WEATHER: Some Area Rainfalls Year-To-Date and Forecasted Rainfall

As shown by the graphic of rainfall totals so-far in 2009- some areas of Johnson County KS are approaching 50-inches for 2009.



The graphic is courtesy of readings taken by the Overland Park "Stormwatch" site and covers rain guages over a wide part of JoCoKS- as well as parts of central through southwestern KC-MO..


It appears these totals will see a fair boost the next few days- with the NWS' Hydro Prediction Center targeting an area very near Metro Kansas City with possible 5-inch rainfall totals by next Wednesday.

As usual- we'll bring you the story in text and images as this weather situation unfolds.



In addition- there are early indications northern parts of the Kansas City MetroRegion could see their first significant snowfall of the 2009-10 season by late Tuesday.

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Medical Helicopter Crashes Near Reno NV - 3 Killed

Radio station KOH-AM 780 is reporting the crash of a medical helicopter north of Reno early Saturday morning.

The pilot and 2 medical crewmembers aboard the aircraft were killed.

The chopper's crew had just flown a patient to a Reno hospital and was reportedly on-course back to their base when the aircraft crashed and burned.


Our condolences to the family and friends of the helicopter's crew.

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BREAKING NEWS: Train Vs. Car Crash In Johnson County MO

There are reported "two" persons injured after a train struck a car in southwestern JoCoMO around 10:27 am Saturday morning.


The incident was dispatched to "Southwest 200 Road just west outside Kingsville" MO and report is the 2 injured are males- one of them "16-years" of age- neither patient "trapped or ejected" during the crash.

Emergency responders are trying to get a medical helicopter to the scene- but those efforts were hampered by low cloud ceilings- drizzle and light fog.


More as received....

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WEATHER: Winter Storm Threat Looms Over Western Central States

Winter Storm watches have been issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) from central through western and southwestern Kansas as well as the Oklahoma panhandle.


Most of the watches take effect later Sunday and extend into Monday. Up to a foot of snow could fall in some areas.


The winter storm will strike the Denver CO area later today with snowfalls from one-half to one-foot possible by late Sunday.

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In the Kansas City MetroRegion- there'll be periods of rain beginning late tonight- possibly heavy rain tomorrow- but no frozen precipitation is expected through at least late Tuesday.

Heavy rainfalls are possible in central and eastern Missouri from the approaching system.

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Man Injured In Independence MO House Fire

A 56-year-old man is recovering at a Metro hospital from smoke inhalation he suffered in an Independence house fire early Saturday morning.


It was around 2 am when an Independence police officer on patrol spotted "heavy black smoke" in the area of 1900 Ellison Way.

A house was found to be "totally-involved" in flames when firefighters arrived at 2:05 am- and 2 ambulances were ordered to the scene.

The 56-year-old male cancer patient and on oxygen was out of the house when firefighters arrived- and his injuries were not life-threatening.

No firefighters were injured and a fire investigator was finding the fire's cause.

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Gardner KS Police Officer Injured

A Gardner police officer suffered a knee injury related to a high-speed pursuit out of that southwestern Johnson County community around 2:20 am Saturday morning.

The suspect was wanted on "an aggravated assault on a police officer" as the suspect sped east at speeds around "90 miles per hour" on 175th Street from Gardner.

The chase ended at 2:25 pm in a field off 175th Street east of Hedge Lane and the suspect was taken into custody.

The police officer had to be "carried" from the field to the waiting MEDACT-EMS unit- who transported him to a JoCo hospital.

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KC-MO North Hotel Evacuated Due Fire Scare

At 2:07 am Saturday morning- seven companies of the KC-MO and Southern Platte Fire departments responded on "a 1st-alarm assignment"- reported "smoke on the 3rd-floor" of the Howard Johnsons hotel at 7301 Northwest Tiffany Springs Road.


The hotel was evacuated and- at 2:18 am- a KC-MO fire company reports "a fire in a chair- out" at that time.


No one was injured- but a fire investigator was dispatched and guests were allowed to return to their rooms within 20 minutes.

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BREAKING NEWS: Pizza Shop Robbed In Grandview MO

At 6:36 pm- Grandview police responded on a reported armed robbery of Little Caesar's Pizza shoppe at 6203 Main Street.

At 6:37 pm- officers are on the scene.
Witnesses tell the officers the suspect was a black male- about 5-foot-4 to 7-inches tall- weighing about 165 pounds and dressed in dark clothing possibly wearing a mask.

The thug "ran out the back door- (running) south" from the business.

No employees report being physically harmed during the robbery with a yet-to-be-determined amount of cash taken.

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Blue Springs "Diverging Diamond Interchange" On Woods Chapel Only 2nd In U.S.

Motorists driving like Europeans- according to the accompanying image- would be the norm when the new I-70-Woods Chapel Road interchange is completed in 2013.


Northbounders on Wood Chapel would drive on the LEFT side of the I-70 overpass directly onto the westbound I-70 ramp. Southbounders the opposite: driving on the other side of the bridge.

This "diverging diamond interchange" as it's called by traffic engineers would begin construction in 2011 if approved by the Blue Springs MO City council- according to The Independence-Blue Springs-Grain Valley EXAMINER.

The only other interchange built like this in all of America is in Springfield-MO..

I'd love to be a traffic camera (and a tow truck driver) at this interchange the first few weeks it's in operation....

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Pettis County Residents Angry Over Empire Gas Proposed Rate Increase

Even though we're in a "recession (depression)" and that natural gas rates are DOWN- Empire Gas who serves around 45000 Missouri residents wants a rate increase.


Residents in Pettis County gave the Missouri Public Service Commission an earful during hearings held regarding the rate increase- according to The SEDALIA (MO) DEMOCRAT.

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Lock and Load- Firearm Deer Hunting Season Begins Tomorrow

It's an annual ritual for many hunters in the Kansas City MetroRegion and it begins one-half hour before sunrise Saturday morning.


Many will take the trip today to their favorite hunting grounds and for many area hunters- that area is northern and northwestern Missouri- according to this story in the MARYVILLE (MO) DAILY FORUM.

The hunting weather should be good through at least early Sunday. The firearm season extends to Thanksgiving week: one-half hour after sunset on Tuesday- November 24.



Also motorists beware! The deer rutting season is here full tilt....

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South KC-MO Crash and Lee's Summit Fire

The crash was about 6:30 pm in the eastbound lanes of I-470 at Raytown Road.

It was reported as a rollover crash and serious injuries were indicated.

Eastbound I-470 remains closed at Raytown Road- with eastbound traffic using the Raytown Road exit and access ramps.

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In Lee's Summit- five companies of the LSFD have a "small fire in the cockloft" of the Summit Technology Center under control.

The alarm that came out around 6:50 pm in the 800 block of Northwest Chipman Road required the at least temporary evacuation of several businesses there- including the Caremark Call Canter for CVS pharmacies.

No one was injured.

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Overland Park Freeway Ramp Traffic Signals To Be Tested

What are basically freeway ramp stop-go traffic signals will see their Metro Kansas City debut along Interstate 435 in Overland Park-KS very soon.


The signals have been installed- and according to this story in The KANSAS CITY STAR- KDoT and the OP traffic department could begin testing these signals as early as tonight.

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EMS Fire Hazard

At 2:26 pm- KC-KS Fire Department EMS Unit-17 reported they were "spilling fuel all over the roadway" and their rig was "smoking" while transporting a patient to Shawnee-Mission Hospital at 75th Street and Frontage Road.

Merriam Fire and a MEDACt-EMS unit was called a few minutes later- and you can see (middle upper right of photo) they are still with the KC-KS EMS unit on the outside lane of 75th Street east of I-35 in this OP-KS traffic camera shot.

The ambulance did NOT catch fire- and MEDACT was finishing the patient transport to S-M/MC..

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WEATHER: Significant Rainfall Forecast For Next 5 Days

Our spell of very pleasant autumn weather is slowly coming to an end with several storm systems projected into our area by the first of next week.

Precip is indicated with a frontal system due into the MetroRegion late tomorrow-early Saturday.

Then the main show with a stronger storm system toward later in the weekend- and that storm system could hang around the area through mid-week- with a chance of some wintry precipitation late next Tuesday/early Wednesday.

Rainfalls of 1.5 to more than 3-inches are indicated in the Kansas City MetroRegion- with the heaviest rainfalls to the east.


On the horizon to Thanksgiving: it appears a winter storm will gather strength south of us ON Turkey Day- possibly spreading some greasy skid-stuff into the Metro/MetroRegion on the weekend after Thanksgiving.

We'll keep you informed on this weekend's AND the Thanksgiving possible storm here at CSW....

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What Was The Story On THIS KC-MO Shooting Victim?

The "32-year-old male" victim had reportedly "been shot once in the chest with a .357-magnum" and had a "gaping" exit wound out his back near his spine.

This was after a reported shooting Wednesday night at 7:27 pm in the 3500 block of Independence Avenue.

The victim's injuries were critical- police didn't initially issue any suspect information and- as far as I know- Kansas City's news media didn't report this story.

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Man Who Fell In Grain Elevator Was University of Central Missouri Student

R eported FIRST here at CSW was the fall of a man inside a Warrensburg MO grain elevator on Sunday morning- November 1.

Now- the WARRENSBURG DAILY STAR-JOURNAL has the story- reporting the man as a "20-year-old" and student at the "University of Central Missouri (formerly CMSU)."

Why did it take almost 10 days for an "official" report on this mishap?

The DAILY STAR-JOURNAL says "The incident occurred around 4 a.m. Nov. 1 (but) Police did not issue a report for public use until Nov. 9.

The man was in very critical condition when he was airlifted but no condition on the man has been made available since.

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Independence Cops "Exonerated" After Football Incident

I don't see- by reading the story- how a cop or cops were not blamed for ANY aspect of this incident- reported by The Independence-Blue Springs-Grain Valley EXAMINER.



Supposively a woman- "Kristi Powell"- and her family were enjoying a college football telecast at an Independence restaurant and were cheering their team's touchdown.



Another restaurant patron reportedly cussed at Powell's family and told them to "shut up."



That patron was reportedly a cop- and more Indy cops reportedly arrived-"slammed Powell against a wall and handcuffed her."



An "official" investigation by Independence says the cops did nothing wrong.



A read of The EXAMINER story indicates the Indy cops did little RIGHT however- but we're apparently not privvy to the whole story here.

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Man Found Drowned In Truman Lake

The Missouri Water Patrol reports pulling the body of a 67-year-old man identified as Leslie Hansen from Truman Lake on Wednesday.


The MWP report says the victim's personal effects were found on the shore of a Truman swimming beach- and Patrol officers later found the man's body about 60 feet from shore in 27 feet of water.

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Potential Burglar Gets Stuck In Topeka

The Topeka (KS) CAPITOL-JOURNAL reports a man who was attempting to break into a business early today was found stuck upside-down in a roof vent pipe.

The would-be thief apparently had called his daughter first.

She couldn't free hims so the daughter called police who- with the help of firefighters- got the suspect loose.

The man will be charged after he's out of the hospital.

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BREAKING NEWS: 2-Alarm Fire In Near Northeast KC-MO

Five companies of the KC-MO Fire department responded to a reported building fire at 9th Street and Prospect at 6:54 pm Wednesday night.


Heavy smoke with fire showing was reported when the first companies pulled up several minutes later and an additional ladder company was sent on the "working fire" response.

A 2nd-alarm was sounded at 6:59 pm with two additional pumpers- a rescue squad and aerial were dispatched.

The fire is in a building containing an automotive repair facilty and other businesses.

The fire is reported "under control" at 7:06 pm with no reports of injuries yet.

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Red Bridge Road Construction About To Begin

The VERY controversial widening of Red Bridge Road in south KC-MO is slated to get underway "possibly as early as (next month) December"- according to today's story in The KANSAS CITY STAR.

In addition to widening Red Bridge from 2 to 3 lanes from Holmes to Blue River Road- a new bridge over the railroad tracks and the Big Blue River in Minor Park is coming as well.

Bidders for this project came in more than $3-million less than the $15-million cost engineers originally attached to the project that was initially protested by hundreds of south KC-MO residents.

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BREAKING NEWS: Critical-Injury Shooting In KC-MO Midtown

KC-MO East Zone patrol officers have closed off streets around a shooting scene in the 4600 block of Chestnut- reported around 1:53 pm this Wednesday afternoon.


Early information from the scene indicates the victim's injuries are critical- and the suspect vehicle information was "a dark-colored SUV- possibly an Izuzu or Toyota" that contained the "4 black males" reported as suspects in the incident.


At 2:07 pm- the victim- "an approximately 20-year-old male who was shot numerous times in the chest- abdomen" and elsewhere was enroute emergency to a KC-MO hospital in very critical condition.

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Shawnee-Mission Students Protest Teacher Firing

As hard as it is these days to get good candidates into teaching- some school districts take little to let go those who are already in.


The Shawnee-Mission school board fired science teacher Ryan Haraughty over an off-hand remark he made to students during a geography lesson- according to the story from The KANSAS CITY STAR.

Many Mission Valley Middle school students skipped class to protest the move this morning.

The S-M school board apparently doesn't watch much TV- listen to music- teens talk- etc..

What Mr. Haraughty reportedly SAID to get him fired wouldn't even get him a PG rating anywhere else....

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New Bridge and Roadway To K.C.I. Cheaper Than New Leavenworth County KS Airport

Citizens of Leavenworth are closer to K.C.I. airport than residents in south KC-MO and Johnson County- yet county officials are pursuing funds to BUILD a new airport in Leavenworth County- according to The LEAVENWORTH TIMES.


When all that silliness is said & done- a new bridge and roadway to K.C.I. would probably be cheaper....

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Richmond MO Native Gets Her Own Welcome Sign

Ms. Lacey Fitzgerald is just one of thousands of MetroRegion Kansas City lovelies- but the ONLY one to get her own sign- according to The RICHMOND (MO) DAILY NEWS.

Ms. Fitzgerald was "Miss Missouri" last year- and Richmond residents celebrated by presenting their native daughter with a sign at Richmond's city limits proclaiming her honor.

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Home Invasions Not Just An Urban Crime

Home invasions can occur anywhere- as reported by the NEVADA (MO) DAILY MAIL & HERALD-TRIBUNE.





The story told of a home invasion Monday night in northwest Vernon County MO south of Metz- and a homeowner was injured in the process.





According the newspaper's story- the 3 suspects were "white; one is described as very tall, 6 foot 2 inches, medium build around 250 pounds with a sandy colored mustache, a second is described as5 foot 10 inches, very skinny, and the third is described as 5 foot 5 inches, heavy set and "kind of husky." All three were wearing dark ski masks, dark jackets, blue jeans and gloves. It is unknown what type of vehicle they were driving."

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Saline County MO Paramedic Was One Charged With Child Molestation

Pretty big news today around these parts are 5 Kansas City MetroRegion residents that were arrested & charged with "14 felonies, including forcible sodomy and forcible rape with a child less than 12 years old and use of a child in a sexual performance."



Sad AND sick!


According to the MARSHALL (MO) DEMOCRAT-NEWS- one of those suspects- Roland Neil Mohler- age 47 of Bates City - was arrested while on duty at his job as paramedic at Saline County Ambulance District 3 on Tuesday.

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News Stories From Last Weekend You DIDN'T See On Local News Media

Two teens suffered serious to critical- criminally-inflicted traumatic injuries last weekend and to my knowledge- none of the 4 TV news stations- The STAR or KANSAN covered them.

The first- a 15-year-old male stabbed in Blue Springs-MO and the other a 17-year-old female who had been shot and driven to a fire station in KC-KS..

Also- if you find CSW's coverage of overnight weekend news helpful and/or informative as well as our coverage of breaking news at other times- please leave a comment indicating that below.


We're thinking of curtailing local breaking news coverage on this blog unless the people demand it.

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WEATHER: Autumnal Pleasantness Continues

As depicted by Sir Edward- grazing in his pasture in Raytown.



We've been repaid those cool- cloudy days past with some nice weather recently.

The trend of highs 57 to 63-degrees with lows in the 37 to 44-degree range will continue through at least Sunday with little if any precipitation (am washing Harry here)....

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Jeff City "Possible Hostage Situation" Probably Bogus

If you even HEARD about this possiblity of a "possible" hostage situation of the 5th floor of Jefferson City-MO's Governors Office Building (GOB)- it's now reported to be a bogus call.



The Jeff City NEWS-TRIBUNE says an "automatic hostage alarm" was received from the GOB just after 10 am- but calls to offices on the floors thought involved revealed no problems.

SWAT officers were checking each floor of the building and report finding nothing as of 12 noon.

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BREAKING NEWS: Working Apartment Building Fire In Gladstone-MO

At 9:28 am- all Gladstone fire companies responded to an apartment building fire in the 2700 block of Northeast Kendelwood.

Gladstone fire crews found themselves with a working fire in the basement storage area of a "3-story" building there- and called out to KC-MO Fire for help.

At 9:35 am- KC-MO Fire sent "a 1st-alarm" assignment of 7 fire companies to assist Gladstone.

I have not heard any people found in any of the fire apartments- nor of any injuries yet as Gladstone radio is locked in here along with KC-MO Fire traffic.

More here if needed- as received....

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Hurricane Ida - November 08 2009

Unexpectedly- Ida grew to hurricane strength since our last report Saturday morning.

One of the (late) season's only hurricanes to threaten the U.S. Gulf coast- Ida with Cat-1 sustained winds of 90 mph lies nearly between Mexico's Yucatan and Cuba this Sunday morning.

An area of the U.S. Gulf coast from near New Orleans- Louisiana east to Florida are on the heightened alert as Ida slowly churns that way.

The hurricane could approach a Florida panhandle landfall- but curve rightward and stay over the Gulf waters by Wednesday.

Locally- one nice really warm day today- before a frontal system that's been hanging to the northwest of the Kansas City MetroRegion begins moving- bringing a chance of showers- possibly a thunderstorm on Monday.

No severe weather here though.

Metro highs today into the 72-77 degree range before some clouds move in- with highs Monday outside the rain areas reaching the middle-60's.

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Johnson County MO House Burns

Equipment and people from 3 Johnson County MO fire departments responded to a fire in a lived-in split-level home in the 1000 block of Southwest 180 Road at five minutes after midnight Sunday morning.
When the first emergency service (EMS) unit arrived at 12:17 am- "heavy smoke" was visible issuing from the roof of the "1-story" structure.

Three minutes later- that unit observes flames bursting through the roof in the rear of the house.

Water tanker trucks were the water supply- and another engine company was sent from Holden to help Western District- Centerview and Pittsville companies on the scene.

Didn't hear of any injuries at this location and the Red Cross was sent to the fire scene with the last fire units not clearing the scene until around 5 am.

A Missouri State fire marshal was requested for the investigation.


More information pending....

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Teen Shot In KC-KS Early Sunday

A 17-year-old female at last report was still in critical condition at a Metro K.C. medical trauma center after getting shot in northeastern KC-KS around 12:45 am Sunday morning.

The victim- shot once in the abdomen- was inside "a white Camry" when they pulled up to Fire Station No. 5 at 9th Street and Quindaro.

Police were trying to ascertain where exactly the shooting occurred- and had processed the Camry as a "crime scene."

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