CSW Weather: NWS' National Weather Outlook For March 2011

Here are the 30-Day weather outlook graphics for March from the National Weather Service.

Temperatures across the Central States will be about average- except for about the southwestern 2/3 of Kansas and most of Arkansas and Oklahoma where chances for above-average temperatures are possible next month.

Precipitation will be average except in the following areas:  a small area of above-average precip is possible in east-central and southeastern Missouri into extreme northeastern Arkansas- with chances for slightly below-average precipitation possible over parts of Nebraska- Kansas- Oklahoma and extreme southern Arkansas.



An average month temperature and precipitation-wise is predicted over Metro and MetroRegion Kansas City in March.

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CSW BREAKING: Fatality Crash in Grandview MO

A male has reportedly died after his vehicle crashed and burned in Grandview Saturday morning.

The call was first dispatched to Grandview police and fire units at 5:10 a.m.- on a reported "vehicle fully-involved in fire and on it's top in front of the Western Sizzler" restaurant at "12300 Blue Ridge."

At the time of dispatch it wasn't known if the vehicle was occupied- but when the first police officer arrived minutes later- it was confirmed there was indeed a person still inside the "fully-involved" in flames overturned car.

That occupant was declared dead at the scene.

Grandview police later identified the deceased occupant as 23-year-old Marcus J. Taylor of Kansas City.

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MetroRegion K.C. News: Boxer Tommy Morrison Arrested For Pot Near Emporia KS

The EMPORIA (KS) GAZETTE reports that a man named Tommy Morrision who identified himself as "a boxer" and apparently not the warehouse kind was reportedly stopped and arrested by the Kansas Highway Patrol on the Kansas Turnpike Thursday night 4 miles north of the Emporia exit.


The trooper reportedly "saw 8 grams of (deadly) marijuana" in the vehicle the man- who identified himself as "42-year-old Tommy Morrison of Wichita-" was driving.

Mr. Morrision was taken to the Lyon County Jail for this heinous crime- where he bonded out Friday afternoon.

The GAZETTE had no reason why the KHP stopped Morrision in the first place.


Among Tommy Morrison's accomplishments- he starred with actor Sylvester Stallone in the 1990 motion picture "Rocky V."

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Republicrats Threaten To Return America Back To The Early 20th Century

Republicrats are the party of Lincoln- a man who would be turning in his grave to see what the early 21st Century version is up to lately...


Washington Republicrats have blocked the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating so-called 'greenhouse gasses.'

This will open to way for more coal-fired power plants (like the one Kansas Republicrats approved near Holcomb) that spew mercury into our atmosphere and produce acid rain.

Wisconsin Republicrats would cripple the rights of public employee unions- and literally thousands of that state's citizens have taken to the streets and the state capitol in Madison to protest.

Speaking of Kansas Republicrats- rather that dedicate themselves full-tilt to the state's budget crisis- their spending they're time trying again to regulate women's bodies regarding abortions.


As a 'Social Libertarian' independent- I truly believe what my Grandpa Spaulding said and it's being backed-up by their actions: Republicrats are for Big-business (Bush-era Wall Street bailouts) and are anti-labor- the Party of WASPs.

They don't give a DAMN about middle or lower-income Americans.

God save us all!

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Central States News: Iowa Male Refused To Wrestle Female in State Tournament

Wrestling with a girl is just about every post-pubescent male's dream- but when it came to a state-sanctioned match- an Iowa young man refused.


According to the DES MOINES (IA) REGISTER- Marion Iowa's Joel Northrup "defaulted" or refused to take part in a match against one of two teen females who made that state's wrestling finals.

The opponent was Cassy Herkelman from Cedar Falls.

Miss Herkelman won that round- but was later defeated in another round by another male wrestler.


Mr. Northrup also ended up losing again later in a "consolation" match.

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Woman Shot in Independence MO Domestic Disturbance Has Died

A man shot his wife- then abducted the couple's 20-month-old child in southwestern Independence late Thursday night.

The woman who was shot has died from her wounds- according to CSW reporting partner KSHB Action News.

The male suspect reportedly turned himself in with the infant- who was unharmed- at the KC-MO Police's East Patrol station at 27th Street and Van Brunt shortly after 1 a.m. this morning.

Police charges against the suspect will likely be upgraded to homicide.

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In Case You Wondered What Happened To Those Jamie Lee Curtis Yogurt Commercials...

If you watch the Boob Tube at all- you may recall the recent commercials for Dannon's "Activa" yogurt that featured actress Jamie Lee Curtis.

You'll notice too that- for the most part- those commercials have vanished from the airwaves.


Well- the reason behind that was that Dannon Inc.'s claim that the yogurt Activa helped loosen your bowels and such was pretty much an unfounded one- according to the Federal Trade Commission via this story in the GRAND ISLAND (NE) INDEPENDENT.

The INDEPENDENT's story mainly concerned a cash settlement the State of Nebraska and 38 other states got from Dannon Inc. regarding the claims made about Activia.

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Except for Sylvester "Sly" James- KC-MO Mayorial Candidates Engage in Same-Old Personal Attacks

Although the tactic- personally attacking your political opponent rather than address how you would handle issues- seems to work with American voters.


At a public forum last evening that featured the six KC-MO mayorial candidates (Charlie Wheeler's dropped out)- it appeared two former city politicians Burke and Rowland- vying to be Kansas City MO's  next Corporate Santa Claus (Mayor)- were attacking candidate and current Mayor Mark Funkhouser rather than use the forum to state how those two candidates will address city problems and issues.

The ONLY candidates seemingly above that political mud-slinging was Sylvester "Sly" James- an attorney and one of CSW's soon-to-be-endorsed mayorial candidate (the other will be Henry Klein) .

According to The KANSAS CITY (MO) STAR story on the forum- Mr. James said- regarding personal attacks- “It’s irrelevant and it doesn’t get us anywhere.”
 


“This election isn’t about anyone sitting up here, this election is about our city-” Sly James stated.

Mr Klein also added constructive thoughts regarding HIS campaign for mayor- stating "the city must find innovative ways to expand its capacity to serve citizens, such as connecting volunteers to organizations that attack city problems" according to The STAR's story.




Mayorial candidate Deb Herman apparently didn't have anything of real substance to say except kumbaya platitudes in The STAR's story.

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Southwestern KC-MO Water Boil Order Lifted

The water-boil order that was issued by the KC-MO Water Department on Wednesday for those areas of the city generally west of the Big Blue River and south of 120th Street has been lifted- meaning tapwater is now safe for human consumption.


The order came after the rupture of a 16-inch water main earlier Wednesday near the Federal complex on Bannister Road east of Troost.

A Thursday story in the KANSAS CITY (MO) STAR reported that the number of water main breaks so far in the Winter of 2010-11 have "skyrocketed" over the same period during the Winter of 2009-10.

The STAR says the Water department has experienced "467" breaks from the period of Nov. 1- 2010 to the present- compared with "270" main breaks from Nov. 1 2009 to the end of February 2010- a "73% increase."

There are still 10 days to go in this year's reporting period.

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KC-MO Mayorial Candidates Herman- Rowland and Burke Were Involved in Taxpayer Subsidies For Failed Northland Development

Before you squander your vote next Tuesday on a career politician who wants to be Kansas City MO's next mayor- read the story at this link about how those 3 mayorial candidates- Deb Herman- Jim Rowland and Mike Burke- were behind taxpayer-provided corporate welfare that we're presently paying for a failed real estate development in the Northland.


In case you want to Google more information- the original name of the development- Prospect North- was changed to "Renaissance North."


Fellow citizens- PLEASE don't put this city back in the hands of the corporate beholden next Tuesday! 

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New High Temperature Record For This Date in Kansas City

As you can see by the accompanying graphic- the 2 p.m. temperature reading of 73 at K.C.I. Airport has exceeded the record high for this date of 72 set in 1970.




There's still a few more hours of daylight- so it's yet to be seen just how much more today's new record for February 17 will be- but suffice it to say that MOST of us are chez-happy about it!

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MetroRegion K.C. News: Emporia KS Commissioners Go Doggedly Forth on Stone Entrance Monoliths

It has been an interesting and enlightening discussion that has carried on for about the past month in Emporia- regarding a plan by that city's politicians to buy and install 4 large stone monoliths ("monuments") at entrances to that Lyon county town.


Today the EMPORIA (KS) GAZETTE reports that regardless of the probably 80% public opposition to the expenditure- the city commissioners were going ahead with the rather curious project.

The ONLY change regarding the plan was how the commission was going to pay for the monoliths- which amounts to instead of robbing Peter to pay Paul- they'll take from Paul to pay Peter


Of the dozens of times I've passed but never stopped in Emporia but next time in that area I may actually stop...

At the city limits of the city to photograph the monsterous and unneccesary boondogles for photo morgue examples of Politicians Gone Wild with taxpayer-provided funds.

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CSW BREAKING: House Fire- No Injuries in Southern KC-KS

A fire in a 1-story residence in southern Kansas City KS was declared "out" at 1:50 p.m..

The fire alarm sounded for 5 KCKFD companies at 1:26 p.m. this warm and windy Thursday afternoon for a house fire in the 2100 block of South 48th Terrace.

EMS Unit-18 arrived at 1:30 p.m. and reported smoke and flames coming from the side of the structure- with all occupants already outside.


It took about 20 minutes to douse the fire- with no cause or damage estimate yet available.

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Tellling It Like It Is: "Why Isn't Wall Street In Jail?"

For almost 5 years I have tried- through this blog- to wake up my fellow Americans to the utter illogical and criminal shenanigans going on from the local to national levels.


While I try to say it my way- there are others who can tell these stories much better than I.


Take a few minutes when you can and log into this 'must-read' story that's in an upcoming issue of ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE titled "Why Isn't Wall Street In Jail?"



Then- try to have a nice day anyway.... 

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KC-MO Infrastructure FAIL: Boil Order Issued for Southwestern Part of City

If you live in Kansas City MO west of the Blue River and south of 120th Street- BOIL YOUR DRINKING WATER according to the KC-MO Water Department.


Another water main failure near Bannister and State Line Road has caused concern that the drinking water that comes out of faucets in those areas may not be safe for human consumption.


Please remember this latest episode when voting for incumbents- or past KC-MO politicians in next Tuesday's KC-MO primary election!

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South Kansas City MO Voters Need To Retire John Sharp

If you need to know my reasoning on this- just drive down Chuck Eddy (Hillcrest) Road between 87th Street and Bannister (95th Street) where the former retail area around the hole-in-the-ground formerly known as Bannister Mall used to be.


Try to avoid the mess at 87th Street where it meets I-435- a fustercluck maze of narrow- potholed traffic lanes that seems to take forever to get finished on a street project that SHOULD have been completed 30 years ago.

Then take a drive down Blue Ridge south from 87th Street or Bannister toward the Grandview city limits- taking in the deteriorating neighborhoods on either side.

Check out the huge amount of money that goes to corporate interests in this city that were approved in the form of TIFs and other taxpayer-provided subsidies- most if not all approved on John Sharp's (or Chuck Eddy's) watch.

 

Then and ONLY then- if you STILL want to vote for John Sharp (or for that matter ANY City Clowncil incumbent)- hold your nose and grab your ankles as you bend over for another few years of Dying Kansas City.

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A Welcomingly-Warm Central States Weather Map at 4 P.M.

The air temperatures are in red to the upper left of each weather station plot- green numbers below those are dew points.

Note the middle-80's in the Texas Panhandle!

This warmer air will be moving toward the Kansas City MetroRegion tomorrow and although we won't reach the mid-80's- we'll be close to if not breaking our record high temperature of 72.

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KC-MO City Plan Commission Shoots Down Polsinelli-Shughart Plaza Building - For Now

By a 3 to 2 vote - the KC-MO City Plan Commission  said no to a proposed building on the Country Club Plaza for a local law firm.


The Polsinelli Shughart group had planned a new- 8-story headquarters at the northeast corner of 47th Street and Broadway in the historic retail area.

Intense opposition to that plan caused the law firm to make several changes in the original plan that included dropping the height of the proposed building to seven stories and retaining the facade of an original Plaza building that was to be razed for the new construction.

According to The KANSAS CITY (MO) STAR- Polsinelli Shughart hopes to have the Plan Commission's recomendation overturned by a City Council motion introduced by a yet-unknown councilperson.


That piece of potential political suicide will probably be held-off until after the city elections in March.

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New Lead on The Whereabouts of Missing Belton Teen Kara Kopetsky

Based on a tip said to have been received about a week ago- law enforcement officers from Belton- KC-MO and the FBI searched a wooded area near the intersection of 89th Street and Elm Avenue in southeastern KC-MO for possible remains of a Belton teen who went missing in 2007.


Kara Kopetsky was last seen May 7- 2007 at the Belton High school- and there has been no trace of the young woman since.

Police believe Miss Kopetsky was abducted- but have few leads and no suspect(s).

Belton police Sgt. Brad Swanson told CSW and other Kansas City news media in a brief interview that the Elm Avenue search that began around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning has been "temporarily suspended" for now- due to remaining snow cover.

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CSW BREAKING: Working Structure Fire in Warrensburg MO

An "all-call" for off-duty firefighters has been ordered due to a working structure fire in west Warrensburg MO..

The initial alarm sounded at 3:30 p.m. for a reported "apartment building" on fire in the 400 block of West Market Street.

Fire dispatch told responding units that "smoke and flames were coming from the roof" of the structure- and that report was confirmed by a first-arriving FD unit several minutes later.



There were no reports of any injuries at this scene.

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CSW BREAKING: Serious Injury Crash Involving KCFD in South KC-MO

Around 1:45 p.m.- a crash has occurred "just east of (Fire Station) 42's" on Red Bridge Road- approximately the 6000 block East.

KC-MO Fire department pumper company- "Pumper 1-" was filling-in for Pumper 42 and had just responded on another emergency medical call when Pumper 1 reported the crash.



Three ambulances were requested- as well as KCP&L and "extrication" for a firefighter and occupants of the crashed vehicles.


Pumper 1 apparently crashed nearly head-on with another vehicle- then the fire truck took out a power pole and crashed into a tree.


UPDATE- 2:15 CST:  EMS has transported "a 46-year-old male" firefighter- "the driver" of Pumper 1-  with "a partially amputated" leg in serious condition to a hospital from the scene of this crash.

The crash involved a vehicle that crashed into the front of Pumper 1 and there was "a female" and a child who was in the vehicle that crashed into the fire truck.

That female was apparently not severely injured- and was to be transported to another medical facility.

A "3-year-old female" child was also in the woman's vehicle- "seated behind" the driver.

Although a paramedic reports that child's injuries to be minor- she was being transported to a hospital "as a precaution."


Pumper 1 was damaged to such an extent that a "reserve" truck is needed to replace Pumper 1's apparatus.

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February Blizzard Revisted: Some Time-Lapse Videos Courtesy of The COLUMBIA (MO) MISSOURIAN

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Walmart Fires 4 in Utah Over Armed Shoplifter- Another For Being Gallant

Since The Glenn Stevens Saga- I haven't stepped foot in a Walmart or Sam's Club store for more than 3 months- and here's another story that makes me feel better and better about that decision...


Via a Web site called "The Consumerist-" 4 Utah Walmart employees were fired because one of them knocked a gun from a detained shoplifter.

According to Salt Lake City's DESERET NEWS- the incident happened January 13- 2011 at a Walmart store in suburban Layton Utah- I'll let YOU read the DESERET's story on the incident.

Even though only one employee actually took on the armed gunman- all 4 employees in proximity of the incident were fired- with WallyWorld's corporate minions citing Walmart's insidous Rule "AP09."

( I guess the other 3 should have tackled the employee who was disarming the gunman!)

 These weren't the only people let go in Utah Walmart store violence in January. 

That very DESERET story tells of ANOTHER incident- this in a Cedar Hills Walmart store on November's "Black Friday."

"James Dallin, an assistant manager with 10 years of experience ... was fired Jan. 4 after separating a worker from an angry husband...." 

Here's what The DESERET story says about that incident:

"Dallin said Thursday he was violently shoved from behind. Then, he said the husband went after his wife — Dallin's co-worker.


"Flung her, right away, verbally started abusing her," Dallin said.

The man grabbed the woman hard by the arm and berated her as he escorted her down an aisle. Minutes later, the man still had a firm grip on his co-worker's arm and was continuing to verbally abuse her when Dallin said he pushed the man into a shelf and told him to leave, then escorted him out of the store.

The man complained, and six weeks later, Dallin was fired for violating Walmart's policy on "workplace violence.""




I know there are some readers here who will totally rationalize Walmart's actions in these and other incidents- citing Walmarts Rule AP09.

That's fine- there is no need for you to comment here regarding this or any other Rule AP09 story.

But here's what you CAN do: Next time you are shopping at the MegaConglomerate- thank THEM for your being able to shop at  and support Walmart- largest seller of Chinese goods in America- and pray to GOD you're not accosted by a thug at one of their stores. 
You MIGHT hope that one of Walmart's employees at least calls the police for you. 

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Central States News: St. Louis Police Chase Costs Life- Taxpayers $700K

A police pursuit of a burglar resulted in a crash and the death of a civilian 4 years ago in St. Louis.


The burglar- who was apprehended after the crash- is doing prison time.

The cops involved in the chase got reprimands- a suspension and refresher courses on pursuits.


The widow of the man who was killed in the pursuit has her memories- and $700000 in cash from the police department involved and the State of Missouri- according to the ST. LOUIS (MO) POST DISPATCH story.

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