Snow shuts down city, forces parking ban
A winter storm rolled over Nebraska on Tuesday, shutting down the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and area schools while grinding life to a frozen halt.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln called off classes starting at 5 p.m. or later. Lincoln Public Schools and Lincoln Catholic and Lutheran schools canceled classes today. The “Waffle Man” never plugged in his griddles at the Lakeview United Methodist Church.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the area until 6 a.m. Wednesday. The snow rarely let up Tuesday afternoon and evening, and 6 to 8 inches were expected to be on the ground by this morning.
In an effort to combat the accumulation, snow plows worked through the night.
Mayor Chris Beutler said late Tuesday that a residential parking ban would go into effect at 8 a.m. Wednesday. At that time, parking will be banned on the even-numbered sides of the street in all residential areas in the city.
City snow-removal crews will continue plowing snow emergency routes and major arterials throughout the evening and overnight hours. Snow removal operations began in downtown Lincoln around midnight.
Most area schools and organizations called off classes and events Tuesday, and the conditions contributed to at least one fatality -- a morning crash on Interstate 80 that killed a University of Nebraska-Lincoln associate vice chancellor. It also complicated the cleanup of a multiple-vehicle crash near the Waverly interchange that closed I-80's eastbound lanes.
Seward County Chief Deputy Sheriff Daniel Hejl said the second accident happened just east of the Utica exit at 10:30 a.m.
A westbound vehicle lost control, crossed the median and collided with an eastbound semitractor driven by Leland Potter Jr. of Kingman, Ariz.
The driver of the westbound vehicle died at the scene. His name had not been released.
On the same slick highway, the driver of a westbound semitrailer lost control of his truck, which slid across the snow-covered median and collided with another semitrailer heading east.
The collision tore both vehicles apart, ignited one of them and left the main arterial between Lincoln and Omaha partially closed for about three hours.
Both drivers were treated for what were believed to be non-life-threatening injuries at BryanLGH Medical Center West, Sgt. Tim Salmen of the Nebraska State Patrol said.
In Lincoln, police had responded to 143 accidents as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, Lincoln Police Capt. David Beggs said.
The Sheriff’s Office had 32 calls for service in rural Lancaster County as of 4:30 p.m., according to Sgt. Tom Brookhouser.
In Saline County, slick roads resulted in a number of minor fender-benders, said Emergency Manager B.J. Fictum, as well as one serious accident on Nebraska 103 just outside Crete.
Former Crete Police Chief Rick Nettifee, 52, apparently lost control of his car, which was struck on the passenger side by a semi, said Crete Assistant Fire Chief Tom Ourada, who responded to the accident.
“It was extremely slick on that particular piece of road,” Ourada said.
Ourada said it was unclear what happened, but that vehicles ended up in the west ditch. Rescue workers removed Nettifee from his car using the Jaws of Life, and he was transported to BryanLGH Medical Center West, where he was in critical condition Tuesday evening.
Nettifee was the only passenger in his car. The driver of the semi was not injured.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln called off classes starting at 5 p.m. or later. Lincoln Public Schools and Lincoln Catholic and Lutheran schools canceled classes today. The “Waffle Man” never plugged in his griddles at the Lakeview United Methodist Church.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the area until 6 a.m. Wednesday. The snow rarely let up Tuesday afternoon and evening, and 6 to 8 inches were expected to be on the ground by this morning.
In an effort to combat the accumulation, snow plows worked through the night.
Mayor Chris Beutler said late Tuesday that a residential parking ban would go into effect at 8 a.m. Wednesday. At that time, parking will be banned on the even-numbered sides of the street in all residential areas in the city.
City snow-removal crews will continue plowing snow emergency routes and major arterials throughout the evening and overnight hours. Snow removal operations began in downtown Lincoln around midnight.
Most area schools and organizations called off classes and events Tuesday, and the conditions contributed to at least one fatality -- a morning crash on Interstate 80 that killed a University of Nebraska-Lincoln associate vice chancellor. It also complicated the cleanup of a multiple-vehicle crash near the Waverly interchange that closed I-80's eastbound lanes.
Seward County Chief Deputy Sheriff Daniel Hejl said the second accident happened just east of the Utica exit at 10:30 a.m.
A westbound vehicle lost control, crossed the median and collided with an eastbound semitractor driven by Leland Potter Jr. of Kingman, Ariz.
The driver of the westbound vehicle died at the scene. His name had not been released.
On the same slick highway, the driver of a westbound semitrailer lost control of his truck, which slid across the snow-covered median and collided with another semitrailer heading east.
The collision tore both vehicles apart, ignited one of them and left the main arterial between Lincoln and Omaha partially closed for about three hours.
Both drivers were treated for what were believed to be non-life-threatening injuries at BryanLGH Medical Center West, Sgt. Tim Salmen of the Nebraska State Patrol said.
In Lincoln, police had responded to 143 accidents as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, Lincoln Police Capt. David Beggs said.
The Sheriff’s Office had 32 calls for service in rural Lancaster County as of 4:30 p.m., according to Sgt. Tom Brookhouser.
In Saline County, slick roads resulted in a number of minor fender-benders, said Emergency Manager B.J. Fictum, as well as one serious accident on Nebraska 103 just outside Crete.
Former Crete Police Chief Rick Nettifee, 52, apparently lost control of his car, which was struck on the passenger side by a semi, said Crete Assistant Fire Chief Tom Ourada, who responded to the accident.
“It was extremely slick on that particular piece of road,” Ourada said.
Ourada said it was unclear what happened, but that vehicles ended up in the west ditch. Rescue workers removed Nettifee from his car using the Jaws of Life, and he was transported to BryanLGH Medical Center West, where he was in critical condition Tuesday evening.
Nettifee was the only passenger in his car. The driver of the semi was not injured.
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