Collision 'insurance' at DHS

The Du Quoin High School Thursday dismissed students by classes--seniors, then juniors, sophomores and freshmen--five minutes apart to limit any rush to cars in the parking lot and any fender benders that might result on icy streets around the school.

It worked.

Otherwise, local police agencies reported only minor incidents and one minor accident on the parking lot at the Southtowne Shopping Center. Local hospitals reported no incidents.

Many schools across Southern Illinois remained closed today even though temperatures were quickly warming.

Elsewhere, Southern Illinois farmer Mike Campbell and other drought-plagued growers are happy about a winter storm raking the nation's midsection.

From his acreage near Edwardsville, Campbell welcomed the snow. Like many farms, his soil in southwestern Illinois craves any moisture after a bone-dry growing season last year.

The major snowstorm that shuttered airports in Missouri, stranded truckers in Illinois and buried parts of Kansas in knee-deep powder was promising a messy and possibly dangerous commute this morning as it crawled northeast.

At a Travel Centers of America truck stop in the central Illinois city of Effingham, all of the 137 parking spaces were filled by truckers unwilling to drive through the storm overnight.

Northern Oklahoma got more than 13 inches of snow, while up to 10 inches fell in the Kansas City, Mo., area. home.''

State legislatures shut down in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

Most schools were closed in Kansas and Missouri, and many in neighboring states. All flights at Kansas City International Airport were canceled for Thursday night.

and officials said they'd prepare to reopen Friday morning. On the other side of the state in St. Louis, more than 320 flights at Lambert Airport were canceled.