Saturday, July 18, 2009

Lawrence Woman Killed Late Friday Night On U.S. 71 Had Been To Starlight Theater



A
ccording to the LAWRENCE (KS) JOURNAL-WORLD newspaper- the woman killed by random gunfire on northbound U.S. 71 and 59th Street late Friday night was a Lawrence resident who was returning from a show at Starlight Theater.


This incident was first reported here at CSW early this morning.

The LJ-W reports the victim was "46-year-old Deanna Lieber" who was driving the gold-colored Dodge Durango. Inside the Durango was Lieber's 13-year-old daughter (also slightly injured) and mother-in law who was not hurt.


This I can tell you: KC-MO police were stretched thin all morning after this shooting. Metro (where the shooting happened) and Center Zone patrol divisions reported several "black-outs" or no officers to respond to calls.

Even MAST-EMS had to call outside agencies (twice) to help out in the City.


I wonder how many drunks the stationary sobriety checkpoints nabbed while out-of-town visitors were being killed on KC-MO streets?

Maybe the Chamber of Commerce can pony-up for a few more cops on the streets....
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KC-MO- Record Low- Two Days In A Row



T
he 5 am official temperature of 57°F at Kansas City International Airport would have appeared to have broken the previous record low temperature record of 58°F set in 1984.


No official word thus far.


The pleasant- below-average temperatures will continue through Monday- with the next chance of rainfall Monday night or Tuesday.


UPDATE:



RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
0738 AM CDT SAT JUL 18 2009

...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE SET AT KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL MO...

A RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE OF 56 DEGREES WAS SET AT KANSAS CITY
INTERNATIONAL MO TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 58 SET IN 1984.



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Critical Injuries In KC-KS Motorcycle Crash



H
eard all of this as I was coming on at midnight: what appeared to be a single-motorcycle crash with 2 riders on Kaw Drive- either the 6200 or 6900 block.



A female rider was soon transported by KC-KS EMS first and her injuries didn't sound immediately life-threatening at all.

But the male driver of the bike who was transported later by another FD paramedic unit reportedly had a critical head injury.

The patient started to one medical trauma center- then was diverted to a medical center in KC-MO..

Didn't hear any other details on the crash.

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Violent Start To Weekend In KC-MO



A
t least one woman is dead- a man in critical conditon and at least 3 other men are in less-serious condition after 4 separate shooting incidents in KC-MO overnight.





The homicide was reported here at CSW- at 59th Street and U.S. 71 around 11:30 pm Friday night. A woman driving on the highway was killed and her 13-year-old female passenger injured by what appeared to be random gunfire.




At 3:07 pm- police- fire and MAST-EMS received the report of a shooting in the 4300 block of Flora.

There police found 2 men shot: a 27-year-old with a gunshot to his head and in critical condition and a 25-year-old male shot in both of his sides in serious condition.

Both were taken to separate hospitals while police sought unknown suspects in an unknown vehicle who pulled behind the victims' pickup truck and shot them.




At 3:24 am- KC-MO agencies received yet another shooting call: in the 4100 block of Woodland. There a man was found by police shot in a shoulder.

He was taken to the hospital in serious condition with no suspect information available yet.




At 3:29 am- a male- shot in the leg near Westport police say- showed up in the emergency room of an area trauma center.

His injuries were said to be not life-threatening- but no suspect info was available to police.




To top all this off- at 4:37 am- KC-MO police broadcast a pickup of "a suspect in a kidnapping that occurred in the Power & Light (entertainment district) from 1:45 to 3 o'clock (this morning)."


The all-points-bulletin described "a black male- dark skin- bald- white t-shirt- blue shorts- last seen occupying a 2004 to 2006 black Honda Civic."


Police did not give a description of who was "kidnapped."


________

Woman Stabbed- Child Found Unharmed In Overland Park-KS



W
hat appears to be some type of domestic dispute in the 9100 block of Conser around 2:45 am Saturday morning has left a woman with a critical stab wound.


Police and other emergency services were first alerted to a problem in that area when- at 2:46 am- they were called to the 9100 block of Robinson- when an approximately 4-month-old male had been found by a dumpster.

That infant had no discernable injuries- but was transported to a medical facility as a precaution by MEDACT-EMS 1134.

Three minutes later- the same agencies received the stabbing call on Conser. There they found a female who had been stabbed in the chest.

She was taken to an area hospital in critical condition by MEDACT-EMS 1141.

Police received witness accounts of the suspect: a Hispanic male with no clothing description- dark hair and heavy-set. Officers then formed a perimeter around the Meadowlark Hills apartments and searched for the suspect.

Around 4 am that search was terminated with no suspect found. The investigation continues...

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Woman Killed By Gunfire On U.S. 71 - Watkins Expressway



A
round 11:30 pm Friday night- KC-MO Metro zone police offiers responding on a shots-fired call in the area found a woman shot in her vehicle at 59th Street and northbound U.S. 71/Bruce R. Watkins Expressway.


Police report finding the victim- a woman driver in her 40's- dead-on-arrival. A 13-year-old girl riding with the woman suffered minor injuries and shock and was taken to an area medical trauma center.

Police closed off U.S. 71 for awhile while the investigation was underway. An officer told CSW that it appeared the woman killed wasn't the intended target of the gunshots.

U.S. 71 was re-opened by police around 2:50 am Saturday morning.


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Friday, July 17, 2009

Walter Cronkite - Legendary Newsman - Dies At Age 92


And that's the way it is- Friday- July 17- 2009 ...

In behalf of Free Americans everywhere- Goodbye Walter.






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Kansas City's BREAKING NEWS: Police Find Vehicle In Brush Creek

Around 3:05 pm- KC-MO officers report seeing a vehicle in Brush Creek at The Paseo.

The fire department's rescue capabilities were summonded and have just arrived on the scene- "it appears that the vehicle is unoccupied" and that the vehicle appeared to have been in the water for some unknown time.

Update here if needed....
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New Low Temperature Record Set This Morning At K.C.I. Airport



T
he temp at K.C.I. this morning of 55 degrees Fahrenheit broke the old record by 4 degrees- 59-degrees in 1967 (when the official weather reporting station was still at the Downtown airport).




A VERY pleasant weekend is in store with temperatures running 5-15 degrees below averages in mid-late July.

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Saturday Marks 35 Year Anniversary Of The Central States' "Woodstock"- The Ozark Music Festival of 1974


July 19- 1974- the first day of a 3-day rock festival- billed as "The Ozark Music Festival" (or- by many- Mid America's "Woodstock")- and held at the Missouri State fairgrounds in Sedalia- which is recalled in this press story.


The youthful throngs began arriving in Sedalia earlier that week. By Friday- most of the area around the fairgrounds had more or less been taken over by the estimated crowd of 200000 to 400000 people (hippies).


Saturday (tomorrow)- there will be a program at Sedalia's historic Katy railroad depot to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the event.


On Sunday July 19- I'll be sitting back recalling MY 3 days in Sedalia- cramming a little red Vega full of people- getting into the Festival free- courtesy of some Marshall Tucker (Charlie Daniels) band members I gave a ride to and the plethora of mind-altering substances readily available.


I'll tell the story here (for those 18 or older-heh) if enough of you are interested- lemme know!



PEACE!


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BULLETIN: Kansas City Radio Stations Fail To Provide Public Service



T
his post is in "BREAKING NEWS" red for a reason:


This involves a VERY serious matter regarding Kansas City commercial radio and the very safety of residents in or passing-through Metro Kansas City.


Commercial AM and FM radio stations in Metro Kansas City seem to be shunning their public trust to the citizens of the area they're licensed to.

Last Sunday morning (July 12) when severe storms threatened and Time-Warner was dropping the ball on my Internet and phone service- it appears that Kansas City radio was dropping the ball on providing severe weather warnings to listeners.

Reports from 2 of my trusted sources indicate this is sadly a true story.

This would be the 2nd time this year (that I'm aware of mind you) that Kansas City commercial AM and FM stations have NOT provided timely severe weather information to the community they are licensed by the FCC to serve.

One station- KMBZ AM 980- even has the unmitigated gall to bill themselves as "the severe weather station." Not one word about last Sunday morning's severe weather event was broadcast by KMBZ (pre-recorded programming only) during the event.

Broadcast stations- whether TV or radio- have and keep their licenses based on whether they provide a "public service" to listeners in the areas they serve.

If they're putting profit above public service- and that's EXACTLY what Kansas City radio stations were doing last Sunday morning- their licenses should be closely reviewed and yanked by the Federal Communications Commission.

Maybe concerned Kansas City area residents should drop a note in these radio stations' folders come time to submit a license renewal to the FCC.


At the very least- radio stations who advertise they're serving their citizens should quit lying about it.

___________

Thursday, July 16, 2009

This 17-Year-Old Wasn't Wasting Away On Video Games...



A
ll Zac Sunderland did was to set sail alone from California- cross the Earth- and return home safety.

(Photo courtesy of the Associated Press)
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Kansas City Public Transportation Follies Continue Unabated



T
he latest joke is a River Market to Country Club Plaza trolley line.



The butt of this joke could be property owners along the line- along of course with the K.C. voters who APPROVED a light rail system that was shot down by the pollys in this increasingly-backwater burg.





Maybe we can buy some of the old streetcars back that we sold in the 1950's when trolleys became unfashionable.

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Gruesome Fatality Crash In Warrensburg-MO



I
recall a scene like this from my past as a Kansas City-MO firefighter and it wasn't a pretty sight then as this photo isn't now.


The photo- courtesy of The WARRENSBURG DAILY STAR-JOURNAL newspaper- shows the crash aftermath.

The wreck involved a pickup truck that "T-boned" the white Buick- that was literally cut in half by the force of striking and uprooting the concrete footing of a traffic signal at Maguire (M-13) and Russell Lane in Warrensburg Wednesday.

The Buick's driver died at the scene- the two people in the pickup truck lived.
_______________

The United Corporate States of America Follies - Part 2592



S
omeone give/sell/lease me a clue on how America can bail-out badly-managed corporations with hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars but CANNOT find a health coverage plan to cover it's people (taxpayers).


Sometimes the most obscene things in society are NOT rated X....
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Alaska Cruise - Part 2: Vancouver to Skagway

The Sapphire Princess is an amazing sailing vessel. She is 946 ft. in length, and 164 ft. in breadth. Her bridge is one of the most advanced in the world. The Sapphire Princess has the ability to safely navigate in any weather, around the world. She has been equipped with luxurious amenities to satisfy any passenger's fancy. And, after reading the 1st PrincessPatter (the paper delivered to our room each day), I learned that her captain was Italian: Captain Nicolo Binetti.

How cool is that!!

As we left port, Saturday, June 27, 2009, we passed under the Lions Gate Bridge and headed northbound past Maud Island and entered Seymour Narrows, the narrowest part of our voyage. Oh, but wait...we are having a fire drill. Great way to find your way around on a huge ship, right?

The next day, we were at sea all day cruising north westerly through Queen Charlotte sound towards our 1st port of call-Ketchikan. Time to unpack yet? .....uh, I don't think so. There is too much going on...ceramics, makeovers, library, gym, spa, sauna, hot tub, pool, casino, culinary arts, wine tasting, scrap booking, photography, Internet cafe, dancing, movies, stage productions, trivia, bingo...I could go on and on (This list is not inclusive.) I bet you're wondering about the food. All I can say is whatever you can imagine, anytime of the day or night. What's a girl to do? Enjoy!!!!!

From the time we left port in Vancouver, we all had a great time, doing whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. I am sleep deprived already! June 29, 2009 early morning, we had arrived at Ketchikan. Wasting no time, I would prepare to go ashore, see the sights, and make it back in time to set sail again. Ketchikan is known as Alaska's "First City" because it is the first major community travelers come to as they journey North, and it means "eagle with spread-out wings". Below are some pictures of Ketchikan, taken from the balcony of our stateroom.....



June 30, 2009, at 6AM, we arrived at Juneau, , capital of Alaska & our 2nd port of call, where we spent the day. But, was I was better prepared to go ashore? Sunrise was 3:52AM, and sunset was 10:06PM that day. I'm not sure how much sleep I have had this cruise. We all would catch ourselves saying, "It's (whatever time it was), and it's still light outside." And, truly, it is amazing to be awake, on a ship that size, on the top deck, looking at the awesome splendor of Alaska's nature at all times of the day and night. I had to sneak away often and alone, to reflect.

The 1st picture below is a shot of Mt. Roberts Tram, which takes one through the Southeast Alaska rain forest to the top of 1800 foot Mount Roberts. The 2nd is a shot of downtown Juneau from the balcony of our room. The 3rd is a broader shot of both.



My niece (a couple years younger than I) should have won a contest for the passenger who attended the most events. But, there she was, asking me if I want to go here or do this. Who cares? This is a once in a lifetime adventure! We left Juneau late evening, set sail towards our 3nd port of call-Skagway and arrived July 1 at 3:30AM.

After breakfast, I would go ashore and see the sights and be back in time to leave Skagway later in the evening. Below, find the 1st 3 shots of downtown Skagway, which was known to thousands of hopeful gold rushers as the gateway to the gold fields. The last shot was taken while being invited to attend one of many tourist attractions, for your viewing pleasure (LOL).




If you have not read Part 1: Seattle to Vancouver, please do. And, check back soon for Part 3 of this adventure.

A great big thank you (TY, my Love) to Captain Spaulding for allowing me to present this here! He's quite awesome!

If you would like to reply, please do. I'd kind of like to know if you enjoyed this.


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Independence's Englewood Theater To Re-Open As A First-Run Movie House



W
est of Independence-MO's famed Square are a number of neighborhoods that resemble the Main Streets of small-town America gone by.


Fairmount- Maywood and my favorite- Englewood. The Englewood neighborhood is situated west of Sterling along Winner Road.


According to The (Independence-MO) EXAMINER- the Englewood district at one time had "a bakery, movie theater, post office and several grocery stores."


Though few of any of those businesses survive today in big-box strip mall land- the Englewood Theater is slated to re-open as a first-run movie house.

Also planned are several improvements to the theater: the addition of 1 or 2 more screens and a retro-age coffee house.




The City of Independence for too long has spent it's tax dollars and energies on the area around Independence Center mall- it's about damn time the city leaders there gave some attention to western Independence- where the real history and charm lies.

____________

Ms. Gloria Squitiro



M
y take on the latest Gloria Squitiro controversery?


Way- way- WAY too much news-time/print is devoted to this.

You complain about the Mayor's legal bills- what about unfettered corporate TIF and other governmental gifts- misspending or simple mismanagement?

Don't see much "in-depth" or "complete/team coverage" of that noise whatsoever.

One such TV station has it's OWN legal matter regarding discrimination going on behind their smiling anchors which they tell you little to nothing about.

I know- "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."

Ms. Squitiro isn't the worst economy since The Great Depression nor the best story since Pulitzer.

Gloria Squitiro is NOT the Mayor of Kansas City-MO..

Cameras zoom in on the court jester while in the background- the empire burns.

Pick your battles well- but remember this: The mayor's wife didn't strike the match and those in glass houses....
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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Missouri K.C. Metro Latest Population Estimates



A
ccording to this article in today's The (Independence-Blue Springs-Oak Grove-MO) EXAMINER states that due to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates- Blue Springs is now Missouri's 10th largest city.


From that story comes these population estimates for Jackson County and the municipalities within.

Note that Independence- Raytown and Sugar Creek continue to lose residents- while Kansas City-MO's population correction of 475000 apparently didn't keep with the USCB:


Jackson County
2008: 668,417
2007: 666,000
2006: 663,603

Blue Springs
2008: 55,698
2007: 55,031
2006: 53,755

Buckner
2008: 2,788
2007:2,780
2006: 2,729



Independence
2008: 110,440
2007: 110,538
2006: 110,619

Grain Valley
2008: 10,352
2007: 9,806
2006: 9,398

Sugar Creek
2008: 3,533
2007: 3,537
2006: 3,567

Oak Grove
2008: 6,852
2007: 6,828
2006: 6,826

Lee’s Summit
2008: 84,208
2007: 82,695
2006: 81,637

Raytown
2008: 28,194
2007: 28,285
2006: 28,484

Kansas City
2008: 451,572
2007: 449,684

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"Possible" Murder-Suicide In Belton-MO



T
he KANSAS CITY STAR is reporting a woman dead and a man injured in what was apparently a botched murder-suicide in the 400 block of Robie Drive just before 10:30 pm Tuesday night.


No details have been released by Belton police yet....
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"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" In Ash Grove-MO



T
he SPRINGFIELD (MO) NEWS-LEADER says that Tuesday- people from the popular ABC-TV show ""Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" visited the Hampton family of Ash Grove.


Their reward for enduring Ty Pennington? A new house.

Well worth the price!
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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...