Kansas City News Blog

Nelson E. Hopkins Jr.

​Nelson Hopkins Sr. considers Kansas City's homicide rate a "state of emergency." His son Nelson Hopkins Jr. became the 105th homicide of 2009 on December 1, and Nelson's cousin Randy Wilson was killed January 9 of this year. Both homicides are unsolved. Because drastic times call for drastic measures, Hopkins is launching his own anti-violence initiative, Operation Promise Land, on Friday.

Today, Hopkins began passing out fliers inviting community activists, politicians and concerned citizens to meet him on the block of 4400 Agnes (in the heart of the 64130 zip code, a.k.a. the "Murder Factory") from 3-4 p.m. Friday.

"Once people assemble and I get some hot coffee or tea into their hands, I'm going to talk about what Operation Promise Land is all about," Hopkins says. Then, he'll ask for volunteers to join him in passing out fliers around the neighborhood, letting people know about Operation Promise Land, and spreading the message that violence will no longer be tolerated in our inner-city neighborhoods.

​Jason Whitlock's return to 610 Sports is not imminent, contrary to the Internet rumor. "I've had no conversations with Jason about a job here," Ryan Maguire, the program director at the AM sports-talk station, says.

Someone using the handle "bigsexy," Whitlock's nickname, announced a March 1 start date on kcforum.net Monday night. "It's going to be good to do talk radio again," the typist said. "Can't wait."

Whitlock hosted an afternoon show on 610 before abruptly quitting on March 1, 2005.

​April 29 there are going to be nationally televised fights in the Power & Light District.

The first of four live Bellator Fighting Championships events in the Kansas City Live Block, where a circular cage will house the carnage, which will be broadcast on Fox Sports.

Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney tells The Pitch that the Kansas City fights will either be the first four matches of the welterweight (170 pounds) or middleweight (185 pounds) tournaments. Each tourney is win-or-go-home style with the survivor getting a shot at a championship.

Announcements on ticket sales as well as the city-wide tryout for a chance to compete in the tourneys, says Power & Light District spokesman Nick Benjamin.

The tryouts will be for experienced and licensed MMA fighters, Rebney says. "We will choose one fighter who earn right to fight on that show."

​After taking a moment to attack the newly-dead John Murtha ("He seemed to characterize the Democratic Party's 'cut-and-run' defeatism"), American Power applauded Minority Leader John Boehner's kind words for Murtha and expressed the hope "that other conservatives will avoid the kinds of demonization campaigns that are so familiar on the left upon the death of controversial political leaders."

This must be some kind of inside joke, as rightbloggers treated Murtha at the moment of his passing pretty much the way they treated Ted Kennedy at his.

"May he rot in Hell," offered Bare Naked Islam. "Justice Delayed, But Not Denied," said Jay Tea of Wizbang. "John Murtha, professional crook, is dead," said South Bend Seven. "Ding, dong and all that."

Convicted killer Scott Roeder did an interview with an anti-abortion activist named Dave Leach (who believes in justifiable homicide of abortion doctors) and if you have the stomach for nine minutes of unrepentant rambling, be our guest.


Yesterday, Roeder's asked for a new trial or an acquittal of their client, who killed Wichita abortion provider George Tiller.

At his trial, Roeder testified that he shot Tiller from point-blank range during a church service last May in order to save the lives of unborn babies. A jury convicted Roeder of first-degree murder in less than 40 minutes.

Roeder is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9.

Hat tip to Crime Scene KC.

Jasmine Depriest

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Keasha Ingram

​Joshua's Bar, the site of Kansas City, Missouri's first homicide of 2010, may lose its liquor license.

KSHB Channel 41 reports that Joshua's Bar (5701 Longview Road) is facing a 30-day liquor license suspension and maybe stiffer penalties. Joshua's has 45 days to gather signatures from its neighbors or else the nightclub's liquor license could be revoked.

KSHB adds that "excessive police calls" put Joshua's on probation in December.

In January, Jackson County prosecutors charged 19-year-old Jasmine Depriest with second-degree murder and armed criminal action and 24-year-old Keasha Ingram with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in connection with 25-year-old Latasha Prewitt's death.

Lara Moritz basking in the post-Tazing afterglow.

​In the name of informative demonstration, KMBC Channel 9's Lara Moritz sacrificed a man to the news gods in the latest and dumbest Taser stunt (watch it here).

Yes, Lara, 50,000 volts (or 1,500 volts, depending on who you believe) does hurt.

Moritz broke form and allowed a woman named "Wendy" to shock a man named "Lonnie."

"Go ahead an Tase Lonnie," Moritz says calmly right before Wendy points the Taser, pulls the trigger and Lonnie screeches. Oh, that's how it works. The more you know .. I guess.

Sacrificial lamb Lonnie confirmed the obvious afterward: It hurts.

Lonnie, hope you get a little something extra in your paycheck this week.

Makes me long for the days of To Catch a Predator stings.

​In Mayor Mark Funkhouser's still-hypothetical "City That Works," every kid should be able to walk to school on safe streets lined with adequate sidewalks.

Inspired by superintendents who'd prefer the mayor stay out of the classroom and just stick to fixing our crumbling infrastructure, Funkhouser unveiled his "Schools First" vision last month. The five-point plan aims to use money from bonds and the public safety sales tax to shore up sidewalks and security around schools, both public and private.

Scott Schwab

​A state lawmaker from Olathe recently made a feeble Doritos crack in attempt to belittle legislation that would allow the chronically ill to obtain marijuana by a prescription. Turns out, the jokeman, state Rep. Scott Schwab, is out of step with most Kansans.

Legalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes has 58 percent support, according to a recent poll of 500 adults. SurveyUSA conducted the poll on behalf of Wichita TV station KWCH.

Scott Roeder

​The attorneys for convicted killer Scott Roeder are asking for a new trial or an acquittal of their client, who killed Wichita abortion provider George Tiller, according to a report on The Kansas City Star's web site.

The attorneys reportedly sought all of this in a motion Monday because Judge Warren Wilbert would allow the jury to consider voluntary manslaughter. This will be argued in court in March.

Roeder testified that he shot Tiller from point-blank range during a church service last May in order to save the lives of unborn babies. Roeder admitted that he'd first considered killing Tiller in the early '90s.

A jury convicted Roeder of first-degree murder in less than 40 minutes.