Cleanup continues after storm in Panhandle

Thursday, January 4th 2007, 2:32 pm

By: News On 6

BOISE CITY, Okla. (AP) _ About 3,000 homes are still without power and the National Guard began dropping hay to stranded cattle in the Oklahoma Panhandle as residents continue to dig out after a snow storm.

Roy Smothermon with Tri-County Electric Cooperative says repair crews are digging paths through snow drifts to get to downed power lines. He says it may be next week before power is fully restored.

Meanwhile National Guard Colonel Pat Scully says a Chinook helicopter has started a three-day mission in Boise City to drop hay to cattle.

Scully says the work must be very precise so as not to spook the cattle when the heavy-duty helicopter arrives to drop hay.

The Guard is sending another Chinook to Colorado to assist in hay drops in that state.