Kansas City STAR Begins Nickel and Diming Their Subscribers

The STAR has announced that it will soon start charging subscribers for the television schedule insert in Sunday papers.

You'll pay- while this recession/depression band plays on- an additional 25-cents per Sunday paper if you want the TV listings insert with the rest of your Sunday paper.

Why?

The STAR's "reader representative" Derek Donovan said in print last September "market research proves that Star TV is part of The Star that many readers turn to very first when they open their Sunday paper."

So naturally- charge on top of subscription rate increases for that popular part of a shrinking Sunday paper that used to be part of the deal to your LOYAL customer base- the subscribers.

Will other Sunday features soon be charged a premium?

I wonder what the loss of revenue from unhappy- subscription-cancelling customers will be for The STAR compared with revenue for the new charge?

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Is Channel 9's Len Dawson Retiring?

KMBC ABC-9 in Kansas City has some "announcement" taking place next Monday.

If it's in line with this post I made in CSW last December- then the "announcement" is probably that of longtime sportscaster and NFL Hall of Fame QB Len Dawson retiring.

Could the rest of Channel 9's sports department be far behind?

We'll see....
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UPDATE 10:41 CDT Monday - March 16- 2009:

KMBC ABC-9 has announced that Len Dawson will become the station's "featured sports analyst."

What this means is Lenny is not retiring from Channel 9 per se- although he will no longer be doing nightly sportscasts on the station.

The former Chief's quarterback will air occasional sports segments on the station- particularily featuring his former team- according to the station's Web page.

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Pray For KC-MO Pumper 10's Driver Too

Revisiting the story of the 7-year-old boy who was killed after being struck by KC-MO Fire department's Pumper 10 enroute to another emergency call.

Yours truly and thousands of others I'm sure have said prayers for the victim's family and friends- but how many (beside moi) have said a prayer for the firefighter driving Pumper 10 that day?

The LAST thing any firefighter worth their salt wants on their head is to have contributed to the demise of a fellow Human Being.

This I know without a doubt: I once proudly wore the coat & helmet and drove the trucks too.

A longtime friend and former Fire department employee visited Station 10 the other day. He told me the driver of Pumper 10 on that fateful day hasn't been back on the job since the accident.

I have only a well-educated clue what that driver is going through.

Please- when saying a prayer for the 7-year-old victim Obarimomoya Nkani please include that driver of Pumper 10- knowing that person would have traded their life for Nkani.

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Metro K.C.'s BREAKING NEWS: Person Dead By Gunshot At Monkey Mountain Park

At 11:07am Friday morning- Jackson County-MO sheriff's deputies and units from Sni-Valley Fire & EMS in Oak Grove responded to a parking lot of the Monkey Mountain county park on East R.D. Mize Road on a reported gunshot patient.

At 11:18am- units on the scene with the patient reports a D.O.A.- a "possible suicide."

This manner of death has not been conclusively confirmed at this time.

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KC-MO Councilman Ed Ford's Exit From Politics

It HAS to be- after reading this quote attributed to the Kansas City-MO councilman by the good folks over at the K.C. Light Rail blog:


"There’s no question we’re going to have to break promises we made with voters. It’s just a question of which ones and how many."


With that poison statement- one can only assume Ed Ford's present council seat will be the last elected position he seeks.

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Jackson County-MO's Dan "Feathers and" Tarwater

Here we are Kansas Citians- in the worst "recession (depression)" in my 56-year lifetime.

Here we are Kansas Citians- getting taxed 3 times over so the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs can have fancy stadiums to play in and charge admission many of us can only occasionally afford at best.

Dan "Feathers and" Tarwater- elected member of the Jackson County Legislature- supposively represents many of us Kansas Citians.

You wonder just WHOM "Feathers and" Tarwater represents after reading this post by another Dan over at the K.C. blog "Gone Mild."

Tarwater thinks the City of Kansas City SHOULD keep pumping it's $2-million per year it no longer has into the Truman Sports Complex.

Yeah- I sure as HELL wonder whom "Feathers and" Tarwater represents for it sure isn't this household or any of the others in this increasingly-poor neighborhood.

We're noting that fact come election time by the way....

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America's "Free Press" Dying

With each newspaper layoff- a little bit more of the establishment that is SUPPOSED to keep America's politicians honest is dying.

Many (I) would say the "Free Press" went into a coma during W's administration.

Over the past 30 years- corporations bought up news media outlets- both print and electronic- leveraging their newly-acquired properties to buy more.

When the excretement met the rapidly rotating device- the greedy corporations starting cutting jobs in their properties.

Corporations- with their Capitol City lobbyists- made sure reporting didn't offend those who made future rules and laws that would benefit those corporations.

The reporting that wasn't done allowed the messes we experience today- and continued layoffs in newsrooms across the country (world) will further dilute an already tasteless product.

Many don't like "the news"- saying "(the news) is always bad."

Well- news is stuff like telling you a truck you don't see is about to T-bone you. News is keeping track of those you elect and what they are doing to make your life better or worse.

"The news" is what keeps us free- though not nearly as free as we were 10 years ago- thanks to an increasingly-sedentary "Free Press."

That old saying of "what you don't know won't hurt you" is bogus: what we don't know will destroy the "American Way of Life."

Closings of newspapers- staff reductions in newsrooms across America will hasten that process- begun by billions poured into irresponsibly-run financial institutions and sure to garner hyper-inflation soon.

Gee- there MAY be a story there....

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Three Missing From Scottsbluff-NE Car Dealership Found

Yesterday we reported about a Scottsbluff-NE car dealership where 80 (81) new vehicles went missing along with 3 dealership executives.

The AP reports those 3 executives have been located- along with some of the missing vehicles.

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Scottsbluff-NE: Cars and Employees Disappear At Dealership

This is one weird Associated Press story from the Nebraska Panhandle.

Scottsbluff police are investigating the disappearance of 80 cars as well as the owner and 2 employees of Legacy Auto Sales.

Toyota Motor Sales of Kansas City wonders what became of their unsold vehicles.

Another employee who came to work Tuesday after a day off reported the disappearances of both the lots' inventory and employees- whose "desks had been cleaned out."

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Alabama- German Males Go On Killing Sprees

Two shooting incidents yesterday- one in two southern Alabama towns and the other at a southwestern Germany high school have left a total of 25 people dead.



The Alabama shootings were in the towns of Samson & Geneva. Suspect Michael McLendon gunned down relatives and civilians before being killed by police officers at a metal plant where McLendon once worked.

The suspect also allegedly set fire to his mother's house with her still inside.


Ten were killed and at least 4 others were injured.





In Germany- 15 were killed when a 17-year-old male went on a shooting rampage in a high school in Winnenden- near Stuttgart.

Nine students and 3 teachers were among the dead.

Police also killed that suspect after a chase and a brief standoff.

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Thank You- K.C. STAR's Mike Hendricks

One of The Kansas City STAR's columnists left standing has an excellent piece this Wednesday morning regarding Mayor Funkhouser's opinion on K.C.'s taxpayer subsidies to the Royals and Chiefs.

What I want to know is:
Did Mr. Hendricks attempt to call Royals owner David Glass or Chief's owner Hunt to see what their take on elimination of the City's subsidies to their millionaire playpens was?

I doubt neither one is willing to chip in another dime to help out the citizens of the city they do business in.

Hell- the Royals announce on commercials that "Opening Day is sold out"- but somehow tickets for the opener appear if you buy a multi-game ticket package.

How about Jackson County/KC-MO residents who haven't been able to buy an Opening Day ticket yet?

The concept of stadium subsidies simply comes down to the fact whether the City is interested in continuing basic city services at current levels or cutting those services to provide these million/billionaire team owners more jack to field crappy entertainment- raising ticket prices in the process.

Do you understand that City Councilpeople? Mayor Funkhouser seems to....

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Statewide Tornado Drill Today

The Missouri statewide tornado drill is scheduled to begin at 1:30pm this Tuesday afternoon.

Some parts of the state may not be participating in this drill- they may be experiencing the real thing as severe weather is expected later today in the eastern parts of Missouri.

This is a good time to review tornado/severe storm safety procedures with yourself and/or your family: where to go- what do do- how to communicate and meet-up after a tornado emergency.

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Worlds- Oceans of Fun Also On Sale

I thought the Truman Sports Complex would go on the selling block before these 2 venerable KC-MO amusement parks would.

Cedar Fair Entertainment of Ohio has announced they're selling Kansas City's theme parks- but Cedar Park announced the two parks would open as scheduled this spring.

Cedar Fair did not publicize an asking price for the 2 Northland properties.

Maybe a package deal here: Worlds and Oceans of Fun- Ward Parkway Center and The KANSAS CITY STAR.

Where's Krusty's deep pockets when you need him?

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Ward Parkway Shopping Center Foreclosure Sale March 26

March 26 on the steps of the Jackson County courthouse you can buy a shopping center.

The owners of the Ward Parkway Center- a southwestern KC-MO icon since 1959- have defaulted on their loans and WPC will go on the auction block.

My memories of the place are NOT on sale however.

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McClatchy Is Killing Kansas City's STAR

It's been Kansas City's print landmark since the late 1880's.

If The McClatchy Company of Sacremento-CA has their way- our landmark may be gone by 2010.

It's been announced that 150 MORE people will lose their jobs at The STAR.

Jeez McClatchy- SELL The STAR before you kill it!!

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Hey WDAF's Nick Vasos

There's just one thing wrong with your 7:05am traffic update.

You stated "speeds are 61 MPH on westbound I-70 at the Jackson Curve."

Trouble is- the LEGAL speed limit there is 55 (less in the Jackson Curve itself)....

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Open Message To Missouri Division of Employment Services

Anyone who has become unemployed lately in the Show Me State and has called the Missouri Division of Employment Services (MODES) telephone help line will know what I'm talking about here:

The MODES telephone on-hold Muzak sounds like it was taken from a porn movie.

Call 889-3101 and listen for yourself.

Could be a good thing tho. People stressed over their lost job can possibly find some kind- err - other kind of relief.

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K.C. Metro WEATHER: Flood Watch In Effect

A Flood Watch has been issued by the NWS that includes all of Metro Kansas City- as well as northern- northeastern and eastern parts of the Kansas City MetroRegion.

The flood watch is valid from 7pm this Monday evening until Tuesday morning.

Click on the graphic for areas included and full details:

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Mayor Funkhouser Is Right About Sport Stadium Subsidies

KC-MO Mayor Mark Funkhouser wants to default on the city's share of upkeep on Kauffman & Arrowhead stadiums to keep basic city services at par during this terrible economic crunch.

And in my opinion- Mayor Funk is correct.

I railed against the obscene amounts of taxpayer money going to Kansas City's 2 "major league" sports teams to improve their Truman Sports Complex playpens when voters approved that nonsense a year ago.

I even proposed SELLING the stadiums to the teams- letting THEM- not the taxpayers- make whatever improvements the teams wanted.

Basic city services- police- fire & EMS as well as infrastructure improvements are MUCH more important than major league baseball or football.

It's obscene to close a community center and it's activities for youth and pump that money to benefit pro sports stars making millions.

It's obscene to allow streets and neighborhoods to deteriorate while the rich enjoy luxury amenities watching modern-day gladiators bash each other.

Maybe those who have lost their job or suffered other financial hardship during this "recession/depression" KNOW just what Mayor Funkhouser is saying here.

Mayor Funkhouser says cut the aid to the sports stadiums until city finances improve and I'm on the very same page.

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K.C. MetroRegion WEATHER: Severe Storm-Flood Risk Later Today

It's beginning to look a lot like springtime- weather-wise.

Once again much of the Kansas City MetroRegion- including Metro K.C.- is in a "slight risk" area for severe thunderstorms.

There is also a more enhanced tornado threat than Saturday night's storms locally- as well as an increased risk for flash and general river flooding with the approaching system.

Worse- these enhanced threats will come after dark this Monday evening and overnight into Tuesday morning.

Refering to the graphic- this "slight risk" area will extend along and south of a Topeka-Leavenworth-KS to Kirksville-MO line as of this latest forecast.

This is a developing-by-the-hour weather situation. Your Captain will ingest the coffee and be on the ball with information here through early Tuesday.

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