K.C. Chiefs Tax Break Meets New Condition

If I live to be 2000- I'll NEVER understand why so many tax dollars are shovelled to professional sports teams.

Taxpayers don't get ANY discounts on tickets!

Anyway- the Chiefs recently applied for and received a $25-million tax break from the State of Missouri to move their training camp to St. Joseph from River Falls-WI..

The Chiefs wanted all that money- in return of a promise to keep their training facility in St. Joe for 5 years.

For $25-million- the State SHOULD have insisted on an at least 25-year stay- but at least state officials have changed the Chiefs' stay-length in St. Joe to 10 years.

My basic questions:

Doesn't the State of Missouri have more beneficial businesses to bestow $25-million tax breaks on?

Should Missouri be giving ANY tax breaks to successful corporations in the present economic climate?

and the standard clinker:

SHOULDN'T ELECTED OFFICIALS BE GIVEN PRE-OFFICE DRUG TESTS?????

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BREAKING NEWS: Fire In Northland KC-MO Business

Six companies of Kansas City-MO firefighters are at the scene of a reported "fire in the paint booth of the auto auction" in the 3900 block of North Skiles.

The alarm was sounded at 11:02am and the first arriving fire company- Pumper 34- reported "smoke showing" and they were advancing a 1-3/4-inch handline on the fire at 11:06am..

MAST-EMS has sent a standby paramendic unit to the scene- but no reports of anyone injured yet.

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UPDATE - 1125 CDT : The fire at the Kansas City Auto Auction company at 3901 North Skiles was reported to be under control at 11:22am.

The fire was reported to be in a paint booth containing 2 vehicles. Two small streams were used on the fire and no injuries have been reported.

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General Motors' All-Electric- 2-Wheeled PUMA

American taxpayer-subsidized General Motors- working with non-subsidized scooter-maker Segway has unveiled a prototype- 2-wheeled urban transportation device called the "PUMA"- or the "Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility" scooter.

According to these Associated Press images of PUMA- it appears to be about 1/3 the size of a mid-size car and has a roof- but no side doors to keep out the weather.

It's design is not that much different than Segway's popular 2-wheel scooters already on the market.

Frankly- I'd rather have this type of electric vehicle.

It's a cool purple- like the old 1970 Challenger RT I once owned....

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Blue Springs Fatality Was Man Exiting Truck

Reported here first in Kansas City Sunday morning was a person found dead along eastbound I-70 west of Adams Dairy Parkway in Blue Springs.

The Missouri Highway Patrol reports that dead person as Anthony A. Palumbo- a 21-year-old male from Blue Springs.

The MHP report- found HERE- states that Palumbo opened the passenger door of a pickup truck going down I-70 and driven by a Justin Casewell of Blue Springs.

Palumbo got out of the pickup truck while it was moving down the freeway and was killed instantly.

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Vote No On Raytown Sales Tax Raise

Raytown wants another one-half cent sales tax increase- reportedly "for public safety."

If this tax increase passes some parts of Raytown- by the city-subsidized new WalMart store on M-350- will see an almost 10% sales tax on purchases.

The city is trying to sell this increase to residents claiming "outsiders" will pay most of this tax.

Bullcrap!

Raytown residents- many of whom are on fixed incomes- will bear the brunt of a higher- nearly 10% sales tax- unreal and unjustified in this time of severe economic downturn.

Vote NO on tomorrow's sales tax increase in Raytown....

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Recall KC-MO's City Council Too

News media reports have some misguided Kansas Citian starting a recall petition of Mayor Mark Funkhouser.

IMHO- if you're going to recall the Mayor- might as well recall the remainer of this mostly-lame City Council.

At least "The Funk" wanted to withhold the pro sport stadium money rather than make cuts to CITIZEN SERVICES like the Council did....

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MetroRegion Kansas City's Overnight News Report- Sunday - April 5, 2009

Four people were hit by gunfire in the 3300 block of Cleveland around 3:55am Sunday morning.

KC-MO police are investigating the shooting which reportedly involved a burgundy-colored 1990's-model Chevy Caprice with a white top.

The 4 victims- at least 3 of them males- were shot in their thighs and taken to two area medical trauma centers.

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KC-MO Police report a person found dead by gunshot in the 1200 block of East Independence Avenue just after 3:15am..

There are few details yet available on this incident.

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A person was found dead along eastbound Interstate 70 west of Adams Dairy Parkway in Blue Springs-MO around 2:40am Sunday.

About an hour earlier- the Missouri Highway Patrol received the report of an intoxicated male walking in the roadway near here.

It's not known if this was the same person.

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

Intense low pressure over southeastern Nebraska produced showers and thunderstorms over Metro and MetroRegion Kansas City late Saturday that had moved southeast of the area by Sunday morning.

Winds had increased from the southwest and west- and temperatures had fallen from around 60 at midnight to the mid to upper 40's by 5am..

Clouds and colder- windy weather is expected today over the MetroRegion with scattered rain and snow showers.

At least 2 storm systems will affect the MetroRegion this week- stay tuned to CSW for details....

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

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K.C. MetroRegion-Metro WEATHER UPDATE: S.T.-Watch No. 116 Continues- May Extend Eastward

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch is still in effect for southwestern through northwestern portions of the Kansas City MetroRegion.

The Storm Prediction Center MAY extend this watch eastward into the K.C. and St. Joseph areas soon.

Here are the latest visible satellite and weather radar images for our area:

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K.C. MetroRegion WEATHER: NWS-SPC; Severe T-Storm Watch No. 116- KS-NE

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 116 for a large part of eastern to northeastern Kansas and southeastern and eastern Nebraska until 8pm.

ST-Watch No. 116 includes cities as Topeka- Lawrence and Ottawa-KS..

Metro Kansas City is NOT included but could see thunderstorms- some strong- later this Saturday evening.

Here are the watch graphics:

Here is the latest Central States visible satellite and Topeka weather radar images:

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The Old and The New - Kansas City's Paseo Bridge

The 4-lane Paseo bridge over the Missouri River was built in 1954 and soon carried the new Interstate 35 IN 1956.

It was a toll bridge until the early 1970's. The removal of tolls didn't help the congestion on the bridge and it's feeders south into downtown and north to I-29's beginning.

As many Missouri bridges- the Paseo suffered lack of preventive maintenance and had to be closed for repairs on an emergency basis in 2003.

In 2005- the bridge was again closed for re-surfacing the roadway and application of the bridge's more-appealing blue paint job.

A new- eight-lane bridge (with no accommodation for rapid transit) is being built just east of the old Paseo bridge- the new to carry the name Bond bridge (although many will still call it the Paseo bridge- like the Grandview Triangle still is that) .

In these images (click for full size) - you can see that the new bridge's deck is twice as wide as the old bridge..

The new Paseo bridge and the I-35 corridor improvements- at a budgeted cost of $245-million- is slated to be completed by Halloween 2011.

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A Metro Kansas City News Observation - Overnight - Saturday - April 4

For the most part- the citizens of Metro Kansas City behaved themselves.

A man in his 30's is in serious condition at an area medical trauma center after being shot around 1:15am near 25th Street & Elmwood in East KC-MO..

Police didn't have much to go-on in this drive-by- other than they were looking for a black or dark-blue late-model Chevy Tahoe.


Another man got shot in the foot near 39th Street and South Benton around 3am.. Police followed- stopped and apprehended possible suspects in this crime before the victim was transported to a hospital.


KC-MO firefighters are putting out the hot spots after a vacant house caught fire in the 11400 block of Jackson around 4:15 am..

There's so far no injuries and a fire investigator is enroute to look this one over.


Volunteer firefighters in Johnson County MO are wetting down bales of hay after the metal building the hay was stored in caught fire and collapsed around 2:35am Saturday morning.

No injuries here either.

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A warm and windy day in store today. There's a chance of showers and thunderstorms late this Saturday evening- with a cold front sweeping in by this time Sunday morning.

I won't tell you what we could see a little bit of Sunday here in the Metro....

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BREAKING NEWS: Mass Shooting- Hostage Incident in Binghamton-NY

MSNBC is reporting as many as a dozen people may have been killed by an unknown gunman in Binghamton-NY.

The incident is reportedly at a building containing the American Civic Association in downtown Binghamton.

(Image courtesy of Google Maps)

At least 4 people- reportedly gunshot victims- have been taken to area hospitals.

Police reportedly have entered the building and are searching for the gunman- reported earlier to have as many as 40 hostages.

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Like KC-MO's "Leaders"- An Irresponsible Family

Here's a family that acts sort of like Kansas City's City Council instead of taking care of REAL priorities:
That family's income dropped drastically recently- so in order to continue to pay for their season tickets to the Royals and Chiefs- the family has made some cuts.

Like KC-MO and the police and fire protection- this family cut their security alarm service. No problem the husband said- he hope their neighbors step up and watch over their house more often.

Like KC-MO and the ATA- this family also cut-out usage of their cars- eliminating late-night and weekend errands or trips. Do without or walk.

Like KC-MO- this family has drastically cut donations to charitable organizations and have restricted free-time activities available to their kids- the latter the parents figure will stay busy playing mind-numbing video games or just hanging out with their friends (who- unknown to the parents- use drugs and are into petty- so far- crime).

Of course- one of the parents in this family wanted to just drop the sports season tickets rather than cut everything else that might benefit the family's well-being.

The other parent of course ignored that request and kept the season tickets- to HELL with all other family needs and concerns.

Recent news is that family is falling apart and that a divorce is now in the offing. Hopefully- the kids will go to the more-responsible parent.

Unfortunately- Kansas Citians have to wait until the next election.

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Sense of Relief- Humor In Flood-Weary Fargo-ND

As the Red River continues to fall in Fargo- at least one resident decided to add a touch of humor- setting up these penguins on one of the temporary levees.

(Photo courtesy of The Associated Press)

The river in Fargo stands below 38 feet today- after a record crest of 40.82 feet Sunday.

The high water heads north toward Grand Forks- as you can see in this image

that northeastern North Dakota town is snug behind their new flood protection system built after the disasterous 1997 flood.

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