CENTRAL STATES WEATHER: Severe Thunderstorm Risk In Iowa Today

The National Weather Service's (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman-OK (formerly KC-MO)- has all but about the western quarter of Iowa- northern Illinois- southwestern Wisconsin and extreme southern Minnesota in a slight or 25% risk area of possible severe thunderstorms later today.

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Iraq Prime Minister Retracts Invitation For Americans To Leave

This means when you get an invitation you should accept it and leave immediately. The Prime Minister was "misunderstood" - sorta like Dr. Pepper.

Boy- wouldn't THAT have shocked Nouri al-Maliki if we had pulled out of Iraq overnight....

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NW Japan 6.7 Quake Kills 3 - Injures 400

A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck just off the northwest coast of Japan's Honshu or main island at 10:13 am Monday Japan time- 8:13 pm Central Daylight Time Sunday night.

News agencies are reporting 3 people killed- 400 injured- a transformer fire at a nuclear power plant- and other destruction.

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CENTRAL STATES WEATHER: Severe Thunderstorms In Nebraska

There's a developing MCS (meso-convective system) developing in Nebraska this Sunday evening and a severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for much of the central and southern parts of that state (click on images below).
Areal movement of this MCS appears to be southeastward with some eastward drift- and if that trend continues that storm cluster could affect western portions of the Kansas City MetroRegion much later tonight into early Monday morning.
As always- stay tuned and any changes for our area will be posted here....

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KC Teen Abducted During Carjacking Found Unharmed

It was around 2 am when two teens had pulled into an apartment complex parking lot in south Kansas City.

In moments- one- then a second armed man came and ordered the teenaged male out of the car- then the 2 men drove off with the car and the teenaged female inside.

The worst was feared (I even had a feeling and went driving through Swope Park after I got off work this morning- looking). But the story has a good ending.

The teen female had been released- unharmed- at a gas station/convenience store in south Overland Park-KS Sunday morning.

Police continue to seek the suspects and the car- likely facing Federal charges of kidnapping a person across state lines.

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An Ongoing American Crime

While politicians in Washington D.C. battle over all kinds of things- the one thing they don't seem to care about is the shame of America having an estimated "9 million children" with no medical insurance or coverage.

The government can spend $3-BILLION a week on a "war" that never should have been- Iraq- but not one dime for our millions of medically uninsured children.

And that- my friends- IS a crime....

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The Kansas City MetroRegion Overnight News and Weather Report - Sunday, July 15, 2007

** FATALITY CAR WRECK IN FRANKLIN COUNTY- KS. **

... The wreck was reported just after 6 am Sunday morning- on Idaho Road south of K-68- about 5 miles west of Ottawa.

The unidentified driver was pronounced dead at the scene. No other details were yet available.

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** MAN SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN KC-KS SHOOTING **

... Around 4:40 am this morning- the driver of a car that had been riddled with bullets nearby pulled up to the KC-KS Police's Central Patrol station at 700 Minnesota.

Inside the car was a 23-year-old male who'd been shot in the lower spine and sounded to be paralyzed. He was taken to an area trauma center by EMS.

The shooting reportedly happened at 6th Street & Franklin and so far police report no suspect information.

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** KC-MO POLICE INVESTIGATING CARJACKING AND POSSIBLE ABDUCTION **

... It was around 2 am Sunday morning when KC-MO Police got the call of a carjacking in the 9800 block of Cherry in south KC-MO.

Police arrived and reported a female who was in the car with a male had been abducted with the car..

The female victim and the car- a silver Honda Civic- was being sought by police.

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** Johnson County-MO Man Seriously Injured In A.T.V. Accident **

... A 21-year-old male suffered serious head injuries when he crashed his 3-wheel ATV in rural Johnson County MO during the 1 am hour Sunday morning.

The man- reported "highly-intoxicated" as well- became so combative during the medical helicopter flight that the copter had to set down briefly at East KC Airport.

After the victim was sedated- the flight continued to a K.C. trauma center.

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<><><> OVERNIGHT WEATHER <><><>

The storms and clouds moved out of the Metro- leaving light winds and temperatures around the 70-degree mark by dawn.

Summer heat will finally arrive in earnest this week and any chances of rain will be scattered.

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First with Metro Kansas City Breaking News - NBC41 ACTION NEWS.
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New Planet Green Cable Channel To Help Greensburg-KS To Rebuild

This press release details how cable TV's The Discovery Channel is launching the Planet Green Channel- and they're reportedly going to help tornado-battered Greensburg-KS rebuild.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Discovery Communications has partnered
with actor Leonardo DiCaprio on an environment-focused series that will help launch the company's Planet Green channel.

The 13-part series, "Eco-Town," will chronicle the rebuilding of the small town of Greensburg, Kan., which was devastated by a tornado May 4. The town, which has more than 1,500 residents, will be rebuilt as a "sustainable model of eco-living and one that will save it from future environmental catastrophe."

The project was brought to Discovery by DiCaprio, a noted environmentalist, and Craig Piligiann of Pilgrim Films & Television. DiCaprio will executive produce through his company, Appian Way, along with Piligian and Discovery Studios.

DiCaprio also will serve on the board of advisers for Planet Green, which is launching in first-quarter 2008 (The company's Discovery Home Channel is being rebranded as the eco-friendly network.)

Discovery Communications president and CEO David Zaslav made the announcement Friday during the company's portion of the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.

"The centerpiece of the launch of Planet Green is going to be our effort to help the governor of Kansas and the town of Greensburg, Kan., to rebuild that town green," he said, adding that the environment has been a focus of Discovery since its inception. "It's not just about entertainment; we're going to put our resources into Greensburg and Planet Green and try to make a difference."

Zaslav added that he intends to put more money into producing higher-quality programming for all Discovery networks. In particular, he said, more money and effort will be devoted to the Science Channel, which he said could become a top 10 cable network as well as a successful channel globally.

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AP: American Death Toll In Iraq At 3613

This is as of Saturday- July 14- as reported by the Associated Press.

The following nations have also contributed victims to Bush's Folly:
Great Britian 159 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 20; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia, three; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Romania, South Korea, one death each.

Mark Saturday as well as the day the Prime Minister of Iraq said we American occupying forces "can leave (Iraq) at any time."

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San Antonio-TX Zookeeper Critically-Injured By Tiger

The tiger is said to have attacked the 20-something male zookeeper "in a non-public area" around 2:30 pm Saturday. The man is expected to recover.

Even though the zoo keeper will live- unlike the last story- the zoo closed for the day.

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Woman Dies On Bungee Ride At Oshkosh-WI Christian Festival

The accident reportedly happened late Satuday afternoon when a bungee-type amusement ride malfunctioned- sending a woman falling "40-50 feet" to her instant death.

Out of respect for the dead- the "Christian festival" reportedly continued on....

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