Month: December 2014

Salvation Army volunteers to pack food boxes for needy

Salvation Army volunteers will help pack 5,500 food boxes for needy families on Saturday.

About 175 volunteers will assemble at the Salvation Army at 1110 E. Truman Road in Kansas City, Mo., and fill 5,500 food boxes to distribute to families who have applied for Christmas assistance from the Salvation Army in the Kansas City metro area, a spokesman said.

Working in assembly line fashion, the volunteers will build and then fill 5,500 boxes with all the fixings for a holiday meal, including ham, potatoes, stuffing and green beans, plus everyday staples such as flour, sugar, macaroni and cheese, and peanut butter.

A number of businesses, schools and churches have donated food to the project, including Russell Stover Candy, Zerega Pasta, Cosentino’s Food Stores, the Haun Potato Co. and affiliated potato growers and Pratt Industries, which donated the boxes.

In addition to the food boxes, The Salvation Army provides toys for 16,000 children in Kansas City each Christmas. The food boxes and toys are distributed a few days before Christmas from The Salvation Army’s eight community centers in the Kansas City metropolitan area. To donate or to learn more about The Salvation Army, go to www.salarmymokan.org or call 816-756-1455.

Cooler temperatures today, snow possible Wednesday night

Skies will be partly sunny today with a high near 33, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

Northwest winds of 9 to 16 mph will gust to as much as high as 25 mph.

Tonight, expect partly cloudy skies and a low of 22. Winds will be 3 to 8 mph from the north northwest.

Wednesday’s weather is partly sunny, with a high near 36. Wind changes to the east, around 5 mph, in the afternoon.

On Wednesday night, there is a 60 percent chance of snow, possibly mixed with freezing drizzle. The low will be around 28.

In the region, there might be as much as 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation before sunrise on Thursday, according to the weather service. The chance of snow and freezing drizzle continues Thursday morning before noon, then there is a 40 percent chance of rain. The high Thursday will be near 36.

There is a potential of light freezing drizzle or snow flurries after temperatures fall on Thursday night. The low Thursday night will be 28.

On Friday, a storm system will move through part of the region, and it currently appears that it will mostly miss the Kansas City area. There is a possibility of a light rain or snow mix south of I-70 as the system moves through the region. Friday’s high will be near 37, and Friday night, the low will be 28.

Saturday’s high will be near 39, and Saturday night’s low will be around 28.
Sunday, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 42. Sunday night, the low will be around 30.

Monday, expect partly sunny skies and a high near 44.

Police investigate homicide near 43rd and Farrow

Police are investigating a homicide overnight in the 4300 block of Farrow Avenue.

A police spokesman said officers responded to a report of an armed disturbance at 1:30 a.m. Dec. 16 in the 4300 block of Farrow Lane.

While en route, the call was upgraded to a shooting, the spokesman said.

On arrival officers found a male in his early 60s outside the residence dead from a gunshot wound, police said.

The identity of the victim is being withheld until there is positive identification and family notification.

The incident is under investigation by the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department Major Case Unit, which is encouraging anyone with information to call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS.