Roads Get Slick as Snow Continues in Metro-MetroRegion K.C.

Crash reports are on the increase over Metro Kansas City as dusk falls on a 3 to 6-inch snowcover.

A multi-injury crash involving an ATA bus is working at Swope Parkway and Woodland.

One possible serious injury reported there- along with at least 4 minor injuries.

Five MAST-EMS units have responded.

Another multi-patient crash with 3 MAST-EMS ambulances is also working at 12th Street and Woodland.

Other crashes- mostly vehicle slide-offs- are occurring on Metro freeways even.

Our trip south on I-435 from Independence to south KC-MO was uneventful- but roads are getting slush-covered with bridges becoming slick and hazardous with too many people driving too fast.

SLOW DOWN and get there!


NWS weather radar shows a large area of snow rotating around Metro K.C.- the 'comma-head' of a surface low pressure center to our south.

Snow will continue through at least 9 p.m. by radar trends- with general 3 to 7-inch amounts and locally as high as 9-inches reported on the ground throughout Metro and MetroRegion

_________

Feathery Comment on Today's Weather

________

CSW WEATHER: NWS "Winter Storm WARNING" in Effect Topeka- Lawrence- Emporia to Ottawa KS Areas

This was just issued by the NWS office in Topeka: they call for rain to change to snow after midnight Saturday morning with snowfall accumulation of "6 to 8 inches or more" possible by Sunday morning.


All of the cities noted in the post title and the counties they are located in are included in this Winter Storm Warning from 10 p.m. to midnight tonight until 7 a.m to 1 p.m. Sunday.

In addition- we'll also have gusty north winds that will create blowing & drifting snow along with severely-limited visibilities on roadways.

_________

CSW BREAKING: Mutli-Vehicle- Injury Crash on I-635 in Riverside MO

At 1:40 p.m. Friday afternoon- Riverside Public Safety (Police/Fire) report "4" vehicles involved in a crash on northbound I-635 and U.S. 69- just west of the Argosy Casino.

Initially- police on-the-scene reported "one (critical) and one (serious)" injured- but at 1:52 p.m.- MAST-EMS Unit 146 on-scene reports "two (minor injuries)."

One of the cars in the crash caught fire and started a grass fire which Riverside and Southern Platte Fire crews are putting out.

Traffic on both directions of travel on I-635 as well as U.S. 69 and the Fairfax bridge is running slow or completely stopped while emergency crews tend to the injured and the wreckage.

_________

Independence MO Police Investigate A "Suspicious Death"

Around 7:30 a.m. Friday morning- Independence emergency services were called to a house in the 14700 block of East 37th Street by relatives of a woman who lived there.


Officers found the female resident dead- and have reason to believe that death was not natural.

That house is cordoned off by police tape at this hour while investigators gather evidence.


The identity of the deceased woman nor any other info on this incident has yet to be released by the IPD.

_________

CSW BREAKING: Critical-Injury Crash in West-Central Johnson County KS

The crash was reported as a "1-vehicle rollover with ejection" of an occupant "on 143rd Street just west of Moonlight Road" west of Olathe.



The call went out to emergency crews at 9:55 a.m. and when the first law officer arrived less than 5 minutes later- he reported "a Hispanic male" on the ground there.

MEDACT-EMS said the patient had "(critical-injuries)" and the paramedic service transported the "approximately 17-year-old male" in very critical condition to a Johnson County medical trauma center.

No other injuries were reported in the crash.

_________

CSW BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: Lockdown at Pleasant Hill MO School Cancelled

This is an update on a story reported first in Metro Kansas City here at CSW- regarding a suspicious male inside the Pleasant Hill Intermediate school at 163rd Street and Missoui (M) 7 highway.


At 10:17 a.m.- the Cass County Sheriff's department reports that the lockdown has been "cancelled"- all is apparently well again at the school.


No word if that suspicious male was located or not found in the school.

_________

CSW BREAKING: Pleasant Hill MO School in "Lockdown"

At 9:50 a.m.- Pleasant Hill MO Police and Cass County sheriff's deputies were called to the Pleasant Hill Intermediate School at M-7 and 163rd Street on the report of "an unidentified male inside the school wandering around."


A police dispatcher stated the "school is on lockdown" until the "white male in his 30's" is located and escorted from the building.



The unidentified man was reportedly "in an unoccupied classroom" in the building.


More here as received....

_________

Central States: Apparently It's a Felony To Throw Eggs At Cars in Enid OK

Okay- I know the job that dried egg does on a vehicle's paint job and such an incident is certainly annoying- but come-on- a felony?

Holy Halloween- that's the charge against two Enid OK 18-year-olds- "Ronntae Brian Stewart and Taron Darnell Reed Jr."- who are charged with "felony counts of throwing an object at a moving vehicle."

Both young men "also face misdemeanor counts of malicious injury to property"- according to the story in The TULSA (OK) WORLD Friday morning.


Maybe eggs should come with some sort of warning message like alcohol and cigarettes and certainly one HAS to wonder what the punishment is for SERIOUS crimes in Enid OK....

________

Commentary: Proposed KC-MO School District "Day of Absense" Useless

As a former student in Kansas City-MO's beleaguered school district- I can tell you for A FACT that KC SD students need MORE time in class- not less.

(The former Southeast High School at Swope Parkway and Meyer Boulevard. 2009 CSW Photo)

Yet- as reported in The KANSAS CITY STAR- 15 or so people got together in front of school district headquarters downtown just to plea for employees and students to basically boycott district schools on April 5 to send some sort of message to voters on April 6's school board/general elections.

Where have these "community leaders" BEEN for about the past 40 years while the KC SD was on it's rocket ride pointed Earthward?

These "community leaders" protest the closing of schools that was presented by Superintendent Covington- but what alternative plan do these people have?

Please- let the citizens of KC-MO and your Captain KNOW (like at least 10-years ago) what these plans are!

__________

New Oklahoma City Building Will Be Taller Than Any Kansas City Skyscraper

One Kansas City Place on the southwest corner of 12th Street and Main is Kansas City and Missouri's tallest building with 42 floors stretching 623 feet into the eastern Great Plains sky.

It's currently the tallest building between Chicago to Minneapolis and Dallas to Denver.


However a building under construction in Oklahoma City- the "Devon Energy" tower- is slated to surpass K.C. at 50 stories high.


Once again- everything's (not) up to (height) in Kansas City....

_______

CSW WEATHER: NWS "Winter Storm Watch" - Southern Half of Metro-MetroRegion K.C.

Since the bulk of this storm is expected to hit on Saturday which is the first "official" day of Spring- shouldn't this be a "Early Spring Storm Watch?"


Anyway- the NWS has this watch-out for wintry weather Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon generally along and south of the Kansas and Missouri rivers or the south half of Metro Kansas City and MetroRegion (refer to "Central States" map graphic).

Although at least initially the ground and air temperatures will be above freezing- heavy snow (at least 6-inches?) is likely to overcome those factors and at least accumulate slush on paved surfaces on Saturday morning and overnight into Sunday.

The good news? Any snow on the ground should melt away by Tuesday at the latest as temperatures pass the 60-degree mark.

________

CSW BREAKING: Lawrence KS "Water Rescue" - Structure Fire in Pleasanton KS (K.U. Wins Too)

Little is known about the specifics of a "water rescue" underway in south Lawrence KS along the Wakarusa River.


Fire crews from Lawrence and other Douglas County fire districts are searching for a person possibly in the water from an overturned boat found at or near the U.S. 59/Iowa Street bridge in Lawrence since around 11 p.m. Thursday night.

The search is extending as far east on the Wakarusa as the Louisiana and 1500 Road bridges.



UPDATE; 0615 CDT: It was 2 "juvenile males" who were being sought in this water rescue- according to Friday morning's LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD.

The males were found around midnight by rescue crews- wet but uninjured- on a bank of the Wakarusa in the area "of E 1600 Road and N 1250 Road."

The boys had gone canoeing for the day along the river until their craft swamped and they lost a cell phone they were using to stay in touch with a relative.



Also- at 11:08 p.m.- a structure fire was reported at 18th Street and Locust in Pleasanton KS- but nothing more has been received on this incident at of post time.

________

CSW BREAKING: Car Catches Fire In Garage and Burns House in Olathe KS

A reported car fire in the attached garage of an Olathe residence spread to the house late Thursday night.


The fire was reported at 10:20 p.m. in the 16200 block of West 144th Street and at 10:24 p.m.- the first-arriving Olathe fire crew reports "a working fire- car fully-involved in the garage" of the house.

The occupants of that home are reported to be outside and uninjured.

At 10:29 p.m.- the fire is reported to be "under control."

There's fire- smoke and water damage reported to the garage and immediately adjacent areas- with smoke damage throughout the house.

The official cause is under investigation with no injuries reported as of this post..

_______

CSW BREAKING: Midtown KC-KS Rolling Gun Battle -Man Shot

The call first came in at 9:43 p.m. Thursday night- a shooting with 2 victims possible "at the gas station at 38th Street and Washington Avenue."


Within two minutes came the report of a shooting victim in a car in the 3700 block of Webster- more than a mile and a half north of the above gas station location.

The latter shooting victim on Webster was reported by police to be "in a white Pontiac Grand-Am" that was "all shot up."

The incident reportedly took place at the 38th & Washington location (no victim(s) located there) - with the victim driven here.

A "26-year-old male" was the victim with two gunshot wounds: to his left leg (calf) and to his thigh- according to a KC-KS-EMS report.

He was taken to a Metro hospital in not immediately life-threatening condition.


Police are seeking the vehicle and suspects involved- a "dark maroon (Chevy) Blazer containing 3 black males."

________

Riverside Police Shoot- Kill An Allegedly Armed Man

A disturbance call in Riverside Thursday afternoon ended with police shooting and killing a man in a wooded area a stones' throw from the Public Safety (police) building.


Police were alerted to the call just before 3 p.m. to a residence near the intersection of Northwest Vivion Road and High Drive.

The man causing the disturbance- reportedly armed with a gun- had left the residence and went into an adjacent wooded area and RPD officers followed.

The RPD-PIO says the man made "an aggressive move" toward the police- and at least 2 officers shot at the man- killing him.

No comment on a) what the disturbance was about- b) the identity of the dead man- or c) the names of the RPD officers who did the shooting who will be on paid leave pending an investigation of the shooting by other police departments.

________

Life's A Beach- Wishing I Was There...

Where Ms. Rittenhouse and I were more than 2 years ago- at Port Aransas Texas' beach- as shown in this photo from a webcam atop the Dunes Condominiums next to the Gulf of Mexico.

It's in the middle 60's there at the time of this photo though- only a few degrees warmer than it is right now in South Kansas City.

________

Kansas Politicians Eye Soda Pop Tax in Their Revenue Frenzy

Naturally- in the United Corporate States of America's (UCSA) worst "recession (Depression)" since the 1930's- politicians are looking for anything and everything to impose additional taxes on to augment their shrinking revenues.


In Kansas- the Tax-Increase Flavor of the Day is a soda pop tax- based on the amount of sugar contained in a product- states this story from The TOPEKA (KS) CAPITOL-JOURNAL.


Citizens- speak up now or forever hold your (empty) wallets....

________

KC-MO Westport-area Sobriety Checkpoint Nabs 44 Suspected Drunk Drivers

The KC-MO Police says out of "about 830" vehicles stopped Wednesday night and early Thursday morning- "44" drivers were suspected of driving under the influence or 5 percent of all vehicles stopped.


The police checkpoint was at 39th Street and Southwest Trafficway and in addition to the 44 arrested on suspected DUI charges- 23 other people were arrested on unrelated sobriety checkpoint offenses- says this story in The KANSAS CITY STAR.


One wonders- after driving around Wednesday night- how many more intoxicated drivers (many) could have been stopped with a non-static police saturation patrol.

________

Central States: Springfield MO Fire That Killed 3 Children Was Arson- Man Charged

Twenty-six year-old David Alan Williams was charged in Springfield Wednesday with first-degree felony arson for the fire early last Monday morning that killed his fiance's 3 children and critically-injured their grandfather- according to the SPRINGFIELD (MO) NEWS-LEADER.

_________

Metro K.C.-MetroRegion Weather: Nooooooo- Snowstorm on the First Day of Spring???

Yes Virginia- it appears so at this time according to the accompanying NWS "winter weather" graphics (first is probability of 4-inch or greater- second is 8-inches or greater probability).



Spring begins Saturday and with that comes the CHANCE of a 4 to 8-inch snowfall in the Kansas City MetroRegion- possibly very close to or actually IN the Metro!

Before Saturday- temperatures warm up though- really teasing us after this long- cold and snowy Winter of 2009-10.

The thermometer will see readings in the 60's today and Friday before a cold front and low pressure system brings thunderstorms with possible heavy rains before temperatures plummet late Friday and the rain changes over to sleet then snow.


Of course- CSW will be here LIVE during this possible snow event late Friday into early Saturday bringing you weather and road conditions.

_________

Central States: Apparently IRS Agents Get Into Car Chases Too

This reportedly happened Wednesday in Oklahoma City- an OKC businessman with a slew of outstanding federal warrants was pursued by an IRS agent- and OKC police- states this story in THE OKLAHOMAN.


"Clovis L. Prince" crashed his Lexus during the chase and he- but no one else- was injured.

_________

Missouri- Kansas Coal-Fired Electric Plants Among "Top 50" Mercury Polluters

We sure do love our electricity and- judging by a list of the "Top 50 Power Plant Mercury Emitters"- we evidentally love to ingest the chemicals that come with it.


A report by the "nonpartisan and nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project" says power plant mercury emissions have actually INCREASED since 2000 in MetroRegion states Kansas and Missouri- as well as our Central States of Arkansas and Iowa.

The report further states that "more than half of the Nation's Top 50 (mercury) emitters actually increased emissions since 2007."

According to a story in today's Little Rock ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT GAZETTE- two Missouri plants made the Top 50 and one of them- the Labadie power plant in Franklin county- made the Top 10 list of polluters by actual poundage of mercury expelled into our atmosphere.

The Labadie plant was listed as No. 4 and listed as No. 24 was the Rush Island power facility in Jefferson county MO..

Both plants are owned by Ameren.

In Kansas- the No. 25 spot goes to the Jeffrey Energy Center in Pottawatomie county owned by Westar and the No. 45 mercury spewer goes to the LaCygne power facility in Linn county KS- owned by Great Plains Energy.

Two other Central States power plants- in Arkansas- made the list at Nos. 32 and 33.

Texas appeared to be the worst mercury polluter: 5 of that state's seven Top 50 atmospheric poisoners were in the Top 10 worst.


I know- who cares as long as we get reliable electricity pumped into our homes fairly cheaply.

___________

KC-MO 7-11 Clerk Robbed and Killed is Identified

The man killed by 2 thugs who robbed the 7-11 at 8105 East Bannister Road is identified by KC-MO Police as 35-year-old Gurpreet Singh.



As reported here at CSW- police are seeking the 2 black males who robbed the 7-11 around 1:05 a.m. Wednesday morning as well as a black woman seen near the door of the business on video surveillance.



If you have ANY tips regarding this crime/senseless murder call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.



CSW's sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Singh.

_________

"Breaking News" (NOT) To Interrupt Your TV Show With

Okay- so around 2:10 p.m this St. Paddy's Day- a KC-MO police officer witnesses gunshots exchanged between 2 vehicles at 39th Street and Prospect.


The cop tries to chase-down a "purple (Chevy) Tahoe containing 4-5 black males" involved while the other vehicle that was involved in the exchange of gunfire- a "white minivan"- speeds off.

Minutes later is a reported "shooting" victim at "39th Street and Myrtle."

The shooting is actually a (the?) white minivan that's crashed into an abandoned gas station on the southeast corner of 39th Street and Norton.

Five black males apparently in the white minivan- and in the building the van crashed into- came out and surrendered to police officers by 2:30 p.m..

No one was injured and the call- while initially sounding serious (I started a "CSW BREAKING" post but cancelled it) - resulted to be really not much.


Apologize not having a news helicopter and a TV program to interrupt with this "breaking" and therefore implying serious- "news...."

__________

Central States: Des Moines IA Flood Worries Grow With Filling Reservoir

The Saylorville flood-control and recreational reservoir is on the Des Moines River just upstream from Iowa's capitol and it's filling to capacity.


Now- those parts of Des Moines devastated by floods in 1993 and 2008 worry again- as water from Saylorville threatens to flow over the emergency spillway of the lake soon- rendering Saylorville's flood-control capabilities useless- says The DES MOINES (IA) REGISTER.


More rain and snow is on the way to Iowa later Friday into Saturday.

________

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2010

A reminder- America's 3rd largest St. Patrick's Day Parade is in Kansas City and runs Broadway to 43rd Street beginning at 11 a.m. at 33rd Street/Linwood Boulevard.

Clouds with scattered light rainshowers and/or drizzle with temperatures in the 40's are forecast.

________

Tuesday Morning's Overland Park Crash Victims Identified

The names of the 2 victims killed in Tuesday morning's double-fatality crash at 151st Street and Glenwood in Overland Park have been released.


Andrew Ridell and Matt Honea- were students at Olathe South High school.


The driver of the car that the 2 victims died in has been identified as Ben Denham and the resident that pulled Denham from the crushed and burning car was Tim McCarthy.

The driver Mr. Denham remains in serious condition with burns on much of his upper body while Mr. McCarthy recovers from hand burns suffered during Denham's rescue.

Tim McCarthy gets my highest respect for his sacrifice and CSW offers our sincere condolences to the Ridell- Honea and Denham families.

_________

Clerk Murdered in South KC-MO Robandee-Area 7-11 Robbery

KC-MO Police are seeking 2 young black males in the robbery and shooting murder of the clerk at the 7-11 store at Bannister and James A. Reed Roads early Wednesday morning.



The 2 males entered the 7-11 around 1 a.m. and milled around the store before robbing- then shooting the male clerk.

Surveillance video shows the 2 suspects- and another black woman in the store shortly before the robbery/murder. Police would like to talk with that woman.

The wounded clerk was rushed by MAST-EMS to a Metro hospital where he later died of his injury.

If you have ANY information regarding this robbery and murder of the 7-11 clerk- PLEASE call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS (8477).

_________

NCAA Should Go To Hell

I'm just going to link you to the K.C. (Fading) STAR/Associated Press story where the NCAA wants states that bid to hold their precious ball games should offer more taxpayer welfare to the NCAA.



Then- YOU can get mad too!

________

Kansas City STAR Continues Downtown Convention Hotel Cheerleading

The STAR's Kevin Collison would PROBABLY be a good writer if he A) used ALL the facts regarding a story and B) could see forests through trees.


In Tuesday morning's Business section- Collison's article "KC Hotels Seek An Awakening" could have been more aptly titled "KC Hotels Seek A Defibrillator."


Collison's listed facts about the Kansas City hotel industry in 2009:

1) "Hotel occupancy was 52.3 percent-"

2) "Revenues per room were $42.16 (where does one get a DECENT hotel room for $42.16???)- down 15 percent from 2008-"

3) Of "a half-billion dollars in distressed properties in K.C.- hotels made up $259.1 million" of that total- more than half-

4) "A recent city report estimated that the number of major conventions over the next decade will shrink to 5.9 per year. down from 24.8 per year from 2000 through 2009. As a result- room nights are expected to drop to 1.4 million through 2019- down 66 percent from the previous decade (2000-2009)."


You'd think that Mr. Collison's listed "facts"- plus the UNDISCLOSED elephant in the room Collison didn't even bother to mention- that being a new- 1000 room hotel would necessitate HUGE taxpayer subsidies to build and operate- would tone his story toward a negative conclusion for such a monstrous new hotel.

Nope- Collison played the bubbly- optimistic cheerleader.

He quoted a Tom Holden- who is director of the Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City regarding hotels being more than half of the city's "distressed properties" as- incredibly- "an invisible crisis."

Collison goes further- quoting Bill George- the co-chairman of "a task force" armed with that half-million dollars of KC-MO taxpayer money looking into the feasibility of that 1000-room hotel with gems like "a new hotel should increase the demand for rooms in K.C. by attracting more major conventions."

Say what?
Did Mr. George read Collison's Fact No. 4 regarding the DECREASE of major conventions?

Bill George goes on with this even MORE incredible quote: "We (mouse in pocket and him) don't believe there will be a problem with the financial success of a new hotel...."

Well HELL NO Mr. George- with those heavy taxpayer subsidies to BUILD and OPERATE such a new hotel- the developer and the operator are completely off the hook as far as ANY loss is concerned!

The Kool-Aid is freely flowing not only at The STAR- but at City Hall and the new hotel "task force's" office.

________

Two Men Rob KC-MO Plaza-Westport Area Bank Tuesday Morning

Two men walked into the Country Club Bank branch on the northeast corner of 44th Street and Belleview around 11 a.m. and robbed it of an undisclosed amount of cash.



KC-MO Police report the suspects were "2 black males armed with handguns- suspect No. 1 was about 6-feet tall- wearing a black hoodie- a blue bandana over his face and a gray baseball cap."

Suspect No. 2 was about 5-foot 11-inches tall- wearing a black ski mask."

No employees or customers were injured during the robbery.

_________

CSW BREAKING: Man Injured in Independence MO "Furnace Explosion"

At 10:02 a.m.- one Independence fire company and an AMR-EMS unit responded to a reported "furnace explosion" in an apartment in the 12400 block of East 40th Street north of I-70 near Crysler Avenue.

The injured man was reported by AMR as "a 28-year-old maintenance man" at the complex there- suffering "burns to his face and hands."

No fire resulted after the explosion and the victim was taken to a Metro medical trauma burn unit with "2nd-degree burns to his face and 1st-degree burns to his arms."

He was reportedly "wearing a respirator" at the time so no lung injuries- and his condition did not appear to be life-threatening.

________