St. Louis County Public Works crews are out for a second day in a row, working to clear what has now been tallied by the National Weather Service in Duluth as 21.7 inches of snow. The heavy wet snow, combined with very gusty winds overnight made for terrible to impossible driving conditions, with drifting snow on roadways and slippery and rough driving even after roads were plowed.

Woodland Avenue has re-opened and bus routes have returned to normal following more than five months of construction. The two-year project to reconstruct portions of Woodland Avenue and Calvary Road in Duluth has reached the half-way point.

St. Louis County Public Works and the City of Duluth will hold a public meeting to discuss next year's project to reconstruct Rice Lake Road from Arrowhead Road to north of Technology Drive. The meeting will be Thursday, October 17, at 6 p.m. at the Public Safety Building, 2030 Arlington Avenue in Duluth. County and City engineers will present information and answer questions about the scope and design of the project, construction impacts, and the expected schedule.

A public meeting will be held Wednesday, October 2, at 5 p.m. at Pike Town Hall, 6862 County Highway 68 to discuss the results of that analysis and to hear feedback on the options being considered. Public Works staff and Commissioner Paul McDonald will be available to answer questions and discuss any concerns.

Meeting to recap efforts to reduce stormwater pollution

There will be landscaping tips for home and business owners as well as advice on how to get better de-icing results with less salt; plus Lake Superior College will share information on how they've developed rain gardens and other outdoor landscaping both to improve the campus setting and reduce stormwater pollution getting into area streams and Lake Superior.

These are among the presentations scheduled for an annual meeting on stormwater pollution prevention, put on by members of the Regional Stormwater Protection Team. The meeting will be Tuesday, September 24, 6:30-8 p.m. at the Minnesota Department of Transportation headquarters in Duluth, 1123 Mesaba Avenue. Representatives of the cities of Duluth and Hermantown, MnDOT, St. Louis County. Lake Superior College and the University of Minnesota - Duluth, will provide information regarding their current efforts to reduce stormwater pollution, as well as their goals for next year. The public will have an opportunity to provide input and feedback. Additionally, there will be a drawing for three lucky attendees to win a six-pack of native plants to bring home.

For more information about stormwater pollution prevention efforts, or to provide suggestions
outside of the meeting, contact Carol Andrews, St. Louis County Public Works Environmental
Project Manager, at (218) 625-3862 or visit LakeSuperiorStreams.org.