Students "Catch Up" During First Snow Day

During the first school day canceled due to weather-related reasons, families appear to be using their time to catch up on odds and ends.

Eureka parent Eileen Tyrrell, who has a middle schooler and a senior at , said that by mid-day, they had watched two movies and were beginning to wrap Christmas presents.

Wildwood resident and Eureka High School student Syd Tockman said she used the day so far to study for finals, which start tomorrow.  Her sister, SeSe, an eighth grader as , said she loaded photos onto Facebook and completed some makeup work from school.

Eureka parent Diane Engle said her two children slept in this morning.  "It's really been a quiet day.  My daughter has been out of school all week from being ill, and luckily, we got her homework yesterday, so she is catching up today," said Engle.

Becky Poole, a Wildwood resident whose daughter, Leigh Anne, is a junior at , and whose son, Dale, is an eighter grader at , said they only did what was necessary to do today.  "We went to the orthodontist, did grocery shopping, took care of laundry and cleaned," said Poole.

She said Dale was doing a great job keeping their sidewalks salted and cleared off today.

Officer Bradley Wood, of the, said traffic volume was "way down" today, with the common sense approach people were taking.  "It's one of those days that if you don't have anywhere you absolutely have to go, it's best to stay in your home," he said.

Wood said a few car-related accidents occurred in Wildwood this morning, but that they have seen more walking-related accidents, due to the slick icy spots.  "The ice is not going to melt, so we are advising people not to get out tonight either," he said.

Lt. David Wilson, of the , said while they expected worse, it has been a relatively quiet day.  "We had one minor fender-bender this morning, but not too much more beyond that, primarily because so many stayed home and kids aren't in school," he said.

Wilson said the Missouri Highway Patrol staff has been much busier than them, with accidents that occurred on major thoroughfares, such as Interstate 44.  "None of those occurred in our jurisdiction, though," he said.  "The last big snow storm, we were much busier."

He said they believed more people had taken caution on city and side roads today, compared to the higher rates of speed on the interstate.