The extreme cold bite of winter might not be over, and this weekend’s weather could result in conditions similar to last Tuesday and Wednesday’s snow and hard freeze, Lincoln County Emergency Management Director Clifford Galey told the board of supervisors Monday.

Galey reported on the details of last week’s weather and cautiously issued future warning of potentially similar conditions by the end of the week.

Galey strongly advised residents to stay indoors if the city sees a repeat of the icy conditions suffered on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. There’s a 50 percent chance of rain Friday and Saturday, according to the National Weather forecast.

“If it is cold enough, and that turns to snow or sleet, we could see a similar situation as we’ve already dealt with,” Galey said.

“There’s no way around it. The best thing to do is to stay home. If you make the decision to drive, you are becoming a risk to yourself and others on the road.”

The recent snow and ice led to more than 50 separate traffic accidents, a figure that Chancery Clerk Tillmon Bishop said he confirmed by talking to the Mississippi highway patrol and police and sheriff’s departments.

“These are the accidents that were reported. There were probably close to five times as many not mentioned,” Galey noted. Despite the accident surge, there were few injuries.

Many of the vehicles on the road were 18-wheelers attempting to deliver goods. After a number of accidents involving these vehicles, Galey said he contacted companies in the area.

“I called Walmart Distribution and others to request they stay off the roads,” said Galey. “In 35 years, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Galey said, referring to the weather.

Last month, representatives with the local Baseball Facility Concept Marketing Team introduced the board to a proposal for a new youth baseball facility in the county.

At Monday’s meeting, the board voted unanimously to allow officials with Dungan Engineering to determine how much the facility might cost and to report back to the board.

The new facility could potentially hold up to 20,000 spectators annually, and was illustrated by an architectural rendering at the previous board of supervisors meeting in January.

The final complex is slated to include five lighted fields, five batting cages, a two-story concession stand with press box area and bathrooms, two covered pavilions and a parking area. The proposed location is on Lincoln County property between the Lincoln Civic Center and the Hansel King Sports Complex.

“The next step in the process is to come up with a realistic estimate and some detailed, itemized numbers for potential bidding,” said county administrator David Fields.

With a hard number, the county can then potentially apply for a grant with the United States Department of Agriculture.

“The ball is in the board’s court now. Personally, I’ve gotten a ton of positive feedback about the facility,” said Bishop.

Representatives with the baseball facility argued that existing facilities and fields do not meet minimum requirements to host local league play or travel ball tournament play.

In other business, board president Eddie Brown brainstormed ways to prevent future damage to county signs.

“We need to find a way of preventing theft and/or damage to signs. It’s becoming a significant cost to the county,” Brown said.

In recent weeks, several handicapped signs were stolen in the Pleasant Grove Road area. Other signs have been damaged or shot at throughout the county.

While stolen or damaged signs are an expense that is budgeted for year-to-year, according to Ryan Holmes with Dungan Engineering, the number of incidents appears to be increasing, said Brown.

Brown suggested a reward might be in order and encouraged residents to report any information to the police or sheriff’s department. The number for crime stoppers is (601)823-0150.