CSW WEATHER: Still No Tornado Watch Issued- But Severe Storm Watch Extended

Incredibly- with all the confirmed tornadoes in the Kansas City MetroRegion tonight- no tornado watch was issued nor is a tornado watch in effect.


However- Severe Thunderstorm Watch No. 319 that was set to expire at 11 p.m. has been extended until 1 a.m. Sunday morning for Metro K.C. and our surrounding area.

Have NOT heard of any tornado reports for more than an hour- although western JoCoKS is under a tornado warning.

CSW continues on-duty with weather and other news until 7 a.m. Sunday morning- anything after midnight I'll be feeding to KSHB-TV NBC Action News....

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CSW BREAKING: Tornado Damage Reported in Reading KS

Reading is in extreme east-northeastern Lyon county KS south of Topeka- a town of about 200 people.

Reportedly- the same tornado that touched down northeast of Emporia has remained on the ground and has cause yet unknown-extent of damage in the small community of Reading.

Shortly before midnight- a Kansas National Guard spokesperson Sharon Watson told news partner KSHB NBC Action News 41 that "20 homes were destroyed" in Reading with "around 200 structures with varying degrees of damage."

The spokesperson also said there were at least "several persons injured."



Early Sunday morning- a fatality was reported as a result of the tornado in Reading.


Lyon County Emergency Management reports Sunday that 53-year-old Don Chesmore suffered mortal injuries after the tornado flipped-over his mobile home.

A Facebook page for the Reading Tornado has been established HERE.

This storm is generally following I-35 southwest of Ottawa KS.

Be especially cautious of night tornadoes and PLEASE take cover if a tornado warning is issued since the tornado cannot be easily seen!

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CSW BREAKING: Tornado Touches Down Northeast of Emporia KS

The EMPORIA (KS) GAZETTE reports that at 8:53 p.m.- spotters reported a tornado touched down "near the water tower on Burlington Road in eastern Lyon County."


Although a "debris field" was reported- there hasn't been any reports yet of any structures hit or injuries.


This storm cell appears to be moving more eastward than northward now- and could affect Johnson County KS and the southwest K.C. Metro during the next hour or two..

Bear in mind- ONLY a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for Metro K.C. until 11 pm..

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Video of Tornado Funnel in Topeka

This video is courtesy of The TOPEKA (KS) CAPITAL-JOURNAL...

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Jefferson County KS Tornado Update

Numerous Jefferson County KS emergency crews are converging on the Lakeside Village area- reportedly struck by what appears to be a small- EF1 possibly tornado in the past 30 minutes.

So far- only numerous trees are reported down with thus far little damage to structures and mobile homes.

One emergency crew reported "a tree down on a trailer with the occupants trapped inside" at 10191 Delaware Drive in Lakeside Village.


None of the trapped occupants were reported to be injured.


There have yet been no reports of injuries as of 8:23 p.m..

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CSW BREAKING: "Significant Damage" Caused by Tornado in Jefferson County KS

At 7:23 p.m.- Jefferson county emergency services spotters report "significant damage" has occurred after a tornado touched down in Lakeside Village on the east side of Lake Perry.

There are no initial reports of injuries- and we're locked in on Jefferson county emergency services- as well as following this storm heading toward Okaloosa and northwestern Leavenworth county KS..

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CSW BREAKING: Tornado Reported Near Topeka Airport- Large Funnel in Jefferson County KS

A tornado reportedly touched down in south Topeka near Forbes Field within the past 30 minutes.

The TOPEKA (KS) CAPITAL-JOURNAL reports a tornado touched down near 23rd Street and Fairlawn- but no immediate reports of any damage or injuries..

Debris was seen by a spotter- but thus far no report of what the tornado has hit.

Also- storm spotters are tracking "a large funnel cloud" in southwestern Jefferson county KS that was near Grantville- and was moving north-northeast toward Valley Falls.

CSW is tracking this storm by radar and scanners....

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CSW WEATHER: Metro Kansas City Included in Severe Storm Watch No. 319

Now- most of Metro K.C. is in a severe thunderstorm watch until 11 p.m..

Watch No. 319 will include that area of KS and MO generally along and north of U.S. 56-Interstate 70.


Cass county MO and Miami county KS are NOT included in this watch.

Current weather radar shows a severe storm entering Metro Topeka at this time.

More on this developing weather situation here at CSW as it occurs....

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CSW WEATHER: Severe Storm Watches In The Kansas City MetroRegion

Severe thunderstorm (tstm) watches affect the Central States from Iowa (IA and Nebraska (NE) south into eastern KS..

One tstm watch- No. 318- covers an area generally along and west of U.S. 75 highway- and includes MetroRegion KS cities such as Topeka- Emporia and Seneca until 11 p.m. this Saturday night.


Just in the past few minutes- Douglas and Jefferson counties KS were added to Watch No. 318- inculding the cities of Lawrence and Oskaloosa.

Another watch includes NE cities such as Lincoln and Omaha.


Currently- severe storms have erupted southwest of Topeka- and are moving toward the KS State capital.

General storm movement is forecast to be slightly north of due east- so tstms could affect Metro K.C. later this Saturday night-early Sunday morning.


CSW will be on-duty overnight- so any severe weather affeting the Metro will be posted here as soon as it's reported.

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CSW BREAKING: Traffic Fatality in KC-MO

One person died and another injured in a single-vehicle crash around 1:10 a.m. Saturday morning.



The crash occurred on southbound Bruce Watkins Expressway/U.S. 71 near 32st Street.

It was reported a SUV struck a guardrail- overturned and caught fire according to original witnesses.

When fire crews arrived however- the vehicle was not burning.


A 32-year-old female passenger was taken to a local hospital in good condition.

No information on the deceased person yet.

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CSW BREAKING: Homicide in KC-MO

It occurred around 1 a.m. near the intersection of 41st Street and Kenwood in Midtown.

The yet-unidentified male victim was dead at the scene of unknown-number of gunshot wound(s).



There was no suspect or any other information yet on this latest KC-MO homicide.

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CSW WEATHER: Off and On Severe Storms This Weekend

Much of MetroRegion Kansas City- including the Metro- is forecasted to have severe thunderstorms today- Saturday and Sunday- according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center (NWS-SPC).

The wet- stormy weather pattern could last through the middle of next week as well.

Today's cloud-filtered morning sunshine will give way to increasingly lower and darker clouds from the south- as a developing area of showers and thunderstorms moves north from northeastern Oklahoma (OK) and southeastern Kansas (KS).

Large hail is the primary severe threat early- with some chances for tornadoes later this afternoon and evening over eastern KS and western Missouri (MO).

There is also an increasing flash flood risk over the same areas- especially by late weekend.

More chances for severe storms on Saturday- but the weekend days shouldn't be total washouts- with most likely chances of storms overnight- early morning- late afternoon and evenings.

The severe risk extends over our area into Sunday.



Please keep an ear and eye on the latest weather developments in case severe weather threatens YOUR area.

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Sshhh- Don't Tell Bannister Building Boosters About Failed Retail

The soccer team who USED to be called the Wizards jumped ship and state with their soccer stadium- leaving a large area of FORMER RETAIL SPACE undeveloped.


That former retail area was known as Bannister Mall- then there's another failed retail center to the north of where the BM used to be- and yet another strip of shops east of there- vacant save for 2 persistant retailers.

Yet- the Pollys of KC-MO keep wanting to throw taxpayer dollars at developers to come up with a future eyesore to replace the present eyesore.


"Offices and retail" the new developers sweetly tell the pollys- will go into the blighted area- if you help subsidize our costs.


"Here- have nearly $200-million in tax breaks-" the blind pollys reply.


Never mind a major shopping center FULL of retail failed here- along with the strip centers I mentioned plus one I didn't mention on the SOUTH side of Bannister Road.


IF this area is so f-ing attractive for development- why does the developer need a dime of taxpayer money or tax breaks?

Why aren't tax breaks given to residents and other businesses in this area struggling to keep-up their properties?

Don't the KC-MO pollys have even a CLUE???

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2-Alarm Fire in Prairie Village KS

This fire is in a large residence in the Corinth Hills area of south Prairie Village...


A 2nd-alarm response of 3 more pumper or engine and another aerial companies were called to the fire at 12:31 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

There are so far no reports of injuries.

More as received....

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How NOT To Look At A Tornado: Resident Video-Recording Alabama Tornado Nearly Killed

All the time there's talk of storm chasers getting too close to a tornado- but little is mentioned about residents in a tornado's path nearly getting killed videoing the twister.

Such is in this latest video find from The Great Tornado Outbreak of 2011 on April 27 that produced more than 300 tornadoes and killed more than that many.


This videographer- along with his brother-in-law- narrowly avoids becoming a tornado fatality while shooting the Cordova AL tornado coming right at his house.

The fast-moving twister is already across the street from him before the recording stops- on his YouTube page "jayf1295"- the videotaker tells how his house was destroyed as he and his brother-in-law were blown into the yard.

Nothing is mentioned about their injuries which were obviously not terminal.

Independence MO's Corporate Welfare To Slash City Services

It's a position I'm sure every taxpaying Indy resident enjoys- seeing their hard-earned/spent tax dollars going to viable corporations through wonky real estate financing deals.


Because the City of Independence's politicians were so short-sighted (corrupt?)- that money used to pay-down the bonds at the fancy Bass Pro Shops center near U.S. 40 and I-470 won't be available to pay for frivolous items such as full fire and police protection and street lights- according to the INDEPENDENCE-BLUE SPRINGS/GRAIN VALLEY EXAMINER.


Stay tuned for more corporate welfare issued by your local politicians- as you watch your property tax go UP and your city's services go DOWN.

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U.S. Senate Keeps Tax Breaks For Oil Companies

Just in case you thought the politicians you send to Washington D.C. give a damn about your financial plight- better think again...


Yesterday- your vastly overpaid Senators killed a bill that would have done-away with tax breaks for American oil companies.


Therefore- American Big Oil not only will continue to gouge us at the pump- but will continue to pay less income tax to do so.

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Jerry Lewis' Last MD Telethon

As an aficionado of Dean Martin- I'm keenly aware probably almost half of Dino's career involves another guy named Jerry Lewis.

Jerry- the guy who has hosted those Muscular Dystrophy Association telethons on Labor Day in September since I've been a teenager.


According to reliable reports- this Labor Day MDA Telethon from Las Vegas will be Jerry Lewis' last.

At age 85- Mr. Lewis is suffering from a number of health problems- and the 21+ hour grind of the live telecast was becoming simply overwhelming.



The telethon has also been reduced this year to 6 hours- 6 p.m. to midnight- in a new format.



Last year- nearly $59-million was raised- Lewis' MDA telethons have raised more than $2-billion for the organization.


UPDATE: A CSW poll regarding your feelings on Mr. Lewis' unceremonious end to his hosting the MDA Labor Day Telethon is found on the righthand side of this blog.