Boy Killed By Debris At Monster Truck Show

The Associated Press reports that a 6-year-old Puyullap-WA boy was killed and another spectator injured when parts came flying off of a monster truck during a show in Tacoma-WA. Friday night.

The "Monster Jam" show went on after the accident- angering spectators.

__________

Kansas City's BREAKING NEWS: Fatality Car Wreck In KC-MO

At 1:03am - KC-MO fire- police and MAST-EMS responded to a single car that had crashed into a pole at 43rd Street & Sterling.

The force of the crash broke a light/power pole near the base and required KCP&L to respond to shut down power.

Authorities at the scene reported a fatality here a short time later.

Police are investigating the accident- and have not yet identified the deceased- a male who wasn't extricated from the wrecked vehicle until 3:17am..

_________

Metro Kansas City WEATHER: Snow Ending By Noon

According to weather radar trends- the accumulating snow appears to be about over for the central through northern Metro. The snow is tapering off over the southern Kansas City Metro and all areas will see off and on snow flurries until about noon.

Maybe the municipal street crews can make some headway on the slick roads that have caused dozens of mostly minor or no-injury wrecks earlier. The wrecks continue at this time- though not at the frequency as they were in the 7-9am period.

The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating the minor wreck in the following image where a motorist southbound on U.S. 69 at 151st Street slid into an unmarked Overland Park police car (right) who was already investigating another minor crash.
The wrecks were relatively low-speed- and no one hurt in this incident.

__________

Snow Creates Traffic Crashes By The Dozens

The snow that began in the Metro before the morning drive-time has made skating rinks out of Metro roadways.

Area police- fire & EMS services have run dozens of wrecks already- more coming in as this is written.
The snow will continue for at least 2 more hours- with as many inches (2) expected on top of what has already fallen (about 1.2-inches here in S.E. KC-MO).

_________

SHOCKING- Married Couple Bathroom Follies

In what HAS to be an all-time low for The KANSAS CITY STAR- the editorial staff (Yael T. Abouhalkah specifically) makes light of the fact that KC-MO's mayor and his wife sometimes uses the restrooms together.

This was according to Ruth Bates' deposition. Bates is the one suing the City over alleged racist remarks made by the Mayor's wife- Gloria Squiriro.

Shocking- what married people do!

Hope The STAR don't catch word that Ms. Rittenhouse and I frequently share the SHOWER.

Pull BACK the wheel in front of you K.C. STAR- you're in a steep DIVE....

________

Ricardo Montalban Dead At Age 88

He was Mr. Roarke on TV's Fantasy Island but Mr. Montalban is probably best know to Boomers and Xers as Khan- the evil nemesis in Star Treks's "The Wrath of Khan" from the early 1980's.

Mr. Montalban's obit is found in this Associated Press story.

________

Independence-MO Joins Corporate Welfare Frenzy

The Independence Planning Commission has approved plans for the old Blue Ridge Cinema site at U.S. 40/I-70 and Blue Ridge Boulevard.

According to the story from the INDEPENDENCE EXAMINER- which makes NO mention of the Tax Increment Financing (TIF/Corporate Welfare)- the former theater site MAY eventually contain restaurants and such- depending "on how the market bears out” said one of the applicant's representatives in the EXAMINER story.

It's unclear why Metro cities are still handing out corporate welfare when municpalities need all the full-paying tax base they can muster.

It's even further unclear when Independence can't fill up the much-touted retail area around the well-TIF-gifted Bass Pro Shop at I-470 & I-70.

So tomorrow the CSW Drug Testing Kit for Politicians Award goes to Independence city officials (Raytown has the award for today).

_________

Raytown Wants More Sales Tax

Politicians rule who flunked basic Clue 101 when it comes about discussing new taxes these days.

You know- those elected officials (who's to blame there?) who hand out corporate welfare in the form of TIFs and other so-called "economic engines?"

The blog Raytown Report has the goods on such politicians who rule the roost in this west-central Jackson county MO community.

There- the Board of Alder(persons?) who with one hand gave generous TIFs to WalMart and HyVee- want to increase the sales tax- a percentage of which the People of Raytown would never see.

_______

Random Photos Of Downtown Kansas City-MO

Most of you homeys SHOULD know what these images are- if ya DON'T- take a guess and I'll tell you if you're correcto-mundo.
Click on the image for full effect BTW....

_______

This Week's View Of Performing Arts Center

I want to correct the location from which these images were taken- it's 17th Street on the south side of the project- not 18th Street as I stated last week.
Note another story of steel framework has gone up since last week's photos.

_________

Bush Gives Final Speech From Egypt

It's live on many TV networks as I write this.

Bush HAS to be talking from Egypt- as many of the "accomplishments" he's touting shows that he's DEEP in denial.

__________

Central States WEATHER: NWS: Blizzard Warning Central - Northern Iowa

A blizzard warning is in effect from this Monday afternoon into early Tuesday for central & northern Iowa.
This includes the I-35 and I-80 corridors as well as the city of Des Moines.

________

No Injuries In KC-MO House Fire

Lives were disrupted but no one was hurt when fire broke out in the upper stories of a Midtown KC-MO home early Sunday morning.

Six companies of firefighters battled the 2:14am fire in the 2-1/2-story structure in the 2600 block of Olive for about 15 minutes before it was brought under control.

The unknown number of occupants refused Red Cross assistance and the cause of the fire was under investigation.

__________

Independence MO Police Shooting Leaves Male Victim With Critical Injuries

There is little information yet to go on- but paramedics were called by police to a shooting around 2:15am Sunday morning in the area of Osage & Gudgell.

A man- thought to be in his 30's- had been shot 4 times by Independence police.

That man was taken to a Metro KC trauma center with two gunshot wounds to the chest- and one each to the abdomen and a hand.

Independence police are officially saying the officer shot the man in self-defense after the suspect indicated he was armed at the end of a vehicle chase involving the suspect and 2 other males.

The other 2 men were arrested without incident or injury.

________