Saturday, December 03, 2011

Glass Family Tells Frank White He's Done as Royal's Broadcaster

Years ago- I was as dyed-in-the-wool of a Kansas City Royals baseball fan as one could be...


That was years ago- before WalMart exec David Glass bought the Royals and made the team the WalMart Royals.


Cheapest owner and players anywhere.


The latest slap in KC Royals fan's faces is the team is not renewing Frank White's TV broadcasting contract for next year.


Me too Frank- I'm finished with this WalMart team- but few will really show their disgust and the stands will be packed with sheeple opening day. 

Friday, December 02, 2011

CSW BREAKING: Incoming Aircraft Emergency at Kansas City International Airport

Five regular fire companies- as well as all 3 apparati of the airport rescue and firefighting force have responded on a standby at K.C.I. airport for an inbound aircraft experiencing problems.



The incident was reported at 9:43 p.m. Friday night.


About 10 minutes later the plane- reported to be a Delta Airlines flight from the East Coast with 45 people on board- landed safety.


The aircraft was escorted to a secure area of KCI- for it was reported there was possibly some sort of explosives on the aircraft.


The aircraft was searched- apparently without incident with no other details yet available.

.

CSW BREAKING: Two-Alarm Fire in Midtown KC-MO

A 2nd-alarm has been struck on a fire at 39th Street and Garfield.

The fire is at the old Horace Mann elementary school.


Initially at 12:26 p.m.- a pumper and a ladder truck (then a battalion chief was sent) was sent here- when those companies arrived they reported a "working fire" in a "2-story" structure.


All fire crews were pulled out of the building- reportedly an empty school building- by 12:40 p.m.- and a 2nd-alarm was requested at 12:44 a.m..



There have yet been no reports of injuries- the structure burning had reportedly "previously burned" earlier this morning- so no occupants were thought to be inside.

CSW BREAKING: Armed Business Robbery in Midtown Kansas City MO

Police are looking for two suspects who reportedly robbed a business in the 3800 block of Main Friday morning.


The incident was reported at 11:43 a.m. at the "Rent-A-Center" store at "3807 Main."


Police report 2 black males- heights ranging from 5-foot 7-inches to 5-foot 9-inches and wearing dark-colored hoodies- pants and wearing ski masks- robbed the business of a yet undisclosed sum and ran (according to witnesses) either north or southbound.


No one was hurt.

Thursday, December 01, 2011

MetroRegion Kansas City News: Cole Camp Teen Missing

A 14-year-old girl has been missing from her empty bed in Cole Camp since the morning of November 27- reports the SEDALIA (MO) DEMOCRAT news Internet site.



Savannah Stetzenbach- shown here in a photo courtesy of the SD-  was last seen going to bed the prior Sunday night- when a family member went to wake her Monday morning she was gone.


The SD story does not state whether any personal effects of the teen were also gone- but suspect "a boy" had something to do with her disappearance.


If you see this girl- tell her to phone home or call the police.

Central States News: Missouri Driver Dies After Crashing Into Firetruck

This happened early this morning on I-70 in the eastern Missouri community of Saint Peters...


Emergency crews were wrapping up another EMS call on the freeway when the male driver of the pickup truck swerved into the back of the Central County Fire and Rescue rig.


The pickup driver died instantly- one firefighter on the truck had minor injuries- according to the ST. LOUIS (MO) POST-DISPATCH story.

Kansas City News Media and Coverage of Don Harman's Death

Viewing the comments here and on other local Internet sites- I've noticed a number of commenters wondering A) why it took so long to report Channel 4 weatherman Don Harman's death and/or B) by what means of suicide did Don Harman end his life.


I'll first address A)- the time issue.


Police report that Harman's death came around 5 p.m. Tuesday- but it was only on Wednesday's noon WDAF newscast that it was formally announced.

That was due- if people will read the reports- because Mr. Harman's father who was travelling- could not be immediately notified of his son's death.

Bear in mind- most news media organizations do not report confirmed suicides unless there are extenuating circumstances (a person threatening to jump off a bridge and the resulting traffic snarls for instance) or- as in this case- a celebrity or public figure is involved.

I have sent photographers on more than a few shootings that have turned out to be suicides- but unless someone else is harmed- those don't get reported.

On homicide scenes-photographers get their pictures in and around where the killing occurred as a matter of news sense.

In the vast majority of these cases- no news photog is going to stick their microphones in the faces of family or friends unless those people WANT to talk on-camera.


Then comes Point B- what mode of suicide did Don Harman choose.

To the news media or most other sensible people- this point is really irrevelent.

Whether Mr. Harman killed himself by hanging- with a gun or suffocation- what does it matter?  A well-liked TV personality is dead by his own hand and THERE lies the tragedy.


Bear in mind- I hear a LOT of suicide attempts during my news monitoring shifts: by overdose- shooting- hanging- carbon monoxide- you name it.

I've also handled a surprising number of suicidal people on Internet chat rooms.

It wrenches my heart enough to hear what I do about these incidents- and it really serves no one to report specifics- name names or- if no one else is harmed- any part of the incident at all.


We need to really focus on the tragedy and finality of suicide as in was there anything whatsoever we can or could have done to help prevent same.

CSW Weather: Meteorological Winter Begins Today

Although current temperatures here in south Kansas City are in the lower-50's- today begins what is called "meteorological winter."


What is considered the calendar winter or the official start of winter begins December 22- but to weather people the first day of a month when a season starts is what is considered the start of that season, so although spring for instance begins later in March- the first day of March is considered meteorological spring.


As if the celebrate- it's looking more and more like Mother Nature will bring up at least a look at wintry weather this coming weekend.


There is a good to excellent chance of a rain Saturday- and current indications are that the rain will change over to snow before it ends early Sunday.


It's still too early to forecast any accumulations in Metro or MetroRegion Kansas City- but there is at least a likely hood that those awake in the predawn hours of Sunday will see snowflakes in the air from the city west and northward.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Kid Rock Helps KC-KS Woman Who Lost Son in Fire

My sister-in-law is all agog over Kid Rock and with this story- I can see why...


Kid Rock appeared at the Midland Theater for a show Tuesday night- where it was reported that he was making a donation to an assistance program called El Centro.


That donation is slated to go to Ms. Claudia Gonzales- the woman badly burned trying to save her son from a fire in their home on October 1.


Way to go Kid Rock!   Rock ON..........

WDAF's Don Harman is Dead


This "rumor" first appeared on some blogs late Tuesday night... that WDAF-TV morning weatherperson Don Harman had passed away.


Other than the Pitch- virtually no other Kansas City news media is reporting this story and there's been absolutely no mention on Channel 4's morning newscast I've been enduring for the past 45 minutes (and ended at 10 a.m. without nary a mention of Mr. Harman!).


It seems that the fill-in weather person Karli Ritter(?)seems rather sad this morning (forced smiles)- but there appears to be the usual buffoonery around the "news" desk.


Anyway- the rumor mill from last night had it that somehow 41-year-old Mr. Harman committed suicide- but that hasn't been confirmed either since it's (mostly the) policy of local news media to not report suicides.


All the above information had been confirmed as of Wednesday afternoon.

Mr. Harman passed away as a result of suicide in his south Kansas City home around 5 p.m. Tuesday.


Regardless- I'm sure I feel as you do in passing on my most sincere condolences to Don Harman's friends and family in this overwhelming time....

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

American Airlines Files For Bankruptcy

This was coming- with airlines to charging their customers for everything...


Once grand ole American Airlines had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy- according to this story in the KANSAS CITY STAR.


What the STAR story didn't address at all was how much- if any- money is still due the City of Kansas City after American broke their lease at the former TWA overhaul base?

Monday, November 28, 2011

CSW BREAKING: Kansas Gov. Brownback Apologizes To Emma Sullivan

It was nearly week in coming- but according to breaking news from The TOPEKA (KS) CAPITAL-JOURNAL- Governor Brownback has apologized to Emma Sullivan for the mess the governor's office created over a Tweet Ms. Sullivan sent to her own group of followers.


No word if Brownback will further apologize to Kansas residents and not run for re-election.

Shawnee-Mission School District: Emma Sullivan Doesn't Have to Send Letter of Apology to Kansas Gov. Brownback

It was The Tweet Heard Around The World...


As reported here at CSW and many- many blogs in the Heartland and beyond- a week ago- Shawnee-Mission East student Emma Sullivan sent what she though was a private Tweet to her 65 followers regarding Kansas Governor Brownback during a school-sponsored field trip.

One of Brownback's aides found the Tweet during a search- and ratted out the 18-year-old student to her principal.

The principal of SME spent an hour talking to Ms. Sullivan about the Tweet- and ordered her to write the apparently thin-skinned politician a letter of apology.

Monday morning- Shawnee-Mission School District changed their tune in light of pending legal action on Ms. Sullivan's behalf- and said Emma didn't have to write Brownback any letter of apology- according to this ASSOCIATED PRESS story via The WICHITA EAGLE.


So far- Governor Brownback has yet to say a thing regarding this firestorm that his taxpayer-paid aide started- but rest assured- this fiasco has cost the Guv more than a few votes....

Tornado Strikes Monroe LA With Confirmed Injuries

The tornado struck around noon on Easter Sunday. There is considerable damage repo rted in that northeastern Louisiana city of around 5000...