Travel
UPDATE: Wayne County’s Level 2 travel watch extended until noon Tuesday
RICHMOND, Ind. — Wayne County commissioners have extended the county’s Level 2 Travel Watch to noon Tuesday.
Commissioners issued the travel watch late Sunday night, making travel available only for those where it’s deemed necessary.
About 4 p.m. Monday afternoon, commissioners extended the county’s Level 2 Essential Travel Permitted Snow Emergency, which only allows essential travel on county roads for the following reasons:
- Travel to and from work and school
- Travel for essential medical care
- Travel to obtain essential prescription medications
- Travel to obtain essential supply of food or fuel
- Travel to obtain safe shelter
- Travel of emergency vehicles and emergency workers
The alert states that anybody who violates the order “may be fined up to $150” per Indiana Code 10-14-3-34, resulting in a Class B misdemeanor.
All county schools scheduled to return from winter break – Richmond Community, Centerville-Abington, Northeastern Wayne, Western Wayne and Nettle Creek – were closed Monday morning. Seton Catholic had a previously scheduled E-Learning day.
As of 4:30 p.m. Monday, Western Wayne was the only area school listed to shift to an E-Learning day.
The alert does not apply to state or federal highways such as Interstate 70, US 40, US 35, US 27, S.R. 38, S.R. 1, S.R. 227 and S.R. 121.
Parking on all county roads and their rights-of-way is also prohibited. Vehicles found parked, stalled, stranded or abandoned in violation of the order will be removed at the owner’s expense.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Department will maintain information on any vehicle towed or removed from a county road during this emergency and can be contacted at 765-973-9393 for information concerning the disposition of any vehicle removed. The vehicle owner must pay any towing, storage or other fees before the vehicle may be released.
Those who are traveling for essential purposes, the alert says, are required to operate their vehicles safely and with all caution necessary for the existing conditions and allow for extra driving time as any travel may be significantly delayed.
Any questions regarding the alert are directed to the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency at 765-973-9399.
Evan Weaver is a news and sports reporter at The Palladium-Item. Contact him on X (@evan_weaver7) or email at eweaver@gannett.com.