KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs is back in town after leaving to attend the Iowa Caucus. While he was gone, the area was hammered by a winter storm that dropped several inches of snow and bright blistery cold winds — creating dangerous driving conditions that jammed traffic.
"I was in constant communication with everyone here. And also, when president Trump asks you to go do something, I felt that I had to honor that commitment because I had told them that I would do that. But nevertheless, I have complete confidence in the people here at Engineering and Public Works, and just keeping tabs on things from Iowa. Nowadays, with technology, we can do that. If you were to open my phone, you would see many text threads, many phone calls and many emails as well," he said. "Knox County couldn't be in better hands than with the folks we have."
He visited some Knox County Public Works crews when he returned on Tuesday. Those crews are working to treat roads and clear areas as dangerously low temperatures move into the area Tuesday night, trying to prevent black ice from freezing after the county was buffeted by a blanket of snow.
"I went into then found out it was coming here as well. It was very cold in Iowa, I think -15 when I got up Sunday morning. But, it was an amazing experience," he said. "While the rest of us are trying to stay home and trying to stay off the roads, they're out braving the elements, taking care of things."
He said while in Iowa, he was in constant contact with Knox County staff as the winter storm moved in. It caused McGhee Tyson Airport to temporarily stop operations, and a roof at a marina in Knox County fell due to the snow.
He said some workers have been working around the clock since at least Sunday night, helping the county recover after the storm.
"The issue is when the sun goes down and the temperatures drop, all this slush is going to turn back into ice, which is going to be very treacherous. And there's really not a whole lot we can do about that. We spread salt on it, but obviously, the plows are designed for snow, not so much for ice," he said.
He said people should avoid traveling Tuesday and into Wednesday, and if they needed to travel, they should use as much caution as possible.
“While Knox County is knee-deep in the worst snowstorm in years, our county mayor is looking to climb the political ladder by cozying up to Trump in Iowa,” said Jack Vaughan in a press release, the spokesperson for the Knox County Democratic Party. “Jacobs’ goal from day one has been to seek higher office. Knox County deserves a mayor that is focused on what is happening on the ground, not on his political ambitions.”