Garbage Collection Delayed Thursday And Friday In Oswego

OSWEGO, IL — Officials say garbage collection will be canceled Wednesday due to potentially life-threatening cold weather conditions. In addition, Thursday and Friday collections will be delayed by one day.

The collection schedule will now be:

• The collection scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 30, will be canceled. The next Wednesday collection will now be on Wednesday, Feb. 6. Groot will collect any additional refuse outside of your container for no additional charge on this day.
• The collection scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 31, will be postponed one day. It will now be collected on Friday, Feb. 1
• The collection scheduled for Friday, Feb. 1, will be postponed one day. It will now be on Saturday, Feb. 2.

In addition, the project kick-off for The Reserve at Hudson Crossing, originally scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, has also been postponed. It will be rescheduled in the near future, officials said.

Officials say road crews are working hard to clear and salt roadways, but that salt becomes less effective as temperatures drop below zero, and some roadways may remain frozen. Avoid driving unless absolutely necessary.

The National Weather Service says wind chills may fall to 55 degrees below zero tonight through Thursday morning. Such low temperatures can cause rapid onset of frost bite and hypothermia. Signs of frostbite include redness, pain, waxy skin and numbness. Signs of hypothermia include shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness in adults. Signs in infants include bright red skin, cold skin and lethargy.

Officials warn that house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning are more common during cold weather, so avoid using ovens or gas-powered appliances for heating, and ensure that your furnace's exhaust is free from snow and ice. In addition, clean the area around your gas meter to keep the gas pressure regulator in working order.

Also, be wary of freezing pipes in your home and consider opening the doors to any vanities or cabinets that have pipes on an outside wall, or keeping a trickle of water running to prevent pipes from freezing or busting.

Frozen pipes can burst, flooding your home. If your pipes do freeze, do not use a torch or other open flame to thaw them. Use a hair blow dryer to thaw your pipes. If that does not work, contact a plumber. If your pipes burst, shut off the water to your home at the main shut-off valve immediately and contact a plumber.

Find a list of warming centers here.

Photo by Renee Schiavone/Patch