Residents are picking up the pieces in the small town of Reading in Lyon County, Kansas, where one man was killed and 20 homes were destroyed by a tornado Saturday night. About 200-homes were damaged including the post office and fire station in Reading, a town of about 230-people. At least 20-people have been moved to a temporary shelter in Emporia.
In a news release, Lyon County officials said they issued a Local Disaster Declaration and set up an Incident Command Post. Officials said five people were treated on the scene by paramedics, one was transported to the hospital by private vehicle. Another was taken to Newman Regional Hospital in Emporia by ambulance. Both were treated and released.
The Kansas Department of Transportation announced K-170 highway through town will remain closed until further notice.
Residents and their families are sharing information via facebook.
The Topeka Capital-Journal posted this video of a funnel cloud near SE 7th and Adams in Topeka Saturday night. We also have video (posted here) of the tornado that killed one and caused widespread damage near Emporia, Kansas.
(UPDATED) At least five tornado warnings were issued Saturday evening in northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri. In Kansas, one man was killed as a twister clobbered the town of Reading.
Winds of 50 mph were common during the storms, which kept much of the region under severe weather warnings for hours. Hail ranging from pea-size to baseball size was reported.
The most significant damage in Missouri so far was reported in Andrew County. A sheriff’s deputy and a dozen other motorists were stranded briefly after high winds blew the glass out of their vehicles along US-71. Emergency Management Director Roger Latham says three houses lost their roofs and one large, 50 by 60 foot shed was obliterated southwest of Fillmore along County Road 66. Latham says hail ranged from the size of golf balls to the size of baseballs during the storm.
Andrew County Sheriff Brian Atkins says 13 vehicles, including a sheriff’s deputy’s patrol vehicle, lost all or part of their windshields because of large hail along US-71 highway just south of Midway. Atkins says another patrol vehicle was pocked by hail stones, causing significant damage.
Atkins says a KCPL transmission line was damaged when high winds snapped the pole off at the ground. He says the lines were hanging down into traffic along US-71 south of midway. Deputies redirected traffic on the highway for several hours as utility crews replaced the pole. Deputies reported several transformers in the area popping as a result, Atkins said.
Listen here to Sheriff Atkins describing the damage:
A twister was reported near Iowa Point, Kansas which tracked east to an area near Forest City, Missouri. Spotters also reported a tornado on the ground near Fillmore.
The storms were part of a much larger, super cell system, which caused damage throughout the region. In the eastern Kansas town of Reading, one person was killed and 20 buildings were destroyed by a tornado that tracked through the town. About 20 residents were evacuated to a shelter in nearby Emporia, Kansas. Others were taking refuge in a school and a church in Reading, which has a population of about 230 people. More than 200 buildings in Reading sustained damage, including the fire station and the post 0ffice.
Elsewhere in Kansas, officials confirmed touchdowns of funnel clouds in southern and eastern Topeka, at Lake Perry, and around Oskaloosa. Winds between 65-and-85 miles per hour were reported
The investigation continues into a bank robbery in Hamilton, Missouri Thursday afternoon.
Investigators say an armed suspect wearing all black clothes and a motorcycle helmet entered the Bank Northwest branch at 201 South Davis Street in Hamilton, displayed a handgun and demanded cash.
He left the scene with an undisclosed amount of money in what now appears to have been a stolen car, which has been recovered.
Investigators believe he’s now driving a mid-80s model maroon passenger car with wire wheel hubcaps. Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Sheldon Lyon says the vehicle may be missing one of the wheel covers. The suspect is described as a white man in his late 20s, 5’10” tall and weighing about 180 pounds.
The robbery is being investigated by the FBI, Hamilton police and the Missouri State Highway Patrol
If you have information that could help investigators, call the Hamilton Police Department at (816) 583-7311
Click here to hear an interview with Senator Blunt about his stop in St. Joseph at AGP and a discussion about renewable fuels with KFEQ Farm Director Tom Brand.
United States SenatorRoy Blunt made a stop at Ag Processing on the Stockyards Expressway while in St. Joseph today. The Senator was in town to visit with AGP about energy costs, job creation and clean energy alternatives.
If you believe a fringe Christian radio group, then you’ve got less than 24 hours to either party it up, or repent for your sins.
According to the “Family Radio” network, 6 p.m. Saturday will be when the “rapture” begins and the end of days begins. There have been billboards across the nation for months proclaiming the rapture is near.
But what exactly are the billboards referring to about the rapture? Well, the Family Radio network’s founder, 89-year-old Harold Camping, said Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. will be when the rapture of the church takes place. The rapture of the church is a relatively new idea in the realm of Christianity. It refers to the time when Christians believe that Jesus will take the faithful to heaven ahead of the calamity and destruction that lies ahead in the tribulations from the book of Revelation. &npbsp;
The idea of the rapture picked up steam in the United States during the middle and late 19th Century with a school of theological thought called Dispensationalism. The movement was led by John Nelson Darby, who preached about a concept of the rapture happening at any moment, among other things.&npbsp;
There are at least a dozen of facebook pages, generating tens of thousands of “likes,” poking fun at the idea. There are rapture parties, rapture looting parties, and even one service to take care of your pets when you go.
Senate candidate Todd Akin laid the tracks Thursday to his campaign in St Joseph.
Akin, who calls himself the exact opposite of Claire McCaskill, announced his campaign just two days before visiting St Joseph and Kansas City. He made stops in other parts of the state Wednesday.
Just one day into his campaign, his opponent in the Republican Primary, Former State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, called Akin and other U.S. house Republicans “Toothless dragons.” House republicans did not cut enough spending recently, according to Steelman.
Akin responded Thursday by challenging her to a debate.
“A lot of people like to take different little shots in politics and maybe one of the things to do just to get to the bottom of it; you want to talk about different issues? Let’s just have a debate,” Akin said.
Akin is self-descried as a conservative who believes in limited government.
“I’ve taken the tough votes, regardless of what the political pressures were, to stay on a tract that I believe is limited government,” Akin said.
During the press conference, he was able to keep good composure even after his banner fell from behind him. Watch for more.
The Missouri Theater is set to reopen for the first time since fire damaged the historic facility in February. Bill France, the Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities for the City of St Joseph, tells us the first event in the newly-cleaned theater will be the Mrs Missouri and Mrs Kansas pageant on Sunday May 22.
France says the final preparations involved stage hardware and properties.
“All the sound and light equipment came back, ” France said. “It had been cleaned. So we were busy reinstalling all of that equipment. ”
Draperies arrived Wednesday and workers were reinstalling those Thursday.
“So, Friday’ll just be making sure everyting’s all spiffed up and ready to go.”
On February 19th fire broke out in the building adjacent to the theater, shutting down about half a dozen arts groups and businesses that shared the theater complex. Some cleanup and renovation continues at those businesses. The theater itself sustained extensive smoke damage in the fire.
A sophomore student from St Louis died Wednesday after he was pulled from a pool on theMissouri Western campus.
22 year old DeRico Morris died hours after he was taken to Heartland Hospital. He was unresponsive when a lifeguard pulled him from the pool in the Looney Complex.
“It’s just a tragedy,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Western’s president. “We are all saddened by today’s events and offer our condolences to the young man’s family and will do all we can to help them in this difficult time.”
The sophomore had not declared a major. He worked on campus as a student supervisor for the housing and residential life summer operations.
“DeRico had an outgoing personality and was described by those who worked with him as respectful, loyal and family-oriented,” said Dr. Esther Perález, student affairs vice president. “He was a tremendous asset to the Western community.”
A small group of people were in the pool just before 2:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. The lifeguard became concerned when he noticed Morris at the bottom of the deep end of the pool, which is 12 feet deep, Western spokesperson Kent Heier said.
The lifeguard pulled Morris from the pool and administered CPR while others called 911.
Counselors have met with students who knew Morris, and will be helping students get through the tragedy.
The third annual Bike to Work Day brings incentives to commuters who ditch the car and ride the bike to work Friday.
The national event started several years ago and St Joseph joined the effort to get residents to take the healthier step to work by riding a bike. 65 percent of trips less than a mile are still taken by car, according to organizers.
Organizers saw an increase of 137 percent of ridership during Bike to Work Day last year compared to the year before. The weather forecast may keep some riders from participating, Organizer Kelsy Marr said.
“Were calling for some pretty severe weather,” Marr said. “I hope that it’s not going to be as bad as its forecasted and we can get some more riders out there.”
Prizes are available for riders who submit a dated photo. The photo can be either mailed are e-mailed to organizers. You’re asked to include your name, contact information and your workplace.
Sending your Photo
Email: kmarr@ci.st-joseph.mo.us
Mail: 1100 Frederick Ave. Room 204, St. Joseph, MO 64501.
Special Promotions for Participants
$50 gift card to East Hills Mall (1st Prize)
$25 gift card to Hy-Vee(2nd Prize)
$10 gift cad to Hy-Vee(3rd Prize)
FREE Coffee & Bagel coupons provided by Panera Bread
FREE Hy-Vee salad bar coupons for everyone who sends in a picture
FREE bus rides for anyone traveling (in St. Joseph) with a bike on the day of the event
Companies with the most submitted photos from employees will win a $100 gift card to Hy-Vee for their next catering event
Enter your date stamped photo of you and your bicycle for a chance to win.
