The West Virginia Division of Highways is thinking ahead to keep drivers safe in snow and ice this winter. Drivers in the division’s District 1 just finished “dry runs” for winter snowplow routes to make sure the trucks are well-maintained and that all the equipment is working properly. District 1 has 215 drivers assigned to drive plows in the snow and ice. They’re the same men and women responsible for cutting grass, trimming trees, cutting ditches and doing other maintenance work during spring, summer and fall. The district has plows dedicated to Boone, Clay, Kanawha, Mason and Putnam counties. Other snowplows are responsible for clearing snow and ice on U.S. 35 and interstates 64, 77 and 79.