Can Citizens Ticket Un-Seatbelted Cops?

This story in the KANSAS CITY (MO) STAR tells how a number of KC-MO cops that DO NOT wear their law-mandated seatbelts.

Can citizens:

A) Get their own tickets for not wearing a seatbelt overturned if the cop issuing the ticket wasn't belted either? and

B) Can we citizens issue cops tickets for said violation?


Another case of LEO "Don't do as we do- do as we say" as I see it....

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Male Pedestrian Critically-Injured in Far Southeastern Cass County MO

There's no update available regarding injuries to a man who was struck by a vehicle north of the small community of Dayton early Saturday morning.


The incident was reported at 12:40 a.m. Saturday morning "on F Highway north of Dayton" in far southeast Cass County MO..

Garden City Fire and EMS crews responded- and found "a (large) male in his late 30's-early 40's" had been struck by a vehicle in the 33700 block of F highway.

It's yet not known if the vehicle that struck the man stopped at the scene.


The patient was taken by GC-EMS to a waiting medical helicopter in Harrisonville- then flown to Research Med Center in Kansas City in critical condition.

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Central States News: Snow-Trapped Tulsa Residents Are Angry

One should never- EVER complain about street plowing in Metro Kansas City again- not after reading about how Tulsa OK's residents have fared this week.


That northeastern Oklahoma city got around 14-inches of snow and- according to most accounts- most of that was still on city streets- according to this story in The TULSA (OK) WORLD.

Thousands have been stuck in their homes- or wherever they got stranded at. 

Unbelievably- Tulsa public works crews didn't clear downtown streets for days- leaving hundreds to get stuck there.

Residential streets- for the most part- have been ignored by plow trucks- leaving those in their homes unable to get out either at all or very far if they did try.

More snow is predicted in Tulsa in the coming week too....

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Bad Public Relations is Part of Walmart's Decline

First- read this Associated Press story about how smaller retailers are slowly but surely chopping into MegaCorporation Walmart's bottom line.

Yet- nothing in the AP story addresses Walmart's biggest negative: bad public relations.


You have the story of Heather Ravenstein- a Wichita KS Walmart employee who was fired for attempting to stop a shoplifter.


Then you get the amazing story of an elderly man from Raymore MO-Glenn Stevens- who was accused of a series of thefts from Walmarts that Mr. Stevens had never visited.


Both stories drew outrage both regionally and nationally- and cost Walmart customers like moi who didn't like the way that MegaCorporation runs slipshod over America's citizens.

It's stuff like that- the bad public relations of firing employees trying to do right by their employer and accusing plus having jailed innocent people like Glenn Stevens- that's going to bring on Walmart's slow but sure demise.

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CSW BREAKING: House Fire Closes Blue Ridge in Southeastern KC-MO

The fire is in a 1-story house between the 7900 and 8000 blocks of Blue Ridge Cutoff/Extention on the Raytown-KC-MO border.

Smoke was spotted coming from a house at 7945 Blue Ridge by a passing Raytown police officer just after 12:45 p.m. Friday afternoon.


Fire crews from KC and Raytown fire departments are using at least 2 handlines on the fire- and nobody has been found on an initial search of the home's interior.

Blue Ridge is closed by a fire department water supply line to a hydrant across the street- and the major roadway will remained closed between 7900 and James A. Reed for at least 20 more minutes as the fire was reported under control at 1:03 p.m..

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CSW BREAKING: Fatality "Train Vs. Truck" Crash in Douglas County KS

The incident was reported northwest of Lawrence- at "North 1950 Road and approximately East 925 Road-" where around  12:10 p.m. Friday afternoon- a train had struck a pickup truck on the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe (BNSF) mainline tracks there.

At 12:30 p.m.- reportedly an occupant (driver?) of the truck was dead at the scene when emergency services arrived.


The wreckage of the pickup truck was "scattered quite a ways down the track" a FD crew reported.

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The Danger of Snow-Covered Fire Hydrants

I'm sure many people don't give these silent life-savers much thought- but is the fire hydrant (plug) near YOUR house or apartment clear of snow?




Notice in these two images- that large cap in the middle-lower part of the hydrant is the place where the firefighters hook-in the big supply lines to the pumper or engine.

If this port or either of the other 2 2-1/2-inch line ports are blocked- firefighters have to take valuable firefight and/or rescue time to uncover them.




So PLEASE- do yourself and maybe your neighbors a service- and clean an area around any fire hydrants and to the street in front of it.

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No- These Photos Are NOT Minneapolis

Rather- these images are hot off the press from WFAA in Dallas TX- where snow fell ovenight and continues to fall on this Friday morning.

Several inches are reported around the MetroPlex- while freezing rain- drizzle and sleet fell overnight as far south as the Texas Gulf coast at Rockport and Aransas Pass.






More wintery precipitation can be expected in the Central States next week- along with another Arctic airmass.

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Cool Winter Pix of the Day to The Salina Journal

I first found this earlier this morning at the SALINA (KS) JOURNAL Webpage- but now the photo isn't on the site's front page anymore so I can't properly credit the photographer.

I love this photo tho- it had me peeking back for further looks.

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Huge Overland Park KS Church Faces Foreclosure

If I were to attend a church- it surely wouldn't have some monster-number congregation nor would it have a big- fancy building.

Big fancy buildings cost lots of money- and that isn't my "Great Spirit's" way of doing business...


I'm sure many in the huge congregation of the First Family Church of Overland Park could sort-of see that parable with big church buildings- since an Alabama bank is about to foreclose on that's church's glitzy property and structures at 143rd Street and U.S. 69.


That $13-14 million could buy a LOT of relief for the economically downtrodden in our society- which is what I ALWAYS thought God wanted people to do with money like that.

I guess my religion is a little naive....

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CSW BREAKING: House Fire in Holt MO Area

This time- Kearney firefighters are assisting Holt on a house fire west of that city in extreme southern Clinton county MO..


The alarm sounded at 7:24 a.m. for the fire- believed to be started by a defective fireplace or wood-burning stove flue in a residence in the 7900 block of Southeast Little Acres Lane.

A working fire was declared when the first fire crew arrived at 7:33 a.m..


There was reportedly no one inside the house- as the occupant reported the fire then left the structure.

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Water Main Break Floods South KC-MO Intersection

KC-MO Police are reporting that "the intersection of 85th Street and Prospect is flooded due to a water main break."


The break itself is further north on Prospect- said to be in "the 8100 block-"  and a large volume of water is running down Prospect into the 85th Street intersection.

Several vehicles have reportedly been stuck in the high water- which will rapidly turn to ice in these single-digit temperatures.

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Fires- Falls and Floods Keep Metro Fire Departments Busy

Temperatures that have stayed below 20-degrees for more than 48 hours along with the blizzard- 8 to 14-inches of snow- have been keeping area fire departments hopping.


Currently- Holt firefighters are assisting Kearney MO firefighters battle a house fire in Kearney that was reported at 2:15 p.m. this afternoon.

Said to have started due to defective electrical- the fire has heavily-damaged a lived-in house in the 1100 block of Martin Circle.

No injuries reported and the Red Cross was called for the unknown number of people that live there.


Of course the 4-alarm fire at the elementary school in Olathe KS around 6 this morning that was declared under control nearly an hour after fire crews first arrived..

Fire investigators are still trying to determine a cause in the blaze- POSSIBLY the result of a break-in.


KC-MO fire crews spent more than an hour extricating a man who had fallen off a ladder in a confined space in the World War I Museum at the Liberty Memorial.

Fire crews got the call at 11:32 a.m.- and didn't get the man removed until 12:38 p.m..

The patient's injuries were not life-threatening.


KC-MO crews also had to deal with a water main break at Truman Road and Walnut Thursday morning.

About a dozen businesses lost water and/or water pressure while the main was shutoff and is now being repaired.


Other minor house fires were reported in Overland Park KS- Raytown- KC and Grain Valley MO today.


There have been slightly more than the usual volume of medical calls area-wide as well.

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Layoffs at The Kansas City STAR Didn't Go Far Enough

It seems every time there's a layoff at The STAR- the corporate news-sheet always misses the deadest weight.



For months it seems- STAR editorialist dead-weight Yael T. Abouhalkah has been droning ON and ON about how lousy Mayor Funkhouser is.

I'll be damn if he's in this morning's paper still bitching about Funk.


Funkhouser is the man The STAR supported last mayorial election.


CSW urged Abouhalkah to run for mayor himself a couple of months ago- since the man seems to know JUST what kind of new mayor Kansas City needs.


So The STAR should urge Yael T. Abouhalkah to run for mayor himself- or AT LEAST- give the man a leave of absence until AFTER the election and give their readers a break....

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Central States News: 3 Dead After Truck Plunges Off Turnpike into River in Northeastern Oklahoma

The crash happened about 6:30 a.m. Thursday morning- when an extended-cab pickup truck- reportedly carrying up to 8 people- crashed off a bridge on I-44 near Miami and plunged 30-40 feet into the Spring River below.

(Photos are screen captures of KOTV-6 News helicopter images)

The Interstate- which is the Will Rogers Turnpike- was closed while rescuers braving near-zero temperatures managed to pull 5 people from the icy waters and load them onto waiting medical helicopters.

Three persons in the truck could not be saved- stated the TULSA (OK) WORLD.



The Will Rogers Turnpike/I-44- reopened to traffic about 10 a.m..

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Four-Alarm Fire in Olathe KS Elementary School

At 650 a.m. Thusday morning- a 4th-alarm has been sounded for the fire at the Green Springs Elementary school at 14675 South Alden in Olathe.


Fire crews from as far away as Lenexa and Overland Park are battling the fire which has been going for about the last 40 minutes.

As of 7:11 a.m.- the fire has been declared under control.

No injuries have been reported- and the school was closed along with other Olathe schools today due to weather.

A statement by the Olathe School District on this fire- the cleanup and re-start of school can be found here.

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CSW WEATHER: Metro Kansas City Will Experience Near or Record Low Temperatures Thursday Morning

The record low for Thursday at K.C.I. Airport- the "official" NWS weather observation station since 1972- is -12-degrees below-zero- set just 15 years ago that date in 1996.


Metro Kansas City will see temperatures at or near that record tomorrow morning.


Thankfully- there'll be very little wind to make matters worse.



As a small consolation- parts of deep South Texas and the Texas as well as Louisiana-Mississippi and Alabama Gulf coast areas could see an ice and/or snowstorm beginning later Thursday.

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CSW BREAKING: "Major" Gas Line Rupture in Ruskin Heights Area of KC-MO

This is at 107th Street and Blue Ridge in South KC-MO where an underground "major gas line" has ruptured- spewing debris and natural gas into the air

This is reported to be a 36-inch pipeline.

There has NOT been any explosion or fire as of 4:00 p.m.

 The rupture itself occurred about 1:50 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

Blue Ridge and 107th Street are being closed.

Homes and businesses within a 2-block area of the gas main rupture are evacuated.

At 2:19 p.m.- Missouri Gas Energy was arriving on the scene- but it is believed this is POSSIBLY a pipeline that is operated by Williams Pipeline Co...

Note that this is the SAME gas main that ruptured in this area in the mid-1990's. 

That rupture was about 3 blocks west of the current break- and that rupture resulted in a large fire about 15 minute after the main broke.

More as received.....

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How Did Feb. 1, 2011 Kansas City Blizzard Stack-Up Historically?

With yesterday's snow "officially" measured at K.C. I. Airport at 8.9-inches- it wasn't even in the Top 10 biggest snows in 24 hours.



The Top 10 Kansas City 24-Hour Snowfalls are:


No. 1     - 1912  March 23     - 20.5-inches
No. 2     - 1930  January 8      - 12.8-inches
No. 3T   - 1900  February 27   - 11.8-inches
No. 3T   - 1962  January 18    - 11.8-inches
No. 5T   - 1993  February 25   - 10.5-inches

No. 5T   - 1958  January 25    - 10.5-inches

No. 7     - 1915  March 4        - 10.4-inches
No. 8     - 1962  January 5      - 10.1-inches
No. 9     - 1987  December 14 - 9.7-inches
No. 10T - 1918  December 24 - 9.5-inches
No. 10T - 1912  February 25   - 9.5-inches

Here in south Kansas City about 25 miles southeast of K.C.I.- we received an average of 10-inches- but no idea where that would stand historically for a snowfall in THIS area.
 
 
 
Needless to say- it was deep and inconvenient and we're ready for Meteorological Spring on March 1.....

 

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The Blizzard of February 1, 2011 Winds Toward An End

For the past hour- rates of snowfall have decreased across Metro Kansas City- west to east.

However- strong north winds that will shift more westerly will blow the 8 to 16-inch snowfall around as well that that does fall over the next few hours.

Travel by commercial air from Kansas City is impossible- as well as travel on Interstate and major U.S. highways across the State of Missouri.

In addition- travel is difficult if not near-impossible at times on the Kansas Turnpike- I-35 and Metro Kansas side Interstates.






Snow will continue east and southeast of Kansas City through midnight- ending from west to east overnight..

Blowing snow will continue through daylight Wednesday morning- with temperatures falling into the single-digits and wind chills way below zero.

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CSW BREAKING: Major Interstates in Metro Kansas City Closing Due To Blizzard

At 3:55 p.m.- the Missouri State Patrol was announcing "the shutdown of I-70 from Oak Grove inbound to Kansas City."

This will be done as patrol and other police units can clear and close the Interstate progressively closer exits.


I-70 has already been closed east of Kansas City to St. Louis.


There are currently multi-vehicle crashes on I-70- particularily west of Noland in Independence.


In addition- Riverside MO announces "southbound I-635 is closed at Horizons."

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Kansas City Area Residents Asked To Report Only Injury Crashes - Park Off The Streets Due To Blizzard

In KC-MO- police are NOT responding to non-injury crashes now and probably for the next 12-18 hours.



All Emergency Snow Ordinances and Snow Route parking restrictions and travel are in effect.

Even in neighborhoods- try to refrain from street parking so plow crews can get through Wednesday morning.

There's been car crashes- truck crashes-jack-knifes- lots of vehicles "slide-off" of the roads everywhere in the Metro.

I-70 was "closed westbound" in Leavenworth county KS at 1:48 p.m.

 

I-70 is also closed east of Kansas City MO. and travel to Columbia - St. Louis is not possible.

An apartment fire injured a person at the Westbrooke Apartments near 75th Street and Flint just after 1 p.m..

Other more minor structure fires have been reported in KC & Liberty MO..

Some EMS units are already getting stuck in the snow running calls in south KC-MO..

All other emergency responses by police- fire & EMS units will be greatly slowed until the storm winds down Wednesday morning.



Trash pickups in KC-MO for Wednesday will also be delayed a day- Channel 2.

More as it comes in.....

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CSW WEATHER Storm Update 03: Snow Piles Up in Southeastern KC-MO - Video and Images

As of 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon- there more than a half-foot of snow on the ground- sidewalks- streets- etc..


Moderately-heavy- fine snow was falling- and blowing as north winds gust to 27 m.p.h. at this hour.


Driving through the 'hood a little over and hour ago was slick enough- even as plow crews worked the major roadways in the Loma Vista and other areas of south KC-MO..



Snow will continue- heavy at times over the afternoon through dark- then tapering off around midnight.

North winds will gust into the 40 mph range through Wednesday morning with temperatures falling to the single digits- producing wind chill temperatures of less than 25 below zero.


The winds will also blow and drift the new-fallen snowcover of 8 (northwest) to 16-inches (east-south) that will have fallen across the Metro.


East-west roadways (I-70-470-435- K-10 & U.S. 50) will remain dangerous for travel through midday Wednesday.


There have been reports of tractor-trailer trucks jack-knifed on U.S. 71 near Peculiar- and on I-35 in Clinton county MO..

All roadways are becoming snowpacked and dangerous at any speeds above 25 mph..

Snowfalls of 24-inches up to 3-feet are possible in the Truman Lake & Lake of The Ozarks areas- inside a Warrensburg- Marshall- Columbia-  Rolla- Springfield- Nevada back to Wburg MO area.

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CSW Breaking News Correction: NO Fatalities in Urich MO-area House Fire

Good news- Urich MO authorities have confirmed that there were NO FATALITIES in the house fire this morning.


Originally it was believed that there may have been a family in the home on West 6th Street that was "fully-involved" when fire crews arrived before 6 a.m. this morning.

However- it was later determined that family had "stayed in (Urich) last night because of the (snow) storm."

The home was destroyed by the fire.

Anyway- some good news on this horrible-weather day....

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