CBS-Owned Stations Slash News Staff

If you think local TV news is already a version of America's Newsiest (dash/security-camera) Videos- those of you in places like L.A.- San Francisco and Chicago will probably find no relief on your CBS-owned stations.

The Associated Press reports the "Tiffany Network" has cut newsroom and other staffers at their stations "due to economic conditions" stated one CBS head.

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D-U-I Checkpoints Are A Waste Of Police Resources

KC-MO police recently stopped 286 vehicles at a Plaza-area checkpoint.

Seven (7) drivers were charged with driving under the influence of whatever.

Meanwhile that same night- several police patrol zones were "blacked out"- or had no cars available to run calls.

We probably could use the dozen or so officers that run these D-U-I checkpoints to PATROL THE STREETS.

I don't know how many obviously impaired drivers I see in locations not around these checkpoints.

However- don't bother being a good citizen and call in a license number and vehicle description.

If that patrol zone even dispatches the call within 10 minutes of YOUR call- chances are they have no officers available to seek out that driving drunk.

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Missouri Corporation Breaks Law- Gets Pass

If certain politicians have their way- Missouri's Aquila would not have to dismantle a power station they erected in Cass County illegally.

You can DAMN WELL bet the farm on the fact if you or I had built a structure that was in violation of county building codes or zoning laws- WE'D have to tear-down whatever the hell we put up ILLEGALLY.

But then- most of us aren't big energy corporations who can BUY what we want.

It SURE appears Aquila bought Missouri Representative Ed Emery of Lamar (Harry Truman's birthplace- go figure!).

Rep. Emery wants to pass legislation that would overturn the COURTS decision to force Aquila to tear down that power plant they built ILLEGALLY in Cass County.

If I was a Lamar area voter- I'd SURE want to see what corporations (Aquila?) donate heavily to Emery's re-election campaigns.

Better yet- throw the bum OUT!

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Overland Park Traffic Bottleneck Continues

As the image shows- work continues on the Metcalf overpasses over Indian Creek- just north of the intersection with 103rd Street.

This is a good area to avoid during peak traffic periods- as you can see southbound traffic is frequently backed up for up to 4 blocks north of this construction.

No word when the bridges will be completed as I'm sure the timetable depends a LOT on Mother Nature.

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KANSAS CITY'S WEATHER: Severe Threat Is Over Here

The wind shift/front is passing through the K.C. Metro right now- and except for a thin line of showers- mainly north of the river- there shouldn't be any severe weather- rain even- from generally I-35 in the Metro and westward for the remainder of the day.

Here are the present watches in effect from the NWS-SPC- from eastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas into the St. Louis Metro.

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KANSAS CITY'S BREAKING WEATHER: Strong Winds Over K.C. Metro

Strong winds- outflow from a thunderstorm complex over southeastern Kansas- are creating gusts to near 50 m.p.h. over Metro K.C. right now.

These strong winds are NOT associated with any severe weather.

These strong winds should subside over the next hour- but some gusts approaching 60 m.p.h. are possible.

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Kansas City's FIRST Good Severe Weather Day

March will have an identity problem on it's last day today- alternately acting like a lamb or lion.

First off as we bask in the lower 60's here in southeastern KC-MO this morning- there's a Severe Thunderstorm Watch covering areas north of the Metro- in northwestern Missouri.
Also- an area of light to moderate rainshowers/thundershowers is moving up on the Metro from the southwest. No severe weather there- just rain.

If we get some sunshine- heated up- a better show comes early this Monday afternoon. As you can see by the latest severe weather prediction from the NWS-SPC in Norman-OK- we're under a "slight risk" of severe thunderstorms today.

That red area- or "moderate risk" extends from northeastern TX near the Red River border of OK northeastward into southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas. The "moderate risk" area includes most of eastern Oklahoma- watch out down there.

Large hail and big winds are the main threat- but there is a chance for tornadoes too.

I'll be on this today- so keep tuned and/or logged in....

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KANSAS CITY MetroRegion WEATHER: Severe Thunderstorm Watch - Kansas Side

The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center (NWS-SPC) has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 6am Monday morning for a large part of Kansas- from south-central to the northeast.

As you see by the counties map (click to enlarge)- those counties in the northwestern and western portions of the Kansas City MetroRegion are in this watch.

Drizzle- light rain- showers & fog will continue through dawn with temperatures steady (mid-50's) or slowly rising.

Thundersrtorms over Oklahoma and southern Kansas will move into the MetroRegion after midnight- with more chances of severe storms early Monday afternoon as well.

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The Kansas City MetroRegion Overnight News and Weather Report - Sunday, March 30, 2008

*** ONE KILLED IN JOCO-KS WRECK ***

*** A male driver died early Sunday morning after he lost control of his vehicle on Gardner Road south of 199th Street at 4:11am.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:23am after the vehicle rolled over on top of him. There was no word if the driver was wearing a seatbelt.

JOCO-KS Sheriff's Department was investigating and there were no other details.

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** KC-MO Wreck Injures 4 **

*** This one-vehicle crash was reported at 2:35am early Sunday morning on eastbound M-350 east of Noland Road..

The crash knocked down at least one power pole- at least one person had been ejected and another was still trapped inside the wrecked vehicle when emergency crews arrived..

The 4 victims were taken to 3 area trauma centers in serious to critical condition.

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** Fire Burns Vacant House In KC-KS **

... Six companies of firefighters fought a fire in a vacant house in the 2200 block of Richmond at 1:35am Sunday morning.

No injuries reported and it took about 30 minutes to put the fire out. Arson is suspected.

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

Temperatures held generally steady in the low to mid-40's overnight- which is about 5-10-degrees above normal. Helping was a cloud cover- which was producting some rainshowers over extreme southern portions of the MetroRegion Sunday morning.

Temperatures today will slowly warm into the 50's to middle-60's southern areas.

The rainshower- thunderstorm and severe weather threat increases over the Kansas City MetroRegion- from south to north- and from late afternoon into Monday afternoon.

It appears Monday midday to afternoon will be the best time for a general severe storm threat MetroRegion-wide- so please keep tuned or logged into weather info.

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Kansas City's Breaking News Leader - NBC41 ACTION NEWS.

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KANSAS CITY'S BREAKING NEWS: KC-MO COP SHOOTS "SUSPECT"

A police officer has shot and apparently at least seriously wounded a "suspect" of an unknown offense in near-Northeast KC-MO.

The incident occurred just before 11pm- reportedly in the parking lot of an apartment complex between 7th & 8th Streets- Park to Olive.

The investigation is underway- as that "suspect"- a male in his 20's with a gunshot wound to the face- is enroute to a city trauma center.

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The Kansas City MetroRegion Overnight News and Weather Report - Saturday, March 29, 2008

** Four Injured In Bonner Springs- KS Head-On Wreck **

*** A male in his 20's is in critical condition and 2 others were seriously-injured in the 1:40am incident on K-32 under K-7.

The crash reportedly happened at speeds of around 40-50 m.p.h.. Police who arrived first report finding the male in his 20's- unresponsive- not breathing and with no pulse.

Officers revived the man- EMS crews kept him going- but his condition was critical while being flown by a medical helicopter to an area trauma center.

The Kansas Highway Patrol was investigating the possibly alcohol involved wreck.

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** Man Shot In KC-MO **

*** A shooting- reported at 2:01am early Sunday morning in the 3400 block of Palmer- has a man in serious to critical injuries at a city trauma center.

The shooting was in the Bunker Hill trailer park. Police had no other information.

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** House Under Construction Burns In Warrensburg-MO **

... The fire was reported at 1:45am- "a vacant house- totally-involved" in flames in the 400 block of 9th Street in Warrensburg. The first fire truck arriving 10 minutes later confirms this fact.

It took Warrensburg firefighters until 3am to put the fire out- but no injuries were reported. An investigation as to the cause was underway.

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

Skies were variably-cloudy overnight with high clouds and temperatures fell into the upper-30's to lower 40's MetroRegion-wide.

A transition day today as a new storm system gathers strength in the Western U.S..

Highs ranging from 50 to 60-degrees under increasingly-cloudy skies and increasing winds later today. The MetroRegion will see- from south to north beginning mid-morning- scattered rain and thundershowers through the day.

On Sunday- the National Weather Service's (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is forecasting a "slight risk" of severe thunderstorms over the entire Kansas City MetroRegion.

Keep tuned to weather information tomorrow....

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Kansas City's Breaking News Leader - NBC41 ACTION NEWS.

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