AP: Another Five American Soldiers Killed in Iraq.

The beat goes on ... and on ... and on ... and on ....
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The Kansas City MetroRegion Overnight News and Weather Report - Saturday, May 19, 2007

**K.C., MO. POLICE INVESTIGATE OVERNIGHT STABBING**

MAST reports a male in his 40's received 2 life-threatening stab wounds to the back around 2:20 am.
The crime occurred in the 1200 block of East Independence Avenue.

Police were seeking the suspect who left the scene: a light-skinned, short-haired black male - about 5-feet 11-inches in height and in his mid-30's.
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*VEHICULAR INCIDENTS CAUSE SERIOUS INJURIES TO FEMALES IN K.C. AND GRANDVIEW, MO. *

A woman in her 20's was reportedly struck by a vehicle in the 3800 block of North Spruce around 2:25 am Saturday morning.

A MAST paramedic said she had head and other injuries and was intoxicated - as they sped with their lights and siren to a nearby trauma center.
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A 1-car wreck on southbound U.S. 71 about a quarter-mile north of Missouri-150 just after 3 am seriously injured a woman and lesser-injured a male.

Southbound U.S. 71 was closed at 140th Street by Grandview police for nearly an hour.
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*RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE FIRES IN KC-MO & OVERLAND PARK, KS.*

The first incident was in OP-KS just after midnight - fire in a 2nd-story bedroom on one side of a duplex in the 8500 block of Grant.

The occupant escaped uninjured and the fire was out in about 20 minutes. Careless smoking is suspected.

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KC-MO fire investigators are checking for the suspicious cause of a fire in an apartment building in the 5700 block of St. John at 3:22 am..

The blaze itself was fairly small and under control within 10 mintes. Smoke from the fire sent one resident to a hospital - the only person displaced by the fire.
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***OVERNIGHT WEATHER***

Skies remained clear, winds light and of a southerly component and temperature that fell into the lower to mid-50's at dawn was MetroRegion overnight weather.

A slow warm-up - but no precipitation - will prevail both today and Sunday.
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First with Kansas City Metro- Region Breaking News - KSHB NBC41 ACTION NEWS.
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Cool and Wet Memorial Day in the Kansas City MetroRegion?

Stand by for more details on this as the numerical weather models do their thing over the next few days.

After this possibly severe thunderstorm & heavy rain event by mid-next week - several of the models are indicating precipitation above the norm and temperatures fluctuating up and down around the norm into the first of June.

Republicrats & Demublicans: We'll Stay In Iraq Until Every Last Iraqui or American Soldier is Maimed or Dead

Compromising on the ending date of a "war" that never should have been.

Are Americans ready for a 3rd political party YET?????????

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National Hurricane Center Wants "Party Money"

In our on-going installments of Bizarro America - our brainy Feds seemingly cut-back the operating budget of the NHC - but is willing to throw $4-million at a party.

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Simply The Right Thing To Do

Several Southern states have enacted what are called "Rosa Parks pardons" - or expunging the criminal records of those who were charged with minor "crimes" standing up for their American-given rights during the Civil Rights movement of the 1950's & 1960's.

Great idea - the law passed in Tennessee yet 6 legislators voted AGAINST it! I surely do wonder what their reasoning was.

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Perry-dise

Thought I'd share a pix of my brother-man's new beach property near Corpus Christi.

It's about 1-1/2-blocks from the Gulf - there are numerous charter services nearby and if you are looking for a vacation getaway - get with me and I'll check with Perry & Neil on availability.

(NOTE: There ARE dolphins nearby at Port Aransas! lol)

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"Everyone Loves- The King of The Sea"

Ok- so this story isn't about porpoises (sorry - I watched the original 'Flipper' movie on TCM awhile back - loved the TV show (grin)).

But this IS about swimming mammals- in California.

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A Kansas City Solution to All Our Gunplay?

A city councilperson in Baltimore, MD. wants to give the mayor power to put troubled areas of their city into "lockdown."

Would that work here or it this a police-state approach? Methinks the ACLU would have a field day.

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NYC Firefighters Still Being Hurt By 9/11

Geez- hasn't NYC Fire Station/Engine & Ladder 10 suffered enough?

Put a damn steel dome over the fecking firehouse!

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Kansas City at a Crossroads with Light Rail

It was one of the biggest 'in-your-face' election results in K.C.'s history. It was last November when voters surprised the local pollys and actually APPROVED Clay Chastain's plan for a light rail system.

Most voters (moi included) didn't care for the Chastain version- we just wanted to voice our opinion it was time for Kansas City to become a national-class city with a national-class transportation system. If we waited for the A.T.A. and the politicians - it would probably never get done.

Yet six months later and the discussion continues - not so much as one route has been planned- much less approved.

Former City Council candidate Mark Forsythe - on his Web site 'The Kansas City Post' - has been running a series of stories - with reader commentary - on the various type of commuter rail available. (One might wonder where our local "news" media is on this education process - this would have made one HELL of an on-going 'rating sweeps' subject.)

My inner fear is that the KC government leaders will screw this up like they did the rolling roofs voters approved for the sports stadiums but never built. Then 35 years later when the costs to build the roofs were more than the cost to build BOTH stadiums - the pollys come back to the voters.

The new Kansas City mantra should be "Think Cowtown."

Instead of a BIG new arena (like Dallas' AA) with significantly more seats that Kemper - we build a glass-covered doughtnut with less than a 3,000 seat increase. Oh yes- we're still PAYING for Kemper too.

This city LOVES to run glitzy projects by the voters instead of projects benefitting the whole. We've subsidized our pro sports team to the max- how about a solid- efficient- SPEEDY transportation system?

Sure it's going to be expensive. Nothing worth doing RIGHT comes cheap.

Shall the Kansas City taxpayers continue to subsidize corporations or is it time for us to really get to work on our basic infrastructure - things that will benefit present residents and make this city attractive to future Kansas Citians?

(PS: And my pissy-ant attitude towards our sports teams isn't necessarily because their field performances suck given the Broadway-show-calibre parking/ticket/concession prices charged.)