CON V ERGING CA MPUS & COMMU NIT Y
NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN
THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025
MARYVILLE, MISSOURI
NWMISSOURINEWS.COM
Local power company talks winter weather
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HANNAH CLAYWELL Managing Editor | @Hannah_9504
vergy provides power from west of Hutchinson, Kansas, into western and central Missouri and like most power companies, started preparing for winter weather and possible power outages in the fall. The preparations came into use when the Midwest was hit with a snowstorm Jan. 4-6, accumulating over a foot of snow in some places. Maryville got around 10 inches of snow. Director of Corporate Communications for Evergy Gina Penzig said this storm was unusual for the company because it was going to hit all areas covered by Evergy.
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“We needed to be prepared for a storm that was going to be affecting, potentially, all of our customers,” Penzig said. In provision for winter weather, Evergy will ensure it has the fuel necessary to run units, perform maintenance, keep the power plants staffed 24 hours a day and add additional staff during the weekends. Penzig said when there is a large storm forecast, like the one Jan. 4-6, Evergy will remind the crews they will be out in the field. She said they will review information like treacherous driving conditions or working conditions that can cause frostbite. One of the main issues Evergy focuses on during storms is power outages. “Getting power back on quickly and efficiently is, absolutely, it’s a public safety concern,” Penzig said. She said there are a lot of factors to take into consideration when it comes to restoration and communication with customers. Penzig said Evergy informs its customers of potential outages before the storm starts so people can make a plan. Some residents are comfortable staying in their houses for an extended period, but having elderly people or infants in a household can make power necessary.
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Snow covers Midwest roads as NW students, faculty return for spring ASTRE SCHLAISS News Reporter | @AstreWords
As snow covers Northwest’s campus, students may have been concerned about traveling back to campus in hazardous winter weather conditions. While a smaller storm also hit the night of Jan. 9, a larger storm occurred Jan. 4-6, causing the University to close Jan. 6. This storm resulted in around 11 inches of snow according to KCTV and icy roads. Jeri Biehler, senior communications manager for the Kansas Turnpike Authority, said these conditions can be difficult to drive in. The Kansas Turnpike is a toll-supported roadway that runs through many major cities in Kansas, where some students may be traveling back to campus from. The Kansas Turnpike runs into Kansas City, Kansas. Across the state line, Northwest International Student Success and Outreach Coordinator Muhammad Hajiyeb said he was supposed to be arriving at the airport to pick up
international students on Jan. 6. Many international students planned to arrive for their first semester of college in Missouri, but the snow caused some setbacks. “The road’s conditions were so bad that most of the flights got canceled or delayed,” Hajiyeb said. “Actually, the first day, we couldn’t make it there because of the roads.” He said the International Involvement Center prepares for situations like this. It pre-books hotels for students who are already in transit so they have a safe and comfortable place to stay through the night. Hajiyeb said international students come from many places, including some locations that don’t experience snow. This means these students may come less prepared for snow than students from the United States. “I remember one of the students came in, and she was coming from Brazil in wintertime,” Hajiyeb said. “In winter here, it’s summer there, and they came in with crocs.”
State sees shortage in snowplow drivers, Maryville not impacted
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Northwest Landscape Services clear off campus sidewalks Jan. 14 following recent snowstorms.
DAKOTA OSWALT News Editor | @doswalt_NWMSRN
After a warmer-than-usual December with little snow, Missouri was hit with a widespread snowstorm Jan. 4-6, with snowfall totals in some areas amounting to over a foot. More winter storms are expected in the coming weeks, but response and recovery could be negatively impacted due to a shortage of snowplow drivers across the state. The Missouri Department of Transportation reported it was several hundred snowplow drivers short, and announced in October it was accepting applications for the open positions.
While the numbers have improved since last year, this marks the fifth consecutive year the state has dealt with a driver shortage, according to KOMU 8 News. Micheal Bedsaul is the owner-operator of Elite Landscaping & Snow Removal LLC in St. Joseph. His business offers commercial and residential snow plowing, and while it hasn’t suffered from the snowplow driver shortage, it has still been affected. Bedsaul said other contractors in St. Joseph were down drivers and calling him for help during the recent snowfall.
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