The Nation

EASTVILLE, Va. — A Virginia judge has dismissed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed by the widow of a trucker whose tractor-trailer plunged over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel four years ago. Billie Jo Chen, whose husband, Joseph, died in February 2017 shortly after his 18-wheeler plummeted into the waters, alleged the bridge-tunnel operators shouldn’t have allowed him to cross the 17.6-mile span at the time because winds were too strong. After presiding over a December trial in Northampton County, Judge Leslie Lilley ruled on Friday, Feb. 26, that the bridge-tunnel, as a political subdivision of Virginia, is protected by sovereign immunity, The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reported. Douglas Desjardins, an attorney for the widow, said an appeal is likely. Joseph Chen, 47, of Greenville, North Carolina, was an experienced trucker on the homebound leg of his regular delivery run for a seafood company when he died. The lawsuit, which sought $6 million in damages, alleged the bridge-tunnel violated its wind policy by letting Chen cross with a nearly empty trailer when gusts as high as 50 mph were recorded. The judge ruled that the bridge-tunnel correctly applied its wind policy, but noted the trial raised “obvious concern” about the policy’s formation, the newspaper reported. Lilley concluded wind was the main cause of the accident.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania state lawmakers who are unhappy Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is considering tolling nine major bridges were warned about that prospect when they passed legislation in 2012 delegating approval to appointees of the governor and top lawmakers, they were told Tuesday, Feb. 23. State Rep. Mike Carroll, D-Luzerne, reminded colleagues of that vote at the end of an Appropriations Committee hearing during which more than a half dozen committee members questioned Transportation Secretary Yassmin Gramian about potential bridge tolls. “It turns out it’s difficult to fund transportation,” Carroll told colleagues during the hearing. But, Carroll said, “those were decisions that we made, that this General Assembly made in an effort to find an easy path forward for an admittedly very complicated problem.” Carroll, himself, voted against the 2012 bill, but other lawmakers now criticizing potential tolls backed the bill. The Public-Private Transportation Partnership Board, created by a 2012 law, in November voted for the very first time to approve toll projects. The “major bridge” program allows the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to toll bridges to fund improvements. PennDOT last week named nine bridges that it said it is considering tolling to pay for the reconstruction. Tolls would be between $1 and $2, probably both ways, would raise about $2.2 billion and would last from the start of construction in 2023 for three or four years until construction is finished, Gramian told the Appropriations Committee. Tolling would be electronic and collected through E-ZPass or license-plate billing, PennDOT has said. The money collected on a bridge is supposed to go to the structure’s construction, maintenance and operation. The bridges under consideration for tolling are I-78’s Lenhartsville Bridge in Berks County; I-79’s bridges over State Route 50 in Allegheny County; I-80’s bridges across Canoe Creek in Clarion County, Nescopeck Creek in Luzerne County, North Fork in Jefferson County and the Lehigh River, near Wilkes-Barre; I-81 over the Susquehanna River in northern Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna County; I-83’s South Bridge across the Susquehanna River, a mile from the state capitol and downtown Harrisburg; and I-95’s mile-long double-decked Girard Point Bridge across the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. PennDOT has said it selected major bridges badly in need of repair and balanced its selections by geography to limit the impact on any one area. A number of lawmakers on Tuesday warned that the impact of the tolls cost will hurt commuters and commercial haulers. Pennsylvania’s Transportation Committee Chairman Tim Hennessey, R-Chester, suggested borrowing the money. But Gramian responded that payments on a bond would have to come from existing highway construction funds and take money from other, future construction projects. States are seeing stagnant revenue from gasoline taxes, the major source of cash for highway construction, as vehicles are becoming more fuel-efficient and more people buy electric cars. As an alternative, states are exploring user fees as a long-term replacement for declining gas tax revenue. The federal government has not increased the gas tax since 1993 and is encouraging states to explore user fees. PennDOT has said its current highway and bridge budget for construction and maintenance is about $6.9 billion per year, less than half of the $15 billion that is needed to keep Pennsylvania’s highways and bridges in good condition and ease major traffic bottlenecks. By Marc Levy, The Associated Press

PENSACOLA, Fla. — After a recent assessment of the repairs to the Pensacola Bay Bridge, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on Feb. 18 announced its plan to reopen the Pensacola Bay Bridge in phases, beginning with restoring two lanes of traffic in March 2021. The bridge has been closed since September after sustaining heavy damage during Hurricane Sally. A combination of adverse weather and unexpected obstructions on the seabed of Pensacola Bay have impacted the original plan to open four lanes of traffic. Over the course of the repairs, crews demobilized twice in October 2020 for Hurricanes Delta and Zeta, and work was slowed several days by high winds and heavy rains. Because crews are working with soil and other hidden features in the earth, unforeseen complications can be encountered. The phased reopening makes weather-related and unforeseen conditions more manageable by removing many of the in-water components from the first phase schedule. “FDOT understands that this has been a tough time for Pensacola and Gulf Breeze residents, and has been laser-focused on reconnecting these communities as safely and quickly as possible,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault. “We will continue to work with the contractor to ensure the final repairs are completed by Memorial Day and at a superior level of quality so it may serve these communities for decades to come.” The first phase will open two lanes of traffic (one in each direction) for the first 4,000 feet starting from the Pensacola side. The remaining 2-plus miles of the bridge will be open to four lanes of traffic (two in each direction). During this initial phase, the speed limit will be temporarily set at 35 mph, and emergency refuge areas will be available on the bridge. To quickly clear travel lanes following vehicle incidents, assist drivers in the event of mechanical breakdowns, and keep the bridge free of debris, FDOT’s Road Ranger Service Patrol will be stationed at each end of the bridge from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekends and major holidays. At other times, at least one unit will be on call and available. Law enforcement will also be on site 24 hours a day on both ends of the bridge to alert drivers about the temporary restrictions. The second phase, which consists of opening the final 4,000 feet of the bridge to four lanes of traffic, is expected to be complete by Memorial Day. The entire Pensacola Bay Bridge Project has an anticipated completion date of January 2022. The phased approach allows traffic to resume on the bridge in order to provide mobility and connectivity on U.S. 98 between Escambia and Santa Rosa counties while FDOT’s contractors continue repair efforts. An animation of the Pensacola Bay Bridge phased opening can be found here. Motorists should continue to use all available detour routes, which still includes the Garcon Point Bridge and State Road 87. At this time, tolls on the Garcon Point Bridge have been suspended through Friday, March 12. Details on the detour routes, including graphics, FAQs and regular updates can be found here.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declared Idaho-licensed commercial driver Shane R. Warr to be an imminent hazard to public safety and has ordered him not to operate any commercial motor vehicle in intrastate or interstate commerce. Warr was served the federal order Feb. 8. On Feb. 3, Warr, a commercial driver’s license (CDL) holder, was operating a semi truck on Interstate 15 in Pocatello, Idaho, when it crossed over the median striking two passenger vehicles; the driver of one of the passenger vehicles was transported to the hospital. Warr submitted to two breathalyzer tests conducted by Idaho State Police at the scene of the crash. Conducted minutes apart, the first test returned a breath alcohol concentration of 0.132; the second was 0.124. Operating a commercial vehicle requiring a CDL and possessing an alcohol concentration of greater than 0.04 is a violation of federal safety regulations. Warr has been charged by the State of Idaho with the felony offense of driving under the influence of alcohol. He has also been charged with two misdemeanors — possession of an open container, and carrying a concealed weapon while under the influence of alcohol. In August 2016, Warr was convicted in Idaho for driving under the influence of alcohol and had his license suspended for one year. FMCSA’s imminent hazard out-of-service order states that Warr’s “blatant violations of the [federal safety regulations] and disregard for the safety of the motoring public … substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death to you and motoring public.” Failing to comply with the provisions of the federal imminent hazard order may result in civil penalties of up to $2,500 for each violation. Knowing and/or willful violations may result in criminal penalties. Warr may not operate a commercial motor vehicle until such time as he successfully completes the statutorily required return-to-duty process overseen by a substance abuse professional.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Three major mountain passes in Washington state were closed overnight due to avalanche dangers after heavy rain fell on a large snowpack from recent storms, state transportation officials said. Snoqualmie Pass along Interstate 90, Stevens Pass on U.S. Route 2 and White Pass on U.S. Route 12 were closed Sunday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. and remained closed Monday morning. It was unknown how long the passes would be closed. It was due to be re-assessed Monday morning, the state Department of Transportation said. On Interstate 90, traffic was stopped eastbound near North Bend, and westbound near Easton, Cle Elum and Ellensburg, officials said.

OKLAHOMA CITY — When massive demonstrations against racial injustice erupted across the nation last summer, protesters used an increasingly common tactic to draw attention to their cause: swarming out onto major roads to temporarily paralyze traffic. This method sometimes resulted in searing images of drivers plowing through crowds, causing serious injuries and in some cases, deaths. Now, Republican politicians across the country are moving to stop the road-blocking maneuver, proposing increased penalties for demonstrators who run onto highways and legal immunity for drivers who hit them. The bills are among dozens introduced in legislatures aimed at cracking down on demonstrations. “It’s not going to be a peaceful protest if you’re impeding the freedom of others,” said state Rep. Kevin McDugle, the author of an Oklahoma bill granting criminal and civil immunity to people who drive into crowds on roads. “The driver of that truck had his family in there, and they were scared to death,” he said, referring to an incident in July in which a pickup truck pulling a horse trailer drove through Black Lives Matter protesters on Interstate 244 in Tulsa. Three people were seriously injured, including a 33-year-old man who fell from an overpass and was left paralyzed from the waist down. Tumultuous demonstrations by left-leaning and right-leaning groups have stirred new debate about what tactics are acceptable free speech and which go too far. In addition to blocking roads, Black Lives Matter demonstrators have taken over parks and painted slogans on streets and structures, while right-wing groups have brandished firearms and stormed capitol buildings. Local authorities’ responses have wavered as they try to avoid escalating conflicts. Now legislators in Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah and about a dozen other states have introduced new counterprotest measures. The traffic-blocking tactic has attracted the most concern because of the obvious hazard. In one particularly chilling incident in Minneapolis, a large tanker truck drove at high speed through thousands of protesters gathered on a closed highway. Remarkably, no one was seriously hurt, though a criminal complaint says at least one protester suffered abrasions. Mark Faulk, a longtime Oklahoma activist who was arrested last year for blocking a roadway, said dramatic tactics are necessary to get people’s attention. “The idea of escalating it to the point where you disrupt the convenience of the citizens and of the status quo, you have to do that sometimes to make a point,” Faulk said. But Carmyn Taylor, 20, recalled the sight of a pickup truck bearing down on protesters spread across the six-lane I-244 in Tulsa. “The most vivid thing I remember is when I got pulled to the ground. I remember seeing both sets of wheels run over my legs, which was a little traumatizing,” said Taylor, who suffered a broken leg and a sprained ankle. “For the first two weeks after the accident, I couldn’t walk.” In Seattle, Summer Taylor, 24, was killed and another person was seriously injured in July when a man drove his car into protestors on a closed Seattle freeway. A graphic video posted on social media showed the car swerving around several parked cars and slamming into the two protesters, sending them flying into the air. In an incident in St. Louis in May, a 29-year-old man was dragged to his death beneath a tractor-trailer that drove into a sign-carrying group on a road. Whether drivers face criminal charges in such incidents depends on the circumstances of each case, prosecutors say. The tractor-trailer driver in St. Louis has not been criminally charged, while the driver of the car in Seattle has pleaded not guilty to charges of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving. District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler declined to file charges against the driver in Tulsa, saying several people in the crowd had attacked the vehicle with the driver’s children inside. But Kunzweiler stopped short of endorsing proposals for harsher penalties for protestors or blanket immunity for drivers. “There are any number of laws already in place that are readily available to be enforced,” he said. A bill granting drivers immunity for hitting protestors easily cleared an Oklahoma Senate committee recently on a 8-1 vote. Two others are pending in the state House. But critics say the proposals are only designed to intimidate people, not to solve a problem. “The biggest concern is that they chill speech and they chill folks gathering to protest,” said Nicole McAfee, policy director for the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. About 50 people were arrested during several days of protests in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Most of the arrests were for disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, and rioting, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. At least two men accused of burning a sheriff’s van were charged under the state’s anti-terrorism law, a felony that carries a sentence of up to life in prison. Those cases are pending. Proposals in Oklahoma would increase the criminal penalties for blocking a roadway, including one making it a felony punishable by up to two years in prison, and making it more difficult for those arrested to be released from jail. Another bill would add participating in unlawful assemblies to the state’s racketeering act aimed at organized crime. State Rep. Emily Virgin, the Democratic leader in the Oklahoma House, said she wishes her Republican colleagues would focus on the underlying issues of police brutality and systemic racism instead of seeking ways to punish protesters. “It seems that some of my colleagues took the wrong lesson from the demonstrations we saw this summer,” Virgin said. By Sean Murphy, The Associated Press

Add one more potential item to the list of economic hardships dealt to Americans in the past 11 months: rising gas prices. But you can’t blame it on the coronavirus pandemic. This one is on Mother Nature. A deep freeze in the Gulf state region and beyond that killed dozens of people, left millions without power and jeopardized drinking water systems also forced as many as 11 refineries offline, according to travel app GasBuddy. The resulting capacity cuts could drive gas prices up by about 10 to 20 cents per gallon, said Patrick DeHaan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. The national average for a gallon of gas is currently between $2.54 and $2.57 depending on who you ask, meaning prices could rise to around $2.75 per gallon fairly quickly. That would be the highest price since the summer of 2019 and the highest seasonal price in more than five years, according to GasBuddy. Fortunately, it shouldn’t last long, assuming refineries get up and running at full strength after the frigid weather moves out. “Once power is restored, once temperatures rise above freezing, refineries will restart, oil production will restart and it shouldn’t have more than a several-weeks impact,” DeHaan said. According to AAA Gas Prices, the national average price of diesel fuel today, Feb. 18, is $ $2.806, compared to $2.791 yesterday, $2.727 one week ago and $2.625 one month ago. That’s a total increase of just over 18 cents per gallon over the past month. Also, because consumer gas demand has fallen as the pandemic forced millions of people to work from home, there are adequate reserves to prevent prices from rising too much, as far as standard gasoline is concerned. “In terms of ‘transportation fuels demand,’ it’s kind of an opportune time,” said Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at Oil Price Information Service. “Gasoline demand is quite low and it’s going to continue to be low well into March. And we have very, very high inventories of product.” Kloza said gasoline demand is about 15% below pre-pandemic levels, which comports with data from the U.S. Department of Transportation that estimates a 13.7% decrease in cumulative vehicles miles from January through November of 2020. And that includes positive gains in January and February of 2020, before the pandemic struck the U.S. Demand for gas will be extremely low next week, Kloza said, but stressed that the recent weather-caused supply cuts won’t change his projections for the year. “We think there will be enough mojo or enough things happening, a significant recovery in gasoline demand on the other side of the vaccinations that maybe we’ll get up to a national average of $2.75 or $2.80,” Kloza said. By Matt Ott, business writer for the Associated Press, with contributions by Associated Press business writer Alex Veiga

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Unseasonably low temperatures and a second wave of winter storms have created hazardous travel conditions throughout Arkansas, according to iDriveArkansas.com, the traveler-information site managed by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT). State and local authorities are asking nonessential travelers to stay off the roads. Portions of Interstate 40 in eastern Pulaski and western Lonoke counties were closed Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 17, because of accidents caused by road conditions. According social-media posts by the Arkansas State Police, one of the earliest accidents — part of a chain reaction of multiple crashes along I-40 — occurred about 9 a.m. when a commercial truck jackknifed, striking the rear of an Arkansas State Police (ASP) patrol car driven by Sgt. Chuck Lewis of the ASP. Lewis, a 25-year veteran of the force, was attempting to warn westbound vehicles on I-40 of congested traffic due to a non-injury crash near Lonoke. Despite ice- and snow-covered roads, oncoming traffic was moving at speeds of 50 to 60 mph. Joe A. Barbosa, 54, of San Antonio, Texas, the driver of a tractor-trailer truck approaching the area, lost control of his vehicle as he began to brake, causing the trailer to jackknife and strike the rear of the patrol car occupied by Lewis. The state police patrol car was spun into the tree line north of the interstate; Lewis was not seriously injured. Barbosa regained control of the truck and trailer but left the scene of the crash. He was later apprehended in the North Little Rock area where he was charged with careless and prohibited driving and leaving the scene of a property-damage crash. Barbosa, who was not injured in the crash, was released pending a Lonoke County court date to answer the charges. A chain of crashes caused by those first two accidents stretched more than 30 miles east of the initial crash scene.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Transportation has reported 10 snowplow strikes over a five-day span as plows were out maintaining the roads due to wintry conditions. The incidents, which occurred from Feb. 11 through Feb. 16, bring the total number of snowplow strikes to 17 for the winter season, which runs from October through May. The recent weekend snowplow strikes occurred near Elk Mountain and Rawlins on Interstate 80 in southeast Wyoming; Interstate 25 near Cheyenne in southeast Wyoming; I-25 near Wheatland, Chugwater and Douglas in east-central Wyoming; on WYO 120 south of Cody; and on WYO 28 near Farson. Most of the plows were struck from behind by other vehicles resulting in minor damages and injuries. One incident, however, involved a tractor-trailer hitting the rear of a plow. In that incident, both vehicles were totaled and a WYDOT plow driver was injured. “We want to remind the public to be careful when driving around our plows during winter weather,” said WYDOT Director K. Luke Reiner. “Our drivers are out there maintaining the roads by clearing the snow and putting down materials to help keep traffic moving. We want all drivers to pay attention and be careful so everyone gets home safely.” The number of snowplow strikes has fluctuated over the past few years. There were 23 crashes during the 2019-2020 winter season, eight crashes in 2018-2019, eight in 2017-2018, three in 2016-2017, seven in 2015-2016 and 13 in 2014-2015. Motorists should stay a safe distance behind a plow until it is safe to pass. WYDOT’s snowplows typically travel slower at speeds of 25 to 45 mph, depending on conditions. Motorists should also never drive into an area of the road where they can’t see what’s in front of them. “If a motorist sees a cloud of snow ahead of them when they are driving, there’s a good chance it is a snowplow,” Reiner said. “Do not drive into that cloud. Motorists should stay back and wait to pass. If a motorist sees the plow and they need to pass, they should do so only if they absolutely need to.” However, motorists should never pass a snowplow on the right side of a two-lane road. In that situation, a snowplow could be using its wing plow, a plow that sticks out from the side of a truck, and a motorist may end up colliding with that part of the plow. Motorists should stay far behind snowplows so they can drive so the plow operator can see them in their rear-facing mirrors. “If you can’t see to safely pass a plow, a plow driver probably can’t see you either,” Reiner said. “We are urging the public to use caution and have patience. The snowplow will pull over to let you pass when they are able to and when it is safe for both the snowplow and the driver and the motorist.” WYDOT officials are asking motorists to visit the department’s 511 travel information website at wyoroad.info. Motorists can also visit WYDOT’s 511 website by clicking visiting wyoroad.info/511/WY511Mobile.html where they can install the 511 app for their smartphones.

Parts of the nation’s Deep South, where wintry precipitation already had left thousands without power, stranded drivers and interrupted efforts to vaccinate residents against the coronavirus, got still more snow and ice Wednesday, Feb. 17. An Associated Press report from Kensington, Maryland, notes that meteorologists blame the historic chilly weather on a large disruption of the polar vortex with Arctic weather that’s normally kept penned near the North Pole, but it escaped and sent cold temperatures south. Experts say this polar vortex is stronger and longer than usual, and these events are happening twice as often as they used to. They say it could be a mix of natural weather variations and human-caused climate change, but they’re not sure. The events show how vulnerable America is to extreme weather — both hot and cold — which increases with climate change, scientists said. Delays in vaccine shipments and deliveries are likely because of severe weather across parts of the country. The Biden administration says the weather is expected to affect shipments from a FedEx facility in Memphis, Tennessee, and a UPS facility in Louisville, Kentucky. Both facilities serve as vaccine shipping hubs for multiple states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies are working with the jurisdictions, as well as manufacturing and shipping partners, to assess weather conditions and to help offset potential delivery delays and cancellations. Travel conditions quickly deteriorated in northern Louisiana Wednesday as freezing precipitation moving out of frozen Texas coated roads already layered with ice, transportation officials said. More and more homes and businesses lost electricity as storms spread eastward into the Mississippi Delta, where it was sleeting. A winter storm warning and advisories that reached all the way from the Mexican border to the Washington, D.C., area included most of Louisiana and Mississippi; northwestern Alabama; and slivers of northern Georgia and South Carolina. Extreme cold weather caused water-pressure problems in Mississippi’s capital city of Jackson, where the city told customers to boil water as a precaution, and roads remained icy in much of the state. In icebound northwest Alabama, the only grocery store in tiny Hackleburg opened Wednesday since the power was back on and roads were clear enough for travel, manager Dennis Whitfield said in a telephone interview over the buzz of busy checkout lanes. Milk, produce and bread were in short supply since trucks can’t get to town from Birmingham, nearly 100 miles away, he said. In Louisiana, more than 64,000 utility customers were in the dark, including more than 24,000 in East Baton Rouge Parish, and almost 15,000 were out in Mississippi. In some places, afternoon temperatures were not predicted to go much above freezing for an extended period until Friday. For some, the weather prompted acts of charity. In Clinton, Mississippi, Army veteran Evelyn Fletcher spent the past few days cooking all the food she had in her house to make plates to deliver to sidelined truck drivers, travelers and people staying at hotels because they lost power at home. “They’re stranded, they’re isolated — people are in need of support right now,” Fletcher said. On Monday, Fletcher made 85 meals. On Tuesday, a local restaurant, T’Beaux’s Crawfish and Catering, cooked 75 plates of shrimp and gumbo for her and other volunteers to deliver and she made 30 plates of her own. On Wednesday morning, Fletcher was cooking a pot of turkey noodle soup so she could go out again and deliver another 70 meals as the weather allowed. “People are worried about more snow,” she said. “We are going to keep people fed and keep them feeling hopeful.” In addition to hazardous driving conditions, Texas is experiencing widespread power outages due in part to increased demand because of the cold temperatures. Joshua Rhodes, an energy researcher at the University of Texas in Austin, said the Texas electric grid fell victim to a cold spell that was longer, deeper and more widespread than the state had seen in decades. “The system as we built it is not performing to the standards we would like to see,” he said. “We need to do a better job.” Climate change should be factored in, too, Rhodes said. The long cold spell fits what scientists say is a pattern of worsening extremes of all kinds of weather under climate change. “We’re going to have to plan for more of this kind of weather. People said this would never happen in Texas, and yet it has,” Rhodes said. “One thing the Texas situation highlights is that we are likely to deal with more compound extreme weather events — multiple event weather systems that have cascading impacts on society and our infrastructure,” according to University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd. In the nation’s capital, federal regulators say they are launching an “inquiry” into the operations of the bulk-power system during the severe winter storm that left millions without power in subfreezing temperatures in Texas and other states. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) announced the inquiry Tuesday. In addition to snow, freezing rain and sleet, the storms have spawned tornados in some states. The National Weather Service confirmed Tuesday that a tornado struck an area of southwest Georgia where one home was destroyed, and several others were damaged. The weather service’s office in Tallahassee, Florida, reported that preliminary results of a damage survey show a tornado of at least EF-2 intensity struck Monday in the rural Georgia community of Damascus in Early County. No one was killed. In Oklahoma, a “perfect storm” of record-breaking cold temperatures that led to unprecedented demand for energy, combined with inadequate supplies of natural gas to power gas-fired electric generation plants, led to rolling blackouts across much of the central U.S., according to officials at Southwest Power Pool, a wholesale energy transmission organization that serves part of 14 states. In Tennessee, the Shelby County Health Department, which covers Memphis and its suburbs, said Tuesday that COVID-19 vaccinations at its five county-run sites are canceled through Saturday due to the hazardous driving conditions caused by winter storms. Meanwhile, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday issued a disaster proclamation after a winter storm blanketed the state with snow and caused power outages. Parts of the Chicago area got up to a foot and a half of snow, shuttering schools to in-person classes Tuesday as officials urged residents to stay off the snow-filled roads. Roughly 7,000 Illinois households were without power. Illinois State Police and transportation officials are urging residents to stay at home while crews clear roadways. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has declared a state of emergency in four western counties where an ice storm caused tens of thousands of power outages and knocked trees onto roads. The declaration Tuesday for Cabell, Lincoln, Putnam and Wayne counties allows the National Guard to assist in storm-related response. More than 60% of Appalachian Power customers in the four counties lost service. More than 89,000 Appalachian Power customers remained without service in southern West Virginia on Tuesday afternoon. That represents 19% of the utility’s total customers in the state. The utility said some of the outages involved customers who were still without service from a Feb. 11 ice storm. The utility said it has nearly 2,600 crews and contractors from as far away as Illinois working to get service restored. Normally sunny New Mexico is experiencing freezing temperatures, snow and icy road conditions. Snowfall led to more than 150 delays and closures Tuesday morning with residents being urged to stay home. Albuquerque city officials say 30 sanding and plowing vehicles are working 12-hour shifts to clear snow-packed roadways. The city’s buses are also operating on a limited capacity. An Associated Press report from Valparaiso, Indiana, on Tuesday stated that a winter storm has dumped up to a foot and a half of snow on parts of northwestern Indiana, while a large swath of the state received between 6 inches and 8 inches of snow, creating hazardous road conditions. Valparaiso residents awoke Tuesday to 18 inches of new snowfall, while Lake Station and Porter, also in northwestern Indiana, reported nearly 14 inches of snow, the National Weather Service said. Much of central, eastern and northeastern Indiana, and parts of southwestern Indiana, received between 6 inches and 8 inches of snow, with some areas reporting higher amounts. Lesser accumulations were reported across most of southern and southeastern Indiana. Indianapolis police and public safety officials issued a travel advisory for the metropolitan area, urging residents to travel only if absolutely necessary through Wednesday morning to allow snowplows to clear snow from major thoroughfares. Schools were closed to in-person classes in communities that received the heaviest snowfall, where some businesses also had closed for the day. Compiled by The Trucker News Staff from Associated Press reports

Winter weather continues to blast much of the U.S., resulting in hazardous driving conditions, as well as power and water outages. The following is a current list of national-chain truck stops whose operations have been affected by the winter storms on Wednesday, Feb. 17, as of 11:30 a.m. Central Standard Time. Love’s Travel Centers Temporary Closures (complete facility) Speedco 922 in Greenwood, Louisiana Power Outages Love’s 31 in Elk City, Oklahoma Love’s 50 in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma Love’s 217 in Denton, Texas Love’s 229 in Panhandle, Texas Love’s 234 in Katy, Texas Love’s 264 in Luling, Texas Love’s 269 in Wichita Falls, Texas Love’s 270 in Ranger, Texas Love’s 273 in Weatherford, Texas Love’s 283 in Rockwall, Texas Love’s 297 in Edna, Texas Love’s 315 in Houston, Texas Love’s 378 in Ripley, West Virginia Love’s 401 in Baytown, Texas Love’s 471 in Natalia, Texas Love’s 475 in Sweetwater, Texas Love’s 609 in Denton, Texas Love’s 662 in Quanah, Texas Love’s 700 in Sonora, Texas Love’s 721 in Alma, Texas Love’s 738 in Sulphur Springs, Texas Love’s 767 in Brownsville, Texas Speedco 901 in Amarillo, Texas Speedco 902 in Aurora, Oregon Speedco 904 in Baytown, Texas Speedco 924 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Speedco 927 in Irving, Texas Microtel Inn & Suites (Love’s-owned hotel) in Sweetwater, Texas Diesel Outages Love’s 209 in Greenwood, Louisiana Love’s 216 in Midlothian, Texas Love’s 243 in Lake Charles, Louisiana Love’s 309 in Aurora, Nebraska Love’s 403 in Binghamton, New York Love’s 455 in Ellis, Kansas Love’s 464 in Comfort, Texas Love’s 484 in Weimar, Texas Love’s 644 in Burlington, Colorado Love’s 653 in Eads, Colorado Love’s 676 in Syracuse, Nebraska Love’s 692 in Chanute, Kansas Love’s 700 in Sonora, Texas Gas Outages Love’s 38 in Lamar, Colorado Love’s 243 in Lake Charles, Louisiana Love’s 542 in Fort Stockton, Texas Love’s 676 in Syracuse, Nebraska Love’s 739 in Donna, Texas Restaurant Closures Love’s 234 in Katy, Texas Love’s 238 in Shepherdsville, Kentucky Love’s 242 in San Antonio, Texas Love’s 283 in Rockwall, Texas Love’s 284 in Edinburg, Texas Love’s 289 in Minden, Louisiana Love’s 299 in Anna, Texas Love’s 303 in Waddy, Kentucky Love’s 331 in Hutchins, Texas Love’s 362 in Vinton, Louisiana This list is subject to change. For current location statuses, click here. Pilot Flying J Store Operations: The following Pilot Flying J locations are closed due to power outages. #375 Houston, Texas #488 Cotulla, Texas #553 Stockton, Texas #568 Von Ormy, Texas #573 Hempstead, Texas #738 Tye, Texas #1028 Buffalo, Texas #1057 Pasadena, Texas #1059 Schulenburg, Texas #1134 Orla, Texas #1145 Midland, Texas #1161 Odessa, Texas #3807 Mesquite, Texas Supply Conditions: Pilot Flying J’s supply and transportation teams are working hard to ensure that product remains available at travel center locations. Currently, deliveries are NOT scheduled at the following locations: #507 Jarrell, Texas #432 Robinson, Texas #1006 Junction, Texas #1023 Lufkin, Texas #606 Texarkana, Arkansas #157 Sulphur Springs, Texas #1247 New Boston, Texas #199 Haughton, Louisiana #1140 Rhome, Texas #665 Greenwood, Louisiana #551 Cisco, Texas #741 Wichita Falls, Texas #118 Benton, Arkansas #1118 Clovis, New Mexico #705Sayre, Oklahoma #492 Caddo Valley, Arkansas #367 Caddo Mills, Texas #261 Winona, Mississippi #1299 Henrietta, Texas #335 Rayville, Louisiana #460 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma #429 West Memphis, Arkansas This list is subject to change. For current location statuses, click here. Travel Centers of America and Petro Alabama Popeyes and Taco Bell are closed at TA Tuscaloosa. Popeyes is closed at TA Lincoln. Popeyes and Iron Skillet are closed at Petro Bucksville. Louisiana There is no water at TA Tallulah. There is no water at TA Lafayette. There is no water at TA Greenwood. There is no water at Petro Shreveport. Mississippi Country Pride at TA Meridian is closed. Oklahoma Diesel pumps are down at TA Sayre. Tennessee TA Truck Service at TA Franklin is closed. Please use Petro Kingston Springs, I-40, Exit 188, as an alternative site. Charleys at TA Nashville is closed. Burger King and Popeyes at TA Antioch are closed. Country Pride and Subway at TA Denmark are closed. Texas (Please note: most Texas cities are experiencing rolling blackouts.) TA New Braunfels is closed. Please use TA San Antonio, I-10, Exit 583, as an alternative site. TA Bernardo is closed. TA Rockwall is closed. There is no water at Petro Beaumont. There is no water at TA Ganado. There is no water at TA Baytown. There is no water at Petro Pearsall. There is no water at TA Big Spring. Please use TA Sweetwater, I-20, Exit 242, as an alternative site for showers and restrooms. There is no water and regular gas is down at Petro Pearsall. There is no water in the TA Truck Service area at TA Denton. There is no water in the TA Truck Service area at TA Laredo. Diesel pumps are down and there is no water at TA San Antonio. Diesel pumps are down and there is no water at Petro San Antonio Diesel pumps are down at Petro Carl’s Corner, and the site is effected by planned power outages. Diesel pumps are down at TA Terrell. Pizza Hut is also closed. Diesel pumps are down at TA Dallas South. Regular gas is down at Petro Weatherford. Other TA Porter South in Indiana, at I-94, Exit 22B, is open Mon-Fri 6 a.m.-10 p.m. and is closed on weekends. Subway is closed. Please visit TA Porter right across the street when TA Porter South is unavailable. Please use these alternate routes to get to Petro Jacksonin Mississippi. I-20 eastbound/ I-55 northbound exit 45A is closed. Traveling I-20 eastbound: Take exit 42B Ellis Ave. Drive north to Hwy 80. Turn right (east) onto Hwy 80. Drive to S. Gallatin St. And turn right (south). Follow to 970 I-20 W. Frontage Rd. Traveling I-55 northbound: Take exit 92C, Terry Road. Turn right (north) onto Terry Road. Drive to Hwy 80 and turn right (east). Drive to S. Gallatin St. And turn right (south). Follow to 970 I-20 W. Frontage Rd. This list is subject to change. For current location statuses, click here.