Icy roads likely cause of empty grocery shelves

Many coolers at Walmart Supercenter in Poplar Bluff were bare Friday morning.

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The Poplar Bluff Walmart Supercenter seems to be experiencing significant grocery supply shortfalls but it may be temporary.

Produce, meat, dairy and frozen food coolers were mostly empty as of Friday morning, likely due to icy conditions at the store’s distribution center in New Albany, Mississippi, this past week.

DAR staff received information indicating the center shut down temporarily due to winter weather conditions. WTVA, a New Albany news station, reported that I-22 experienced a temporary shutdown on Jan. 15 due to downed power lines. Hunter Burke, a member of the city’s fire department, confirmed severe icy conditions around the distribution center on Highway 30 and Munsford Road.

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Officials with Walmart corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, had not responded to a request for information as of 12:30 p.m. Friday.