Central Maryland

J. Russell "Russ" Kimmel, a retired tire company executive, died Friday from pancreatic cancer at his Reisterstown home. He was 84. The son of a tire company owner and a homemaker, John Russell Kimmel — he never used his first name — was born in Baltimore and raised in Oakenshawe. He attended Calvert Hall College High School and left in 1945 to join his father, Charles E. Kimmel, who had established the Kimmel Tire Co. in 1938 on Mount Royal Avenue. From 1954 to 1956, he served in the Coast Guard.

Edward V.C. Nicol, a retired Social Security Administration public affairs representative who earned the name of "Mr. Meals on Wheels" for his more than three decades of volunteer work, died Jan. 13 of pneumonia at the Presbyterian Home of Maryland in Towson. The longtime Rodgers Forge resident was 96. The son of Presbyterian missionaries, Edward Van Cleve Nicol was born in Minneapolis while his parents were on furlough from their mission work in Beirut. In 1918, Mr. Nicol and his family returned to Beirut, where he graduated from the American Community School in 1934.

State officials were right last week to postpone approval of a Department of Juvenile Services contract to increase the capacity of the privately owned Silver Oak Academy juvenile residential treatment facility in Carroll County. The department wants to double the number of beds there, from 48 to 96, in order to reduce the backlog of youthful offenders awaiting treatment in overcrowded lockups. Getting more troubled young people out of detention centers and into treatment where they can receive the help they need is certainly a worthy goal.

A strong low-pressure system causing blizzards across the Midwest is forecast to bring potential white-out conditions in Western Maryland and damaging winds across the Baltimore area Friday and Saturday. Heavy snow combined with strong winds could create blizzard conditions with near-zero visibility in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. Up to 14 inches of snow could accumulate, with a blizzard warning in effect for western Allegany County and a winter storm warning for Garrett County.

Central Maryland is under a high wind watch starting Saturday morning, with gusts expected to reach 60 mph during the day. The forecast prompted utility Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. to warn of possible power outages. Rain is forecast to usher in the change in weather pattern Thursday evening, with blustery weather expected Friday and through Saturday. Sustained winds of 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph are expected Friday, increasing to sustained 30 mph winds with up to 60 mph gusts Saturday.

Editor: With the recent tragedy in Connecticut, many of us are feeling the impact, as we question the safety of our children and loved ones. When a traumatic event occurs, we tend to become overwhelmed with a variety of emotions, including sadness, grief, helplessness and anxiety. In the aftermath of any trauma, there are certain strategies that can be helpful in moving forward: Provide reassurance of safety to children Limit media exposure of the event for yourself and your child In the weeks following a trauma, such as the shooting, children may have difficulty concentrating and remaining focused on their schoolwork.

A nor'easter is set to hit Maryland on Wednesday with rain and wind before blowing north toward the battered New Jersey coastline. While forecasters continue to monitor the exact track of the storm, Accuweather meteorologist Rob Miller said Saturday the quick-moving storm is expected to bring rain and wind as far west as Interstate 95 through Wednesday night. Thursday could see lingering showers with breezy conditions, Miller said. For now, Miller said Baltimore and the Eastern Shore are likely to feel the impacts of the storm, but the conditions could be felt throughout Central Maryland into Northern Virginia if it pushes west.

One hundred miles as the crow flies. Or maybe it's the difference between a king and a queen in your poker hand. But most of Maryland is feeling pretty lucky this week, thanks to that small a break. With apologies to all those harmed by Hurricane Sandy, including residents of the flooded lower Eastern Shore and snowbound Western Maryland, the mega-storm's effects here would have been far worse had Sandy's center crossed 100 miles or so to the south. By Tuesday, we learned the advantage of being on the less powerful end of a hurricane - New Jersey and New York received far greater damage.

UPDATES: • Baltimore County Police are monitoring the bridge carrying Belair Road over the Gunpowder River, north of Perry Hall and south of Kingsville, as the bridge's culverts have been jammed with large amounts of debris. The Maryland Emergency Management Agency has also been alerted. •There will be full service on all MARC train lines on Wednesday, though delays may occur due to signal problems and flood-related speed restrictions, the Maryland Transit Administration said.