Kansas City News Blog

​It's a somber weekend, everyone -- and not just because winter won't let go. Our wars don't appear to be ending anytime soon, either.

Area peace activists mark the seventh anniversary of the Iraq War today with a vigil beginning at 3 p.m. at the J.C. Nichols Fountain on the Plaza, followed quickly by a march to Unity Temple for some promised theatrics and documentary screenings as well as the usual speeches and calls to action. (The official flier's here).​

"On this day, seven years ago, March 19, 2003, the war began with U.S. bombing of Iraq after intense political debate within the U.S. and now proven manipulated intelligence to make the case for war," Ira Harritt of the American Friends Service Committee wrote in a statement yesterday.

"Remember what we could have accomplished with the 3 trillion dollars we will waste on this war," he reminds everyone. "Remember all those who have suffered and lost loved ones here in the U.S. and in Iraq; remember and dream and work for how you want the world to be."

Find more information on the AFSC's anti-war work here. And if you're safe and warm at home, don't just thank a soldier. Bring 'em home.

Truman the Tiger's Final Four hopes are alive.

​The Missouri Tigers claimed ownership of "40 minutes of hell" with an 86-78 victory over the Clemson Tigers.

After a 39-39 deadlock at halftime, Missouri pulled away midway through the second half and never looked back. 

Kim English and Keith Ramsey led the Tigers with 20 points each. But it was Mizzou's pressure defense, which caused 14 steals, that was the game changer.

J.T. Tiller was key on defensive, getting five steals. Ramsey added four.

Clemson managed just three steals as a team.

​Update: Independence police are now calling this morning's "suspicious death" of a 69-year-old woman a homicide.

The woman's body was found in a home at 14608 East 37th Street.

The woman's name was not released.

If you have a tip about the woman's death, call Independence police at 816-325-7330 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. Independence police likely won't have any further updates until Monday.

Global warming even affects this guy's hat.

​Pitch writer Nadia Pflaum has a lot of fashion pet peeves (at least ten). Her series of style no-nos started today with "The Floater," dudes wearing baseball caps askew "leaving a doofy reservoir of air between cloth and crown."

Why do guys wear their hats this way? Local blogger Hyperblogal came up with as logical of any explanation as any for the Comment of the Week.

Due to global warming the crust of the earth has expanded. This, in turn, has increased the core area allowing greater rotation and thus stronger gravity. Unfortunately the larger space in the core also created spin-wobble which means that while stronger gravity is also uneven and pulls hats to the right.

Global warming's reach is far and cruel. Anyone have a better explanation?

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Five fearless souls snared themselves a Tyrannosaurus Rex in front of Union Station Monday afternoon. They look pretty nonchalant for being in the presence of one of the most deadly creatures to ever roam the earth (not to mention one we thought was extinct). No word of casualties, and it's not clear what these heroic hunters will do with their catch (although there may be answers at Thursday's "Dino Daze" at the Station).

Update: The T-Rex is promoting Union Station's next big exhibit, "Dinosaurs Unearthed," with 24 animatronic dinos (eight of which are feathered). They've dubbed the show "the largest collection of feathered fossil replicas on display outside of China," and it starts May 1. Tickets go on sale April 9.

Major C. Edwards Jr. pleaded guilty Friday to voluntary manslaughter in the death of Anthony Vital (pictured).

​Major C. Edwards Jr. pleaded guilty today to voluntary manslaughter in the death of Lawrence rapper Anthony Vital.

The 30-year-old Edwards had been charged with first-degree murder in Vital's death, a case profiled in a June 2007 edition of The Pitch ("It's Hard Out Here for a Player").

David Kerr: Hey, KC. Cool arch!

​A prominent Missouri state official sounded like a road-weary rock musician when he addressed a gathering of business and political leaders in downtown Kansas City this morning.

David Kerr, who runs the Missouri Department of Economic Development, spoke briefly at a meeting of the city-funded Economic Development Corporation. In the course of introducing himself, Kerr twice suggested that he standing in St. Louis and not Kansas City.

The first mention of "here" being St. Louis was confusing. The second signaled to the dozens of officials in the room that Kerr had forgotten where he was. Frank Ellis, the CEO of Swope Community Enterprises, drew Kerr's attention to his gaffe.

Mary Pilcher Cook doesn't want Kansans to have health insurance

​A cabal of Republicans in the Kansas Legislature have grown desperate in their effort to prevent 280,000 of the state's citizens from getting health insurance.

Sen. "Mean Mary" Pilcher Cook of Shawnee and Rep. Scott "Dopey" Schwab of Olathe are among those pushing the Kansas Health Care Freedom Amendment, a document full of disingenuously patriotic sounding gibberish that would supposedly protect Kansans from being subjected to the tyranny of health insurance.

We've broken down their silly proposal before. But with the possibility that Congress might actually pass federal health-care reform legislation this weekend, Pilcher Cook and her fellow travelers announced the launch of a Web site dedicated to fighting it in Kansas.

Morris Grimes admits that he punched Faron Rosendale, but just once.

​Morris E. Grimes admitted punching Faron Rosendale once.

Rosendale was found unconscious inside Grandpa's Used Furniture (10112 East Truman Road) Monday morning around 8:20. Rosendale was stiff and soaked with beer, and the store was torn up (tables and furniture overturned and a mirror broken) with beer bottles scattered around.

Rosendale died Wednesday at North Kansas City Hospital, according to the Star. Depending on what the autopsy says, prosecutors could up the charges against Grimes. So far, he's charged with second-degree assault.

Cole Aldrich and the Jayhawks avoided a day-one upset.

​The Lehigh Mountain Hawks put a scare in the Kansas Jayhawks. But the Jayhawks survived thanks to a double-double from Marcus Morris (26 points and 10 rebounds) and 18 points from Sherron Collins.

Lucky for President Obama (and me) that the Jayhawks won or else his bracket would have been totally busted. Unfortunately for Obama, it happened anyway. One of his Final Four picks, No.3 seed Georgetown, fell to No. 14 Ohio. And one of the president's Sweet Sixteen picks, No. 6 Marquette, bowed out to Washington, a No. 11 seed.

Next up for the Jayhawks, a Saturday afternoon game with the upset-minded Northern Iowa Panthers, who pulled off a last second victory via 3-pointer to kick UNLV out of the tournament.