CURFEW ENDS IN COUNTY'S FLOOD AREAS

JACKSON - A curfew, which prohibited non-residents from entering flooded areas of Cape Girardeau County without a permit, will be lifted at 6 p.m. today.

On Monday, the Cape County Commission, which ordered the curfew effective July 10, voted to lift the ban.

"I think everyone agrees it has served its purpose and it is time to take it off," said Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep. "It served its purpose initially, but I think a lot of people's families and friends want to get in and go to work with the clean up effort."

Huckstep admits the curfew was controversial, but believes it was successful protecting property owners from looting, vandalism and sightseers.

"I know in other counties they were plagued with a lot of vandalism and looting, and we had practically none," said Huckstep. "You can argue whether it was effective or not, but we believe it was."

At first, Huckstep said there was some confusion "and maybe a little overreaction by some of the deputies" on enforcing the curfew, but things eventually got worked out.

Huckstep said he also expects Highway 25 to be reopened at Dutchtown later this week, though a supply of sand bags would be available to close the road if waters start rising again.

Huckstep added that it will likely be at least two weeks before a sandbag and gravel levee is dismantled along Highway 74. A sandbag levee by Hubble Creek at Dutchtown will also stay up.

"We could still be exposed to some heavy rains and we need to get the river well below 40 feet before we can get serious about cleaning everything up," said Huckstep.

Chief Deputy Leonard Hines said that the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department will continue to patrol flooded areas as before, despite the lifting of the curfew.

"We're everywhere," Hines said. "We will continue to remain in the area until people are safely back in their homes."

Streets and roads were blocked off in the city of Cape Girardeau and the outcounty where the curfew was in effect. Those barricades will be removed later today.

A Cape Girardeau Police Department news release states: "With a continued decrease in the water level, the situation in these areas is less critical and the need for the curfew has diminished. Also, as the recovery process begins, a great access to the flooded areas will be required."

Police Sgt. Carl Kinnison said streets like Bend Road will open today, but signs will be posted asking that only local traffic proceed through the area.

Streets that are still flooded will be barricaded off to all traffic.

In addition, the Cape Girardeau police will discontinue the special flood patrols as of 6 p.m. today.

Cape Girardeau police had assigned officers to work overtime in four-hour shifts, 16 hours per day, to patrol flooded areas since the curfew was established in early July. Officers have checked motorists for proper entry passes into the area and have monitored abandoned homes to preventing looting.

"We will continue to pay special attention to those areas, but now we will utilize the zone officer and sergeant on duty," Kinnison said.

Special officer Bettie Knoll of the police department and local firefighters will also continue to patrol the area, checking on residents moving back into their houses and answering questions.

As local law enforcement gears up to allow traffic back into the flood zones, the U.S. Coast Guard is cracking down on boat traffic in the area.

The Coast Guard has issued a warning to recreational boaters operating on the Upper Mississippi River and in nearby flooded areas. Anyone caught in violation of the safety zone still in effect for the waters of the Upper Mississippi River will be cited.

The safety zone ranges from Cairo, Ill., to about 10 miles north of Cape Girardeau and has been in effect for more than a month. The safety zone includes the main channel, flooded areas and back waters.

"This is a serious matter," said Paul Gebert, a public affairs officer with the Paducah Coast Guard. "Anyone seen operating a vessel in these restricted areas will be identified and citations will follow."

Any vessel wishing to travel in the flood stricken areas must have approval from the Coast Guard Operations Center. Currently, the only vessels with authorization to operate inside the safety zone are those belonging to state and federal relief agencies and affected property owners.

The possibility of damage to already weak levees is increased by any boat traffic, Gebert said.

"Even small boats create a dangerous wake that can harm the levees and the currents in these areas present a life-threatening danger to people not familiar with the swift currents associated with floodwaters," Gebert said. "Several assets from different agencies will be watching out for sightseers and recreational boaters not needing to be in the area, and reporting violators to us."

Failure to comply with the safety zone may result in civil or criminal legal action. The maximum civil penalty for such action is $25,000 per violation; the criminal penalty is a maximum of five years in prison and a $50,000 fine.