Direcor-producer Steven Spielberg's film "War Horse," currently showing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City and elsewhere, is fine movie making, with a splendid cast. If it sinks into sentimentality at times, bear with it because the story, from a British children's book of 1982.

In pre-WWI Britain, Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine, well cast) is out to buy a plow horse for his father's farm but winds up with a stallion of beauty and intelligence. Albert teaches the horse, named Joey by Albert, to comae when he hoots a signal.

The 21-year-old Walnut Creek, Calif. man who was struck and killed by a California Highway Patrol vehicle early Sunday morning on Highway 50 near Stateline at Lake Tahoe has been identified as Alex M. Moore, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.

Nevada traffic fatalities dropped in 2011 to 243.

Preliminary numbers show that 243 fatalities occurred on Nevada roads in 2011. This compares to 257 Nevada traffic deaths in 2010.

The reduced fatalities follow a general trend of traffic deaths dropping from an all-time high of 432 in 2006 to 243 in 2011.

My family went ice skating yesterday (everyone except me, because I would probably break something). But it was quite a sight to see three generations out on the ice together.

However, there was a problem. My wife used Google to find out what times the skating rink was open, and got that information from the DowntownCarsonCity.com website.

Unfortunately, those times are wrong. They are from last year, as that site hasn't been updated since then. The current holiday schedule for the ice rink is here.

Session start at 10 a.m. on weekends, not 3 p.m. as it says on the DowntownCarsonCity.com site. With the warm weather, this makes a big difference because by later in the afternoon, the ice can get pretty chopped up.

So enjoy the ice skating while it lasts. It's the only real sign of winter we have around here so far this year.

Carson City Sheriff's deputies arrested David Anthony Patten, 19, an unemployed Carson City resident, at 10:51 a.m. Friday, near the 500 block of Country Village Drive in Carson City. Patten was arrested for a felony probation violation, a felony failure to appear warrant, and an unspecified misdemeanor felony. No bail has been set.

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Juan Diaz-Rodriguez, 44, of Carson City, was arrested at around noon Friday near the 1900 block of North Carson Street. Diaz-Rodriguez was arrested for a felony fraud of a business. Bail is set at $7,500.

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Due to a project to complete a new north-south water transmission line on the east side of Carson City, there will be shoulder work on Fairview Drive between E. Fifth Street and Butti Way. Minimal delays are expected.
There will be work at the following locations as a result of the Freeway Landscaping Project. No closures are expected, but traffic control will be in effect.

• North Carson St., in the vicinity of the freeway overpass.
• Arrowhead Drive between N. Carson St. and Garnet Way.
• Northgate Lane between Jumbo Court and Dyer Court.

The Nevada Highway Patrol has released the following information regarding the Highway 50 accident near Stateline at Lake Tahoe early Sunday morning that claimed the life of a 21-year-old Walnut Creek man after being struck by a California Highway Patrol vehicle. The accident happened between Lake Village and Elks Point Road and was reported at 12:44 a.m. Sunday morning, said NHP Trooper Chuck Allen. The pedestrian, whose identity has not been released pending notification of family, died at the scene of the accident.

Hot-air balloons celebrate the new year by going for an early-morning flight over Carson City.

UPDATED 11:30AM: A 21-year-old Walnut Creek, Calif. man was struck and killed by a California Highway Patrol vehicle early Sunday morning, New Year's Day, on Highway 50 near Stateline at Lake Tahoe, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
The accident happened between Lake Village and Elks Point Road and was reported around 12:40 a.m. Sunday morning, said NHP Troopers Mike Edgell and Chuck Allen. The pedestrian, whose identity has not been released pending notification of family, died at the scene of the accident.

Two pedestrians were killed Friday night when they were struck by a pickup, shortly before 8 p.m. in Incline Village on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, the Nevada Highway Patrol reports. The driver of the pickup, Christopher Torii Smith, 25, of Grass Valley, was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence causing death. Names of the deceased have not been released.

Betty Kruspe, 86, of Carson City and Reno, Nevada, passed away on December 28, 2011. Walton's Chapel of the Valley. 775-882-4965Lovena Ora Skidmore, 91, of Carson City, passed away peacefully on De...

Another photo from the fire in Carson City today

UPDATE 6:30PM: Fire officials have reduced the amount of acres having burned on the east side of Carson City. Tonight officials report 300 acres have been consumed so far in the Laurel Fire burning on BLM land off of Deer Run Road. While no structures are threatened at this time, there is no estimate of containment.

There's plenty to celebrate as the clock is set to ring in the New Year this weekend. The celebration begins tonight at Carson Lanes with an inaugural pre New Year's Eve Rock and Roll show. Check out the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau blog for parties, deals and happenings around town.

For those of you who must text while driving, be prepared to pony up a fine starting New Years Day.

Since Oct. 1, Nevada Highway Patrol troopers have been giving out warning for texting while driving, writing up more than 600 warnings in the Reno-Carson City area. But the warnings come to an end on Sunday. This also applies to those who use a cell phone without a hands-free device.

Join the BAC to Broadway Kids for a fun-filled evening full of music and dance. All your favorite family-friendly Broadway shows from the past 10 years all together in a magical evening of song and dance. Featuring show-stoppers from “Wicked, Shrek, The Lion King, Billy Elliot, Hairspray, Mary Poppins” and much more!
Performances are January 20th and 21st at 7pm and January 22nd at 2pm.
Tickets are $10.00 General Admission, $8.00 Students/Seniors, $6.00 BAC Members.

Carson City Sheriff's deputies arrested Clyde Renville Hawkins Jr., 52, a mechanic from Reno, at around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Hawkins was arrested near the Koontz water tower for a felony burglary warrant out of Reno. He was discovered near the water tower in a parked vehicle, and told officers that he had been working out of Gardnerville and was "chilling out" after work.

Bail was set at $7,500.

Diamond Peak Ski Resort on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe is the home mountain for a January 7-8, 2012, ski camp hosted by legendary skier Wayne Wong.

The camp begins with an evening “meet and greet” at Village Ski Loft in Incline Village on January 6 and then continues with two full days of on snow instruction at Diamond Peak.

Carson City is pleased to once again offer Christmas Tree Recycling in cooperation with Capital Sanitation/Waste Management Inc. As in previous years, Christmas trees can be placed curbside on your regular collection day or taken to one of the drop-off locations. Trees will be chipped in the sprintime and given to local residents to use for mulch in their yards. No flocked trees! This program continues to be a huge success. Carson City would like to thank everyone for their participation. Last year we were able to redirect 28.48 tons of wood waste from our Landfill.

Diane Lee Lange, 54, of Carson City, passed away December 21, 2011. FitzHenry's Funeral Home is caring for arrangements. 775-882-2644Della A. Samaniego, 84, of Carson City, passed away December 27,...

Health inspection reports for Carson City restaurants:

This is the seventh and last in a series of photos of oddities that were seen on a six week vacation trip to Italy in September and October, 2011.
That trip was taken by Bob and Lorraine Scholes of Dayton and Don and Elaine Quilici of Carson City, as they traveled the length and width of Italy, plus being on the Island of Sicily and in Switzerland.
These photos are of some of the vehicle traffic encountered on that trip.

Here is the fishing report for the week of Dec. 28, 2011 through Jan. 3, 2012. The report covers rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California, the Sierra and southern Oregon.

The Nevada 2011 rifle hunting season for buck mule deer is currently open in Big Game Management Area Nos. 194-196 (The area is west of U.S. 395, between U.S. 50 to Lake Tahoe and I-80 to California), and it will remain open through January 1, 2012.
One of the safest places at this time of the year in Area Nos. 194-196 for a buck mule deer and especially so for a trophy buck is in the residential area of Carson City’s west side.
On Monday, December 26, a trophy buck was photographed enjoying the peace and quiet of a backyard, while in the company of some does.