Some In Medical Industry Take Umbrage To Moore's 'Sicko'

I hope Michael Moore's new motion picture 'Sicko' doesn't do for the medical industry what 'Fahrenheit 9-11' did for Dubya's election campaign.

9-11 tried to wake the people in this country UP and all it got us was the election of one of the worst presidents and Administration in this nation's history.

You KNEW the medical industry would try to debunk the assertions Moore makes in the movie.
Like figures. They say Moore's a million or 5 too high on his estimates.

If you are like me and millions like me with no health insurance- the only numbers that matter are those associated with a hospital bill we can't afford.

Do the poor have as much right to live as the rich or not?

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Parents Getting Involved In Their Children's Lives

A Palmdale-California mother sure did.

She reportedly drove her son's friends to the house of a rival gang member. One of her son's friends emptied 3 shots into that house and Mom drove them all away.

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Afghani Dead- More Dead In Iraq - Dubya Asks For Patience

Or did he mean patients? As in more maimed American service people as his Desert Vietnam Folly plays on?

The AP wire is hot with news from Iraq and Afghanistan today.

The military says as many as "26" people were killed in their on-going sweeps- this one in Sadr City. However the people who live there and becoming increasingly hostile to our occupation- says "8 civilians" were killed in their homes during the siege.

Hey- collateral casualties in soldier-speak.

In other soldier-speak- it's claimed another American-led airstrike in southern Afghanistan has killed or wounded as many as 30 civilians - "including women and children." It was not reported if Osama Bin Laden was among the casualties.

If you can't win their hearts and minds- blow them up I guess....

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Great Britain Reels From Near-Misses

Scotland Yard is intently searching for the suspects who left 2 vehicles laden with explosives in London yesterday.

And a new report just in from Glasgow-Scotland is possibly someone tried to drive into one of the terminals at Glasgow International Airport.

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KANSAS CITY'S WEATHER: Rain Continues

As if you didn't know stepping out- the Heartland's version of a tropical rain region. I've had more than 3.5-inches of rain northeast of the Grandview Triangle since Wednesday and it's still coming down- fortunately most has been at a somewhat soaking rate rather than in torrents.

The comparative map images below- taken almost exactly 29 hours apart- tell the story. They are radar-indicated areas of accumulated rainfall since Wednesday. Inside the white areas are scattered indicated 13-inch amount storm totals.

(Click on the maps to enlarge and or save them to your personal files.)

0340 CDT - June 29

0835 CDT - June 30

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Mayor Funkhouser's "Notes From Funk's Front Porch" IV

Welcome to Funk's Front Porch

29 June 2007

Dear Folks,

Our very own Joe Miller is receiving yet another award for his book, Cross-X – this time the 2006 Harry Chapin Media Award, which honors journalists for outstanding coverage that positively impacts hunger, poverty and self-reliance. In case you haven’t heard, Joe’s book is about the debate team at an inner city school in Kansas City, Central High. It chronicles the members of the team who overcome the challenges of their troubled neighborhoods and sometimes-traumatic home lives to succeed on the national debate scene. The book has also been optioned by Lifetime to be made into a movie in the near future. Is the Mayor’s office fortunate or what for having such a genius on our staff?

Funk was in Nashville this week to give the keynote address to eighteen hundred auditors from around the country. Funk is in high demand for speaking engagements with audit groups these days, as it is highly unusual to go from being Auditor to Mayor. This group was extra special though, because Nashville is where he got his start in auditing and the session where he gave the keynote speech honored his old boss, Comptroller General Snodgrass, who must be 95 years old by now. It was very moving for Funk to be back in his old stomping grounds and to be amongst people who are so proud of his accomplishments, not only personally, but on a professional level as well.

We are moving slowly towards beginning our bi-weekly, call-in television talk show. The show will augment the Town Hall meetings, giving citizens a chance to attend a Town Hall-like meeting without leaving the comfort of their home. At the Town Hall meetings, Funk usually speaks for 15 minutes, and follows up with 45 minutes of questions and answers. The call-in talk show will follow a somewhat similar format. We are all very excited to begin this next phase of communication on a much larger scale with the people of our city.

Funk is working hard toward meeting the ten priorities that he set for himself for his term as Mayor. He even has them listed on the back of his business cards. They are as follows:

1. Establishing a good working relationship with the Council
2. Getting the City’s finances in order
3. Making downtown work
4. Tending to our neighborhoods
5. Implementing the Housing Policy task force recommendations
6. Improving the perception and the reality of public education in Kansas City
7. Reducing Crime
8. Repairing our sewer systems
9. Establishing an excellent regional transit system, which includes light rail
10. Improving citizen satisfaction with City services

Funk feels that excelling in these areas is the real means by which you can judge his performance. I will be posting these priorities at the end of each newsletter so that we can all keep our eye on the task at hand.

We bid you a beautiful summer week.

All the best,
Gloria & Mark

You can respond to this newsletter either at funksfrontporch@gmail.com or at mayor@kcmo.org.

The Kansas City MetroRegion Overnight News and Weather Report - Saturday, June 30, 2007

*** ONE DEAD IN NORTHEASTERN INDEPENDENCE-MO WRECK ***

The call came in around 2:30 am Saturday morning to the 26900 block of East U.S. 24- in the westbound lanes- where a one-vehicle wreck had occurred.

Firefighters arrived and did C.P.R. on the driver until AMR-EMS contacted Centerpoint Med Center's E-R and were authorized to stop the CPR.

No other details yet.

_________________________________

**FOUR SAVED IN CASS COUNTY-MO HIGH WATER RESCUE**

... At 1:39 am- Cass county emergency services dispatched a ladder truck from Harrisonville to assist on a high water rescue in the eastern part of the county.

According to all reports in- four people in a pickup truck apparently drove into floodwaters from Big Creek- on East 239th Street near Old Drum Road.

The ladder truck couldn't get to the victims- and help is soon sent from neighboring Johnson county-MO..

At 2:21 am- two of the four persons are rescued. One of them is taken to Cass County Med Center afterwards. At 4:14 am and with still-rising water- the other 2 occupants of the truck are brought safely to dryer ground.

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<><><>OVERNIGHT WEATHER<><><>

The rain that had tapered off to sprinkles late Friday night was increasing in intensity by dawn across Johnson and Miami counties Kansas and Cass County Missouri.

Many streams and rivers- in Cass and Johnson counties in MO- and Miami and Linn counties KS- are at or above flood stage.

A general flood warning continues today for all Metro K.C. counties along and south of I-70.

Rain- heavy at times- will continue today generally near and south of Interstate 70.
________________________________
First with Metro Kansas City Breaking News - NBC41 ACTION NEWS.
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New Indiana Law Requires Weather Radios In Mobile Homes

I have been reading about this law on a "storm chaser" mailing list I subscribe to. It was my understanding from the dialogue there that Indiana would require NEW mobile homes sold after the law went into effect to have the radios.

According to the AP article- it states mobile homes- period- have to have weather radios.

Even with the broadcast warning most noted- the majority of trailer parks in Indiana do not have storm shelters.

I wryly noted that the best you should expect the government to do is warn you your ass is in peril.

HOW you protect your backside is YOUR problem.

________________

Lake Tahoe-CA Fire "70-Percent Contained"

It has also been determined that "an illegal campfire" started the wildfire that has destroyed several hundred buildings but fortunately has taken no human lives.

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Amusement Park Ride Kills 1 Near New York City

The "woman in her 20's" was killed at "Playland" amusement park in Rye-NY which is north of NYC.

The ride the woman was killed on was "The Mind Scrambler"- an indoor ride where gondolas rotate while going in a circle.

It's reportedly the 2nd fatal accident on this ride here in 3 years- 4 fatalities total at Playland in as many years- according to the Associated Press article.

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U.S. Border Fence Is In Mexico

It is reported that a length of "1.5-miles" of fence/barrier meant to keep illegal immigrants in vehicles (busses-trucks- etc.) out was actually built on the wrong side of the border in Mexico- and it's going to cost American taxpayers "$3-million" to make thing right.

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Past Three Months Deadliest In Iraq War

According to the AP- the past 3 months have been the deadliest for the American military since the Iraq bungle began what seems like 10 years ago.

In a related note- desertions of American soldiers are on the rise and the military reports they're not doing that much to find the deserters (sorry I can't find the AP link to this so trust me) .

And the dance band on the Titanic plays on ....

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KANSAS CITY'S WEATHER: General Flood Warning Continues For South Half Of MetroRegion

The latest statement from the NWS office at Pleasant Hill:


...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR:

LINN- MIAMI AND JOHNSON COUNTIES IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS...

SALINE AND PETTIS COUNTIES IN CENTRAL MISSOURI- LAFAYETTE- JACKSON- JOHNSON- CASS- HENRY AND BATES COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI UNTIL 930 AM CDT...


AT 1228 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF RAIN HAS MOVED TO AREAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM PAOLA TO HARRISONVILLE TO CLINTON WITH SMALL POCKETS OF VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM BUTLER EAST TO CLINTON. THE RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD SLOWLY NORTH THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH RAIN- HEAVY AT TIMES.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH 6 AM ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM ONE HALF TO ONE INCH WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS TO AROUND 2 INCHES. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO FALL SOUTH OF A LINE FROM PAOLA TO HARRISONVILLE TO WARRENSBURG TO SEDALIA.

LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORT THAT FLOODING CONTINUES FROM THE PREVIOUS HEAVY RAINFALL WITH MANY ROADS CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER. THE ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ONLY SERVE TO MAKE CONDITIONS WORSE WITH ADDITIONAL ROADS LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE FLOODING.

HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE: ADRIAN- BELTON- BLUE SPRINGS- BUCKNER- BUTLER- CLINTON- CONCORDIA- COURTNEY- DE SOTO- EDGERTON- FAIRWAY- GARDEN CITY- GARDNER- GRAIN VALLEY AND GRANDVIEW.

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KANSAS CITY'S WEATHER: High Water Advisory In Southeastern Johnson County Kansas

A moderate to heavy rainshower has been virtually sitting over the Stanley-Stillwell areas of southern Overland Park-KS for the past hour.

One rain gauge in the OP-KS 'StormWatch' network of real-time reading rain gauges-U.S. 69 at the Big Blue River- indicated one inch of rain has fallen in the past hour.

Waterways affected will be Negro and Camp Branch Creeks and the upper reaches of the Big Blue River.

BULLETIN: NWS JUST ISSUED FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR JACKSON COUNTY MO AND JOHNSON COUNTY KANSAS AT 0432 CDT.

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KANSAS CITY'S WEATHER: Flood Warnings On MetroRegion Streams and Rivers

As of 4 am Friday- 29 June 2007- the following streams and rivers have flood warnings according to the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Pleasant Hill-MO..

Warnings listed according to present forecast severity of flood:

THE BIG CREEK AT BLAIRSTOWN UNTIL SATURDAY AFTERNOON ...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.
* AT 10:00 PM THURSDAY THE STAGE WAS 23.8 FEET
* MODERATE FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 20.0 FEET
* FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 24.5 FEET BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE FRIDAY AFTERNOON.


THE SOUTH GRAND RIVER AT URICH
* UNTIL LATE SUNDAY NIGHT ...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.
* AT 7:00 PM THURSDAY THE STAGE WAS 27.2 FEET
* MODERATE FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 24.0 FEET
* FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 28.0 FEET BY
FRIDAY MORNING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.
* AT 28.0 FEET...K HIGHWAY IS UNDER WATER...APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE SOUTH OF URICH. IN ADDITION...MANY OTHER ROADS ALONG THE RIVER ARE FLOODED.
* AT 24.0 FEET...LOW-LYING PASTURE...CROPLAND...AND SECONDARY ROADS WITHIN 0.5 TO 1.5 MILES OF THE RIVER FLOOD.


THE MARAIS DES CYGNES RIVER NEAR TRADING POST
* UNTIL MONDAY MORNING ...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.
* AT 9:00 PM THURSDAY THE STAGE WAS 23.5 FEET
* MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 25.0 FEET
* FORECAST...RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY FRIDAY MORNING AND CONTINUE TO RISE TO NEAR 28.0 FEET BY SATURDAY MORNING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE BY LATE SUNDAY MORNING.
* AT 27.0 FEET...STATE LINE ROAD BEGINS TO FLOOD.
* AT 25.0 FEET...FLOODING OF LOW-LYING FARMLAND OCCURS.


THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE BLACKWATER RIVER NEAR BLUE LICK
* FROM THIS EVENING TO LATE SUNDAY NIGHT ...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.
* AT 9:45 PM THURSDAY THE STAGE WAS 24.9 FEET
* MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 24.0 FEET
* FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 26.5 FEET BY
FRIDAY EVENING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.
* AT 24.0 FEET...CROPLAND AND PASTURES ALONG THE RIVER FLOOD.


...FLOOD WARNING EXTENDED UNTIL SUNDAY AFTERNOON...THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR
THE MARAIS DES CYGNES RIVER AT OSAWATOMIE
* UNTIL SUNDAY AFTERNOON ...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.
* AT 6:45 PM THURSDAY THE STAGE WAS 28.1 FEET
* MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 28.0 FEET
* FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 30.1 FEET BY
FRIDAY MORNING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE EARLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
* AT 28.0 FEET...LOW-LYING AREAS ALONG THE RIVER BEGIN TO FLOOD.


...FLOOD WARNING EXTENDED UNTIL LATE SUNDAY NIGHT...THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR
THE MARAIS DES CYGNES RIVER AT LA CYGNE
* UNTIL LATE SUNDAY NIGHT ...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.
* AT 9:15 PM THURSDAY THE STAGE WAS 26.1 FEET
* MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 25.0 FEET
* FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 27.7 FEET BY FRIDAY EVENING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.
* AT 25.0 FEET...LOW-LYING FARMLAND AND OTHER RURAL LAND FLOODS.

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KANSAS CITY'S WEATHER: Flash-Flood Warnings Issued For Southern- Eastern MetroRegion Counties

The weather system that continues to plague Texas and Oklahoma with deadly and damaging flooding has spread it's tentacles into the Kansas City MetroRegion.

Southeastern through southwestern portions of the MetroRegion have received up to 6-inches of rain over the past 24-hours with more rain moving back north (see radar image below) into these same areas this Friday morning.

Here is a NWS flash-flood warning issued by the Pleasant Hill office:

FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
315 AM CDT FRI JUN 29 2007

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PLEASANT HILL HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
BATES COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI
CASS COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI
HENRY COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI
JOHNSON COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI
LINN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 930 AM CDT

* AT 315 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. RADAR ESTIMATES THAT ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. AN ADDITIONAL INCH OF RAIN IS LIKELY BY 7 AM. THE HEAVY RAINFALL ON ALREADY SATURATED SOIL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. DO NOT ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

Here is the present weather radar picture of the Kansas City MetroRegion (Click On Image To Enlarge)

Here is the radar-indicated rain that has fallen since midnight Thursday morning.

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The 'Duh' Files: One-Third Of Teens Online Claim Harassment

This is said by some mouthpiece and/or report from something I never heard of- the "Pew Internet and American Life Project."

Pew says that most of the "one-third" victims are females.

Your ever-versatile Captain Spaulding spent too many years in Internet chat rooms- even as a moderator or "op" in a popular peer to peer "music-sharing" program's chatroom.

To make a short story long- I think Pew's study stinks.

If you are in public forums or chatrooms- it's more like nine-tenths suffer slings and arrows- unless you are a lurker. "Father Mulcahy" sure could tell you some stories!

________________________

Baghdad Car Bomb Kills At Least 20 - "60" Other Iraqis "Found Dead Around The Country

On top of the Baghdad car bomb early today and the other dead citizens found in various places in the embattled country- 3 British soldiers and an American soldier died on Wednesday in Iraq.

The military also said they offed "a senior al-Quada leader."

Sorry folks- it wasn't Osama Bin Laden- who continues to run free nearly 6 years after his masterminded plot killed more than 3000 people in New York and D.C. in 2001.

__________________________

Senate Subpoenas White House- Cheney

Why the nerve of the Senate!

The White House- Messrs. Bush and Cheney- don't have to answer to the American people- much less a bunch of wealthy- non drug-tested lawmakers.

Still- the Senate is at least making feeble- sheep-like noises to this Administration over their unconstitutional wiretapping of American citizens- to as much effectiveness I'm sure as their promise to get us the hell out of Bush's Folly.

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Austin-TX Area Flood Video Site

It's KEYE-CBS42 in Austin.

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Ann Coulter Best Viewed With Her Mouth Shut

I think her exterior appearance is a fantastic Mike Westmore creation (Westmore did all the alien makeup on the Star Treks). Underneath what appears to be Westmore's best work is a cloned hybrid of Karl "Marx" Rove and Dick "Skull" Cheney.

Coulter has no class- but apparently she's a great fund-raiser for Demoblican candidate for king- John Edwards.

Yes Ann- you have money and beauty- all the attributes Geoffrey Spaulding craves. When I see you there on TeeVee with your mouth shut and thinking of all those nasty things your going to say- you sweep me off your feet.

A warning though my lovely little blonde cayenne pepper - the minute you open your yap- it's my exit stage left crooning "Hello- I Must Be Going...."

________________________

Beyonce Takes 2 BET Awards

Beyonce led with six nominations at the annual Black Entertainment Television (BET) cable channel's awards ceremony Tuesday night.

"Dreamgirls" co-star and former American Idol washout Jennifer Hudson- took awards for best new artist and best actress.

A lifetime achievement award was given to superstar Miss Diana Ross and tributes were performed for passing R&B artists Gerald Levert and The Godfather of Soul- James Brown.

__________________

First Lawsuit Filed In Selmer-TN Dragster Crash

The suit was brought by the father of one of the deceased teenagers.

The accident on June 16 occurred during a "Cars For Kids" charity. Bruce Replogle is the father of 15-year-old Scarlett Replogle- one of the 6 killed. Twenty-three were injured.

Replogle is asking $10-million and names everyone in the suit it seems but Elvis....

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LIVE: BIG Rain In Texas (Of Course)

Go here and do the math on the running rain gauge total on this station northwest of Austin-TX:
Marble Falls (TX) 6 (mi.) ENE - see how much higher it gets this Wednesday morning.

I've totalled an incredible 16.7-inches of rain there from 11:10 pm Tuesday night to the last reading as of this post- 3:55 am..

Fortunately- nearly all this rain is almost directly in the Lower Colorado River series of dams and lakes above Austin.

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Widespread Flooding Problems In Oklahoma- Texas

As of this writing- I've been watching an intense area of rain sitting northwest of Austin-TX. Over the past two hours- radar-indicated precipitation totals in that area have reached 8-9 inches with heavy rain continuing.

Such is the problem over large parts of Texas and Oklahoma- where a stagnant upper-atmosphere low-pressure area has caused almost daily rains over these areas for the past several weeks.

Two teenage twins had to be rescued from high water in Oklahoma City yesterday- one creek in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is forecast to reach an all-time record flood crest.

Worse news: the heavy rains are to continue for at least the next 48 hours and now areas to the north- including the Kansas City MetroRegion- are also under the gun for possible flash-flooding.

__________________________

KANSAS CITY'S WEATHER: Metro Kansas City In A Flash-Flood Watch

Beginning this morning at 7 am local time anyway and the watch runs until Thursday night.

Here is the NWS statement in it's entirety:

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR PORTIONS OF KANSAS AND MISSOURI- INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING (COUNTIES) AREAS:

IN KANSAS: JOHNSON KS-LEAVENWORTH- LINN KS- MIAMI AND WYANDOTTE.

IN MISSOURI: BATES- CARROLL- CASS- CLAY- COOPER- HENRY- JACKSON- JOHNSON MO- LAFAYETTE- PETTIS- PLATTE- RAY AND SALINE.

* FROM 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT*

A COLD FRONT OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST MISSOURI EARLY THIS MORNING AND SHIFT SLOWLY SOUTHWARD INTO EAST CENTRAL KANSAS AND CENTRAL MISSOURI TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY. AT THE SAME TIME- A SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER OKLAHOMA WILL DRIFT NORTHEAST TOWARD MISSOURI.

AS THE FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE INTERACT WITH MOISTURE OVER THE REGION- SEVERAL ROUNDS OF HEAVY RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. WIDESPREAD ACCUMULATIONS IN EXCESS OF TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BY THE END OF THE DAY THURSDAY. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF UP TO FIVE INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE WHERE SEVERAL HEAVY BANDS OF RAIN MOVE THROUGH.

THIS HEAVY RAINFALL WILL LIKELY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING ACROSS THE WATCH AREA. ADDITIONALLY- WHILE LOCAL AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF WATER TO BEGIN WITH- THE EXPECTED LENGTH OF THIS EVENT WILL LIKELY LEAD TO RIVER AND STREAM FLOODING BY THURSDAY.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE WATCH AREA- WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING.

IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA- CHECK YOUR PREPAREDNESS REQUIREMENTS- ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE INTERESTS ALONG AREA RIVERS.

KEEP INFORMED- AND BE READY FOR ACTION IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR IF A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED.

Missouri Inmates Use Tunnel To Escape To Other's Cells

That's right.

According to the AP story- prisoners in the Scott City-MO jail used "pancake batter and toothpaste" to cover up a hole that led to a tunnel between cells- where a female prisoner was kept- and another male inmate's cell.

Now the inmates will have to deal with "steel plates" to satify their urges for jailhouse whoopee.

_____________________

Benoit Strangled Wife- Smothered Son- Hung Himself On Weight Equipment

Details have been released in the shocking murder-suicide of Chris Benoit's wife and son.

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KANSAS CITY'S BREAKING NEWS: Update On Hallmark Cards Haz-Mat Incident

It is more than one hour into this hazardous-materials (Haz-Mat) incident at the Hallmark Greeting Cards corporate headquarters at 2500 McGee- Crown Center- Kansas City-MO..

This continues to be an active incident- with additional investigators called in.

At least one- possibly more- persons were exposed to an unknown substance when they opened a package just delivered before 10 am this morning.

That Hallmark employee and the delivery driver- both males- are undergoing decontamination and medical treatment at a "Haz-Mat command post on 27th Street" near Grand.

The Hallmark employee suffered "a rash" and "welts" on his "arms-face and chest." He may have also began to experience some breathing difficulties. Unknown if the delivery driver was affected.

--------------------

Just after 10:30 am- KC-MO Fire companies were called to the 9100 block of North Evanston- where a fire "in new construction- reported out" with a burn victim also reported.

Pumper 14 arrived 7 minutes after the dispatch and confirmed the "lacquer fire" out- but "the burned victim was taken to (a) hospital by private vehicle."

The extent of that person's burns are unknown- but a fire investigator was sent to the scene.

________________________________

Former School Security Guard Took In 14-Year-Old Runaway For Sex Toy

Tanya Nicole Kach- now 25- was reportedly 14 when she ran away from home and went to live with then school guard 49-year-old Thomas John Hose in the Pittsburgh-PA area.

Hose is going through criminal proceedings now.

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KANSAS CITY'S BREAKING NEWS: Mysterious Substance Affects An Employee At Hallmark Cards HQ

KC-MO Fire- their Haz-Mat unit- as well as MAST-EMS & police responded around 10 am to Hallmark Cards headquarters.

Information received from the scene so far is that one employee opened a package with a return address from Africa- and was covered in an unknown substance.

That employee has reportedly "developed a rash on his arms- face and chest" according to a Haz-Mat official at 10:11 am.. He is being treated.

No word if Hallmark headquarters has been evacuated or just that area where the package was opened.

______________________

Outpouring Of Gifts Overwhelms Virginia Tech

Gifts of many varieties and messages of comfort and condolence continue to come daily to Virginia Tech University- where April 16 a student killed himself after slaughtering 32 others.

__________________________

Murder Suspect Of Pregnant Woman Had 3 Kids By 3 Different Mothers

Police officer turned murder suspect Bobby Cutts Jr. apparently liked sowing his oats in different fields- according to this AP story.

A woman is also being held in relation to this case- the kidnapping and killing of the pregnant Ohio woman Jessie Davis and her near full-term fetus girl.

_________________

New CO2 Capture Technology Developed In Europe

A French engineering firm is teaming with a German energy provider to build a "carbon-dioxide capture plant" at a southern Sweden power plant.

Carbon-dioxide is considered the primary greenhouse gas.

A company- "Alstom"- has developed a "chilled-ammonia technology that is touted as being able to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

Not said is what this "chilled-ammonia" process turns the carbon-dioxide gas into.

_______________________

Early Summer Sunset Over Vancouver Island-B.C.-Canada

Courtesy of the most gracious http://www.katcam.ca/

May The Great Spirit grace Songbird and her Little Big Man a spectacular yet beneficial thundershower.

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Ex-E.P.A. Chief Lambasted At 9-11 Hearing

As each World Trade tower collapsed on September 11- 2001- huge clouds of pulverized office building and whoever was left inside- spread over lower Manhattan.

Anyone with even 1/16th of an intelligence knew that breathing in that dust was dangerous.

You wonder then doesn't our collective government even HAVE 1/16th of any intelligence when they try to convince people- sickened and dying of the residual effects of 9-11- that the dust they breathed in that morning wasn't toxic.

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Wildfire In South Lake Tahoe-CA Continues Unabated

Hundreds of people evacuated.

At least 200 structures destroyed by flames that soared more than 10-stories tall. Ashes that turned the pristine waters of a lake black.

It's the stuff of a Hollywood production- but Mother Nature is in charge of this set in South Lake Tahoe-CA..

Firefighters hope to gain at least partial control before weather conditions mid-week turn to wind and low humidities.

________________

WWE Wrestler Chris Benoit- Wife- Son Found Dead

The State of Georgia's Fayette County Sheriff's Department reports the bodies of the 3 were found Monday afternoon- and that it appears to be a murder-suicide.

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Effectiveness Of Police Sobriety Checkpoints Questioned

They have been running these things since 1975 that I know of- where a group of law officers set up on a city street and check the drivers' sobriety of all the vehicles that pass by.

The following figures are quite indicative of these checkpoints' effectiveness:

The STAR reported that late last Saturday and early Sunday- such a checkpoint set up on the north end of the Broadway bridge over the Missouri stopped "2541 vehicles.

Of ALL those stops- "15 were arrested for driving under the influence" and "2 were arrested for possession of a controlled substance."

Folks- that many arrests out of that many cars stopped- LESS THAN 1-percent- is NOT effective law-enforcement.

During the same time at least a half-dozen police are sitting at this checkpoint- other police zones run of of cars to run calls- what's called being "blacked out."

The above happens virtually every TV news weekend shift I have worked since 1991.

My thoughts are that those cops sitting on checkpoints would be FAR more effective on the streets- spotting impaired drivers and being available for other reported crimes.

I'm willing to bet they would net more than less than one-percent that way too.

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Judge Who Sued Korean-American Cleaners Loses

And all I have to say is GOOD!

That irresponsible judge who tried to sue a D.C. clothes cleaning shop for $54-million has lost his case (he's already lost his mind- so this verdict is in line with that flow).

My hope is that the Korean-American shop owner is able to recoup his legal fees from the man who should be sitting somewhere on a PARK bench- not a judicial bench.

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Could The Male Of The Species Become Endangered?

There's possibly another shark fetus discovered that may have been conceived without the sperm of a male shark- this in Florida.

The first confirmed case of this asexual reproduction- or parthenogenesis- happened in 2001 in Omaha-NE's Henry Doorly Zoo..

Dudes- if this sort of shark DNA can somehow be transferred to Human females (some already carry some degree) - I don't have to tell you the consequences....

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(FWH) AP: Rice: Democracy Will Come to Middle East

She also thinks Elvis- Jimmy Hoffa and Jim Morrison are still alive- predicts a cold-wave in Hell- and says President Bush is one of America's greatest leaders.

BARTENDER: "What'll ya have buddy?"
GROUCHO: "Whatever the Secretary of State is having ... and make it a double!"

Here is the link to the real AP story.
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"27" Dead So Far In Day Of Iraq Car-Bombings

If you thought you hated Mondays- many Iraqi families are finding this one extremely devastating. Cars bombs exploded north- south and central Baghdad.

The spin experts will point to this and say "Well imagine how bad if would be if we pulled out?"- if not an argument for even more troops committed there.

(Awaiting the enlistment of the Bush daughters into the military)

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Massive Wildfire At Lake Tahoe (Hope The Ponderosa Isn't In Danger)

A massive wildfire around Lake Tahoe has destroyed an estimated "165" structures and continues out of control.

Another big natural cover fire is burning on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. That fire has claimed "dozens" of structures.

Summer is but 5 days old too....

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Boston Globe: "Grassroots" Movement To Impeach Bush- Cheney Stalled

The last ELECTED president went through the same machinations for lying about a blow-job- so one has to wonder with all the absolute malfeasence this Administration has engaged in- why impeachment procedings haven't even been STARTED on these two.

The Globe article here explains a lot of why not.

THIRD PARTY!!!

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Fun With L.E.D.'s

Touted as the new light source of the future- one Boston man has outfitted his loft in apparently a dazzling display of the highly-energy efficient lights.

No picture of the guy's setup came with the AP article unfortunately.

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Sorry

Not too many posts the past 2 days- we're having electrical problems here in the NewsCenter which are being fixed now (and I'm using this brief window the power's on to let ya' all know).

I should resume here full tilt later tonight- according to the electrician making GOBS working on a Sunday...

Free Shower At L.A. International Airport

A fire sprinkler head broke in one terminal at LAX early today- giving "hundreds" of people a free shower- whether they wanted one or not.

Airport crews are getting the mess cleaned up this afternoon...

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Eastern 2/3 Of Metro's Most Populous County Trauma Center-less

For the second overnight in a row- the multi-million dollar medical palace jewel of properous southeastern Independence-MO the Centerpoint Medical Center is "on trauma (patient) divert."

In plain English it means it cannot accept persons badly injured in accidents or civil matters.

This has and continues to leave- at least until my shift ends at 7 am or whenever they accept again- no Level-II trauma center open east of I-435 in Jackson County-MO..

The weather's great- so at least the med choppers can fly....

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