Storms Produce Damage In The South Kansas City MetroRegion

A short line of thunderstorms formed and quickly became severe around 3 am Saturday morning- sending a wedge of hurricane-force straight-line winds into southern Cass and northern Bates counties Missouri.

Damage was reported to agricultural outbuildings- trees and power lines in and around Butler in Bates county as well as Garden City in southeastern Cass county.

The National Weather Service office in Pleasant Hill issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area around 3:50 am that ran until 4:30 am.

NWS Doppler radar images from around 2:30 through 4 am.

The Butler area was reportedly struck by high winds around 3:15am. Power was out to much of the Bates county seat through midday.

No injuries were reported.

High winds struck the Garden City vicinity around 4 am- ripping down trees and power lines. The storm caused a small fire and damage to a house in the 600 block of Fir Street a little after 4 am.

Again- no injuries were reported.

There is a chance for more severe storm activity throughout this weekend in the Kansas City MetroRegion.

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Leavenworth-KS Police Pull Man From Burning Vehicle

A man has only minor burns today after the vehicle he apparently passed-out in caught fire about 3:10 am Saturday morning.

Leavenworth police and a fire truck were dispatched to the rear of 745 Cherokee at Tom's Stampede bar- where a vehicle was reported on fire with someone still inside.

Minutes later- LFD arrived and said the vehicle was fully-engulfed in flames that were threatening the building and asked for a full response.

Meanwhile- a Leavenworth police officer who arrived before the fire engine had broken into the burning vehicle and pulled the "highly-intoxicated" occupant to safety

The officer was not injured. The "highly-intoxicated" man's injuries were centainly non life-threatening.

No word if any charges (stupidity?) can be filed....

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Three Shot In Separate Incidents In Both Kansas Citys

Weekend in the Metro Corral...

This first shooting victim was reported to be a male who was driven to a KC-MO hospital just after 12:30 am Saturday morning.

There was no other information on this incident.

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The next shooting came in Midtown KC-MO.. Police stopped a car that was being driven erratically in the 3200 block of Troost around 1:23 am..

Officers found that the driver- "a 17-year-old male"- had been shot twice in his right arm and MAST-EMS was summoned. His injuries were non life-threatening.

The youth apparently told police the shots- "6 to 7" of them- were fired from "a white- early-2000's Pontiac Grand Am with tinted windows- in the area of 29th to 30th and Troost."

Police were also told another person had been in the vehicle with the 17-year-old- but got out and ran before officers stopped the vehicle.

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The last shooting reported so far Saturday morning was in the 1900 block of North 25th Street around 1:38 am.

There police found "a 24-year-old male with 3 gunshot wounds"- 2 to his back and 1 shattering his leg. The man was transported to a KC-MO medical trauma center in serious to critical condition by KC-KS FD-EMS-5.

Police have yet to report any possible suspects or any other information on this one.

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Kansas City's BREAKING NEWS: 2-Alarm Fire In Midtown KC-MO

At 4:22 am Saturday morning- five companies of the KC-MO Fire department responded to a reported fire in a "vacant apartment building" at "Linwood and South Benton."

Fire Station 18's crews arrived 2 minutes later and reported the 3-story structure "heavily-involved" in flames from top to bottom.

At 4:25 am- a male "victim" was found by one of the fire crews outside the "base" of the building.

This "39-year-old male" who was also reported by MAST-EMS to be an earlier stabbing victim- "jumped from the 3rd-story" of the building to escape the fire.

He was transported in non life-threatening condition to an area hospital.

At 4:29 am- a 2nd alarm was sounded- committing 11 fire companies to the fire.

As of 6:15 am- the fire is considered to be under control with no further reports of injuries. The building has been heavily-damaged and has unstable walls.

Watch KSHB 41 Action News for more details....

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Fatality Crash In KC-MO's Northland

A single-vehicle wreck was reported around 11:35 pm Friday night in the 5700 block of North Brighton.

It was said to be a rollover crash- with the driver- a male- dead at the scene.

No identification of the deceased yet available and the incident was under investigation.

Watch KSHB 41 Action News for more details....

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What's Wrong With This Picture - Part 41

It's a file photo belonging to The LAWRENCE (KS) JOURNAL-WORLD newspaper that accompanied a story there today.

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Afternoon Temperatures Vary Widely Across The Central States

Here's a surface weather map- depicting a 38-degree difference in temperature from 78-degrees at Lee's Summit-MO to 116-degrees at a location in Oklahoma northwest of Woodward.

The showers and thundershowers continue sliding east-southeast across central and eastern Kansas and away from most of Metro K.C. (except Johnson KS & Cass county MO.).

I'm expecting new activity to develop later- possibly after sundown- that will affect the Metro.

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Another "Slight Risk" For Severe Storms MetroRegion-Wide Today

For the 2nd day in a row- the entire Kansas City MetroRegion is in a NWS-Storm Prediction Center (SPC)-forecasted area for a slight risk of thunderstorms becoming severe later today into the overnight.

Included are MetroRegion cities that were hit by strong straight-line winds early this morning: Richmond- Lexington and Cameron-MO..

Right now there are showers and thunderstorms over much of the northern halves of Kansas and Missouri- but at this time none of that activity is severe.

Here are the latest visible satellite and NWS Doppler weather radar images:

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Kansas City's BREAKING NEWS: Shooting In South KC-MO

At 1:05 pm- KC-MO emergency serivces- MAST-EMS- Fire and Police in that order- responded to a reported shooting in the 9300 block of Newton.

There they found "a 29-year-old male with 2 gunshot wounds" according to MAST.

The man was shot in the lower abdomen and left leg and MAST reported no exit wounds.

The victim has been taken to an area medical trauma center in at least serious condition.

Police are seeking a reported suspect: "A black male named Cocaine with dreds and a white tank top- left in a 4-door silver (colored) Chevy Cavalier.

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Alaska Cruise - Part 1: Seattle to Vancouver

If you ever get a chance to go to Alaska, you will see some of the world's most beautiful country. I usually gravitate towards warmer climates when picking a vacation, but was invited by my sister (who lives in Phoenix, AZ) to go North to Alaska on this Princess Cruise vacation. This cruise there were 13 of us (just a few of us from my huge Sicilian family).

We all met in Seattle, WA on June 26, 2009. We enjoyed a trip to the famous Pike Place Market, and some of us went on Bill Speidel's Underground Tour, a must see for those who might enjoy a bit of humor, history, and tales about the famous Seattle Red Light District.


Just outside the entrance to the Underground Tour

On the tour

View of Seattle

June 27, 2009, we flew to Vancouver, and a bus transported us to the dock of the Sapphire Princess. The bus driver was fantastic, funny, and enlightened all of us who had never been there before. Vancouver, BC will host the 2010 Olympics (I got this shot thru the window of the bus).

The Sapphire Princess
More to come..........

M-150 West Of U.S. 71 Will Close Sunday Evening Into Monday Morning

MO-DOT officials have announced the complete closure of Missouri (M) 150 highway at the railroad crossing west of U.S. 71 for a lane upgrade at that crossing.

M-150 is slated to be closed from 7 pm Sunday until 5:30 am Monday morning.

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MetroRegion K.C. WEATHER: Severe Tstm Watch No. 567 Until 3 PM- MO-NE-IA

The watch is in effect for that part of the MetroRegion generally north of U.S. 36 highway- but does NOT include St. Joseph or Chillicothe-MO..

Missouri MetroRegion cities such as Maryville and Tarkio are in this watch until 3 pm this Thursday afternoon.

Here are the latest visible satellite and Doppler weather radar:

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Broke Los Angeles Spent $1.4-Million On Michael Jackson Memorial Service

According to the Associated Press- the L.A. city government spent almost a million and a half dollars on Jackson's memorial service.

Money Los Angeles and the State of California doesn't have.

I think the Jackson Estate would do well to reimburse the City of L.A. that taxpayer money.

Otherwise- it's simply just the rich riding on the backs (dollars) of the poor again....

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Severe Storms Possible Today Over The K.C. MetroRegion

All of MetroRegion Kansas City- including the Metro- is inside a "slight risk" forecast area for possible severe thunderstorms later today.

The primary severe threats will again be large hail and damaging wind gusts- the latter like what struck Ottawa and Garnett-KS yesterday afternoon.

Friday could ALSO see a chance of severe storms in many of the same areas- according to the SPC's "Day-2" outlook.

What I'm watching this morning is a MCS or mesoscale convective system (group of thunderstorms- see radar images) moving down the Missouri River north of Omaha at this post.

This MCS is moving south-southeast toward the MetroRegion- and eventually Metro K.C..

Commercial-free updates here at CSW as today's weather scenario develops....

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VIDEO: Severe Storm Rakes Franklin- Anderson Counties-KS

This YouTube vid courtesy of The OTTAWA HERALD- showing the trailer of an 18-wheeler on top of a car on I-35 at the south Ottawa-KS - U.S. 59 exit.

The severe storm produced wind gusts of up to 80 mph that caused power outtages in much of those 2 counties as well as the city of Garnett Wednesday afternoon..

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What A Way To Go...

A 29-year-old man drowns in chocolate in New Jersey.

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PHOTOS: Bannister Mall Is Officially Gone

These photos- taken this morning- shows that the building that once was Bannister Mall is now just the hole-in-the-ground foundation.

The first view is looking south to north from where the Sears store once stood.

The last 2 photos are from the northeast corner of where the Jones Store once was- view looking south-southwest across where the mall's building USED to be.

Here are past posts on the Bannister Mall demolition.

It's not yet known if they will attempt to break-up the mall's foundation walls- or utilize them in a part of the K.C. Wizards new soccer stadium.

Still yet to be demolished is the empty strip mall directly to the north- and the strip mall to the east that used to house Wal Mart.

At last report- Phase 1 of this project- including the soccer stadium- is slated to be completed in 2011- a year and a half away.

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Metro - MetroRegion K.C. WEATHER: "Slight Risk" of Severe Storms Today

Looking to the northwest right before the noon hour- you can see the storm activity that is moving toward Metro Kansas City.

In response to this storm activity- the NWS' Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has outlooked a large part of our MetroRegion- including Metro K.C.- in a "slight risk" area for possible severe thunderstorms later this afternoon and evening.

I expect storms will either move into or develop in and around the Metro in 2-3 hours.

Also expect torrential rainfalls will create at least temporary street flooding.

More here at CSW as the situation develops....

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Metro K.C. BREAKING NEWS: Northbound M-291 Bridge Closed

A bridge inspection this morning by MO-DOT has revealed serious rust damage to the northbound M-291 bridge over the Missouri river.

The bridge was closed just over an hour ago by MO-DOT officials- and will remain closed to northbound traffic until a merge lane with the southbound lanes- and bridge- can be completed later this week.

This is a main route between Liberty and Independence-MO..

Alternate routes will be I-435 and M-13 in Lexington.

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Reward Increases For Information In Harrisonville-MO Killing

Sometime during the afternoon of November 8- 2008- someone broke into the Harrisonville home of wife and mother Cara Jo Roberts- shot and killed her.

The killer has never been found and family and friends continue to seek the murderer.

Jeff Roberts- husband of the murdered woman- recently told The CASS COUNTY DEMOCRAT-MISSOURIAN that his union- Carpenters Local 777 of Harrisonville- recently donated $750 to the reward fund.

Mr. Roberts added another $250 to bring the total reward fund to $22000- to be paid to anyone with information leading to the capture and conviction of the perp of this ghastly crime in a quiet exurban bedroom community of Metro Kansas City.

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Woman Injured By Bottle Thrown Off Claycomo-MO Freeway Overpass

I logged this call at 3:21am Saturday morning- Claycomo emergency services responded to a 1-vehicle crash on northbound I-35 at the Bryant Street overpass.

The driver of that vehicle was reported by Claycomo-EMS to be "a 21-year-old female" who suffered minor injuries "after a person or persons threw an object off the (Bryant overpass) onto the windshield of her car."

This morning- I saw this story about the incident in- of all places- the SPRINGFIELD (MO) NEWS-LEADER.

Turned out to be 3 males who threw "a 20-pound water bottle" from the overpass onto the woman's car.

Claycomo police are seeking those 3 males for questioning and likely charges in the incident that could have killed or seriously-injured the female driver- identified in the news story as "Stephanie Parks."

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Other MetroRegion 4th Of July Weekend News

Shooting at Troubled Lawrence-KS Nightclub

This incident was first reported to Lawrence police at 5 minutes until 2am last Sunday morning: shots fired at the 821 Club on 821 Iowa Street in West Lawrence.

The LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD says LPD spotted- chased- then arrested at least 1 of the occupants of a reported suspect vehicle after the initial call was broadcast.

Police then later found a 19-year-old Topeka man who'd been shot- but suffered non life-threatening injuries.

The 821 Club- formerly known as the Last Call and Club Axis- caters to the hip-hop crowd.

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Smithville-MO Teen Suffers "Severe Burns" From Fireworks Mishap

The SMITHVILLE HERALD reports that last Friday night- two Smithville apparently male teenagers were burned- one critically- after gunpowder from fireworks the teens had dismantled ignited.

It happened outside a residence on East Meadow Street after the teens reportedly removed the powder from some mortar-type fireworks and the removed gunpowder somehow ignited.

The critically-injured teen suffered burns over 60-percent of his body and was taken to an unnamed area medical trauma center.

The other lesser-injured teen reportedly was taken to a medical facility by family members.

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Teen Possibly Paralyzed From Lee's Summit-MO Diving Incident

At 53 minutes past midnight Sunday morning- Lee's Summit emergency services responded to a reported diving accident in the 4300 block of Southeast Furlong Drive.

There they found what EMS reported as a 19-year-old male- who had dived 10 feet from the top of a pool slide into the pool that had only 10 feet of water.

Other persons at the residence removed the man from the water prior to fire and EMS's arrival.

EMS then transported the man to an area medical trauma center- reporting that their patient had no feeling below his mid-chest area but was otherwise in good medical condition.

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