CSW BREAKING: Severe Tstorm Warning- Clay- Platte Counties MO

The warning is in effect until 4:30 p.m.- and the NWS is also worried about "funnel clouds" with these storm cells since they are "rotating."


Be on the alert for a possible small- brief tornado too as cells move east-southeast!

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With "No New Leads"- Police Search For Kara Kopetsky in Belton MO Area

No one on the civilian side of this knows for sure what's going on here.


Kara Kopetsky has been missing since early May of 2007 when she was last seen leaving the Belton High School.

Yet- on this sunny April morning in 2010- a couple of hundred law enforcement officers- including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are searching fields on the west side of Belton in regard to Kara's disappearance nearly 3 years ago.


Your Captain wonders since the FBI claims there are "no new leads" in Kara's case- what the HELL are the cops looking for- nearly 3 years later?

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CSW BREAKING: Structure Fire in Blue Springs MO

Four companies of the Central Jackson County (CJC) Fire Protection District are fighting a residence fire in the 900 block of Northwest Mock Avenue at this moment.


The fire was dispatched at 10:28 a.m.- and the first arriving crew reported smoke showing- then could see fire inside the structure.

So far- no one's been found inside and there are no other reports of injuries.

Update here if needed....

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CSW Weather: Severe Tstorm Watch No. 56 Until 10 P.M.- KS-MO

Severe Thunderstorm Watch No. 56 runs from southern and eastern Kansas into western and northern Missouri until 10 p.m. and it DOES include all of Metro Kansas City.



Thunderstorms are beginning to develop and are increasing in number and intensity in south-central Kansas and all storms will move northeastward from 40 to 50 m.p.h..

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Encourage More People To Vote? Let's Move the Polls Further Away

We USED to have our polling place fairly close to us as well as being in close proximity to 4 apartment complexes with hundreds of people/voters.


It was close enough to walk to- also near the I-435 and 87th Street interchange- making it convenient for commuters.

The polls were usually in a Jackson County office annex at 8600 Hillcrest- before- they were located in nearby churches on or near Blue Ridge.

In governmental style- if it ain't broke- FIX IT!

For Election Day- April 6th 2010- the JaCo Board of Elections (BoE) in their Infinite Wisdom decided to move the polling place more than 2 miles (see map image) farther away- to a union hall in the 7800 block of Prospect.


Therefore- today I decided to blow off a 5-mile roundtrip by car just to vote on 2 items.


I'll let you know the reasoning per the election board as soon as I/they can get ahold of someone to tell me why this was done.

Thanks (not!) Jackson County MO BoE- for making it as easy as possible for the (not) voting public....

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Again- Talk of Refurbishing Metro North and Metcalf South Malls

If you've heard all this before (2006)- it's coming around again: plans by a developer to refurbish and improve two area enclosed shopping malls.

This edition is brought to us by the KANSAS CITY BUSINESS JOURNAL- and the "redevelopment" is reportedly "beginning the city approval processes."


Being a Missourian- I'll believe this "redevelopment" when I see it....

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Fire in a Classroom Delays School at KC-KS' Washington High

A fire the Washington High school at 7300 Leavenworth Road in KC-KS delayed the beginning of school this morning.

The fire- deemed "accidental" by fire crews- was reported around 7:10 a.m. in a classroom at the school.

Firefighters had the blaze out within minutes of their arrival and no one was hurt.

The beginning of classes was delayed until the area around the fire was cleaned up and smoke was completely removed from the building.

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High Winds Cause Power- Tree Problems in Metro K.C.

Winds gusting to near 50 m.p.h. this Tuesday morning have caused some scattered power outages for several thousand Metro Kansas City residents.


The KCP&L report the largest number of their customers without power are in western and southwestern Gladstone- K.C. North- as shown by the accompanying image.

The winds have brought down tree limbs and- in one case- an entire tree.

That was around 6 a.m. in the 6600 block of Overbrook in Mission Hills- where a tree came down in a backyard- causing a small brush fire.


There's a decent chance for severe thunderstorms later today in Metro Kansas City and over much of the MetroRegion.

More on this a little later this morning....

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CSW WEATHER: Tornado Watch No. 51 Until 2 AM Tuesday - KS-MO-NE-IA

A Tornado Watch is in effect until 2 a.m. Tuesday morning for areas northwest through northeast of Metro Kansas City.


Among MetroRegion cities included in TW-51 are Atchison- Manhattan- Marysville- Concordia- Seneca in Kansas-
In Missouri- St. Joseph- Tarkio- Maryville- Chillicothe- Cameron- Bethany- Trenton- Kirksville-
In Iowa- Lamoni and Ottumwa and
In Nebraska- Falls City- Pawnee City and Beatrice.

Right now- the only severe weather is in Kansas- near Marysville (see radar image).

This watch can be a more-dangerous situation since it's happening in darkness- masking more distance observation of life-threatening weather.

Especially in rural areas- keep a weather radio on in alarm mode- or keep somebody on watch in case your family needs to take cover quickly.

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Olathe Crash Seriously Injures Driver

A male in his 20's is in serious to critical condition after a 1-vehicle crash at Northgate and Woodland in Olathe KS..


The wreck occurred just after 2:45 p.m. Monday afternoon when the man lost control of the vehicle at around 40 to 45 m.p.h. and struck a tree.

The driver was reportedly ejected "about 20 feet away" from the vehicle and he was taken to a JoCo KS trauma center by MEDACT-EMS.

The crash required rescuers to slow trains on the BSNF mainline tracks until the wreckage was cleared about 45 minutes later.

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In KC-MO- I-435 Ramps To-From 87th Street To Close April 12

That's the word from MoDOT:

Roundabout Construction to Close Ramps at I-435 and 87th Street

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Ramps at I-435 and 87th Street will be closed several months to accommodate a Kansas City Public Works project to add roundabouts at each side of the interstate on 87th Street.

The ramp from 87th to northbound I-435 and the ramp from southbound I-435 to 87th Street will close beginning 9 a.m. Monday, April 12 and re-open July 31, or as soon as work on the north side of 87th is completed.

As soon as those ramps re-open, the ramp from 87th to southbound I-435 and the ramp from northbound I-435 to 87th will close for several months to complete the project in November.

Kansas City's roundabout project will keep open 87th Street beneath I-435 during construction, but motorists seeking to access 87th from I-435 during ramp closures must detour to Hillcrest and Bannister roads.

For more information about the 87th Street project, contact Sean Demory, Kansas City Capital Projects Office, at 816-513-0059.

For more information about other MoDOT projects, please visit MoDOT's Website at www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity.kccommunityrelations@modot.mo.gov.

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Bomb Scare at KC-MO Federal Courthouse Was Bogus

You just never know...


Just before 8:45 a.m. this Monday morning- a beverage cooler with a note attached claiming there were explosives in the cooler caused the shutdown of the Federal courthouse at 8th Street and Locust.

Within the past 15 minutes- it was determined there were no explosives in the suspicious cooler- but the courthouse will remained closed for the rest of today.

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CSW WEATHER: Severe Thunderstorm Watch No. 47 Until 12 Noon- KS- MO

The NWS' Storm Addiction Center (heh) has issued Severe Thunderstorm Watch No. 47 since many of us in Metro K.C. are under Severe Thunderstorm Warnings.


The watch is in effect until 12 noon this Monday....

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CSW WEATHER: Severe Thunderstorm Warning - Douglas - Johnson Counties KS

Severe thunderstorm to the west- moving east-northeast- Warning until 7:15 a.m..

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CSW WEATHER: TORNADO WATCH No. 45 IN EFFECT

Tornado Watch No. 45 is in effect for all of Metro Kansas City as well as most of the northern- eastern and southern MetroRegion until 11 p.m. CDT.


Severe thunderstorms are currently in the northern Metro- a storm warning for Clay- Clinton- Caldwell and Ray counties until 5:30 p.m.

Thus far- the storms are staying north of the rivers- but that could change for us in the Southland at any time.

Keep tuned to local radio and/or TV for the latest weather warnings and make preliminary plans NOW where to go if severe weather threatens YOU....

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CSW Weather: Severe Storm Chances Later Today- Monday and Possibly Tuesday

Spring has arrived in case you slept through last Friday's severe thunderstorm and the chances for severe storms are with us overnight tonight as well as possibly Monday and especially Tuesday.


The images shown here from top to bottom are todays- Monday's and Tuesday's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) "convective outlooks-" and areas under the gun are around Metro Kansas City and parts of the MetroRegion northeast- east to south of the Metro.


The primary threat is for large hail and possible wind gusts at or exceeding 60 m.p.h.- but tornadoes can't be ruled out with any discreet supercell storms that could develop.

We'll keep you advised here at CSW later today....

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Three Die in South-Midtown KC-MO Crash

Just after 3:20 a.m. Sunday morning- a car containing 5 people crashed near 67th Street and South Benton- killing 3 of the occupants and seriously-injuring the other two.


According to various news media reports- the car was southbound on South Benton at a high speed- went airborne- and struck a tree.

The force of the crash actually "uprooted" the tree.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the crash and the identies of the victims have not yet been released.

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Bunny Day 2010

Happy Easter !!!

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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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