toll bridge between Bettendorf and Moline. Tallgrass Historians L.C., based in Iowa City and now known as Tallgrass Archeology LLC, conducted the study. Bettendorf began working to build the Iowa-Illinois Memorial bridge in 1907, a year after the General Bridge Act of 1906 made it legal for private citizens to build bridges as business ventures. With official permission from Congress through the “Bettendorf Bridge Bill,” the Moline and Bettendorf Bridge Co. was ready to go. But Bettendorf’s death in 1910 halted any momentum the project had. The Moline and Bettendorf Bridge Co. couldn’t raise enough money to begin building, and it wasn’t until 1927 that growing populations and traffic brought the idea back into the Quad-Cities’ minds. In the end, neither the cities of Bettendorf or Moline even built the bridge. It was the city of Davenport that partnered with a group of businessmen to help them finance the venture, as the stock market crash in 1928 made it impossible for the entrepreneurs to finance it on their own and Moline refused the franchise. The newly formed Davenport Bridge Commission handled the project, after the franchise was shifted from local interests to the city in 1931. Even after gaining necessary approvals, the project had its fair share of hiccups. The original bridge design was met with protest, as it was too close to Arsenal Island and not tall enough to allow certain ships to navigate under it. After a redesign was approved by the U.S. War Department, construction was further delayed by the city’s quest to receive a loan of $1.25 million from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, a federal loan agency created to help businesses survive the Great Depression. Iowa Rep. Bernhard Jacobsen had introduced a bill to the U.S. House of Representatives to extend the timing of the beginning and completion of the bridge to give time for the loan to come through, but the application was denied. The bill wasn’t signed until 1933. Moline served as the final obstacle to bridge construction. In July 1933 the Moline City Council voted to oppose the project, as they felt they hadn’t been included in its creation or plans. The Davenport Bridge Commission agreed to pay for street improvements for Moline’s bridge approach, and construction began in July 1934. On Nov. 18, 1935, the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge opened to the public. Tolls charged passenger vehicles and light trucks 15 cents, heavy trucks 30 cents, and pedestrians using the bridge sidewalk 5 cents. Once the bridge and construction on either side of it were complete, the Davenport Bridge Commission thought the work done. There were no plans to build onto it, until almost 20 years later. By 1951, an average of almost 9,000 cars were passing over the bridge every day, an increase of over 500% from 1935. Since the bridge had opened, development in Bettendorf, Moline and East Moline had exploded due to the new transportation corridor, creating congestion on the bridge. Luckily, the toll had brought in around $410,000, which the bridge commission could use to build a twin span, with little other funding needed. They received government approval to build the second span in 1952, but not at the local level. Bettendorf wanted veto power on where the twin span was going to go, Moline once again wanted money to fund street changes, and both towns were worried about buildings getting torn down again. Despite these objections, the project moved forward. Construction began on the new span, placed just west of the original, in July 1958 and finished in November 1959. Five years later, it was incorporated into Interstate 74. The federal government did away with the bridge’s tollbooth and sidewalk and gave it new connection spans and on-and-off ramps. The bridge reopened to the public in 1974, and was finished through Moline in 1975. After another 20 years with the I-74 bridge in operation, it once again became overwhelmed by traffic. This is when the idea for a whole new bridge came about. From the first look at the old I-74 bridge to now, with the new I-74 bridge project almost complete, the Quad-Cities has seen 20 mayors, 16 county board chairs, and nine district engineers from the Iowa and Illinois Departments of Transportation. An average of 450 people a day worked on the whole corridor in the four-and-a-half years of major construction, and more work is still to be done. Iowa DOT District Transportation Planner Sam Shea said he doesn’t think there’s been any other project quite like this one. He’d never worked on a project with such size and scale, and the sheer number of organizations involved and all the work that had to be done made the process long and sometimes complicated. Shea still has a Moline Police Department T-shirt, bearing the phrase “I survived the zipper merge.” “I think the Quad-Cities residents have been hugely supportive and hugely understanding,” Shea said. “I mean, this thing came with a mess of traffic concerns, and folks in the Quad-Cities have been really good about tolerating all of the changes and moving along with it.” Now they can reap the benefits, almost 30 years after it all began. Denise Bulat, executive director of the Bi-State Regional Commission, said it all started in 1994. The Illinois Department of Transportation had asked about a holistic study of bridge needs from Interstate 280 to Interstate 80, and the bi-state commission agreed. Traffic congestion on the I-74 bridge was a major problem, as it was designed to only handle around 48,000 vehicles a day rather than the 80,000 it was actually seeing. “In the early days of this, we were faced with narrow structures as well as substandard ramps and accident histories and histories of long delays and the like,” said I-74 Bridge Corridor Project Manager George Ryan. In order to see where people preferred crossing the river, the consultant handling the study recorded the license plates of vehicles crossing each bridge then sent postcard surveys to their corresponding addresses, asking where the drivers are from and where they were headed. This data created what Bulat called “desire lines,” which showed the densest areas of preferred travel. It showed that the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge by far had the most travel. The Centennial Bridge, connecting Davenport and Rock Island, had the second-highest density of desire lines, but it was also a toll bridge at the time, which Bulat said may have affected people’s decision to use it. The major investment study ended in 1998, and it was determined that something needed to be done about the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge. However, they looked at other avenues before deciding a new bridge was needed. “It was an iterative process, where you could see that there was interest, there was a need, there was a lack of capacity…” Bulat said. “It wasn’t until after (the study) it was determined it really needed to be reconstructed.” Unlike in the 1930s, getting approval and funding for a new bridge over the Mississippi River took more than just drafting bills and asking for approval. From 1999 to 2005 they conducted an environmental impact study to show what sort of footprint doing away with one bridge and adding another would have on the local ecosystem. This is where the mussels came in. The study found a freshwater mussel bed right in the construction zone, containing three different federally endangered species. In the end, divers relocated around 140,000 mussels. Factors like water level changes, businesses and other structures that would have to come down, and ensuring the waterway would remain navigable also went into the study. In 2008 the study was finalized, and in 2009 the Federal Highway Administration accepted the project. Up until this point, local and state officials as well as the Bi-State Regional Commission were doing all they could to find funding for the project. The studies, contracts and construction all came to cost over $1 billion. As the Quad-Cities looked on, Bettendorf and Moline prepared for the new bridge. From 2009 to 2018 both sides of the river worked on improving and building roads heading for the bridge, demolishing buildings, constructing on and off-ramps and deciding how everything was going to look. Finally, in 2018, construction on the bridge itself began. 2019 proved a hard year for construction, with both the polar vortex and record flooding making conditions dangerous. The decision to maintain traffic on the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge also slowed things down a bit, but Bulat said it was essential that they let residents still have some method of transport from Moline to Bettendorf. Throughout the whole project, the most vital practice was communication. DOTs, local governments and other agencies had to communicate with each other on every decision, from language in studies to documents while lobbying for funds to construction plans. The Bi-State Regional Commission, Ryan in his role as the corridor manager, and others helped facilitate that communication with each other and the public. Quad-Cities residents needed to be informed as well, and were routinely asked for their feedback on different aspects of the project. The iconic arches were overwhelmingly preferred by the public out of the project management team’s options, and now they stand against the sky. When first drafting construction plans, Illinois DOT Program Development Engineer Rebecca Marruffo said the timeline stretched over eight years. Different agencies and engineers from across the country came together to brainstorm ways to shorten the construction time, eventually settling on closing one direction of traffic on the old bridge to leave more space for construction. “This was a really unique thing, it’s not a typical approach,” Marruffo said. “It was not an easy decision, and we really had to evaluate it and go through a lot of processes, including public meetings, and other steps to make sure that that was going to work. But ultimately, it was a good decision because it allowed us to expedite the completion of the project.” There’s already been a marked improvement on traffic from Bettendorf to Moline, Ryan said. He’s gotten comments from residents who find it much easier to cross the river than on the old bridge, and plenty of people are excited for its amenities. Now, there isn’t much more to finish. The pedestrian lane on the bridge is near completion, and in the future will connect trail systems on both sides of the river. Bettendorf’s bridge elevator will ferry bicyclists and pedestrians up to the walkway, and public spaces in Bettendorf and Moline will welcome everyone. The contract for the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge demolition will be let in spring 2022, almost 90 years after it first opened. Every decision came together to make the I-74 Bridge project work, Bulat said. If communication and collaboration hadn’t been on par with what was needed, if all local, state and federal agencies, as well as the public, hadn’t worked together, if they didn’t all believe in it, the old bridge would still be straining under the weight of handling too much traffic. “When you start on a project where you’re just looking at the environmental impacts, and looking at how to fund it, and it is lines on a map in pretty pictures, you start to wonder, how long is this going to take? Are we going to see the end of this? And is it going to come to fruition like we expect it?” Shea said. “In this case it did… The end result is it’s pretty impressive.”

OKLAHOMA CITY – Love’s Travel Stops plans to open more than 40 locations and add more than 3,000 truck parking spaces and 3,000 jobs in 2022, the company announced Tuesday. This comes on the heels of the company opening 38 new locations and adding more than 3,000 truck parking spaces in 2021. The company also touts that it donated “several million dollars to support its core customer-professional truck drivers, sick and homeless children, veterans and more,” according to a news release. “This year, we will continue to improve the amenities and services our customers have come to love and expect when they stop at our locations, new features will also be added that we think will wow them,” said Shane Wharton, president of Love’s. “Our customers and team members made last year a great one, and we expect the same for this year, as we continue to get customers back on the road quickly and safely.” The company issued the following highlights for 2022. Love’s will: Open more than 20 Love’s Truck Care and Speedco locations, which continues to be the nation’s largest oil change and preventive maintenance network with the most comprehensive roadside coverage for professional drivers and 1,500 maintenance bays and 420 locations across the country; Continue to enhance the Love’s Connect mobile app with new features; Expand the Love’s-branded product line and introduce new fresh and hot food offerings, including salad, sandwich and breakfast items made fresh daily; Add new products to Love’s Mobile to Go Zone, the largest selection of today’s technology on the highway; and Increase fueling options across the U.S. through Trillium, a leading provider of alternative and renewable fuel supply, design, installation and operations.

PEARLINGTON, Miss. — An 18-wheeler carrying cars crashed on Interstate 10 near the Mississippi-Louisiana line early Tuesday, Jan. 11, blocking traffic for hours in both directions. A statement from the Mississippi Highway Patrol said the truck was the only vehicle involved in the wreck, which occurred on a bridge crossing the Pearl River. While the driver escaped without injuries, photos from police showed multiple burned vehicles and damage to the bridge itself. The Mississippi Department of Transportation had to inspect the bridge for safety before it was reopened, the statement said, and police said traffic was flowing again about 8 a.m. The crash occurred in Hancock County, and police routed traffic off the interstate on to detours.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from his employer following the company owner’s death, according to a prosecutor. Benjamin Padua Jr., 56, of Huntersville, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Thursday and was released on bond, U.S. Attorney Dena J. King said in a news release. Prosecutors said that from September 2019 to February 2021, Padua abused his senior finance position with an unidentified trucking company. He used falsified documents and improper accounting entries to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the news release. Following the company owner’s death in October 2019, Padua forged the owner’s signature on a fake employment agreement that he created and backdated to prior to the owner’s death, prosecutors said. The fraudulent employment agreement aimed to increase Padua’s compensation through higher wages, bonuses, and life insurance benefits. After Padua created the fake employment agreement, he received compensation he wasn’t entitled to, Padua admitted in court. Padua could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.

BELLINGHAM, Wash — At least one person was missing and presumed dead as snow turned to rain and deluged the Pacific Northwest on Friday, causing flooding, landslides and avalanche danger in the mountains. A 72-year-old man never returned after leaving his residence to move his car to higher ground on Friday morning west of Olympia, Washington, in Cosmopolis, according to Grays Harbor Undersheriff Brad Johansson. The man’s residence was on a road that was flooded and authorities fear his vehicle was swept into floodwaters down a steep bank next to his driveway, Johansson said Snow and rain forced the closure of parts of Washington state’s two major highways — Interstate 90 and Interstate 5 — with flooding that also swamped roads throughout Western Washington and Oregon. In southwestern Washington’s Lewis County, a 20-mile stretch of Interstate 5 had been closed in both directions south of Chehalis because of flooding from the Chehalis River. All lanes of Interstate 5 in that area reopened Friday afternoon. The major route across Washington’s Cascades — I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass — closed Thursday due to avalanche danger, heavy snow and low visibility. Stevens Pass on U.S. 2, White Pass on U.S. 12 and Blewett Pass on U.S. 97 also closed Thursday. Transportation officials say all four mountain passes that connect Western Washington with Eastern Washington likely would remain closed until Sunday because of dangerous conditions. And part of one of the only other roads crossing the state, State Route 14 on the Washington side of the Columbia River, closed for several hours on Friday because of a fatal crash near Lyle, Finn said. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued an emergency proclamation on Friday because of severe winter storms going back to Dec. 17. State agencies and local jurisdictions are coordinating resources to address damaged property and infrastructure, assess damage caused by the storms and implement repairs, he said. Washington State University canceled classes Monday and Tuesday to allow students ample time to return to Pullman in Eastern Washington following the severe winter weather, officials said on the university’s website. Near Stevens Pass northeast of Seattle, the city of Leavenworth declared a state of emergency and asked for National Guard help after 3 feet of snow fell in 24 hours. City leaders are concerned about the weight of snow on buildings and homes, KCPQ-TV reported. In Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood, firefighters responded to a home that slid down a hillside. Live video from KING-TV appeared to show crews rescuing a person and working to extinguish a fire just outside the home. A man trapped in the home’s basement was extricated, according to the Seattle Fire Department. A woman escaped on her own while one dog died and another is missing, firefighters said. Dozens of watches and warnings were in effect in Washington and Oregon, including a flood warning for the northern Oregon Coast following huge amounts of rainfall. The National Weather Service said Hoquiam, Washington, in Grays County received a record 5.78 inches of rain Thursday. Other areas saw nearly half of the rain they’d expect to see for the month of January in one day, according to the weather service. Southwest Washington experienced its worst flooding in a decade and some rivers crested at more than 18 feet late Thursday, the National Weather Service said. East of Seattle on Friday, parts of downtown Issaquah were closed after Issaquah Creek sent water over the roads. Some homes flooded and at least one apartment building was evacuated, KIRO-TV reported. In Centralia and around Thurston County, streets were flooding Friday and Washington National Guard members were helping with filling sand bags and other requests, the guard said on Twitter. About 50 people on Friday had sought shelter at a site in Centralia, according to the American Red Cross. In northwest Washington, snow fell in Bellingham while roadways flooded throughout Whatcom County. Exceptionally high tides and winds were causing coastal flooding around homes in Birch Bay, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. Tidal flooding of homes and businesses also affected towns including Edison and University Place. In northwest Oregon, coastal flooding after heavy rains disrupted communities. Astoria got more than 4 inches of rain Thursday, breaking a record for rain on that date set in 1914. The nearby city of Warrenton declared a state of emergency due to widespread flooding and school districts in Astoria, Warrenton, Knappa and Seaside canceled classes Friday In Oregon, Interstate 84 reopened after a landslide closed almost 50 miles of the highway from Troutdale to Hood River on Thursday. Forecasters say the rains should subside over the weekend but landslides will continue to be a risk into Saturday as soils remain saturated.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Snow and rain continued to fall across the Pacific Northwest on Friday, causing flooding and closing portions of Washington state’s two major highways – Interstate 90 and Interstate 5. The major route across Washington’s Cascades — I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass — closed Thursday due to avalanche danger, heavy snow and low visibility. Stevens Pass on U.S. 2, White Pass on U.S. 12 and Blewett Pass on U.S. 97 also closed Thursday. Transportation officials say the four mountain passes that connect Western Washington with Eastern Washington likely would remain closed until Sunday due to dangerous conditions. In Lewis County, Washington, a 20-mile stretch of Interstate 5 was closed in both directions south of Chehalis due to rising flood water from the Chehalis River. On Friday, parts of downtown Issaquah, Washington, were closed after Issaquah Creek sent water over the roads. At least one apartment building was evacuated after the creek spilled over its banks and into the parking lot under the complex. The city of Warrenton, Washington, declared a state of emergency Thursday, due to flooding, which forced several street closures. People in Issaquah worked through the night into early Friday to grab sandbags and place them to prevent waters from Issaquah Creek from flooding their homes and property. The creek was expected to crest sometime Friday morning as a cold front sweeps through and pushes the precipitation east. Dozens of watches and warnings were in effect in Washington and Oregon, including a flood warning for the northern Oregon Coast following huge amounts of rainfall. The National Weather Service said Hoquiam, Washington, received 5.78 inches of rain Thursday — an all-time record. Other areas saw nearly half of the rain they’d expect to see for the month of January in one day, according to the weather service. Forecasters say the rains should subside over the weekend. In Oregon, Interstate 84 reopened after a landslide closed almost 50 miles of the highway from Troutdale to Hood River on Thursday. The Oregon Department of Transportation warns there may still be slides in the area on Friday, and crews are continuing to clean up. A flash flood watch is in effect now for the Columbia River Gorge and more snow is expected later in the day. Officials also expect smaller landslides throughout Friday.

RURAL GEORGIA — On a recent afternoon during a routine post-crash inspection of a commercial motor vehicle, Georgia Department of Public Safety (GDPS) officers noticed several other big rigs slowing down and taking photos. So they hopped in their patrol cars and made several stops. “These trucks and more were stopped because the drivers were driving by recording the crash scene,” a GDPS Facebook post stated. “For your safety and the safety of all drivers – Put the Phone Down, and Don’t Drive Distracted.” Several comments on the GDPS’s site were not in favor of the pullovers. “They sit on the side of the road with binoculars and whatever else they can come up with,” wrote Josh Pittman. “They go to extreme lengths to generate revenue.” “Safety is number one,” wrote Brian Bowen. “But officer’s should have to follow the same laws. I see them all the time on their phone and even using the computer in their vehicle. Don’t tell me that they can do it safely and then write tickets to the public.” Joan Pritchard had a different take, writing, “Good job. Need all these idiots of the road.”

SEATTLE — The latest winter storm to hit the Pacific Northwest brought a halt to travel across Washington’s Cascade mountains, flood warnings, school closures and icy roads Thursday. Meanwhile, things aren’t looking any better in the east, where a major winter storm is pressing down hard on the region. Truckers are feeling the effects in a major way, as truck stops up and down snowy interstates in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia are overflowing capacity. “It’s a nightmare right now,” said Kay Stephens, a tanker truck driver based in Kentucky. “There’s no parking, it’s cold, the roads are bad. There are going to be a lot of delays.” The major route across Washington’s Cascades — Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass — was closed Thursday due to high avalanche danger, heavy snow and low visibility. Stevens Pass on U.S. 2, White Pass on U.S. 12 and Blewett Pass on U.S. 97 were also closed Thursday. Transportation officials said Thursday evening that the four mountain passes likely would remain closed until Sunday. “Conditions are too dangerous for crews to be in the pass areas,” Washington Department of Transportation officials said. “Snow and debris continue to slide onto the highways. Crews are working in areas where it is safe to plow, clear catch basins and do other work to have those areas ready when we can reopen.” It’s unusual — and maybe unprecedented — to have all four passes close simultaneously for more than a few hours, The Seattle Times reported. The ports of Seattle and Tacoma said exporters from eastern Washington and beyond are not able to get their cargo to the docks. Puget Sound Energy said Thursday that crews were responding to power outages in mountain pass regions because of heavy snow weighing down trees and branches and that the communities of Hyak, Easton, Greenwater and Skykomish were especially hard hit. Heavy rain and snowmelt additionally caused flooding concerns in western Washington and Oregon as the latest atmospheric river moved into the region. Flood advisories were in place Thursday with some in effect through Saturday. In Centralia, Washington, south of Olympia, cars on Thursday evening were driving through water over the road on some streets. Residents in that area near the Chehalis River were told to prepare to evacuate because of expected major flooding starting Thursday afternoon. A shelter opened Thursday at Centralia Middle School. BNSF Railway reported a landslide south of Centralia that prompted a 48-hour stoppage of Amtrak train service between Portland and Seattle. Major flooding was also expected along sections of the Newaukum and Skookumchuck rivers in Lewis and Thurston counties, the National Weather Service warned. Mason County was urging residents Thursday in the Skokomish Valley area to either evacuate or shelter-in-place for several days as flooding and road closures were expected. After days of rain and snow in Oregon, a Thursday morning slide in the Columbia River Gorge forced the closure of Interstate 84 in both directions between exit 17 in Troutdale, Oregon, and exit 62 in Hood River, Oregon. Both directions of I-84 reopened around 7 p.m. Thursday. “Smaller slides continue in the #ColumbiaRiverGorge & we’re still monitoring the freeway. Conditions remain volatile w/ continued rains & temps dropping below freezing in many parts of the state,” Oregon Department of Transportation officials said on Twitter. In Eastern Oregon, OR 334 was closed Thursday by heavily drifting snow. In Central Washington, Yakima got about 8 inches of snow Thursday, while Ellensburg saw over a foot. Steve Bodnar, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane, said Wenatchee could receive 20 inches of snow Thursday, with nearby Leavenworth receiving 22.5 inches. At least 4 inches of snow fell early Thursday in Spokane, and the snow had turned to light freezing rain by late Thursday afternoon, the Weather Service said. Numerous school districts in Spokane County and other counties around the state canceled classes Thursday, while others delayed the start of classes. “If you don’t have to go to work or you don’t have to be out on the roads, try not to be,” said Washington State Patrol Trooper Ryan Senger in Spokane. WINTER STORMS TRACKING EAST In the east a winter storm that has already left areas of the South with more than 6 inches of snow moved into the Northeast on Friday during the morning commute and prompted many school districts to close for the day. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker urged people to stay off the roads and take public transportation if possible, as the storm was forecast to drop as much as a foot of snow in coastal areas of the state. There were already 12 inches of snow in Hebron, Connecticut and 10 inches in Burrillville, Rhode Island by 8 a.m., according to National Weather Service spotters. Schools in Boston closed, and Providence, Rhode Island, public schools switched to distance learning, but New York City kept the nation’s largest public school system open. “Children need to be in school. We don’t have any more days to waste” after the many closures and remote-learning days of the pandemic, said New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat dealing with his first major storm after taking office Saturday. He said he was also mindful of children who rely on in-school meals and working parents who can’t stay home. Officials urged caution on the roads and reduced speed limits in some areas. A commuter bus spun out of control and wound up blocking multiple lanes on the Massachusetts Turnpike just outside Boston early Friday. No injuries were reported, but the bus caused a huge traffic jam. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday night declared a state of emergency for the entire state and delayed opening state offices for nonessential employees until 11 a.m. Philadelphia and Newark Liberty International airports reported many flights were canceled or delayed. Travelers were advised to check with their airlines. From late Thursday through Friday afternoon, 4 to 7 inches of snow were expected in parts of central and southern New Hampshire, and south-central and southwest Maine, according to the weather service. The storm brought record-setting snow to some areas of the South on Thursday. Nashville saw 6.3 inches of snowfall Thursday, shattering the city’s previous Jan. 6 record of 4 inches  that had stood since 1977, the National Weather Service said. Freezing rain and sleet coated areas around the Tennessee-Alabama state border, said Scott Unger, a meteorologist for the service in Nashville. Tee Perkins, a truck driver from Ontario, said his rig was “slipping and sliding a little bit” along Interstate 40 near Nashville, so he decided to pull off at the nearest truck stop to rest for the night on Thursday. “It’s too damn bad to drive right now,” he said. “Just park it and wait it out. It ain’t worth a wreck.” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear closed state offices at noon Thursday and later extended the closure through Friday. The largest snowfall in Kentucky by Thursday evening was 8 to 9 inches in a swath from Elizabethtown to Bardstown and Nicholasville to Lexington, said meteorologist Brian Schoettmer of the weather service’s Louisville office. Eastern Kentucky recorded 6 to 8 inches, and far western Kentucky had about 3 inches. The Trucker staff contributed to this report.

ALLENTOWN, Penn. – Due to a forecasted winter storm, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will be temporarily restricting certain vehicles on Interstate 78 in east central Pennsylvania beginning at 8 p.m. on Thursday. Vehicle restrictions reflect Level 1 of the commonwealth’s weather event vehicle restriction plan, and will be in effect on the following roadways: Interstate 78 in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Under Level 1 restrictions, the following vehicles are not permitted on affected roadways: Tractors without trailers; Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded enclosed trailers, open trailers or tank trailers; Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded tandem trailers; Enclosed cargo delivery trucks that meet the definition of a CMV; Passenger vehicles (cars, SUV’s, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers; Recreational vehicles/motorhomes; School buses, commercial buses and motor coaches; and Motorcycles. Speed limits will be restricted to 45 miles per hour on these roadways for all vehicles while the vehicle restrictions are in place, and commercial vehicles not affected by the restrictions must move to the right lane. Additional speed restrictions on other interstates could be added depending on changing conditions. “The purpose of the restriction is to help ensure the interstates remain open during the most challenging conditions of the winter storm,” according to PennDot officials. “When conditions improve, PennDOT will remove the travel restrictions. “Although PennDOT crews are treating roadways, the department’s primary goal is to keep roads passable, not completely free of ice and snow. PennDOT will continue to treat roadways throughout the storm until precipitation stops and roads are clear.”