CSW BREAKING: Pedestrian Struck Near Van Horn High School in Independence

Independence Police are investigating a car-pedestrian collision early Wednesday morning.


The incident occurred around 6:30 a.m. at the intersection of Truman and Winner Roads- in front of Van Horn High school.



The person hit- according to AMR-EMS- is "a 15-year-old female" who was struck by a car going at an unspecified speed.

The ambulance crew said their patient had "road-rash on her back- arms- hands and legs" and "flew about 50 feet after being struck" by the vehicle.


Her condition was considered serious as she was being transported to Children's Mercy Hospital in KC-MO..

CSW BREAKING: Shooting Reported at an Independence MO Motel

The call came in at 11:11 a.m.- a reported shooting victim at the "Red Roof Inn" motel in the 13700 block of East 42nd Terrace- near the intersection of I-70 and Noland Road.

According to AMR-EMS reports- the victim is enroute to a nearby hospital.

AMR reports that victim is "an approximately 36-year-old male-" gunshot wounds to "his right forearm and right chest" and he's in critical condition.


Independence Police in a prepared media statement says a U.S. Marshal was serving a warrant to a man who had a room at the motel.

The Marshal- reportedly being "backed-up" by the IPD- knocked on the door of the man's ("victim") room and the suspect started firing a gun at the door.

Uninjured by the man's shots- the U.S. Marshal reportedly returned fire- striking the man twice (as noted in the med report).

CSW BREAKING: Working House Fire in Belton MO

At 10:45 a.m. Tuesday morning- all on-duty Belton fire crews were called-out to tend to a reported house fire in the 500 block of Hibiscus Drive in the southeast part of that northwestern Cass county city.


When the first fire crew arrived 4 minutes later- they reported smoke and fire coming from the back and attic area of a reported 1-story house here.

The occupancy status of the house was unknown.

The Belton Fire department needed additional help- and companies from South Metro and the West Peculiar departments have been sent to help.

At 11:12 a.m.- the fire's reported "under control."

There have been no reportes of injuries as of this update at 11:20 a.m..

CSW Weather: Outdoor Fires Could Be Trouble Today in Kansas City MetroRegion- Possible First Snowflakes Tomorrow Night

We'll have an 'Indian Summer-type' day today- with warm temperatures and- unfortunately- gusty winds.


Many areas will experience afternoon highs in the 75 to 80-degree range today- and south to southwest winds will increase through the day- with gusts reaching the 30 to 35 m.p.h. range by late afternoon.

With the extremely dry conditions- this makes the risks of wildfires especially high.

There have already been out-of-control natural-cover fires reported in northeastern Jackson and in Johnson counties MO..

Take special care with outdoor grilling or use of firepits today- make sure any embers are COMPLETELY extinguished.


A strange weather phenomena known as RAIN is due on Wednesday (tomorrow).

Most areas of the Kansas City MetroRegion should see anywhere from one-half to as much as locally 2-inches of rain by early Thursday morning.


In addition- many areas could possibly see snowflakes by late tomorrow and tomorrow night.


The greatest chance of any accumulating snow (on grassy areas) would be along and north of U.S. 36 highway- a Chillicothe- St. Joseph MO to Seneca KS line.

CSW UPDATE: Three Shootings Sunday Morning Were University of Central Missouri Students

Reported here at CSW Sunday morning was what appeared to be a double shooting in or near Knob Noster in far-eastern Johnson County MO around 1:30 a.m....


I've found a media source- "db digitalBURG.com-" who reports that the double shooting took place in the parking lot of Do Drop Inn in Knob Noster.

Both victims were University of Central Missouri (UCM) students and one was a football player for the UCM Mules.


The source reports the football player as "sophomore Paul Hughes of St. Louis, is in Research Hospital in Kansas City, with wounds in the stomach and leg."


The male who was LifeFlighted from the scene was identified by the source as "UCM broadcast media major Paul Hughes" who was also- according to the source- "shot in the stomach and leg about 1:30 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the Do Drop Inn, on U.S. 50 in Knob Noster."


There wasn't any report of any arrests in these shootings.



Another shooting- also monitored here at CSW- occurred Sunday morning much closer to UCM's Warrensburg campus.


Emergency services were sent to the 400 block of West South Street at 2:42 a.m..

There was reported to be a male who was shot in a leg at the location.

Media source db digitalBURG.com says that "a UCM student" was shot in his left leg- was treated at the Warrensburg hospital- then released.


db digitalBURG.com reports a suspect was arrested at a  McDonald's less than 45 minutes after the shooting was reported.

Three Missing Victims Found in Debris of Atchison KS Grain Elevator Explosion

An explosion occurred about 7 p.m. Saturday night at the Bartlett Grain Co. elevator in Atchison- as reported here at CSW...


Early Monday- authorities searching through the debris left by the violent blast found the 3 reported missing workers at the elevator.

Located were the bodies of  21-year-old Curtis Field and 34-year-old Travis Keil.

The 3rd victim's name has yet to be released- but he is belived to be the 2nd state grain inspector who was working at the elevator.


Also killed in the explosion were John Burke and Ryan Federinko- no ages and hometown were  given for these 2 men.


Two unidentified people injured in the explosion remain at the University of Kansas Medical Center- conditions unknown.

Four others who were at the grain elevator when the explosion occurred were not injured.


Authorities will continue their search today for the 3rd missing person- and continue working to find a cause of the dealy explosion.

KC-KS Fire Department "Rookies" Take Over Overhaul at Warehouse Fire

A fire in a carpet recycling center in the 3200 block of North 7th Street Trafficway has been under control for several hours- but a working over of the debris from the fire continues...


The "general alarm" sounded about 4:45 a.m. Monday morning and 6 KC-KS fire companies responded to the address.

Sprinklers inside the large structure kept the flames in check- but produced heavy- toxic smoke that made it difficult for crews to locate the exact location ("seat") of the fire.

The incident was reported under control around 7:30 a.m.- but a few fire companies as well as cadets from a KC-KS fire academy class are going through the fire debris to extinguish all embers.


Just after 11:30 a.m.- a fire department officer found "a partial collapse" of the building in the rear- and ordered the remaining fire crews to "reposition" their efforts.


No one has been hurt in the firefight- with a cause and dollar-amount of damage done still to be determined by a fire investigator.

KSHB Investigative Story Says Belton Police "Mishandled" Kara Kopetsky Case

Miss Kara Kopetsky disappeared from Belton High school on May 4- 2007 and thus far- there's been no trace of what happened to that young lady.


This Monday on KSHB's Action News at 6 and 10 p.m.- Kansas City's best investigative (all-purpose) reporter and damn nice Human Being Russ Ptacek will tell Kansas City and the world that the investigation into Kara's disappearance "uncovered new evidence and a possible confession family members say show Belton Police mishandled the disappearance of the Belton teen-" according to the story found here on the television station's Web site.

 CSW has been following this case through the past few years as well- please join me and tune in the get the details.

Kansas City's Korean War Memorial Site Damaged by Thugs

Using the term "thugs" is being nice I think- since my bed-ridden Dad is a Korean War-era veteran.


The KANSAS CITY (MO) STAR reports along with KCTV-5 that the Memorial- less than a month old and located near the iconic Liberty Memorial in Washington Square Park- was damaged by vandals.

The story did not say when the damage occurred.

BTW- Kansas Citian "Eric Bowers" has some nice photos of the memorial (one image used here- thank you Eric) as well as some dynamite photos of Kansas City on his Flickr photo page.

CSW BREAKING: Fatality Crash Near Spring Hill KS

Just before 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon- Johnson County KS emergency services responded to a reported vehicle crash on U.S. 169 highway near Spring Hill.

One fatality has been reported at the scene.

Northbound U.S. 169 was closed by police in Spring Hill.


Faithful reader/contributor SuperDave (no- not Osborne) says the crash was just south of 199th Street.

David said it appeared to be a rear-end type of crash- with the fatality in the front vehicle.


Another unidentified reader told CSW that the crash was "a T-bone-" and that it involved a red pickup truck and a black SUV.

The reader also said that northbound U.S. 169 was still closed as of 3:30 p.m..


Monday morning- authorities released details on the crash as well as the names of those involved...

Sixty-eight year-old Curtis Kent Lawrence of Iola KS died when his 2003 Pontiac ran a red light at the off-ramp of U.S. 169 at 199th Street and slammed into the back of a pickup truck being driven by Arthur F. Jensen of Olathe.

Mr. lawrence died in the crash- Mr. Jensen was not hurt.


Thanks much for the tips folks- you are my reporters in the field!


CSW's sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased person.

CSW BREAKING: Critical Injuries in Shooting Near Knob Noster MO

Two people were reportedly found shot on U.S. 50 west of the eastern Johnson County MO community of Knob Noster.

The circumstances of the shooting were unknown as of this post- but the incident has closed U.S. 50 highway for a time.


A medical helicopter was ordered for one of the victims who reportedly had "multiple gunshot wounds."


That victim- described by the Lifeflight-Eagle med chopper crew as "a mid-20's male with 3 gunshot wounds- to the right chest- upper abdomen and his left side-" was flown to a KC-MO hospital in critical condition.

There was no information yet on the 2nd victim.