After the storm: How bad was it?
Wednesday's snowstorm was so bad that:
-- A Green County snowplow went off Highway 59 and down an embankment, according to the sheriff’s department. The snowplow overturned, coming to rest on its roof. The driver was not injured. The plow was damaged and was left at the scene.
-- Walworth County dispatched an “attempt-to-locate” a reckless driver who was reportedly driving west on Interstate 43 with his head outside the window to see. The other windows on the small green car were snow-covered. It is unclear if police found the frozen-faced driver.
-- A Rock County dispatcher calling in more vehicle run-offs around 2:15 p.m. got a reply from an emergency responder who said it was getting so bad that he couldn’t see the cars in the ditch anymore.
-- A fresh pallet of snow-melt bags half disappeared from Ace Hardware on Milwaukee Street in Janesville on Wednesday afternoon. When a customer walked in around suppertime and looked a bit puzzled, a longtime employee pointed him in the direction of snow-blower oil.
How did the worker know?
“That's what everyone's after,” the employee said. “Take two.”
-- Mocha Moment, 1121 Center Ave., offered all city of Janesville snowplow drivers free coffee.
-- The Janesville Gazette suspended delivery of Wednesday’s paper. General Manager Dave Johnson said he could not remember that happening in his 38 years with the paper.
Wednesday’s edition will be delivered together with today’s Gazette.
-- The city of Janesville canceled trash and recyclables collections two days in a row. Residents who usually have their trash collected Wednesday were asked on Tuesday to put their stuff at the curb on Thursday. But on Wednesday, the city announced the cancellation of Thursday pickup.
Now, Wednesday pickup is delayed until next Wednesday, and Thursday pickup is delayed until next Thursday.
If that doesn’t clear things up for you, call the City Services Center at (608) 755-3110.
-- WCLO/WJVL radio stations were so swamped with cancellation and delay notices that staff suspended posting of “all non-vital announcements.
“We apologize for any inconvenience and suggest that you call ahead if you do plan to venture out. Travel, however, is not recommended…” the stations said on their Web sites.
-- A plow truck got stuck in Sugar Creek Township in Walworth County on Wednesday morning and needed assistance from county plow crews to get out.
-- Another plow driver south of Darien slid into a ditch to avoid a swerving car. “I thought I was going to dump there,” the driver said before reporting he made it out OK.
-- An Elkhorn patrol car has a new paint mark on its front bumper. An officer was heading to the scene of a runoff at the intersection of Interstate 43 and Highway 67. A car failed to stop at the intersection of Geneva and Lincoln streets and was tagged by the slow-moving squad car. No citations were issued.
-- A resident of Eastwood Avenue in Janesville helped a city plow driver push out a neighbor's car stuck in the street so the plow could proceed at about 7 a.m. today.
The plow driver yawned as he returned to his idling truck.
“Working overtime?” the Eastwood resident asked, giving the driver a supportive pat on the back and already knowing the answer.
“I've been doing this since 8 a.m. yesterday,” the plow driver replied.
—Gazette staff members Gina Duwe, Mike Heine, Greg Peck, Frank Schultz and Greg Peck contributed these items.
Feb 8, 2008 at 11:52 p.m.
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Yeah I am so irate at the plow operators. Because of them I had to stay home all day in my nice warm house, drinking spiked coffee and wasting the day reading books and playin comp games. Yep, I'm just so mad I didn't have to go to work.......
Feb 8, 2008 at 10 p.m.
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I 2nd exactly what frelnc wrote! Kudos to our snow plow guys and gal!
Feb 8, 2008 at 12:52 p.m.
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I can remember a few big snows as a kid. We lived in the country out by Footville, the road would be one lane and since we lived by an old railroad bridge we'd take our sleds up to the bridge and sled down it....what a blast. Either that or take our sled down the hill in the yard and bounce off the fence at the bottom. Those were the days...now its not so much fun, however I must admit I did enjoy myself the 3 hours it took for me to clean everything out yesterday, even if I did fall in the snow.
Feb 8, 2008 at 11:41 a.m.
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Wanted to say thanks for all the snow plow drivers who worked countless hours to get the roads cleaned. It may take hours or days for some roads but atleast they were done. People need to know, those drivers need rest after dirving for 12 plus hours....
Feb 7, 2008 at 3:28 p.m.
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Thanks to the oh-so-patient people on the phones at City Services who have answered the same questions innumerable times in the last couple days - "When is my trash going to get picked up?" and "When is our street going to get plowed?" A special thanks to all the snowplow drivers who are working killing hours with hardly any sleep so our streets can be cleared. Thanks for going above and beyond.
Feb 7, 2008 at 2:12 p.m.
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its been 25-30 yrs since we have seen snow like this. I was a child when winter was always like this. We all have just gotten to use to not having snow that we have forgotten what is like and the the younger generations (the 30 somethings and 20 somethings) dont have a clue of what winter really can be like. Keep up the good work city and county crews it will be over soon enough.
Feb 7, 2008 at 2:11 p.m.
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It's fun to build a snowman out in the middle of the street and paint an "OH NO MR BILL" face on it. Then photograph/video the results when the plow comes through. They speed up every time.... they love it.
Feb 7, 2008 at 12:52 p.m.
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at least u got sleep harley!
my husbands been up since tuesday morning at 8am plowing for his customers, working his day job, he only comes home to eat dinner and goes right back out. I dont know how he does it..
kudos to the city plowers (whitewater) we know u cant get out there and do it all when its blowing back out there!
Feb 7, 2008 at 11:21 a.m.
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Harley, Come and live out in the country! Out here, you are lucky to get the plow to come through once, during a storm. We usually get plowed out the next day. I want to say the crews have been doing their best and there is no way I could go like they do during these storms. My brother-in-law worked 15 hours, plowing, came home, plowed somemore and then needed to get some sleep and be back to work at midnight. Let me tell you this was at 6:00 p.m. he got home.
Be patient!
Feb 7, 2008 at 11:01 a.m.
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harley - do you think you could run a snow plow safely for 24 hours straight? They kept the main roads clear, then stopped until 3 a.m. to get sleep. How are they supposed to hit every residential street in 3 or 4 hours? And no, my street wasn't plowed yet at 7:30 a.m.
.
There always has to be at least one complainer.
Feb 7, 2008 at 10:47 a.m.
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I understand that the plows were busy but there were some streets not even touched yet this morning making it impossible for people to get to work. At least one pass on some of these streets could have mad it much better.
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