BREAKING NEWS: Fatality Hit & Run In Oak Grove-MO

Not too many details yet on this incident that occurred during the 1 o'clock hour Saturday morning.

A man was found apparently struck by a vehicle in Oak Grove in the area of 15th Street & Broadway and was dead-on-arrival of Sni Valley EMS.

The victim had also been decapitated.

The Missouri Highway Patrol was investigating.

________

WEATHER: Frost- Freeze Warnings For Kansas City Metro-MetroRegion

By this time tomorrow- the growing season will have ended over most of the Kansas City MetroRegion.


Frost warnings are in effect early Saturday morning - "3-9 am" - for all of Metro Kansas City and surrounding areas southwest to east


Freeze warnings exist from areas in and around Topeka- Lawrence- Atchison-KS to St. Joseph and Chillicothe-MO..

_________

When Economic Conditions Suck- Cities Turn To New Arenas

In this "recession (depression)"- we citizens who can't get into our neighbor's pocket for added revenue turn to cost-cutting and hopefully- savings.

Responsible governments theoretically also cut costs and trim pork- including putting glitz projects on hold.

Don't tell the City of Independence-MO about glitz- as they just opened their new (and competing with Sprint and Kemper) arena.

Also don't tell Lincoln-NE about glitz- as their city leaders are preparing to put plans for a new arena there on the November ballot.

Ah- what the Hell- infrastructure is sooooo unsexy...

________

BREAKING NEWS: M-23 Highway Closed Between Concordia and Knob Noster

Reported about 5 minutes ago over the Johnson County MO Sheriff's radio:
Missouri "(M)-23 highway is closed in the Blackwater (River) Bottoms due to flooding."

This is a main route between I-70 at Concordia and U.S. 50 in Knob Noster.

_______

Central States WEATHER: NWS- "Very Serious Flash Flooding Threat" in Central Missouri

This is for areas on the extreme eastern edges of the Kansas City MetroRegion- areas in and around Columbia and Jefferson City- where up to 7-inches of rain has fallen today.

More rain is on the way for the same areas.

If you plan on driving in any of the below-warned areas- PLEASE use extreme caution!


BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1212 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ST LOUIS HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
AUDRAIN COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI... BOONE COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI... CALLAWAY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI... COLE COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI... MONITEAU COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI... MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI... OSAGE COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI...

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 1205 PM CDT...A VERY SERIOUS FLASH FLOODING THREAT HAS DEVELOPED OVER MID MISSOURI.

RAINFALLS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED IN AN EAST-WEST BAND FROM WEST OF COLUMBIA TO NEAR MONTGOMERY CITY... AND MORE RAIN IS ON THE WAY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE BRIEF BREAK IN THE HEAVY RAIN THAT WILL OCCUR EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.

MORE RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS.

NUMEROUS ROADS ACROSS MID-MISSOURI WERE FLOODED AND CLOSED AT MIDDAY... AND AS THE RAIN AND RUNOFF CONTINUES TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BECOME MORE HAZARDOUS.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE:

ASHLAND... CALIFORNIA... CENTRALIA... COLUMBIA... FULTON... HOLTS SUMMIT... JEFFERSON CITY... LINN... MEXICO... MONTGOMERY CITY... TIPTON...VANDALIA... WELLSVILLE... AUXVASSE... BELLFLOWER... BIG SPRING... BRAZITO... BUELL... CENTERTOWN... CHAMOIS... CLARKSBURG... EASLEY... FARBER... FREEBURG... HALLSVILLE... HICKORY HILL... HIGH POINT... JAMESTOWN... JONESBURG AND LADDONIA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT.

MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES... DIPS... OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM... EVEN A SMALL ONE... ON FOOT OR IN A VEHICLE.

IF YOU COME ACROSS A FLOODED ROAD TURN AROUND AND FIND ANOTHER ROUTE TO YOUR DESTINATION.

NO TRIP IS WORTH YOUR LIFE!

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS WHICH ARE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN HEAVY RAIN.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL ACROSS FLOODED ROADS.

FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW INCHES OF SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

________

Retailers: Don't Let September Reprieve Fool You

On news that American consumers spent more than expected in September- the stock market rises along with oil prices.

It's inflationary exuberance at it's American worst...

Nearly everyone I know won't be spending much if at all for Christmas.

Many have returned to a "traditional" Christmas- exchanging self-made items and eschewing budget-busting store buying.

The American consumer holds the key to ANY "economic recovery"- and our confidence is shot in this "system" where million and billionaires are rewarded for borderline-criminal financial activity while we American consumers are left holding the bag.

Make it a "homemade Christmas" again this year American consumer and show Wall Street and all the rich bastards we ain't taking their "business as usual."

________

WEATHER: Rain Round 1 Moving Out- Round 2 To Follow

Much of Metro Kansas City south of The Rivers has received more than 1-inch of rain: 1.47" here near the old Bannister Mall area as of 10:45 am Thursday.

Areas south of Kansas City (see radar graphic- counties outlined in green) are under flood and flash flood warnings already.

The areas under warnings need to pay close attention to future precipitation trends.

Don't expect anything but nuisance flooding around Metro K.C.- but pay heed and watch for high water if travelling southwest- south or southeast of Metro Kansas City.

__________

Gardner-KS Voters Attempt Recall of Unresponsive Councilpeople

As Kansas City-MO councilpeople and it's Mayor will realize next election- it's not wise for a politician to go against 72-percent of your constituents wishes or otherwise jack the voters around.

That's what's facing at least 2 Gardner councilpeople and would happen to even MORE Gardner councilpeople if not for a state law that says you can't throw the WHOLE council out.

According to the OLATHE (KS) NEWS- the councilpeople in jeopardy went against 72% of voters wanting the city to come to a better agreement with BN over the intermodal rail center being built southwest of Gardner.

Like I've said until I'm blue in the face- people we elect to make laws and policy- that breed known as politicians- NEED to take drug tests before taking their oaths of office.

We drug test for retail workers for Christ's Sake- wouldn't it just be A LITTLE prudent to pre-drug test politicians (see the CSW poll on the right)?

_________

Kansas City MetroRegion-Central States Under Excessive Rainfall Risk

Here are the latest NWS graphic and statements on the forecasted heavy rain event that's already beginning to our southwest.


The green or "slight risk" area of forecasted excessive rains through Thursday evening includes about the southeastern half of Metro Kansas City- with the risk for flooding rains increasing toward the south.

The "high risk" area includes areas in and around Fort Scott-KS- Nevada and Clinton-MO..

Rainfalls of 5-inches and possibly more are forecast in a swath from around Tulsa-OK- northeastward through Joplin-Springfield to near St. Louis-MO..

More updates to come here at CSW....

_________

Kansas City's BREAKING NEWS: Large House Fire In The Northland

The alarm went out to 5 KC-MO fire companies at 2:33 pm: A house fire in the 10100 block of Northeast 101st Street in far northeastern KC-MO near Liberty.

Responding companies spotted the smoke from the fire- reported to be in a "2-story" house- from more than a mile away.

The house is reported totally-involved in flames as of 2:43 pm and a "working fire response" of additional fire companies has been requested.

No word on the occupancy status of the burning home in this new subdivision- and firefighters are trying to keep flames from spreading to neighboring homes due to gusty South winds today.

Updates here as needed...

---

UPDATE - 3:15 pm: The house fire in the 10100 block of Northeast 101st Street was reported "under control" at 2:55 pm after 3 handlines and a pumper's "deck gun (turret)" was used on the fire and the house next door to the north.

No one in the house at the time of the fire was injured- but the "2 adults and 3 children" living in the home were displaced by the fire.

The cause is currently under investigation.

_________

A Nearly Ton of Pumpkin

(Photo courtesy of the Associated Press)

_________