Deep in Colorado

For some reason, I just remembered that I wanted to mention something I heard on All Things Considered a month ago. The story is about the >snow removal budgets of many communities going to heckfire and back this winter. Read through to the Colorado Springs report:

Des Moines has been buried by three blizzards so far this season, dropping more than 30 inches on the ground twice the normal accumulation. It’s been a severe winter in many parts of the country. Ice and snow removal budgets have been depleted in cities and counties nationwide. Kansas City already spent the $2.5 million it allocated for snow removal and now expects to spend as much as $4 million. Officials in Colorado Springs say they won’t even bother plowing residential streets until at least six inches fall.

Can you imagine that? “Bad weather” is a such a relative matter. In this part of the country, we think we’re inundated when six inches of snow falls. I’m sure there are many local critics who complain if the city fails to plow off four-tenths of an inch. And in Colorado Springs, no plowing on side streets until a six-incher reins down terror upon the community.

MORE SIX-INCH NEWS: Mr. Google led me to this when searching for the story above:

After struggling with an attacker over her handbag, 22-year-old office worker Julia Popova has walked home unaware that she was bleeding and had a knife buried deep in her neck.

THE ZEBRA STORY: You’ve probably heard by now about the zebra that escaped in downtown Atlanta. But did you run across >this quote?

All of a sudden a freaking zebra comes running down the street like a car,” Nance told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Five or six police cars were in hot pursuit. And a bunch of officers on foot. But then I got scared, thinking … what else is loose?