By Caleb Stento

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No, the Martians are not coming. At least they didn’t come Thursday morning when a spectacular celestial event was witnessed in many locations throughout the southwestern portion of the United States.

The show was put on by a trio of missiles launched during a test. An unarmed Juno missile was launched from Ft. Wingate in New Mexico and two PAC 3 (Patriot Advanced Capabilities) missiles were subsequently launched from the White Sands Missile Range test facility to intercept it. The two bases are just over two-hundred miles apart, as the crow flies. Conditions were just right and the contrail from the Juno formed a brilliantly lit, twisting cloud-like formation.  The event prompted a flood of calls and e-mails to local and national authorities wondering what they had just witnessed.

Plaindealer Staff Report
The 39th Annual Imogene Pass Run is set to run on Sept. 8 with over 1500 registered participants. The race's long history and the quality of both the course and race organization have made it a benchmark for high altitude trail runs. With a strong following of runners from the four corner states, the race also attracts runners from 30 U.S. states, as well as international runners. “This year we sold out in only nine hours,” said race director John Jett. “Internet registrations were through the roof with a sellout on the first day.”