State prepares to battle winter

State officials are preparing for winter weather with an arsenal of snowplows, road salt - and sugar beet molasses.

State Highway Administration officials yesterday unveiled their plans for handling the coming winter season at the SHA's Special Operations Center in Hanover. There will be about 332,000 tons of road salt available for use throughout the state, with a budget of $26 million, $5 million more than last winter.

Last year, state officials spent nearly $53 million dealing with winter weather.

Despite statewide funding cuts, SHA officials said they do not anticipate any interruptions in service. They found a...