Another Chance of Strong-Severe Storms Late Sunday - Early Monday

Although there currently is no definative severe weather chance outlooked for Metro Kansas City- another weather system entering the Central States later Sunday will produce a chance for thunderstorms- and some COULD be strong to severe.


Of course- we'll keep you updated here at CSW....

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Four Dead- 2 Missing in Minneapolis MN Building Fire

Four have died- two of those are children- and 2 more people are unaccounted for after a fire destroyed a popular tavern with apartments above it in south Minneapolis Friday morning.


The fire was reported around 6 a.m.- according to WCCO-TV and- as you can attest by the video still pictures- the building was already heavily-involved in fire when the first fire crews arrived.

Even with the heavy fire conditions- firefighters managed to rescue one person- who later died at a Metro Minneapolis-St. Paul hospital.

Among the two still missing in the building that houses McMahon's Irish Pub in the 3000 block of Lake Street is a child.

The roof- walls and the 2nd-floor collapsed inside the burned building- making any search for the 2 missing people dangerous..

Eight uninjured adults and 5 children were displaced by the fire.

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CSW BREAKING: Large Fire Department Response to St. Joseph Med Center

Ten companies of the KC-MO Fire department were sent at 12:50 p.m. to a reported fire at the St. Joseph Medical Center at 1000 Carondolet Drive in southwestern KC-MO..


At 12;56 p.m.- the fire is reported to be minor- "in an air-handling unit" at the hospital.

Unknown if there has been any evacuation of the medical center- but the incident "on the 4th floor" is minor.

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CSW Video of Friday Morning's Severe Storm as it Entered Grandview MO

These 2 videos were shot outside the Sam's Club in Grandview- west of U.S. 71 and north of 125th Street- as the severe thunderstorm was entering Grandview about 9:45 a.m. Friday morning.

See our other still images of storm damage- weather radar and the warning bulletin that tells the storms were moving towards us from Fort Scott KS- at "125 miles per hour!"

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Severe Storms Produce Widespread Damage Over Metro Kansas City

Storms that moved out of southeastern Kansas at speeds reported by the National Weather Service (NWS) at "125 miles per hour" slammed into Metro Kansas City between 9:30 to 10 a.m. Friday morning.


There are numerous reports of trees- tree limbs and power lines down across the Metro- some damamge to roofs of homes and apartment buildings (see CSW image here) and semi-trucks overturned.

No injuries had been reported as of this post.

Although no severe weather watches were in effect for Metro K.C.- a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for most of the 5-county Metro area as the storms roared in.

Building damage is reported near the Missouri River in Parkville- "pieces of barns and (out) buildings" are blocking a Union Pacific main-line track west of Parkville- stated the Southern Platte Fire department.


CSW images shown here are tree limbs down in front of and partially on a house at 99th Street and Blue Ridge- and a part of the roof of an apartment building peeled back near 88th Street and Old Santa Fe Road- right next to the Hickman Mills High school as well as tree limb damage.

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CSW BREAKING: Severe Storms in Southwest MetroRegion

A severe thunderstorm is moving northeast from the Burlington KS area- and will affect areas mainly west of Garnett in Anderson County- possibly moving toward Ottawa during the next hour.

High winds and hail are the main severe threat.

Storms could begin affecting the southwest Kansas Metro as early as 10 a.m. this Friday morning.

No severe weather watches are currently in effect.

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Two Die- 1 Critically-Injured in Lawrence KS Industrial Incident

Two are dead and a third person is in "critical" condition after falling into a tank of "an unknown substance" at MagnaGro International at 22nd Street and Delaware in East Lawrence.



The call came into Lawrence emergency services just after 2:35 p.m. Thursday afternoon and were initially told just one person had fallen into a tank "containing an unknown substance" that was possibly molasses- at the business- says The LAWRENCE (KS) JOURNAL-WORLD.

MagnaGro- makers of liquid fertilizer- has had a number of industrial incidents over the years- according to The LJ-W.

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Woman Killed by Prairie Village Police Identified

The woman shot and killed by Prairie Village police Wednesday morning has been IDed by police as "47-year-old Susan L. Stuckey."


Ms. Stuckey- reportedly "suicidal-" barricaded herself in her apartment around 7 a.m. Wednesday and- rather than wait the suspect out- police decided to break their way in to the woman's apartment- reportedly was threatened by the woman and shot her at least 6 times- according to audio from a video taken at the scene by another citizen.

Other police are investigating the PVPD action.

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CSW BREAKING: "Car Versus Building" in Midtown KC-MO

We brought you an earlier- similar call from Linn County KS- this time the impromptu drive-thru was in KC-MO..


The call came in at 11:34 a.m. to 3732 Main- where it was reported a "car" crashed "into the building" there.

The drive-thru was reportedly the result of a 2-vehicle crash and one of the vehicles left the road and "crashed into the corner" of a store here.

That "43-year-old male" driver suffered non life-threatening injuries according to a MAST-EMS paramedic and the patient was taken to a local hospital.

The other driver wasn't hurt police say.

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Karl Rove Cut Short By Protesters

The dude is trying to shrill his book- no doubt revisionist history- and he's drowned out by people that don't like him OR his ilk.


No- most of America WASN'T there- but we were well represented- according to The LAWRENCE (KS) JOURNAL-WORLD story.

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CSW BREAKING: "Vehicle versus a House" Reported in Linn County KS

The report came in at 9:59 a.m. to Linn county emergency services- "a vehicle (crashed into) a house" in the 7100 block of Kansas (K) 7 highway.


GOOGLE maps paint this as being near the community of Cadmus in northwestern Linn county.

There's yet no other information on this incident.

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Severe Storms Possible in Central States Today- K.C. Metro-MetroRegion Friday

There's no 'April Foolin'' to this very mild stretch of weather we're having- and with the warmth comes thunderstorms and a chance of severe weather.


Today the NWS-SPC-predicted "slight risk" of severe storms runs from south-central Kansas into Oklahoma.


On Friday- that "slight risk" area overspreads much of the southern half of the Central States- including Metro and MetroRegion Kansas City.


Check here early Friday for the latest info on this possible local severe weather risk.

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Lawson MO Murder-Suicide Victims Identified

Lawson Police have identified the victims of Wednesday night's murder-suicide.


Dead is 21-year-old Michelle (Banning) Caton who was shot and killed by her estranged husband- 23-year-old Alex C. Caton.

Caton shot his wife- then father-in-law 46-year-old Dale Banning- before Caton turned the gun on himself and died.

The child in the middle of the reported custody dispute in the 500 block of Country Drive in Lawson was not hurt.

Dale Banning is in a hospital and is reported to be in "stable" condition this morning.

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The 'Junior-High' Mentality of Kansas City Sports-Talk Radio

I don't listen to AM sports-talk radio and listen to only one AM talk-radio host- Rick Barber of Denver's KOA.

It's bad enough that there are more sports-talk stations in town than news-talk stations- and the one news-talk station is so far right-wing that's it's virtually unlistenable.

Doing the morning Central States news aggregation- I came upon a story that I won't link about local sports-talk radio "personalities" from K.C.'s two sports-talk stations getting in to it.

Seems like the 'air-heads' of the 2 stations waste listener's time ragging on the other instead of (over) discussing REAL news like will the Royals and Chiefs suck again this year.


People's idle time would probably be better spent watching M*A*S*H* reruns and oh- sorry about the title of this post as I'm probably dissing the more-mature junior-high kids.

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More Stories of Police Wrong-Doing- Corruption in St. Louis and Tulsa OK

This will make THREE stories just today of cops in the Central States misusing their power/authority or simply not doing their jobs as previously reported in Lincoln NE.


A cop in suburban St. Louis surrendered Wednesday after being accused of pushing a man down some stairs and leaving him to die.

In Tulsa- an "undercover" cop is accused of "fabricating" a drug bust that sent two people to Federal prison.


To turn an old phrase- maybe we SHOULD call a "hippie" when we need a cop- judging by all these bad police stories today!

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Missouri Republicrats to Close Nevada Mental Hospital

When you HAVE to cut the state's budget and you're a politician- you want to make cuts that don't offend your wealthy- connected constituents.


So you cut the poor -disabled and disenfranchised - as told in this story in The SPRINGFIELD (MO) NEWS-LEADER about Missouri's pollys closing the Nevada State Hospital.

They want to shunt most of the mental patients to "group homes" or pack them tightly into other facilities (the State Capitol comes to mind- they'd be right at home).

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Lincoln NE Suspends 28 Cops For Watching Videos Instead of Patrolling

Imagine your city's police force sitting at the station watching computer videos instead of out patrolling.


This isn't an April Fool's joke- it really happened according to The Lincoln (NE) JOURNAL-STAR- beginning in 2008 on the 'dogwatch' or overnight shift.

It's not known if that same problem exists in KC-MO- judging by past response times of police.

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Murder-Suicide in Lawson MO

A reported custody dispute turned violent late Wednesday night in Lawson with 3 people shot and two dead.

The dead reported to be a woman and mother of the child in the middle of the dispute and the father of the child who shot her- his father-in-law- then turned the gun on himself.

The father-in-law is in a Metro hospital this morning.

Media reports say police were called to the home in this city that staddles the Clay and Ray County line earlier Wednesday evening and thought they had quieted the dispute.

The shooting reportedly happened several hours later after police had left.

The shooter was reportedly an Armed Forces veteran of the Iraq War and we're awaiting positive ident on the victims.

CSW condolences to the surviving family and friends of this terrible event.

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Prairie Village Police Shoot- Kill Woman on Disturbance Call

An update on a story reported first in Kansas City here at CSW was the Wednesday morning shooting in the 4100 block of West 93rd Terrace of southern Prairie Village KS..


The call was for a disturbance involving a woman in an apartment at the 4103 West building of the Kenilworth Apartments- northwest of the intersection of 95th Street and Mission Road- also near the Johnson County cities of Leawood and Overland Park.

All that IS known right now is that a PV officer shot- and killed- a woman in her mid to late 40's.

It's not known yet if a threatening move or a weapon was displayed to officers.


This is the 2nd police-involved shooting/killing in a Metro K.C. suburb this month- the last being in Riverside MO..

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CSW BREAKING: Person Dead of Gunshot Wound in Prairie Village KS

The call went out at 9:47 a.m.- a gunshot patient in the 4100 block of West 93rd Terrace in southern Prairie Village.

Police are on the scene and the patient was reported dead-on-arrival of MEDACT-EMS paramedics at 9:52 a.m..

There are indications the police may be involved.

More details as received.

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Union Pacific's Steam-Fired Locomotive At Union Station Sunday

Your chance to see a part of American history in person- when the Union Pacific's steam locomotive 844 makes a tour of Central States locations before heading south to Texas.

The historic train will make many stops on it's trip south.


The train will be at Kansas City's Union Station this Sunday (see graphic) and again on it's return trip April 25 and 26th.

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Night at the Downtown KC-MO 1000-Room Convention Hotel Opera

(Groucho at podium in front of a large banquet room filled with developers): "Okay my next question- is there any of you in this room willing to put up their corporations' or own money- without ANY form of tax abatements- incentives or like taxpayer welfare to build and operate a 1,000-room convention headquarters hotel in Downtown Kansas City Missouri?"

(Camera shot of audience members looking at each other)

GM: "Anyone- a show of hands will do..."

(Camera shot of audience members looking at each other)

GM: "Is there anybody at all?"

"A nod- a sneeze- any takers for this 1000 room folly- I mean hotel?"

"You get your own penthouse-walls papered with failed mortgages from bankrupted citizens and fine furniture upholstered in hung foreskins..."

(Camera shot of audience members looking at each other)

GM: "Alrightly now we're getting nowhere!

Okay my last question- how many of you would be interested in building the hotel if you only had to invest half your own dough or less and get a check from the City if not enough cheating spouses are booking enough rooms to keep you solvent- PLUS the penthouse?"

(Camera shot of excited audience- knocking over tables- chairs and each other to get to podium.)

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Central States News: Nebraska Pollys Approving Siphoning Off SalesTaxes To Pay For Arenas

Sales tax exemptions here- sales tax siphoning there and municipalities just CAN'T figure out why their revenue is dropping- so UP goes YOUR property tax.

I guess dropping revenues are not a problem in Nebraska.

The OMAHA WORLD-HERALD reports that a bill is advancing through the NE Legislature that would make it easy for cities to use sales taxes raised in businesses around new arenas to help cities PAY for those new arenas.

Not confirmed is a new sport- proposed to fill those new arenas: bankrupt taxpayers vs. politicians dressed as lions....

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Lawsuits Keep Eminent Domain Changes off Missouri's November Ballot

Real estate developers and their entourages have become addicted to taxpayer welfare if the form of TIFs and what have you- so corporate interests aren't thrilled about having their political buddies' hands tied with eminent domain challenges.

Thus- Missourians WON'T be voting this November for ANY changes in the way the State takes your property- even if it's for a private developer.

Various lawsuits by opponents have delayed any vote by the people- er- property owners on this most-sticky subject- according to this AP story in The Jefferson City (MO) NEWS TRIBUNE.

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K.C. STAR News Flash: Missouri Highway Patrol Will Enforce Other Laws in Clay County Next Month Too

I really don't understand why The STAR reprints these MHP press releases:

"The Missouri Highway Patrol has announced it will conduct a sobriety checkpoint next month in Clay County.

The highway patrol didn’t release details of when and where the checkpoint will be held, except that it will occur sometime during April."


I'm also assuming that during the month of April and at locations where they're not telling you this will happen- the MHP will be enforcing a plethora of laws that are on the books that citizens tend to violate.

Now I understand seatbelt laws- if I didn't have one on this desk chair- I'd fall off when I laugh so hard reading these non-stories.

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More Video From March 28 Tornadoes in North Carolina

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Video: Tornado Near Spencer- High Point NC

A small tornado outbreak in northeastern Georgia through western South and North Carolina reportedly didn't kill anyone- but injured about a half-dozen people and damaged homes- businesses and the power grid.

A motorist on Interstate 85 near Spencer NC got this shot of a tornado as the storm neared High Point Sunday afternoon.

Perhaps some areas of the Central States will see something like this next weekend.

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