CSW BREAKING: Belton MO Police Injured at Crash Scene

At 9:17 p.m.- a Belton police officer is reportedly injured at a vehicle crash "on 163rd Street under U.S. 71" highway.




A crash actually occurred on northbound U.S. 71 near 163rd Street and the officer was investigating that crash when another vehicle slid into a car involved in the crash the officer was investigating.


It's reported the officer and the driver of the car struck by the sliding vehicle "jumped off the (163rd Street) bridge" to avoid being hit by the errant vehicle.


The other person who jumped was not hurt.




 Belton EMS reports the officer as "a male in his 40's suffered a back injury after falling about 5 feet."


The injuries are not life-threatening and the Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.

Kansas City MO Records First Homicide of 2012

A man found by police stabbed to death in his south-central KC-MO home has become the city's first reported homicide of 2012.


Metro patrol officers were sent to an address in the 7100 block of Monroe during the 6 p.m. hour this evening to check on a person who had not been heard from for several days and found a male dead.


There was no additional information yet available.

CSW WEATHER: Snow Has Begun in Metro Kansas City- Wrecks Galore

A band of light to moderate snow is moving through Metro Kansas City at this time.


A National Weather Service (NWS) "Winter Weather Advisory" remains in effect for the Metro- as well as the eastern tier of Kansas counties along the Missouri border eastward across much of the northern half of the Show Me State.

Within the past 30 minutes prior to this post time- numerous vehicle crashes (13) have been reported from the Kansas side into the Missouri Northland.


Many of these crashes have been on Interstate highways- particularily I-35 from Downtown Kansas City south toward Gardner KS..


Thus far- no reports of serious injuries.




Please SLOW DOWN as elevated roadways and bridges are icing up first as temperatures have dropped into the upper 20's- heading toward a morning low near 20.




Watch the video- supplied by the Traffic Division in Overland Park from our last light dusting of snow in December.



You can see for yourself- many of the crashes shown in these traffic camera video clips were due to motorists simply going too fast and not anticipating intersections in advance.

CSW WEATHER: Winter Weather Advisory Tonight For Metro Kansas City

I've included the entire NWS advisory text here for you- but in a nutshell- 1 to 3 inches of snow is possible over Metro K.C. tonight- ending early Thursday.




The snow will melt on the warm surfaces and freeze later tonight- creating dangerous icy conditions on untreated driving or walking surfaces.




CSW will be on it tonite- monitoring for bad road conditions and the resultant crashes...

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
1131 AM CST WED JAN 11 2012

...LIGHT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION TONIGHT...

.A STRONG COLD FRONT AND WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL PASS THROUGH THE
REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. TEMPERATURES
WILL PLUMMET WITH THE PASSAGE OF THIS FRONT...AS NORTHWEST WINDS
BECOME STRONG AND GUSTY. LIGHT SNOW WILL BEGIN TO FALL ACROSS THE
AREA THIS EVENING...WITH VISIBILITIES SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED DUE TO
BLOWING SNOW. INITIALLY...SNOW WILL MELT ON ROADS GIVEN THE RECENT
WARM TEMPERATURES...HOWEVER STRONG WINDS AND COLD AIR WILL CAUSE THIS
MELTED SNOW TO REFREEZE CREATING POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING
CONDITIONS THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. SNOWFALL TOTALS WILL RANGE FROM
1 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS MOST OF THE ADVISORY AREA.

KSZ025-057-060-103>105-MOZ003>006-013>015-020>023-028>030-037-043-
053-120145-
/O.NEW.KEAX.WW.Y.0001.120112T0000Z-120112T1500Z/
ATCHISON KS-MIAMI-LINN KS-LEAVENWORTH-WYANDOTTE-JOHNSON KS-WORTH-
GENTRY-HARRISON-MERCER-DE KALB-DAVIESS-GRUNDY-BUCHANAN-CLINTON-
CALDWELL-LIVINGSTON-PLATTE-CLAY-RAY-JACKSON-CASS-BATES-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ATCHISON...PAOLA...MOUND CITY...
LEAVENWORTH...OVERLAND PARK...OLATHE...GRANT CITY...ALBANY...
STANBERRY...BETHANY...PRINCETON...CAMERON...GALLATIN...
JAMESPORT...TRENTON...ST. JOSEPH...PLATTSBURG...HAMILTON...POLO...
CHILLICOTHE...PARKVILLE...PLATTE CITY...WESTON...LIBERTY...
EXCELSIOR SPRINGS...RICHMOND...KANSAS CITY...INDEPENDENCE...
RAYMORE...HARRISONVILLE...PLEASANT HILL...BUTLER...RICH HILL
1131 AM CST WED JAN 11 2012

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO
9 AM CST THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL HAS
ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW... WHICH
IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM CST THURSDAY.


* LOCATION - OVER EASTERN KANSAS...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHERN
  MISSOURI...INCLUDING THE ENTIRE KANSAS CITY METROPOLITAN AREA.

* SHORT TERM TRENDS - AT 11 AM...A COLD FRONT HAS MOVED TO THE
  INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR...WITH MUCH COLDER AIR JUST BEGINNING TO
  FILTER INTO THE REGION.


* TIMING - SNOW WILL BEGIN JUST AFTER SUNSET EARLY THIS EVENING...AND
  CONTINUE INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. ALTHOUGH SNOW WILL HAVE LARGELY
  ENDED BY THURSDAY MORNING...ROAD CONDITIONS MAY STILL BE TREACHEROUS
  DUE TO SNOW AND ICE COVER.

* SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS - 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED.

* IMPACTS - STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CREATE REDUCED VISIBILITIES
  AND EXTENSIVE BLOWING SNOW...MAKING TRAVEL DIFFICULT. IN
  ADDITION...SNOW WILL INITIALLY MELT ON CONTACT THIS EVENING...BUT
  WILL REFREEZE OVERNIGHT AS TEMPERATURES FALL...CREATING POTENTIALLY
  DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...


A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR  SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW MEANS THAT
VISIBILITIES WILL BE LIMITED DUE TO A COMBINATION OF FALLING AND
BLOWING SNOW. USE CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.

Clear Channel Cans Captain Spaulding's Favorite Radio Talker Rick Barber

If I remember correctly- I think it was in 1994 when a raging snowstorm was striking Denver.


Curious what was going down in the Mile High City- I tuned to their 50000 watt AM station KOA and that's when I first heard the dulcet tones of Rick Barber.


You see- Rick had an overnight talk show on KOA- in fact had been on their air since 1983.


Through the next 17 years- I would tune in Rick whenever the overnight scanners were silent enough- then the station made Rick's shows available on KOA's Web site in MP3 form that I could listen to at any time.


Rick's philosophies on politics and pretty much his views on life itself surprising mirrored my own- and callers to Rick's shows- for the most part- were as equally informed and as entertaining as Rick himself.

This morning- I went to KOA's site to download his Tuesday morning show and was surprised to not see any shows for this week.


Down the page a bit was a Facebook interface- and comments on there were saying things like "sorry to see you go" and generally berating KOA.


So I Googled- and found this article in The DENVER POST.


Rick and another talk show host I never listened to had been "let go" by Clear Channel- the corporate owners of KOA and many radio stations across America.


The reason given? Beancounters: To cut costs.


Rick's last show had been last Friday- but the MP3 of his last hour where he was going to give his farewell wasn't included.


Rick's replacement?  That para (ab)normal 'Coast to Coast' syndicated show that was formerly hosted by Art Bell- now hosted by George Noory.


A syndicated show that can be heard virtually everywhere in America overnight (Yes- I've seen 3 "UFOs" but so what?) and adds no substance at all to the issues facing this country.


Needless to say- I was upset- but that was what Corporate America has done to virtually everything in this country.


Homogenized America- sameness- beige-drab- with Clear Channel- no local connections to the local stations they own too damn many of.


The FCC used to issue licenses based on the promise that the applicant serves it's coverage area.


Corporate radio (and television) really does not "serve" the communities they are licensed to anymore- they axe local talent in favor of cheaply-obtained syndicated shows of dubious substance.


It about money- not quality or REAL local service to those who REALLY own the airwaves- The People.


Mr. Rick Barber- thanks so much for your light of moderatism and logic in an industry overrun by right-wing extremism.


Thanks for your great guests over the years- my faves were Dr. John Curtis- Al Lewis Scott Fuller- among many others.


Thanks too Rick- for your intelligent- entertaining listeners like Ivan in Montana (RIP)- Jim in Nebraska- "West Texas-" and Mark in Oklahoma City.

God Speed Rick Barber- you WILL be missed!

Ed Muscare- Uncle Ed From KSHB-41 "All Night Live-" Dead at Age 79

Thousands of late night TV viewers might remember Ed Muscare or 'Uncle Ed' from his All Night Live program that originated from the studios of KSHB (KBMA) Channel 41 in Kansas City around 1980.

The station was received on many CCTV systems throughout the Central States then.

Muscare left Kansas City for Florida in the mid-80's- and Florida is where Muscare's legal issues began.

In 1986- Muscare was convicted of sexual charges involving a 14-year-old male.

Muscare moved to South Carolina- where he again faced jail for not registering as a sex offender- the he returned to Florida in 2010 and was again arrested for a probation violation.

It was in a Florida jail cell where Ed Muscare died last Sunday night at the age of 79.

Central States News: National Football League Team Set To Extort St. Louis Taxpayers- Again

As bad as we think Kansas City-area politicians are- they may not be able to compete with the pollys in St. Louis...


The NFL Rams could exercise an option in their lease to move (again) from St. Louis in 2015- unless the fairly-new Edward Jones Dome is made into a "first-tier" NFL stadium.

Only trouble is- that "first-tier" designation in the team's lease was and is undefined.

WHAT???!!!

The Edward Jones Dome opened in November 1995- built with taxpayer financing to lure the Los Angeles Rams to St. Louis after the football Cardinals moved to Arizona.

Each year- the State of Missouri pays $12-million on the revenue bonds that were used to finance the $256-million playpen for corporate sports with St. Louis County ponying up $6-million per year.

Total estimated payoff of those revenue bonds is said to be around $720-million.

The ST. LOUIS (MO) POST-DISPATCH story says the county portion of that payment is funded by "a 3.5 percent hotel tax approved by voters in 1990."

Now with the provisions that were written into the lease by parties who MUST have been under the influence of some (logic) mind-altering substance- St. Louis County could end up spending even more millions to bring The Dome up to the Rams' standards of "first-tier-"  whatever that is.

If these so-called "first-tier" improvements are not made by St. Louis area taxpayers- the Rams would have several options- the underlying theme however is that the team could leave St. Louis at any time on or after 2015.


It will be interesting to watch this play-out- if American governments continue to subsidize professional corporate sports teams with hundreds of millions of scarce taxpayer dollars that could go to silly things like municipal infrastructure needs- or tell the greedy corporate bastards to take a long walk off of a short pier.

Central States News: Tornado-Ravaged Hospital in Joplin Being Replaced

A new 8-story hospital is in the preliminary construction phase in Joplin MO to replace the building destroyed in the May 22 2010 tornado- states this story from the JOPLIN (MO) GLOBE.

The new hospital- to be called Mercy Hospital Joplin (MHJ)- will replace the St. John's Medical Center that was rendered useless by the EF-5 tornado that sliced the city of around 50000 rsidents in half.


MHJ will be located just south of I-44 near Hearnes Boulevard- and is slated to open in 2015.

Transcript of K.C. Chief's Presser Announcing New Head Coach

The press conference is going on now- and I'm writing as fast as I can.

Here's what I have so far:


"Blah- blah-blah-blah- blah-blah- blah-blah-blah-blah- blah...."


I think you can gather from the above the rest of what is being said by Chef's manglement.... 

Latest KC-MO Council Corporate Welfare Case: DST and The Old Lyric Theater Building

The Kansas City MO city council continues it's giveaway of the city's tax base to corporate interests...


The latest proposal is whether to give DST Realty Co.- a corporate arm of Kansas City Southern (railroad) Industries- tens of millions in tax breaks to fix up the old Lyric Theater at 11th Street and Central downtown to accommodate a FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (FAA) training facility.


Never mind that the FAA has yet to pick a city that will become it's training facility that is said by the KANSAS CITY BUSINESS JOURNAL to provide about 100 jobs.


This- like 90% of projects that are built in this city- must not be a profitable project for DST- otherwise they'd be using the COMPANY'S OWN MONEY to remodel the Lyric.


I think it's time for KC-MO residents to en masse apply to the City of Kansas City MO for tax breaks to remodel their own homes.


Just think- one thousand home remodels would SURELY produce at least as many jobs and the citizens- for once- would get THEMSELVES a tax break.

CSW BREAKING: Fire in a Gladstone MO Apartment Building

All on-duty Gladstone fire crews are being assisted by North Kansas City and Riverside fire departments fighting a fire in an apartment building in Gladstone.

The first alarm sounded at 10:33 p.m. for a reported "fire on the roof" of an apartment building at the Rock Creek complex in the 3200 block of Northeast 59th Street.


There are no initial reports of injuries as the firefight is underway.


As of just after midnight Monday morning- all fire crews continue to work the fire as the incident has not yet been declared under control.

By 12:30 a.m.- the fire at the Rock Creek Apartments is out- with mutual aid fire companies returning to their cities.



There has not been any injuries reported- and fire department sources tell CSW that six families were displaced and that the fire was caused by "improper disposal of smoking materials."

Damage was estimated by the GPS at "$150000."