City Spared Brunt Of Storm
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Yalobusha County EMA Director Stewart Spence reported that there were only a few minor wrecks on roads in the county following a winter storm that dumped snow last Thursday night and Friday morning. A motorist gets a tow after spinning out on Hwy. 7, just south of Water Valley.
WATER VALLEY – Police Chief Jason Mangrum reported there were only minor problems in the city last Friday after a winter storm dumped several inches of snow that quickly turned to slushy ice mess on the roadways. Officers responded to several wrecks after vehicles slid into ditches, accidents with little or no damage. Officers also helped with a few transports and worked with the street department to clear downed tree limbs.
“There were a few power outages that were handled quickly by the electric department, and a few burglar alarm calls we checked out. The sensors were likely triggered by the weather,” the chief said.
Mangrum also said dispatchers fielded calls about gunshots. The shots were attributed to city linemen clearing ice-covered limbs or branches along power lines to prevent outages.
“The electric department always gives us advance notice when they need to take a limb down in this manner. They use shotguns and only do this in rural areas around the city,” the chief explained.
Mangrum noted that with an ominous forecast in the days leading up to the winter storm, his department had prepared for the worst. Preparations included purchasing snow chains for the police vehicles, servicing the vehicles and ensuring there were extra officers available for duty if needed. The chief recalled an extended ice event in January, 2024, that made travel extremely treacherous as a catalyst for preparation.
“With the melting and refreezing, we really struggled on some of the streets. Especially that last day,” Mangrum said about the 2024 ice storm. “At one point, the forecast for last week’s weather event indicated we were looking at six to nine inches of snow, thankfully that turned out not to be the case.”
Other activity reported by the chief:
• Arrested Jeffrey Hall, 35, of Water Valley on January 1 for DUI – first. The arrest was made during a traffic stop for careless driving on Central Street. The officer detected the odor of an intoxicating beverage and launched a DUI investigation. Hall’s blood-alcohol-content was allegedly two times over the legal limit.
• Investigated a report of a missing 14-year old juvenile. Mangrum said his department was notified of the missing girl on January 2.
“With the assistance of several other law enforcement agencies, we learned that she was in Savannah, Tenn.” Mangrum said.
The juvenile was brought home to Water Valley. Mangrum said an investigation is underway and criminal charges are expected.
