Central States Go Into The Deep-Freeze

Anybody looking for an extended melt to this 8 to 12-inches of snowcover had best be patient.


Arctic cold fronts will keep make appearances through the coming first week of the New Year- along with at least 3 chances for more snow through next weekend.

The snow chances are late New Year's Night with a possible dusting to an inch- a more vigorous storm system late Saturday night into Sunday that could drop another 1-3 inches- and yet another storm mid-week that could add another several inches of snow.

Temperatures will stay below to well-below averages for the first of the year through at least next weekend.

Keep the snow shovels handy and buy plenty of ice melt!

_________

CSW Becomes A 'Nielsen Family'

I've had relatives who've filled out Nielsen TV ratings books- but had personally not been recruited until now.

Starting with the late-January "sweeps"- this family will be keeping track of our viewing on the 4 televisions around here.

This ought to be interesting- since Ms. Rittenhouse and I watch mostly cable channel fare if not DVDs- (ahem) VHS tapes or just plain surfing the unlimited variety of Web sites.

Local TV news may be in trouble when it comes to what we fill in those slots- since in many cases I AM local news (and weather).

I'd like to ESPECIALLY complain how the USCA government made over-the-air TV watching difficult to nearly impossible for analog TV owners- making it almost necessary for owners of such sets to get cable or satellite JUST to get COMMERCIAL TV!

Also- too bad you cannot note on the Nielsen diaries how BAD commercials are infiltrating every damn thing we watch on those commercial channels and how we're being gouged by cable TV rate increases.

_________

Rusho Limberger Makes It Easy For Those Who Don't Like Him

The so-called "conservative" talker who makes a living calling people names that don't agree with his twisted agenda has been hospitalized for "chest pains."



The guy told medicos he takes medication for a back problem- heh- what a wimp ole Rusho is.

I had major back surgery in 1982 which effectively ended any further firefighting career- but as of this day- the only "medications" I take for the occasional back pain (shovelling snow) is the occasional aspirin.

But- I understand Rusho's problem- having been previously hooked on Oxycontin. No- actually- I DON'T understand Rusho's problem.

Either on-the-air or off of it.

Best wishes anyway Rusho- hope they find the source of your chest pains since it CAN'T be your heart and they can relieve your chronic hypocrisy....

_________

CSW BREAKING: Serious Injuries In KC-MO Crash and Raytown Armed Robberies

There are reported 3 serious to critically-injured people in a 2-vehicle crash involving a vehicle rollover at the intersection of Truman Road and Benton Boulevard.

The crash occurred around 8:15 pm Wednesday evening and police were seeking one person in one of the vehicles who ran from the scene.

Extrication of 2 of the crash victims was necessary by KC-MO fire companies.

Those crash victims include "a 24-year-old male passenger" who was "found on top of the (22-year-old male) driver- both going to Truman Med Center-Hospital Hill.

***

KC-MO sources also report "2 armed robberies in Raytown" a short while ago- "one at the Popeye's and one at the Arby's" fast food restaurants along M-350 in Raytown.

Only suspect information was that of a black male....

CSW BREAKING: Grandview MO Hit and Run Driver Leaves Teen Bicyclist Injured

Around 7:38 pm- Grandview emergency services were sent to an address in the 7000 of East 134th Terrace where reportedly a teen male bicyclist had been struck by a motorist who left the scene.

The 14-year-old reportedly suffered "an ankle injury" Grandview sources say- and the suspect vehicle was said to be a "black" colored "older-model Acura" that was driven by "a white male."

At 7:56 pm- it was determined the injured teen would be taken to a hospital via a family vehicle and police were gathering information for the report.

_________

More Taxes To Publicize Independence Square Bad Idea

According to this story in the INDEPENDENCE- BLUE SPRINGS- GRAIN VALLEY EXAMINER- Tom Waters- president of the Independence Square Association- wants to city to approve (an additional) "community improvement district (CID) tax" to publicize the Square's businesses.

Never mind that the CID ALREADY has a tax imposed on it- or that the places MOST people want to do their shopping or relax at are in and around the 39th Street and M-291 corridor that Indy's leaders heavily subsidized.

Additional taxes on taxes raise the prices people pay- who the Hell wants that???

_________

CSW BREAKING: Shooting In KC-MO Midtown

A shooting was reported in the 3900 block of College at 2:53 pm Wednesday afternoon.


Police arrived about 7 minutes later and reported the victim had received a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Officers gave a suspect vehicle description from witnesses as "an older- boxy-style Chevy Suburban" that had "a broken-out window with plastic covering it.

The vehicle contained "a black female and 2 black males" and they drove "northbound" from the scene.

The "41-year-old male" shooting victim was transported by MAST-EMS to a Metro medical trauma center in serious to critical condition.

________

Two Downtown Sedalia MO Buildings Collapse

On Christmas Eve- The SEDALIA (MO) NEWS-DEMOCRAT reports that two buildings in the downtown area collapsed on Christmas Eve.



The buildings- shown here in better times via Google's StreetView- were in the 100 block of South Osage.

No one occupied the collapsed structures nor was anyone nearby when the buildings inexplicably came down.

The City of Sedalia was giving the building's owners 2 weeks (2 weeks??!!) to clean up the mess that's blocked Osage Street in front of the collapsed buildings.

________

Central States Cities See Budgets Drain With Snowfall

I mentioned this BEFORE the Christmas Blizzard of 2009- how municipal budgets already strained by The Recession (Depression) have seen even more tightening now that almost of week of snow clearing/removal has arrived.



Among cities claiming the snow-removal budget is approaching or have exceeded budgeted amounts are Des Moines - Omaha and Manhattan KS..

I imagine we'll be hearing REAL soon from Kansas City MO's governmental leaders on how the Winter of 2009-10 will be draining already bare city coffers and MAYBE how the city wishes they had monies like the half-million spent on a stupid downtown convention hotel study.

_________

Arrow Trucking Shut-Down Left Employees High and Dry

This happened a few days before Christmas- when the Arrow Trucking Company suddenly went out of business and left truckers on-the-road both unpaid and with invalid fuel cards- stranding a number of their employees across the nation.

(Photo courtesy of The TULSA WORLD)

The TULSA WORLD says a considerable number of former Arrow employees have filed claims with the State of Oklahoma- but doubt many if any employees get relief from the bankrupt company.

_________

Kansas City STAR Carrier Just Can't Get It Right

A couple of days ago- we complained on this blog that we hadn't gotten a STAR newspaper Christmas Day- the day after and the day after that.

So I called the toll-free 800 number The STAR provides and got THAT taken care of.

Well- sort of.

Since the papers started arriving again THIS week- the carrier manages everytime to miss the snow-free double driveway we have and chooses to throw the paper in the 8-14-inch snow-drifted yard.

You can see by this morning's images that the carrier even misses the previous tracks we've had to make to get Monday and Tuesday's papers.

Yes- that orange wrapper in the snow is the Wednesday morning paper which nobody has braved the snow drifts (plus 2-inches of NEW snow overnight) to retrieve.

I'm now on a first-name basis with Pam from The STAR's toll-free complaint number and the almost-daily calls are really getting to be a PITA.

Thanks Kansas City STAR for caring about your dwindling number of subscribers....

_________

CSW BREAKING: House Fire In Raytown MO

Five companies of the Kansas City MO Fire department are assisting the 3 companies of Raytown Fire fighting a house fire in the 10200 block of East 63rd Street near downtown Raytown.


The alarm sounded at 11:10 am- and when the first fire company arrived at the scene at 11:13 am they say flames shooting from the front door of the single-story house.

The structure was reported to be vacant of any occupants- and as of this post no injuries have been reported.

_________

New Kansas Turnpike Interchange Open In Leavenworth County

According to this article in Bonner Springs KS' THE CHIEFTAIN- that new interchange on the Kansas Turnpike (I-70) south of Tonganoxie was to open at 10:30 am this morning.

The new interchange is reportedly "fully automated"- which I assume means they have no way to accept cash tolls.

_________

Things You May or May Not Have Seen On Today's News - Sunday December 27 2009

First off- a shout-out to Birthday Boys Jeff Meyer and Phil Wall on their 55th and 57th respectively such annual occasions.

WE don't need no stinkin' Grecian Formula...


On my last night of providing KSHB-41 Action News with weekend overnight news tips- I ended my nearly six-year run with more than 4400 emergency calls for 2009 and nearly 25000 calls since the first news report for 41 back on January 30- 2004.

I thank the great guys and gals at 41 for the teamwork- particularily the guy who hired me- the Honorable Steve Kaut. A Great 2010 to all...


Violence- grief- woe and destruction was pretty light overnight with the following exceptions:


In KC-MO: At 1:53 am came the report of two people stabbed in the 5200 block of East 6th Street.

One was reported by MAST-EMS as "a 34-year-old male with multiple stab wounds on his back" who was taken to a Metro hospital in serious to critical condition.

The other male's injuries were less serious.

Police still couldn't say if this was a knife fight between the two or there was a suspect at large.


At 12:42 am- a "31-year-old male possible victim of an assault" was found "face down" outside the Tool Shed bar at U.S. 40 and Phelps Road.

His condition was considered serious when MAST-EMS took him to Centerpoint Med Center.

KC-MO police had no other information on this incident either.


Two males got into an altercation at the "Fox and Hound" tavern at 10428 Metcalf in Overland Park around 12:15 am Sunday morning.

One person went to a hospital via MEDACT-EMS with non life-threatening injuries and the other went with OP police for a complimentary night's stay.


Fire department crews were also on the run Sunday morning...

At 4:23 am- 5 companies of the KC-MO department were called to a house fire in the 2100 block of Maddi in south-central.

When Pumper 30 pulled up to the address on the snow-covered street at 4:28 am- the single-story structure was already heavily-involved in flames. A minute later comes the report of "a partial-collapse" of the house's roof.

Firefighters used at least 2 hoselines and knocked the fire down in about 20 minutes.

No one got hurt and the cause was given as suspicious origin.


Two minutes after the fire call- at 4:25 am- KC-MO Pumper 41 was sent to the 9800 block of Marsh on a reported carbon monoxide gas buildup in a home there.

Twenty minutes later- the first of 3 MAST-EMS units were being dispatched here for the 5 people- 4 of them minors- exposed to the toxic gas.

Two of the minors- "a 10-month-old and 2-year-old" child seemed fine- but at least one of them are taken to Children's Mercy hospital for examination.

The other two minors- "a 16 and a 17-year-old" did exhibit CO2 poisoning symptoms as well as the mid to late-30's adult mother of at least some of the minors.

They were taken to Research Med Center and were all expected to be okay.

FD Pumper 41 aired out the house and the gas company was summonded.

_________

K.C. STAR: Where Are Our Newspapers???

Sunday morning marked the 3rd day that we have not received our part of a subscription contract with The KANSAS CITY STAR and we're not happy to put it mildly.

Sunday morning also marks the 3rd day of calls made to some automated/recorded subscriber's complaint department with no results.

We actually get a return automated call by mid-afternoon today saying our 9:30 am "call was too late (cutoff 9am??) for today's newspaper delivery" and would we call back "to re-schedule delivery of (the Sunday paper)" some OTHER day or "get (monetary) credit."

I'm calling a LIVE person at The Star tomorrow (Monday) to ASSURE we either get 3 days credit on the bill for missed delivery of their product or cancelling our subscription altogether.

HELL of a way to run a business Kansas City STAR!

________

Merry Christmas From CSW

New Video of The 2009 Christmas Blizzard in Kansas City

This video was shot about 11:35 pm in front of the house- looking south toward 87th Street between I-435 and Blue Ridge in KC-MO..
Best measure of snowfall on the ground was 2-4 inches so far with a few drifts of 6-8 inches on the brief trek to the street.

Snowfall was increasing and is expected to be moderate to heavy through early Christmas morning. Winds are gusting into the mid-30 mph range with temperatures in the mid-upper teens.

___________

Historic Blizzard Warning Continues For Metro and MetroRegion Kansas City

To this date December 24, 2009- Kansas City has never been under a Blizzard Warning.

This is and will be a historic storm for Metro Kansas City and I'd be amiss not posting the weather statement from the NWS office in Pleasant Hill:


URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
955 PM CST THU DEC 24 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE THROUGH INTO FRIDAY...

...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS AND FAR WESTERN MISSOURI...

.SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH FRIDAY...AS A POTENT STORM SYSTEM MOVES NORTHEAST ACROSS MISSOURI. A MIX OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE REGION OVERNIGHT. THIS CHANGE HAS ALREADY OCCURRED GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 35. SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF 1/4 TO POSSIBLY 3/4 OF AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE PRIOR TO THE SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS BY THE END OF THE STORM ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES IN CENTRAL MISSOURI... TO 6 TO 10 INCHES IN EASTERN KANSAS AS WELL AS ACROSS WEST CENTRAL... NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PORTIONS OF MISSOURI. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS NORTHEAST KANSAS AND FAR WESTERN AND NORTHWEST MISSOURI...WHERE VISIBILITIES MAY BE REDUCED TO UNDER 1/4 MILE WITH STRONG GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS. TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED ACROSS THE REGION.

KSZ025-057-060-102>105-MOZ001-002-011>013-020-021-028-029-037-043-053-251200-
/O.CON.KEAX.BZ.W.0002.000000T0000Z-091226T0000Z/
ATCHISON KS- MIAMI- LINN KS- DONIPHAN- LEAVENWORTH- WYANDOTTE- JOHNSON KS- ATCHISON MO- NODAWAY- HOLT- ANDREW- DE KALB- BUCHANAN- CLINTON- PLATTE- CLAY- JACKSON- CASS- BATES-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ATCHISON... PAOLA... MOUND CITY... TROY... LEAVENWORTH... OVERLAND PARK... OLATHE... TARKIO... MARYVILLE... OREGON... SAVANNAH... CAMERON... ST. JOSEPH... PLATTSBURG... PARKVILLE... PLATTE CITY... WESTON... LIBERTY... EXCELSIOR SPRINGS... KANSAS CITY... INDEPENDENCE... RAYMORE... HARRISONVILLE... PLEASANT HILL... BUTLER... RICH HILL
955 PM CST THU DEC 24 2009

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST FRIDAY...

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST FRIDAY.

* PRECIPITATION HAS TRANSITIONED TO ALL SNOW ACROSS AREAS GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 35...WHILE A SLEET AND SNOW MIX CONTINUES SOUTH AND EAST OF KANSAS CITY. THE TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW WILL OCCUR OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. SLEET ACCUMULATIONS HAVE RANGED FROM 1/4 INCH TO AS MUCH AS 3/4 INCH. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THUS FAR HAVE BEEN 2 TO 5 INCHES ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE KANSAS CITY METRO AND POINTS NORTHWARD.

* SNOW WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY TONIGHT...AS THE STORM SYSTEM APPROACHES. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY MORNING... WITH TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON RANGING FROM 5 TO 8 INCHES FROM BUTLER MISSOURI AND PLEASANTON KANSAS... NORTHWARD TO THE KANSAS CITY METRO. NORTH OF THIS AREA... SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MAY BE IN THE 6 TO 10 INCH RANGE.

* STRONG NORTHWEST TO WEST WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH FRIDAY... WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH AND HIGHER GUSTS. THIS WILL CREATE EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

INTERSTATE 29 IS CLOSED FROM MOUND CITY MISSOURI NORTH TO THE IOWA BORDER... DUE TO DANGEROUS WHITE OUT CONDITIONS AND SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING SNOW. VISIBILITIES ARE OFTEN ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS.

* TRAVEL WILL BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND INTO TOMORROW MORNING. VERY DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY...WITH PERIODS OF BLOWING SNOW SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE AT TIMES.

PERSONS PLANNING ON TRAVELING FOR THE HOLIDAY SHOULD CONSIDER MAKING ALTERNATIVE PLANS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS... MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED... STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

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

_______

CSW VIDEO: Christmas 2009 Snowstorm Road Video

There's now a Blizzard Warning for the entire Metro Kansas City- the first blizzard warning I can recall in my nearly 50 years of Kansas City weather observing- reporting and chasing.



This video was shot along Blue Ridge Boulevard travelling southbound from about James A. Reed Road about 5 pm.

________

CSW BREAKING WEATHER: BLIZZARD WARNING - KANSAS MetroRegion

MARSHALL- NEMAHA- BROWN- POTTAWATOMIE- JACKSON- JEFFERSON- WABAUNSEE-
SHAWNEE- DOUGLAS- LYON- OSAGE- FRANKLIN- COFFEY- ANDERSON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MARYSVILLE... HIAWATHA... TOPEKA... LAWRENCE... EMPORIA... OTTAWA
313 PM CST THU DEC 24 2009

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST FRIDAY...
...WINTER STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WARNING... WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST FRIDAY. THE WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELED.

* TIMING...HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT.

* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

* WIND...NORTH WIND WILL INCREASE TO 35 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 50 MPH TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN REDUCED VISIBILITY UNDER ONE QUARTER MILE TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES..WITH BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

* WIND CHILL...WIND CHILL READINGS WILL BE FROM FIVE TO FIFTEEN BELOW ZERO ON FRIDAY.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL WILL BECOME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. DRIFTING OF SNOW ACROSS ROADWAYS IS LIKELY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER...A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. ANY TRAVEL IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.
IF YOU LEAVE THE SAFETY OF BEING INDOORS...YOU ARE PUTTING YOUR LIFE AT RISK!

___________

CSW BREAKING: ICY ROADS- NUMEROUS WRECKS AROUND METRO KANSAS CITY

Numerous traffic crashes are being reported by all Metro Kansas City emergency agencies.




One of the latest involves reported injuries to a KC-MO traffic unit officer at 22nd Street and Paseo at 3:24 pm..

Multi-vehicle crashes have been reported in around the 'Grandview Triangle' of I-435/470-U.S. 71.


Wrecks are too numerous to note here- so be forewarned if you're going to drive anywhere over all but eastern & southeastern parts of the Metro from now onward....

_________

CSW BREAKING: METRO ROADS ICING OVER WEST TO NORTH

Reports of traffic crashes due to slick roads are becoming more numerous now in Douglas- Miami- Johnson and Leavenworth counties in Kansas- and in Platte county Missouri.

The images shown here are various traffic and Web cameras around the Metro and MetroRegion- right-click on the image and open 'Properties' for the image location and time.





Temperatures are now at or below most of Metro Kansas City (except here at CSW- 33-degrees) and have fallen into the mid to lower 20's in extreme northern- western and southwestern MetroRegion areas.

Serious to critical injuries were reported in an accident on Leavenworth County Road 1 north of Eudora just after 1:30 pm.

A serious-injury 1-vehicle crash was reported on the Kansas Turnpike (I-70) west of the East Lawrence interchange just before 1 pm.

Several wrecks have been reported in the past 15 minutes both in Johnson county KS and in the KC-MO Northland near K.C.I. airport.

Conditions will continue to worsen through the afternoon and tonight.

_________

Christmas Storm of 2009 Will Hit Financially-Strapped Governments Hard

I'll bet by this time Saturday- KC-MO officials will wish they had the half-million dollars they approved awhile back to study a convention hotel downtown.

As this possibly historic storm approaches and conditions worsen from west to east- highway and public works crews will put in long hours over the holiday on the roadways.

On Christmas Day- most if not all of those crews will be receiving double-time pay as well- so municipalities will be basically paying double the rate-of-pay that those crew would get on a normal day.

To make matters worse- this storm will spin around in Iowa until Sunday- continuing the snow and winds at least that long- so road crews will be working at least 72 hours on whatever schedules until the storm subsides.

Regardless- the bill to come due for this storm will be substantial even if there's not another storm all winter.

And that's not going to happen....

_________

Noon Camera Views From Emporia - Lawrence KS

With the temperatures now below freezing- sleet and freezing rain have begun in Emporia and in Lawrence.

As you can see in this image taken in Emporia just before noon- sleet is covering roadways there.

Temperatures are also below freezing in Johnson County KS- but no road problems have been reported yet.

_________

CSW WEATHER: Dangerous Winter Storm For Entire Kansas City MetroRegion

If your dream was for a white Christmas- your dreams will come true.


Present indications are for 4 to 8-inches of snow in Metro Kansas City by Christmas night- with possibly several more inches of snow by the time it all ends Saturday.


But before the snow begins this evening- we'll have ice to deal with.

The light rain now falling in Metro K.C. will turn to sleet- and falling temperatures (36 degrees as of this post here in southeast KC-MO) will turn wet- untreated roads to ice.

As temperatures continue to plummet and heavier sleet and snow falls- even treated surfaces will develop slick spots.

In addition- blizzard conditions will develop over most of the MetroRegion (Metro too) tonight- and continue into Christmas Day.

East-west roadways will become snow-covered and visibilities will fall to near white-out conditions- making driving dangerous.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS WINTER STORM- PLEASE- USE EXTREME CAUTION WALKING AND/OR DRIVING!

I'll be posting Metro road condition reports of slick roads as received....

__________

CSW BREAKING: Aircraft Emergency at K.C.I. Airport

At 11:13 am- a plane has reportedly lost their primary electrical system and is requesting an emergency landing at Kansas City International airport.

The fire department response was upgraded to an "Alert-2" at 11:17 am.

There is yet no word on the type of aircraft involved nor number of people on board (other than the pilot).

_____

UPDATE- 1142 CST: The plane has landed safety at K.C.I..

The aircraft was a Delta Airlines flight from Salt Lake City with 114 passengers and crew on board.

_________

CSW BREAKING: Tornado Reported In Longview Texas

Television station KETK NBC Channel 56 in Longview is reporting a tornado has touched down in the eastern part of that northeastern Texas city.

The tornado is now northeast of Longview and moving northeast. This is part of the same storm system producing the winter weather in the Kansas City MetroRegion.

Not many details yet- but the National Weather Service is calling this "A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO."

_________