Street crews: City's first line of winter defense

City Streets Department employees: (from left) Forrest Machado, Mark Stechlin, Marvin Harrigan, Gene Palmer, Jake Keucker, Kane Scott, Allen Harris, Adam Miler.

Before the police are called out to car accidents on icy streets, before first responders are sent to help with injuries and before the sun comes up, crews with the city streets department have already spent hours clearing and deicing local roads.

These crews deal with whatever Mother Nature throws at them all four seasons of the year. Winter, however, is the season where the battle with nature directly helps keep vehicles out of ditches and people out of the hospital.

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