CSW BREAKING: Fatality Crash in KC-MO Northland

At 3:18 a.m. Saturday morning- KC-MO's emergency service responded to a 1-vehicle rollover crash on northbound U.S. 169 south of Missouri (M) 152 highway.

Upon arrival- a fire company found a van that was off the road and had rolled over.

Crews located the van's driver who was unresponsive and was believed to have been ejected from the van during the crash.

That person was declared dead-on-the-scene by EMS.


The deceased person was later identified by KC-MO police as  51-year-old Bruce Bechthold.



Police searched and located a short distance north of the van's crash a 2nd vehicle who had reported rear-ended the van on U.S. 169 and drove off.

Police didn't locate that vehicle's driver- but traced license to a Gladstone address where a person was later arrested.


Northbound U.S. 169 was closed by police at Barry Road for several hours Saturday morning while the crash scene was investigated. 

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CSW BREAKING WEATHER: Severe Thunderstorm Warning Until 3:45 a.m. For Douglas County KS

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CSW BREAKING: Aircraft Emergency Declared at K.C.I. Airport

At 12:36 p.m. Friday afternoon- an inbound aircraft to K.C.I. declared an emergency- and 5 KC-MO structural fire companies along with the 3 units at the K.C.I. crire & resue station were dispatched.

The plane was reported to be "a MD-80 with 141" people ("souls-on-board') on the aircraft which was suffering "low hydraulic pressure."

The name of the plane's airline wasn't given.



The passenger jet reportedly landed safety at 12:50 p.m. and was being followed to a terminal gate..

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KSHB and KCTV Will Be Sharing A News-Gathering Helicopter

Recent rumors that KSHB-41 and KCTV-5 news departments sharing a news helicopter have been confirmed by anonymous sources.


Both stations until recently had their own helicopters that were leased from a news helicopter company.

Effective immediately- both stations will be sharing images from a single- jointly-leased chopper.


Let's hope reported technical issues are worked out come the middle of next week when severe weather is expected in our MetroRegion....

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CSW Weather: Severe Storm- Tornado Chances in Metro K.C. Middle of Next Week

You should pay CLOSE attention to weather information beginning next Tuesday and Wednesday...


The morning's (Friday) NWS-SPC "Convective Outlook" for the 4 to 8-day span has Metro Kansas City in a possible area for severe thunderstorms- including the mention of tornadoes- next Wednesday beginning at 7 a.m. through the following Thusday morning at the same time.

In fact- the outlook that day puts an area from extreme southeastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa clear to the Big Bend area of Texas on the Mexican border under an increasing risk for severe weather.

In the nearer term- severe storms are possible Sunday in parts of western Nebraska- and from southern Kansas- western Oklahoma into the northwestern portions of north Texas and that threat moves slightly north and east on Monday.


We're hoping that the upcoming severe weather is nothing like the recent "Super-Duper" tornado outbreak in the southern/sountheastern states- but we won't know exactly how extensive the risk will be until we get closer to the middle of next week.

Please stay informed on this coming severe storm risk next week!

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Independence MO's Corporate Welfare Costs 16 City Workers' Jobs

The City of Independence's zeal to get corporate retail entities into their city has cost that Jackson County city millions of dollars and now- the jobs of 16 city employees.


The KANSAS CITY STAR reports (I never did see any such story in Independence's corporate/tax increase-cheerleading rag The EXAMINER) that a shortfall in revenues at a Bass Pro Shops-anchored retail area on the southwestern intersection of Interstates 70 and 470 required the city to pay $3.5 million recently to avoid defaulting on the bonds the city backed to build the retail development.

Another $4.1 million will probably also be needed for other payments in the near future.

The STAR's story mentioned that representatives from the retail center's development group- "Crackerneck Creek LLC-" could not be reached for comment.


No doubt they were out playing golf- an extended vacation in a tropical resort- or laughing in their BMW's while enroute to their banks....


CSW offers our condolences to the 16 City of Independence employees who won't be laughing at all in the foreseeable future...

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KCTV-5 Investigative Report Set To Expose KC-MO EMS Screw-Up

CSW news sources say that during the 10 p.m. Thursday night newscast on KCTV-5- an investigative report said to be hosted by reporter Dana Wright is going to uncover a KC-MO Fire department EMS screw-up.


The fire department successfully fought to take over the ambulance/paramedic EMS service from M.A.S.T. last year- but continue to come under criticism for ambulance response times and lack of resolving M.A.S.T. employee pension issues.

The screw up? 


It's said a EMS crew transported a patient to a Kansas City hospital that had been dead for up to 45 minutes while under that crew's supposive "care."


We wait with great interest Ms. Wright's investigative report.


In case like I you had to go to bed before the 10 o'clock news Thursday night- The KANSAS CITY STAR covers this story too (The STAR is "news partners" with KCTV-5 BTW).

It read to me like somebody on that EMS crew screwed-up BIG time....

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CSW Weather: Line of Showers- A Few Thunderstorms- Approaches Metro Kansas City

No severe weather expected- just some moderate to locally heavy rains as this line moves southeast toward The Metro in the next 2-3 hours.

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Central States News: Flooding Closes Westbound and Soon Also Eastbound I-40 Between Little Rock and Memphis

From my favorite Little Rock AR TV station- KTHV:

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NWS' Storm Prediction Center: Severe Storms Possible in Central States Next Week

Daily- the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center (NWS-SPC) issues "convective outlooks" for severe storms that cover Days 1 through 3- as well as an extended outlook for Days 4 through 8.

These outlooks well-covered and forecasted the Super-Duper Tornado Outbreak of April 27.


At any rate- the Day 4 through 8 outlook issued early this Thursday morning mentions the possibility of severe storms in week of May 8 through 14 (see/click on accompanying graphic)- specifically Days 4 through 6 for parts of Kansas- Oklahoma and Texas.

In addition- more rain is also due in that time period for rain-soaked and flood areas of southerastern Missouri and Arkansas.


CSW will keep you well-informed in the days to come on this developing situation....

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Attention America's Greedy- Tax-Subsidized Oil Companies: Barrel Oil Drops BELOW $100

As of 1:51 p.m. Thursday afternoon May 5- 2011- the price of a barrel of oil as reported by CNBC was at $99.18.


That's a drop in price of more than $13 in four days- and Americans EXPECT a damn drop in fuel prices (yesterday) VERY- VERY quickly!

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Close-Up Video of Tornado That Struck Phil Campbell Alabama on April 27

A person at the Phil Campbell AL Police station recorded the April 27th tornado as it approached the northwestern Alabama town- as well as during and after the killer F-5 twister.

Thanks to www.49countynews.net for the video!

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Central States News: Nebraska Teen Killed in Head-on Crash With Her Sister

Seventeen-year-old Gabby Matthes was said to be on her way to sing at her high school's Spring Concert in Adams Nebraska Monday evening.

Adams is about 20 miles south of Lincoln.

Ms. Matthes was a talented artist and singer- slated to graduate in weeks at Freeman High school according to the story in the BEATRICE (NE) SUN.


Gabby was eastbound in her 2008 Pontiac G6 on Birch Road- not far from her parent's house- about 6:30 p.m. Monday and cresting a hill when she met- head-on- a 2003 Chevy pickup truck.


The Chevy was being driven by Gabby's 15-year-old sister Megan.

The crash of the 2 vehicles pinned Gabby in her Pontiac with mortal injuries- as she was freed from the wreckage by a rescue squad and flown to a Lincoln hospital by a medical helicopter.


Megan and a friend who was riding with her- 16-year-old Katlyn Beu of Adams- were also flown to a Lincoln hospital with lesser life-threatening injuries. 


CSW offers our condolences to the Matthes family- Gabby's friend- and prayers for Megan and her friend Katlyn for a complete recovery.

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NWS: Preliminary Tornado Total For April 27th Stands at 312

On April 3rd and 4th in 1974- 148 tornadoes blasted across 13 states from Illinois to North Carolina- Alabama to Ohio.

Numbers vary by a few- but 330 people lost their lives in what was called "The Super Outbreak" that year- 19 years before the Internet started in 1993.

Weather radars of that era were still modified World War 2 machines- weather satellites still fairly rudimentary and radio and TV stations received weather watches and warnings on teletype machines.

Thirty-seven years later- another outbreak- I guess we can call it "The Super-Duper Tornado Outbreak of 2011- struck only 7 states- but so far the numbers are staggering.

Even with super computers a fraction the size of the room-filling IBMs of 1974- highly-advanced Doppler weather radars and computer programs that interpret their information and high-speed Internet-distributed watches and warnings- more than 340 people died.

More incredibly- the National Weather Service (NWS) says that at last count- 312 tornadoes occurred in the 24-hour period of April 27.

Never mind many of the tornado-producing storms moved at freeway speeds- 50 to 70 m.p.h.- the storms were forecasted- watched and warned WELL in advance.

TV stations broadcast live images of many of the twisters from their remote robotic cameras.

Ben Franklin once said "Some people are weatherwise- but most are otherwise."

Ben would have slowly shook his wise head on April 27- 2011.

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Central States News: Satanic "Church" Group Don't Show Up For Their Own Announced Protest in Branson

Although counter-protesters reportedly showed up numbering "several hundred" as reported by Branson's TRI-LAKES NEWS- the member of the so-called religious group from Topeka never did.

That group had reportedly scheduled themselves to protest at a Charlie Daniels concert held last Thursday- as prior reported here at CSW- but the group never made it "because of a packed schedule-" according to a group member Steve (Spiritually-Brain) Drain.

See- God DOES work in mysterious ways...

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Less Water- Higher Floods on The Mississippi

As man has tried to control the flow and direction of one of Planet Earth's great rivers- each generation brings new and higher floods.


Take a few hours and read this story that was published in THE NEW YORKER magazine in 1987 and authored by John McPhee titled "The Control of Nature- ATCHAFALAYA."

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CSW BREAKING: Mississippi River Levee Blown at Birds Point

Just after 10 p.m. this Monday night- the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has blown-up a section of levee along the flood-swollen Mississippi River at Birds Point in Missouri.



The blast was reportedly heard by persons as far away as Paducah KY- according to reports into KFVS-TV12 in Cape Girardeau MO.



A new flood crest forecast for Cairo IL of 63 feet on Wednesday- just 1 foot below the top of that city's floodwall- along with continued heavy rains in the area prompted the Cops decision to blow the Missouri-side levee in an attempt to lower the record flood crest on the nearby Ohio River.

Still- latest river forecasts on the Mississippi show record or near-record flood crests are expected at several points from the confluence with the Ohio southward.

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KC-MO Fire Battalion Chief Involved in Crash on The Way To A House Fire

The fire was reported on "the outside" of a house in the 8800 block of Lane in southeastern KC-MO at 8:34 a.m..

Five companies- along with Battalion Chief 107 (Car-107) responded.

At around 8:38 a.m.- Car 107 was behind Truck 11 eastbound on 87th Street approaching the intersection with James A. Reed Road.

Truck 11 made it through the intersection- but then a maroon car entered the intersection after Truck 11 went through and was struck in the passenger side by Car-107.

A dark-colored SUV- facing northbound on J.A. Reed and waiting at the light was hit as Car-107 and the maroon car ended up in the west parking lot of the Bannister Veterinary Clinic on the southeast corner of the intersection.

Extrication was required on the driver of the maroon car- reported by witnesses as "a black male."

His condition was not known.

FD-EMS transported a "60-year-old female" who was in the dark-colored SUV to Research Med Center in non life-threatening condition.

The chief's aide who was driving Car 107 and the chief suffered minor injuries- but refused transport to a hospital.


The house fire turned out to be fairly minor on Lane- the flames outside finding their way into the garage area said a fire department spokesperson.

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DING DONG- BIN LADEN'S DEAD

The President Obama haters can say what they want- but the man did what Bush couldn't/didn't do after September 11- 2001 until he left office in January 2009!


Now- let's bring this "war" to an end and GET THE HELL OUT OF AFGHANISTAN and keep the billions/trillions spent on it AT HOME!!!

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CSW BREAKING: Drowning Reported in Hillsdale Lake in Miami County KS

A person reportedly drowned in Hillsdale Lake just after 1 a.m. Sunday morning.

There are no further details yet on the incident that was reported near the Maryville boat ramp on the east side of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir near 247th Street and Orleans Road.

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