Shooting at Independence Center Mall

A shooting reportedly occurred at the Independence Center shopping mall at 39th Street and M-291 in southeastern Independence around 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon.


Shoppers in the mall reportedly went into a panic and started running for exits.




The mall was "locked-down" after the shooting which reportedly occurred inside the mall near the Sears store and the food court.




Independence Police tells news partner KSHB-41 that "two" people were shot.




Police said later Saturday evening that the two shot were "a male and a female" and that their medical conditions were "not life threatening."

Police were seeking at least one suspect-  police reported having "two people in custody-" but some witnesses told KSHB that there may have been as many as "four" people involved.








If you were at Independence Center when the shootings occurred- your observations and/or comments are welcome!

CSW BREAKING: Victim Found in Raytown House Fire

Raytown firefighters- along with a few KC-MO fire crews are on the scene of a possible fatality house fire in northern Raytown.




The fire was dispatched to Raytown crews at 5:02 a.m. to the 5400 block of Willow.


Dispatch told responding crews that the fire was reported by a "medical alarm company who said (the male) occupant was trapped inside."


A police officer arrived two minutes later to report the house "fully-engulfed" in flames and that officer tried to enter the house but was turned back by "black smoke." 

The RFD commander asked for KC-MO Fire to help- and they dispatched a five-company "regular alarm" at 5:09 a.m..




Firefighters battled their way into the burning house- but it wasn't until 5:17 a.m. that the victim was located.

That victim- identified as "85-year-old Donald Sherrow-" was given CPR at the scene and transported to Research Medical Center where the man was declared dead.




The fire was under control by 5:30 a.m..




The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Five Homeless After Midtown KC-MO Apartment Building Fire

Shortly before midnight- five companies of the KC-MO Fire department responded on a reported apartment fire in the 3200 block of Harrison.




Initially seeing nothing- a fire crew on the scene reported "a working fire" in an apartment of the 3-story building at 12:02 a.m.- and at least three additional fire trucks- along with 2 EMS units- were dispatched to the scene.

It took about 20 minutes to bring the fire under control.


The female occupant of the apartment that caught fire requested her child to be "looked at" by EMS- but that child wasn't taken to a hospital by ambulance.




The Red Cross was assisting those displaced by the fire- which was under investigation.

CSW BREAKING: KC-MO Police Pursuit Ends in Crash

Two male drivers are in serious condition at a Metro hospital Saturday morning after a vehicle being chased by police slammed into another vehicle at an intersection.




The crash occurred at 3:27 a.m at 75th Street and Troost and it is not yet known what precipitated the chase.




EMS reports the suspect vehicle slammed into the other vehicle "at 80 m.p.h.."

Woman Found Dead by Gunshot in Gladstone MO

Gladstone Public Safety (police) reports finding a woman dead of gunshot wounds Friday afternoon.




About 3 p.m. officers were sent to check on the woman at her residence in the 600 block of White Oak Lane.

They found "46-year-old Irina Puscariu" dead inside.




The GPS reports having "a person of interest (cop-speak for suspect)" in custody.

CSW BREAKING: Blue Springs Duplex Damaged by Fire

Virtually all Central Jackson County Fire Protection District (CJCFPD) companies are fighting a fire in a duplex on Blue Spring's west side.


The alarm sounded at 9:08 a.m. Friday morning- sending units to the 700 block of Southwest 37th Street where a citizen reported smoke coming from the structure.


The caller also reported that the occupants- reported as "a single female and her baby" were "possibly still inside" the duplex.


A Blue Springs police officer arrived at the scene about 5 minutes later and confirmed that smoke was coming from the residence.


About 10 minutes after that- a woman drove up to another police officer blocking the street for fire equipment- and the woman reportedly told the officer "it was her house" that was on fire.


CJCFPD crews reported both sides of the duplex "clear" of any persons possibly still inside- and the fire was reported "under control" at 9:21 a.m. (although a short time later- additional fire was located "in the attic" of the duplex).


The fire was declared under control a 2nd time at 9:54 a.m..


Thus far- no injuries have been reported and an investigation as to the fire's cause will be undertaken as soon as the fire is out.

Disgusting Video Again Raises Question of Why Does America Stay in Afghanistan

First of all- A WARNING: The video below might offend some viewers...




Recently- a video appeared showing American Marines still involved in the Welfare for The Military Industrial Complex War in Afghanistan urinating on three dead people.



The only comment I shall make about this is I am SO glad I got my 4-F during the Vietnam (Massacre) War instead of training to kill people in faraway lands who have never done me or mine any harm.

Kansas Gov. Brownback's Tax Cuts Would Favor Rich- Penalize Middle and Lower Income Earners

I had to read the story in the TOPEKA CAPITAL-JOURNAL twice- not believing what I read the FIRST time...




Republicrat Governor Brownback is proposing income tax cuts and using the elimination of "23 deductions" taken by taxpayers to pay for it.




According to the TC-J story- Brownback proposes:


A) A reduction of the top tax rate (for the wealthy) from "6.45 percent to 4.9 percent" (a reduction of 1.55 percent) while only reducing the very bottom tax rate from "3.5 percent to 3 percent" (a 0.5 percent decrease) and


B) Among deductions eliminated would be "the Adoption Credit, the Child Day Care Assistance Credit and the Earned Income Credit-"  most of which benefit middle and lower-income taxpayers.




So once again- the Republicrats favor the wealthy and to Hell with the middle and lower income Kansans.


Even less surprising to me- and I would bet a month's pay on this- is that Kansas voters will probably re-elect many of these Republicrats.




If I were Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz- I'd be purposely seeking a tornado specifically to whisk me away from the Sunflower State!

CSW BREAKING: Multiple-Vehicle Crash on I-70 East of Oak Grove MO

Ambulances from three fire department are either on-scene or enroute to a reported "multiple-vehicle" crash on eastbound I-70 in extreme western Lafayette county...




The crash- reported around 8:10 a.m.- is reported to be at or near the 33-mile marker- and at least 4 injuries have been reported.




EMS units from Odessa- Sni Valley in Oak Grove and the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District in Blue Springs/Grain Valley were sent to the scene.

CSW BREAKING: Residence Burning in Western Miami County KS

The Phillips family is sitting in one of their personal vehicles watching firefighters battle flames in their home at this moment...

The fire in the 41000 block of West 327th Street was dispatched to Osawatomie and Fontana fire crews at 5:58 a.m. Thursday morning.




When the first truck arrived at 6:15 a.m.- the home was reported to be "fully-involved" in flames- but the family was "sitting in their car" away from the fire.

No reports of any injuries thus far....

CSW WEATHER: Icy Sheen on Some Metro Roadways This Morning

Heard this mentioned on the early-morning news and I did not realize that the unfeeling former star of the TV show 'Two and A Half Men' was in Kansas City today...




Seriously folks- watch lesser-travelled roadways and untreated walking surfaces for the about 1/4-inch snowfall melted on the warmer surfaces then the falling temperatures froze the moisture.




There'll be some snow showers around the Metro and basically the eastern half of the MetroRegion until afternoon- then the cold air (it's winter remember- we got spoiled so far!  g) will hang around until early Saturday with temperatures returning to the 50-degree mark or better Sunday and possibly Monday.




BTW- as reported here at CSW earlier this morning- southbound I-435 is open again near Gregory Boulevard in KC-MO after a truck loaded with explosives became involved in a crash with a salt truck.

Crash Involving Truck Carrying TNT Closes Southbound I-435 South of Gregory in KC-MO

Around 9:435 p.m. Wednesday night- a MODoT salt truck- a car- and what the fire department reports as "a semi-trailer truck loaded with TNT" became involved in a crash on southbound I-435 about 1/4-mile south of Gregory Boulevard.




Police have closed southbound I-435 at Gregory.




Injuries in the crash- caused by icy roads after a band of snow moved through the Metro- were said to be non-life-threatening- and KC-MO FD Haz-Mat Company 71 has been sent to the scene.




It is unknown how long the freeway will be closed police say.

CSW BREAKING: Belton MO Police Injured at Crash Scene

At 9:17 p.m.- a Belton police officer is reportedly injured at a vehicle crash "on 163rd Street under U.S. 71" highway.




A crash actually occurred on northbound U.S. 71 near 163rd Street and the officer was investigating that crash when another vehicle slid into a car involved in the crash the officer was investigating.


It's reported the officer and the driver of the car struck by the sliding vehicle "jumped off the (163rd Street) bridge" to avoid being hit by the errant vehicle.


The other person who jumped was not hurt.




 Belton EMS reports the officer as "a male in his 40's suffered a back injury after falling about 5 feet."


The injuries are not life-threatening and the Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.

Kansas City MO Records First Homicide of 2012

A man found by police stabbed to death in his south-central KC-MO home has become the city's first reported homicide of 2012.


Metro patrol officers were sent to an address in the 7100 block of Monroe during the 6 p.m. hour this evening to check on a person who had not been heard from for several days and found a male dead.


There was no additional information yet available.

CSW WEATHER: Snow Has Begun in Metro Kansas City- Wrecks Galore

A band of light to moderate snow is moving through Metro Kansas City at this time.


A National Weather Service (NWS) "Winter Weather Advisory" remains in effect for the Metro- as well as the eastern tier of Kansas counties along the Missouri border eastward across much of the northern half of the Show Me State.

Within the past 30 minutes prior to this post time- numerous vehicle crashes (13) have been reported from the Kansas side into the Missouri Northland.


Many of these crashes have been on Interstate highways- particularily I-35 from Downtown Kansas City south toward Gardner KS..


Thus far- no reports of serious injuries.




Please SLOW DOWN as elevated roadways and bridges are icing up first as temperatures have dropped into the upper 20's- heading toward a morning low near 20.




Watch the video- supplied by the Traffic Division in Overland Park from our last light dusting of snow in December.



You can see for yourself- many of the crashes shown in these traffic camera video clips were due to motorists simply going too fast and not anticipating intersections in advance.

CSW WEATHER: Winter Weather Advisory Tonight For Metro Kansas City

I've included the entire NWS advisory text here for you- but in a nutshell- 1 to 3 inches of snow is possible over Metro K.C. tonight- ending early Thursday.




The snow will melt on the warm surfaces and freeze later tonight- creating dangerous icy conditions on untreated driving or walking surfaces.




CSW will be on it tonite- monitoring for bad road conditions and the resultant crashes...

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
1131 AM CST WED JAN 11 2012

...LIGHT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION TONIGHT...

.A STRONG COLD FRONT AND WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL PASS THROUGH THE
REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. TEMPERATURES
WILL PLUMMET WITH THE PASSAGE OF THIS FRONT...AS NORTHWEST WINDS
BECOME STRONG AND GUSTY. LIGHT SNOW WILL BEGIN TO FALL ACROSS THE
AREA THIS EVENING...WITH VISIBILITIES SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED DUE TO
BLOWING SNOW. INITIALLY...SNOW WILL MELT ON ROADS GIVEN THE RECENT
WARM TEMPERATURES...HOWEVER STRONG WINDS AND COLD AIR WILL CAUSE THIS
MELTED SNOW TO REFREEZE CREATING POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING
CONDITIONS THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. SNOWFALL TOTALS WILL RANGE FROM
1 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS MOST OF THE ADVISORY AREA.

KSZ025-057-060-103>105-MOZ003>006-013>015-020>023-028>030-037-043-
053-120145-
/O.NEW.KEAX.WW.Y.0001.120112T0000Z-120112T1500Z/
ATCHISON KS-MIAMI-LINN KS-LEAVENWORTH-WYANDOTTE-JOHNSON KS-WORTH-
GENTRY-HARRISON-MERCER-DE KALB-DAVIESS-GRUNDY-BUCHANAN-CLINTON-
CALDWELL-LIVINGSTON-PLATTE-CLAY-RAY-JACKSON-CASS-BATES-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ATCHISON...PAOLA...MOUND CITY...
LEAVENWORTH...OVERLAND PARK...OLATHE...GRANT CITY...ALBANY...
STANBERRY...BETHANY...PRINCETON...CAMERON...GALLATIN...
JAMESPORT...TRENTON...ST. JOSEPH...PLATTSBURG...HAMILTON...POLO...
CHILLICOTHE...PARKVILLE...PLATTE CITY...WESTON...LIBERTY...
EXCELSIOR SPRINGS...RICHMOND...KANSAS CITY...INDEPENDENCE...
RAYMORE...HARRISONVILLE...PLEASANT HILL...BUTLER...RICH HILL
1131 AM CST WED JAN 11 2012

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO
9 AM CST THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL HAS
ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW... WHICH
IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM CST THURSDAY.


* LOCATION - OVER EASTERN KANSAS...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHERN
  MISSOURI...INCLUDING THE ENTIRE KANSAS CITY METROPOLITAN AREA.

* SHORT TERM TRENDS - AT 11 AM...A COLD FRONT HAS MOVED TO THE
  INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR...WITH MUCH COLDER AIR JUST BEGINNING TO
  FILTER INTO THE REGION.


* TIMING - SNOW WILL BEGIN JUST AFTER SUNSET EARLY THIS EVENING...AND
  CONTINUE INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. ALTHOUGH SNOW WILL HAVE LARGELY
  ENDED BY THURSDAY MORNING...ROAD CONDITIONS MAY STILL BE TREACHEROUS
  DUE TO SNOW AND ICE COVER.

* SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS - 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED.

* IMPACTS - STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CREATE REDUCED VISIBILITIES
  AND EXTENSIVE BLOWING SNOW...MAKING TRAVEL DIFFICULT. IN
  ADDITION...SNOW WILL INITIALLY MELT ON CONTACT THIS EVENING...BUT
  WILL REFREEZE OVERNIGHT AS TEMPERATURES FALL...CREATING POTENTIALLY
  DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...


A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR  SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW MEANS THAT
VISIBILITIES WILL BE LIMITED DUE TO A COMBINATION OF FALLING AND
BLOWING SNOW. USE CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.

Clear Channel Cans Captain Spaulding's Favorite Radio Talker Rick Barber

If I remember correctly- I think it was in 1994 when a raging snowstorm was striking Denver.


Curious what was going down in the Mile High City- I tuned to their 50000 watt AM station KOA and that's when I first heard the dulcet tones of Rick Barber.


You see- Rick had an overnight talk show on KOA- in fact had been on their air since 1983.


Through the next 17 years- I would tune in Rick whenever the overnight scanners were silent enough- then the station made Rick's shows available on KOA's Web site in MP3 form that I could listen to at any time.


Rick's philosophies on politics and pretty much his views on life itself surprising mirrored my own- and callers to Rick's shows- for the most part- were as equally informed and as entertaining as Rick himself.

This morning- I went to KOA's site to download his Tuesday morning show and was surprised to not see any shows for this week.


Down the page a bit was a Facebook interface- and comments on there were saying things like "sorry to see you go" and generally berating KOA.


So I Googled- and found this article in The DENVER POST.


Rick and another talk show host I never listened to had been "let go" by Clear Channel- the corporate owners of KOA and many radio stations across America.


The reason given? Beancounters: To cut costs.


Rick's last show had been last Friday- but the MP3 of his last hour where he was going to give his farewell wasn't included.


Rick's replacement?  That para (ab)normal 'Coast to Coast' syndicated show that was formerly hosted by Art Bell- now hosted by George Noory.


A syndicated show that can be heard virtually everywhere in America overnight (Yes- I've seen 3 "UFOs" but so what?) and adds no substance at all to the issues facing this country.


Needless to say- I was upset- but that was what Corporate America has done to virtually everything in this country.


Homogenized America- sameness- beige-drab- with Clear Channel- no local connections to the local stations they own too damn many of.


The FCC used to issue licenses based on the promise that the applicant serves it's coverage area.


Corporate radio (and television) really does not "serve" the communities they are licensed to anymore- they axe local talent in favor of cheaply-obtained syndicated shows of dubious substance.


It about money- not quality or REAL local service to those who REALLY own the airwaves- The People.


Mr. Rick Barber- thanks so much for your light of moderatism and logic in an industry overrun by right-wing extremism.


Thanks for your great guests over the years- my faves were Dr. John Curtis- Al Lewis Scott Fuller- among many others.


Thanks too Rick- for your intelligent- entertaining listeners like Ivan in Montana (RIP)- Jim in Nebraska- "West Texas-" and Mark in Oklahoma City.

God Speed Rick Barber- you WILL be missed!

Ed Muscare- Uncle Ed From KSHB-41 "All Night Live-" Dead at Age 79

Thousands of late night TV viewers might remember Ed Muscare or 'Uncle Ed' from his All Night Live program that originated from the studios of KSHB (KBMA) Channel 41 in Kansas City around 1980.

The station was received on many CCTV systems throughout the Central States then.

Muscare left Kansas City for Florida in the mid-80's- and Florida is where Muscare's legal issues began.

In 1986- Muscare was convicted of sexual charges involving a 14-year-old male.

Muscare moved to South Carolina- where he again faced jail for not registering as a sex offender- the he returned to Florida in 2010 and was again arrested for a probation violation.

It was in a Florida jail cell where Ed Muscare died last Sunday night at the age of 79.

Central States News: National Football League Team Set To Extort St. Louis Taxpayers- Again

As bad as we think Kansas City-area politicians are- they may not be able to compete with the pollys in St. Louis...


The NFL Rams could exercise an option in their lease to move (again) from St. Louis in 2015- unless the fairly-new Edward Jones Dome is made into a "first-tier" NFL stadium.

Only trouble is- that "first-tier" designation in the team's lease was and is undefined.

WHAT???!!!

The Edward Jones Dome opened in November 1995- built with taxpayer financing to lure the Los Angeles Rams to St. Louis after the football Cardinals moved to Arizona.

Each year- the State of Missouri pays $12-million on the revenue bonds that were used to finance the $256-million playpen for corporate sports with St. Louis County ponying up $6-million per year.

Total estimated payoff of those revenue bonds is said to be around $720-million.

The ST. LOUIS (MO) POST-DISPATCH story says the county portion of that payment is funded by "a 3.5 percent hotel tax approved by voters in 1990."

Now with the provisions that were written into the lease by parties who MUST have been under the influence of some (logic) mind-altering substance- St. Louis County could end up spending even more millions to bring The Dome up to the Rams' standards of "first-tier-"  whatever that is.

If these so-called "first-tier" improvements are not made by St. Louis area taxpayers- the Rams would have several options- the underlying theme however is that the team could leave St. Louis at any time on or after 2015.


It will be interesting to watch this play-out- if American governments continue to subsidize professional corporate sports teams with hundreds of millions of scarce taxpayer dollars that could go to silly things like municipal infrastructure needs- or tell the greedy corporate bastards to take a long walk off of a short pier.

Central States News: Tornado-Ravaged Hospital in Joplin Being Replaced

A new 8-story hospital is in the preliminary construction phase in Joplin MO to replace the building destroyed in the May 22 2010 tornado- states this story from the JOPLIN (MO) GLOBE.

The new hospital- to be called Mercy Hospital Joplin (MHJ)- will replace the St. John's Medical Center that was rendered useless by the EF-5 tornado that sliced the city of around 50000 rsidents in half.


MHJ will be located just south of I-44 near Hearnes Boulevard- and is slated to open in 2015.

Transcript of K.C. Chief's Presser Announcing New Head Coach

The press conference is going on now- and I'm writing as fast as I can.

Here's what I have so far:


"Blah- blah-blah-blah- blah-blah- blah-blah-blah-blah- blah...."


I think you can gather from the above the rest of what is being said by Chef's manglement.... 

Latest KC-MO Council Corporate Welfare Case: DST and The Old Lyric Theater Building

The Kansas City MO city council continues it's giveaway of the city's tax base to corporate interests...


The latest proposal is whether to give DST Realty Co.- a corporate arm of Kansas City Southern (railroad) Industries- tens of millions in tax breaks to fix up the old Lyric Theater at 11th Street and Central downtown to accommodate a FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (FAA) training facility.


Never mind that the FAA has yet to pick a city that will become it's training facility that is said by the KANSAS CITY BUSINESS JOURNAL to provide about 100 jobs.


This- like 90% of projects that are built in this city- must not be a profitable project for DST- otherwise they'd be using the COMPANY'S OWN MONEY to remodel the Lyric.


I think it's time for KC-MO residents to en masse apply to the City of Kansas City MO for tax breaks to remodel their own homes.


Just think- one thousand home remodels would SURELY produce at least as many jobs and the citizens- for once- would get THEMSELVES a tax break.

CSW BREAKING: Fire in a Gladstone MO Apartment Building

All on-duty Gladstone fire crews are being assisted by North Kansas City and Riverside fire departments fighting a fire in an apartment building in Gladstone.

The first alarm sounded at 10:33 p.m. for a reported "fire on the roof" of an apartment building at the Rock Creek complex in the 3200 block of Northeast 59th Street.


There are no initial reports of injuries as the firefight is underway.


As of just after midnight Monday morning- all fire crews continue to work the fire as the incident has not yet been declared under control.

By 12:30 a.m.- the fire at the Rock Creek Apartments is out- with mutual aid fire companies returning to their cities.



There has not been any injuries reported- and fire department sources tell CSW that six families were displaced and that the fire was caused by "improper disposal of smoking materials."

Damage was estimated by the GPS at "$150000."