CSW WEATHER: NWS-SPC- "Watch Possible" For Metro- MetroRegion Kansas City

Thunderstorms continue over south-central Kansas from west of Emporia to near the Hutchinson area.


There have even been a few severe thunderstorm warnings on this activity over the past hour.

The Storm Prediction Center- in a "mesoscale discussion'" states that a (severe storm) "watch is possible" over eastern-northeastern KS and northern MO during the next few hours as this activity continues to move and develop into our area.

Any watch will be posted here at CSW when and if it's issued...

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Central States News: Flood Releases Damages North Dakota Dam on Missouri River

We saw how the release of flood water from dams on the Kansas River damaged the spillways on Tuttle Creek and Milford reservoirs in 1993.

The damage at Milford was so great at Milford that it raised concern with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) about the possible integrity of the dam itself I recall.

Today- the USACE is carefully watching the Garrison dam above Bismarck ND...

According to this story from the BISMARCK TRIBUNE- release of water through the Garrison spillway from the swollen Lake Sakakawea has caused a "pothole" in the dam's concrete spillway.

The Corps shut the spillway gates- then re-opened them "slowly" to observe if the releases would further damage the spillway.

The TRIBUNE says that the USACE has a contractor "standing by" to make emergency repairs to the spillway if needed. 

Current forecasts call for the Missouri River to reach a flood stage of 40-feet in Kansas City later this month.


Flood stage here is 32 feet- and the record stage- set in 1993- is nearly 49 feet.

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CSW Weather: "Slight" Chance of Severe Storms Later Today in Northern Kansas City MetroRegion

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman Oklahoma forecasts a "slight risk" of severe thunderstorms across portions of the Central States later today.


The severe storms are possible over portions of Iowa and Nebraska- and that part of the Kansas City MetroRegion generally along and north of U.S. 36 highway- including Metro St. Joseph.

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible over the rest of Kansas and Missouri except the southern parts of those states through 7 a.m. CDT Sunday morning.

On Sunday- that severe storm risk area moves further east into Iowa and Missouri.

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CSW will post any severe weather watches affecting the Kansas City MetroRegion.

CSW BREAKING: Blue Springs Duplex Heavily-Damaged in Saturday Morning Fire

Fire has heavily-damaged at least one side of a duplex in Blue Springs early Saturday morning.


Four companies of the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District were called-out at 3:18 a.m. on the report that smoke was in one side of the unit in the 500 block of Northwest 3rd Street.

Police arrived minutes later and reported a fire in the back of the structure- and when CJC units arrived- they asked for an addition engine company and EMS unit to respond to the fire.

It took at least 45 minutes to completely extinguish the flames- but no one was reported injured.

The cause of the fire was under investigation as of this report.

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CSW BREAKING: Possible Homicide in South-Midtown KC-MO

Around 4:15 a.m. Saturday morning- KC-MO Metro zone police officers were sent to investigate a disturbance at a residence in the 1500 block of East 51st Street.

Once officers arrived- they found a deceased person inside the house and called for homicide detectives as well as KC-MO FD-EMS to "confirm" the death."

There were as yet no other details on how the victim died or any suspect info as of this post.

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CSW BREAKING: Fire Damages The Sam's Club Store in Grandview MO

A fire occurred early Saturday morning at the Sam's Club discount warehouse store in Grandview at 12420 South U.S. 71 highway.

One of the GFD stations- No. 2- is only several hundred feet southwest of the business.


The alarm was sounded at 12:48 a.m. for all 3 of Grandview's fire stations and when a GPD officer arrived there 3 minutes later- he reported fire coming "through the roof" of the large building.

Six companies of the KC-MO Fire department also responded beginning at 12:54 a.m..

The fire was reportedly electrical in nature- with the seat of the fire apparently above the sprinklers in the ceiling of the northeast part of the building near the tire and camera departments of the Sam's Club.

While the damage from the fire itself didn't appear to be major- smoke spread throughout the store and there was at least some water damage as well. 

The incident was under control as of 1:45 a.m. with no reported injuries.  

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The Jackson County Health Department was requested as there is a grocery/food section in the south and southwest portion of the building that was affected by smoke- and it was unknown if the business would be open at it's regular time later this Saturday morning.

Deana Martin Performs At Zona Rosa's Festa Italiana Saturday Evening

While many young people in the mid-1960's were groovin' on rock 'n roll bands like the Beatles- your Captain was groovin' on Dean Martin.


Heck- I even won a radio station Dean Martin sound-alike contest as a teenager and many young ladies of the era thought Dino was cool- so I was "in" with them.


Sadly- Dean died on Christmas Day in 1995- but rest assured that I have a comprehensive collection of his songs on my computer.

So tonight at 8:30 p.m. in KC-MO's Zona Rosa shopping district northwest of the I-29- Barry Road intersection- Deana Martin- the youngest child of Dean's first marriage to Betty McDonald- will perform her father's songs in a tribute to that great entertainer.

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R.I.P. James Arness - May 26, 1923- June 3, 2011

For 20 years- 1955 to 1975- James- Jim Arness- was in our living rooms as the larger-than-life fictional marshal of Dodge City Kansas- Matt Dillon.


Mr. Arness passed away in his Los Angeles area home early today at the age of 88 years.

Born James Aurness in Minneapolis- his brother was actor Peter Graves.

Peter Graves passed away last year.

Jim's series "Gunsmoke" is the longest-running TV drama series- and was a mainstay for the CBS television network- and one of my all-time favorite TV shows.

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Updates on Missouri River Flooding in Metro Omaha

The rising Missouri River is affecting everything from outdoor activities to travel in and around Metro Omaha.


Clicking on this link will take you to an OMAHA WORLD-HERALD story updating what is affected by flooding in their area.


The affected includes AMTRAK trains going though Omaha- those passengers will be bussed a short distance around tracks closed due to temporary levee construction.


Fortunately one of my annual favorites- the College World Series that's set to open in Omaha's new ballpark in the next few weeks- won't be affected by the rising waters...

According to Omaha officials anyway.

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After Joplin Tornado- Freeman Hospital Took The Lead

There's a very upbeat story in Friday morning's SPRINGFIELD (MO) NEWS-LEADER about how Joplin's other major hospital- Freeman- stepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam after the devastating EF-5 tornado.



Probably resembling a MASH unit after a major battle- hundreds of injured poured into Freeman after the tornado- many arriving in private vehicles that became impromptu ambulances.

The SNL story says about 300 Freeman employees suffered damage from the twister- but many of them who could not drive themselves to Freeman after the storm hitched rides and even walked to the facility- knowing that all-hands would be needed.


CSW gives a salute AND a BIG thumbs-up to the staff at Freeman West Hospital in Joplin MO for their dedication and compassion after that city's worst disaster in history.


Bless all of you- and I hope their story shall be a inspiration not only for hospital staffs- but people everywhere after a major disaster strikes.

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Hundreds Evacuated in Manhattan KS Due To Flash Flooding

If you look at the accompanying graphic of Doppler radar-indicated precipitation from the Topeka NWS radar site- the rainfall late Wednesday into early this morning didn't look that impressive.


Nevertheless- "about 200" persons have had to be evacuated from around Wildcat Creek in southwestern Manhattan due to flooding this morning- according to this story from the TOPEKA (KS) CAPITAL-JOURNAL.


Scattered thunderstorms are possible today and Friday over much of Kansas- but no severe weather is currently forecasted according to the NWS' Storm Prediction Center.

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New Tobacco Product "Could Pose A Danger To Children"

Never mind that budget cuts in education and other areas that directly affect middle and lower-income families "could pose a danger to children."


It's a new product known as "tobacco sticks" that gets the attention of a write-up in the WICHITA (KS) EAGLE that sounds such an alarm for the youth in Kansas.

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Central States News: Oklahoma Man Electrocuted Trying To Steal Copper

The TULSA (OK) WORLD reports that an 18-year-old Cushing man was electrocuted in Drumwright while trying to steal copper from an electrical transformer.


The transformer was reportedly behind a chain-link fence with a posted high voltage sign.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS: Independence MO Cops Shoot Fake Alligator

It wasn't reported in the ASSOCIATED PRESS story via the ST. LOUIS (MO) POST-DISPATCH Website the exact location where the incident occurred- regardless the IPD reportedly shot a fake alligator in an Independence pond last Sunday.


Two rifle shots reportedly ricocheted off the concrete "lawn ornament" before police discovered the alligator was a fake.


Nowhere on the INDEPENDENCE-BLUE SPRINGS-GRAIN VALLEY EXAMINER Website could this story be found- but then I report LOTS of news in Indy that never makes their Website.

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K.C. MetroRegion News: Developer Wants Taxpayer-Provided Welfare For Planned Chain Restaurant in Lawrence

Imagine for a moment you paid too much for a piece of land in a commercially-zoned area and- in order to make the land financially viable for a business to build there- you need a tax break.


You don't HAVE to imagine though- for such is the case of a pending scenario in Lawrence KS..

According to the LAWRENCE (KS) JOURNAL-WORLD- developer MD Management The new Corporate America... shaft the taxpayers AND your employees.
of Mission KS wants a property tax break to provide a building for an Olive Garden restaurant at 27th Street and Iowa.


The restaurant- according to the LJW story- would "provide 75 full and part-time" (minimum or near-minimum wage) jobs and likely cannibalize customers from other Lawrence restaurants that don't get ANY tax breaks.

CSW WEATHER: Tornado Watch No. 415 Keeps Expanding Eastward in Kansas

Tornado Watch No. 415- originally issued for parts of western and southern Nebraska (NE) and north-central and central Kansas (KS) until midnight- has been expanded eastward into parts of east-central and northeastern KS..


The watch now includes cities such as Manhattan and Emporia (see- click on graphic).


Thunderstorms- several severe- continue over much of the eastern 2/3 of the state at this hour- generally along and north of U.S. 56 highway.

One severe thunderstorm warning is still in effect for a small part of southern Leavenworth county KS..

Storm movements have varied in both speed and direction- but have mostly showed a general eastward movement.


It does not now appear that the watch would be extended as far east as the Topeka- Emporia or Ottawa areas- but I'll stay up a bit longer and monitor the situation.

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CSW Weather: Doppler Weather Radar Update

There are currently no severe weather warnings within 40 miles of Downtown KC-MO.

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Tornado- High Winds- Strike Springfield MA

There are "many" trees down and reports of structures damaged in Springfield Massachusetts after an apparent tornado touched down in the past hour.


The tornado reportedly struck that western Mass city around 3:45 p.m. CDT or 4:45 p.m. EDT Springfield time.

The region was under a NWS tornado watch and storm warnings were also in effect.

Areas hit include western and downtown Springfield- a screen cap from a remote TV camera atop a downtown building showed debris swirling in the air and an apparent condensation funnel that passed over a downtown river bridge.



There are as yet no reports of injuries- and the structure damage seen on live Springfield TV broadcasts indicate an EF-0 or EF-1 tornado thus far.




Here is a link for a live broadcast from WGGB-TV in Springfield.

At 5:12 p.m. CDT- yet another tornado warning has been issued for Metro Springfield MA and at 5:14 p.m. CDT- another tornado is reported "on the ground" in Metro Springfield.



At 6:19 p.m. CDT- WWLP-22 TV is reporting "1" person dead "in Westfield MA-" a western suburb of Springfield- from this storm.

WWLP was also reporting that one Springfield hospital "was treating 22 people" injured in the tornado.

Other medical facilities also reported injured- but the exact number wasn't known as of 8:45 p.m. CDT.


As of 8 p.m. CDT- a total of 4 dead are reported from the tornadoes in western Massachusetts- according to The (Springfield) REPUBLICAN.


Governor Deval Patrick says he was made aware of 4 confirmed deaths- "Two in Westfield, one in Brimfield and one in West Springfield" stated THE REPUBLICAN story.

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Joplin MO Tornado List of Deceased as of May 31

The list of dead from the May 22 EF-5 Joplin Tornado continues to fluctuate- now confirmed at 123.


The Missouri Department of Public Safety says there are slightly more than 140 human remains still to be identified- and some of those may be from the same person(s).


UPDATE - 6:45 p.m.- The Associated Press is now reporting that 134 people have died in Joplin and environs as well as "everyone missing has now been accounted for" according to MO DPS officials.


The JOPLIN GLOBE has published a list of help resources for tornado victims HERE.

The updated fatality list as follows from the MO DPS (click on images for full size):

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CSW Weather: Thunderstorms Possible in MetroRegion Later Today

A short line of showers and thunderstorms (tstms) continues generally west of an Emporia to near Washington KS- just soth of the Nebraska border.


While the line is moving generally northeastward- further development in and around Emporia could get into Metro Kansas City later this Wednesday afternoon.

There was a severe tstm warning issued about 90 minutes ago for a storm in the northern part of the line in north central KS- but the Storm Prediction Center is not forecasting any severe storms in our area (a "slight risk" in western KS only).

So- showers with a few thunderstorms- some with locally heavy rain and dangerous cloud to ground lightning- are quite possible in the Kansas City MetroRegion- especially the western and northern portions (Topeka- Lawrence-St. Joe areas)- several hours from now (after 3 p.m.).

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Republicrat-Run House of (Mis) Representatives Would Cut NWS Budget By One-Third

With this year of 2011 not even half over- more Americans have died just from tornadoes since even before my father was born in the late 1920's.


Incredibly- the House of (Mis-) Representatives with the Republicrat majority- want to slash the National Weather Service's budget by thirty (30%) percent.

See this story from CNBC published earlier this year.

Your Captain urges all his readers to say no to this travesty- but to say HELL NO!

Here's a Facebook page you can log onto to help support those hard-working forecasters- technicians and other employees of this government service that ACTUALLY helps protect Americans' lives and property.


In fact- it's my thinking that these idiot Congresspeople should take an IMMEDIATE thirty (30%) percent pay cut- and start co-paying into their OWN insurance and cut 75% (seventy-five percent) of their office perks.


As much disdain as I hold for both political parties- Republicrats are among the biggest hypocrites that walk the face of the Earth.

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CSW BREAKING: Possible Fatality After Man Hit by 18-Wheeler in Cooper County MO

This incident is in central Missouri about 7 miles southeast of Boonville- near the small community of Clarks Fork...


At 9:15 a.m.- Cooper county emergency services dispatched on a "pedestrian struck by an 18-wheeler on Highway 87" near Y highway- or in the 11500 block of Highway 87.

Cooper county sheriff reported from the scene that the pedestrian was an about "60-year-old male" and he was trapped "under the rear axle" of the truck that stuck him.

At 9:26 a.m.- the patient was reported "unresponsive and not breathing" when a fire-EMS crew arrived.


A medical helicopter that had been enroute from a Columbia hospital was cancelled by a unit on the scene at 9:36 a.m.- indicating the victim was possibly deceased.

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Capt. Spaulding's World Turns 5

Today is the 5th anniversary of this news/weather/info/rant blog.


I want to personally thank each and every one of you who have helped make CSW Metro Kansas City's 873rd (grin) most-popular blog.

Shown here is the first-ever post from May 31 2006.



May the Great Spirit see you- and me- through another year.

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MetroRegion Kansas City News: St. Joseph Newspaper Impartial (NOT) To Proposed Tax Increase

Never mind that (corporate) news media is SUPPOSED to just report the news fairly and impartially.

Never mind that St. Joseph voters ALREADY spoke- via their ballots- on the subject at hand...


In today's ST. JOSEPH NEWS-PRESS- a story(?) appears regarding St. Joe's pollys wanting to re-visit a vote on a tax increase that was already rejected by that northwestern Missouri city's voters that would increase the motel/hotel tax..


The story itself reads little more than a cheerleading piece- but I'll let YOU read it and be the judge.

At least the SJNP allowed public comments.... 

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The KANSAS CITY STAR Doesn't Believe in Free Speech

Virtually every day- I read dozens of Central States newspaper Websites to find stories that might be of some interest to you readers.


Many of those Websites allow for comments/discussions of the stories found there- and those that do almost always allow readers to post their comments on EVERY story.
 

Except one- The KANSAS CITY STAR.

On The STAR's Website- you may or may not be allowed to post a comment on a story- which in all fairness is their right since they own/operate the site.

I MIGHT be able to understand not allowing comments on stories involving dead people- but a recent story reporting the head of The STAR- Mark Zieman- taking a corporate position with the owner of the newspaper didn't allow anyone to post their opinion.

Maybe the few staffers left at The STAR were afraid of what many of their readers might say about the departing Zieman and what The STAR itself had become during his tenure.

Although I don't actually own this CSW site- I operate it- and I allow comments on every article that is posted.

Although I WILL delete or dis-allow comments that are obviously spam- I trust people commenting on posts that even regard dead people will be mature and sensible- for to me the notion of free speech rules here.

But even if not- I'm not nor do I try to be Mr. Censorship.

To be fair- I even envision that free speech is important to The KANSAS CITY STAR too- but it seems so ONLY when it suits them.


So if you're ever confronted by a STAR staffer wanting a comment on something- feel free to do as they do- comment or simply tell them the comments are closed on your story.

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Local Bloggers Go To Joplin To Counter Satanists

Satanists? you ask...

Well yeah- tis what I and hundreds of thousands of others consider than band of inbreds from Topeka (no need to mention their actual names now is there?).

Local blogger Hip Suburban White Guy and friend made a trip to tornado-devastated Joplin MO over the Memorial Day weekend to participate in the "Heartland Peace Rally."

Those Satanists were also scheduled to attend the rally- but for whatever reason (I like the ones HSWG posted)- the Satanists never showed up.

Regardless- the Hipster (my tag for HSWG) posted some good damage photos if- like me- you're never tired of seeing what the incredible power an EF-5 tornado can do to an American city.

Oh- GOD BLESS all the folks that made it to Joplin to counter-protest the Satanists!

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Omaha Installs Their Floodgates on The Rising Missouri River

Record releases on the series of Pick-Sloan dams on the upper Missouri River have caused officials in Omaha NE to install the floodgates downtown.



The Missouri reached flood stage Sunday at Omaha- and is forecasted to rise another 5 to 6 feet- just based on dam releases- in June.

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