JUST THE FACTS

November 8, 2024 Volume 15 Issue 45

WINTER PARKING IS A WEEK AWAY

Winter parking restrictions in Owatonna are in effect November 15 through March 31. These restrictions facilitate effective snow removal and allow crews to perform other street maintenance.

During this period, street parking is only allowed on alternating sides of the street every night between 12:01 a.m. and noon, regardless of the weather. On even-numbered calendar dates, vehicles may park on the sides of streets with even-numbered addresses. On odd-numbered calendar dates, vehicles may park on the sides of streets with odd-numbered addresses.

Between noon and midnight, the winter parking restrictions are not in effect. Therefore, parking is allowed on both sides of the street (unless otherwise marked). At 12:01 a.m., parking is only allowed on the side of the street that corresponds with the calendar date. Anticipating the date change at 12:01 a.m., there’s no need to move from one side of the street to the other at midnight. Instead, park prior to midnight on the side of the street that corresponds with the next day’s date.

Keep in mind December and January both end and begin with odd dates – the 31st and the 1st. Parking restrictions are enforced nightly from November 15 through March 31 regardless of weather conditions. Odd/even parking restrictions do not apply to any street that has posted restrictive parking or any cul-de-sac which has combined even and odd house numbers.

The City’s easy-to-use Winter Parking Map app shows where to park during winter months. The app is available on the City of Owatonna’s website Owatonna.gov, search for “Public & Winter Parking.”

Time to "Fall" Back

We all turned our clocks back last Sunday, and now many people will find themselves spending more time driving in the dark. This poses extra driving safety challenges because visibility is limited:

There’s less time to react to obstacles in the road.
Depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision can be compromised in the dark, making it more difficult to judge the speeds and distance of other vehicles.
It takes time for eyes to adjust. This can cause the glare of headlights from an oncoming vehicle to temporarily blind a driver.

The National Safety Council offers these tips for driving in the dark:

Aim your headlights correctly, and make sure they're clean.
Dim your dashboard.
Look away from oncoming lights.
If you wear glasses, make sure they're anti-reflective.
Clean the windshield to eliminate streaks.
Slow down to compensate for limited visibility and reduced stopping time.

Fall is a great time of year to remind your friends and family that road hazards can change with the seasons.

THIS WEEK'S INCUSTODY ARRESTS

Katherine Hirdler/ Domestic Assault (M), 5th degree assault (M), and obstruct legal process (M)
Patrick Pexa/ Threats of violence (F), trespass (M), and obstruct legal process (M)
Christopher Berg/ 2nd degree assault (F), threats of violence (F), and domestic assault (M)