Dead- Injured and Possible Missing in Atchison KS Grain Elevator Explosion

At least 1 person is dead- 2 others injured and an unknown number of "others unaccounted for" after a grain elevator exploded in a fireball early in the 7 o'clock hour Saturday night.


Atchison is on the Missouri River about 40 miles northwest of Downtown KC-MO.

KSHB-41 NBC ACTION NEWS reports that the explosion at the Bartlett Grain Company elevator at 320 Riverfront in Atchison was witnessed and felt by people up to 3 miles away.

One woman told KSHB that she saw a red glow- then a "mushroom cloud" followed by "a loud explosion.

Fire department mutual-aid was sent to Atchison from as far away as Johnson County KS..

A KC-KS fire department specialized fire team was also sent to the explosion scene.

As of 9 p.m. Saturday night- KSHB says an Atchison County sheriff's deputy has confirmed one fatality.


Two others with serious to critical injuries were flown by medical helicopters to the University of Kansas Medical Center in KC-KS..




In addition- KSHB reports that officials "believe everyone is out of the structure but not everyone has been accounted for."




An area within at least one-half mile of the elevator has been closed for fear of a 2nd explosion.


UPDATE:   As of 3 a.m. Sunday morning- Atchison officials were reporting "3 dead and 3 missing" in the grain elevator blast.

It wasn't known if the 2 other fatalities were the injured that had been flown to K.U. Med Center.


Also- fire units from the cities of Leavenworth and KC-KS had returned to their home stations as of 3:30 a.m..

CSW BREAKING: Child Hurt By Hit and Run Driver in KC-MO

KC-MO fire department EMS reports "a 9-year-old male" was hurt when he was struck by a hit & run driver in the 500 block of Park Saturday afternoon.


The incident was dispatched by KC-MO emergency services at 4:22 p.m..


There was no suspect vehicle information immediately forthcoming from police on the scene.


The boy suffered a fractured ankle and some of his teeth were knocked out by the impact- his condition was not life-threatening.

Sobriety- Other Illegal Acts Checkpoints This Weekend in KC-MO and Mission KS

Going out to drink this weekend?  You'd better get a designated driver...


The KC-MO and Mission KS police departments have announced sobriety- and examination of other possible crimes- checkpoints in those 2 Metro cities this weekend- October 28-30th.


The exact locations were NOT publicized- but your fellow citizens regularily report the DUI checkpoint locations on Twitter by subscribing to @kccheckpoint .


Be safe- be considerate of your fellow citizens- and ask for a search warrant before letting police search your vehicle! 

Update on Missing Baby Lisa Irwin - October 28 2011

It has been 24 days since 10-month-old Lisa Irwin disappeared from her KC-MO Northland home- and there have been no significant developments.





As of this post- there have been no arrests and the child has not been found.

Police wanted to interview Lisa Irwin's 2 adolescent brothers- but that was postponed by a family attorney.




Speaking of the attorney sideshow- the local lawyer was said to "be fired" by the family's other attorney from New York.

Whirlpool Appliance Corporation Cuts 5000 Jobs

If you believe that America's "recession (depression)" ended in 2009- then I guess you await the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus like a small child...

It has been announced- in this story from The ASSOCIATED PRESS via The WICHITA (KS) EAGLE- that the Whirlpool Corporation- maker of kitchen appliances also sold under the names of Maytag and KitchenAid- will be cutting 5000 jobs in North America and Europe.

It's said the cuts are due to "soft demand" for Whirlpool's products as well as "higher cost for materials" to build those products.


Just yesterday (Thursday)- it was announced here at CSW and other news media outlets that the Whirlpool plant in Fort Smith Arkansas was closing in mid-2012.

About 1000 jobs were reportedly lost in the Fort Smith closing.

CSW Salutes Retiring Shawnee KS Fire Chief Jeff Hudson

The fire chief for the City of Shawnee- Jeff Hudson- recently announced his retirement from the Shawnee Fire department.


Chief Hudson started as a Shawnee volunteer firefighter in 1975- then became the 4th paid firefighter on that force in 1980.

Mr. Hudson was named fire chief in 2001.

The SHAWNEE (KS) DISPATCH has a good story on Fire Chief Hudson- who will be replaced by an interim chief John Mattox.

CSW wishes all the best to Chief Hudson and his wife Maggie!

MetroRegion Kansas City NEWS: Ex-Firefighter Sues The City of Topeka for $1.3-Million

A former deputy fire chief- Kathy Petty- is suing the City of Topeka KS for $1.3-million.


Ms. Petty alleges "sexual discrimination and retaliatory conduct" in her dismissal as deputy chief- done under the guise of city budget cutting in February 2010- according to the story from The TOPEKA (KS) CAPITAL-JOURNAL.

CSW BREAKING: Shooting- Possible Police Stand-off With Suspect East of Downtown KC-MO

At 8:40 a.m. Friday morning- KC-MO emergency services responded to a reported shooting in the 1600 block of East Ella Fitzgerald Lane- in the area of the now-gone Wayne Minor housing project.


About 5 minutes later- police on the scene reported a man had been shot- and that the possibly armed male suspect- reportedly "naked-" was last seen inside an apartment at or near the shooting's location.

EMS transported "a 55-year-old male" who had been shot 4 times in serious to critical condition to a KC-MO hospital.


As of this post- tactical officers with the KC-MO Police department are surrounding the location where that suspect is believed to be holed-up- this incident known as an "Operation-100."


As of 11:45 a.m.- the Operation-100 was still being conducted by KC-MO police.

CSW BREAKING: Armed Robbery of Cleaners in KC-MO Plaza Area

At 8:29 a.m. Friday morning- officers assigned to the Metro Zone police patrol division responded to a reported "armed robbery of the Pride Cleaners at 300 East 51st Street-" just east of the intersection with Brookside Boulevard.

Witnesses told police the "suspect was a black male- about 30-years-of-age" who left on foot in an unknown direction.


It was not stated what the suspect took from the business- but no one was hurt.

Central States NEWS: Whirlpool Appliance Plant in Fort Smith AR To Close

The Fort Smith Arkansas Whirlpool Corporation facility opened as a Norge Appliances Co. plant in 1962- becoming a Whirlpool plant in 1966.

As late as 2006- 4600 people had jobs at the plant.

At the end of 2010- the number of employees had fallen to 1120.

As reported today by The FORT SMITH (AR) TIMES-RECORD- the Whirlpool plant will be closing in mid-2012.


Production of some product lines made at the Fort Smith plant will be moved to other plants in Iowa and Ohio as well as a plant in Mexico.


No word if any of the 1120 or so unemployed plant employees will be offered jobs at the Iowa- Ohio ... or Mexico plants.

CSW BREAKING: Vehicle Crashes Into KC-MO Northland Taco Bell

At 6:18 p.m. Wednesday evening- KC-MO emergency services began responding to 2825 Northeast Vivion Road on the report that a vehicle had crashed into a building there.

That building reportedly is a Taco Bell fast-food restaurant.

There was no report of any injuries to the vehicle's occupants or Taco Bell patrons/employees.

Central States News: Missouri Food Plant Gives In to Muslim Workers' Religious Demands

The SPRINGFIELD (MO) NEWS-LEADER has a story today about a food plant in Noel MO who made some sort of arrangement with some of it's workers regarding prayer time during work hours.


The Tyson plant saw 130 employees- Muslims and many of those Somalis- walk off the job last Friday because the plant didn't give them their "required" five daily prayer-times.

Help me out dear reader- 'cause I see something Nasty in Noel here...

I get hired by someone to do a specific job(s) for a specific time and so I know going in to that new job what hours and days I'll be working- say on Sundays.

Only later- AFTER I get hired- I decide I want the Sabbath and other times I deem religious off.


In the America I USED to know and love- I think with that demand I'd be looking for ANOTHER job- but then logic and common sense has been thrown out- baby- bathwater and all....

Surprise! Corporate Welfare Wanted For Proposed Liberty MO Apartment Complex

Very little- if anything- gets built in America anymore without the developer first getting some sort of tax break- i.e.- corporate welfare.


So goes the story from The LIBERTY (MO) TRIBUNE- that developer "MACO Development Company" will build a 48-unit apartment complex for the elderly in the Clay County seat- but ONLY if the State of Missouri approves corporate welfare ("tax credits").




Did you ever really wonder why- in a deadened economy- your property taxes keep going UP?

Hey University of Missouri: LEAVE The Big 12 Already!

The news is getting wearysome and tedious- MU is leaving the Big 12- but won't say exactly when...

MU- why don't you bail-out- like- YESTERDAY!

If the dollar signs are so friggin' big in front of your greedy eyes- go wallow in the SEC IMMEDIATELY as in PLEASE-Leave-NOW- so what is left of the Big 12 can re-organize and get their house in order.

CSW Weather: Little Rain in Kansas City- But Snow in Denver

This morning's light showers and thundershowers produced amount of mostly one-tenth of an inch or less Metrowide.

This rain- while welcome- did little to break the prolonged dry spell that extends back to middle-September.

Meanwhile about 600 miles to our west- that great City of Denver Colorado is seeing the freezy- skid-stuff known as snow.

There are travel advisories and warnings today for those areas- and you can see by some traffic camera views around Denver just how winter can come early- and quick- to those just this side of The Great Divide.

CSW BREAKING: Maryville MO Residents- Boil Your Tapwater Today (October 26)

Residents of that northwestern Missouri city are advised by their city leaders to boil any and all tapwater today- according to The MARYVILLE (MO) DAILY FORUM.


There is a switchover of water pumps in Maryville- and the request from the water company is that residents first boil their drinking water as an "advisory-" not a boil order.

MetroRegion Kansas City NEWS: Flood-Weary Citizens Blast Army Corps of Engineers at St. Joseph Meeting

If the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) was looking at sympathy- there wasn't any to be found at a meeting the Corps held with citizens in St. Joseph on Tuesday.


The ST. JOSEPH (MO) NEWS-PRESS reports that 300 people packed the meeting area and vented their frustrations toward CoE regarding the Corps-caused Missouri River Flood of 2011 and the Corps seeming lack of money to repair or replace damaged levees and infrastructure.

Yet- the CoE has money to buy land!

With this being just another government brick in the wall- do you STILL wonder why Americans are protesting in the streets?

With Proposal To Demolish Kemper Arena It's Official- KC-MO Is Governed By Idiots

Before the really unnecessary Sprint Center arena was built- I didn't like the plans...

It actually had FEWER seats than the arena it was replacing- Kemper- which I thought was a perfectly good venue (big deal- it wasn't DOWNTOWN!).

Never mind that less than 10 years earlier- the City of KC-MO spent millions to upgrade the Kemper- only to leave it sit unused and languish after the Sprint was opened.


Now- according to this story in the KANSAS CITY BUSINESS JOURNAL- the city leaders(?) have a asinine proposal to tear down Kemper- yes- that building we still owe more than $10-million on for the 1990's "upgrades-" and build yet ANOTHER white elephant/taxpayer-dollars-hole there.

Let's see- there that $10+-million still owed on Kemper- another $10-mil to knock it down- then ANOTHER $50-million or so to put up another tax-dollar drain.

I'm telling you folks- POLITICIANS NEED PRE-OFFICE DRUG-TESTING!!!

CSW Commerntary: American Government Loves Protests Elsewhere- But Not Here!

Don't you love the irony?

The American government is/was sooooo upbeat when citizens elsewhere protest the actions of their government- while here in America- military-armed police forces are clearing out protesters who are not happy about the goings-on here in good old United Corporate States of America.

Trouble is- this is nothing new.

I remember like yesterday the Vietnam War protest days- how the so-called 'Establishment' railed against it's young people's protest of a war that was only later to be confirmed to be a lie.

I too well remember Herr Daley's actions in Chicago in 1968 and the Kent State Murders (yes- they WERE government/military-cleared murders!) of 1970 when it came to The People taking it to the streets.



You can't have it both ways people- EITHER this IS America where the people have a RIGHT- no A DUTY to speak out against the wrongs of the ruling/corporate class- or it's some sort of socialist society where speaking out against such things are forbidden.


Your Captain totally supports the (non-violent) "Occupy" movement- and I frankly wondered why it took THIS long for we- The People- to take it to the streets and protest just how F-Ued our American government REALLY is!

CSW BREAKING: Natural Gas Line Break Outside Olathe Medical Center

Olathe fire crews are working a potentially serious situation- a 4-inch gas line has broken just outside the emergency room of Olathe Medical Center.


So far- there's no word on any evacuations of the complex located just west of Interstate 35 on 151st Street- but the odor of natural gas has been reported in parts of the medical center- including "the boiler room.


The situation was resolved about an hour later without incident or injury.

Update on Missing Baby Lisa Irwin - October 25 2011

Disregarding the fact virtually EVERY local tv newscast still leads with the story- there have been no tangible new leads or developments in the case of possibly abducted baby Lisa Irwin from her KC-MO Northland home October 4.


As is the case for the 21st day now- there have been no arrests made in this case and baby Lisa has not been found.


And- as this blog HASN'T been doing since this whole thing started- is give publicity to the sideshow clowns who have attached themselves to the parents of Lisa Irwin- if you desire that or any additional non-information- you can login to the tv news Websites- who are covering this story to the point of nausea....

Wal-Mart Sticks It To Their "Associates"

Once again- China's biggest retailer in America- Wal-Mart- is in the news- and it ain't good especially if you're a Wal-Mart employee...


As reported here at CSW yesterday about Wal-Mart's reaction to few to no portable heart defibrillators in their stores was "a business decision-"  today's story is how the Chinese-product retail giant is raising health insurance premiums on their so-called "associates." 

Health insurance coverage on "future part-time employees (the bulk of Wal-Mart's workforce)" will be cut- according to the story in The ASSOCIATED PRESS.

Way to take care of your employees Wal-Mart....

K.C. Area Transportation Authority May Lose City of Independence as Client

The KCATA- fully known as the "Kansas City Area Transit Authority-" see it's service areas keep shrinking (populous Johnson County long-since dumped them)- we may have to just call it the KCTA soon...


The City of Independence is thinking of going with another company for it's public
transit needs- states this story in the INDEPENDENCE (MO) EXAMINER.


That city's council is considering "First Transit-" a company based in Ohio- to replace the KCATA as it's transit provider.

Central States NEWS: WalMart's Business Decision Against Portable Heart Defibrillators Costs Kirksville MO Man's Life

An AED is the acronym for a automated external defibrillator- those extremely portable and easy to use devices that can bring a heart attack victim back to life.


The KIRKSVILLE (MO) DAILY EXPRESS reports that in August- a customer at the Kirksville WalMart suffered a heart attack in the store's parking lot.

Bystanders and EMS crews did what they could- but the story alludes to because of the fact that WalMart doesn't keep AEDs in all of their stores for "business reasons-" the heart attack victim died.

The KDE story says a WalMart spokesperson "Ashlie Hardie" told their publication that "We currently have AEDs in some stores, most of which are required by law, and looked at the possibility of using AEDs in more stores,” Hardie wrote, while also declining to disclose the location of any of those stores.

Oregon is a likely spot, as state law requires an AED in any retail outlet larger than 50,000 square feet or with more than 50 visitors per day. “At this time, we’ve determined the best way to manage a medical situation is to alert emergency responders who are trained in providing the appropriate care to those in need...."

Way to take care of your customers WalMart....

CSW UPDATE: Michigan Insurance Company Decides to Pay Badly-Injured Joplin Tornado Victim

The story was here at CSW and all over the American news media about the Michigan worker's compensation insurance carrier's decision not to honor it's agreement and pay for a Joplin MO group home employee who was badly injured in the May 22nd tornado trying to save 3 group home residents.


Now- according to this story in a Website called BUSINESS INSURANCE- the Accident Fund Insurance Co. of Lansing MI has reversed it's decision- and WILL cover group home employee Mark Lindquist's hospital and post-hospital care expenses.

After all- it was the RIGHT thing to do Accident Fund!

Lee's Summit MO Council Kills City Trash Pickup Plan

Lee's Summit- already in arrears for a huge payout to wrongly-incarcerated Ted White- has decided to nix a plan to put that city's trash haulers out of business.


The LS City Council had presented a proposal to streamline (put out of business) the numerous trash haulers that cover that southern Jackson county city with expensive add-ons like at least 3 sizes of portable trash bins- according to the story in the LEE'S SUMMIT (MO) JOURNAL.

That proposal was already nixed by a Jackson County judge in the form of a "temporary restraining order" a week earlier.


Now- the LS TIF-happy City Council goes back to the drawing board trying to figure out a new way(s) to eke more money from it's residents.

CSW BREAKING: Independence MO House Fire With Injury- South KC-MO Wreck

The scanners are lighting up with breaking news in and around Metro Kansas City...


Independence MO fire crews are mopping-up after a reported house fire in the Susquehanna-area of that city.

The fire was reported at 12:08 p.m. early Monday afternoon at a house in the 1000 block of North Indian Lane.

Although the fire was quickly extinguished- reported "out" at 12:13 p.m.- a resident of that house has reportedly suffered "burns to a hand" a fire department spokesperson told CSW.

An AMR-EMS unit has been sent to that scene.

In far south KC-MO- a 1-car crash was reported in the 12700 block of Raytown Road at 12:12 p.m..

Lee's Summit Fire crews were also sent "automatic mutual aid" on this call.

So far- there's no report on the status of injuries in this incident- but injuries are believed to be not life-threatening.

Central States NEWS: Quran-Burning Pastor Draws Sparse Crowd

The Florida pastor- Terry Jones- who made headlines earlier this year by burning a Quran- Islam's Holy Book- returned to his old stomping grounds of Cape Girardeau MO for a rally Sunday night- according to a story in The SPRINGFIELD (MO) NEWS-LEADER.

The rally- called "Stand Up America Now" was at a Cape VFW post- and at least 500 people were expected to show up.

Only 15 people showed up to hear what Jones had to say (probably 10 of those regular VFW members who had come for a few drinks and card games).

Pastor Jones- take your intolerance BACK to Florida....

MetroRegion Kansas City News: Two Die in Weekend House Fire in Carroll County MO

A fire in a rural home has killed 2 people- according to this story in The MARSHALL (MO) DEMOCRAT-NEWS.


The fire was Friday in Carroll county at the home of former Saline county resident "Kristin Howery" on County Road 296 near Cook's Lake states the MD-N news article.

Ms. Howery is reportedly a teacher’s assistant for the Carrollton School District.

The body of Ms. Howery's 13-year-old daughter was thought found along with the body of a 2nd unidentified person- but as of Tuesday the Carroll County Sheriff's Department had not positively identified either of the deceased- according to the news page of Carrollton radio station KMZU.


The were no details given as to the time and circumstances of the fatality blaze which is still under investigation.


CSW offers our sincere condolences to the friends and family of The Howerys.

American Insurance Company Fails Joplin MO Tornado Survivor

Mark Lindquist of Joplin MO was willing to give his own life for the three developmentally-challenged adults he was in charge of at the group home where Lindquist worked on May 22- 2011.

In fact- Lindquist nearly DID lose his life- he layed down on a mattress atop the 3 adults when the massive EF-5 tornado struck and was found afterwards buried in rubble nearby.

The 3 adults Lindquist was trying to save died in the tornado.

Nearly dying from his severe injuries- Mark Lindquist made what can only be called a miraculous recovery since that fateful May day.

Now- Lindquist faces financial ruin for the company that carried the worker compensation insurance for the group home where Lindquist was working when the tornado struck refuses to pay.

Accident Fund Insurance Company of America is that company- located at 200 N. Grand Ave.-  PO Box 40790- Lansing, MI 48901-7990.

Their "customer service" phone number is  1-866-206-5851.

I called the telephone number and tried to reach the insurance company's news media liason without success- but I did leave a message for a return call to discuss Mr. Lindquist's claim refusal.


Please call the above number and tell the Accident Fund Insurance Company of America just what YOU think of their decision to not cover Mark Lindquist.

CSW BREAKING: Independence MO Residence Damaged By Fire

Five companies of the Independence Fire department were summonded at 12:51 a.m. Sunday morning to a house fire in the 3200 block of South Overton.


The first-arriving fire crew- Pumper 5- reports at 12:55 a.m. they see "smoke and fire showing from (the front of) a 2-story" structure.

It was reported the occupants escaped uninjured.

The fire is reported "out" at 1:18 a.m.- with gas and electricity shut-off to the structure.

No other injuries were reported- and the cause is pending.