Power crews worked thru the night

For many, this is a get-back-to-normal day. But not for the public schools. For a second full day, Oconee public schools are closed. According to Dr. Michael Thorsland, superintendent, the culprits include a black ice advisory in place until 11 this morning. By late yesterday afternoon, Thorsland said, there was still no power at the Walhalla middle and high schools, and Duke Energy had not provided a restoration time. By 6:30 this morning, Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative had reduced its outages to 909 customers in Oconee County. Crews working thru the night restored service to a few hundred customers across the Blue Ridge service area.  The co-op has deployed nearly 300 linemen to address the storm emergency.  High winds today or tonight could impact remaining restoration efforts.