Saturday, June 06, 2009

Metro Kansas City BREAKING WEATHER: Severe T-stm Watch No. 340 Until 5 AM- KS-MO-IA



T
his Severe Thunderstorm Watch No. 340 includes Metro K.C. counties of Wyandotte- Leavenworth in Kansas and Missouri counties of Platte- Clay and Ray until 5 am Sunday morning.


Other Missouri cities included in the watch are St. Joseph- Chillicothe- Bethany and Kirksville.

Thunderstorms should begin to affect northwestern Leavenworth county Kansas in a little over an hour from this report.

Here's the latest NWS Doppler radar image:


CSW will be on all night long for your non-commercial- severe weather pleasure....
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K.C. MetroRegion WEATHER: Severe T-stm Watch No. 339 Until 3 AM- KS-NE



S
evere Thunderstorm Watch No. 339 was issued just before 9pm this Saturday night and will be valid until 3 AM Sunday morning for Kansas City MetroRegion counties in Kansas of Brown and Jefferson.


The city of Topeka is included in the watch but not Lawrence (include yourselves 'Hawkers).

A complex of storms developed this evening in Central Kansas and is moving generally toward Metro Kansas City.

Here are the last visible satellite and latest NWS-Topeka Doppler radar images:


CSW will be open all night with a weather eye on....
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K.C. MetroRegion WEATHER UPDATE: Latest Doppler Radar Image



S
trong to severe thunderstorms continue in southeastern Nebraska and extend west into south-central Nebraska and continue to develop in northeastern Kansas.


Current severe weather warnings are located in the box on the lower-right portion of the radar image.

The storms between Topeka and Manhattan will affect St. Joseph in a couple of hours if they maintain their current strength.

No severe weather WATCHES are in effect in the K.C. MetroRegion- but are in effect for southeastern Nebraska counties.

About the northern half of the MetroRegion IS in a forecasted "slight risk" of severe thunderstorms through Sunday morning.
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Kansas City MetroRegion WEATHER: "Slight Risk" Of Severe Thunderstorms Today- Tonight



T
he National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has forecasted much of the northern half of the Kansas City MetroRegion to possibly receive severe thunderstorms (t-stms) today through early Sunday morning.


The NWS-SPC image shows the area included which also includes mostly northern portions of Metro kansas City as well.

Early this morning- strong to severe t-stms roll through south-central into southeastern Nebraska. These storms- while moving generally eastward- could foster some development on the southern flank into northeastern Kansas.

Latest radar image shows the additional development beginning.

At any rate- these existing storms should move into the extreme northwestern and northern MetroRegion counties in a few hours- and could produce at least local severe weather.

We've got an eye on the situation....


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Friday, June 05, 2009

Captain Spaulding's Plan For The Kansas City-MO School District



S
o the Kansas City-MO School board is planning on closing 13 schools- including the first school that I attended way back in 1957- Meservey.


(Photo Courtesy of JILL TOYOSHIBA/Kansas City Star)

I don't know WHY state officials don't do what I first suggested years ago:

Dissolve the KC-MO School District!

Divy-up the schools in the KC(MO)SD to the surrounding Missouri school districts: Center- Grandview- Hickman Mills- Raytown- Independence- North Kansas City and/or Park Hill.

Work out what schools/districts go to whom- then figure out and carve-out the supporting tax base accordingly.

Kansas City would then be rid of it's continuing educational embarrassment and MAYBE people would quit the mass exodus from the KC(MO)SD.

My plan CAN'T be any more costly or inconvenient to KC-MO residents than the on-going monitary rathole that is the KC-Mo School district.


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KC-KS Officials Delay Vote On Shrinking Casino Plans



T
he plans were grandiose- several companies submitted plans costing more than three-quarters of a billion dollars- to build a destination hotel and gambling casino at or near the Kansas Raceway in western Kansas City- Kansas.



As the economy faltered- so did the plans. The company approved last year asked out of their commitment- so it was back to the drawing board.


Two companies submitted new plans on Thursday- including the consortium backing-out a year earlier that includes the infamous Cordish Company.


As midnight rolled around- Wyandotte County commissioners decided to "hold-off" voting for either one until they had time to further look over the proposals.


The new casino plans have been scaled down more than 50-percent and estimated county-city revenues have been scaled back that much at least.


So for AT LEAST another year- Missouri casinos will carry-on with no loss limits- and no competition from any new Kansas casinos while Kansas politicians run around in circles with yet another legislative issue.

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Phillllll (De) Kline Needs Your Cash



A
ccording to this story from The KANSAS CITY STAR- Kansas' PITA Philllllllll Kline recently sent a letter to Kansas right-wing faithful asking for financial help in his on-going fight against American "freedom of choice."




Actually- I'd really like to donate- but I don't think the U.S. Postal Service will ship bullshit (I wonder how Kline got to Virginia?).

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Thursday, June 04, 2009

"D-Day" 65th Annivesary Honors More of "The Greatest Generation"



F
ifty American- fifteen Canadian and ten British veterans of World War II will be honored Saturday by the French goverment in Paris for their participation in June 6- 1944's "D-Day" during that war versus the Axis trilateral of Germany- Japan and Italy.


Yours truly stands at rigid attention- and salutes those who gave their all in the name of honor and freedom.
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Actor David Carradine Dead At 72



H
e was TV's martial arts master as "Kung Fu."


Mr. Carradine was found dead in a Bangkok- Thailand hotel after reportedly hanging himself- says the Associated Press.

(Photo courtesy of the Associated Press)
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Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Four Examples of What KC-MO Can Do With $150000



K
C-MO council persons Ford and Circo are simply giddy about getting a new convention hotel for Downtown.

To that end- they and the other council people approved spending $150000 for yet another "study" of this 30-year-old-plus issue.

I submit to you the reader- just FOUR examples of what that $150000 could be better spent on. Free free to submit your dozens of examples too.

My examples are 4 of more than a half-dozen overgrown and decrepit properties just in MY neighborhood that the City seemingly ignores.

The addresses of these properties are in the image file names.

Codes people can come through this neighborhood issuing tickets for really- really LAME issues- while the very appearance and livability of the neighborhood goes downhill with a jet engine.

I would STRONGLY suggest that the KC-MO city council people get their heads out of their convention-fancy asses and ACTUALLY TOUR SOME OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS and see where that $150000 could be better spent - TO IMPROVE APPEARANCES AND LIVABILITY of Kansas City-MO's older neighborhoods.

Maybe the recent election recall didn't include ENOUGH city politicians. Seems to me we are "governed" by myopic dolts anymore..


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Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Metro K.C. Breaking Weather: Flash Flood Warning - JoCo- WyCoKS-JxCoMO



T
he warning is through 4:30 pm this Tuesday afternoon.


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"Slight Risk" of Severe T-stms Later Today



A
ll of Metro Kansas City- and much of the MetroRegion is in a forecasted area for possible severe thunderstorms later this Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning.


Severe-criteria-size hail and wind gusts are the primary severe threat- along with deadly lightning and possible flash flooding.

The risk area includes all of the MetroRegion except the extreme northwestern and northern areas of Missouri.

Updates here later as any severe weather watch is issued in addition to the Flash Flood Watch already in effect.
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FEMA Offers $$$ To Build- Improve Local Fire Stations



I
f your town or city is in need of a new or improvements to an existing fire station- check out this notice- courtesy of Ms. Rittenhouse- telling how the U.S. government's Fedeal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing the money:



Fire Station Construction Grants Coming Soon

The Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grants (FSC) will provide financial assistance directly to fire departments on a competitive basis to build new or modify existing fire stations in order for departments to enhance their response capability and protect the community they serve from fire and fire-related hazards. The authority for FSC is derived from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Congress appropriated a total of $210 million for this Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 program.

DHS consulted with the nine major fire service organizations to obtain insight and expertise providing funding priority recommendations. Our primary goal is to help fire departments meet their firefighting and emergency response needs. FSC seeks to support organizations lacking the tools and resources necessary to effectively protect the health and safety of the public and their emergency response personnel with respect to fire and all other hazards. The program will be administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate in coordination with the U.S. Fire Administration by the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program Office.

The AFG Program Office will be utilizing the established grant process employed for all other grant opportunities with AFG. Applications will be submitted via the automated e-grant application and the program office expects the e-application will be available the week of June 8th. The submitted applications will be screened using the answers to the questions in the application to determine which applications will go to panel. Finally, a panel of peers will review each application sent to panel and provide recommendations regarding which applications will be funded.

During the application period, the help desk will operate Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays (Eastern Time). However, the help desk will close at 4:30 p.m., on Friday, July 3rd and will not be open on Saturday, July 4th. Applicants who have questions regarding the Fire Station Construction Grants opportunity should contact the help desk at 1-866-274-0960 or at firegrants@dhs.gov.

An applicant tutorial will be made available soon on the firegrantsupport.com website. The tutorial provides you with valuable grant information and walks you through the preparation and submittal of competitive applications. In addition, the applicant tutorial provides an overview of the funding priorities and evaluation criteria.

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Fatality Crash In KC-KS



A
t 07:14 AM- the Kansas Highway Patrol was reporting a crash with an ejection of at least one of the vehicle's occupants on eastbound I-70 near 110th Street in KC-KS..


At least one person is reported dead in this crash.

Eastbound I-70 is closed between K-7 and I-435 while the wreck is investigated.
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Metro-MetroRegion K.C. WEATHER: Flash Flood Watches Today



M
uch of the Kansas City MetroRegion- including all of Metro K.C.- is under a Flash Flood Watch from early this Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday.


Thunderstorms- many strong to severe- are expected to develop over much of the MetroRegion later this afternoon and evening.

These storms will move slowly and/or re-develop over the same areas. Rainfall rates of 1 to locally 3-inches per hour are likely with these storms.

Updates here later as needed....
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Monday, June 01, 2009

Tornadic Storms In N.W. Missouri Radar "No-Man's Land"



W
hile there IS a Tornado Warning in our extreme northwestern MetroRegion in Andrew and Holt counties- all National Weather Service (NWS) Doppler radars are reading the edges of their velocity or wind mode scales in those areas.

The reason is that NWS Doppler can only EFFECTIVELY measure possible tornadic circulation in a given storm UP TO 75 miles away from the radar site.

The storms on-going in N.W. and northern Missouri are well outside of that range for any of the regional weather radars.

It was the same condition when deadly tornadoes hit the Kirksville-MO area about 10 days ago.

Regardless- NWS forecasters are doing the best they can with what tools they have- and just a Severe T-stm Watch continues for those areas north of Kansas City....


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K.C. MetroRegion WEATHER: Severe T-stm Watch No. 319 In Effect- KS-MO-NE-IA



T
he northern Kansas City MetroRegion is under Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 319 until 11 pm this Monday night.



The watch includes cities such as Seneca and Hiawatha-KS- as well as Savannah- Maryville & Bethany-MO..

Metro Kansas City- St. Joseph- Topeka and Lawrence are NOT in ST Watch No. 319.

As you can see by the latest visible satellite and Doppler weather radar images- showers and storms have developed rapidly inside the Watch area- and stretch into south-central Kansas.

Storm cell/area movement is east to northeast- so we'll be watching those areas west to southwest of Metro K.C. for any activity.

Also note the latest severe weather WARNINGS in the lower-right box on the radar image.

Any changes will be noted here at CSW....
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"Pro-Lifers" Take Ten-Mile Step Back



I
t hasn't been a week since I voiced my own "commentary" on the controversial subject of abortions.


It had been longer than since the legal system mostly absolved George Tiller of any abject wrong-doing.

So naturally- if the extreme right-wing faction in America can't get it's way LEGALLY- it resorts to violence and murder.

Also in "The Name of God" mind you.

The extreme right-wingers in this country set THEIR cause back about 40 years with the murder of late-term abortionist Dr. George Tiller- becoming a new class of American Terrorists.

Maybe they start murdering people like me who don't agree with their twisted agenda....
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K.C. Metro-MetroRegion WEATHER: "Slight Risks" of Severe T-stms Today- Tomorrow



I
t's been pretty slack with the severe weather around the Metro this year- bad for storm chasers- a relief for the rest of us.


There is a window for some severe weather locally: Later today across generally the northern half of the Kansas City MetroRegion and tomorrow over most of the MetroRegion- including Metro K.C..

The risk for tornadoes is low- with the primary severe weather threat being lightning- hail and possible high winds.

There is also a risk for heavy rainfall across the area on Tuesday and Tuesday night.

Check with your favorite weather dudes or weather bunnies- or here at CSW for any weather updates....
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Sunday, May 31, 2009

Metro K.C. WEATHER UPDATE: Strong Thunderstorms On The Kansas Side



T
hunderstorms- a few with very heavy rain- lightning and possibly small hail have developed rapidly in a band from Topeka- west and south of Lawrence east-southeastward to near Gardner- Spring Hill into northeastern Miami county KS crossing the Missouri state line west of Cleveland to near Archie.


These storms appear to be moving slowly along their west-northwest to east-southeast axis and will produce a light show for those of us out of harm's way.

Keeping an eye....
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Three (Years) For Captain Spaulding



A
ctually the line in the Marx Brothers' movie "Animal Crackers" was "Three cheers for Captain Spaulding"- then Harpo brings 3 chairs into the scene.

I digress- a common symptom from eating too much Tex-Mex.

The point is (and I'm wearing a hat to hide it)- this blog has it's 3rd birthday today.


In our approximately twenty-seven-hundred posts we've been trying to inform- entertain- humor a bit and knock from pedestals those who have no business being on one.

From all the nasty emails I receive from the bruised and battered former pedestal-standers- it seems to be working.

Thanks to my dozen or so original readers whom I hope haven't passed on and to our new readers as well.

Hopefully- like you we'll last another 3 years....
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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...