Drought A Boost To Construction Business

The dry spell isn't bad news for everybody in the Hometown area.

Local construction crews said that extreme cold, rain and snow often puts them behind schedule during the winter months.

Area crew members said it's especially nice to get good weather this week because staffing is light.

"Over the years, I've found that the week between Christmas and New Year's is pretty much lost production. Be it either because usually it's the bad time of year -- you've got cold weather -- and then everybody has their holiday and vacations scheduled," said project superintendent Neil Barnes.

Barnes said there are also more safety concerns when working in winter weather, such as hypothermia and slick spots on buildings where they're working.