America's Kondolencje dla narodu polskiego

Oferuję mieszkańców Polska moje kondolencje i tych z Kansas City w stanie Missouri USA MetroRegion utraty swojego przewodniczącego First Lady i innych urzędników dziś wcześniej.

(I offer the people of Poland my condolences and those of the Kansas City Missouri USA MetroRegion for the loss of your President- First Lady and other officials earlier today.)

_________

Sour Grapes Make For Bad Whine in Lee's Summit MO

Tuesday- Lee's Summit's (LS) incumbent mayor Karen Messerli was defeated by current mayor pro-tem Randy Rhodes "by more than 1255 votes" in the mayorial election.


Mayor-elect Rhodes displayed class and grace in his post-election comments to The LS JOURNAL's reporter Miranda (Not gunna' do-wit) Wycoff.



Outgoing Mayor Messerli displayed junior-high maturity with remarks like “My opponent Randy Rhoads did not run an honest campaign...” for The JOURNAL's Wycoff.

________

KC-MO Council and Mayor Unanimously Pass Briarcliff Corporate Welfare

In light of continuing governmental budget problems- the following is kind-of unbelievable (except to Kansas Citians themselves)...

Yesterday- the City Council and the Mayor voted 12 to 0 to continue to offer "tax breaks for a multimillion-dollar hotel/office complex in the upscale Briarcliff development-" according to The KANSAS CITY STAR.


Odd that just yesterday- The STAR's Yael Abouhalkah noted that in 2000- the tax payers share of corporate welfare was "$21.6 million" and this year- that figure was expected to reach "$108 million."

That's money taken from the city's coffers to pay for what Abouhalkah more-palatively calls "economic development."


These city blowhards want us to renew sales taxes when they CONTINUE to give tax breaks to their corporate interests/contributors?

To quote The Simpsons' Nelson: HaHa!!

________

Sprint's Hesse: The News Media and Public "...Is Why" Sprint's Failing

Sometimes it's best to keep your mouth shut and be thought of as a fool rather than to run your yap and remove all doubt.


The KANSAS CITY BUSINESS JOURNAL reports that Sprint CEO Dan Hesse basically blames the Kansas City news media for the company's poor performance and loss of customers.

Hesse also blames people carrying around competitor's products too- according to the KCBJ story.


Here's hoping Dan Hesse doesn't have any mirrors in his life....

________

Central States News: Nebraska State Patrol Impounds Truck and Cash After Traffic Violation Stop

Now it's apparently illegal to carry a large sum of cash around with you!


Incredibly- a motorist in southern Nebraska was stopped for speeding on March 19 and- after a "consented" search of the vehicle- the trooper found "nearly $312000" in cash under a seat.

Mind you- no illegal substances were found- although "one of the men was held by federal authorities on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant" states the story in The OMAHA (NE) WORLD-HERALD.

Another man in the truck was released and it wasn't said who was driving.

"Suspicion of being an illegal immigrant?" Seems you either ARE "an illegal immigrant" or you're not.

Regardless- the Nebraska State Patrol impounded both the truck AND the $312K for (and get this): "likely involvement in drug trafficking" even though the ONLY evidence of "drug trafficking" was the $312K found in the truck.


Seems to me a first-year law student could get the man acquitted as well as the return of the truck AND the cash.

___________

Central States News: 12-Year-Old and Her Mother Arrested in Des Moines For War Protest

The DES MOINES REGISTER article didn't say WHICH war that 12-year-old Frankie Hughes was protesting- Iraq or Afghansitan- regardless- the girl was arrested for "trespassing" after refusing to leave Senator Tom Harkin's office in Des Moines IA..

Also- I didn't know Sen. Harkin's office was "an arena-" much less a "criminal" one!

A 53-year-old woman was also arrested- as well as Frankie's mother- 49-year-old Renee Lynn Espeland.

Espeland was charged with "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" regarding her daughter's arrest.

Gee- I didn't know that an American citizen's right of peaceful protest was considered "contributing to the delinquency of a minor-" but in many ways- today's America barely resembles the country I was brought-up in.


Which- BTW- is falling apart and dying as I type....

________

Topeka KS Robber Has Limo For Getaway Vehicle

If you just robbed a convenience store and you want to 'blend-in' your getaway vehicle with the rest of the traffic on the road- don't use a stretch Hummer limo.


That's what a robber used early Wednesday in a Topeka robbery- and needless to say- the suspect was found and arrested a short time after the robbery- says The TOPEKA (KS) CAPITAL-JOURNAL.

The limo's driver who was not aware of the robbery(?) was not arrested.

________

Central States News: "Serial" Bank Robber in Missouri

The robber is described as a white male- between 35 to 45 years old- weighs from 250 to 300 pounds and has dark hair and a mustache.

The getaway vehicle is the same one used in robberies or attempted robberies in Chillicothe, Moberly- Sedalia- Rolla and Monday in Eldorado Springs MO: "a white Dodge or Chrysler mini-van-" according to this story in The KIRKSVILLE (MO) DAILY EXPRESS.


If you see the suspect or his vehicle- contact your local police or sheriff department.

________

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!

_______

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?

________

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....

________

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..

________

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....

________

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....

______

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.

________

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....

________

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.

_________

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.

________

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.

_________

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.

_________

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....

________

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

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

________

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....

_________

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....

_______

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.

________

Bunny Day 2010

Happy Easter !!!

________