PASO DEL NORTE-CENTRIC NEWS
THE NEW WILLIAM BEAUMONT ARMY MEDICAL CENTER IS FINALLY COMPLETE. FOR REAL THIS TIME! – After what felt like decades and over a billion dollars later, the new William Beaumont Army Medical Center on the far east side of El Paso is finally complete. The building is now officially “done” and it will open its doors later this year once the hospital is “outfitted” and is determined to be in operating condition. The VA will now be able to better serve El Paso area veterans and is a big upgrade from the old William Beaumont Center. And remember, all the delays and cost overruns were not because the building will also serve as a top secret government facility involving aliens. That’s just a silly conspiracy theory. Wink Wink (cbs4local.com)
MONTANA VISTA IS GETTING A SEWER SYSTEM AND IS GETTING ONE STEP CLOSER TO BEING A LEGITIMATE CITY! ALL THEY HAVE TO DO NOW IS INCORPORATE AND THEY CAN GET EVEN MORE PUBLIC SERVICES IN THEIR AREA – We normally don’t hear much news from Montana Vista, but it looks like there is some good news afoot for the community in the far, far east area of El Paso County. Montana Vista is finally getting a sewer system thanks to the help of various government agencies and community outreach. This will help development and health in the area greatly and the community might just take the next step to becoming a legitimate town sometime in the near future. And according to the plans it looks like there will be some rather deep manholes in the system that will be filled with giraffes and other large animals. So it looks like Montana Vista might get a zoo as well. Good show, Montana Vista. (elpasoheraldpost.com)
ZUILL BAILEY DAY IS THE HOLIDAY YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED – The City of El Paso has just given the Conquistador Award (the highest honor the city gives out) to internationally renowned cellist Zuill Bailey. In addition, the city proclaimed February 4 to be Zuill Bailey Day. The cellist and music instructor is perhaps the most renowned musician in the Greater Mogollon region and has won numerous awards and has contributed to the community in many ways to numerous to list. Let us all celebrate Zuill Bailey Day by listening to cello music and getting hammered – it’s the El Paso way. (elpasoheraldpost.com)
HAPPY TRAILS TO OUR GREATER MOGOLLON FRIENDS WE LOST IN FEBRUARY – Wolves usually get a bad wrap, but the El Paso Zoo has done a good job educating the public about them with their Mexican Gray Wolf exhibit. Zephyr, a 14-year old gray wolf, was euthanized by the El Paso Zoo due to health issues this month and it was a great loss to the zoo family. The outdoor music festival market is a bit oversaturated at this point and the latest casualties are Music Under The Stars and the Las Cruces Country Music Festival. Both fests were run with the help of local government agencies and the costs associated with the fests were too much to justify continuing with the projects. Though they could have just focused on local artists and been fine, they would not have been the big events that people are used too. Maybe one day the fests will come back in another form. But for now the festivals will only take place in music festival heaven. (elpasoheraldpost.com / cbs4local.com)
REST OF THE WORLD-CENTRIC NEWS
WELL, THIS DOESN’T LOOK GOOD – The artist formerly known as the Wuhan Virus has an official name now thanks to the World Health Organization and will henceforth be officially known as COVID-19 as caused by coronavirus. The infections seems to be growing substantially and we now have major clusters popping up in Italy and Iran. Things aren’t looking too good at the moment, but this is a great opportunity for anybody who has ever dreamed of doing a real-world reenactment of 12 Monkeys. (bbc.com)
ARROKOTH THE CELESTIAL SNOWMAN IS JUST FULL OF SURPRISES – The New Horizons spacecraft flew by Pluto and then later passed by the Kuiper Belt orb Arrokoth on its way to further deep space exploration. The spacecraft passed by Arrokoth over a year ago but scientists are still receiving and analyzing data from that spectacular visit to the Kuiper Belt orb. Arrokoth was found to have a snowman shape as a result of two orbs fused together and now scientists are determining how the odd little snowman came to be. The preferred theory for the formation involves a low speed collision that was as slow as 2 miles per hour, but I like to think it was fused together by aliens creating an art installation in the Kuiper Belt. Who knows what other secrets the Kuiper Belt snowman holds for us? (popsci.com)
THESE COLORS DON’T RUN ……. UNLESS DONALD TRUMP COMMANDS A ONE-SIDED PEACE TREATY AND RETREAT – After more than a decade of pointless fighting in Afghanistan by the American government, Donald Trump and company have announced a “peace treaty” with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The treaty pretty much offers the Taliban free reign while the United States removes all troops from the region – all while the Taliban offers minimal-to-zero concessions to the Afghan government and America. So basically the Taliban won the “War On Terror”. Congratulations, Taliban! Have fun destroying Afghanistan all over again! (npr.org)
WE POUR ONE OUT TO THOSE WE LOST IN FEBRUARY – Kirk Douglas was a Hollywood Legend who not only excelled in front of the camera but was an instrumental force behind the scenes on many classic movies. He passed away this month at the age of 103 and leaves a cinematic legacy that few will ever match. His legend will live on via his family and the countless people that were influenced by his work. Lee Phillip Bell passed away this month and she will now go up to the big soap opera in the sky. She is best known as being the co-creator, along with her husband William J. Bell, of the long-running soap operas The Young And The Restless along with The Bold And The Beautiful. Most people don’t give soap operas the respect they deserve and just write them off as trivial throwaway entertainment. But soap operas have been offering some of the best character development and plots for decades and the recent surge in serialized television owes a great deal of gratitude to soap operas. Lee Phillip Bell was a true pioneer. Robert Conrad was best known for his iconic TV roles, but was an accomplished actor who had an amazing career that spanned decades. He will always be remembered for his lead roles on The Wild Wild West and on Baa Baa Black Sheep and is an icon of the early years of television’s rise. Rest in peace, Robert Conrad. (deadline.com / Bloomberg.com)