The Kansas City MetroRegion Overnight News and Weather Report - Saturday, April 19, 2008

*** WOMAN KILLED IN KC-KS SHOOTING ***

***A middle-age woman died of multiple gunshot wounds after a shooting in the 2400 block of Park Drive early Saturday morning.

The incident happened around 1:30am at the Gossip Inn tavern. The victim was reported to be the tavern's bartender. Robbery appeared not to be a motive police said.

Police were seeking the suspect- a black male in his middle-20's- around 6-foot 2-inches- who left on foot wearing a brown jacket.

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*** ONE KILLED IN KC-MO WRECK ***

*** One person is dead at the scene and another in serious condition after a 1-vehicle crash in far eastern KC-MO just before 3:30am.

The crash was in the 5200 block of Lee's Summit Road. The driver died at the scene.

A reported 33-year-old male" rear passenger suffered serious to critical injuries and was taken to a nearby trauma center. Another male had injuries that were not life-threatening- reportedly found wandering in the area up to an hour after the crash.

The accident's under investigation by KC-MO police- possibly alcohol involved.

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

Light rainshowers continued to move through the Kansas City MetroRegion from north to south. Rain amounts of under a quarter-inch have been the rule.

Temperatures hung in the 40's and winds ranged from west to northwest with the highest speeds in western areas.

A mostly cloudy and cool day today with temperatures struggling to reach the 50-degree mark in most locations. West to northwest winds of 5 to 20 m.p.h. will make it seem even cooler. There will be scattered rainshowers- mostly along and east of I-29-U.S. 71 today.

There will be a strong warm-up on Sunday- with temperatures in the 70's.

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Kansas City's Breaking News Leader - NBC41 ACTION NEWS.

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Illinois Quake Recalls Last Big Shaker

This morning's 5.2-magnitude earthquake- centered in southeastern Illinois- was the strongest quake along the New Madrid fault zone since 1968.

I felt that 1968 5.5-magnitude quake here in Kansas City.

It was a Saturday and I was working a part-time job at an auto parts store on Truman Road west of Brooklyn. Darryl and I were doing an inventory of the store's automotive exhaust piping late that morning when it hit.

That part of the store had been added- with a simple concrete-slab poured on

I was sitting on a new car battery box with a clipboard when the box and I started rolling side to side. All those steel tailpipes in their racks to the ceiling- some as long as 10 feet- were rattling as if someone were shaking those 4 rows of racks.

Darryl- standing and reading off part numbers to me- started swaying as if drunk- he had to hold on the the racks on both sides briefly. Just as soon as this weird carnival ride started- it stopped.

We looked at each other with surprise- both thinking and saying "Earthquake?" I rushed to the front of the store- the older part of the store with a basement underneath.

No one up front felt anything. I didn't put the basement underneath versus a concrete slab on ground together as the probable reason they didn't feel anything until later.

We went right back to work and it wasn't till we were going to Harold's on Admiral for lunch that we heard about the 5.5 quake in southern Illinois less than 2 hours earlier.

I don't recall any damage locally- but it was quite an experience feeling my first quake 2 years after seeing/predicting my first tornado.

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AP: NWS Says Worldwide- March Was 2nd-Warmest Month On Record

According to this Associated Press article- March temperatures worldwide made it the 2nd warmest month ever measured.

Those of us in the K.C. MetroRegion may disagree with the National Weather Service's data- but warmer than average temperatures in Asia raised all areas to this status.

In addition- the NWS reported that Missouri experienced it's "2nd-wettest March on record."

Doubt- even deny "global warming" if you want- the data speaks for itself.

Consume onward!

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NBC: New Way To Sell You Stuff

When a TV production company teams up with an ad agency- you know quality programming can be far behind.

This is what has happened with a NBC-Universal company spin-off- according to this AP article. That new company is going to "create programs around a sponsor's product."

So when is THIS new?
Most TV programming is filler between ads anyway. Time-Warner-Looney Tunes cable has around a half-dozen channels that sell nothing but bright- shiny crap 24/7.

If NBC thinks this ploy is going to bring back the viewers that they're hemorrhaging- time for Thought No. 2.

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A New Local High

The price of gasoline that is.

Instead of "high" it should be "bye"- as in your money....

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KANSAS CITY MetroRegion WEATHER: Flood Watch West Through North Areas

Areas from Atchison-KS and St. Joseph through Chillicothe-MO are in a NWS-issued Flood Watch from 7pm this evening (Thursday) until 7pm Friday evening.

This watch does not include Metro K.C..

The NWS watch map indicates a similar flood watch for areas of Northeast Kansas around and north of Topeka- but no info on that watch is available online at this time.

Updates here as required....

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BULLETIN: High Energy And Food Prices Are Linked

This apparently no-brainer was offered up yesterday by who else? One of Shrub's Administration- of course!

It's reported by corporate news sources that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer connected those dots of high fuel & food prices while at a "conference" at the Westin Crown Center yesterday.

Secy. Schafer refuses to call America's blind- headlong rush into production that not-so-great fuel alternative- ethanol- the "sole" cause of soaring food prices.

Just "one cause."

Geez....

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Open Message To Hilary Clinton: Drop Out

America needs another cowboy in the White House like we need all the oil refineries to close for maintenance.

If we elect McCain- that's exactly what we get- Shrub 2.

So Hilary Clinton needs to quit hacking away at Barrack Obama. Better yet- she needs to drop out of the presidential race altogether.

Like I DON'T want another Bush as president- I won't vote for another Clinton either.

If- at ANY time we needed fresh blood in politics it's now. America can't stand much more of the polly's "business as usual."

Barrack is as close to "fresh blood" as either the Demoblican or Republicrat parties can muster. McCain is a continuation of G.W. Shrub's miserably failed policies in just about every area.

The only possible way I'll vote other than Libertarian is if Obama is a candidate and the ONLY thing the Dems have to offer in the way of beating McCain is Obama.

So Hilary Clinton- be a patriot- a REAL Dem party hack- and drop out. You're unelectable.

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KANSAS CITY MetroRegion WEATHER: 5-Day NWS USA Precip Forecast

This graphic- made by the National Weather Service's (NWS) Hydro Prediction Center (HPC)- shows the amount of precipitation- in tenths of and inches- expected throughout the Lower 48 from 6am today through 6am Monday- April 21.

Clicking to enlarge this image- you can see a band of forecasted rain amounts of up to 4-inches- running from near Chillicothe-MO- over Metro Kansas City into eastern Kansas- including Lawrence and Ottawa.

We could see some showers and thunderstorms move in overnight- with rain expected both Thursday and Friday. No severe weather is expected in the K.C. Metro.

Another storm system is possible early next week.

The best news is that there is no cold air in sight for the next 7 days- with low temperatures no lower than 40-degrees and a chance to hit 80-degrees next Monday.

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EnergySolutions Inc Is Shameless

Aquila- with your illegal Cass County power plant- meet EnergySolutions Inc..

EnergySolutions Inc of Salt Lake City-UT wants to bring all kinds of foreign nuclear waste to the ole U.S.A. for disposal.

According to the Associated Press- EnergySolutions Inc is contributing heavily to the campaign coffers of those politicians who can benefit EnergySolutions Inc..

Back in the "old days"- a corporation at the least tried to hide payments to politicians in exchange for favors.

Maybe we ordinary citizens should start our own P.A.C.- and return the government once for and by the people to the people.

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Big Natural Cover Fires In Kansas- Oklahoma- Arkansas

See inside the poorly-drawn red circles on the satellite photo image from about an hour ago (click on images for max size on CSW) .

The plumes inside those circles are rangeland fires- being fanned by south winds gusting as high as 50 m.p.h. in some of those areas.

The rangeland fire index is in the critical category- until this developing storm begins raining late Wednesday onward.

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KANSAS CITY MetroRegion WEATHER: Don't Put Away The Winter Clothes Yet

Mother Nature seems to be fascinated with winter this year and I'm fascinated too- right here on my left arm. (Okay- that's vaccinated.)

My point is after a 40-mile detour that we MAY be due more temperatures around the freezing mark. Examination of the weather models (the ONLY models Ms. Rittenhouse don't mind me looking at) shows a cold-core closed low pressure center coming close to if not over us Friday.

Under that closed low center are temperatures of around 0-degrees Celsius (32-degrees F). Yeah- we could see some flakes around too- just stay away from the River Market area (g) .

Then I see- this is unreal too that I can see atoll- more 32-degree readings in an air mass forecast to encroach on us at the end of the month (April 29-30).

Between these storm systems and cold air will be A LOT of moisture.

It's beginning to look like another July planting of the tomatoes- but we so love that dull- red December ripening and self-freezing (not).

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California Earthquakes: It's San Andreas'- Not The Scientist's Fault

Giving a "99.7 chance of a 6.7-magnitude or greater earthquake" in California "within 30 years"- as some scientists predict in this AP story- is too easy.

Not to be outdone- your Captain will bet- with a 100% certainty- there's: a) a major tornado- b) a very significant ice and snowstorm- c) a killing flash flood event- d) thunderstorms-rain- hail- snow- sleet- graupel & fog- in the Kansas City MetroRegion by 2038.

Since I plan on cremation- if I lose you'll have to come collect ME to collect your winnings.

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MERGER

It's reported that Delta and Northwest Airlines will merge to form one BIG flight delay/cancellation.

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Government Says You're Guilty - Prove Your Own Innocence

That's the way the law seems to have slipped slowly but inexorably the past 20 years or so.

The government comes in and accuses of you of whatever- then it's YOUR stress and financial ruin to prove YOUR innocence.

At least that's the way it seems with the State of Texas- and their once-every-decade (it seems) run-ins with "religious cults."

Someone just has to drop a dime on you and accuse you of anything anonymously- then it's off to the races defending yourself against what can often be totally baseless accusations.

I've long thought virtually all religions are "cults"- so I can assume no sect is safe anymore.

God save you as the government surrounds you- takes your kids and cell phones too!

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Nebraska Furniture Mart Makes Things Right

Okay- I posted my dissatisfaction with an online ordering experience with Nebraska Furniture Mart last week.

We had ordered a digital camera that was incomplete upon arrival. Subsequent parts were sent incorrect.

Well- yesterday we received personal service from NFM in the form of Curt Burney- a representative of their store in KC-KS.

Mr. Burney personally came by to pick up the incomplete camera. Not only that- but he insisted Ms. Rittenhouse keep- free of charge- an extra memory card we'd ordered as well as keep a $25 gift certificate.

Now I said I don't know if I'd do business with Nebraska Furniture Mart again- but I HAVE to change my mind with the personal attention that our little problem brought.

Nebraska Furniture Mart seems to be intent on PERSONAL customer service- by God that's rare in this age- and I'll surely consider NFM for any future purchase.

And thank you Curt Burney and NFM- must say that I'm impressed....

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Get Well - Toni Braxton

Toni had chest pains and has had to cancel her shows this month- says this AP article..

Get well Soul Lady!

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"News" Seems To Be Where And Who It Happens To

I read a whole few paragraphs in the Monday STAR- of the incident on I-70 near the Sports Complex Sunday morning where someone shot into a family's SUV- killing one and wounding all but an infant occupant.

I would think that a freeway homicide of what appears to be innocent people would be front page news in the Local section- not a few paragraphs on Page 3.

Would the coverage been a little more in-depth had this occurred on I-35 or U.S. 69 in Johnson County- and the family had been white?

Also- Channel 4's photographers (or somebody down there) seem to be asleep- there was only "locater" video taken of the shooting- in the daylight.

I realize this wasn't a Britney Spears story- but damn people- come on!

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Let's Take Away Your Bottled Water Too

This appeared in the Monday morning STAR- somebody else is trying to do away with usage of a legal product for (you name the) reason.

Of course the claim is that all those bottles use up valuable petroleum and when empty- those bottles take up real estate.

Can't have either of those things happening with the SUV crowd!

Hope this comes up for a local vote- then I can vote to abolish the water bottles and get back at the health socialists who did away with the LEGAL cigarettes the bartender said I was welcome to smoke (in March) in his establishment.

Then on to the fat people....

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A VERY Telling Story Of Why Our Occupation Of Iraq Won't Work

Little reported on the electronic media on this- but the Iraqi government has "fired" 1300 Iraqi troops who were sympathizers of "anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr"- according to this Associated Press story.

Iraq's native leader- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki- is also a Shiite- so this should clue Americans of just how deep the faction divisions are.

Brother- what some mess our idiot leaders got us into....

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A Recent Mid-April Snowfall In The Kansas City Metro

If the cold weather and the snowflakes of yesterday and today bother you- I take you back- in this image reproduction- of cold weather and accumulating snow from a year ago Monday.

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The Kansas City MetroRegion Overnight News and Weather Report - Sunday, April 13, 2008

*** FREEWAY HOMICIDE IN KC-MO ***

***A shooting into a vehicle containing a family on westbound Interstate 70 near the Truman Sports Complex has left one person dead and 3 others injured- at least 1 critically.

The call came in at 12:09am Sunday morning- a person in a vehicle was getting shot at on I-70 near Blue Ridge Cutoff. The vehicle shot at- containing the victims- reportedly crashed thereafter near Stadium Drive.

Police arrived quickly- reporting 3 people shot and one person dead.

Of the 3 Hispanic-speaking victims transported by MAST-EMS- two were female- one in her mid-20's and another 19-years-old. One of those victims was reportedly the mother of a 1-year-old child who was also in the vehicle but not injured.

No suspect info was available- and westbound I-70 was closed almost 3 hours for the investigation.

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** MAN SHOT IN KC-MO **

*** A shooting early Sunday morning occurred in the 5900 block of Prospect shortly after 1:30am.

The male victim was reported by MAST-EMS to have been shot in a leg by a shotgun. He was taken to a city trauma center in critical condition.

Police as yet have no suspect nor any other information on this incident.

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** SERIOUS WRECKS **

...Sunday morning crashes:

* Douglas County KS near Baldwin City around 12:30am - 2 vehicles at the intersection of East 1800 & North 150 roads. A 19-year-old female is flown to a Metro trauma center with serious injuries.

* At 2:27am- a male is found unconscious after walking away from his wrecked pickup truck on 223rd Street west of Antioch in Miami County KS. The 40-year-old was flown to a Metro trauma center in serious condition..

* Injuries are reported severe to a person ejected from a vehicle in Johnson County MO just after 4am at Southwest 1351 and 400 roads in the southwest part of the county. A medical helicopter again evacuates the patient- again to a KC-area trauma center.

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

Snow showers- temperatures like February and cold northwest to north winds prevailed overnight through the MetroRegion.

The cold air will hang on through Monday- with a possible freeze by sunrise Monday morning. Temperatures then recover to near-seasonable averages of mid-60's highs and mid-40's lows.

The next storm system is expected Wednesday into Thursday- but no cold air like this weekend is expected.

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Kansas City's Breaking News Leader - NBC41 ACTION NEWS.

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