Fire- Wrecks- EMS Calls Keeps Kansas City MO Fire Department Busy Overnight

Dozens of calls for the fire and EMS service in the Big Town ovenight...

The fire was in a house in the 5100 block of Agnes around 1:54 a.m. Saturday morning.


Fire crews used two handlines on the fire that possibly started in the basement of the story and a half structure.

The incident was "under control" at 2:09 a.m. with no civilian or firefighter injuries reported.

Unavailable is the fire's cause and dollar estimate of damage.

During the 3 o'clock hour- KCFD & EMS ran a vehicle crash- a reported "truck (crashed) into the casino near the hotel" at the Ameristar Casino and Hotel at 3200 North Ameristar Drive.

No injuries were reported- and no word of the amount of damage done there yet.

There was- of course- the near-Downtown shooting/homicide- then there were other crashes...


One was on Meyer & Prospect around 11:30 p.m. Friday night- then on U.S. 71 near 75th Street at 3 a.m. with one male driver whose car was "rear-ended" per EMS report transported with not life-threatening injuries.


At 5:20 a.m. a motorcycle crash was reported at 27th Street and I-35.

This crash has resulted in a fatality- according to KC-MO Police.

Motorcylist Injured on I-35 Near Lenexa

Imagine you're cruising on your motorcycle down the freeway doing 60-65 m.p.h.- when suddenly you're rear-ended by a motorist going even faster.


That's reported by a MEDACT-EMS unit what happened to their "40-year-old male" patient on northbound I-35 near the U.S. 69 interchange about 11:10 p.m. Friday night.


Fortunately the man's injuries appeared to the MEDACT paramedic to be not life-threatening as he was whisked to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.


Did not hear about the disposition of the driver that rear-ended the cyclist.

Shooting at a Lawrence KS Tavern

One person is at the Lawrence Memorial Hospital with an unknown- but apparently survivable gunshot wound Saturday morning after a shooting at "The Taste" Bar and Grill on West 24th Street in Lawrence.


The incident occurred about 1:35 a.m.- and the victim was reportedly taken to the hospital by a citizen before police and EMS could arrive at the 800 block West 24th Street address.


A "possible suspect vehicle" was followed by a citizen according to police reports- and stopped by the LPD a short time later not far from the crime scene.

KC-MO Shootings Friday Night and Saturday Morning Leaves 2 Dead- At Least 3 Injured

Two shootings have left Kansas City MO with yet two more homicides for 2012 (21?) and a least three others with gunshot wounds of various severity...

The first homicide occurred at a double-shooting in the 7600 block of Monroe about 10 p.m. Friday night.

The dead person was reported by police to be a 15-year-old girl.

 The other gunshot victim reportedly a "21-year-old female-" taken to a hospital by KCFD-EMS with not-mortal injuries.

There wasn't any suspect info available yet.

The second shooting scene was in the 1800 block of Grand around 2:55 a.m. Saturday morning- with at least three injured there- including a person wh later died according to KCPD...




One male victim was transported from this scene by EMS in serious condition to a hospital.

 A second victim was driven to a hospital by unknown persons- this victim's condition unknown.

 KCPD later reported yet another gunshot victim from the Grand incident has arrived by private vehicle at a another hospital- again- no condition known.


By 5 a.m.- KCPD was reporting a homicide associated with this shooting.

No suspect info available in this incident either....

CSW BREAKING: No Injuries Reported at 2-Alarm Olathe KS Motel Fire

The incident broke out about 12:45 a.m. Saturday morning at the Econolodge Motel at 209 East Flaming Drive- virtually across the street from Olathe Fire station 1.

Heavy smoke was reported inside the 2-story structure that was evacuated by fire crews as they fought "a dryer fire."

The fire was reported under control at 12:57 a.m. with damage restricted to the dryer and area around it- and no reports of injured motel patrons.

CSW Commentary: Kansas City News Media Coverage of Shootings is ALL About Location

A suburban Kansas City teenager gets shot once accidentally by a friend and it's in the local news media for days...


An inner-city teen gets shot three times on purpose and- except for the story here at CSW- it's not even news on any of the four TV newscasts or the city's print news monopoly.


I know that in the local corporate news media there IS a distinction- I was told as much once.


Yes- back in the 1990's while I was employed by one of this burg's media giants (I'm not disclosing who- and don't ask) I was basically told by one of their representatives that inner-city shootings weren't as important as those that happened in lower-crime areas (the suburbs).

I recall my reaction at the time still: "Oh REALLY???"

The news came off to me like an inner-city life just wasn't as important as a suburban life (see the difference in school districts- etc).


In short- it REALLY offended me in so much that ANY shooting- or violence- ANYWHERE- should be be given the harsh light of exposure.


There are decent- law-abiding folks stuck in the inner-city as much as others run to suburbia and exurbia to escape crime.

If yesterday's 15-year-old victim had been shot in suburbia- it would be leading news.

But yesterday's shooting of a teenager didn't appear to be news at all.... 

CSW BREAKING: Another Kansas City MO Shooting

Thugs with guns continue to rule the inner-city streets...


At 3 p.m.- KC-MO emergency services responded to a reported shooting in the 2500 block of East 28th Street.


Once there- East Zone patrol officers reported a male victim had been "shot three times-" and reported "three black males- ages 18 to 20" as suspects who left the scene in a car.


EMS transported the "15-year-old male" victim to a hospital- shot "in the right hand- left arm and buttocks."

The victim's condition sounded to be serious to critical.

Fatality Head-On Crash in Kansas City MO Northland

A crash that occurred about 6:45 a.m. Thursday morning has killed one driver and injured three others...

The wreck was at Northeast 46th Terrace and North Brighton and a silver-colored Pontiac collided with a black Chevy Tahoe SUV.


The driver of the Pontiac was killed and 3 others in the Tahoe suffered what police said was non life-threatening injuries.


CSW was awaiting the KC-MO Police traffic division's investigative report and there was yet no identity of the deceased or injured.

Will It Rain on Kansas City's 2012 St. Patrick's Day Parade?

Must be the coffee seeing how I'm asking the reader/viewer questions like the TV weatherpeople...

The short and to-the-point answer is:  possibly.

Kansas City's 40th annual St. Patrick's Day parade begins at 11 a.m. this Saturday near Linwood- and goes south on Broadway to Westport Road.


The parade route and areas where you can park are shown in an image here- additional parking is available on the Country Club Plaza and side streets around Broadway.

More than 150 entries are reported in this year's parade according to the parade producer's Web page- which follows the same route as the 2011 version.


Also as in years past- at least part of the St. Paddy's parade will be broadcast on WDAF FOX-4's Website for those of us who don't like crowds or want to see our Irish cousins on TV.


Temperatures during the parade will be okay- at least in the 60's- the only fly in the oinkment is a chance for showers and thunderstorms late Friday night that could (at this weather-look time) last into Saturday morning and POSSIBLY parade-time.

CSW BREAKING: Police Involved and Critical Injuries Reported in Midtown Kansas City MO Crash

A police officer is reportedly involved and hurt in a vehile crash involving at least 5 injuries at 33rd Street and The Paseo...


The crash was reported at 3:05 p.m. and KCFD-EMS sent six ambulances to the scene.


There was a reported 2 critical- 2 serious and at least 1 minor injured at the scene.

EMS reported  the police officer's paddy wagon was broadsided and rolled-over- and extrictation had to be done to get the cop out of the vehicle.


He's been taken to a Metro hospital in at least serious condition.

Another critical injury- reported by EMS as "a 20-year-old male passenger" of one of the cars- was taken to another hospital.


A "mid-20's male" in critical condition was also transported to a 3rd hospital.

Double Killing in East Kansas City MO Brings 2012 Homicides Count to 19

The homicides keep piling up...

Around 3:20 p.m. this warm Tuesday afternoon- police responded to a house in the 2600 block of Cypress on a reported shooting.


On-scene- police report one person dead- and another person nearly so.


The person nearly so was described by KCFD-EMS as "an approximately 20-year-old male" who had "a gunshot wound to the head."

Fire and EMS personnel were doing CPR on that person enroute to a Metro hospital.

The young man died at that hospital not long after his arrival.


Police later confirmed that the dead person found in a car at the address was a young adult female who had "a domestic relationship" with the deceased 20-year-old male.



Investigators won't and/or can't yet confirm who shot the other- then turned the gun on themselves in this apparent murder-suicide.


Three children three-years-old or less remained uninjured in the car's backseat when the ordeal took place that ended both parent's lives.


CSW offers our condolences to the friends and families of both deceased- and pray the children in the backseat have no lasting memories of those few minutes of Hell....

Future Groom Strangled and Killed at His Own Bachelor Party

The call was sent out to Kansas City MO Fire and EMS units at 4:38 a.m. Sunday morning- dispatched as "a cardiac arrest (heart attack)."

The address was in the 1700 block of Northeast 101st Court- and unbeknownst to emergency crews- a bachelor party was in progress there when a "disturbance-" according to police dispatches- had broken out.


Somebody at the party- according to later EMS reports monitored here at CSW- had put "a choke hold" on the groom-to-be- later identified by police as 23-year-old Jacob Jarozewski- and the choke hold turned out to be fatal.


Police had been called- and reportedly made an arrest of one of the party's attendees- and it is not yet known if this tragic incident was simply horseplay or if it WAS a "disturbance."


Regardless- CSW's sincere condolences to the family- friends and especially the bride-to-be of Jacob Jarozewski. 

National Weather Service Video: The Difference Between a Severe Weather WATCH and WARNING

In the past year- more people have died due to severe weather (tornadoes) than in any one year period since the early 1950s.


It seems an appropriate time to review the processes the National Weather Service (NWS) goes through to attempt to alert the American public that severe weather is possible ... or imminent.


Also- as learned by the residents of Harveyville- Kansas not too long ago- severe thunderstorms can and do produce tornadoes even when no tornado warning has been issued.


If your locale is already in a Tornado Watch and a Severe Thunderstorm Warning is issued- PLEASE take heed (especially in darkness) and go to your shelter area until the storm passes- usually less than 30 minutes time.


Also remember- storms in the late winter and spring often move at freeway speeds- 55 to 70 mph- and therefore a severe storm- or tornado- can be on top of you incredibly fast!