Is Nebraska Poisoning Kansas City's Drinking Water?

That was the FIRST thing that came to my mind in reading this story in the LINCOLN (NE) JOURNAL STAR.

The story told of Nebraska state officials' decision to spread coal or 'fly' ash on the Platte river in an attempt to help in a controlled thaw of river ice.

The Platte River flows into the Missouri River- the source of most of Metro Kansas City's drinking water- south of Omaha.

(Photo courtesy of The LINCOLN (NE) JOURNAL STAR)

Wikipedia and other information sources confirm the toxic nature of coal/fly ash:

"Toxic constituents depend upon the specific coal bed makeup, but may include one or more of the following elements or substances in quantities from trace amounts to several percent: arsenic, beryllium, boron, cadmium, chromium, chromium VI, cobalt, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, thallium, and vanadium, along with dioxins and PAH compounds.[1][2]"

"In the past, fly ash was generally released into the atmosphere, but pollution control equipment mandated in recent decades now require that it be captured prior to release. In the US, fly ash is generally stored at coal power plants or placed in landfills. About 43 percent is recycled,[3] often used to supplement Portland cement in concrete production. Some have expressed health concerns about this.[4]"

I wonder- is this possible 'solution' for river ice any better than letting Nature take her natural course?

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Today- Kansas City Has Warmest Day of 2010 So Far

Five days into March- we finally hit 60 degrees (59.8 degrees at 2:37 p.m. here at CSW).

Normally- we see at least one 60-degree day by this date.

Although clouds with periods of rain are forecast for into mid next week- the lowest temperatures should not go much below the freezing mark if at all.

We DESERVE this!

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CSW BREAKING: Serious Injury Crash in Northeast Clay County MO

Lawson MO Fire and EMS are on the scene of a serious-injury vehicle crash near Northeast 164th Street and Baxter Road.

The incident was first given to Kearney Fire- then diverted to Lawson at 3:58 p.m. Friday afternoon.

A first responder arrived about 8 minutes later reporting a car had gone off the road "in the curve" and struck a tree with extrication of at least 1 occupant needed.

The car was initially reported on fire- but that first responder didn't report the vehicle was burning.

An EMS unit from Excelsior Springs was requested and is enroute.


One victim of the crash has been transported to Liberty Hospital at 4:34 p.m..

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Surprise-Surprise - Kemper Arena Draining KC-MO Coffers

It should come as no surprise at all that KC-MO officials announced yesterday that the city's old arena- Kemper- put on the BIG hurt of a $1.6-million loss this fiscal year.


If you have a NEW car- are you give much regard to the old one?

This is just one of the things I pointed out several years ago when K.C. voters approved building the Sprint: What are we going to do with Kemper?

Got the answer I was afraid of yesterday- we'll shovel taxpayer dollars into it until we A) get rid of it somehow or B) it falls down in a REALLY BIG windstorm.

No wonder the city can't afford to see the loss of the earnings tax....

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Argument Leads To Stabbing Death in KC-MO

A man was stabbed during an argument with another man early Friday morning in the 5300 block of Paseo in South-Midtown KC-MO..



The incident happened just after 1:30 a.m. and police arrested the possible suspect at the scene.

The victim- reported by police as "a male in his late-30's- was transported by MAST-EMS to a nearby hospital and later died of his injuries.

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Tidal Wave in England

Thanks to SpaceWeather.com and photographer Jamie Cooper- this tidal wave in England the other day caused no damage or injuries- but LOTS of surfers- boaters- river-bank spectators and news media coverage.

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NWS Predicts Above-Average Spring Flood Risk For K.C. MetroRegion

With winter precipitation at or above yearly averages across the Kansas City MetroRegion- there is also an above-average flood risk this Spring.

Fortunately- we're not anywhere near the Red River of the North- where there's a high risk of major floods this spring- and that includes cities such as Fargo and Grand Forks ND..

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Is Odessa and Lafayette County MO Being Hoodwinked By Manna Plant Proposal?

Recently- CSW and other news outlets in the area reported that Manna of Utah was planning to build a manufacturing and research complex just west of Odessa that would provide more than 3000 new jobs to the area.


Well- it appears there are "more questions than answers" about Manna and their proposal- that included building a "magnet-powered" electrical generator that doesn't use fossil fuels.

In addition- the Odessa MO ODESSAN says that Manna is yet to purchase any land where the new facility would be built- and there are reportedly "tax incentives (taxpayer-provided corporate welfare)" involved.


Unrelated to this- I'll soon report the outcome of a poker game I was recently in that included players The Tooth Fairy- Santa Claus and The Easter Bunny.

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CSW BREAKING: Man Injured in Fall at Olathe-KS Construction Site

Johnson County KS authorities report a "27-year-old male" suffered "a head injury" after a fall at a construction site in eastern Olathe Thursday morning.


The call was received at 10:50 a.m. for the victim at 135th Street and Noland Road and it's reported the man fell almost one and one-half stories ("13 feet").

The man's injuries didn't sound immediately life-threatening as he was transported to Overland Park-Regional Med Center by MEDACT-EMS.

The incident is under investigation.

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Widow of Former K.U. Athletic Director Sues the City of Lawrence KS

Last June- the University of Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick was biking on a street near the KU campus when he struck a pothole and was vaulted over the handlebars onto the pavement.

Mr. Frederick suffered a fatal head injury from that crash.

Now- Frederick's widow Margey has filed a lawsuit against both the City of Lawrence and Black Hills Energy- claiming both did not act in a timely fashion to repair the hole on the street where her husband died.

The dollar amount of the lawsuit is at least $75000 says the story in the TOPEKA (KS) CAPITOL-JOURNAL.

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Boonville MO Apartment Managed Charged With Drug Thefts From Tenant

The BOONVILLE (MO) DAILY NEWS reports that the female manager of an apartment complex in Boonville has been arrested and charged with stealing drugs from a tenant's apartment.

(Photo courtesy of the Cooper County Sheriff's Dept. and The BOONVILLE DAILY NEWS)

The BDN says that 49-year-old Robin G. Sullivan of Boonville was arrested and charged February 19 of stealing precription drugs from the apartment of an 80-year-old tenant while that occupant was away from his residence.

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Missouri Court Decision on Red-Light Cameras Could Cost Springfield More Than $800K

Yesterday- CSW fed a story from The SPRINGFIELD (MO) NEWS-LEADER that a MO Supreme Court decision negated that city's ability to collect $100 fines from that city's red-light runners who were caught by cameras.


In today's news from The NEWS-LEADER- a class-action lawsuit has been filed in behalf of those who had already paid their fines- and a revenue-stapped Springfield city government could be on the hook for more than $800000 in fines already paid by violators.

The City of Springfield has shut their red-light cameras off in the meantime.

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Victim Called 9-1-1 in Fatal Girard KS Building Fire

According to the Pittsburg KS MORNING SUN- the victim of a early Tuesday morning building fire on Girard KS's town square had been the one who reported the fire to 9-1-1 dispatchers.

(Photo courtesy of the Pittsburg KS MORNING SUN)

The MORNING SUN reported that "Crawford County Sheriff Sandy Horton said Wednesday that Dyana Conroy, unknown age, called Sheriff's dispatchers at 3:48 a.m. Tuesday, reporting a fire at her business at 117 S. Summit."

""She called at 3:48 a.m. and it was answered by a dispatcher," Horton said. "She said that her business was on fire and she was trapped.""

Ms. Conroy was later found dead in the fire that destroyed her business and damaged two neighboring structures.

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CSW BREAKING: Child Pedestrian Killed In KC-KS

At 8:23 a.m. Thursday morning- Kansas City KS emergency services were called to North 66th Street and Parkview in the northern part of that city on a reported "9-year-old pedestrian struck by a bus" there.

When fire department crews arrived five minutes later- they reported that child- a female- was dead upon their arrival.


KC-KS police report that the bus that struck the child was a school bus with other children on board.

The child who was killed is reported to be a 3rd grade student who attended the John F. Kennedy elementary school and the bus that struck her contained students from that school.

Another bus has been requested to pick up those childen who were on the bus involved in this tragic incident.

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Missouri Supreme Court Decision Shuts Off Springfield's Red-Light Cameras

It's not yet known how this decision will affect Kansas City's 'red-light cameras'- but the Missouri Supreme Court's decision has effectively caused that southern Missouri city to shut their red-light cameras off.

The decision has to do with the type of court that alleged red-light violators were being convicted in that was contrary to state law.

In addition- a yet-unknown number of past convicted red-light runners in Springfield could be getting a refund of their fine- according to The SPRINGFIELD (MO) NEWS-LEADER.

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K.C. STAR Story Points Out Folly of a Downtown Convention Hotel

While the Kansas City MO City Council spends money the City doesn't have on studies for a 1000-room downtown convention hotel- a story in the Monday- March 1st edition of The STAR's business section puts down in black and white why the hotel is a BAD idea right now.


In that story- reporter Kevin Collison writes: "Hotels are a particularly troubled property type. Out of the $497.4 million in distressed assets in Kansas City reported by Real Capital Analytics, more than half, $259.1 million, are hotels."

"Hotels are particularly vulnerable to downturns in the national economy because they depend on daily room rentals, not long-term leases, said Jeff Marvel of Marvel & Associates. And business travel has been down substantially because of the weak economy."

"“It’s very unusual to find an unleveraged hotel,” Marvel said. “Most are still in financing or refinancing.”"

"And when revenues are down, “borrowers cannot make loan payments,” said Herb Warmbrodt, whose Leawood firm advises clients on hotel transactions. Most lenders would rather work out new payment arrangements with hotel owners than foreclose on properties that would be difficult to sell."

The folly of the convention hotel and the staggering additional debt the city's taxpayers would be subject to is the brainchild of KC-MO Councilman Ed Ford.

He and the several other council supporters (also behind the annexation of a proposed subdivision north of K.C.I. airport which thankfully failed) had best get their collective heads out of their behinds before the next election.

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Kansas City MO's Top 20 Most Dangerous Intersections

The list:

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Detroit MI Fire Dept. Ladder Truck Struck By AMTRAK Train

Thanks to STATTER911- here is a TV news helicopter view of the aftermath of an AMTRAK commuter train striking a Detroit Fire department ladder truck Monday morning.

The story states the truck was parked on the tracks while the crew worked another vehicle crash.

It's reported one firefighter suffered unspecified but apparently non life-threatening injuries.

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Denver's Rick Barber Far and Away Better Than K.C. Radio Yappers

Some outfit called "Talker's Magazine" released their list of America's "Top 250" radio talk show hosts.

Many selected to the Top 100 are right-wingers who bring on my gag reflex.

Incredibly- Denver's Rick Barber from KOA-850 AM wasn't even on the Top 250 list- but a local from right-tilted KMBZ here in Kansas City was.

Rick is a pragmatic Libertarian who is fun to listen to.

The KMBZ talker who was on that list that I've listened to once made me long to hear some gangsta rap music.

And I can't stand gangsta rap music.

So much for lists....

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Latest Developer Seeking Taxpayer Welfare in KC-MO

Are there ANY developers willing to build in Kansas City MO without handouts?


The latest seeker of property "tax abatement" is Sonoma Development Partners LLC- seeking to have the area around the former Baptist Medical Center (now HCA's 'Research Med Center-Brookside') declared "blighted" by the The Planned Industrial Expansion Authority (PIEA) so Sonoma can build some housing for old folks.

Five existing buildings that seem to be in pretty darned good shape would be demolished- says the KANSAS CITY BUSINESS JOURNAL story.

With the shape Kansas City and Jackson county revenues are in- it would SEEM logical to grant NO MORE tax abatements.

But as we all well know- KC-MO government isn't known for it's logic.

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KC-MO S.D.'s John Covington Has My Sympathy

Superintendent John Covington had a difficult and thankless task: Do SOMETHING to right the capsizing Kansas City MO School District.

Mr. Covington met the task head-on- offering-up a list of under-attended schools to close to try to patch the hemorrhaging of school district cash.

Here are the schools Superintendent Covington suggests closing:

Elementary schools: Northeast- Askew- Knotts- Ladd- Moore- Pinkerton- West Rock Creek- Woodland- Douglas- Franklin- Longan- McCoy- Richardson- Scarritt and Swinney.

Central and Westport middle schools would close- as well as Westport and Southeast at Manual high schools and the district’s administration building at 1211 McGee downtown.

Also on the closing list according to The KANSAS CITY STAR would be "the Afrikan Centered Education Collegium Campus elementary and 6th grade center; the Kansas City Middle School of the Arts and Lincoln College Preparatory Academy middle school; the Fairview alternative school; the Teenage Parent Center and adult basic education."

Struggling neighborhoods where the closed schools are located would deteriorate further and there are no promises the quality of education would improve district-wide.

Something HAD to be done- I have suggested dissolving the KC-MO SD altogether- but that apparently wasn't an option.

Superintendent John Covington has my respect- he took the job facing some drastic measures- and is telling it like it is and more importantly- doing it.

Let's hope the REST of the school board remembers that come the vote on these school closings on March 10.

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CSW BREAKING: Serious Crash in Claycomo - Independence Apartment Fire

Two items at this time...

Claycomo MO police- fire and EMS are on-scene of a vehicle crash involving extrication on southbound I-35 "between Poe and Bryant" in Claycomo.

The vehicle is reported to be "off the road- against the trees."

This will affect inbound I-35 traffic from the Northland.



Also- Independence firefighters have ordered an ambulance to an apartment building fire in the 17000 block of East Larkspur Lane.

No other details on this incident yet.

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UPDATES - 0759 CST: The female driver of the car in the I-35 crash in Claycomo had non life-threatening injuries and was transported to a Metro hospital.

I didn't hear any patient transport from the reported Independence apartment fire- nor any other info on the fire itself- so it must have been very minor.

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CSW BREAKING: House Fire in Northern Jackson County MO

Central Jackson County (CJC) and Sni Valley Fire Protection District (FPD) crews are assisting fighfighters from the Fort Osage FPD on a working house fire in the 24200 block of East Atherton-Sibley Road.


The first call to the address in unincorporated northern Jackson County was dispatched at 2:51 p.m. on a reported "smoke in the attic" in the house there.

First-arriving fire crews reported smoke showing from the single-story structure and are out on extinguishment right now.


No reports of anyone found inside the house and no reports of injuries as of this post.

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K.C. and Topeka Area NWS Severe Storm Spotter Training Meetings

Here's your chance to learn how to look at and identify the various forms of severe weather this Spring- mute the blaring TV meteorologists and provide for YOUR OWN safety and protection.

The following are times and locations of National Weather Service (NWS) severe storm spotter training sessions around the Kansas City MetroRegion:

From the Kansas City/Pleasant Hill MO NWS office:


March, 2010

Day City, State Time Location

01 Clinton, MO
(Henry County) 7:00pm CST- Clinton Senior Center 970 East Sedalia Clinton, MO

02 Chillicothe, MO
(Livingston County) 7:00pm CST- Missouri Calvary Baptist Church Family Life Center 206 Locust Chillicothe Mo

03 Kansas City, MO
(Jackson County) 7:00pm CST- St Joseph Medical Center Building D, Alex George Auditorium 1000 Carondelet Dr. Kansas City, MO

04 Liberty, MO
(Clay County) 7:00pm CST- Pleasant Valley Baptist Church 1600 N 291 Hwy Liberty, MO

08 New Franklin, MO
(Howard County) 7:00pm CST- Howard County Fire 3859 Hwy 5 New Franklin, Mo

09 Leavenworth, KS
(Leavenworth County) 7:00pm CST- National Guard Armory-4th and Metro Leavenworth, KS

10 St Joseph, MO
(Buchanon County) 7:00pm CST- Missouri Theater, 717 Edmond St. Joseph, MO

11 King City, MO
(Gentry County) 7:00pm CST- King City Fire Department 609 S Connecticut King City, MO

15 Kansas City, KS
(Wyandotte County) 7:00pm CST- Kansas City Kansas Community College 7250 State Ave KC KS

16 Warrensburg, MO
(Johnson County) 7:00pm CST- WC Morris Building on UCM campus Warrensburg Mo.

17 Oregon, MO
(Holt County) 7:00pm CST- Holt County Courthouse Courtroom 102 West Nodaway, Oregon, MO 64473

18 Boonville, MO
(Cooper County) 7:00pm CST- 200 Main St Boonville, MO

22 Plattsburg, MO
(Clinton County) 7:00pm CST- Plattsburg High School Performaing Arts Center 800 West Frost Street Plattsburg MO

23 Allendale, MO
(Worth County) 7:00pm CST- TBD

24 Kansas City, MO
(Jackson County) 7:00pm CST- Kauffman Foundation Conference Center 4801 Rockhill Road Kansas City, MO

25 Riverside, MO
(Platte County) 7:00pm CST- Park Hill South High School 4500 River Park Drive Riverside, MO 64150

29 Macon, MO
(Macon County) 7:00pm CST- Macon County Expo Center 1303 South Missouri Street Macon, MO

29 TBD, MO
(Macon County) 7:00pm CST- TBD

30 Kirksville, MO
(Adair County) 6:30pm CST- Conservation Building 3500 S. Baltimore Kirksville, MO

31 TBD, MO
(Linn County) 7:00pm CST- TBD

April, 2010

Day City, State Time Location

01 Unionville, MO
(Putnam County) 6:30pm CDT- Unionville Middle School Auditorium Unionville, MO

07 Carrollton, MO
(Carroll County) 7:00pm CDT- T.P. Rupe Community Center 710 Harvest Hills Dr. Carrollton, MO

08 Moberly, MO
(Randolph County) 7:00pm CDT- St. Pius School Gym 210 S. Williams Moberly, MO

12 Lees Summit, MO
(Jackson County) 7:00pm CDT- Lee’s Summit West High School PAC, 2600 Southwest Ward Road Lees Summit, MO 64082-2107

13 TBD, KS
(Miami County) 6:00pm CDT- TBD



From the TOPEKA KS NWS office:

March, 2010 -

Day- City-State- Time- Location

01 Junction City, KS
(Geary County) 7:00pm CST- 4H Senior Center 1025 S. Spring Valley Road

01 Herington, KS
(Dickinson County) 7:00pm CST- Hilltop Building 2 South A Street

02 Olpe, KS
(Lyon County) 6:30pm CST- Knights of Columbus 212 Iowa St.

03 Burlington, KS
(Coffey County) 7:00pm CST- Coffey County Fairgrounds 4H Building 601 S. Third

04 Clay Center, KS
(Clay County) 7:00pm CST -Baptist Church Meeting Hall corner of 5th and Dexter

08 Topeka, KS
(Shawnee County) 3:00pm CST- Washburn University Memorial Union
Contact Information: Dave Sterbenz, Director Shawnee County Emergency M


08 Topeka, KS
(Shawnee County) 7:00pm CST- Washburn University Memorial Union
Contact Information: Dave Sterbenz, Director Shawnee County Emergency M

08 Axtell, KS
(Marshall County) 7:00pm CST- American Legion Club 207 South 5th Street

09 Manhattan, KS
(Riley County) 7:00pm CST- Pottorf Hall Riley County Fairgrounds Avery Ave & Robinson Dr in CICO Park

10 Concordia, KS
(Cloud County) 7:00pm CST- Cloud County Community College

11 Lawrence, KS
(Douglas County) 7:00pm CST- South Junior High School 2734 Louisiana St

15 Garnett, KS
(Anderson County) 7:00pm CDT- North Lake community building in Garnett

16 Abilene, KS
(Dickinson County) 7:00pm CDT- Community Center 1020 NW 8th St.

17 Perry, KS
(Jefferson County) 7:00pm CDT- American Legion Post 142 410 Perry Place, Perry, KS

18 Belleville, KS
(Republic County) 7:00pm CDT- 4H Building Fairgrounds 901 O Street

22 Horton, KS
(Brown County) 7:00pm CDT- Horton High School Auditorium, located at 1120 1st Ave East in Horton.

23 Wamego, KS
(Pottawatomie County) 7:00pm CDT- ***Emergency Responders Only*** Wamego Fire Department 506 Plum Street

24 Alma, KS
(Wabaunsee County) 6:30pm CDT Wabaunsee High School 912 Missouri St Alma, KS 66401

25 Washington, KS
(Washington County) 7:00pm CDT- Emergency Services Building 900 D Street

29 Westmorland, KS
(Pottawatomie County) 7:00pm CDT- Westmoreland fire department

31 Hiawatha, KS
(Brown County) 7:00pm CDT- Community Center

April, 2010-

Day- City-State- Time- Location

05 Mayetta, KS
(Jackson County) 6:30pm CDT- ***Hosted by the Pottawatomie Tribal Fire Dept.*** Stone Building 16283 Q Rd. Adjacent to the Prairie Band Pottawatomi Tribal Government Center.



Also note- if any severe thunderstorm or tornado watch is in effect in or close to Metro Kansas City this year- CSW will be up all night if need be to provide you the latest storm information!

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Would People Feel Better If The Waldo Rapist Was White?

Or perhaps Hispanic? Asian? Ferangi?



Local blogger(s) reached for the old- dog-eared race card when a white guy recently tailed a POSSIBLE Waldo rape suspect into Kansas City- KS..



Doesn't matter- I guess- if the guy was driving around the area suspiciously (reportedly "lost") and a LOT of people in those areas are pretty jittery about the series of sexual attacks in victims' homes.



Would these people feel better if the suspect was a blue-eyed- blond white man?



Would the blogger(s) rail about the danger of being a blue-eyed blond white man in Waldo these days?



Generalizations like "stop every black man going through Waldo" are as bogus as America's economic recovery reportedly under way.

I know that is bogus- for I stopped for awhile in a parking lot off Wornall recently and saw LOTS of black men driving through Waldo unimpeded.


The criminal violation of another Human Being is despicable- it REALLY doesn't matter what race the suspect is- we need to get their thugish asses off the streets!



Return your race card to the deck and throw it in the garbage with the criminals!

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CSW BREAKING: Mobile Home Fire in KC-MO Northland

Five companies of the KC-MO Fire department are currently engaged in a firefight in a mobile home in the 3200 block of Northeast 119th Terrace.



The initial alarm sounded at 9:11 a.m. Monday morning- and when the first-arriving company pulled up at 9:16 a.m.- they found "smoke and fire" coming from the trailer.

Two handlines are being used on the fire- and there are conflicting reports as to the occupany of this mobile home- and as of this post no one has been reported injured.


More here as needed on this incident....

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Did Kansas Bureau of Investigation Blow Case of Ottawa KS Student Killing?

I tend to think so after reading the story in The OTTAWA (KS) HERALD.


Back in February 2006- Kevin and Debbie Heidt's son Derrick- a student at Ottawa University- was found dead near Pomona Lake.

The K.B.I. and Osage County Sheriff's Department ruled the death "accidental"- even though the Heidts told the law that their son had reported being followed by another vehicle just before Derrick was never heard from again and was later found dead and there were circumstances both before and after Derrick's death that indicate law enforcement investigators blew the investigation.

The Heidts- who live in Colorado- claim that the KBI after reaching their "accidental" death conclusion- told the Heidts that if they wanted any information on their own son's death- the Heidts would have to get "a court subpoena."

The ball of suspicion now rolls onto the fields of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation as well as the Osage County Sheriff's Department....

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It Is America's Moral Obligation To Help

Socializing last night- it came up about how much will America send to assist the earthquake-devastated people of Chile and whether we can truly afford to assist every nation that suffers a terrible disaster.

My reply what what I feel in that heart of hearts- as Americans- no- as fellow Human Beings- we ALWAYS have a moral obligation to help others out of situations inflicted upon them.

One should NEVER put a dollar figure on the price of compassion for- if nothing else- remember that except for the grace of God go I.

Who are we to judge?

It's easy to be hard. Been that- done there.

Helping those in need serves yourself and the community of Man (yes- the Kingdom of God too- if you will).

The only question of compassion should not be asking HOW MUCH but HOW can one can help- without conditions and expectations of reciprocation.

It's (not just) the American way since we've been here- and it IS the morally right way....

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