TRAFFIC ADVISORY FOR ABINGDON KIWANIS CHRISTMAS PARADE

Abingdon Police Department

                                     

For Immediate Release

Traffic Advisory for abingdon kiwanis christmas Parade

The Abingdon Kiwanis Christmas Parade is set for Saturday, December 6^th. The parade begins at 6:00 p.m. however, street closures will occur earlier to allow the parade to line up.  Be alert for pedestrians and prepare for detours, delays and officers directing traffic.

          It is advisable to leave at least an hour earlier than planned, to insure that you reach your destination on time. Above all, be prepared to wait. Traffic will be heavy and there will be a large number of pedestrians in the downtown area.  Officers deployed for this event have certain priorities, the first of which is pedestrian safety.  Yelling at the officer, honking your car horn, or trying to initiate conversation with officers standing in the street is not advised. 

          Officers are in place for the safety of those attending the parade, including themselves. They are not personal escorts or valets. Traffic will be too heavy for officers to answer questions from each passing car, while avoiding traffic coming from the opposite direction.

Street closures will occur on the following schedule:

·         East Main Street will be closed from Hutton Street to Court Street from 4:00 p.m., until the parade concludes.

o   Motorist needing to access this area of East Main Street should use exit 17 from Interstate 81 to access East Main Street.

·         East Main Street from Court Street to Cummings Street will be closed to traffic at 5:45 p.m. to clear the parade route.

o   Motorist needing to access the Barter Theatre, Barter Stage 2 or the Martha Washington Inn before 5:45 p.m. should plan to arrive prior to that time.

·         West Main Street from Cummings Street to Route 19 will be closed to eastbound traffic at 5:45 p.m.

·         Westbound traffic from Court Street to Route 19 will be allowed to use West Main Street until the parade approaches from

Drive safely and have a great experience in downtown Abingdon.

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Abingdon Police Department: If You’re Unbuckled This Thanksgiving, Expect to Pay a Fine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/17/14

If You’re Unbuckled This Thanksgiving, Expect to Pay a Fine

No Warnings. No Excuses. Click It or Ticket.

ABINGDON, VA– Every year, the Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel times. Millions of Americas hit the roads to spend time with family and friends. Unfortunately, more vehicles on the road means the roads are more dangerous, and it’s as important as ever that everyone is buckled up. To make sure the message reaches all Abingdon, VA drivers and passengers, the Abingdon Police Department will be joining other state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s high-visibility seat belt enforcement campaign Click It or Ticket. The no-excuses, zero-tolerance crackdown combines powerful messages about seat belt safety, with increased patrols day and night, targeting all unbuckled motorists—those who still aren’t getting the point.

During the 2012 Thanksgiving holiday period (6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 21, to 5:59 a.m. on Monday, November 26), there were 301 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationwide. Sixty-percent of those killed were NOT wearing seat belts.

These tragic crashes could have turned out differently. NHTSA research indicates that proper seat belt use reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers by 45 percent, and the risk of moderate to serious injury by 50 percent.  In 2012, seat belts saved the lives of 12,174 passenger vehicle occupants. If seat belt use had been at 100 percent, an addition 3,031 people would still be alive this Thanksgiving.

Nationwide, the seat belt use rate is at an all-time high of 87 percent, but the Click It or Ticket campaign aims to reach that remaining 14 percent. The ones who think they are above the law, ‘good enough’ drivers, or invincible in a crash. In 2012, for example, there were 10,335 unbuckled occupants killed in crashes—52 percent of all passenger vehicle occupants killed that year.  At night, the numbers are even more disturbing. During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2012, law enforcement noted that 69 percent of the passenger vehicle occupants killed at night were unrestrained, as compared to 46 percent during the day.

It only takes a second to buckle up, and isn’t that easier than getting pulled over and ticketed? With the help of highway safety advocates and local law enforcement officers across the country, we can increase seat belt use and save lives on our roadways this Thanksgiving.

Remember: Click It or Ticket. You have a lot to lose otherwise.

For more information about traveling safely during Thanksgiving, please visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.

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Attempted Bank Robbery- 11/13/14

                                               

For Immediate Release

ABINGDON, VA-- On 11/13/2014 at 10:36 hours, the Abingdon Police Department was dispatched to First Community Bank (located at 271 West Main Street) in reference to an attempted robbery.

Upon arrival, officers discovered that the alleged suspect had already fled the scene. According to witnesses, a white female wearing a purple hooded jacket, entered the bank and presented a note to the teller. After a brief conversation with the teller, the suspect took the note back and left the property without receiving any monies.

Police are still looking for the unknown suspect and request that anyone having any information, or who may know this person in the picture below to contact the Abingdon Police Department at 276-628-3111 or the Washington County Dispatch at 276-676-6277.

Get Ready for Winter Weather!

Get Ready for Winter Weather!

Winter Preparedness Week in Virginia is Nov. 30-Dec. 6

Recent Virginia winters have been cold and snowy, and many people had power outages.  It’s so important to be winter-ready that the National Weather Service and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management have set aside Nov. 30-Dec. 6 as Winter Preparedness Week. 

No matter the predictions, a significant winter storm is always possible.  With an El Nino weather pattern expected this season, there could be a wetter than normal winter.  And El Nino winters can be snowier if atmospheric conditions are right … just like the winter of 2009-10.

Remember: an important part of winter weather planning is being prepared to stay where you are until conditions improve.  To be ready, take these steps:

·         Get a kit.  Basic emergency supplies include: 

ü  Three days’ food that doesn’t need refrigeration or electricity to prepare it

ü  Three days’ water (a gallon per person per day)

ü  A battery-powered and/or hand-crank radio with extra batteries

ü  For businesses and offices, some bottles of water, food bars and a radio or TV to hear local information about whether or not it is safe to travel

ü  A power pack for recharging cell phones and other mobile devices

·         Make a plan.  Everyone needs an emergency plan:

ü  Decide who your out-of-town emergency contact will be.

ü  Where will you meet up with family members if you can’t return home?

ü  Get an emergency plan worksheet at www.ReadyVirginia.gov.

·         Stay informed.  Before, during and after a winter storm, you should:

ü  Listen to local media for information and instructions from emergency officials.

ü  Be aware of winter storm watches and warnings and road conditions.

ü  Get where you need to go before the weather gets bad.

ü  Get road condition information 24/7 by calling 511 or checking www.511Virginia.org

·         Download the Ready Virginia app. Free app for iPhone® and Android™ features:

ü  Location-specific weather watches and warnings issued by NWS

ü  Disaster news from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management

ü  A customizable family emergency plan that can be easily shared

ü  A checklist for gathering emergency supplies

ü  Links to register for local emergency alerts, and more

-end-

Prepared by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, November 2014

(804) 897-6510                                         pio@vdem.virginia.gov                           www.ReadyVirginia.gov