CSW BREAKING: Snow Falling in South Metro Kansas City

Light to moderate snow is now falling generally south of 95th Street from Johnson couty KS east into south KC-MO.

It's had to tell by the vid cap image- but snow is already dusting roadways- as shown here from 119th Street and U.S. 69 in Overland Park KS..


This earlier-that-forecast snowfall may skew forecasts of 4 to 8-inches of snow forecasted in the Metro by Tuesday.

I'll keep you informed on this overnight....

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Arizona Assassin Shoots U.S. Congresswoman- Kills At Least 5- Including a Federal Judge and a Child- and Wounds18

A Tucson man- who the media is identifying as "Jared Laughner-" opened fire at a political meet and greet at a Tucson grocery store Saturday morning- leaving a U.S. Congresswoman wounded and killing 5 people at the function- including a Federal judge and a child.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head by Laughner- critically injuring her- then the shooter opened fire on the crowd attending the event- according to this story in Tuscon's ARIZONA DAILY STAR.




At least 5 others were killed (The ADS story says "6")- including a Federal judge and a child.

Eighteen other people were wounded by the assassin- their conditions were not immediately available.


The shooter Laughner was reportedly tackled by bystanders after he emptied his firearm(s?)- and held for police .

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CSW WEATHER: NWS "Winter Storm Watch" for Metro- MetroRegion Kansas City Monday to Tuesday

...WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE REGION MONDAY AND TUESDAY...

A WINTER STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE CENTRAL PLAINS MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY BRINGING SNOW TO ALL OF EASTERN KANSAS AND NORTHWEST MISSOURI. SNOW WILL INITIALLY DEVELOP IN EXTREME NORTHWEST MISSOURI SUNDAY NIGHT BUT AS THE MAIN SYSTEM BEGINS TO IMPACT THE REGION WIDESPREAD MODERATE SNOW WILL DEVELOP AND MOVE EASTWARD THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY. MODERATE SNOW WILL CONTINUE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE ENTIRE REGION AND PERSIST THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING BEFORE TAPERING OFF TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN CENTRAL MISSOURI.





ATCHISON KS- MIAMI- LINN KS- DONIPHAN- LEAVENWORTH- WYANDOTTE- JOHNSON KS- ATCHISON MO- NODAWAY- WORTH- GENTRY- HARRISON- MERCER- HOLT- ANDREW- DE KALB- DAVIESS- GRUNDY- BUCHANAN- CLINTON- CALDWELL- LIVINGSTON- PLATTE- CLAY- RAY- CARROLL- JACKSON- LAFAYETTE- SALINE- CASS-JOHNSON MO- PETTIS- COOPER- BATES- HENRY-


INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ATCHISON... PAOLA... MOUND CITY... TROY... LEAVENWORTH... OVERLAND PARK... OLATHE...T ARKIO... MARYVILLE... GRANT CITY...  ALBANY... STANBERRY... BETHANY... PRINCETON... OREGON... SAVANNAH... CAMERON... GALLATIN... JAMESPORT...TRENTON... ST. JOSEPH... PLATTSBURG... HAMILTON... POLO... CHILLICOTHE... PARKVILLE... PLATTE CITY...WESTON...LIBERTY...EXCELSIOR SPRINGS... RICHMOND... CARROLLTON... KANSAS CITY... INDEPENDENCE... LEXINGTON... CONCORDIA... MARSHALL... RAYMORE... HARRISONVILLE... PLEASANT HILL... WARRENSBURG... SEDALIA... BOONVILLE... BUTLER... RICH HILL... CLINTON

102 PM CST SAT JAN 8 2011

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT.



* LOCATION...ALL OF EASTERN KANSAS AND PORTIONS OF NORTHERN THROUGH CENTRAL MISSOURI INCLUDING THE ENTIRE KANSAS CITY METROPOLITAN AREA AS WELL AS MARYVILLE... ST. JOSEPH... CHILLICOTHE AND SEDALIA.



* TIMING...SNOW WILL INITIALLY DEVELOP IN EXTREME NORTHWEST MISSOURI LATE SUNDAY NIGHT BUT SPREAD TO THE ENTIRE REGION BY MONDAY AFTERNOON AND PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY TUESDAY.



* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI WITH AMOUNTS UP TO 5 INCHES FURTHER EAST.



* IMPACTS...SNOW TOTALS OF THIS MAGNITUDE...DESPITE FALLING OVER 24 TO 36 HOURS...WILL MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT AND POTENTIALLY TREACHEROUS.

* OTHER IMPACTS...AS WINDS INCREASE BEHIND THE STORM SYSTEM TUESDAY MORNING BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW WILL BECOME PROBLEMATIC.

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CSW WEATHER: Bands of Snow Across Metro Kansas City

By Doppler weather radar and visual observations- snow showers and bands of snow- sometimes of moderate intensity- are moving from north-northeast to south over Metro Kansas City during the past 2 hours.


The heaviest snow has been in a narrow area situated generally along and either side of the state line south of 75th Street.

These Overland Park Traffic Department traffic camera screen caps show the camera atop the Sheraton Hotel near I-435 and Lamar in OP- and how visibilities have risen and lowered in these more moderate-snowfall rate snow showers.


So far- there's been no reports of traffic crashes on slickened roadways in those areas- and the snowfall should slacken during the next hour or two ... until the main show begins later Sunday.

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CSW SPORTS: It's All on KCTV-5 Sunday

I've given you the news and weather- so I figure why the Hell not do some sports too?

All that many Kansas City sports fans care about happens Sunday- the Chiefs vs Baltimore Ravens NFL-AFC round one playoff game at Arrowhead- followed by a Kansas Jayhawks versus Michigan Wolverines basketball game.


The Chiefs-Ravens game is set to begin at noon and be televised on CBS/KCTV-5.

At 3:30 p.m. is college basketball- known around here as the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks at the Michigan Wolverines in Rock-Chalk- beautiful Ann Arbor(?).


That game will also be televised on CBS also known locally as KCTV-5.

I may have to sleep through the first one- but you can be sure I'll be up for Channel 5's round 2....

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CSW WEATHER: A Winter Storm Approaches

The stormy early-week period is shaping up in several pieces that will begin to affect the Central States later today- and the MetroRegion and Metro Kansas City Sunday- Monday into Tuesday morning.

Then some really cold air comes for mid to late week.

Shown are current National Weather Service (NWS) winter weather advisories- watches and warnings in the Central States.






Although there are yet no winter weather watches or warnings in our area- current snowfall depths predicted around MetroRegion Kansas City are anywhere from 4 to 9 inches by Tuesday morning. 


In Metro K.C.- snow could begin late Sunday night- intensify on Monday before ending early Tuesday with depths of 4 to 8-inches expected.


Cold air will settle over our new snowpack on on Wednesday through Friday morning next week- overnight low temperatures could be around zero with highs only into the teens to near 20-degrees.

Stay tuned... 

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Violent New Year in KC-KS Continues With 2 Shot

Police in KC-KS have had more to deal with than internal corruption- they've also had to deal with 2 homicides- other and this morning's shootings...


There are 2 victims- one taken to a hospital and the other transported to one- from the 6200 block of May Lane due to a shooting that occurred around 3:15 a.m..

One victim- a 25-year-old male- was "shot in the shoulder" and broke his leg "falling from a 4-foot rock wall attempting to escape the gunfire-" according to KC-KS FD-EMS-2.

His condition was serious but survivable.

The other unknown victim was driven by private vehicle to a hospital- and their condition is unknown.


Police didn't have any suspect information or circumstances of the shooting available yet.

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Person Killed By Train in Leavenworth KS

Around 1:40 a.m. Saturday morning- a train reportedly struck and killed a person who was on the Burlington-Northern tracks in Leavenworth.


The call came out to 2nd Street and Cherokee- but the yet-unidentified victim was found north of that location- near the west bank of the Missouri River.


On Monday- Leavenworth Police say they're not publizing the name of the "22-year-old female" who was killed because the LPD believes this was "a suicide."

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Overland Park KS House Heavily-Damaged By Fire- No Injuries

A fire that broke out before the 1:15 a.m. dispatch of five fire companies heavily damaged a residence in southern Overland Park.


The fire was in a 2-story house in the 12800 block of Cody- and the occupants escaped uninjured before the fire department arrived.



It took until 1:45 a.m. until the OPFD could bring the fire under control.

A fire investigator ruled the cause of the fire was "an unattended candle left burning in the kitchen" of the home.

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Gladstone MO Bank Robbed

It happened at 1:53 p.m. Friday afternoon at the U. S. Bank at 6098 North Antioch Road.


Gladstone police said the suspect was "a white male with a stocky build- wearing a plaid shirt- khaki pants and a ball cap."

Additional information was that "the male had brown hair and was about 30-years-old and ran westbound from the bank" officers said.


No word on the dollar amount lifted by the robber.

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Central States News: Missouri Governor Okay After Crash

A vehicle carrying Governor Jay Nixon was rear-ended in Jefferson City Friday morning.


The ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH reports that the crash happened on the Whitton Expressway- a few blocks from the state Capitol building.

Gov. Nixon was taken to a local hospital's emergency room- treated for unspecified injuries and released.


There was nothing in the SLPD story about possible injuries in the other 2 vehicles involved in the crash- nor word of charges against any of the drivers.

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Kansas City KS Records 2nd Homicide of 2011

KC-KS reported finding a deceased victim of a gunshot wound lying on the sidewalk in the 1800 block of Minnesota Avenue around 1:30 a.m. Friday morning.


The victim was described by police as a black male around 30-years-old and there was no suspect information available in this 2nd KC-KS homicide in the first week of 2011.

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CSW BREAKING: KC-MO Shooting- Car Chase and Crash of Suspects

KC-MO emergency services responded to a reported shooting near 24th Street and Drury at 8:14 a.m. Friday morning.


While enroute to the call East Zone patrol police officers spotted what appeared to be the suspect vehicle- reported as a "stolen" 2011 white Ford sedan- speeding away from the scene.

Officers chased that vehicle to 18th Street and Benton Boulevard where- at 8:21 a.m.- the possible suspect vehicle crashed into "a taxicab." 

Extrication of at least one of the occupants of one of the vehicles the suspects crashed into was needed- but the occupant's injuries were reportedly minor.

The possible suspects- "2- younger- skinny black males wearing masks-" ran from the scene and police conducted a manhurt on and near the K.C. Terminal railroad tracks that run east-west near that scene.

While the manhunt was conducted- there was a "lockdown" of the Metropolitan Community College's Pioneer campus located a short distance away near 18th Street and Montgall.

The shooting victim from 24th St. and Drury- "a 29-year-old male shot in the buttocks" and weighing "about 400 pounds-" was transported to a Metro hospital in serious but sounding like not immediately life-threatening condition.



As of 9:15 a.m.- police possibly had one of the suspects caught at or near "19th Street and Park."

That suspect- reported as "a 21-year-old male-" suffered a head injury and was transported  emergency by KC-MO FD-EMS to a K.C. medical trauma center- "in police custody."


Police are still seeking the 2nd suspect as of 9:45 a.m. Friday morning.

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Did "Most" ANYBODY Speak to Republicrat Eric Cantor About Health Care?

The following is Reason 879 why I select other than Republicrats- and Demoblicans- on Election Days...

In an Associated Press story via the KANSAS CITY STAR- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor reportedly flapping his gums on a TV morning show said "most Americans don't like the health care bill...."


Funny- I've emailed and called around to family and friends to see if Cantor talked to them about the health care bill.

None so far have- many question if Cantor himself has even read the damn thing and all said if they hear from ANY politician at all- it's a robo-call at election time.


In a weak defense of Republicrat House Majority Leader Eric Cantor- "most" (myself included)- do NOT like the part of the health care bill that would FINE people who don't care to sign-up for it- but ALL agree we need SOMETHING to be done in regard to bankrupting medical care.

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CSW BREAKING: Person Found Dead in Grandview MO House Fire

The Grandview MO Fire department- along with at least one crew from Belton- are working a structure fire in the 13500 block of Botts Road in Grandview.

This reportedly a residential structure fire that began around 1:15 p.m. Thursday afternoon.



At 1:35 p.m.- Grandview firefighters inside the house doing an initial search reported finding "a (male) victim" in one of the home's bedrooms.



The victim was deceased.

No other bodies were found in the house and there was no initial report of any other injuries.



Grandview Fire reports that the fire victim was 51-year-old James L Veidick.


A cause of the fire had not yet been determined by investigators as of late Friday.

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Fellow Blogger "South Kansas City Observer" Pays Respects to 2010 Homicide Victims and Their Families

"The Observer" as she calls herself- resides here in Southland K.C.- and she has began a series of posts devoted to the names of 2010's KC-MO homicide victims.



I commend- applaud and tip my hat to The Observer's diligence- compassion and concern when it comes to showcasing The Disgrace of Kansas City MO which is (besides the KCSD) the ungodly number of killings of Human Beings in this burg.

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CSW Commentary: Why Aren't Names AND Charges Against KC-KS Cops Made Public?

I mean come-on- why is there no citizen outrage over this???!

If you and I are "charged" for breaking the law- the police departments can and will release our names- mugshots- and every detail about us but our pets' names.

And of course- our so-called "free press" is hard on those authorities (not) to release those names and charges- since those very "charged" people are IN THE PUBLIC TRUST and carry a GREAT deal of authority over citizens.


It's too bad we didn't win the Mega-Millions jackpot- because I had an island picked out in the middle of nowhere where Ms. Rittenhouse and I could spend the remaining days in REAL freedom and "the pursuit of happiness."  

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Victim of Omaha School Shooting Dies

My condolences goes out to the family and friends of Vicki Kaspar- the assistant principal of Millard South High school in Omaha who was shot by an enraged student Wednesday.


Ms. Kaspar has died of her wounds.


The other victim- Principal Curtis Case- remains in serious but stable condition- according to The OMAHA (NE) WORLD-HERALD.

School is out today at Millard South so faculty and students can try and make sense of why student Robert Butler Jr.- son of an Omaha police detective who also gets my condolences- handled a coming 19-day suspension by returning to the school and shooting the two victims.

Good luck- you can't make sense out of senseless acts like this....

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More American Troops To Be Put in Harms Way in Afghanistan

Those in charge just can't resist wasting America's resources- and I'm not talking dollar bills but our youth...


It's announced that in the coming weeks- 1400 more Americans in the form of U.S. Marines will be sent to that wasteful Hellhole known as Afghanistan.

Like departing President Dwight Eisenhower said in 1960- beware of the American military-industrial complex.


We didn't listen then and we ignore the fact the Soviet Union couldn't win in Afghanistan when they were there in the early 1980's (remember that- when AMERICA furnished the Taliban weaponry to fight the Russians?).

We ignore the fact that the Vietnam Folly wasted more than 58000 American and countless Vietnamese lives.

History is boring it seems- Americans either have a short attention span or just plain don't give a shit if it's not knocking down their own front door- and these senseless- accomplish-nothing wars will be the Death of America..

By the way- where IS Bin Laden???????????

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Walmart Awarded "Business Blunder Of The Year" For Firing Wichita KS Employee

I don't know who or what firm does PR for Walmart- but whoever it is I'm sure has their hands full issuing spinning press releases...


Recall the story of Heather Ravenstein? She's the one fired by a Wichita Walmart for confronting a guy who was stealing a computer last May from the store where Heather worked.

Ms Ravenstein has landed on her feet- according to this story from The WICHITA (KS) EAGLE- but Walmart's actions landed them on CBS' "Business Blunders of the Year" list as Number 1.


Heh- CBS must have missed the Glenn Stevens story- where Walmart accused an innocent man of thefts from a number of Central States Walmart stores.

That got us shopping elsewhere.

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Central States NEWS: Two Seriously-Injured in Shooting at an Omaha NE High School

The OMAHA WORLD-HERALD is reporting that the principal and assistant principal of an Omaha high school were seriously-wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon.

The shooting occurred around 12:45 p.m. at the Millard South High School- in southwestern Omaha.

The suspect- reported by The OWH as a student of the school and the son of an Omaha police detective- was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot in a car some distance from the school.

The 2 victims were reported to be in serious to critical condition.

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CSW BREAKING: Occupant Seriously Burned in Independence MO House Fire

Independence Fire reports the occupant of a home was critically burned at a house fire Wednesday afternoon.

The fire was reported at 2:34 p.m. in the 16900 block of East 4th Street South- and when the first fire crew arrived at 2:39 p.m. they reported "smoke showing from a 1-story- split-level" house.

Shortly afterwards- firefighters reported an occupant was burned: a "68-year-old male with 2nd and 3rd-degree burns" over 30 to 40-percent of his body.

The injured man- whose condition was described as "stable-" was to be transported by AMR-EMS to a local medical trauma center.

The fire is believed to be under control as of this post.... 

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Another Photo of The New Year's Eve Fort Leonard Wood MO Tornado

This photo is courtesy of The COLUMBIA (MO) MISSOURIAN and the photo's owner "Leonard Morrow-" depicting the EF-3 tornado as it roared through the sprawling U.S. Army base in south-central Missouri on New Year's Eve 2010.

This appears to be a rather unique tornado photo in that you can see the main funnel extended from top left-center of the photo to the ground- but also what appears to be a satellite funnel extending from the top-right and cutting through the bottom of the main funnel- touching the ground to the left of the main vortex.


Other CSW stories on the deadly New Year's Eve tornado outbreak that covered 4 states can be found HERE- HERE- HERE and HERE.

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Central States News: Oklahoma's 2010 Tornado Numbers 3rd Highest on Record

A preliminary number of 102 twisters in 2010 made the past year the 3rd-highest tornado count on record- states an Associated Press story via THE TULSA (OK) WORLD.


The highest number was 145 in 1999- followed by No. 2 at 107 tornadoes in 1957.


The story also reports a 115-degree temperature spread between the highest and lowest temperatures recorded across the Sooner State in 2010.

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The Daily Beast.com: America's 40 Top Drunkest Cities

People like making lists- the latest I've found is a list of America's Top 40 Drunkest Cities- compiled by an Internet site called The Daily Beast.com.


The drunkest city according to the site was Milwaukee WI- followed by Fargo ND- San Francisco CA- Austin TX and Reno NV..


No Metro Kansas City cities made the list- but several in our Central States region did- according to The DAILY BEAST:



Number 7- Omaha NE-
Number 14- Sioux City IA-
Number 24- St. Louis MO-
Number 33- Davenport IA and-
Number 38- Cedar Rapids IA..

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120-Year-Old Iowa House Goes For A Ride

The photo- courtesy of The OTTUMWA (IA) COURRIER- shows a home built in 1890 being trucked through the Iowa town of Dowd to a (hopefully) final resting place on a plot of land south of the town.

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New Year's Eve Arkansas Tornado Claims 4th Victim

A 95-year-old woman has died of injuries sustained in the New Year's Eve tornado in Northwestern Arkansas- reports Little Rock's ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE.




This raises the death toll from tornadoes that struck 4 states on December 31- 2010 to 8- with 4 of those deaths in Arkansas and 4 in Missouri.

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CSW BREAKING: Double-Fatality Crash in Miami County KS

Just after 6:30 a.m.- a head-on crash was reported on K-68 highway west of U.S. 169 in Miami County KS..

The male drivers of both vehicles are reportedly dead at the scene of the crash- located several hundred yards west of Cedar-Niles Road.



The Kansas Highway Patrol says neither driver was wearing seatbelts and that there were no other occupants in either vehicle that apparently collided at or near the posted 65 m.p.h. speed limit.


On Thursday- the Kansas Highway Patrol released the name of the 2 drivers.

Killed were 45-year-old Bryan R. Blann of Paola and 53-year-old Garry W. Reed from Wellsville KS..

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1970's Pop Star Gerry Rafferty Dead at Age 63

Those of us around in 1978 surely remembers the iconic album "City to City" and song 'Baker Street.'




One of my faves from that album was "Whatever's Written In Your Heart."

The man who brought us that album- Gerry Rafferty- has died in England after a "long illness" at the age of 63.

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