Published Thursday, Jan. 14, 1999
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While an emergency wasn't declared in Mercer County, drivers and others acknowledged conditions were rough.
The area is still under a winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service, which has called for additional snow, ice and freezing rain to accumulate today.
During a level three emergency, all non-emergency vehicles were ordered off the roads, Trumbull County Emergency Management Agency Director Joe Bartlomain said. Anyone driving during a level three emergency can be cited, he said.
Bartlomain said driving was hazardous but he did not see many problems.
"A lot of people have been taking our advice and staying in, so there's not a lot of traffic," he said.
Bartlomain said road crews have an adequate amount of salt though another shipment is expected in a couple of days, he said.
In Brookfield, police officers were busy Wednesday afternoon trying to clear cars from the streets so the plows could come through.
Firefighters said road crews were out all day trying to keep up with plowing and salting.
Police chief Dan Faustino said the department would issue citations to anyone they believe has no reason to be on the road.
"Basically, if people are just out screwing around, we'll give them tickets, but if they have to get home from work, we let them go," Faustino said. "We're encouraging people to stay off the roads, and we don't want parked cars on the road."
Mercer County didn't declare an emergency Wednesday, though driving on main and secondary roads was treacherous.
Individual communities such as Farrell and Greenville declared snow emergencies and ordered cars off the streets so road crews could clear snow.
Manufacturers throughout the county said they did not have problems with employees showing up for work despite bad weather.
"It hasn't phased us at all," said a spokeswoman at the Werner Company, Greenville. "We've had a few more call-offs, but we haven't shut down and we don't plan to."
At Wheatland Tube, group vice president Bill Kerins said the company operated with no problems at all. Employees used their own discretion when deciding if they should come to work, and few called off.
Mercer County Commissioner Richard Stevenson said everything was operating as usual except for Judge Francis Fornelli's courtroom. Stevenson said jurors for cases in Fornelli's courtroom are dismissed from duty today.
