Y2K, just 5 years later

Planes falling from the sky, power-plants shutting down, critical infrastructure unavailable because it's computer-controlled electronic brains had shut down...does it still ring a bell? In 1998-99 lots of folks were worried about it.

Some were buying dried food and digging water wells in their backyards. Others were building stockpiles of supplies to barter after civil order had broken down, rendering cash useless.

As much a result of the hard-work of people across the world, the relative ease with which the millenium bug could be killed put us ahead of the curve and none of the horrors of Y2K materialized. Until now...

Computer problems have forced a delay in efforts to finish repaving Loop 101 in the southwest Valley with rubberized asphalt. Officials had planned for two big weekend pushes to complete the five-mile stretch between Thomas Road and Northern Avenue. The goal was to wrap up the job before this weekend. However, no paving was done June 18 because of computer malfunctions at a batch plant that produces the asphalt, said Doug Nintzel, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Transportation.

And to think, we're low on water and canned goods.