Tripp County had 23 active cases of COVID-19 as of Monday. On March 15 there were no new confirmed cases.
The total recovered cases is 681.The deaths in Tripp County due to COVID-19 remain at 16.Monday statewide, there were 17 new confirmed cases and 7 new probable cases.
The active cases in the state are 2,106. Currently there are 64 persons hospitalized.
Winner Dairy Queen won the name the snow
plow contest for the Pierre region of the South Dakota Department of
Transportation.
The local DQ named the plow Walter the
Salter.
A presentation was made recently at the
Dairy Queen in Winner.
Facts and info supplied by the DOT include:
SDDOT Snowplow Contest Facts:
821 entries were submitted across the
state.
Plow name submissions were voted upon by
all staff for each of the 12 SDDOT Areas.
We had great participation in every SDDOT
Area with one winner being 80 “plus” and we have a couple youth winners aged 10
– 11.
We had submissions from elementary
classrooms, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and businesses who all
held contests or did class projects to pick a name for submission.
We also had great contributions from
individuals and families.
SDDOT basics and quotes:
We created the SDDOT Name the Snowplow
Contest as a way to engage with our customers in a fun way. Through the
contest, we had the opportunity to share key safety messages about winter
safety, the work of our snowplow operators and our innovative technology with
SD511.org designed to give drivers the latest information.
“Safety on our roadways is our number one
priority,” says Interim Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt. “Whether people
are traveling during a winter snow event or the height of road construction
season, access to real-time road conditions is crucial.”
“After almost every winter event, I hear
reports from our plow operators about close calls and distracted drivers. This
happens everywhere, on our interstates in the southern portion of the state
where traffic is higher, and on our lower volume roads in the norther portion
of the state,” says Jason Humphrey, Pierre Region Engineer. “We encouraged
people to engage with the SDDOT, have some fun naming our plows, and ultimately
help bring awareness to our plow operators who work hard every day to create a
safe driving environment for our citizens.”
To help motorists plan for safe travel,
SDDOT has long offered free, up-to-date road camera images and information on
road and weather conditions, road closures, construction work zones, commercial
vehicle restrictions, and traffic incidents by phone, web page, and a mobile
app. Our SDDOT snowplow operators put in very long days and take to heart the
responsibility of getting everyone home safely. This responsibility not only
includes plowing the roads, but also keeping motorists informed through
https://SD511.org.
“Seeing such a positive response to this
contest shows the level of interest the public shares in keeping our roads
safe,” says Doug Sherman, Winner Area Engineer. “Naming the plows personalizes
our efforts, enhancing that relationship between the SDDOT and the public we
serve.”
“We truly appreciate the response across
the state with this outreach program,” says Gregg Ulmer, Winner Area Highway
Maintenance Supervisor. “The participation by people of all ages helps us to
further build relationships in our communities. The opportunity to share what
we do and how we do it, is tremendous.”
Information provided by Tyler Green/SDDOT
Equipment Manager
(Division of Operations Support)
Snowplow Facts:
How many plows are in each of our Regions?
There are approximately 107 plows per
Region.
There is a total of 428 trucks and 23 tow
plows spread across the state.
Average weight/height of a snowplow?
The average snowplow weighs around 58,000
lbs. and is 11’6” tall.
The average Tow plow/ truck unit weighs
around 88,000 fully loaded.
Avg. mile per gallon for fuel?
The Plows average about 3.5 to 4 mpg and
run on low sulfur diesel/biodiesel blend.
How big is the engine in a plow?
Our plows run a 450hp Detroit engine, tow
plows run a 505hp Detroit engine
How much snow does the average plow “push”
in its lifetime?
(In other words – what is the average
longevity for a plow?)
The average lifespan of a plow truck is 15
years.
SD511 (the latest in innovation for
weather/road information)
Our Plow Trucks are in essence a rolling
computer, with highly technical salt and chemical rate application systems,
currently 120 units have an onboard Data collector called an MDC (mobile data
collector) this gives the operator the ability to relay real-time road
conditions to our web based system and get salt and chemical rate suggestions
back almost immediately, keeping us productive, efficient and fiscally
responsible. https://sd511.org
“Our Operators and Highway Maintenance
Supervisors are responsible for keeping the SD 511 app up to date,” says Tyler
Green, SDDOT Equipment Manager. “They take great pride in the level of service
they provide . . . keeping 511 updated
with the ever-changing weather and road conditions; and most importantly
keeping our South Dakota travelers safe and informed.”
The mission of the South Dakota Department
of Transportation is to efficiently provide a safe and effective public
transportation system.