BISD schools, City, County Courthouse to be closed on Tuesday
By Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan
As weather conditions continued to deteriorate on Monday afternoon, Breckenridge Independent School District announced that local schools will also be closed again on Tuesday, Jan. 31.
According an email from Brittany Edgar, “Due to the hazardous road conditions and the forecasted highs to remain below freezing overnight and through Tuesday, Breckenridge ISD will remain closed tomorrow, Tues., Jan. 31, 2023. Further updates will be posted on ParentSquare, Facebook, and local news media sources. Stay warm and safe!”
Breckenridge City Offices will also be closed on Tuesday.
UPDATE: Stephens County Judge Michael Roach announced on Facebook Tuesday morning, Jan. 31, that the courthouse will be closed for the day, due to the weather conditions.
“We will know a firm answer in the morning,” he said. “We will certainly have a delayed opening, if we open.”
Because of the weather-related closures, the property tax deadline has been extended until the first full day the courthouse and the tax office are open again, according to Christie Latham, the Stephens County tax assessor/collector.
Additionally, tax payments may be made online (for a convenience fee), in the dropbox on the east side of the courthouse, or via mail (with a Jan. 31 postmark).
In a Facebook post, Stephens Memorial Hospital said they are planning ahead for Wednesday’s delivery of meals to their homebound residents. They were looking for volunteers with four-wheel-drive vehicles who would like to deliver a route. Volunteers can call 254-559-2241 and talk to Sarah, or comment on the SMH Facebook page. Monday’s meals were delivered by Renew Home Health.
The Breckenridge Medical Center and SMH Physical Therapy and Wellness Center will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 31.
Earlier Monday, Roach held an Emergency Management Meeting conference call with local agency partners to give a weather update and see if any of the agencies needed the counties assistance.
At the beginning of the call, the group received a weather update from Jason Dunn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth.
He said rain will develop in the morning and that tomorrow Stephens County is going to be right on the edge of where that precipitation kind of starts.
“It’ll be basically your area (and) eastward, and the heavier rain and … the icing will be to your east a little bit tomorrow. So that’s kind of what we’re looking at,” he said. “Then again, tomorrow night into Wednesday looks really messy, as well. You’re going to stay in the mid-20s, and we’re expecting widespread rain that will be freezing rain again because you’re going to be in the 20s. So we’ll expect more icing into Wednesday morning, as well. So just overall poor conditions for really the next 36 hours or so before things start to warm up a little bit.”
Roach said the County requested assistance from TxDOT to spread brine on the parking lot at the Stephens County Law Enforcement parking lot and sally port entrances. He said they also asked for brine to be spread on the two blocks around Stephens Memorial Hospital, which includes South Geneva, Hartford and Hullum, as well as the hospital’s parking lots, too.
“That’ll give us clear access to the helicopters, emergency room access; keep those street clear, law enforcement center parking lot and sally ports clear as well,” he said.
Roach said they had also responded to other area hotspots in Stephens County, including U.S. Highway 183 South, where they had been having big problems. He said the north facing side of five-mile hill was treacherous and they had already had multiple accidents there today.
City Manager Cynthia Northrop said City of Breckenridge road crews were out sanding the areas they normally do and will remain on call, recognizing that this kind of weather comes in waves. She said they will be out patrolling and looking for areas that they will need to reapply sand and salt at different areas. She said TxDOT will be taking care of U.S. Highway 183 and Walker Street.
“I’m sure just driving cautiously if you have to be out is the big message we want to get across,” she said.
Breckenridge Mayor Bob Sims said he was out early Monday morning checking some of the roads in the city. He said the City had put gravel on problem areas Monday morning.
“I just want to thank them for the work that they do,” he said. “One thing I got to say, if you don’t need to get out, stay in.”
Also during the call Stephens County Sheriff Kevin Roach said that the highways are slick and the DPS Troopers were out helping them work some of the accidents this morning. The sheriff said there are slick spots on roads all over the county, but the most accidents Monday morning were on U.S. Highway 183 South. He said they also had one at FM 3099 and FM 2231.
Cutline, top photo: Stephens County Sheriff Kevin Roach and Matt Parker talk to a DPS trooper near Parker’s land, where a car slid off the highway on to his property. The accident was about 4 miles north of Breckenridge on U.S. Highway 183 North. (Courtesy Photo)
Note: This story was updated at about 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, with additional weather-related closures.