Wayne County under Level 2 travel watch until at least 5 p.m. Monday
Very little traffic is seen on Richmond’s South 8th Street Monday morning, Jan. 6, 2025, as Wayne County was placed under a Level II Travel Watch, deeming county roads only to be used for essential travel.
Wayne County commissioners placed the county under a Level II Travel Watch late Sunday night, making Monday travel available only for those where it’s deemed necessary.
In effect until 5 p.m. Monday afternoon unless extended by the commissioners, the Level II Essential Travel Permitted Snow Emergency allows essential travel on county roads for the following reasons:
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.
Northeastern and Western Wayne were the only schools listed to shift to an E-Learning day, while Seton Catholic already had a previously scheduled 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.
