RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN (WGNS) - Rutherford County has been through the wringer these past few days, and it’s impossible to talk about this storm without tipping our hats to the people who’ve kept us safe. That includes the linemen from Middle Tennessee Electric—men and women who climb poles coated in ice, work through sleet that stings like needles, and restore power in conditions most of us wouldn’t dare step into. They’re out there protecting us in surroundings that are harsh, dangerous, and constantly shifting.

And let’s clear up a common misconception while we’re at it. Police cars and ambulances don’t magically handle better in snow and ice than the rest of our vehicles. In fact, when you look at firetrucks and those massive MTE utility trucks, the challenge gets even tougher. Their size, weight, stiff tires, and high center of gravity make winter driving more difficult, not less. What keeps them upright and moving isn’t the machinery—it’s the training, the equipment, and the steady hands behind the wheel.

Those skills were on full display early Sunday morning when Murfreesboro Fire Rescue crews responded to a small fire in the roofing system at International Paper. Temperatures were in the single digits, sleet was falling, and everything around them was slick and unforgiving. Even so, firefighters got the flames out quickly, with help from a sprinkler head that activated just as it should. It was a textbook example of teamwork between people and systems, even in the worst possible weather.

Since the storm rolled in late Friday night and into Saturday, first responders, incident response teams, and road and utility crews have been working nonstop. Across the county, downed power lines, utility disruptions, icy roads, and even flooding have kept everyone on high alert. There have been swift water rescues in frigid, fast-moving water after drivers ignored road-closure signs and tried to cross slabs covered by a cold, swollen river.

So once again—THANK YOU. To the linemen of Middle Tennessee Electric. To the firefighters, police officers, sheriff’s deputies, EMTs, and paramedics. To the salt truck drivers and plow operators from our cities and from TDOT. You’re making a real difference in Rutherford County, and WGNS wants you to know that your hard work is seen, appreciated, and deeply valued.