Kansas City Blogger Read Along

As always, we welcome Internets news lurkers and all manner of d-bags reviewing local reporting into the late night & early morning hours.

Accordingly and as always we check pop culture, community news and top headlines. 

Here's our TKC midweek news gathering roundup . . .

Show-Me Trashy Pickup Switcheroo

Kansas City, Missouri, may take over trash pickup from MODOT on state highways

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas says there's too much trash along state highways in Kansas City. He wants the city to pick up the job of picking up trash from Missouri Department of Transportation crews. "We have a beautiful city, but too much trash along our state highways," Lucas stated in a tweet Tuesday.

Tragic Crash Postscript

Woman critical after getting hit by car, "caught beneath vehicle" in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- A woman suffered critical injuries when she was hit by a car while crossing the street in Kansas City on Tuesday. Police said a 59-year-old woman was crossing 76th Street at Holmes Road, from the corner, when she was hit by a Dodge van heading west at 4:28 p.m.

Meth Town Math Lesson Comes Up Short

Independence Schools facing $1.2 million loss after corporation's refund

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - A Fortune 500 company's error on its taxes could end up costing the Independence School District more than $1 million. A large portion of school district funding comes from property taxes, paid by both homeowners and businesses.

Tax Spike Delayed

Kansas City council cancels February bond issue election over cost, turnout concerns

City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday (with four members absent) to axe Kansas City's February election on a bond issue. The election would have been the first such election in a decade. The only issue on the ballot, which called for voters to approve $750 million in bonds to improve the sewer system, has been delayed to April due to concerns about voter turnout and cost.

Drink In The Upgrade

More Than $220 Million Going Toward Water Infrastructure in Kansas and Missouri in 2022

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has allocated more than $220 million for 2022 in Kansas and Missouri to upgrade water infrastructure and begin righting the wrongs of environmental injustice. The money comes from the recently approved $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which President Joe Biden is in Kansas City today to promote.

Urban Core Car Crisis

'Inconvenience': Residents at Kansas City apartments say cars were illegally towed

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - People living in a Kansas City apartment complex were upset and shocked to find out their cars were towed with no warning. This happened at the Marcato Apartments located off 26th Street and Troost Avenue last week.

Kansas Avoids Variant For Now

KDHE says still no omicron samples found in state

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Epidemiologists with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Wednesday they have yet to receive any COVID-19 samples in the state that have tested positive for the omicron variant. In a news release Wednesday, the state agency said it continued to test samples and planned to issue a statement if they detect a positive sample.

Show-Me Pandemic Uptick

COVID-19 hospitalizations up dramatically in Missouri

COVID-19 cases are rising sharply again across Missouri, prompting renewed concerns about overcrowding at hospitals and long waits for emergency services and hospital beds.Data posted on the state's COVID-19 dashboard on Tuesday showed 1,637 people hospitalized with the virus. By comparison, 951 were hospitalized a month ago.

Golden Ghetto Silences Traffic

KDOT to recommend noise barriers with US 69 project

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The results are in and U.S. 69 going through Overland Park is loud. Leaders from the Kansas Department of Transportation, or KDOT, report noise from traffic on the highway currently exceeds federal standards and they expect that noise to increase as the department embarks on a widening program on a stretch of the highway south of 103rd Street.

Turkey Day Consequences Cont'd

Children's Mercy Hospital seeing increase in COVID and flu cases since Thanksgiving

Children's Mercy Hospital has reported eight positive cases of COVID-19. Doctors saying their case numbers have been going up and down. However, it is now seeing the flu in kids, which has prompted them to do routine testing for that.

Diva Shares Peek With Fans

Nicki Minaj poses naked for sexy photo to celebrate 39th birthday

She's celebrating her big day in a major way. And Nicki Minaj stripped down completely naked as she posed for a few celebratory shots shared to Instagram on Wednesday afternoon. The 39-year-old rapper showed off her hourglass curves while perfectly positioning her body as she boasted online: 'Say Happy Birthday to da Bad Guy.'

Prez COVID Orders Denied

In a largely symbolic move, the Senate votes to block Biden's vaccine-or-test mandate

sThe Senate voted Wednesday night to overturn the Biden administration's proposed rule that large private employers must require their workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested, or face losing their jobs. The vote was 52-48, with two Democrats - Sens.

Americans Come Clean?!?

Biden signs executive order to make U.S. government carbon neutral by 2050

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - President Joe Biden is aiming to leverage the federal government's massive buying power to jumpstart the market for clean energy, electric vehicles and more efficient buildings.

More Poking Prescribed

Two vaccine doses may not provide sufficient protection against Omicron coronavirus variant, but protection improves with three doses, Pfizer says

Preliminary lab studies show two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine may not provide sufficient protection against the Omicron coronavirus variant, but three doses are able to neutralize it, the companies said in a news release on Wednesday.

The Shots Keep Coming

Pfizer CEO says fourth Covid vaccine doses may be needed sooner than expected due to omicron

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on Wednesday that people might need a fourth Covid-19 shot sooner than expected after preliminary research shows the new omicron variant can undermine protective antibodies generated by the vaccine.

Plague Impact Increases

COVID's deadly domino effect: It's killing people with other health problems, too

Those who refuse to take COVID-19 vaccines are creating a deadly domino effect, said Dr. Marschall Runge, CEO of Michigan Medicine and dean of the University of Michigan Medical School. They are getting sick, spreading the virus to loved ones and the community, filling hospital beds and using up scarce medical resources, Runge said during a Wednesday news conference.

White House Preps Paper Cuts

Biden team weighs unprecedented sanctions against Russia over Ukraine

The Biden administration is weighing sweeping sanctions against Russia if it invades Ukraine that could cripple Russia's access to bond markets, throttle major commercial banks and target powerful oligarchs, an approach that will put Washington in uncharted waters in its confrontation with Moscow, current and former administration officials said Wednesday.

Doomsday Scenario Described

US going to war with Russia over Ukraine would 'court destruction of the known world': Macgregor

Col. Douglas Macgregor, a retired Army officer and tank commander during the Gulf War, told Fox News on Tuesday that President Biden and the neoconservatives in both the Democratic and Republican parties are courting global turmoil with their current overtures toward Russia and its leader, President Vladimir Putin.

Pr0n Star Stays True To The Game

OnlyFans star Lana Wolf claims men all ask her to quit when they start dating

OnlyFans star Lana Wolf has said that she finds it really difficult to date because of her career choice - but says it's her dream job. The Rangers-mad model from Glasgow has a huge following on the app, which has become known for its X-rated feed.

Inside Risky Work Life

Here's what a normal shift looks like for one Kansas City nurse

Nursing was one of the toughest jobs before the pandemic. Now, it has gotten even harder for hospital workers on the front lines.

Tasting Kansas City Sweetness

Satisfy your seasonal cravings with Betty Rae's holiday flavors

Betty Rae's seasonal flavors. // Photo by Liz Goodwin As the holidays bring unpopular colder weather and very popular seasonal flavors such as eggnog and peppermint, Betty Rae's proves it's never too cold to enjoy a festive scoop of ice cream.

Sharing Moment Of Gratitude

Front-line workers at Research Medical Center thanked by former patients

Former patients had an opportunity Wednesday to thank Kansas City front-line workers who helped save their lives.At just 36 years old, Danny Goldammer suffered a COVID-19-related stroke. "Told her to get me to the car and get me to the hospital as fast as she could," Goldammer recalled telling his wife.He said his entire right side went numb.

Cowtown Calms Down

Kansas City's Guide to a Good Night's Sleep

The coronavirus pandemic has caused an epidemic of sleeping problems-and forced homebound people who suffer from poor sleep to toss out old excuses for why-here's what you should know about treatment options. The Great Sleep Shortage How a stressful pandemic year is affecting sleep-and what you can do about it By Brad Martin Have...

Temperature Uptick For Tomorrow

Conditions warm up for the end of the week

Hide Transcript Show Transcript We have our first measurable snow by now. And if you go back to the last three years, we've actually our first measurable snow in October so 2020 2019 and 2018. We had measurable snow in October so far this year. We haven't seen it yet.

Curtis Harding - "Hopeful" was the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.