Critical Injury to Victim of Kansas City River Market-area Shooting

A male thought by paramedics to be in his early-20's clings to life early Saturday morning after being shot near Kansas City MO's River Market area.

Police report tracing the cell phone call received around 3:05 a.m. to the area of 3rd Street and Locust- where the man was located.

The man had a gunshot to his inner right thigh- according to a Fire department paramedic- had lost a considerable amount of blood- and was in very critical condition when he was transported to a Metro hospital.

Police were investigating and had no suspect information yet.

Please watch KSHB-41 NBC ActionNews 'This Weekend' at 7 a.m. for the latest on this story.

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CSW BREAKING: Homicide in South-Central Kansas City MO

Around 12:08 a.m. Saturday morning- KC-MO emergency services received the report of a shooting at the intersection of 73rd Street and Indiana.

Police said somebody in a "black (Dodge) Charger was shooting at" the occupant of "a gray pickup truck" there.  Minutes later- police reported that " a witness saw" the Charger return and "removed something" from the shot-up pickup truck.

Officers arrived by 12:14 a.m. and confirmed the driver of the gray pickup truck dead.


There is as of yet no clear suspect information other than they were in the black Charger.

Please watch KSHB-41 NBC ActionNews 'This Weekend' at 7 a.m. for the latest on this story.

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"Dozens" of People Could Have Died in Arkansas Campground Flash Floods

According to FOX-16 in Little Rock- there are now a confirmed "16 dead" and "dozens" of people missing after torrential rain in the lush but mountainous country of southwestern Arkansas sent a wall of water down two rivers and into a campground.

This story was reported earlier today here at CSW and other media outlets- and it's just now becoming apparent this is a significant national news story.

At least 7-inches of rain fell during the early morning hours today- sending one river nearly 2 dozen feet above it's banks- washing into and away the Albert Pike Campground where many of the deaths and missing are reported.

There'll be continuous updates to this story here throughout today and Saturday- along with other stories of flooding rains falling throughout the Central States into this weekend.

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UPDATE- 11JUN10-1602CDT- The Associated Press now reports "20 dead" in the flash flood.

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CSW BREAKING: Critical-Injury Crash on M-7 Highway in Cass County MO

The 1:27 p.m. report to Garden City MO Fire and EMS was of a vehicle crash with a person ejected- and the vehicle on top of them on northbound Missouri (M) 7 south of T highway.

At 1:31 p.m.- the GCFD dispatch says "bystanders have gotten the vehicle off" of the victim- and a medical helicopter was dispatched.

At 1:36 p.m.- there are reported to be "2" injuries at this scene with EMS just having arrived there.

What happened- according to a report from a Lifeflight-Eagle helicopter paramedic- was that "a car rear-ended a large tractor that was going down the side of the road."

The "56-year-old male" tractor driver was ejected by the force of the crash- then had the tractor land on top of him.

That man was flown to a Metro Kansas City medical trauma center in critical condition.


The car driver that rear-ended the tractor got non life-threatening injuries.


The accident is being investigated by the Missouri Highway Patrol- Troop A with current traffic delays on M-7 in the crash area.

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At Least 12 Campers Die in Arkansas Flash Flooding

NOTE:  More information on this developing story can be found by clicking HERE...

One of the rules of setting up a campsite is to check the surrounding topography- proximity to waterways- etc..

Then another rule is keeping tabs on the weather.

Apparently at least 12 campers along the Caddo and Little Missouri rivers in southwestern Arkansas failed to heed those two rules- and died when a "20 foot" rise in those streams caused by at least 7-inches of rain in a short time swept campers and their campsites away near Caddo Gap AR- according to this latest update from the FORT SMITH (AR) TIMES-RECORD.


Authorities started receiving the flood reports about 5:30 a.m. this morning- and a search and rescue of stranded campers continues at this hour.

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CSW BREAKING: Critical Injuries in Grandview MO Apartment Fire

A fire broke out just after midnight in an apartment building in the 6200 block of East 129th Street in Grandview and the Grandview Fire department called for help from Kansas City.


The GFD arrived to find a working fire in the Greenfield Village townhomes around 12:10 a.m. and- at 12:14 a.m.- a child fire victim is located.

Two KC-MO EMS units are called as well as the 5 KC-MO Fire companies and a second burn victim is reported outside the building.



The child was described as a "2-year-old female-" her condition was very critical as she was being transported to Children's Mercy hospital.

This child later died at Children's Mercy.

The burn victim was the child's mother and she had suffered burns to her hands and minor smoke inhalation.


At 12:37 a.m.- there is reportedly an additional "4 children" who suffered (non life-threatening) smoke inhalation" in the fire- and 2 additional KC-MO EMS units were sent.

Also- at least three Grandview police officers and firefighters experienced minor smoke inhalation trying to rescue the infant girl.

The fire was under control as of this post- and the state fire marshal's report on the cause of the fire is pending.

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Impeach The Entire KC-MO City Council (Clowncil) NOW

In light of continued decreases in city revenues and increases in services needed but are cut- our KC-MO City Council approved a quarter-million dollar expendature today- FOR THAT BLASTED 1000-ROOM CONVENTION HOTEL!!!

By a 12 yea to 1 nay (Mayor Funkhouser was the LONE sane person)- the collective "clowncil" approved MORE MONEY for this whitest of elephants.


Folks- that's 3/4 of a million dollars this clowncil has spend on this idiotic convention hotel without ONE SPADE OF EARTH being turned.


This calls for an IMMEDIATE impeachment- by the residents- of the City Council.


At least vote out EVERY clowncil member next election for approving this 3/4-million dollar drain for corporate interests.

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Kansas City's National Weather Service Radio Station Back On The Air- Sort Of

Many of you that rely on NWS weather radio for severe weather warnings- particularly after yesterday's tornado watch and flash flooding- will be happy to know that KC's weather radio station KID-77 is back on-the-air- at least until NWS technicians finish tinkering around with the transmitter.

Per this statement issued by KC's NWS office:

NOUS43 KEAX 091811 PNSEAX
KSZ057-103>105-MOZ021-028>030-037-038-043-044-092200-



PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
111 PM CDT WED JUN 9 2010



...KANSAS CITY TRANSMITTER KID-77 IS BROADCASTING AGAIN...


SERVICE HAS BEEN RESTORED TO THE KANSAS CITY NOAA WEATHER RADIO TRANSMITTER...   KID-77.
HOWEVER... TECHNICIANS WILL NEED TO CONDUCT FURTHER MAINTENANCE ON THE TRANSMITTER ON THURSDAY JUNE 10TH.
THIS WILL CAUSE ADDITIONAL SHORT TERM OUTAGES DURING THE DAY THURSDAY AS SEVERAL PARTS ARE REPLACED.
WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS OUTAGE HAS CAUSED.

$$
CDB

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Kansas City MO Politicians Apparently Have Broken The Law Regarding Tax Increment Financing (TIF- i.e.- Corporate Welfare)

According to a story in today's KANSAS CITY BUSINESS JOURNAL- it appears Kansas City MO is in violation of the law.

In the KCBJ's story regarding the KC-MO TIF Commission hiring an independent auditor- it appears that "five-year statutory reviews of each TIF plan are required by law."

However in that story- a person the KCBJ identified as a Jackson County TIF Commission board member- Calvin Williford- said "he had never seen..." such a required review- and this man sits ON the TIF board!


So I called City Hall within the hour- attempting to see for myself if I could look at such a "5-year statutory review."


After finally getting steered to the correct agency- the Community Development Corporation (CDC)- a Jessica Middleton told CSW that I would "have to file a Sunshine request-" which is basically a Freedom of Information form in order to view those documents- if they exist at all.


I'll leave that up to the PAID NEWS MEDIA in this city- to find out about "the mess" that the KCBJ story says about Kansas City MO's TIF accounting procedures.

Maybe the KANSAS CITY STAR would do it's readers/fellow taxpayers n actual service by attempting to see if these "5-year statutory reviews" of this city's many corporate welfare (TIF) handouts really do exist.

If not- maybe The STAR can find out why those who were responsible for those reviews that are required by law did not provide them- and why those individuals have not been talked to by law enforcement officials for breaking this law.

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Without NWS Weather Radio- Thunderstorms Bring High Water and Lightning Damages to Southern Metro Kansas City

As reported here first in Kansas City Tuesday afternoon- strong thunderstorms brought torrential rainfall and flash flooding to parts of Johnson county Kansas- and extreme southern Jackson and Cass counties in Missouri.

Water rescues were reported from about 4:45 p.m until after 8 p.m. from Overland Park and Leawood into  Cass county.

More than 3-inches of rain fell in less than an hour from southern Overland Park and Leawood into Belton- Raymore and Peculiar.

As of 10 p.m.- more than 4-inches of rain total have fallen since this morning in a swath generally along and east of Metcalf and south of 103rd Street- stretching into northern and central Cass county.


There were several water rescues by West Peculiar- Belton and the Harrisonville MO fire departments Tuesday evening- and a number of roads in the county remain closed due to high water.

The KC-MO Fire department ordered the closing of a small strip mall on 103rd Street west of Wornall Tuesday evening because of rapidly-rising Indian Creek.

No injuries or missing persons have yet been reported.


Lightning struck at least a half-dozen homes and buildings thoughout the southern Metro during the storms.

One lightning-ignited fire in northern Overland Park caused heavy damage to a home near 54th Street and Newton- but no one was hurt.


Through it all- the Kansas City/Pleasant Hill National Weather Service office's VHF weather radio channel- KID-77 on 162.550mhz was off the air.

Residents in this metropolitan area of more than 2-million people had no way their weather radios could alert them of the flash flood and severe thunderstorm- but thankfully not tornado- warnings that were issued today.

More storms are looking on radar to be headed for the southern Kansas City Metro and MetroRegion- from Johnson and Miami counties Kansas and Cass county southward in Missouri during the next hour or so.

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CSW BREAKING: Leawood KS Roads Closed Due to Flash Flooding

Leawood Fire has advised thier dispatcher at 4:44 p.m. that "119th Street and Roe is closed due to a foot of water over the roadway."

The image shows JoCoKS rainfalls just during the hour of 3:40 to 4:40 p.m.- more than 2-inches in several locations.


At 4:47 p.m.- a water rescue is being dispatched by JoCoKS Fire to "125th Terrace and Mission Road" in Leawood.

At 4:49 p.m. - the victims are reported to be safety out of their inundated car "at a neighbor's house."


In addition- there are large areas of JoCoKS without electrical power- and several houses have suffered lightning strikes.

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