Saturday, June 21, 2008

Missing Belton-MO Teen Kara Kopetsky Family - Friends Rally Today



Kara has been missing since May 4- 2007- last seen leaving Belton-MO High School.

Her missing poster is down a bit on the right side of this blog.

Folks who want to support Kara's loved ones can attend a rally being held this Saturday morning at the Price Chopper grocery store at 1833 East North Avenue- near U.S. 71.

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Kansas City MetroRegion Weather: "Slight Risk" Of Severe Storms Later Today



The National Weather Service's (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has the entire MetroRegion in a "slight risk" forecast area for severe thunderstorms through around 7am Sunday morning.


The primary threat for severe weather will be large hail- damaging wind gusts- deadly lightning and possible flash-flooding rainfalls. An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out.

More on this weather situation as it develops later today....
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Friday, June 20, 2008

Choice Comment On Bush's Iowa Visit



According to
the Associated Press- here's the one published comment on Bush's visit
to flood-stricken Iowa:


""I really don't have much of an opinion of his coming," said Lashawn Baker, 33, whose family was just starting to clean her flooded home in a southwest Cedar Rapids neighborhood.

"It took him a long time to get to New Orleans and he didn't help any of those people, so I don't think he's going to do anything to help Cedar Rapids now that he's here.""

What??? This flood isn't the Demoblican's fault???

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EF-1 Tornado In Springfield-MO Thursday



The storm caused considerable damage to at least one business- downed trees & power poles & lines and caused flash-flooding. Most damage was in a swath north to south starting northeast of Springfield and stretching into Christian County.


The good news was that no injuries were reported after the storm struck Thursday evening.

Courtesy of news associate The SPRINGFIELD NEWS-LEADER- here are some of their photos of the storm and the damage it caused (click on image for full size):



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Smoking Bans Same As Dress Code Bans



Both are legal products- one is inhaled- the other worn as garments.


The KC-MO City Council didn't see any problem banning the first product from privately-owned businesses- but has a problem with privately-owned business banning certain styles of the second product.

Geez City Council people- you CAN'T have it BOTH Ways!!!

No wonder light rail and other infrastructure needs get shunted to the side- the City Council is too busy making social policy for the city (formerly "free" Americans).

If dress codes at private businesses seem offensive to you- respond as I do to the ban on using a perfectly legal product in these same establishments.

Vote with your dollars and stay home!
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Thursday, June 19, 2008

BREAKING WEATHER: New ST Warnings West - Excessive Rainfall Threat



The Severe Thunderstorm warning has been extended to include part of Osage county as well as Shawnee & Douglas counties Kansas.


In addition- note the radar-indicated rainfall map (click on to enlarge) and the scattered areas of heavy rainfall. West of Council Grove-KS- more than 3-inches of rain has fallen from nearly-stationary strong thunderstorms.

If a heavy thunderstorm parks over any given location- such rainfall rates are possible.

BEWARE of flash-flooding....
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Wind Damage On East Side Of Springfield-MO



This just in from the NWS office there:


PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
347 PM CDT THU JUN 19 2008

..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

0343 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 ENE SPRINGFIELD 37.22N 93.23W
06/19/2008 GREENE MO AMATEUR RADIO

ROOF COLAPSED AT THE SOFA MART STORE NEAR HWY 65 AND DIVISION ST


&&

$$

KARDELL


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KC. MetroRegion BREAKING WEATHER: Severe Thunderstorm Warning- Douglas- Jefferson- Shawnee Counties-KS


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KANSAS CITY METRO WEATHER: Severe Thunderstorm Watch No. 577 Until 9 PM



Many of us have already gotten rained on this afternoon- and more of us surely might.


Severe Thunderstorm Watch No. 577 is valid till 9pm- and includes all the MetroRegion in northeastern & eastern Kansas- northwestern & western Missouri- southeastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa (click on graphics for full size).

Here's a Doppler weather radar view from NWS/Topeka. Note the tornado warning for Greene County-MO- there's a reported twister near Springfield.

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Kansas City MetroRegion Weather: "Slight Risk" Of Severe Storms Till Early Friday



This "slight risk"- according to the NWS' Storm Prediction Center (SPC)- will exist generally over about the western half of the K.C. MetroRegion- as well as about the western half of Metro K.C. (see graphic- click for full size) .


The greatest risk will be for large hail and damaging wind gusts. The tornado threat is low.

The greatest likelyhood of severe weather locally will be from early evening onward into early Friday morning. Storm movement will be generally northwest to southeast.
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America MUST Find Cheap Oil



Quit this silliness of fuel efficiency- we need to start drilling EVERYWHERE for new oil!


We need to drill in our yards- parks- lakes & rivers. We need to do this so we can satisfy our greed and our self-centered consumption.

We also need to elect ANOTHER Republicrat. They've done America Sooooo well this century.

(I'm Capt. Spaulding and I approved this message... after a City Council bong party.)

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America Didn't Learn A Thing From Vietnam



If you NEED to- think about that statement for a minute .... give yourself 5 years to ponder that if you supported the Invasion of Iraq.
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

A Profound View On Gay Marriages



Of ALL the statements I have read regarding gay unions or marriages- the following- from Xavier Onassis at his Hip Suburban White Guy's blog:


"It is a reaffirmation of the values of traditional marriage by a group of people who have historically been unfairly excluded from embracing those values because of bigotry and predjudice."

Damn fine XO- and worthy of it's own post on another blog!
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Manhattan (KS) MERCURY: Chapman Cleans Up After EF-3 Tornado



This is a wee bit late- but here's the Chapman-KS story- again- courtesy of The Manhattan Mercury:


Chapman took an even more extensive hit

Megan Moser Contributing writer


CHAPMAN — When the tornado hit the middle school, it sounded like the freight train that passed by Katrina Arensman's home every day, speeding by on its track with no intention and no means of stopping. In fact, Arensman said, she thought it was the train until her ears started popping and someone told her that what she heard was a tornado, categorized as F-3 or greater, destroying the school around them.

Arensman and her husband, Zac were in their mobile home with two of their four kids, celebrating their first anniversary, when they learned that the tornado was coming at 10:15 p.m. Quickly, they drove to the nearby middle school and took shelter in the locker room showers, minutes before the storm hit at 10:21 p.m.

They left to find that the locker rooms and the gym between them were the only parts of the school that had survived.

"When it was over, the room was filled with dust," said Arensman, who is five months pregnant. "We walked out into the gym and it was raining in the gym. All the lights were down on the floor. There was standing water on the floor. Everything else was gone."

Arensman and the other people at the middle school went to a nursing home for a few hours before they were taken to the American Red Cross emergency shelter at Sterl Hall in Abilene. They hadn't been back to see whether their house was still standing.

"I won't live in another trailer," Arensman said with a small laugh, and pointed at her husband. "I was telling him, 'The next place has got to have a basement.'"

* * *

Volunteers at the shelter in Abilene were prepared for as many as 200 people, with cots, food and hot showers next door at the National Guard Armory. Only about 20 stayed Wednesday night, but more people were planning to stay Thursday night as people saw the extent of the damage to their homes.

The shelter had two main rooms; one with cots for sleeping, and the other with tables and chairs where people could eat, talk, or play cards, as one man did Thursday afternoon.

Large sheets of paper had been posted on one wall where people left messages offering spare rooms, rides and food. One entry pleaded for a missing person to call his parents, chiding him in magic marker that they were worried.

Susan Dauber, one of the shelter's organizers, said the response from the community had been overwhelming.

"We've had people bring things from crayons to a whole meal," said Dauber, who, like many volunteers, had been up all night Wednesday working. "We have pastoral care; three ministers have come so far. We also set up a play area because we've had lots of little ones."

Volunteers passed out "comfort kits" with items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and soap. They offered coffee and doughnuts to shell-shocked victims as they trickled in, and busily prepared for the influx of people they expected later in the day.

Dauber said the shelter would remain open until no more people need their help.

"We'll stay as long as there is a need," Dauber said.

* * *

In Chapman, part of the town brings to mind New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Houses have been moved off their foundations and cars are upended against telephone poles. Trees are broken and leaning grotesquely into the streets and on lawns. The ones that still stand are missing most of their branches and leaves.

But it resembles New Orleans in more than just damage. Each house is marked with symbols and a spray-painted "X," showing not only that it has been searched, but also who searched it, whether they found anyone inside, and whether those people were OK.

The other part of the town, whose population is about 1,250, looks more like Greensburg after its tornado last year — everything is leveled. This part of town, from Fourth Street to Eighth Street, was evacuated and no one but the rescue workers is allowed inside. All three schools have been reduced to a pile of rubble. Two of the churches are gone, as well.

Brad Homman, director of administration and emergency services for Dickinson County, said he estimated 50-60 percent of the community of about 65 buildings, had been destroyed, creating $20,220,000 in damage, $14 million of which was damage to local schools alone.

Though the damage was significant, Homman adopted a glass-is-half-full attitude, and pointed out that it was not a complete loss.

"We still have half the town," Homman said.

By 1 p.m. Thursday, crews had completed primary, secondary and canine searches. Still they had only one confirmed death and knew of no missing people, Homman said.

National guardsmen patrol the littered streets in camouflaged Hummers. Workers from the telephone company are perched up in their cherry-pickers trying to repair the many downed lines.

On the sidewalk outside of Butterfield Trail nursing home, Otto and Dixie Kracke sit in lawn chairs watching the commotion like it's a parade — which it nearly is. In addition to all the emergency personnel, a small caravan of golf carts carrying Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and some other politicians just went by.

"He wouldn't leave the room, so I wasn't going to leave him alone," Dixie said. "I figured that way, if one of us goes, we both go."

Sebelius and Rep. Jerry Moran later addressed members of the media. Moran said this marked the third major tornado in his district since he had been in office. The first was Hoisington, followed by Greensburg and Chapman.

"I think the story of what FEMA is going to do is largely going to be the story of what the people of Chapman will do," Moran said. "This is their home. They will do everything they can to rebuild and restore this community and make it a viable place for not only their family, but their kids and grandkids."

* * *

Officials set up a blockade on the roads going into Chapman. Wednesday night after the tornado, they wouldn't let people into the town because the darkness made it too dangerous. By Thursday, they were allowing only people with identification showing a Chapman address to enter.

Dozens of residents waited all day in the parking lot of a convenience store to get permission to go back to their homes. Cars lined both sides of the narrow road all the way back to the exit from Interstate 70.

By Thursday afternoon, officials were helping to verify the residency of people with no identification so they could get back into town. They began handing out wristbands with people's addresses on them to make the process easier.

For several days, residents will have a curfew of 9 p.m. and must remain in their homes until 6 a.m. Thursday and Friday were reserved for residents' "personal recovery," and Saturday, crews would begin debris removal. Homman said he expected the town to be open to the public by Sunday. Though water was working, the pressure was so low that the town was under a boil advisory.

Chapman resident Justin Minzghor waited in line Thursday afternoon to get a wristband and get back to his home, which had only minimal damage. He had left to get cigarettes that morning and was not allowed back into town, so he had been waiting at the blockade since 9 a.m.

"You can tell that there's a little bit of damage, but a lot of other places had it worse," he said. "I've never been in a tornado. I've only seen this on the news. Now I am the news."


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Manhattan(KS) MERCURY: Damage Figure Still Unavailable From Last Week's Tornado



Last week's tornado could have been MUCH worse- according to this following article courtesy of the Manhattan (KS) MERCURY:


Storm's path narrowly missed causing even greater damage

As bad as Wednesday's tornado was, emergency aid officials are concluding that it could have been far worse.

The storm's path through the Amherst area — a time when it was packing EF4 winds estimated at around 180 mph — took it within a few yards of the Red Bud Estates mobile home park. It then apparently went airborne over the Wildcat Ridge subdivision before returning to the ground in a weaker form as it approached the Kansas State University campus.



Both the Amherst Self-Storage and True Value Hardware structures, situated close to Red Bud Estates, were destroyed in the storm. Had the tornado hit Red Bud Estates head on, far more housing structures would have been damaged or destroyed, and the safety of any occupants would have been jeopardized. Damage in the Wildcat Ridge area also would have been more substantial if the tornado had not briefly left the ground.



''As it was, it threw debris into Red Bud,'' noted Pat Collins, the county's director of emergency services. He listed about 20 trailers as having been affected by the storm, most of them in the Red Bud area.

Officials are continuing to assess the impact of the storm damage, with a Federal Emergency Management Agency team in town today. Collins' new assessment of the dollar figure is the same as it was the day after the tornado: ''I don't have any idea.''

At a press briefing this morning, he praised the community's cleanup and volunteer effort, which brought 275 people out to help sift and sort through debris Saturday. ''Driving around this weekend made me proud to be from Riley County and Manhattan,'' he said.

In an open letter to the people of Manhattan, Mayor Mark Hatesohl today said, "The path of destruction id long and debris has been spread over several square miles, and we will continue to find remnants of the storm for months to come."

Hatesohl's letter is printed in its entirety on today's opinion page on page A6.

Although the city has suspended its volunteer mobilization point at least until next weekend, Collins said ''large groups'' are still being sought to help in areas that have lots of debris spread around them. Those willing to undertake that task, as well as storm victims still in need of help, were encouraged to call 587-2489 or 587-2404.

He said the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Pawnee Mental Health Services all continue to assist victims, including with counseling services. A canteen is continuing to operate in the Miller Ranch area, and is traveling to other areas as needed.

City and county crews began working on debris removal today. The county's transfer station will remain open until 8 each night this week to receive debris, although Collins stressed that debris must be divided in separate piles for vegetation, heavy appliances and other trash.

Also today, county treasurer Eileen King outlined procedures for the replacement of certain official documents that may have been lost in the storm. She said duplicate titles to automobiles would be issued at no cost to storm victims, and asked that they provide a vehicle registration. If that is unavailable, officials can look up the needed information by tag number or VIN.

Those needing replacement drivers licenses or ID cards can get one by providing a deliverable mail address. They can also obtain replacements through the main driver's station at 3003 Anderson.

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Iowa Flooding Visible On Satellite Images



The record and near-record flood stages are visible on weather satellite images.


Note what appears to be "veins" running through the state of Iowa on the following images.

These are rivers still spread far beyond their banks- with more rain forecasted for these same areas tomorrow and Thursday.
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Re-Kill Downtown KC-MO With New Parking Fees- Meters



There's talk from the city pollys of expanding parking meters to other areas near the Downtown Loop as well as raising parking fees.

Again- we NEED to REQUIRE drug testing for politicians!!!

The idea of raising parking fees and installing more parking meters must have come after a bong party..

It makes pretzel-logic sense to raise parking fees when you're trying to get MORE people to come to your deserted downtown.

I'm going to save my $4 per gallon gas by patronizing any establishment CLOSE to home- and save even more with their FREE parking.

Good luck downtown- just don't raise my taxes to SUBSIDIZE the faltering downtown attractions already subsidized.

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Sunday, June 15, 2008

Metro K.C. WEATHER: PDS Severe Thunderstorm Watch No. 539 KS-MO Until 5pm



The Storm Prediction Center now has the Kansas City Metro- as well as all the MetroRegion south of STW No. 537- in PDS or "Particularily Dangerous Situation" STW No. 539.


This watch runs until 5pm the Father's (thanks) Day and includes the possibility of "3-inch hail and extremely damaging winds to 90 mph."

This current radar image (click to enlarge) shows- generally- what's coming at us (moving east-southeast to southeast).
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Central States Weather: NWS-SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch No. 537 MO-NE-IA - Radar - Satellite Pix

STW No. 537 will include the Kansas City MetroRegion counties in Missouri generally along and north of U.S. Highway 36 through 2pm this Sunday afternoon.

The forecasted moderate risk area for severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes continues for the entire MetroRegion and Metro K.C..

Most likely time for storm development will be after noon.

The current radar with current warnings- range rings are 25-miles- and the visible satellite-click on all images for full size.

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NWS-SPC PUBLIC SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT



PUBLIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0309 AM CDT SUN JUN 15 2008

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED FROM PARTS OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS/LOWER MISSOURI VALLEY INTO PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND
MIDWEST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT...

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THUNDERSTORMS WITH WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WIND... LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES OVER PARTS OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS/LOWER MISSOURI VALLEY AND THE MIDWEST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT.

THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE

SOUTHERN IOWA
MUCH OF ILLINOIS
NORTHERN INDIANA
EASTERN KANSAS
SOUTHERN MICHIGAN
WESTERN...CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MISSOURI
FAR SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA
NORTHERN AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA

ELSEWHERE...OTHER SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE FROM THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES NORTH AND EAST INTO THE GREAT LAKES

A BAND OF FAST JET STREAM WINDS... WITH WIND SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 90 MPH... WILL SPREAD FROM NORTHERN PLAINS INTO THE MID AND UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TODAY...AND ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY TONIGHT.

AT LOWER LEVELS... A STRENGTHENING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE FROM LAKE SUPERIOR... SOUTHERN MINNESOTA... AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA THIS MORNING SOUTH AND EAST INTO LOWER MICHIGAN... NORTHERN ILLINOIS... NORTHERN MISSOURI... AND CENTRAL KANSAS BY EVENING.

INCREASING SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL SPREAD WARM AND HUMID AIR NOW OVER THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS INTO PARTS OF THE MID MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO VALLEYS AND GREAT LAKES LATER TODAY.

SCATTERED SMALL CLUSTERS OF STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE STORMS MAY OCCUR THROUGH MIDDAY TODAY FROM EASTERN NEBRASKA AND IOWA INTO WISCONSIN... ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN. HOWEVER...MORE WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE STORMS LIKELY WILL FORM ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS DAYTIME HEATING FURTHER DESTABILIZES REGION.

THE COMBINATION OF STRONG... CHANGING WINDS AND INCREASING INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT NUMEROUS CLUSTERS OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS. THESE WILL INCLUDE SUPERCELLS WITH DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS...IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES.

ALTHOUGH THE MOST INTENSE STORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF
KANSAS... MISSOURI AND OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ...FAIRLY WIDESPREAD STRONG TO SEVERE ACTIVITY ALSO APPEAR LIKELY EASTWARD INTO PARTS OF ILLINOIS... INDIANA... WISCONSIN... MICHIGAN AND OHIO.

THOSE IN THE THREATENED AREA ARE URGED TO REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES AND TO LISTEN TO RADIO...TELEVISION...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND STATEMENTS LATER TODAY.

..CORFIDI.. 06/15/2008


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KANSAS CITY MetroRegion WEATHER: NWS-SPC: MetroRegion-wide Moderate Risk Of Severe Thunderstorms Later Today



The entire K.C. Metro and MetroRegion is under a "moderate risk" of severe thunderstorms later this Sunday afternoon- evening- and overnight into Monday morning.

The greatest risk this threat will be large hail- and severe- damaging winds. There is a smaller chance for tornadoes early in a severe thunderstorm's development.

Log into CSW later today for the latest developments....

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Tornado Strikes Monroe LA With Confirmed Injuries

The tornado struck around noon on Easter Sunday. There is considerable damage repo rted in that northeastern Louisiana city of around 5000...