MSNBC Suspends Keith Olberman For Political Contributions

The MSNBC cable network's talking head was temporarily canned on Friday when parent company NBC Universal found out Mr. Olberman had donated his own money to the political campaigns of 2 'Demoblicans.'


In the NEW YORK (NY) TIMES story that is linked to a reprint in the ST. LOUIS (MO) POST-DISPATCH online site STL TODAY- Olberman's suspension is "indefinite."

Also noted in the story is how FAUX (FOX) News not only encourages it's "news" people to contribute to political campaigns- but The Corporation itself has donated millions of dollars to 'Republicrat' politics.


Here at CSW- political donations ARE encouraged- especially since America's Own Supreme Court recently ruled that Corporations COULD make political donations freely (rather than the old way of hiding them).

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CSW BREAKING: Serious-Injury Crash in Overland Park

This crash is a 1-vehicle affair with extrication of the driver at 147th Street and Antioch.


Police are investigating the 6:40 a.m. crash that caused serious to critical injuries to the driver- a male- thought to be in his 40's.

The extrication took about 20 minutes- then the man was transported by MEDACT to Johnson County's lone medical trauma center.


Northbound and one lane of southbound Antioch at 147th Street is closed by police right now.

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CSW BREAKING: Critical-Injury Crash Closes U.S.71-Watkins Expressway in KC-MO

Both the north and southbounds are closed after a man crashed the car he was driving into the median of U.S. 71 south of Meyer Boulevard in south-central KC-MO..


The male driver was reportedly "partially ejected" from the car during the "rollover" crash that was reported around 6:25 a.m..

EMS said the man's injuries are severe and he was unresponsive.


Accident investigators are enroute....

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"Suspicious Death" in KC-MO Saturday Morning

KC-MO Police report finding a dead body in the 1700 block of Wyandotte near Downtown around 2 a.m..


Police were calling the death "suspicious-" but had no any other details for public consumption yet.


UPDATE:  As of 6:30 a.m.- this death was no longer being considered "suspicious-" according to a KC-MO Police department source.

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Woman Kills Husband in KC-KS

It occurred about 1:55 a.m. Saturday morning in the 6400 block of Parkview when a woman called into KC-KS emergency services and told them she had shot her husband.

Officers and EMS personnel arrived just after 2 a.m. and declared the man dead at the scene.

The woman was arrested by police- but there were no further details at this time.

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Two Kids Hurt in Midtown KC-MO Crash

Around 2:05 a.m.- a car containing the driver- a 27-year-old female- and two children a male about 3 and a female about 5-years-of-age crashed into a utility pole and turned over at 41st Street and Prospect.


EMS reported that the male child had been "ejected" during the crash- but was "found to be still in the car seat."

His injuries- as were those of the 5 and 27-year-old females were not life-threatening.


Not confirmed yet if the driver was the children's mother- since officers said she was "uncooperative."

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Rare NWS "Fire Watch" Issued For MetroRegion Kansas City on Sunday

Specifically Sunday afternoon is when much of the Kansas City MetroRegion can expect 'fire weather' conditions.

Fire weather conditions are extremely low humidities and strong winds- which can contribute to the easy spread of natural cover or any other outdoor fires.


Those MetroRegion counties included in this Fire Watch on Sunday are in yellow.

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Central States News: Iowa Supreme Court Rules Students' Field Trip Waivers "Unenforcable"

In 2005- an Iowa student was injured on a field trip and her mother had signed what most parents call a "permission note-" to go on the trip.

In MOST cases- that so-called 'permission note' is actually a liability waiver- excusing whatever organization is providing the trip from liability.

But- ruled Iowa's Supreme Court- that liability does NOT excuse negligence- reports the OMAHA WORLD-HERALD.

So basically- Iowa's court has thrown out the legality of those 'permission' or release from liability forms that Iowa parents sign before their kids can go on a field trip.

This decision could also have repercussions throughout the Central States....

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Coming Weekend May Be Last Really Nice One Weather-wise For 2010

If you have and outdoor or yard work to do- this weekend may be the best- and last decent and warm weather weekend- for the rest of this year.


The next 2 weekends are forecast to be cold- and don't be surprised if MetroRegion Kansas City sees some snowflakes to begin next weekend.

Oh sure- we'll see a few more warm days before years' end- that's likely here and there- but unlikely it would last a whole weekend without precipitation.


THIS weekend however will be warm and dry- with high temperatures from the upper 60's to lower 70's.


My winter forecast (December 22 to March 21)? Chance of cold waves, warm spells- rain- snow and ice storms- broken by periods of dry weather.

Highs of 0 to 70-degrees- Lows of -10 to 45.

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Less Than 50-Percent of Missouri's Registered Voters Voted on Tuesday

This speaks volumes about the state of America today.

According to this story in the SMITHVILLE (MO) HERALD- only "46.8%" of the registered voters in Missouri bothered to vote on Tuesday.

I don't yet know the national numbers- but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be  higher than 50% of America's voters that voted Tuesday.


Says a LOT about America's 'democracy' doesn't it?

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Customers Stop Robbery of KC-MO Quik Trip

We can be glad that most criminals are either A) stupid and/or B) greedy.


This chilly fall Thursday morning- a thug jacked a car from a patron at the BP gas station at 63rd Street and Prospect in South Midtown around 8 a.m..

Not satisfied JUST with the stolen car- the thug drove to the 7-11 store at Independence Avenue and Highland around 8:45 a.m. and stole some items from there.

The thug- probably confident he hasn't been caught yet- then drives to the Quik Trip store at 31st Street and Southwest Boulevard to rob the clerk there.

Only this time- the robber is nabbed by customers- and held until some cops who had arrived for coffee saw what was going on- handcuffed and arrested the perp.


No word if Quik Trip will offer those 'heroic' customers any freebees for their actions....

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Central States News Funny: Big Cough Threatens Southeastern Iowa

Okay- I've done it- and anybody else that blogs frequently probably has too: Mis-spelled a headline.


This headline from the CEDAR RAPIDS (IA) GAZETTE would indicate possible seismic issues- structural and other dangerous threats from a "whopping cough" in southeastern Iowa.


Does homeowner's insurance cover damages for that?

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KMBC-TV's Marcus Moore's Election Night Post-Fall Capture

Yesterday- I posted a story about Kansas City television's election night coverage and apparently- WDAF wasn't the only station with the pratfalls.

KMBC-9's Marcus Moore was wrapping-up a quick interview with Vicki Hartzler when Moore suddenly fell.


Moore bounces back up- and the screen capture of the look on Moore's face tells it all.

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Bi-Annual Clock Re-Setting (Back) This Sunday

This is otherwise known as returning to Central STANDARD Time.


The 'official' turn-back an hour is at 2 a.m. CDT Sunday morning when time goes back to 1 a.m. CST..

On March 13- 2011- the clocks get screwed with again as we turn AHEAD one hour.


Why oh WHY don't we just stick with ONE TIME all year-round?

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Election Night Meltdown Reported at WDAF-4 - K.C. STAR TV Writer M.I.A.

I didn't stay home to watch ANY election returns last night- as it was Ms. Rittenhouse's son's 21 birthday and he was anxious to donate his hard-earned money to the gaming corporations and their local vacuums.


From what I heard today from my various sources- I didn't miss much.

Even worse- I understand that WDAF FOX-4 had what amounted to a near-total breakdown of their election return coverage.

There were video glitches- audio glitches and from what one friend told me- almost a Phil Witt glitch- as in anchor rage over a muffed production.

Employed as I am with a Channel 4 competetor- I take absolutely no joy in that.

WDAF-4- then a long-time and proud-of-it NBC affiliate- gave me my professional shot into electronic news media in early 1991.

I was proud to work for Kansas City's first T.V. station- the only one in town older than I am.

I was a WDAF-TV4 News fan since their live coverage of the 1959 Southwest Boulevard gasoline tank fire in August of that year.

I looked up to and respected their news people such as- Walt Bodine- Bill Leeds- John Herrington- and many others.

Their first actual meteorologist- Dr. Howard Hanks- was a kind and beneficial influence on our little group of teenaged weather nerds.

Channel 4 was first in Kansas City with live news trucks- helicopters and satellites.

There's a surprising number of KSHB's behind-the-scenes news people that are also WDAF alumni.

So yeah- it's damn sad to me to see WDAF's excellence in news reporting and presentation going downhill as it is.


I've looked today to see if The STAR's T.V. writer might have written-up how the four local television news operations covered Election Night 2010 since I didn't see any of them.


Nada- nothing- nope- left to DVR and 2nd-hand accounts from friends and Internet.

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Kansas City MO Earnings Tax Will Come Before A Vote of The People

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PLEASE VOTE TODAY

Come-on- you have time!

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Alcohol Leads List of 'Most Dangerous' Drugs

Leave it to the Brits to put things in their proper perspective- as in this study by some British scientists on the most dangerous drugs.


According to the shown chart- it appears that those ole psilocybin mushrooms have the least effect on both the user and those around the user.


So instead of that cocktail- pour yourself a glass of electric tea or Kool-Aid- after all- it's Election Day!

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Fatality Crash on U.S. 50 in Lee's Summit MO

Police investigators have traffic severely constricted on U.S. 50 highway near Chipman Road Monday morning after a possible crossover crash resulted in a fatality.


Reported at 6:40 a.m.- a white van- driven by a mid-30's-aged Hispanic male was westbound on U.S. 50 and possibly crossed the median and struck an eastbound vehicle.

The driver of the other vehicle died at the scene.


The male van driver was taken to a Metro hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

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Two Shot- One Critical- in Midtown KC-MO

The shootings occurred in the 3800 block of Baltimore to the intersection of 39th Street at 12:28 a.m. Monday morning as KC-MO police officers a block east on Main heard the "multiple gunshots."


Officers found both victims within 2 minutes- but any suspect had departed.

The 2 victims were said by emergency responder sources as "24-year-old males."

One had been shot twice in the back and once in the head and was in very critical condition at a medical trauma center.

The other man had been shot in a shoulder and hand- and was taken to another hospital in less-serious condition.


Vague suspect information provided to police included "a black male about 6-feet tall with long dredlocks" and a clothing description- and "a Jeep Cherokee-" both "last seen northbound on Baltimore" from the scene.

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America's 'Civil' Political Newcomer: The Coffee Party

Now understand I'm both a tea AND a coffee drinker with what I call social Libertarian political leanings.


I- like you- was well aware of the so-called Tea Party- but lately- I had been hearing of something called the Coffee Party.

So I made a preliminary check of the Coffee Party's Web page and so far- I kind of like what I see.

Especially the civility part.

A fellow in the letters to the editor in the Sunday morning KANSAS CITY STAR suggested a separate cable TV channel JUST for the political ads.


I'm there already- so- best of luck to the more-moderate and centrist Coffee Party.

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Serious-Injury In Lawrence KS Domestic Assault Sunday Morning

A 19-year-old female suffered head and other serious injuries as well as "possible paralysis" after a disturbance in a Lawrence apartment complex early Sunday morning.


The incident occurred around 1:35 a.m. in the 2400 block of Red Bud Lane.

Emergency responder sources say the woman was "struck in the head and face- then fell down a flight of stairs" and "was unconscious" when responders arrived.

The responder also noted the medical issues- including the possibly the patient was "paralyzed" in the disturbance.

The woman was flown by Lifestar medical helicopter to K.U. Med Center in Kansas City KS..


Police have the suspect- reported by the LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD as the injured woman's "domestic partner-" in custody.

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Man Crashes Motorcycle- Tosses Rider in Independence- Rides Off To Crash Again

A man is in police custody in a medical facilty Sunday morning after two crashes- one in Independence and the other in Sugar Creek MO..


At 12:03 a.m.- Independence (Indy) units got the report of a car/motorcycle crash at U.S. 24 highway and Sterling.

There- the cycle driver- reported by police as "Mark L. Flaaen-" "laid-down his bike under a vehicle-" throwing his "30-40-year-old female passenger."

That female passenger suffered critical injuries- according to an AMR-EMS crew.

No one in the vehicle was hurt.

It was at this first wreck- report Sugar Creek police- that Mr. Flaaen "picked up his bike and took off north on Sterling" into Sugar Creek- with a SCPD officer "in pursuit."

Flaaen then crashed his Harley again- and for the final time this day- "on the circle in front of the police station" on Sterling at Kentucky at 12:04 a.m..

The man was placed under arrest by the pursuing Sugar Creek officer and taken to a hospital for his moderate injuries.

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Sunday Morning Shooting in Leavenworth KS

Leavenworth police are investigating a shooting in their city early Sunday morning.


It happened in the 800 block of Shawnee around 2:45 a.m. and a man in his mid-40's was shot in the waist area by an unknown assailant.


That man was driven to a Kansas City medical trauma center in serious condition by Leavenworth county EMS.

There were indications there was a 2nd shooting victim- but no further medical transport from this scene was heard and police wouldn't yet tell the public news media if anybody was killed there.

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CSW BREAKING: House Fire in KC-MO Northland

Fire crews are using 4 handlines on a fire in a house just north of the North Kansas City limits.


The alarm came in at 5:35 a.m. for a house fire in the 3300 block of Northeast Mohawk Lane and fire was visible in the rear of the 1-story structure to the first-arriving pumper company crew at 5:40 a.m..

Five other companies as well as EMS assisted in the firefight.


As of 5:56 a.m.- no one has been found inside and no one has been injured- and this fire is "under control."

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Man Critically-Injured in Cass County MO Motorcycle Crash

The crash was about a quarter-mile west of Peculiar Drive (and U.S. 71) "in the S-curve on the hill" of 195th Street- reported at 4:05 a.m. but unknown when it actually occurred.



At 4:08 a.m. Saturday morning- a Cass County Sheriff's deputy arrives on the scene and finds a crashed cycle and the male rider- thought to be in his 40's- lying face down nearby.

The man was "breathing but unconscious" when the deputy found him- and the man stayed that way to the hospital.

South Metro's Fire and EMS crews responded- called for a medical helicopter- Lifeflight-Eagle chopper 2 and- at 4:51 a.m.- the man was flown to Research Med Center in critical condition.



The incident is being investigated.

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