Central States News: Half of Joplin MO-area Streams and Rivers Polluted

If the chlorine in swimming pools makes you ill- consider what you'd feel in southwest Missouri's streams and rivers.


According to this story in The JOPLIN (MO) GLOBE- "half" of that area's waterways are loaded with the fecal bacteria E. Coli and are unsafe for swimming.

This after tests at the Lake of The Ozarks and Truman Lake have also showed high-levels of E. Coli which has closed swimming beaches at those 2 lakes.

A test of the water at a swimming beach at Smithville Lake showed bacteria at "acceptable" levels.


Trash thrown along roadways- sewage and farm chemicals in our waterways- oil soaking the Gulf of Mexico shorelines- folks- we're trashing America!

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Storm Chaser Gets Dramatic Video of Large South Dakota Tornado

This was part of a severe storm outbreak across the North-Central States last Saturday.



Storm chaser William Hark took these rather dramatic moving pictures of a large- wedge-shaped tornado near Bowdle- SD..

I think it might behoove some struggling Plains towns to actually market to 'tourist' storm chasers- lodging- restaurants- WiFi-access- etc..

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Metro Kansas City Pays Final Respects to Fallen Shawnee KS Firefighter John Glaser

Standing along side the nearly dozen-mile route of his funeral procession- thousands of area residents paid their respects to Shawnee firefighter- John Glaser- as well as his comrades.

It took more than 45 minutes for the procession of nearly 100 fire apparatus from departments as far away as Emporia as well as police and EMS units to make the trip from a funeral home in Shawnee to the church in southern Leawood where the funeral services were held.

Part one of the video shows an American flag hung between 2 Shawnee Fire department ladder trucks (Ladder 71 was from the station where Firefighter Glaser worked) marked the final approach to the church on 137th Street between Nall and Roe.

In fact- the initial procession took so long my camera apparently could not upload the compete procession video as I was saluting each and every piece of equipment that came by and not minding the camera as I should have.

Part 2 of the video does however show a lesser parade of fire engines as they had to round the church and return to park.

If you couldn't make the procession- wake or services- you can still make a donation to a fund set up for John Glaser's wife and 2 children via information on another CSW post.

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CSW BREAKING: Flash Flooding Brings A High-Water Rescue in Northwest Kansas City MO

The rescue is reported to be at Northwest 86th Street and Amity- west of Zona Rosa.

At 5:30 p.m.- a car was reportedly stranded in high- rushing water in a parking lot during a severe thunderstorm there.

The BING image shows a small creek crossing Amity at N.W. 86th St..

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More as received here....

Hailstorm- Tornado Warnings At Denver International Airport Causes Damage

This is breaking news as we are monitoring live Webcasts from Denver TV news...


A tornado warning issued within the hour has caused delays and diversions of aircraft at Denver International airport in northeastern Denver.

No actual touchdown or tornado/wind damage has yet been reported from DIA..

However- hail up to baseball-size has fallen over parts of eastern and northeast Denver- covering yards and roadways and causing window damage to cars and houses- as seen from these images from a Channel 4 news helicopter.

So far- no reports of injuries as severe storms continue in and around Metro Denver CO..

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CSW BREAKING: Heavy Thunderstorm Over Johnson County KS

There's a heavy thunderstorm with torrential rain located over central and east-central Johnson County KS- around Lenexa- northern Olathe and Overland Park and the intersection of Interstates 35 and I-435.

There is NO severe weather watch OR warning currently in effect- but be alert for possibly flash-fooding rains along with small hail for at least the next hour in JoCo KS..

Also- thunderstorms will develop anywhere in Metro and MetroRegion Kansas City over the next several hours- so be alert for reduced visibilities and ponding on roadways.

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CSW BREAKING: Serious-Injury Crash in Far Kansas City North

Just after 1 p.m. this Wednesday afternoon- three companies of the KC-MO Fire deaprtment and up to 4 EMS ambulances responded to a reported "head-on" crash on Cookingham/M-291 at North Eastern.


Two persons have been transported to Northland hospitals from that crash: a "78-year-old female driver" of one of the vehicles- suffering at least 2 fractured legs and other serious injuries- and "a 39-year-old male" from the other vehicle with "right side body pain" but no discernable injuries.

He was in good- non life-threatening condition.

So far- no word on the other 2 ambulances' transports if indeed there were any- and no other details on this crash.

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The Feds Are Forcing Sales of Ethanol-Laced Gasoline

Never mind that ethanol made from food crops such as corn raise the price of food.

Never mind that- in most vehicles- the use of ethanol-laced fuels DECREASES the miles per gallon that vehicle might otherwise obtain.


In this Associated Press story courtesy of The PITTSBURG (KS) DAILY SUN-  fuel retailers are now being FORCED to use gasoline laced with ethanol. 

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Central States News: New Hiking-Biking Trail Open in Eastern Kansas

This trail is a former rail line that runs about 51 miles on the old Santa Fe railroad right-of-way from Ottawa to Iola.

This new trail is paved with "hard-packed limestone screenings in rural areas-" according to the story in The IOLA (KS) REGISTER- and "self-pay permits" to use the trail are $3.50.

The trail is free to those 15-year-old and younger (why no seniors discount?).

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Central States News: Columbia MO's IBM Deal Involved Corporate Welfare From Taxpayers

It's not enough that American corportations make profits based on Americans buying their products/services- the New Day deal is for those same corporations to get taxpayer-supported welfare to be in a location to SELL those products/services in the first place.


The COLUMBIA (MO) DAILY TRIBUNE story tells of "secrecy" in the deal to land the IBM facility- and that Columbian taxpayers- without their knowledge- shelled-out a half-million dollars to seal the deal.

Related to this continued destruction of the American "middle-class-" a worker died at the new IBM site in a construction accident- according to the DAILY TRIBUNE.

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Mother Nature or Energy? WE Make The Call...

Today is Day 36 for British Petroleum's (BP) oil gusher into the Gulf of Mexico.


By the time the leak is capped- if ever- the Louisiana Delta region and surrounding areas will be coated with oil- and America is seeing and will continue to see vast changes in the Gulf ecosystem. 

People like the former female governor of Alaska say BP's blow-out is "unfortunate-" but America MUST continue drilling for our precious oil both off America's shores and on our land.

I suppose Ms. Former Governor includes National Parks and other like sanctuaries are fair game for our energy glut needs- and I suppose she'll think it also "unfortunate" if an uncontrolled blow-out occurred in any of those areas too.

A few days ago- I read a post by another Metro Kansas City blogger- Xavier Onassis- who addressed America's energy needs and it brought back a thought I had back on September 11, 2001.

That thought was that America REALLY needs to get off the teat of Middle Eastern oil- completely and forever.

G.W. Bush COULD have put this country on an energy program like John F. Kennedy pointed us to Space back in the 1960's- but THAT didn't happen.

To compare anything Bush did about America's energy independence to Kennedy's space program: We'd still be no closer to space than a ride in a passenger jet aircraft- maybe weather satellites.

Meanwhile- vast stretches of the Gulf of Mexico shoreline will be increasingly ruined- untold millions of wildlife affected- and most Americans will continue to not REALLY give-a-damn as long as gasoline- natural gas- heating oil- et al- is affordable.


Who cares if we don't have any seafood or many birds left- we'll address those consequences when it's (too late) time.

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Funeral Procession Route For Shawnee Firefighter John Glaser

Metro Kansas Citians are respectfully requested by your Captain to line the funeral procession route Thursday morning May 27- for Shawnee firefighter John Glaser- killed during a house fire Saturday night.


The route- according to The KANSAS CITY STAR:

The procession...will leave the Amos Funeral Home, 10901 Johnson Drive in Shawnee, at 9:30 a.m.
It will proceed west on Johnson Drive to Nieman Road, south on Nieman to 65th Street, west to Quivira Road, and south on Quivira past Shawnee Station No. 71 at 6501 Quivira Road.
It will then go south on Quivira to 135th Street, east on 135th to Roe and then south to the church (see/click-on accompanying GOOGLE map with route marked in red).

I will be positioned along the route somewhere on 135th Street and will video record the procession and post that video on YouTube and here at CSW later Thursday.


Please- show your respect and gratitude for this family man who gave his life serving fellow Americans.

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Wichita KS WalMart Employee Fired For Averting A Shoplifting

A guy tries to wheel a personal computer in a box out of a Walmart on West Kellogg Street without paying for it last Friday night- and store employee Heather Ravenstein tried to stop him.


The man ran off without the $600 computer after striking Ms. Ravenstein- but she was not badly injured- just shaken- according to the story in The WICHITA (KS) EAGLE.

Heather Ravenstein was further shaken when the next day- an assistant mamanger called her in his office and told Ms. Ravenstein she had been fired "for violating company policy" regarding shoplifters.

Trouble is- Ms. Ravenstein said she didn't know about such a company policy.

I guess WalMart Inc. would have been happier if the man had taken the computer and- so typical of today's screwed-up American society- the criminal walks and the good-intentions employee suffers.

Screw you WalMart!!

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Summer-like Weather Brings Summer-like Mishaps Around Metro Kansas City

Temperatures in the mid to upper 80's around the MetroRegion today have brought people outdoors- yes- even in this computer/video/electronic game era- and some of those people have suffered from the outdoor experience.

An 18-year-old female was hurt at Lake Jacomo after she fell 25-30 feet off a ledge and into the lake while "cliff-diving" with friends.

That happened at an unknown time before the 6:35 p.m. call for Prairie Township EMS. The lady's injuries were non life-threatening but possibly dehabilitating as she was taken to a south KC-MO .


A Raytown MO EMS unit is heard running hot to the same south KC-MO medical trauma center around 6:50 p.m. after picking up a male who "fell 22-feet from a tree" in that west-central Jackson County city.

This patient's injuries were life-threatening with no other details on this mishap..


Another male suffered serious injuries in an ATV incident in west-central Cass County MO..

That crash occurred around 7 p.m. on a farm in the 10100 block of East 260th Street-and the victim suffered possible head and other injuries- according to West Peculiar EMS- and he was taken to the same south KC-MO hospital as the previous patients.


I can't forget the motorcyclists out tonight.

Two of their brethren took an unexpected ambulance ride to Centerpoint Med Center around 7:30 p.m. after "laying-down" their cycle in far Eastern KC-MO.

The 20-year-old male and his 18-year-old female passenger suffered mostly road-rash and some aches and pains.

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Teens "Charged" Having Sex in Johnson County Kansas

If this isn't the silliest thing I've read locally in some time...


The SHAWNEE (KS) DISPATCH reports that two Shawnee-Mission North High school teens were found "having sex" in the fieldhouse of the school on the morning of May 20.

Rather than deal with this situation internally- the SMSD called the Prairie Village police and the police say in the DISPATCH story that "the students could be charged with lewd and lascivious conduct."

Incredibly- the KC STAR story says that the teens HAVE been charged.

This is chez stupid- charging 2 teens obviously in love (heat) and having this criminal charge traipse along with these 2 all their lives.


ONLY in 'Pollyanna' Johnson County KS.. 

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Central States Weather: Tornado Watches- Severe Storms Today in Western Nebraska- Kansas and Oklahoma

Tornado and/or severe thunderstorm (t-storm) watches are in effect for areas from western South Dakota south to the Mexican border with southwest Texas right now.

No severe weather is expected in Metro and MetroRegion Kansas City until Wednesday at the earliest.

Storms are generally marching north-northeast- and there already have been a number of tornado warnings issued in western Nebraska as well as eastern Wyoming- and dark storm clouds can be seen throughout those areas as shown in this Nebraska taffic camera in the southwest part of that state's Panhandle.


Hopefully- no massive storm-chaser traffic jams in those areas today.

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CSW BREAKING: Apartment Building Fire With Injuries in Near-Northeast Kansas City MO

At 11:17 a.m.- KC-MO Fire ladder Truck 3 reports "smoke coming from the roof of a 2-story apartment building" at "Independence Avenue and Prospect."

Truck 3 was there on an "investigation-" and immediately orders a full alarm response.

There's reported to be "burn victims" at this fire- with "heavy fire going through the roof" of the apartment building.

You can hear screaming on radio transmissions- with at least "2" burn victims reported at 11:23 a.m..

At 11:24 a.m.- one FD units reports a building's occupants reports "missing a child" here.

At 11:28 a.m.- a "2nd-alarm" was sounded- and 5 more companies join the six KC-MO fire companies already on-scene.

The first fire victim is transported at 11:33 a.m. to Children's Mercy hospital (CMH/MC): "an approximately 18-month-old female with soot around her nose and all over" her body.

The child was "breathing normally" but the child's condition could be described as serious.

At 11:34 a.m.- fire command reports the fire "under control" with at least 2 apartments in the building having burned with some extention of the fire to "the building to the north" of the fire building.

At 11:36 a.m.- another child is enroute to CMH/MC: "a 4 to 5-year-old" with soot all over their body- with "CPR in progress" and in critical condition.

At 11:38 a.m.- a KC-KS fire company is sent to an empty KC-MO fire station for a mutual-aid fill-in..

At 11:43 a.m.- another fire department EMS unit is transporting "a 27-year-old male" who suffered "smoke inhalation" and "2 lacerations" suffered escaping the fire to Truman Med Center-Hospital Hill (TMC/West) in serious condition.

At 11:48 a.m.- a FD-EMS unit transports the last injury from the fire: "a 25-year-old female" suffering smoke inhalation- some "small abrasions- 1st-degree burns" and singeing of her body hair" also to TMC/West. Her condition could also be considered serious.

Searches of the fire apartments have NOT revealed any additional victims- and this incident is under investigation.


To recount on this 11:55 a.m. update- at least 4 are injured- including 2 children- in this apartment building fire near Independence Avenue and Prospect.

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Services For Fallen Shawnee KS Firefighter John Glaser

I get a heavy heart everytime a firefighter is killed- you can imagine my condition after 9-11-01.

It's especially bad when that firefighter leaves behind a family- as did Shawnee's John Glaser.


According to a memorial Facebook page for Firefighter Glaser:

"FUNERAL SERVICES:
Thursday, May 27th 10:30AM- The Church of The Resurrection- 13720 Roe Ave- Leawood, KS, 66224


FIREFIGHTER FUNERAL PROCESSIONAL: Thursday, May 27th 9:30AM- Procession will begin at Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee & will drive past Shawnee Fire Headquarters on 65th & Quivira and will continue to The Church Of The Resurrection in Leawood.


VISITATION:
Wednesday, May 26th 4PM-8PM- Amos Family Chapel- 10901 Johnson Drive- Shawnee, KS..

ALL SERVICES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

***DONATIONS***
Any Bank of America under: JOHN GLASER MEMORIAL FUND
Mail in donations: Bank of America-175 Claireborne Road- Olathe, KS, 66062."





I encourage EVERY Metro Kansas Citian to show up and pay your respects to a man who paid the ultimate price for service to his fellow Man.

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Central States News: Arkansas Drug Raid Is...To The Wrong House

An unforturnate part of America is our daily drug raids somewhere.


After all- our government is quite concerned what American adults freely put into our bodies- so we MUST have these drug raids to rid society of stuff like the horribly-addicting and mind-altering marijuana.

The ONLY trouble with these drug raids is that on occasion- law enforcement people raid the WRONG properties- as illustrated in a recent drug raid in Detroit MI where officers shot a family's dog- that had been IN A CAGE- as well as other highlighted law drug raids gone bad.

The FORT SMITH (AR) TIMES RECORD reports on such a Wrong-Way Peachfuzz raid on a house in Sebastian County- where police "walked-in" to an unlocked house and handcuffed the no-doubt terrified occupants until the cops realized they had F-ed Up and raided the wrong address.


Oh- one more 'commentary' ... we don't EVEN need to consider legalizing that 'killer drug' for the trillions of lost revenue.

Hell- America doesn't need THAT money!

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Central States News: Iowa Drivers' First Crash is With A Police Car

Monday morning was especially bad for a 26-year-old male Cedar Rapids IA driver when he had his "first" crash: into a Cedar Rapids patrol car.


No one was hurt- reports The CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE-Online and it wasn't reported how many years the 26-year-old had been driving before this "first" crash.

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Saturday's 'Oregon Trail Day' Near Beatrice NE Highlighted Pioneers' Difficulties

In the 1970's- cross-country travelling brought horrible difficulties like a blown tire with a flat spare on the Interstate in Donner Pass.

Yes- that's a joke.

All that 'horrible difficulty' needed was a ride at a mile-per-minute to the next town and a similar trip back- a few dozen twirls on the 4-way lug wrench and we were again westward.


These troubles did not compare whatsoever to the westward travellers of the mid-late 1800's- prodding westward at walking speeds into wild and barely-charted territory.

If modern day Man has forgotten those struggles- Saturday's event in Jefferson County Nebraska brought back a taste of the hardships of those pioneers in their "Oregon Trail Day-" the story of which is told by the fine folks at The BEATRICE (NE) DAILY SUN.

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John Glaser Was Shawnee KS Firefighter Killed

The Shawnee KS firefighter who was fatally-injured in a Saturday night house fire has been identified by his department.


He was 33-year-old John Glaser- a six-year member of the Shawnee Fire Department.

Firefighter Glaser left behind a wife and 2 children.

(Photo courtesy of The KANSAS CITY STAR)

As reported here at CSW and other K.C. media outlets- Glaser had entered a burning residence on the report of trapped occupants.

The homeowners were away during the fire that began before 8:55 p.m. Saturday.


CSW offers our most solemn and sincere condolences to the Glaser family from this former firefighter.

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Man Was Near Death After Jumping From Freeway Overpass in Belton MO

An elderly man was near death Sunday morning after jumping from the U.S. 71 highway bridge over Y highway/163rd Street in Belton around 1 a.m..

At least one woman motorist saw the man jump from the bridge.

The man was taken to a Kansas City hospital and police closed the roadway at U.S. 71 while they investigated what appears to be a suicide attempt.

No motorists were hurt.

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Shawnee KS Firefighter Dies Battling A House Fire Saturday Night

Shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday night- Shawnee KS fire companies got a call of a possible garage fire in the 13400 block of West 75th Court.

When the first fire companies began arriving about 5 minutes later- they found fire showing from a large- story and a half home along with the reports of the occupants: an elderly man and his dog- still inside.

While additional fire companies are dispatched- some of the firefighters on the scene went in to search.

They find the dog- but can't locate the elderly man.

In minutes- firefighters also couldn't find one of their own in the burning house- and a mayday call went out along with the dispatching of mutual-aid fire companies from Lenexa and Overland Park.

For nearly five minutes they looking for the missing firefighter- finding him fallen through a burned-out floor and not breathing.

Rushed outside to paramedics- then to Shawnee-Mission Medical Center- the firefighter later died of his injuries.


Not too long before the wind-whipped fire was declared under control around 11 p.m.- the elderly man occupant of the virtually-destroyed home showed up- having been away from the house.

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Man Struck By A Truck in KC-KS After Argument With Girlfriend

There's a man who MIGHT tell you that if you have an argument with your girlfriend while driving- it's PROBABLY best to find a parking lot or something better than a freeway ramp to stop- get out and walk-away at.

The man who might tell did just that on the southbound I-435 ramp to State Avenue near the Kansas Speedway just after 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

He walked across the freeway and was struck by a truck going the limit.

The "large-approximately 25-year-old" man was hurled at least a dozen feet- fracturing his leg and causing other possible injuries said a KC-KS paramedic.

Those injuries however did not seem to be immediately life-threatening- and the man could have been intoxicated.

The driver of the truck that him hit was not injured- nor was the victim's girlfriend and unknown if any charges were filed against anybody. 

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