Battle Creek City Facilities to Remain Closed Thursday

Battle Creek city facilities will remain closed on Thursday, Jan. 31, as the forecast for negative temperatures and wind chills remains.  This, again, includes Full Blast recreation facilities at 35 Hamblin.

Waste Management will NOT operate on Thursday, and service this week will go as follows:

• No service this week for Wednesday customers.
• Thursday customers picked up Friday.
• Friday customers picked up Saturday.

The city says this was the best option for the safety of Waste Management drivers, and neighbors who would have to place containers at the curb, as well as meeting the need to service as many customers as possible this week.

The city says Battle Creek Transit will operate the on-demand, Tele-Transit service only on Thursday. This will keep neighbors from having to wait at the bus stop in the extreme cold. The need to register for Tele-Transit is waived on Thursday; anyone needing a ride should call in starting at 5:15 a.m. Thursday, at 269-966-3474. Drivers will accommodate as many people as possible, and will run regular hours, through midnight.

City plow trucks are focused today (Wednesday)  on drifting snow in various part of the city. Officials again urge all our neighbors to stay inside when possible and wish everyone continued safety through this winter weather.

• The following remain in effect through Thursday:
  Day and night warming shelters – Congregational Church, 145 Capital Ave. NE, is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. today through Thursday, with a meal at 6 p.m. today. Kingdom Builders World Wide, 50 Spencer St., will be open overnight from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. tonight.
• Battle Creek Fire Stations 1-6 will open 24 hours today through Thursday as temporary warming stations. Police officers will transport those in need to designated shelters. Police also will provide safety checks to anyone they see walking. The Police Department lobby, 34 N. Division St., will remain open and monitored 24 hours through Thursday, to welcome anyone in from the cold.
• The Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic has four kennels available for homeless neighbors who need to house their animals. They will be open for this from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. now until Friday. Outside of those hours, Battle Creek Animal Control will transport these animals to the Calhoun County Animal Center, also until Friday. Both of these services are available at no cost. Call 269-781-0911 to reach Animal Control.
• Animal Control officers urge neighbors to keep your animals inside, out of the elements this week. If they see pets outside this week, they will attempt to make contact with the owner to move them inside. If they are not able to make contact, officers will do everything possible to take pets left outside to the Animal Center, 165 Union Street.