Green Bay Woman Finds More Than A Quarter-Million Dollars Worth of Drugs in Gift Vacuum Cleaner

According to this ASSOCIATED PRESS story found via The SIOUX CITY (IA) JOURNAL- a woman who received a vacuum cleaner as a Christmas gift from her children found "two pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 2.2 pounds of cocaine shrink wrapped inside the box" the machine came in.


The original GREEN BAY (WI) PRESS-GAZETTE story said the "refurbished" vacuum came from  the "Juarez, Mexico area" and the woman who found the drugs with a "street value at about $280,000" probably wouldn't be charged by authorities- though I don't see how the cops could "charge" her if they wanted to (oops- I almost forgot about Mr. Glenn Stevens!).

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Now at $14-Trillion- American Federal Government Debt is at All-Time High

This is incredible- but not unexpected...


According to an ASSOCIATED PRESS story via our friends at The ST. LOUIS (MO) POST-DISPATCH- the federal deficit nows stands at $14-TRILLION.


That debt has been accrued just in the past 6 years- under Presidents Bush and Obama.


That debt amounts to $45300 for each American- I'd have preferred to get that $45k+ in cash- as I'm sure you would have. 

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MetroRegion Kansas City NEWS: Springfield Paramedic-Firefighters- Make Dramatic Rescue of 2 Girls in House Fire

Five were injured- two women already outside- two trapped girls and a Springfield MO paramedic who attempted to save them in a house fire in that south-central Missouri city around 9:15 a.m. Saturday morning.


The paramedic crew was first on the scene and found the 2 women already outside-  but two girls were trapped in a bedroom.

(Photos are courtesy of The SPRINGFIELD (MO) NEWS-LEADER AND Bruce Stidham )

According to The SPRINGFIELD (MO) NEWS-LEADER- paramedic Joe Heath who works for St. John's (Medical Center) EMS- who didn't have an air tank- broke the bedroom window and went inside and found one of the girls and brought her outside.

The paramedic was overcome by smoke- but a Springfield Fire department crewmember who had just arrived finished the rescue of the 2nd child.

All five were taken to a Springfield hospital- paramedic Heath was treated and released.

The rescued girls had suffered burns and "heavy smoke inhalation-" but were "breathing and conscious" while enroute to the hospital- stated the NEWS-LEADER story.


Captain Spaulding salutes Paramedic Heath- as well as the fire rescue crew members "Capt. John Grier and rescue specialists Jeff Elliott and Scott Lambeth-" and wish the survivors a speedy and full recovery!

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Good Morning- Saturday - January 15, 2011

First off- repeating the breaking news reported FIRST in Kansas City here at CSW...


Eastbound I-435 is closed at Wornall Road due to a male pedestrian who was struck and killed on the freeway at Holmes around 4:15 a.m. this morning.

It appears I-435 will be closed at that scene until at least 7 a.m....


Weatherwise- it's in the upper 20's around the Metro this morning under mostly clear skies- but some nasty changes are in store 24 to 48 hours from now.

A cold front will settle over the MetroRegion today- ushering in more cold air.

On Sunday- warm air aloft will interact with the cold air at the surface to produce some light snow- then Sunday night through Monday night we could see a mixture of snow and/or freezing drizzle and rain.


Drive-time Monday morning AND Monday evening could be impacted with slick roads- so plan now on this possibility that I'll update around this time tomorrow (Sunday) morning. 

Please Watch NBC41 Action News This Weekend at 8 a.m.

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CSW BREAKING: Pedestrian on I-435 Killed in KC-MO

At 4:11 a.m. Saturday morning- KC-MO Police received a call of "a suspicious male in a dark hoodie walking in the middle of the roadway on eastbound I-435" at Holmes.

When the officer sent on the call arrived by 4:18 a.m.- he reports "stuff all over the highway-" evidentally referring to the pedestrian- who had been struck- and killed- by a motorist.


That motorist- a Hispanic male- stopped and gave a statement to police.


He was not charged with any violation.


Later Saturday- KC-MO Police identified the deceased pedestrian as "50-year-old Daniel Morrison of KC-MO.."

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A Kansas City Perspective on the April 1968 Murder of Dr. Martin Luther King

Growing up in integrated Kansas City neighborhoods- I respected and admired Dr. King for peacefully seeking to right the wrongs that confronted black people- more than 100 years after a war that supposedly "liberated" them.

I thought I'd share my recollections today on what would have been Dr. King's 82nd birthday- of hearing about Dr. King's death on April 4, 1968 and the days afterwards...


It was a Friday evening- when the TV networks broke into regular programming to tell America and the world of what had happened in Memphis Tennessee around 6 p.m.- when James Earl Ray shot Dr. King while he was standing outside his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.


Even after having endured the killing of President John F. Kennedy as a 6th grader nearly 5 years earlier- the killing of Dr. King- an advocate of peaceful protest- was quite a shock.

Later that Friday night- an NBC News film showed President Kennedy's brother and 1968 presidential candidate Robert addressing a crowd in a predominately black part of Indianapolis in regard to Dr. King's killing.


Although virtually nothing was known at that point regarding details on the shooter and certainly not the assassin's race- Robert told the crowd that HIS brother had been shot "by a white man-" and urged calm (Indianapolis was one of the few large American cities that wouldn't suffer riots in the coming days).


Robert would suffer the same fate as Dr. King almost 2 months to-the-day later that year.


In April of 1968- I was a sophomore at Southeast High school in Kansas City MO- and on the next day Saturday- April 5- our school's Concert choir was to take a bus ride to a state music competition in Warrensburg at Central Missouri State University.


The bus ride was somber and the air was tense- with the black choir members riding in the rear of the motor coach talking quietly.


I sat in the toward the front of that group- basically between the white and black choir members.


I had grown up with a number of the black kids- and they knew that I was a friend first who truly understood what was going on with that "racial thing" with me being a white guy somewhere way down their list.


I was as lost as they were- and felt a guilt I shouldn't have felt JUST because of my skin color and hoped they understood.


The air at the CMSU campus was also tense that Saturday morning- and- although I tried to stay with the Southeast choir members- it was clear that the color of MY skin was causing tension with those from other schools around the state who certainly did not know of my fair-play or "politics."


Many attending the competition were anticipating trouble- a "riot" actually- and (most of) the white kids kept a respectful if not fearful distance from the black kids- but here I was in-between- feeling every bit of the black kids' pain and trying to express it.


Our choir won the top honors that day- but it was of little consolation to many members of our choir in the somber bus ride home.


Unlike nearly a dozen American cities where devastating riots took place- Kansas City remained calm over the next several days and I recall no particularly striking memories of anything until the next week and the day of Dr. King's funeral on Wednesday- April 9th.


The Kansas City MO schools had not been dismissed that day- and many black students were angry over that seemingly racial omission.


During a 2nd-hour class that morning a film was being shown and as the 'certified projector operator' that I was- I had to return the machine to the school's office after the film.


It was in the office where I overheard the school officials and office staff talking in hushed but urgent tones- reportedly- black students from the Paseo and Central High schools were marching to Southeast to "liberate" their brothers and sisters from school and march to Downtown to ask why school hadn't been cancelled for Dr. King's funeral.


It was then that it was decided school would be dismissed at the end of that second hour class- and I rushed back up to the 3rd floor with the news as the school's principal was beginning the announcement over the school's public address system.


Although the principal didn't say so- word of what I had heard about that "liberation" spread quickly just in the following minutes as students rushed to their lockers and toward the exits.


Several of us- including a black friend- piled into a white friend's Mercury that several of us neighborhood students of Southeast rode to and from school in- and we headed to the Mark Twain elementary school where our younger brothers and  sisters were to take them home to safety.


Already a teenage weatherman and certainly a follower of the news- I went home and come noon- turned on a TV newscast.


A crowd of several hundred protesters had gathered in Parade Park at Truman Road and The Paseo and were addressed by several black activists.

Soon- the activists had urged the crowd to march on City Hall Downtown- and they took Interstate 70 on foot to get there- closing the westbound lanes.


That afternoon- I rode my bike to Raytown to visit my girlfriend and another friend after the Raytown schools let out- so I was unaware until later what went on Downtown.



What went on Downtown was that crowd of several hundred mostly peaceful young black people (but also a few more-radical- trouble-making people) had gathered on 12th Street in front of City Hall to meet with and be addressed by Mayor Ilus Davis- other city officials and police chief Clarence Kelly.


At some point during that meeting- no one to this day knows exactly what happened- someone threw either a glass bottle or fireworks into the crowd and the sound was mistaken for gunfire (those were the days that the worse weapon you might be thug-confronted with would be a knife).


The several-dozen riot-gear-wearing cops that had arrived for crowd control then fired tear-gas canisters into the large crowd- scattering them throughout downtown.


It was then the trouble really started- youths started running through downtown streets that- in those days- were still filled with shoppers of the many downtown stores still in business.


Windows were broken in a number of those stores and the downtown pedestrians were assaulted or otherwise "terrorized-" as news accounts of the day reported- by the angry black youths.


The crowds scattered- the youths made it back to the "inner-city" with only a few arrests that day- but the stage was set and "the Kansas City Riot of 1968" was on.


I shall never- ever- forget the sight that evening along Raytown Road before Dad came to pick me up and take me back home.


Military vehicles of all shapes and sizes- including half-tracks with combat-ready troops- were rolling north in a 4-block long procession from the National Guard camp on 87th Street toward the city.


We stood in awe watching this- for I knew what was going on since there had already been rioting in a number of mostly eastern American cities in the days after Dr. King's killing.


Even that wouldn't prepare me for later that night- when we sat on the roof of our East 61st Street home with BB guns and one .22-caliber rifle preparing to defend our home against an unknown horde- watching huge billows of smoke and orange flames rise in the spring night sky miles to the north from buildings set on fire by rioters.


Dramatic radio and TV reports from those areas fed the fear- the city was under curfew and people were locked behind their doors with window shades drawn.

I had feelings- on that warm- spring April night at age 15- of confusion with an uneasy undertone of uncertainty and desperation for my city and my country.


Five people would die (other media sources report "seven" dead) in the Kansas City riots over the next 2 days.



Dr. King had advocated "peaceful" change and here he was murdered- with the black population deprived of a thoughtful leader with a very small minority and mostly criminal portion of that population going wild.


It was as if the world as I knew it was coming to some frightening and unknown end and even if that didn't happen- things would surely never be the same.

And to this day- 43 years later in another century and with our first black president- many of the feelings and conditions that led to the anger and frustration of April 1968 STILL persists- not only among black people- but among ALL races in America suffering from economic degradation- segregation and the continuing loss of freedoms.


If Dr. King were still alive today- he would be addressing all of us suffering from those conditions- and Dr. King would continue to strive for a peaceful solution to save America from a violent conclusion.

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If The Insane Laughter Don't Kill You- The Spinning Will

I literally about fell out my chair reading this ASSOCIATED PRESS story via The KANSAS CITY STAR on how University of Missouri officials regard a tuition increase.

On the next episode of Bizzaro America: How Steep Tax Increases Will Make Americans Wealthier!

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The Oil Company Gouge is Underway

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Kearney MO Fire Responds to "Horse Stuck in Ice in a Farm Pond"

Talk about a cold run ahead- at 6:17 a.m.- firefighters from that northeastern Clay county city are responding to the call.

They're going to the 17400 block of Old BB Highway to help extricate the animal from the icy pond.



At 7:20 a.m.- a Kearney firefighter reports "the horse is out" of the pond- with no report on the animal's condition.

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Good Morning - Friday, January 14, 2011

Wow- a heat wave outside.

It seems like it- with temperatures 15 to 23 degrees warmer than at this time yesterday- +21 in Olathe- it was -4 at this time yesterday.

We'd make a run at 40-degrees today if not for the cloud cover- but as it we should approach  if not barely creep over the freezing mark today.

No major news overnight with only 2 school closings still.

I-70 will be messed up starting at 10 p.m. tonight at Blue Ridge Cutoff exit to the Truman Sports Complex- one lane in each direction.

Remember- Blue Ridge itself will be closed until the new bridge goes in by March.

Also- that 87th Street ramp from U.S. 69 in Overland Park opens this weekend- people can actually drive on DRIED concrete....

TGIF!

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Maybe Funkhouser- Hermann Could Try This Omaha Mayor's Tactic

A recall effort for current KC-MO Mayor Funkhouser failed- but a vote will be taken January 25 in Omaha to recall their mayor.


Lincoln NE blogger and former reporter for The LINCOLN JOURNAL-STAR Deena Winter reports that Omaha's Mayor Suttle faced a recall vote- and that homeless people were paid $5 apiece and bussed- apparently to register to vote- in Suttle's recall election.


Included in her post is a YouTube video of one such busload- and apparently one of the bussees wondering where their money was....

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The Dunns Dun Kansas City MO Taxpayers

Kansas City's politicians want you to continue the Earnings Tax- but continue to give welfare to corporations and the Metro's wealthy.


In the latest of the seemingly endless saga of  corporate bailouts on the backs of struggling taxpayers- The KANSAS CITY STAR announced today that the J.E. Dunn Contruction Company's new corporate headquarters that's caddy-corner from City Hall will need a taxpayer subsidy of "$200000" this year.

How The KC-MO Councilpeople Voted on the J.E. Dunn Project

But wait- there's more...

The Kevin Collison-written article states that this corporate welfare "will grow to $500,000 next year."






The City council and mayorial election is coming up in a couple of months to show your displeasure folks.

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American Home Repossessions To Top 1.2 Million This Year

If you thought that thing known as "The American Dream" of steady- well-paying employment and home ownership was dying- here's further proof:


In an ASSOCIATED PRESS story courtesy of The ST. LOUIS (MO) POST DISPATCH- it's reported that "more than one million" homes were repossessed in 2010.

However- the article states that number should be topped in 2011- with more than 1.2 million repossessions.

There will be NO "economic recovery" if fuel prices continue rising either.

Those rises are reflected in the cost of virtually every consumer item we buy.

The pollys with their continued tax and fee increases don't seem to get the fact that economic desperation fuels ordinary citizen desperation that manifests itself in many uncivil ways.


I guess those of us crowding in with more-fortunate family and friends- moving under bridges and into homeless camps SHOULD be a kinder and gentler people (HaHa) as the rich get richer (see earlier post on the wealthy's last Christmas' spending) while us poor get ... you know.

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A Visible Satellite Picture Look at Central States Snow Cover

Snow covers the ground over about the northern two-thirds of the American Central States of Kansas- Missouri- Iowa- Nebraska- Arkansas and Oklahoma- according to this visual weather satellite image taken early yesterday afternoon when cloud cover was at a minimum.


Snow is shown above the red line that I have drawn on the image- which you can click on for full size.


Forecasts call for a chance of more snow and/or mixed-type precipitation beginning Sunday and possibly continuing into next Tuesday over our area- and there looks to be no return to warmer weather (40-degrees or above) for any extended periods through the end of January.


Thus far- any snow/sleet/freezing precip amounts look light- but weather models are not in too much agreement this morning so the situation could change as we get closer and into the weekend so stay tuned....

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Kansas "Conservative Causes:" Would Return State to the 19th Century

While I'm hardly a liberal- I understand the need for some "social programs" in a capitalistic society in my self-styled role as a pragmatic Libertarian.


However- if some recently-elected (Republicrat) Kansas lawmakers could have their way- the State would resemble more 19th Century thinking without the benefit of a stern but kindly Marshal Matt Dillion- according to this story in The LAWRENCE (KS) JOURNAL-WORLD.


Among some of the proposed changes said to be in some document that was passed around the leaky Kansas statehouse are:

"• Kansas should change its judicial selection process to require legislative confirmation of judges or adopting election of judges statewide.



• Oppose using public revenues for abortion and funding organizations that advocate abortion rights.


• All state documents should be made only in English.


• E-Verify should be required by employers to check on the citizenship status of workers.


• Repeal the law granting in-state tuition to the children of illegal immigrants.


• Passage of Arizona-type immigration law.


• Adoption of law aimed at blocking federal health reform in Kansas.


• Repeal law setting up state-owned casinos..."




Maybe that leaky Statehouse roof will collapse on these birds and save us all.

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Tips For Survival Before and During A Mass-Shooting Incident

We have weather safety tips- fire safety tips- driving safety tips- etc.- now we have safety tips if you're in a mass-shooting incident like what occurred in Tucson Arizona last Saturday...


The MARSHALL (MO) DAILY NEWS passes along such shooting-safety tips from "James Simmerman, director of Creative Management Consultants and former Marshall Police Chief."


I won't post all the article's tips- but here's a few:

--Be aware of your environment and any possible dangers...
--Take note of the two nearest exits in any facility you visit...

--If you are in an office, stay there and secure the door...

--If you are in a hallway, get into a room and secure the door...

--As a last resort, attempt to take the active shooter down. When the shooter is at close range and you cannot flee, your chance of survival is much greater if you try to incapacitate him/her.


It won't be long before the TSA is patting us down everywhere and more freedoms are lost forever because of a few nut-cases...

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CSW BREAKING: "Major" Water Main Break Closes 39th Street in Independence MO

The Independence Fire Department is reporting at 7:12 a.m. that "39th Street is closed due to a major water main break between South Main and South Lynn."


This is between Crysler and Noland Roads on the south side of the Jackson County suburb- and it's unknown how long the roadway will be closed today.

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Shawnee House Where Firefighter Glaser Died A "Neighborhood Eyesore"

The Shawnee house that burned last May and killed Shawnee firefighter John Glaser must be fixed or torn down- according to the Shawnee City Council via this SHAWNEE (KS) DISPATCH story.


A partial tear-down was undertaken according to The DISPATCH story- and the house was boarded up after it was sold to someone else- but remains of the fire-gutted structure still stands nearly 8 months after the fire.

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Christmas 2010 Was Good ... For The Rich

Came across this story in the ST. JOSEPH NEWS-PRESS awhile ago- how America's wealthy- apparently giddy with their renewed tax breaks- got out their pocketbooks and went shopping this past Christmas.


I didn't read much of the story because of my PAST experiences with rich people in the late 1960's and early 1970's (ask me to tell those stories sometime).

Christmas was okay around here even though the corporation I work for didn't pay me after December 3rd until last week- but I wisely saved some back to give out a little something to everybody in my big and extended  family.


It wasn't from Tiffany's though....

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Good Morning - Thursday - January 13, 2011

It's calm but COLD outside.

Many of us are below zero right now- and my financial situation isn't much bettter...

But seriously folks- it's a balmy 5 degrees here in South KC-MO- but anywhere from zero to below around the MetroRegion this A.M..

Coldest at 5 a.m. was -8 at Lawrence- but it will be at LEAST 10 to 15 degrees warmer than this tomorrow morning as we struggle to reach to 20's.

Many schools are out for the 4th day in a row.

I don't really understand this- since the snow had ended by Tuesday morning.

Growing up in the Kosmic City- I don't EVER recall weather closing school for 4 days in a row- if it did- it was the Winter of 1960-61 when we had all kinds of snow- but not cold.

I remember in the later 1960's walking the mile or so from our East 61st Street house to Southeast High school in 6 to 12 inches of snowfall and temperatures around zero with the wind HOWLING.

Now we had it better than Dad and Mom- who had to walk 10 miles to school in 6-foot snowdrifts in their bare feet (heh) but come ON!

We bundled up like Eskimos and took it. What have we come to in 2011?

Reminds me of an email I got the other day- about how when WE were young our Moms smoke and drank- we rode around in cars without seatbelts and bikes without helmets- blah- blah- blah and we STILL lived to tell...

Nowadays we're more concerned about THE SAFETY of our kids- while their schools don't seem to teach them as well- get less funding and their very financial futures- freedoms and very well-being is clouded.


Okay- 'nuff said from a "Groucho" who didn't get enough sleep last night- so I'm off to reading Central States news and weather and I'll see you later... PEACE! 

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Kansas- Home of Leaky Capitol Roofs and Fred Phelps

The Kansas Statehouse in Topeka is under going a nearly half-billion dollar renovation.

That doesn't include replacing the building's leaky roof- according to the TOPEKA (KS) CAPITAL-JOURNAL.


You can blame both Republicrats and Demoblicans for that.


Fred Phelps' religious cult won't demonstrate in Arizona after all.

They're going to be on a nationally-syndicated radio show instead.


You can blame some talk show host named Mike Gallagher for that.


Well- at least some of us who vote for 3rd-party candidates and don't listen to people like Gallagher  can enjoy the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team....

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Good Morning Central States - Wednesday- January 12, 2011

Looks like clouds moved in overnight in the Metro- and it kept our temperatures from falling to zero or below.

Here's some area weather observations from around the MetroRegion and the Central States area:

...KANSAS CITY METROPOLITAN AREA...

CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS

K.C. INTL MOCLDY 2 -3 80 NW8 30.62R WCI -12

6HR MIN TEMP: 0; 6HR MAX TEMP: 3;

K.C. DOWNTOWN MOCLDY 3 -2 78 W5 30.67R WCI -6

6HR MIN TEMP: 3; 6HR MAX TEMP: 6;

LEES SUMMIT CLOUDY 4 0 83 NW15 30.62R WCI -14

6HR MIN TEMP: 1; 6HR MAX TEMP: 5;

OLATHE - IXD PTCLDY 1 -3 83 NW9 30.64R WCI -14

6HR MIN TEMP: 0; 6HR MAX TEMP: 4;

OLATHE - OJC PTCLDY 1 0 92 NW8 30.62R WCI -12

6HR MIN TEMP: 1; 6HR MAX TEMP: 5;

LAWRENCE CLOUDY 1 -5 75 W8 30.68R WCI -13

..NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MISSOURI...

CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS

ST. JOSEPH CLOUDY 2 -3 80 NW6 30.66S WCI -9

6HR MIN TEMP: 0; 6HR MAX TEMP: 4;

MARYVILLE CLOUDY 3 0 85 NW13 30.60R WCI -14

HARRISONVILLE FLURRIES 3 1 92 W5 30.66S WCI -6

WARRENSBURG FLURRIES 5 3 92 W8 30.63R WCI -8

WHITEMAN AFB CLOUDY 4 -1 79 W8 30.61R WCI -9

6HR MIN TEMP: 2; 6HR MAX TEMP: 5; 6HR PCP: TRACE;

CLINTON CLOUDY 5 0 78 CALM 30.64S

SEDALIA CLOUDY 5 -2 72 NW8 30.60R WCI -8

6HR MIN TEMP: 3; 6HR MAX TEMP: 7;

MARSHALL FLURRIES 9 3 78 W13 30.60S WCI -7

CHILLICOTHE N/A 6 0 76 NW8 30.61R WCI -7

6HR MIN TEMP: 5; 6HR MAX TEMP: 7;

MOBERLY FLURRIES 9 1 72 W12 30.54S WCI -6

KIRKSVILLE CLOUDY 7 3 84 W10 30.52R WCI -8

6HR MIN TEMP: 6; 6HR MAX TEMP: 8; 6HR PCP: 0.34;

...EASTERN AND SOUTHERN MISSOURI...

CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS

ST. LOUIS INTL FLURRIES 12 5 73 W20G29 30.50R WCI -6

6HR MIN TEMP: 12; 6HR MAX TEMP: 16; 6HR PCP: TRACE;

SPIRIT OF STL CLOUDY 11 4 73 W14G20 30.52R WCI -5

COLUMBIA CLOUDY 5 -1 76 NW10 30.56R WCI -10

JEFFERSON CITY CLOUDY 8 -1 66 W13 30.61R WCI -8

HANNIBAL FLURRIES 12 7 79 W9 30.52R WCI 0

ROLLA MOCLDY 3 -2 78 W12 30.51R WCI -13

LEBANON FLURRIES 5 -2 72 NW13G21 30.55R WCI -12

OSAGE BEACH CLOUDY N/A N/A N/A NW8 30.59S

SPRINGFIELD CLEAR 2 -3 80 NW10 30.57R WCI -14

BRANSON PTCLDY 7 0 72 NW12G17 30.57S WCI -9

NEVADA PTCLDY 3 -4 72 NW8 30.67R WCI -10

JOPLIN CLEAR 2 -4 76 NW6 30.66R WCI -9

WEST PLAINS CLEAR 5 -2 72 NW12G18 30.51S WCI -11

SIKESTON CLOUDY 16 7 67 W6 30.51R WCI 7

PIEDMONT MOCLDY 10 1 67 NW3 30.56R

MALDEN CLEAR 16 3 57 NW17 30.54R WCI 0

...KANSAS...SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND IOWA...

CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS

TOPEKA CLEAR 2 -6 69 W10 30.70R WCI -14

6HR MIN TEMP: 1; 6HR MAX TEMP: 5;

MANHATTAN CLEAR 0 -8 69 NW3 30.71R

EMPORIA PTCLDY -3 -9 75 NW7 30.68R WCI -16

CHANUTE CLEAR 1 -6 72 NW8 30.68R WCI -13

WICHITA PTCLDY 4 -4 69 NW14 30.71R WCI -14

OMAHA FLURRIES 3 -2 79 NW9 30.66S WCI -12

LINCOLN PTCLDY -2 -8 76 W5 30.68R WCI -12

FALLS CITY PTCLDY 0 -4 83 NW10 30.66R WCI -16

LAMONI MIX PCPN 2 -1 88 NW15 30.55S FOG WCI -17

DES MOINES LGT SNOW 7 3 85 NW16 30.56R FOG WCI -11

Expect a very slow warm-up the next couple of days until the next cold front moves in- but until we get rid of this 5 to 8-inch snow cover- any warm-ups will be greatly modified.

The good news is that no precipitation is expected until a slight chance later Saturday or Sunday.

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CSW BREAKING: Duplex Fire in Blue Springs MO

A fire in a western Blue Springs duplex has been "knocked down-"and there's no word of any injuries.

The alarm sounded at 3:46 p.m. Tuesday afternoon for four companies of the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District to respond to the fire in the 3100 block of Northwest Mill Drive.

A Blue Springs police officer who arrived at 3:48 p.m. reported "heavy smoke showing" from the duplex.

There is no additional information yet available....

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Dramatic Videos of Australian Flash Flood

 I saw scenes similar to this on September 12, 1977 near The Plaza- torrential rainfall that sent a virtual tsunami of water down Brush Creek.


In the videos here- the Queensland town of Toowoomba in Australia suffers a lethal flash flood as more than 6-inches of rain falls in 30 minutes upstream of the town.

At least 20 people have died with more than 70 missing as floods equal or exceed records set back in 1974- and threaten Australia's 3rd largest city- Brisbane.

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