Freefall Express in Freefall

After the deaths of three people in 2008, it appear that 2009 won't be a banner year for the Mt. Vernon based Freefall Express. The FAA is planning to take away the certification of four skydive employees. Among those cited whose certifications are to be revoked include the owner, Bryan Wolford, and the pilot of the plane which crashed earlier this year, Jason Rog. You can read more about the situation by heading to the Springfield News-Leader website.

I believe that this is an appropriate action that has been taken by the FAA. One mistake in a year can be blamed on an accident, but two starts heading into a much grayer territory. Just one more reason to not include skydiving in my list of things to do in 2009.

Woo Pig Suey!

I know we have at least a couple of Arkansas Razorbacks fans who follow the blog and since my MSU teams are not producing very many highlights, here is a wonderful upset. Anyone who is a Big 12 basketball fan NOT from Oklahoma had to love this.... the Razorbacks upset #4 Oklahoma last night!

Want the sweet highlights? Check out this link, which will take you to KHBS-KHOG's highlights of the game.

The Hazards of Live TV #2,975,895

Okay, there is no way I can ever do this justice without a You Tube video to back me up but here goes anyway. Tonight's TalkBack segment on KSPR News @ 10 asked its viewers the following question: Should women breastfeed in public?

If you have never watched KSPR's TalkBack segment, basically what happens is that the anchors do a story over an issue, share their opinions on it, and then read your responses during their 4:30 and 10 broadcasts.

Tonight's question received many responses. So many that Joe and Christine Daues, the evening anchors, had printed responses to share with the audience that had come in since the beginning of the broadcast. Everything was going fine until Joe read the following line (keep in mind the question is should women be allowed to breastfeed in public): "Only if they are both out..." followed by a pause, a deer in the headlights look, followed by "Oh, that is a bad one." He then quickly tossed the paper out of the pile.

Let's just say that while the KSPR Newsteam held it together fairly well after the incident, you could tell that it was difficult for them to do so. I, however, am still laughing about it. Joe... we're sorry that we are laughing at your expense. Just another hazard of live tv my friends...

Looking Back

I am not one that spends an awful lot of time looking back because I am always looking ahead. Yet, I feel the need to reflect for just a moment of two. Bear with me!

The year 2008 was an interesting one for me for a variety of reasons. Personally I had a good year, but professionally I had an even better one. If I were to take the time to mention everything I was thankful for it would take until next year.

I want to focus on one decision in particular that I made and that was to close the door on The News 2K. It was something that I didn't particularly want to do, but I felt that it had reached a point where I had to make a decision. Coming to Show-Me Opinions has been a wonderful experience for me, although I feel that I haven't been able to contribute as much here yet as I would like to. Combine that with Donna being so swamped with work and you have seen an infrequently updated blog. I promise you that will not be the case in 2009. I have a couple of projects I am already working on so that I can bring the spark back to this blog.

But I need your help, too. Help me get Donna back on the stick and writing again!!! She provides a fresh insight into the news that no one else can give.

Thanks again for your readership of this blog. Finally, before I end this post... I have compiled the top 10 stories that drove traffic to the blog this year. I am including posts from TheNews2K in this list... enjoy!

#10: I'll Think I'll Just Leave... Three Months Early (Show-Me Opinions)

#9: Man Drowns Friday on Lake of the Ozarks (Show-Me Opinions)

#8: MSNBC on MSNBC... A Lot (The News2K)

#7: No More Social Security Checks (Show-Me Opinions)

#6: Table Rock Flooding Update (Show-Me Opinions)

#5: My $.02: Vincent David Jericho = TV Expert? (The News2K)

#4: KRCG's Rod Smith Let Go (The News 2K)

#3: Show Me A Naked... WHAT? (Show-Me Opinions)

#2: Breaking News: Manhattan, KS Hit By A Tornado (The News2K)

#1 *by far*: Twas The Night Before The Primary (The News2K)

Governor Blagojevich Names Obama's Replacement...

And the highest bidder was... err... the person selected was former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris. Who? Yeah, the media is asking the same question. TVNewser has the inside scoop here.

It will be interesting to see if the Illinois Congress will allow Blagojevich to have the final say on who is selected to fill the vacated Senate seat.

Two Weak Tornadoes Touch Down

The National Weather Service has finished its survey and determined that there were two brief tornado touchdowns in Southwest Missouri on Saturday. Below is the report from the Weather Service in its entirety:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
915 AM CST MON DEC 29 2008

...MINOR TORNADO DAMAGE FOUND IN BARRY AND MCDONALD COUNTIES...

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY REVEALED THAT TWO EF-0
TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN IN BARRY AND MCDONALD COUNTIES.

APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES NORTH OF POWELL ALONG HIGHWAY E...TREE
DAMAGE OCCURRED FROM THE WEAK TORNADO.  THE PATH LENGTH WAS
APPROXIMATELY ONE TENTH OF A MILE...WHILE THE WIDTH WAS 20 YARDS.

ALONG HIGHWAY 97 JUST NORTH OF PULASKIFIELD...TREE DAMAGE AND DAMAGE
TO A ROOF OF A BARN OCCURRED FROM THE BARRY COUNTY TORNADO.  THIS
TORNADO ALSO HAD A PATH LENGTH OF ONE TENTH OF A MILE WITH A WIDTH
OF APPROXIMATELY 30 YARDS.

BOTH OF THESE TORNADOES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SAME SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORM.

The Best of the Best...

I had not found time to update the blogroll in a while, but this morning I found a bit. As a result, you will now notice an updated list of blogs that I like to call "The Best of the Best". These aren't the only blogs I visit, but rather a good comprehensive listing of the best blogs from SW Missouri and others I frequent.

Newcomers to the list include:

Aaron's Articles - A good local blog from Aaron McGrath. Check out his perspective of things happening in the Ozarks and around the world.

Busplunge - A blog that offers a plethora of topics to think about and chew upon. This blog is never boring!

Desdinova - Super Villain of the Ozarks - This blog has some of the best satire I have read in ages! Also, there is a lot of good radio stuff to be found here.

Inside Missouri Politics - This is the blog from the Springfield News-Leader, which does a good job of covering politics that affect the Ozarks.

The Political Fix - Love 'em or hate 'em... the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has one of the most comprehensive political blogs out there.

The World According To Chris Brewer - This a blog I have discovered fairly recently, but it is fast becoming a must-see for me!

OzarksWeatherFans - A Ning site where fans of weather come together.


Enjoy these blogs and don't forget about the old favorites. I will update this list as I have time to evaluate more blogs. If you would like your blog considered for the list, please email me: thenews2k@gmail.com . Thanks... and enjoy!

Only In Missouri

That's right, here in the Ozarks we seem to find ourselves scrambling to our tornado shelters one minute and few hours later reaching for the bag of ice melt. These pictures were taken this morning (Sunday) around St. Joseph, MO. where the scenery had changed from the warm 60 degree weather on Friday night to an ice covered landscape by Saturday morning.

Polly Want A $10,000 Box of Crackers?

The Rogloff family from California got a lot more than just Hi-Ho's when they opened up a box of crackers and discovered $10,000 inside. The money was found inside a large white envelope containing only $100 bills.

Was it a drug deal gone bad? A freak accident at the cracker factory? No, the story is more complicated than that. Let's just say it involves an elderly woman, a grocery store, and a distrust of banks. Curious? Click here to read the rest of this crazy ordeal from the Associated Press.

Forrest Gump apparently had it all wrong when he said that "life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get." He must have meant crackers. Now if you'll excuse me, I am off to the local grocery store where I will open up random boxes of macaroni and cheese in hopes of finding a diamond ring or maybe even a winning Powerball ticket.

Was It A Tornado?

Yesterday morning, an increasingly familiar sound was heard in McDonald, Newton, and Northern Barry counties. Tornado warnings were issued for those counties as a storm marched in from Oklahoma. When all was said and done, it appeared that the storm was all bark with little bite. That may not have been the case.

This afternoon, the National Weather Service is investigating "a possible tornado track between Pineville and Monett", according to the Joplin Globe. There had been unconfirmed reports yesterday of a rotating wall cloud between Wheaton and Pulaskifield, but the report I heard on scanner traffic never made it to the NWS Storm Reports section. While it is likely that the tornado (if there was one) was only on the ground for a short time here and there, it does mean that there was one.

Show-Me Opinions will keep you updated on the findings of the Weather Service.

What Goes Through People's Minds Sometimes?

I mean, seriously. Here is a story out of Miami, Florida.

According to a CNN story, a 22 year old woman filed a false police report claiming that someone had kidnapped her 5 month old baby. She even pleaded to the media and held a press conference on Christmas day.

The only problem? She didn't even have a baby.

Apparently, she was trying to get her ex-boyfriend back. What was going through her head when she made up this story? I guess we will have to wait until she tells the judge.

Severe Weather Likely Overnight

The temperature today is forecasted to reach the middle and upper 60's across SW Missouri and you know that is never good when a cold front is knocking on the door. The National Weather Service and the Storm Prediction Center are both warning of the likelihood of severe weather tonight.

All types of severe weather are possible, which includes large hail, damaging winds, flash flooding, and tornadoes. The timing of the severe weather looks to be mainly after dark this evening and through much of the overnight hours. This is always a dangerous time for severe weather, but the problem is compounded further by the fact that many have not been following the weather because of the holiday season.

The situation is serious enough that the National Weather Service will be broadcasting a conference call at 10 a.m. this morning on its NOAA Weather Radios. I will update the blog if any significant new information becomes available between now and the storms.

Please do keep updated on the latest weather developments through the afternoon and into the evening and overnight hours. It could be a long night here in the Ozarks!

Merry Christmas!!!

On behalf of Donna and myself... Merry Christmas!!!

It's About Time!

Let me just say that this year has been an extraordinary one for me and I hope that this year has been a blessed one for you, too! While it has been a great year, it has come at a cost for me. I haven't had nearly as much time to spend with my family as I would like. I will be an uncle in a few weeks. My grandfather's health continues to deteriorate. I haven't been able to spend the quality time I would have liked to with either my sister or my grandpa.

Now that the holidays are here, I am hoping that I get one thing with them that money can't buy -- time. While the season is about exchanging gifts and social gatherings for many, for the first time I am more concerned about soaking up those extra seconds, minutes, and hours with the ones I love. I rarely get this much time off during the year, so I need to use it while I have it.

I encourage you to do the same. Spend that extra hour with your sibling, parent, grandparent, aunt, spouse, child, or whomever it is that you truly care about. Some day you will wish you had that hour back so that you could spend it with them. This holiday season the tree is nice, the presents are wonderful, and the food is delicious, but really, for me, it is all about one thing: time!

Could we just have some snow please?

Ok... for what seems like the 88th time so far this winter season, we are under a winter weather advisory for sleet and light freezing rain. My question is this: since when did it become so hard to get an actual snowstorm around here?

I don't want a paralyzing blizzard, but we can't even get a full inch. All we get is this mix stuff, which frankly, I am very tired of. Has the atmosphere instituted a no snow in Southwest Missouri rule or something? Have Ron, Ted, and Kevin made the snow gods angry? Someone must have the answer!

Can we just have some snow please? Thank you. That is all.

Wow. People Are Weird!

Maybe I knew it all along and just decided to deny it. Or maybe I truly thought most people were normal. Either way, I have decided that the vast majority of people trudging through cyberspace have to be half crazy. My reasoning? Look no further than KSPR's Top 10 Most Viewed Stories Online. (You can check out the full list by clicking here.)

Among the journalistic heavy hitters that the KSPR news team has covered in 2008, stories such as a Woman Finding Jesus in a Cheeto Bag along with a Pregnant Woman Being Charged With Prostitution make the station's top ten. No Blunt, Hulshof, Steelman, McCaskill, Palin, etc to be found anywhere... who would have guessed?

Brandon Beck Sends Letter To Viewers

Brandon Beck, who underwent surgery recently, sent a letter to KY3 to let the viewers know how he is progressing. In the letter, he says that he has received of 800 cards and 30,000 online well wishes. He also lets everyone know the struggles he has undertaken during this surgery. The good news beyond the success of the surgery is that he expects to be back on air on January 12th. You can read the full letter by clicking here.

We continue to wish Brandon a full recovery.

The Last Weekend !!!

Well...this is it! The last weekend before Christmas. The weekend everyone is frantically trying to get that last person checked off their list. Unless, you are like me who has only one person checked off their list. Yes, I am behind...big time!

Between work, the holidays, and getting ready to be a very, very young grandmother, things have been more than a little bit crazy. As stressful as it has been, I wouldn't trade a minute of it.

While there will still be presents under the tree, there won't be as many as in years past and instead of feeling bad about it and wishing I could do more, I don't. Because maybe, as we all face these hard economic times we will see this as an opportunity to remember what is and should be more important than anything you could put under the tree.

If You Ever Needed A Reason To Switch...

I have been an Internet Explorer fan since the beginning. I know all of you computer geeks will tell me that Firefox is better, but old habits are hard to break. Well, at least that was until earlier this week. Microsoft announced that hackers had hacked their way into Internet Explorer and were redirecting computers to malicious websites, where important personal information could be stolen. (You can find more about the problem by clicking here. ) This hole in the software affects all IE users, from the 5.01 version all the way up to the latest one.

So... what does Microsoft encourage everyone to do? Switch away from Internet Explorer for the time being. Yesterday, I did just that. And you know what? I like Firefox so much, I might not switch back. If you have ever needed a reason to switch, now you have one. If you are like me, you might find that being stuck in your old ways isn't always a good thing after all.

And to all of you out there reading this saying "I told you so!" to yourself... just keep it to yourself, ok? I really don't want to hear it.

Winter... Here We Come

Looks like this week is going to be very wintery. A Winter Weather Advisory has just been issued for almost all of SW Missouri and so the entire region can expect some sleet, freezing rain, and snow to impact travel conditions overnight and for your morning commute tomorrow. Please stay safe if traveling!

This doesn't look to be the end of the winter weather. More shots of the frozen stuff exist nearly every day this week. Have fun... winter, here we come!

KY3's Beck To Have Surgery

It was announced on this morning's edition of Ozarks Today that KY3 Meteorologist Brandon Beck will be having surgery on his pancreas. Known as the Whipple Procedure, the surgery will require over a week of hospitalization and outpatient recovery time of a little more than a month.

Beck announced his surgery this morning and you can view that video at http://www.ky3.com/. You may additionally leave well wishes for Brandon by sending him an email at bbeck@ky3.com or by clicking here.

Show-Me Opinions wishes Brandon the best of luck with the surgery and will keep him in our prayers.

News-Leader Veteran Kicked To The Street

If you are an avid reader of the blogs Turner Report or Life of Jason, then this story isn't new to you. Springfield News-Leader reporter Sarah Overstreet was abruptly let go by the company in a round of layoffs. Overstreet had been with the paper for 22 years! One has to wonder where the practice of loyalty is rewarded anymore, don't you?

The Turner Report has a good write-up on the departure and comments. You can read them by clicking here.