Layoffs at The Kansas City STAR Didn't Go Far Enough

It seems every time there's a layoff at The STAR- the corporate news-sheet always misses the deadest weight.



For months it seems- STAR editorialist dead-weight Yael T. Abouhalkah has been droning ON and ON about how lousy Mayor Funkhouser is.

I'll be damn if he's in this morning's paper still bitching about Funk.


Funkhouser is the man The STAR supported last mayorial election.


CSW urged Abouhalkah to run for mayor himself a couple of months ago- since the man seems to know JUST what kind of new mayor Kansas City needs.


So The STAR should urge Yael T. Abouhalkah to run for mayor himself- or AT LEAST- give the man a leave of absence until AFTER the election and give their readers a break....

__________

Central States News: 3 Dead After Truck Plunges Off Turnpike into River in Northeastern Oklahoma

The crash happened about 6:30 a.m. Thursday morning- when an extended-cab pickup truck- reportedly carrying up to 8 people- crashed off a bridge on I-44 near Miami and plunged 30-40 feet into the Spring River below.

(Photos are screen captures of KOTV-6 News helicopter images)

The Interstate- which is the Will Rogers Turnpike- was closed while rescuers braving near-zero temperatures managed to pull 5 people from the icy waters and load them onto waiting medical helicopters.

Three persons in the truck could not be saved- stated the TULSA (OK) WORLD.



The Will Rogers Turnpike/I-44- reopened to traffic about 10 a.m..

__________

Four-Alarm Fire in Olathe KS Elementary School

At 650 a.m. Thusday morning- a 4th-alarm has been sounded for the fire at the Green Springs Elementary school at 14675 South Alden in Olathe.


Fire crews from as far away as Lenexa and Overland Park are battling the fire which has been going for about the last 40 minutes.

As of 7:11 a.m.- the fire has been declared under control.

No injuries have been reported- and the school was closed along with other Olathe schools today due to weather.

A statement by the Olathe School District on this fire- the cleanup and re-start of school can be found here.

_____________

CSW WEATHER: Metro Kansas City Will Experience Near or Record Low Temperatures Thursday Morning

The record low for Thursday at K.C.I. Airport- the "official" NWS weather observation station since 1972- is -12-degrees below-zero- set just 15 years ago that date in 1996.


Metro Kansas City will see temperatures at or near that record tomorrow morning.


Thankfully- there'll be very little wind to make matters worse.



As a small consolation- parts of deep South Texas and the Texas as well as Louisiana-Mississippi and Alabama Gulf coast areas could see an ice and/or snowstorm beginning later Thursday.

_____________

CSW BREAKING: "Major" Gas Line Rupture in Ruskin Heights Area of KC-MO

This is at 107th Street and Blue Ridge in South KC-MO where an underground "major gas line" has ruptured- spewing debris and natural gas into the air

This is reported to be a 36-inch pipeline.

There has NOT been any explosion or fire as of 4:00 p.m.

 The rupture itself occurred about 1:50 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

Blue Ridge and 107th Street are being closed.

Homes and businesses within a 2-block area of the gas main rupture are evacuated.

At 2:19 p.m.- Missouri Gas Energy was arriving on the scene- but it is believed this is POSSIBLY a pipeline that is operated by Williams Pipeline Co...

Note that this is the SAME gas main that ruptured in this area in the mid-1990's. 

That rupture was about 3 blocks west of the current break- and that rupture resulted in a large fire about 15 minute after the main broke.

More as received.....

___________

How Did Feb. 1, 2011 Kansas City Blizzard Stack-Up Historically?

With yesterday's snow "officially" measured at K.C. I. Airport at 8.9-inches- it wasn't even in the Top 10 biggest snows in 24 hours.



The Top 10 Kansas City 24-Hour Snowfalls are:


No. 1     - 1912  March 23     - 20.5-inches
No. 2     - 1930  January 8      - 12.8-inches
No. 3T   - 1900  February 27   - 11.8-inches
No. 3T   - 1962  January 18    - 11.8-inches
No. 5T   - 1993  February 25   - 10.5-inches

No. 5T   - 1958  January 25    - 10.5-inches

No. 7     - 1915  March 4        - 10.4-inches
No. 8     - 1962  January 5      - 10.1-inches
No. 9     - 1987  December 14 - 9.7-inches
No. 10T - 1918  December 24 - 9.5-inches
No. 10T - 1912  February 25   - 9.5-inches

Here in south Kansas City about 25 miles southeast of K.C.I.- we received an average of 10-inches- but no idea where that would stand historically for a snowfall in THIS area.
 
 
 
Needless to say- it was deep and inconvenient and we're ready for Meteorological Spring on March 1.....

 

_____________

The Blizzard of February 1, 2011 Winds Toward An End

For the past hour- rates of snowfall have decreased across Metro Kansas City- west to east.

However- strong north winds that will shift more westerly will blow the 8 to 16-inch snowfall around as well that that does fall over the next few hours.

Travel by commercial air from Kansas City is impossible- as well as travel on Interstate and major U.S. highways across the State of Missouri.

In addition- travel is difficult if not near-impossible at times on the Kansas Turnpike- I-35 and Metro Kansas side Interstates.






Snow will continue east and southeast of Kansas City through midnight- ending from west to east overnight..

Blowing snow will continue through daylight Wednesday morning- with temperatures falling into the single-digits and wind chills way below zero.

_________

CSW BREAKING: Major Interstates in Metro Kansas City Closing Due To Blizzard

At 3:55 p.m.- the Missouri State Patrol was announcing "the shutdown of I-70 from Oak Grove inbound to Kansas City."

This will be done as patrol and other police units can clear and close the Interstate progressively closer exits.


I-70 has already been closed east of Kansas City to St. Louis.


There are currently multi-vehicle crashes on I-70- particularily west of Noland in Independence.


In addition- Riverside MO announces "southbound I-635 is closed at Horizons."

_____________

Kansas City Area Residents Asked To Report Only Injury Crashes - Park Off The Streets Due To Blizzard

In KC-MO- police are NOT responding to non-injury crashes now and probably for the next 12-18 hours.



All Emergency Snow Ordinances and Snow Route parking restrictions and travel are in effect.

Even in neighborhoods- try to refrain from street parking so plow crews can get through Wednesday morning.

There's been car crashes- truck crashes-jack-knifes- lots of vehicles "slide-off" of the roads everywhere in the Metro.

I-70 was "closed westbound" in Leavenworth county KS at 1:48 p.m.

 

I-70 is also closed east of Kansas City MO. and travel to Columbia - St. Louis is not possible.

An apartment fire injured a person at the Westbrooke Apartments near 75th Street and Flint just after 1 p.m..

Other more minor structure fires have been reported in KC & Liberty MO..

Some EMS units are already getting stuck in the snow running calls in south KC-MO..

All other emergency responses by police- fire & EMS units will be greatly slowed until the storm winds down Wednesday morning.



Trash pickups in KC-MO for Wednesday will also be delayed a day- Channel 2.

More as it comes in.....

____________

CSW WEATHER Storm Update 03: Snow Piles Up in Southeastern KC-MO - Video and Images

As of 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon- there more than a half-foot of snow on the ground- sidewalks- streets- etc..


Moderately-heavy- fine snow was falling- and blowing as north winds gust to 27 m.p.h. at this hour.


Driving through the 'hood a little over and hour ago was slick enough- even as plow crews worked the major roadways in the Loma Vista and other areas of south KC-MO..



Snow will continue- heavy at times over the afternoon through dark- then tapering off around midnight.

North winds will gust into the 40 mph range through Wednesday morning with temperatures falling to the single digits- producing wind chill temperatures of less than 25 below zero.


The winds will also blow and drift the new-fallen snowcover of 8 (northwest) to 16-inches (east-south) that will have fallen across the Metro.


East-west roadways (I-70-470-435- K-10 & U.S. 50) will remain dangerous for travel through midday Wednesday.


There have been reports of tractor-trailer trucks jack-knifed on U.S. 71 near Peculiar- and on I-35 in Clinton county MO..

All roadways are becoming snowpacked and dangerous at any speeds above 25 mph..

Snowfalls of 24-inches up to 3-feet are possible in the Truman Lake & Lake of The Ozarks areas- inside a Warrensburg- Marshall- Columbia-  Rolla- Springfield- Nevada back to Wburg MO area.

___________

CSW Breaking News Correction: NO Fatalities in Urich MO-area House Fire

Good news- Urich MO authorities have confirmed that there were NO FATALITIES in the house fire this morning.


Originally it was believed that there may have been a family in the home on West 6th Street that was "fully-involved" when fire crews arrived before 6 a.m. this morning.

However- it was later determined that family had "stayed in (Urich) last night because of the (snow) storm."

The home was destroyed by the fire.

Anyway- some good news on this horrible-weather day....

____________