CSW BREAKING: Reported Plane On Fire at a K.C.I. Airport Gate is Minor

At 9:38 p.m.- 5 structural KC-MO Fire companies as well as the airport fire station responded to "Gate 12" at Terminal A of K.C.I. airport on the report of "a plane on fire" that's apparently parked at the gate.


At 9:43 p.m.- the fire- reported to be in "a portable vacuum" machine that was on the plane- was "out."


Doesn't sound to be any injuries either- and most of the outside fire companies have been turned around.

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Around The Roundabout- Tuesday- September 7

Didn't find anything breaking-wise to post today- daily reviews of Central States and MetroRegion newspaper Web sites didn't reveal much of interest.

Listening to an Internet scanner feed of the big wildfires northwest of Denver CO and a few comments on some stuff I DID see/hear today...

• Tropical Storm Hermine came inland near Brownsville TX early this morning- now the remnant low pressure area is in the Hill Country west of Austin.

Hermine is laying down a wet carpet from the Gulf northward into Oklahoma today- all that will move slowly northward over the next 24-36 hours and be in Metro and MetroRegion kansas City by Thursday- bringing us some needed but possibly excessive rainfalls.

• Lew Perkins finally left K.U. today and I was hoping the door didn't whack his arse on the way out of the building.

• KC-MO Clowncilperson Cathy 'Um' Jolly announced today she won't be seeking re-election to anything when her term expires in April 2011- the same door-thing for her too.

• A time-transplant from the Old West would feel right at home in Metro Kansas City with all the murderin' goin on.

• There's a clown dressed in a God gown who wants to burn copies of the Quran- the Muslims' Holy book.

This Fred Phelps wanna-be- Pastor Terry Jones with the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville FL needs a long sermon on Loving Thy Neighbor- Turning Cheeks- etc..  This also goes for those who would prohibit that so-called mosque in lower Manhattan New York.  Direct some of that outrage to something constructive- use your collective imaginations if there's any left. 

• Heh- calling the NEW Paseo bridge the Bond bridge. That'll go over like that re-naming of the Grandview Triangle.

This is Harry Truman Town- we don't name ANYTHING significant for career-polly Republicrats.

• Speaking of the Republicrats/Tea Partiers- the TeeVee talking heads say the Bricks will knock-out the Bracks in the November election.  

Oh really? Wasn't it THEM that got us to where we're at economically in the first place?

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Unsupervised Youths Almost Set House On Fire in KC-MO

KC-MO firefighters have ordered police to the scene of a house fire in the Ruskin Heights area of southeastern KC-MO..

Fire crews were called at 10:16 a.m. Labor Day morning to "a kitchen fire" in a residence in the 7700 block of East 112th Terrace.

According to FD reports- "5" youths in the house- ages "14 and under- with no adult supervision" tried to cook something- and the stove-top fire got out of hand.


The damage itself was fairly minor- but a fire official on-scene requested police to come deal with those unsupervised youths at the residence.

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Tropical Storm Hermine To Affect Texas Gulf- K.C. MetroRegion

An area of low pressure in the western Gulf of Mexico south of Brownsville has intensified into Tropical Storm Hermine.

TS Hermine is forecast to intensify before it makes landfall somewhere near Brownsville TX on Tuesday.

In addition- the remnants of Hermine is forecast to continue northward- and affect our weather here in the Kansas City MetroRegion by Friday.


Interests along the Texas Gulf coast from Rockport southward should maintain a close watch of TS Hermine for the next 24-36 hours- as a Hurricane Watch has just been issued for the South Texas Gulf coast from Baffin Bay southward to northern Mexico.

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Sunday Morning Shootings in Both Kansas Citys

The GOOD news is it doesn't appear anybody died...yet...

KC-MO emergency agencies were called to the area of 5th Street and Charlotte in the old North End on a reported shooting at 3:37 a.m..

None of the agenies found a victim- but around 3:45 a.m.- security officers at a nearby hospital reported "a black male- shot around 3rd Street and Charlotte" in their emergency room.

There wasn't any victim condition nor suspect info available at post time....

In KC-KS- police officers called to a report of shots fired in the area of 10th Street and Orville around 5:20 a.m. learned the gunshots found a mark...

A woman had been shot "in front of" a residence in the 1000 block of Orville and police found the "32-year-old" victim near 13th Street.

She was rushed to a hospital in serious condition while police sought a male suspect.

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Latest KC-MO Water Main Break Damages Jazz District Area

The latest in a series of broken water lines has caused road and possibly building damage in one of KC-MO's taxpayer-subsidized entertainment areas.


The break was reported to the fire department a few minutes before 2 a.m. Sunday morning at 18th Street and Vine.

Pumper 10 and Rescue Company 1 was sent to check it out- along with a reported associated natural gas leak.

At 2:09 a.m. Pumper 10 reported "a major" water main break- with part of the street  "buckled" and torn-up by the rushing water. Police were requested to block 18th Street as well as Vine.

It's also reported broken main water entered the basement of the refurbished and historic Gem Theater- but the extent of damage there- if any- is unknown as well as the Jazz and Negro Baseball League Museums across 18th Street from the Gem.


Haven't heard if the KC-MO Water department arrived to shut-off the main yet- but the fire department left around 4:15 a.m..

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Pursuit- Two KC-MO Shooting Victims Begins Labor Day Weekend

Here's some of what happened around the Metro to the best of my knowledge Saturday morning...

I came on-duty at midnight to a slow-speed vehicle pursuit going on in the Mid to Downtown areas of KC-MO.. The police helicopter was above the suspect vehicle the whole time as the cops in their cars just held-back a block or two on either side of the chase.

The pursuit finally ended about 12:25 a.m. near 27th Street and Gilliam when the suspect driver realized he wasn't going very far very fast on 4 police-spiked and flattened tires.

It wasn't until around 3:15 a.m. when the Guns of Kansas City began blazing...


That's when KC-MO Center Zone cops themselves heard and also received civilian reports of gunshots in the area of Main from 35th Street to Westport Road.

A few minutes later- a male showed up in the 3600 block of Main with a reported gunshot wound to his back.

The victim should live with his injury- but there wasn't any suspect info.



The only other shooting victim heard about Saturday morning had been reported as being in "critical" condition at the hospital where she had been taken.

That incident was reported just before 4: 45 a.m. when a "Hispanic female" who had been "shot in the stomach" had been brought to Truman Med Center on Hospital Hill.

A report from Truman Med Center security stated that the female had been shot "in the Power & Light area."

Police had no other "official" information on this victim or circumstances.


Check in here tomorrow morning to read who did what to whom overnight tonight.... 

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Downtown KC-MO Pictorial on a Fall-like Late Summer's Day

The air was cooled into the 70's and was wrenched of most of the stifling moisture content that has dampened our 'Kosmic City' brows this very warm Summer of 2010.

The clean- crisp breezes brought a sparkling clarity to the cloudless blue sky- a great day for some high-resolution (click on 'em) photos...



Of course- the obligatory downtown skyline shot- this from a perspective looking north-northeast off Wyandotte near 16th Street.

Left to right- the Crowne Plaza hotel- the art-deco period Power & Light building nearly hiding One Kansas City Place- the former AT&T/TransAmerica building- below the Hotel President and to the right H&R Block headquarters building- eastward to the Traders and taller former Southwestern Bell buildings with the KC-MO City Hall sliced in-half like our elected-ones' sense off the frame far-right...

Up a little higher- slowly I turned (step by step...) southeastward- showing structures in and around the trendy Generation Whaddever Crossroad Arts and Freighthouse districts just north of Union Station (not pictured- but who the heck is that guy whose face is on the side of the tall- middle-foreground building?).

In the distance from left to right- the Tension Envelope Company building- Children's Mercy Hospital (to it's left- Truman Med Center)- and the towers of Crown Center- the UFO landing-pad Hyatt Regency hotel and former IBM office and Sutherland Lumber HQ buildings...



A patch of natural wildness in the virtual center of this urban gathering-place of more than 2-million of our species...

Show love to your sisters ... Show peace to your brothers... 

The last images are of 2 of MetroRegion Kansas City's most-expensive construction projects currently underway: the Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts and the new Paseo/I-35-29 bridge over the Missouri River...

These views of the KCPA are to the southwest and west near and from the intersection of 16th Street and Wyandotte.  

CSW has a time-series of  images going back nearly 2 years of the construction of the KCPA that I'll display here when this grand jewel on K.C.'s skyline is done...

The same goes with the new bridge carrying Interstate 35 from the Mexican border through Downtown's northeast freeway loop over the Missouri- to North KC- the junction with I-29 in the KC and Metro Northland- clear to Duluth Minnesota.

This baby is coming right along with a bridge deck more than twice as wide as the deck of the old Paseo Bridge.

That tall bridge support tower would look GREAT illuminated at night with LED lights- say red for the vertical and blue for the horizontal?

Please- ENJOY this 'last holiday of summer' 2010- YOU deserve it!

There's SantaCaliGon Days in Independence MO- as well as many other area events this Labor Day weekend.


If you're around the TeeVee- please watch KSHB NBC Action News and/or log-in here at CSW for weekend overnight incidents in Metro Kansas City.

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South KC-MO Convenience Store Clerk in Earlier Robbery-Shooting Has Tasered and Shot-Dead Another

A clerk at a Kansas City Southland convenience store who foiled an attempted robbery Wednesday morning by shooting at the suspects has been involved in another shooting at the store- this time the victim died.


The incident occurred around 7 p.m. at the store at 5500 East Bannister Road reports KSHB41 NBC Action News.

The same clerk involved in Wednesday morning's incident reportedly became involved in a disturbance with a person inside the store- then the clerk Tasered and shot that person.

The shooting victim later died at a Metro hospital.


It hasn't been reported yet if that person was somehow personally involved with Wednesday morning's foiled robbery suspects or whether the victim was attempting another robbery- though the latter isn't indicated.


CORRECTION:  KC-MO Police have NOT confirmed the identity of the store clerk involved in tonight's homicide.

It had been reported here earlier- based on the report on KSHB's Web page- that the same clerk involved in Wednesday morning's attempt was again involved tonight.

Their story was changed and I offer this correction as well.

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New Zealand Struck By Major Earthquake

I pray that all my Kiwi chat buddies are okay after an earthquake rated from 7.0 to 7.4 struck the south island of New Zealand a few hours ago.

The quake struck at 4:53 a.m. (1:53 p.m. Friday K.C. time) Saturday morning New Zealand time- and has "devastated" the city of Christchurch.

The NZ HERALD reports "2" serious injuries- but yet no fatalities- and a local tsunami warning was issued.

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CSW BREAKING: Working Fire in Overland Park KS Burger King

Courtesy of an Overland Park (OP) traffic camera- the images show what appears to be a cooking vent/roof fire at a Burger King at 13640 Metcalf.

The alarm was sounded for 5 OP Fire companies at 12:43 p.m. Friday afternoon- and these images were recorded before any of those fire companies arrived.


It's likely this Burger King won't be serving any hamburgers for the rest of today- possibly for a few days until the damage is repaired and OP health department inspectors giive their approval for re-opening.

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Kansas City MO Asked For $3.6-Million To Replace Liberty Intersection

Granted- the I-35 intersection with Missouri (M) 291 in Liberty is in bad need of a make-over.

Trouble is- the City of Liberty doesn't want to shoulder the whole $7.2-million cost- and wants KC-MO to "share" that burden.

KC-MO is already badly-strapped for cash- with MANY infrastructure/road repair/replacement projects lined-up for that city's decreasing revenue  (see KC LIVE payments and Leaky KC-MO Water Mains posts here on CSW).

However- according to The LIBERTY TRIBUNE- KC-MO Clowncilpersons Bill Skaggs and the-clowncilperson-who-would-LOVE-to-be-KC-MO's-next-corporate-darling-mayor- Deb Hermann "appear to be on-board (approving)" with financing this project to the tune of $3.6 million.


How about using some of that seemingly-available $3.6-million for redistricting- a new asphalt overlay on water-main-repair potmarked Blue Ridge Extention and/or FINISHING the 87th Street at Interstate 435 mess?

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Kansas City KS and MO in America's Top 40 Cities With Safest Drivers

One may disagree with the Allstate Insurance's "safest drivers" report for 2010- but Kansas City KS and Kansas City MO are among America's "safest drivers."

The Allstate report has KC-KS ranked as 27th safest- but they dropped from a 15 ranking in 2009.

KC-MO only dropped one place from 2009- from 30th to 31st in 2010.


The worst American city to drive in according to Allstate?

That would be Washington D.C..

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Two Companies Apply For Sugar Creek MO Casino License

Ah yes- just what Kansas Citians need- ANOTHER casino.


The INDEPENDENCE- BLUE SPRINGS- GRAIN VALLEY (Sibley?) EXAMINER reports that 2 companies are vying to win the single open casino license that's available since St. Loui's President Casino-boat closed.

The 2 companies according to that story are "Sunway Gaming LLC and Epic Gaming LLC" and one of them would build an at least $100-million casino on 200 acres of land east of M-291 and south of the Missouri River in Sugar Creek.


Heh- bet a new Sugar Creek casino would take the revenue-producing burden off their new 'speeder cameras.'

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MetroRegion K.C. News: Chillicothe MO Police Investigate Child's Torn Clothing Found in Park Restroom

Somebody reportedly found some child's ripped clothing in a male restroom in a Chillicothe park- setting off a police investigation that closed the park.

The clothing is believed that of a small female child- the police told The CHILLICOTHE CONSTITUTION-TRIBUNE on Wednesday- and the clothing appeared to have been torn or ripped.

No bodies were found after an extensive search of the park where the clothing was found.


Investigators checked area schools for possibly missing and absent students- but didn't find anything amiss yet- and the investigation continues. 

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CSW BREAKING: Bi-State-Agency Search For Missouri River Bridge Jumper

Agencies from Leavenworth KS and Platte County MO have launched a search for a person who reportedly jumped from a highway bridge over the Muddy MO...

A caller had reported a person had "jumped" from the Leavenworth KS Centennial/M-92 bridge about 9:25 p.m. Thursday evening.


Agencies involved in this search/rescue/recovery include crews- lights and boats from Leavenworth fire and police as well as the Southern Platte Fire Protection District and the Sheriff's department.

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Elementary School Student Killed by Vehicle in Gardner KS

A 7-year-old boy was killed in the street next to his elementary school around 3:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

(Photo courtesy of KSHB41 NBC ActionNews-Kansas City)

KSHB NBC Action News reports the child- "Kade Meyer-" was struck by a sports utility vehicle (SUV) after he ran onto Madison between two parked cars next to Madison Elementary school in Gardner where young Meyer was a student.

The boy was rushed by MEDACT-EMS to a Johnson County medical trauma center where he died.



The KSHB story does not mention if the SUV driver was cited- only that this incident is "under investigation."

CSW offers our sincere condolences to the family and friends of young Kade Meyer.

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CSW BREAKING: Another Off-Shore Oil Platform Explodes in Gulf of Mexico

This is reported by The ASSOCIATED PRESS via MyWay news:

This happened this morning about 80 miles south of the Louisiana coast- reportedly west of where BP's Deepwater Horizon exploded and caused the massive oil spill earlier this summer.


Only one injury out of a reported 13 persons on board who were retrieved in rescue pods.


More importantly- there's no report of an extensive or on-going oil leak as occurred in the BP disaster.

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A Story About The GOOD Cops

Too often we hear of stuff bad cops do- but those types of individuals are in a small minority among the police forces of America.

Case in point: a letter to the editorial page of the KANSAS CITY STAR this Thursday morning from a "Pam Christianson" of "Kansas City."

Ms. Christianson tells her story of recently being "robbed" and Maced by "two teenage girls" as the woman was returning home from work.

Christianson says the police came and took her report and soon arrested the suspects.

Not only that- but Ms. Christianson says officers saw her old window air conditioner at her house- and those police officers returned with a BRAND NEW window air conditioner and installed it for her! 


So remember- while there ARE corrupt individuals in ANY profession- the vast majority of those persons just want to do the right and honorable thing for the citizens they're hired to protect.

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Category 3 Hurricane Earl Nears America's East Coast

Hurricane Earl continues on a northward path this Thursday morning- forecast to brush the East Coast from North Carolina's Outer Banks to New England.

Hurricane warnings are now in effect for those areas.

Images from a US Army Corps of Engineers camera on the North Carolina shore shows oceans swells increasing as Earl approaches.

The outer bands of Earl are now being picked up on land-based NWS Doppler radars as those outer bands brush the South and North Carolina shores.

Earl is not forecast to strengthen any further- and should decrease in intensity as it heads north toward the southeastern provinces of Canada.

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Woman Dies in Lee's Summit House Fire

Lee's Summit MO firefighters found a woman inside a burning home in the 700 block of Southeast (SE) Douglas Thursday morning.

The fire was reported about 7:20 a.m.- according to KSHB NBC Action News. 

Fire crews reportedly found a "smoldering couch" inside the residence- then later found the woman in a back bedroom.


LSFD hasn't released the name of the victim and aren't saying for sure that the fire/smoke killed her- and the cause of the fire hasn't been released yet either.

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