BREAKING: Two-Alarm House Fire on Olathe - Overland Park KS Border

Ten fire companies from the Overland Park and Olathe departments worked a house fire on the border of those two cities late Sunday night.

The fire was in the 12900 block of Pflumm Road- and the initial fire call was dispatched at 11:27 pm.


Arriving fire companies reported heavy fire coming from the roof and back of the house at 11:34 pm.


A male- female and one dog had gotten out of the house safely.


A 2nd-alarm was requested to augment the 5 fire companies already on-scene at 11:41 pm..



The fire was under control by 12:45 am New Year's Eve morning- with no injuries reported at that time.


There was a report that firefighters could not save two other pets- a dog & a cat- from the fire.

BREAKING: "Large Tornado" in Mobile Alabama

This is breaking news at 5 pm Christmas Day 2012.

What was described from live TV video as a "large tornado" has struck Mobile and it's northern suburbs.

From public safety radio and commercial news media reports- heavy damage to buildings and homes- as well as many trees and power lines down have been reported.

Among areas affected are at and around Murphy High School in west-central Mobile.


A Mobile Fire department (MFD) unit was reporting "houses destroyed- but it appears there isn't any injuries" more than a mile north of Murphy HS on "Spring Hill."




There have been a few other reports of minor injuries- but amazingly no one seriously injured or killed as of midnight.

The End of The World (Heh)

From the late- great Skeeter Davis...

Dozens Dead in Connecticut Elementary School Shooting

This shocking- sickening event happened in Newtown/Sandy Hook CT around 9:30 a.m. EST Friday morning.



CBS News in New York reported "27 dead" at the Sandy Hook Elementary school- located about 10 miles east of Danbury CT or about 75 miles northeast of New York City.


At least one survivor of the massacre was hospitalized.



As of 12:05 p.m. CST- CBS News reports that "18 of the dead are children."

That figure was updated to "20 children dead" at a news conference around 2:45 p.m. CST.

A Connecticut State Patrol spokesman said "the shooter is dead in the (school) building."


The trooper didn't say if police shot the suspect or if the shooter took their own life.

It was later determined the shooter killed himself.


That shooter was 20-year-old Adam Lanza.


Nancy Lanza- Adam's mother- was killed first at her home- then young Lanza drove her car to the school.


Police also questioned a surviving son- Ryan Lanza.

For hours- the national news media named 24-year-old Ryan as the suspect- although the elder Lanza had nothing to do with the incident.

The link to live TV coverage by WFSB-3 in Hartford is HERE.

CSW WEATHER: Dense Fog Advisory- North Metro & MetroRegion Kansas City

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
923 PM CST SAT DEC 1 2012


...DENSE FOG WILL DEVELOP OVERNIGHT BEFORE BURNING OFF IN THE MORNING...
AN UNUSUALLY HIGH AMOUNT OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL COMBINE WITH LIGHT WINDS TO PRODUCE AREAS OF DENSE FOG OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST MISSOURI AND FAR EASTERN KANSAS OVERNIGHT. 

THE FOG WILL BECOME DENSE ENOUGH BY MORNING TO MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS IF PROPER PRECAUTIONS...SUCH AS SLOWING DOWN TO A REASONABLE SPEED...ARE NOT TAKEN.

KSZ025-102>104-MOZ001>005-011>014-020-021-028-029-021130-/O.NEW.KEAX.FG.Y.0004.121202T0323Z-121202T1500Z/
ATCHISON KS- DONIPHAN- LEAVENWORTH- WYANDOTTE- ATCHISON MO- NODAWAY- WORTH- GENTRY- HARRISON- HOLT- ANDREW- DE KALB-DAVIESS- BUCHANAN- CLINTON- PLATTE- CLAY-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ATCHISON... TROY... LEAVENWORTH... TARKIO... MARYVILLE... 

GRANT CITY... ALBANY... STANBERRY... BETHANY... MOUND CITY... OREGON... SAVANNAH... CAMERON... GALLATIN... JAMESPORT... ST. JOSEPH... PLATTSBURG... PARKVILLE... PLATTE CITY... WESTON... LIBERTY... EXCELSIOR SPRINGS

923 PM CST SAT DEC 1 2012


...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST SUNDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL HAS ISSUED A DENSE FOG ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST SUNDAY.

* LOCATION...FAR EASTERN KANSAS AND NORTHWEST MISSOURI.

* VISIBILITIES...VISIBILITY WILL DROP TO A QUARTER OF A MILE OR LESS
  OVERNIGHT.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL WILL BE HAZARDOUS AT TIMES DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A DENSE FOG ADVISORY MEANS VISIBILITIES WILL FREQUENTLY BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE. IF DRIVING...SLOW DOWN... USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS...AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU.

BREAKING: Two Hurt in Independence MO Fire

The details are at the KCSW NEWS blog.


For access to KCSW NEWS- email the author.

Passenger Jet Needs Jenny Craig...

...or Weight Watchers.

I've been either running or listening to KCI Airport aircraft distress calls for nearly 40 years- and what I heard today at 2:38 p.m. was a FIRST...


Fire companies and the KCI fire/rescue station were sent on a "standby for an overweight aircraft" that was heading for one of KCI's north-south runways.


The "overweight" jet- containing "approximately 140" people- landed without incident or accident about 5 minutes later.


Maybe the gate people at the originating airport had better have the passengers and/or the luggage put on scales before takeoff.

BREAKING: Person Critically Hurt in Raytown MO House Fire

The details are at the KCSW NEWS blog.


For access to KCSW NEWS- email the author.

BREAKING: Fatality Crash on I-35 in Johnson County KS

The details are at the KCSW NEWS blog.


For access to KCSW NEWS- email the author.

BREAKING: Person Dead After Reported "Shooting" in Blue Springs MO

The details are at the KCSW NEWS blog.


For access to KCSW NEWS- email the author.

BREAKING: Overturned Semi-Truck Has NBND I-35 Closed at State Line

The details are at the KCSW NEWS blog.


For access to KCSW NEWS- email the author.

BREAKING: Man Critically Injured After Being Struck By Train South of Olathe KS

The details are at the KCSW NEWS blog.


For access to KCSW NEWS- email the author.

BREAKING: Police Pursuit Ends in Fatality Crash in South KC-MO

The details are at the KCSW NEWS blog.


For access to KCSW NEWS- email the author.

NYC Needs A 'War on Restrictive Government'

Governments in America continue eating away at our basic rights...


One of those rights is the freedom for one's self to engorge their faces with fatty foods and sugary drinks (pursuit of happiness and/or obesity).


According to the ASSOCIATED PRESS- the City of New York has outlawed large-serving colas and other "sugary" drinks.


What's next NYC- laws against hamburger sizes and chili dogs- monitoring each and every citizen to watch what they eat and how much?


Where the HELL does this stupid government intervention into our lives end?


(Clue: It AIN'T Romney or Obama).

There's A New Blog in Town: KCSW NEWS

Lately- the postings on this blog have become few and far between.

There are heavy demands on whatever free time I have- so this blog has suffered.

Also- gathering breaking news requires time ... and money.


A few years ago- I started a 2nd blog- but didn't 'officially' christen it.


The 2nd blog is called KCSW NEWS and it is now where I will post the in-depth information on MetroRegion Kansas City news and weather events I happen upon.

Capt. Spaulding's World won't die- 'teasers' for breaking local stories will still appear (with a link to KCSW NEWS)- but this blog will focus more on national/world news- commentary and the personal asides.


KCSW NEWS will require the reader to personally sign-up- but the breaking news and weather posted there will remain both user and ad-free until further notice.

CSW BREAKING: Thunderstorms Create Damaging Wind- Needed Rains in Parts of Metro Kansas City

There have been more than a dozen reports of tree limbs and power lines down in the cities of Leavenworth and Bonner Springs KS...


There is at least one report of structural roof damage as well in Leavenworth...


This damage is being caused by severe thunderstorm wind gusts of up to 70 m.p.h....


...

...

CSW BREAKING: Four Injured in South Kansas City MO Explosion

The incident was reported around 12:45 p.m. at "Cook's Ham Company at 13825 Wyandotte" in the Martin City neighborhood in far southwestern KC-MO..




Fire officials on-scene say it was "a natural gas or methane explosion" inside the building- formerly the Armour meat packing plant.




Reportedly- four persons were injured.

Just before 1 pm- the KC-MO Fire department on-scene reports one person is refusing EMS transport- but another person has "blast injuries."




KC-MO FD-EMS transported "a 52-year-old male who was thrown about 15 feet" by a blast "from a furnace or oven" to Research Medical Center.


This patient's condition was not life-threatening.




Two other patients from the scene were being transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.


One of those was "a 26-year-old" male who had minor injuries.




The exact cause of the blast was under investigation.

CSW BREAKING: Fatality Traffic Crash in Leavenworth County KS

According to sheriff- fire and EMS reports- a male is dead at the scene where he rolled his pickup truck in northern Leavenworth county around 11 p.m. Saturday night.

The crash was reported on Millwood Road- just east of 243rd Street.








No public identity of the victim available until next-of-kin are notified- and the circumstances of the crash are under Leavenworth County Sheriff department investigation. 

CSW BREAKING: Five Shot in KC-MO Crossroads Area

It happened around 3:10 a.m. in the 2000 block of Broadway- in the parking lot of the Town Topic hamburger stand...




Police reported "two" victims found in the parking lot there.




Over the next 20 minutes- KC-MO Police report four other victims would arrive at two area hospitals.




One of them was "shot in the chest" and had gone into surgery.




The only victim heard transported by EMS from the Broadway location was "a 23-year-old female" who was "shot in the lower abdomen."


She was in serious to critical condition and was taken to a third hospital.




No suspect information was heard- the investigation includes a "shot-up car" that transported 2 of the victims to a hospital.

CSW BREAKING: Fatality Crash Reported in Kansas City MO Northland

Parts of I-29 at I-635 was closed early Saturday after a "2 vehicle" crash on the northbound I-29 ramp to southbound I-635.


Police report one of the drivers was going the wrong way.

Riverside emergency services responded on the 12:38 a.m. call as well- reporting "a vehicle on fire" with people "trapped" inside the fiery wreckage.




By 12:50 a.m.- it was reported that there were possibly "2" fatalities there- with two injured.




However- only one medical transport heard- "a 30's-something female" who was "ejected" during the crash and "found lying on the highway" by citizens who stopped to help.

Her condition was critical as reported by KC-MO FD-EMS.




Further details are pending as the crash is under joint investigation by Riverside and KC-MO law.

At Least 12 Shot Dead in Suburban Denver Movie Theater

Early Friday morning- a male dressed in military clothing and brandishing chemical cannisters and guns- broke into an Aurora Colorado movie theater during a special late showing of the new Batman movie- 'The Dark Knight Rises.'




It happened at the Century 16 theater complex near I-225 and Arvada in Aurora.




The man threw a cannister that produced a cloud of acrid  smoke then opened fire using three guns on the stunned patrons- striking more than 70 people.


Ten died in the theater- "Number 9" of 16 in the complex.




Two others died at Denver hospitals- 58 others either admitted or treated and released from eight Denver medical facilities that received the injured.




Eleven people were still reported in critical condition early Saturday morning.




Among the injured were patrons next door in theater No. 8 where the Batman film was further along.


Bullets from No. 9 came through the wall- ironically during a shooting scene in No. 8's film.





The DENVER POST reports that the gunshot victims ranged in age from 3-months-old to 45-years-old.



The suspect- a 24-year-old Aurora man named James Holmes- was taken into custody.




Holmes' north Aurora apartment was booby-trapped- and police had to work slowly to gain entry.





Link to story containing contributed and unedited cell phone recording after shooting.

Two-Alarm Fire is Out at Blue Valley-Northwest High School

Ten companies of Overland Park- Leawood and Olathe firefighters fought a fire at Blue Valley Northwest High school at 13260 Switzer late Thursday evening.

The fire- reported around 9:30 p.m. and said to have been restricted to one room and controlled by the school's sprinkler system- was reported "out" at 10:26 p.m.




Fire crews are still evacuating smoke from the building and cleaning up what water damage they can.




More specifics as they become available- but no injuries reported.

CSW BREAKING: Injuries Reported at High-Rise Apartments for Elderly in KC-MO

The address is 1800 East Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard- a 12-story building housing the elderly and infirm in Midtown Kansas City MO..




It's a 3-alarm-plus fire that began just before 9:30 p.m. this hot Wednesday night.

At least 15 KC-MO fire companies- and twelve ambulances (FD-EMS) units responded to the scene of a fire that was reportedly caused by "an exploding oxygen tank" in an upper-story apartment.




At least one seriously-injured person has been transported to Truman Medical Center-Hospital Hill (TMC/West) with airway burns and smoke inhalation.




Two less seriously-injured patients- both males- were transported to Research Medical Center.




At least two others were being treated at the scene by FD-EMS.




Thus far- no reports of any fatalities at the scene..




The fire appears to be out as of 9:55 p.m.- but smoke remained in the building as a few evacuations of residents in the at-least 11-story building continued.

CSW Weather: Some Thunderstorms in Metro Kansas City!

Corporate Welfare For The Plaza? YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!

The latest Kansas City MO City Clowncil corporate giveaway is a proposed TIF (tax excretement- er- increment financing) for a new hotel on The Plaza!

When will this fleecing of the city's property tax base stop?

Corporate Greed #6823: KMBC-9-Hearst and Time-Warner-Looney Tunes Cable Punish Their Customers

Early Tuesday morning- KMBC and KCWE's signals were dropped off the Time-Warner-Looney Tunes cable system that serves tens of thousands of Metro Kansas City residents.

Reportedly- Hearst Corporation- owner of KCMB and KCWE- was asking an up to 300% increase in their carriage charges to TWLT.

You wouldn't have known that by reading the so-called 'news' story that KMBC-9 ran about this affair on their Web site.

Rather than pay the exorbitant increase- TWLT dropped both stations from the cable lineup around midnight Tuesday- and no indication at all on when both stations MIGHT return to TWLT customers.

Here's another case of corporate greed- and another case where the American consumer gets the shaft....

TV News Story Indicative Why Fewer and Fewer People Watching

Sunday morning- CSW covered the crash of a SUV in Kansas City KS where two of seven vehicle occupants died.




The story that sat on Channel 9's Web page most of Sunday into early Monday read like this (a screen-capture):

Today- the story was updated (barely):

The first story in particular- but also the 'update' should be an absolute embarrassment for Channel 9's news department.




Both versions don't even mention the fact the crash was the end result of a police pursuit!




To be fair to KMBC-9- virtually all the corporate news sources in Kansas City under-reported this story.




Some "news" outlets never even reported the Missouri Highway Patrol trooper's shooting of a citizen Sunday morning- but hey- it probably would have cut into the redundant stories of tomorrow's corporate sports game .

The Violent Kansas City MO Weekend Continues With Northland Police-Involved Shooting

Saturday morning- four people were victims of KC's on-going and virtually unaddressed gun violence including two teenagers- one of whom- a 16-year-old male- died.

Sunday morning it was a cop doing the shooting...

KC-MO Fire department EMS reports "a 40-year-old male" suffered "two gunshot wounds after an altercation with a (police) officer" at eastbound M-152 highway at or near Interstate 435 around 1:55 a.m..



The victim's injuries were considered by the paramedic to be not immediately life-threatening.





A Missouri State Patrol trooper did the shooting- nothing else confirmed yet.

CSW BREAKING: Kansas Police Pursuit Results in Fatality- Multiple Critical Injury Crash

It was around 3:05 Sunday morning- when a SUV reportedly carrying seven young people- ages ranging from mid-teens to their 20's- "failed to yield to a Roeland Park (police) officer-" apparently was chased by the officer and crashed into a highway bridge.

The location was Roe Lane under Interstate 35 in extreme southeastern Kansas City KS..

A KC-KS officer who had responded on the pursuit had arrived- reporting the "failure to yield" aspect- as well as the vehicle being "on fire" and all but one of the seven occupants "were ejected" during the crash.

One person died at the scene- one of the gravely-injured (there were two) was "a female found underneath a cop car-" a KC-KS FD-EMS unit reported.
KCTV 5

The female later died at a Metro hospital.


The other grave patient was "a 20's-something" aged male."


Two other critically-injured males were reported as "approximately 20-years-old" and a "15-year-old."

At least one other patient was transported to a third hospital- but no information on that person was available.




Not heard is why the Roeland Park cop was chasing the SUV that crashed- other than traffic charges.




The three hospitals where the injured were taken to "closed to trauma" patients after the crash and remain so as of this post.


Those were the University of Kansas and Truman (West) Medical Centers- as well as St. Luke's Hospital on The Plaza.




In my 21 years doing Metro Kansas City overnight news- this is the worst crash resulting from a police pursuit since a KC-KS chase/crash in the early to mid 1990's that left at least 2 dead. 

CSW BREAKING: Another Big Fire in Blue Springs MO

Details are few as of this post- but here's what is known...

Lee's Summit Fire department units are assisting the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District (CJCFD) in battling a fire in the Comfort Inn motel on Northridge west of Missouri 7.

This location is north of Interstate 70- west of M-7.




CSW's 'Ms. Rittenhouse' was driving by the location earlier- but couldn't tell what type of  structure was burning- but reported it was "a large fire."

More on this page as received....

CSW BREAKING: Blue Springs MO Brush Fire Spreading Out of Control

At 3:30 pm- additional help has been requested from a Central Jackson County Fire Protection District (CJCFPD) engine on the scene of a reported brush/"natural cover" fire. 

This fire is in the 308000 block of Stoney Point School Road- east of Arnett Road and reportedly now threatens at least one house in the area- and three additional CJCFPD engines were sent.




Fire units from the Sni Valley and Fort Osage departments were also dispatched minutes after the initial help request from the CJCFPD unit.






As of 3:50 pm- this fire has been brought under control with no structures damaged.

CSW BREAKING: Large Brush Fire Causes Evacuations of Homes in Western Lawrence KS

Fire crews from Johnson County KS have been called to assist the Lawrence Fire department on a large brush fire threatening structures in west Lawrence...




Several crews from other Douglas County-area departments have also been summonded.

According to the LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD online- the fire is in an area "east of Kansas Highway 10 near the area where Bob Billings Parkway dead-ends" and threatens " homes on Palisades Drive" near the Langston Hughes Elementary school.

As of 12:30 pm Thursday afternoon- this fire is under control with no homes damaged.

CSW BREAKING: Roof Fire Reported at Oak Grove MO House

This fire was dispatched to the Sni Valley Fire Protection District of Oak Grove at 8:29 p.m. to an address in the 800 block of Southeast 15th Street.

This is just east of the Oak Grove High School.




Fire dispatch said "several callers" reported a house "fully-involved" in flames.




Smoke and fire was reported from the roof of a "1-story" house by the first-arriving SVFPD unit less than 10 minutes later.




At least 1 engine (pumper) company has been sent to the fire scene from the Odessa Fire department.




The fire was reported under control with no reports of injuries at 9:11 pm..