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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018
videtteonline.com
Vol. 130 / No. 32
Normal’s cold weather poses inconvenience for residents
Snow, snow, go away
VERONICA BUGAJ News Reporter | @vero_bugaj
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Natalie Stuckslager | Vidette Photo Editor
Students brace cold temperatures Monday as they walk to and from the Quad. Around three inches snow hit the area late Sunday afternoon to early Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service. A wind chill advisory remains in effect until noon Tuesday. Temperatures will rise throughout the week, reaching the 40s by Friday.
Silence of the trains Normal implements railroad quiet zone Jan. 8, crews will not regularly blow horns as trains approach crossings EMA SASIC Editor in Chief | @ema_sasic
Students will notice their dreams will no longer be interrupted by the startling sounds of train horns after Normal implemented a railroad quiet zone on Jan. 8. The town worked with the US Department of Transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration, Illinois Commerce Commission, Illinois Department of Transportation, Union Pacific Railroad and Amtrak to ensure adherence to the federal “Train Horn Rule.” “To accommodate high speed rail between St. Louis and Chicago (through Normal), safety improvements were made by Union Pacific railroad to the rail crossings in Normal,” Dan Irvin, Normal’s director of communication, said. “These enhancements made it possible for the town to qualify as a ‘quiet zone.’” Safety equipment such as four-quadrant gates were installed as part of the Illinois High-Speed Rail project, which qualified the town for the zone. According to the Federal Railroad
Administrat ion, a quiet zone is defined as a segment of a rail crossing at which locomotive horns are not routinely sounded. Train crews will not regularly blow the horn as a warning of the train’s approach to the crossings in the quiet zone. Horns may be sounded at the discretion of a train crew to prevent imminent injury, death or property damage. Vidette Archive Photo Passenger trains will also sound the A quiet zone is defined as a segment of a rail crossings at horn to alert passen- which locomotive horns are not routinely sounded. Normal qualified due to safety equipment used. gers of departure from Uptown Station. “In many respects, the crossing barriIrvin said citizen safety is “always ers have been enhanced, making it less a primary concern” regarding rail- likely, almost impossible, for an acciroads, and while Normal residents will dental incursion onto the tracks at a no longer hear a train’s horns when it crossings,” Irvin explained. approaches Uptown Station, an accident is “almost impossible” to happen due to see TRAIN page 5 features at railroad tracks.
emperatures reaching up to 60 degrees in early December had Bloomington-Normal residents anticipating a not-so-white-Christmas. However, by Dec. 25, temperatures hit below freezing and a blanket of snow covered the ground. Around three inches snow hit the area late Sunday afternoon to early Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service. A winter weather advisory was in effect until 3 p.m. Monday, and a wind chill advisory remains in effect until noon Tuesday. As weather continues to drop into the new year, residents are experiencing inconveniences from frozen pipes to power outages. A record breaking wind chill of -38 degrees was keeping Bloomington’s Water Department on its toes, as at least 30 homes and businesses needed a fast fix for frozen pipes, Director Bob Yehl said. “The city’s water staff has also been dealing with a surprising number of frozen water main calls,” he said. Extreme cold weather can cause any exposed pipes to freeze and then burst. Unheated spaces in homes such as garages, basements and crawl spaces are commonly known to inhabit these vulnerable pipes. One common mistake people make is leaving hose pipes unattended, general manager of Roto-Rooter Plumbing Ron Cheesman said. In a statement released Jan. 2 on the city of Bloomington’s website, residents can prevent frozen pipes by opening cabinet doors to allow heat to reach water pipes, run cold water faucets constantly which may help if pipes have a history of freezing and maintain heat at 55 degrees minimum in their homes, including in the basement. Residents are also advised to avoid drafts where the water meter and exposed pipes are located and to remove, drain and carefully store hoses used outdoors. Homes also have a “master shutoff valve,” which will cease water flow if a pipe should burst. Even when precautions are taken, emergencies can arise, so having a licensed plumber’s number handy is a good idea. If a pipe has burst, do not try to clean up the water without professional help. Additionally, when weather warms up, as it did last week, that can also cause problems for pipes. “The big warm up last week actually made things worse as it has caused the frost line in the ground to get deeper,” Cheesman said. “As the warm air pushed on the already frozen pipes, it can cause them to expand and burst. They have gotten as bad as five feet deep this season.” As the winter months proceed, the City of Bloomington and Town of Normal remind residents that building owners must furnish adequate heat to occupants to maintain a room temperature of 68 degrees. This requirement is in place from Oct. 1 to May 31. If residents are renting a property that does not have sufficient heat as described above, inform landlords of this responsibility. Additionally, Carey Snedden, Bloomington community development division manager, says cooking appliances and unvented fuelburning space heaters should never be used to provide adequate heat as doing so can pose serious safety risks. VERONICA BUGAJ is a news reporter for The Vidette and can be reached at vjbugaj@ilstu.edu. Follow her on Twitter @vero_bugaj.