CSW BREAKING: Critical Injury Crash in Miami County KS

A single vehicle rollover crash in southeastern Miami county KS has left one person with critical injuries...


The crash was dispatched to Drexel MO Fire and Miami county EMS at 2:23 a.m. and reported to be "on 367th Street west of New Lancaster."

A Lifeflight-Eagle medical helicopter was dispatched to the scene- where an extrication of a patient was reported.


The "25-year-old male" patient was flown to a Metro Kansas City medical trauma center with possible head and other injuries.

Barn Burns in Clinton County MO- Animals Saved

A barn burned to the ground in southern Clinton county early Saturday morning- but horses and livestock inside were saved.


The incident was dispatched to the Holt Fire department at 12:26 a.m. and within ten minutes- fire units from Kearney and Lathrop were joining them.

The first arriving unit reported the barn "totally-involved" in flames- and the structure "collapsed" about 10 minutes later- but "4 horses and livestock in the barn" were saved.

No human injuries were reported.

CSW BREAKING: KC-MO Firefighter is Burned at House Fire

A male firefighter went to a hospital with what EMS termed "minor burns" after falling through the floor at a vacant house fire in south-central Kansas City early Saturday.


The fire was reported by police at 1:56 a.m. in the 6600 block of Park and five fire companies responded.

Heavy smoke was reported coming from a 1-story structure when the first fire company arrived at 2 a.m. with a reported "fire in the rear basement" area.

At 2:08 a.m.- the firefighter was injured.

The fire was under control at 2:20 a.m.- and the firefighter- reportedly burned on "the forearms- neck and ears" was transported non-emergency to Research Medical Center.

It was later reported that a 2nd firefighter was treated by EMS at the scene for a very minor injury.

Arson is suspected as the cause of the fire.

Week's End Brings Kansas City MO Homicide Total to 108

The shooting and killing of a possible would-be robber of an Old Northeast KC-MO Friday afternoon has brought the 2011 homicide total to 108 dead.


The latest killing occurred at an Express Stop convenience store at 5712 Independence Avenue just before 3 p.m..

A clerk at the store shot and killed a man police report to be in his mid-20's- but police haven't yet confirmed that an attempted robbery was taking place.


Just before 1 p.m. Wednesday- police found a female dead by unknown cause in a motel room at 600 Paseo.

The Jackson County coroner has reported that woman's death- the victim identified by police as "Sherilyn A. Hill- was a homicide.

Ms. Hill's death was homicide number 107 for the year- surpassing 2010's total of 106.

Police Officer Killed- Suspect Kills Self in Atchison KS

A police officer serving a nuisance order at a residence in Atchison Kansas Friday afternoon was shot and killed- then the shooter shot himself dead.

The ST. JOSEPH (MO) NEWS-PRESS reports that 24-year veteran Atchison police Sergeant David Enzbrenner was serving the legal paper to a house at 12th Street and Division shortly before 4 p.m. when 25-year-old Skyler Barbee "came out of nowhere" and shot Sgt. Enzbrenner.


The police officer was flown by medical helicopter to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City KS where he was declared dead.

The alleged shooter- Mr. Barbee- died at the scene of the shooting.

Sgt. Enzbrenner leaves behind a wife and three daughters.

CSW offers our most sincere condolences to the family- friends and co-workers of Sgt. Enzbrenner- as well as to those of the alleged suspect Mr. Barbee.

Incredibly- KMBC-9 Hypes Snow Flurries

As I sat in the CSW office doing my daily weather routine- it became more and more clear as the day went on that if any snow fell at all in Metro Kansas City- it would probably be only scattered snowflakes in the late evening hours.


I didn't feel it necessary to waste bandwidth and your time even mentioning it.

I WAS watching traffic cameras to the north of the MetroRegion- in Omaha and Lincoln Nebraska where snow WAS falling- but less than an inch had fallen by sunset and only a couple of inches of snow total were expected.


Certainly no major storm whatsoever- but the television newscasts in those cities ACTUALLY had SOME inclement weather to report in their own front (and back) yards...


So I was totally surprised when surfing through TV channels late Thursday evening and caught (briefly) KMBC-9 News.


Channel 9 had sent a reporter nearly 100 miles north to report on what basically was a few snow flurries.

SNOW FLURRIES???!!

I've seen some weather hype on local TV newscasts here in Kansas City the past few years- and KMBC's performance Thursday night HAS to win the Emmy award for same.


What WAS forecasted for Metro Kansas City tonight (that never happened) was less than an inch of snow- more like one-half inch actually.

The MOST snow forecasted within 100 miles of here was 2-inches- and the National Weather Service never had ANY of the Central States (including us) in ANY sort of winter weather warnings- advisories or anything else.


What Ms. Rittenhouse and I saw tonight was weather hype at it's absolute worst (we didn't bother watching any other newscasts- instead opting for a non-commercially-interrupted movie on the Internet).


What surprised me was not only was KMBC-9 totally wasting their news resources (not to mention gasoline- etc.) on a non-story/event- but totally and absolutely wasting their viewers' time.

CSW BREAKING: Southbound Traffic Closed on Paseo Bridge Because of Possible Jumper

The KC SCOUT images shown here illustrate what's going on: there's a person threatening to jump off the Paseo Bridge (a.k.a. "Bond Bridge") over the Missouri river.

At 1:08 p.m. Thursday afternoon- police are reportedly talking to the man who is threatening to jump into the icy river- and fire department crews are preparing to launch rescue boats in case the man does jump.

As you can see by the images- traffic on southbound Paseo Bridge is restricted to the far inside lane next to the median divider.


Just before 2 p.m.- police completely closed the southbound lanes of I-35 north of the bridge.


At 3:21 p.m.- police had apprehended the man who was threatening to jump off the bridge- and southbound traffic should resume in the next several minutes.

Harry Morgan- Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H*- Dead at Age 96

Actor Harry Morgan passed away Wednesday at his Los Angeles-area home from pneumonia at age 96- according to this ASSOCIATED PRESS story via MyWay news.


An actor in 50 films- on Broadway and in television- where he was most acclaimed.


Mr. Morgan came to the TV show M*A*S*H* in 1975 in a role as Col. Sherman Potter after McLean Stevenson quit his role as commander of the ficticional mobile hospital unit during the Korean War.


Mr. Morgan was also well-known for his TV role of Joe Friday in the program Dragnet.


Harry Morgan is survived by three sons, Charles, Paul and Christopher; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.



Like Hawkeye in M*A*S*H*- I don't salute many people- but I'm returning your salute "Sherm."

CSW BREAKING: Fatality Crash on Southeastern Downtown KC-MO Freeway Loop

Kansas City MO emergency crews are working a reported multi-vehicle- critical-injury crash on westbound I-670 just east of the Locust Street overpass.


The crash was reported about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday night and accoding to police reports- one vehicle "left the scene" of the crash.

Police are preparing to close I-670 at the accident scene- that will affect drivers going both northbound on U.S. 71 going west on I-670- and southbound I-70/35 going west on I-670.


At 11:34 p.m. KC-MO Police were calling this a "fatality" crash.

CSW BREAKING: Gasoline Tanker Truck Crash "With Extrication" Reported in Olathe

At 4 p.m.- several Olathe Fire companies and MEDACT-EMS were dispatched on an injury crash "with extrication" of a vehicle occupant at "U.S. 169 and I-35."


First fire department reports from the scene at 4:03 p.m. say the vehicle involved is a gasoline tanker truck "on it's top" with "the driver out of the vehicle" with no extrication required.


A name of the tanker company mentioned is "Groendyke-" and the truck is reportedly carrying several thousand gallons of fuel in several compartments on the tanker trailer itself.

An Olathe FD "Haz-Mat" crew has responded- as pumper companies (additional companies ordered to the scene) are "standing by with foam" to apply on the scene.


Reports are that at least "15 gallons a minute" of gasoline is leaking from the overturned tanker truck.


The KC SCOUT system is reporting the southbound ramp to 151st Street from I-35- as well as U.S. 169 at I-35- is closed to traffic.


At 4:24 p.m.- the OFD has requested "a 2nd-alarm" fire response- as a "Waffle House" and "a restaurant next door" to the Waffle House was "being evacuated" of patrons and workers.



As of 6:35 p.m. Wednesday eveing- emergency crews were still working this incident with all closures mentioned above still in effect.

CSW BREAKING: Multiple-Injury Crash near Longview Lake in S.E. Kansas City MO

Four ambulances have been sent as well as additional fire department units with extrication tools to a 2-vehicle- multiple-injury crash at the intersection of Raytown Road and West Longview Parkway.

This incident- initially reported around 3:10 p.m. Wednesday afternoon- is just west of the Longview Lake dam.


Extrication is being performed on at least two people trapped in vehicle wreckage- and serious injuries have been indicated.


Northbound Raytown Road has been closed to thru traffic at Longview Road. I haven't heard regarding the disposition of southbound Raytown Road traffic- but it is more than likely severely restricted by this crash.


Preliminary injury reports from KC-MO FD-EMS are that "one" patient "was ejected" during the crash and has "pretty serious injuries."

There were two other injuries mentioned in that EMS report- both female- one of them termed as "walking wounded."


One female transported to a Metro hospital was "a 47-year-old female driver" with a broken leg- according to EMS-30.


The disposition of any other patients had not been reported as of 4 p.m..

Person Dead By Gunshot at Zona Rosa in KC-MO Northland

Around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday morning- KC-MO emergency services were called to a parking garage in the Zona Rosa shopping district near I-29 and Barry Road on a reported shooting.


Police arrived and found aa adult male with a gun in his hand dead on-the-scene.


This incident appears to be a self-inflicted shooting according to KC-MO police.

CSW BREAKING: Fire in Kansas City KS Commercial Structure

Around 12:26 p.m. Tuesday afternoon- six companies of the KC-KS Fire department were sent to a reported fire in a building in the 1100 block of Merriam Lane.


Heavy smoke was showing from the rear of a 2-story structure when the first fire company arrived at 12:32 p.m..

At 12:40 p.m.- an interior firefighting crew reported "propane tanks in the rear" of the building.

So far- none of those tanks have become involved in fire- which continues to burn uncontrolled as of this post.

At 12:51 p.m.- another pumper company was sent to this fire.

No injuries have been reported.

The fire was reportedly "knocked down (under control)" at 12:57 p.m..

The Timeless Observational Humor of Samuel Clemens

CSW BREAKING: Raytown Police Officer Receives a "Minor Injury"

Raytown EMS is enroute to "68th Terrace and Raytown Road" where it's reported "a police officer on a motorist assist" has received an "injury to his hand" by a yet unknown means.


It could well be somehow associated with the about 1/4-inch of snow that Metro Kansas City received during the pre-dawn hours.

CSW BREAKING: House Fire Reported in Grandview MO

Around 9:50 a.m.- all of Grandview's fire companies were sent on a house fire in the 7000 block of East 132nd Street.


The first arriving company reported "heavy smoke" coming from the story and a half structure at 9:56 a.m.- and 3 minutes later report "fire in a bedroom just off the front door" of the house.

By 10 a.m.- it was believed the fire had made it into the attic of the residence- and a mutual aid engine (pumper) from the South Metro Fire department in Raymore and a ladder truck from Belton was requested.


Thus far- there have been no reports of anyone found inside or any injuries reported.

More on this post as information is received....

MetroRegion Kansas City NEWS: Hostess Brands Inc. Freezes Pension Plan For Workers at Emporia Dolly Madison Plant

Among the new developments of the 21st Century- besides blatant corporate greed- is corporations reneging on union contracts and pension plans.


The latest corporate liar is Hostess Brands- who last week announced they are freezing union pension plans- in other words not paying the company's share- for all their union production workers.

Hostess Brands is a re-organized spin-off of Interstate Bakery Inc. that used to be headquartered here in Kansas City and was regrouping after a 2009 bankruptcy.

In the MetroRegion- this affects a Dolly Madison bakery and distribution center in Emporia Kansas- about 90 miles southwest of downtown Kansas City.

According to this story in the EMPORIA (KS) GAZETTE- the Bakery and Confectionery Union and Industry International Pension Fund said in a letter to their members that Hostess Brands hadn't paid their share of the pension plan for the past four months.


It's not mentioned in the GAZETTE story whether the executives of Hostess Brands Inc. will still received their bloated salaries AND retirement benefits....

Owners of (Former) Wizards Soccer Team Asks KC-MO For More Corporate Welfare

A corporate spinoff of the owners of Metro KC's pro soccer team is asking for corporate welfare to develop a Downtown building.


Sporting Innovations LLC is slated to ask Kansas City MO's corporate-generous City Council for a $2.8-million tax abatement for the old Hanna Rubber Company building at 1511 Baltimore- according to a story in The KANSAS CITY BUSINESS JOURNAL. 

CSW BREAKING: Lived-In Mobile Home Fire in Lawrence KS

A fire has ruined the Christmas season for a family in Lawrence... 



The incident was dispatched to the Lawrence Fire department at 10:18 a.m. to the 1900 block of East 19th Street.

Dispatch said "all occupants (got) out without injury.



When the first company arrived at 10:25 a.m.- they reported "heavy smoke" showing from a mobile home- and the firefight was on.



At 10:45 a.m.- the fire was reported "under control." 

CSW BREAKING: Woman Sets Fire To Herself in Warrensburg MO

The call came in at 11:31 p.m. Saturday night: "a female was burned after setting herself on fire" at a convenience store/gas station in Warrensburg.


The incident reportedly occurred at the "Everyday Conoco at 312 North Maguire."


Apparently- the woman was burned by gasoline- as the dispatcher told responding units that "gas was running down the parking lot" there.


Reports were that the "20-year-old" had "burns to her face and arms-" but her condition was unknown as she was probably transported to the Warrensburg hospital (Western Missouri Medical Center).

It is not yet known if this was an accident or otherwise.