Smart Gun Invented by Colorado Teen Kai Kloepfer

Biometric electromechanical firearm safety is the key behind the new smart gun, invented by Kai Kloepfer, a teen from Colorado who's invention of the smart gun earned him a $50,000 first prize at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Kloepfer will use the prize money to design and develop his new invention which renders a gun useless when in the wrong hands. The new smart gun employs the biometric safety feature, which recognizes the gun owner's fingerprints and "locks" the gun if anyone but the owner tries to use it.

Kai Kloepfer is a Colorado teen who has been a witness to his share of senseless gun violence in his lifetime. Shootings in Kloepfer's immediate neighborhood include the disaster at Columbine that ended the lives of 12 people, and also the movie theater shooting spree in Aurora, Colorado that also claimed the lives of 12 people. At age 16, Kloepfer got the idea to invent a smart gun that would make a serious dent in the amount of wrongful deaths that occur from gun violence. Kai Kloepfer noticed that almost all illegal or accidental gun mishaps occur when the gun is in the hands of someone who is not the owner of the gun. A smart gun that recognized the fingerprints of the user would therefore keep guns in the hands of those who legally own them, and if anyone else tries to use the gun it would not operate. Furthermore the gun will "lock" immediately when the owner removes his hand from the sensor on the handle. The sensor in the gun handle has said to be 99.99% accurate for recognizing fingerprints.

The smart gun would prevent criminals from obtaining illegal firearms and would also prevent children in homes from "playing" with guns and injuring themselves or others. There is also a possibility that the military will take an interest in the smart gun, as the gun would be rendered useless in enemy hands. The gun could also be programmed for multiple users, and the scanner would be able to tell if the fingers on the gun are actually attached and alive (eliminating the possibility of cutting off a finger and using the finger to unlock the gun).



Smart gun inventor Kai Kloepfer by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Fireworks in Kansas City, Leawood, Overland Park July 4th, 2014 by KCMB News Kansas City

The skies will be popping and sparkling this July 4th, 2014 with several great fireworks displays in Kansas City, Leawood and Overland Park. As we tell everyone every year, we have our secret spot but we cannot divulge it's location because the best part about our spot is that it is not crowded and getting in and out of there is quite easy indeed.

Kansas City Fireworks Displays

Worlds of Fun - Celebrate America
Not only will Worlds of Fun have fireworks on the 4th of July 2014, but they are going to be doing fireworks EVERY weekend in July! That's right kids, there will be fireworks displays on July 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th, 18th, 19th, 25th and 26th. The Worlds of Fun fireworks will start at 10pm each of those nights and the twilight admission will be $36.99.

Fireworks at the K - Kauffman Stadium
If anyone knows whether or not they will have fireworks at the K this year let us know. We know that the Kansas City Royals will be in Cleveland that night so there will not be a baseball game at the K. Most stadiums will be celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Lou Gehrig's speech. Leave comments below if you know anything…

Kansas City River Market Fireworks 2014
The River Market has nothing on their calendar about a fireworks display this year.

Leawood Fireworks Display - 2014 4th of July Celebration

Once again this year the Leawood Park at Tomahawk Creek will be blasting off their fireworks display immediately following the Corporate Woods fireworks show. They will be making a day of it at Leawood Park, offering games, live music, rides and food vendors beginning at 5pm. There will be all access passes for children for the rides for $5. The Leawood fireworks display will begin at 9:45pm.

Overland Park Fireworks Display - Star Spangled Spectacular 2014

The annual Corporate Woods fireworks display "Star Spangled Spectacular 2014" will be the biggest thing going when it comes to Overland Park fireworks displays. The traffic jam (ahem) we mean the event will be held at Corporate Woods located at College and Antioch and begin at 4pm with food and beverage vendors, a children's play pavilion and inflatables. At 5:45pm there will be a country band followed by a 55 piece American Legion Band performing patriotic songs. Actor James Wright will be welcoming everyone at 8pm followed by the National Anthem being performed by Lindsey McKee from the Quality Hill Playhouse in Overland Park. The Star Spangled Spectacular 2014 fireworks will commence at 9:30pm. Don't be in a hurry to get out of there immediately after the fireworks because it will be traffic jam mayhem, it's best to just be patient and wait to try to leave until it clears out a little bit.

Have fun and enjoy your 4th of July Kansas City!

Go to 2022 Corporate Woods Star Spangled Spectacular Info

Go To 2015 4th of July in KC Info

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20s for KC New Charity Project in Kansas City Hands out $20 Bills

A new charity group in Kansas City is doing something that has never been done before in KC. 20s for KC, who are self defined as a "non profit Kansas City stimulus project", are placing $20 bills at random places all over the Kansas City area. This past Friday night the 20s for KC Facebook page reported that it was officially "gas pump night" and they placed several $20 bills on the front of gas pumps all over the city. The $20 bills are easily recognizable as they are in nice bill size white envelopes with a decorative red ribbon and a red stamp that bears the logo of 20s for KC in red. There is nothing in the envelope but a nice crisp $20 and the only form of information at all is the stamp that has the logo and also the website - www.20sforkc.com

We interviewed one of the founders of the project recently and this is what they had to say…

KCMB News: So what do you guys have to gain by doling out $20 bills all over the city?

20s for KC rep: We aren't trying to gain anything financially, or even in terms of advertising. We are affiliated with a local Kansas City radio show called The Sunday Jones Comedy Radio Show and when someone finds one of our $20 bills, IF they go to the website stamped on the envelope, then they are asked to simply tell us where they found the $20 and what they intend to do with it or how they spent it. No strings attached. We then read what people wrote over the air on the show, and we place a virtual "pin" on a map on the website showing where $20s were found.

KCMB News: Do you think that some people will be afraid to open the envelope because of suspicion? Or what if they just throw them in the trash?

20s for KC rep: We did take that into account, and that's just a fact of life in today's society. Paranoia is at an all time high, and we know that some people will probably leave the envelopes right where they are, untouched. We have even taken into account that someone may actually turn one in to the police, haha. That being said, a simple glance at the website at www.20sforkc.com will tell you everything about what we're doing and that there is nothing to be afraid of. And if someone throws one in the trash, I suppose that is a shame but it probably won't be the first time a $20 has ended up in the trash.

KCMB News: Have any of the businesses complained about you guys placing them on their property?

20s for KC rep: Not thus far. We have put a lot of thought into that, avoiding government property etc. and hopefully they will realize that it is probably GOOD for business. I mean if people think that there might be a free $20 bill hanging around their property somewhere then that can only be good for business. Heck, they might even find one themselves, or have one turned in to them by a customer who is confused as to what it might be.

KCMB News: Well this certainly is a first for Kansas City, no one has done anything like this here. We know that comedian Jim Carrey is notorious for hiding $100 bills around, and there is another group that does this around Christmas time in New York. How much feedback are you getting? Are people going to the website and telling their stories?

20s for KC rep: At this time we're getting about 25% feedback on the $20 bills that we have put out so far. That's about what we suspected, we were thinking that if we got 20% that we were doing well.

KCMB News: Thank you for your time and good luck with the new project. We will check back in with you guys in a few months and see how it's going. How long do you plan to continue with the 20s for KC project?

20s for KC rep: No problem. We hope to continue through the duration of the radio show's season which ends the Sunday before the first NFL game.

20s for kc kansas city charity stimulus project hands out free $20 bills hiding around kansas city by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Scouting 500 2014 at Kansas Speedway Featuring The Zeros by KCMB News Kansas City

This Saturday Richard Petty will be bringing the Scouting 500 2014 to the Kansas Speedway. This event is expected to draw over 12,000 people and started on Friday night with a "camp in" on the infield of the Kansas Speedway race track. On Saturday the action starts with a mock NASCAR race presented by Richard Petty's NASCAR Experience. Drivers will make a 45 lap run around the track in a simulated race. There will be a pre-race flyover by America's finest, similar to what we see at Arrowhead prior to Chiefs games and then the 45 lap race will kick off. There will also be an appearance by Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and Christa Dubill from 41 Action News. After the race there will be a concert by Kansas City's favorite 80's band The Zeros, presented by Adam Blue Productions.

The Scouting 500 2014 at Kansas Speedway is meant to raise the awareness and the importance of scouting and it's benefits on the community. Activities during the day will include a NASCAR action challenge, a scuba pool, zip lines, rock climbing towers, a climbing wall and hot air balloons. There will be career training including welding, carpentry, aviation, engineering, architecture, and the KCMO Police Department will also be putting on a seminar and demonstration. And did we mention skydiving? There will also be skydiving. Wait, there's more! There will be sports clinics, Kansas City Chiefs ambassadors, personal training and an obstacle course. Tickets / Visitor Passes will be available throughout the entire day at Gate D.

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Terrelle Pryor Traded to Seattle Seahawks from the Raiders

Today the Oakland Raiders dealt quarterback Terrelle Pryor to the Seattle Seahawks. Pryor often had problems including being late to over 5 meetings and other discipline issues with the Raiders. He was 3 and 6 as a starter in 2013, and was lackluster at best throwing the football.

Terrelle Pryor traded to the Seahawks is no surprise as his shady character dates all the way back to his college days at Ohio State. While attending Ohio State Pryor was accused of selling autographed memorabilia for a booster and accepting a vehicle. Though the charges were never officially proven, Terrelle Pryor officially "withdrew" from the University in 2011 and was subsequently banned from all affiliation with Ohio State. This only made him eligible for the Supplemental Draft in 2011 and the Oakland Raiders selected him in the 3rd round, becoming historically significant in that he was the last pick made by Al Davis before his death.

Terrelle Pryor's first play in the NFL came against the great and powerful Kansas City Chiefs, where Pryor lined up as a wide receiver and drew an illegal motion penalty.

Now that the headline is out - Terrelle Pryor traded to the Seattle Seahawks - it looks like he will be competing with Tarvaris Jackson for the backup spot behind Russell Wilson. The details of this trade have not yet been announced officially.

Check out the Kansas City Chiefs Schedule 2014

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Miley Cyrus Hospitalized in Kansas City at St. Lukes Cancels Concert at Sprint Center

Early this afternoon pop sensation Miley Cyrus was admitted to St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City for an allergic reaction to an unknown medication. Cyrus was slotted to perform a concert tonight at The Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City, and after being hospitalized she has cancelled the show.

Miley tweeted that she was sorry that she was not going to get to perform in "KANSAS" (obviously, she's not even sure where she is) and that not being with her fans made her feel s**tier than she already does. Cyrus has battled illness off and on during her current US tour and it has not been released what the exact medications that caused her allergic reaction were.

We do know that she has recently battled the flu and a few other medical problems including respiratory problems and allergies. The twerk jokes will be flying around in Kansas City tonight for sure as Miley Cyrus cancelled at The Sprint Center due to being hospitalized at St. Luke's for an allergic reaction to medication.

It has not been announced whether Miley Cyrus will be scheduling a make up concert in Kansas City, but ticket holders should expect to get their money back for this cancelled concert in KC.

Attention Miley! You are not in KANSAS, you are in MISSOURI. Feel better soon :)

Miley Cyrus hospitalized cancels Kansas City concert at the Sprint Center by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Google Fiber to Host Gala at The Midland Theater

This Thursday night Google Fiber will host a Gala at The Midland Theater.

Kansas City Rally Celebration

Join us for a special event for KC South and KC North . As the deadline for KC South nears at midnight, enjoy two live bands produced by Adam Blue Productions, KC favorites The KC All Stars & The Magnetics. Guests can see demos of Internet at gigabit speeds, watch crystal-clear high-definition TV.

The Midland Theater

1228 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64105

The Magnetics will open the show starting at 7pm

The KC All Stars will headline the show going on stage at 8:30pm

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ALS Fundraiser 2014 Starlight Theatre Kansas City

A Night of Hope 2014 ALS Charity Event Starlight Theatre

This Friday the Keith Worthington Chapter of Kansas City's local ALS Foundation held it's 26th annual gala "A Night of Hope". The fundraiser was held at Starlight Theatre and the theme this year was stars of the big screen and theater. Guests dressed up as their favorite stars and walked the red carpet upon entrance to the gala. We spotted Elvis, Ellen, Austin Powers and his "shag girls", Cleopatra and several more great costumes. The guests at the ALS gala seem like one big family, even though there were several hundred in attendance. Many Kansas City charity events and fundraising organizations don't appear to be as closely knit as the ALS group. These kind people are very dedicated indeed to funding ALS research as was marked by the extraordinary length of the auction portion of the night.

A Night Of Hope 2014 at Starlight Theatre started out with a silent auction that included autographed sports memorabilia, and many great donations made by local Kansas City businesses and restaurants. The night then went into a live auction where patrons bid on lavish vacations to different tropical locations, condo stays and packages, and tickets to major sporting events. After that auction was over, they went into an open cash auction - in which bidders simply raised their bidding cards when a dollar amount was announced. The auctioneer would call out to the guests at Starlight Theatre "Ten Thousand Dollars, do we have anyone who would like to donate Ten Thousand Dollars", and on and on it went all the way down to $250. The auction portion of A Night Of Hope 2014 ALS charity event lasted over 3 hours, topping even the most lengthy auction in Kansas City, Children's Mercy Hospital, who are known to have extremely long auctions as well. Their goal was to raise over $50,000 in direct cash donations and they easily topped that number. It was very clear that the ALS chapter in Kansas City are extremely committed to their charity, and this charity event at Starlight Theatre proved their dedication. Awards were given out as well, one award called the Tom Watson Award for Courage, and another award called the George Brett Award for Commitment.

The 2014 ALS charity fundraiser event ended with a fantastic performance by Big Show Dueling Pianos, who got the audience up on their feet and dancing for the remainder of the evening. These guys were incredible, you could tell that they were no average piano bar players like what you see downtown, these dueling piano players were of the highest caliber and the night ended with chants of "one more song, one more song" - simply incredible entertainment from Big Show Dueling Pianos.

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Valentine's Day 2014 Kansas City Events Parties Galas by KCMB News Kansas City

This year is a great year to be in love, or maybe you're looking for that special someone? Either way we've got you covered here at KCMB News with all of the biggest and best Valentine's Day 2014 Kansas City events, parties and galas that are happening around the city.

For 2015 Valentine's Day in Kansas City Go Here

One of the biggest and most popular Valentine's Day galas will be Children's Mercy Hospital's Red Hot Night 2014. This popular charity fundraiser is in it's 10th year and will be held on February 8th, 2014 at Bartle Hall in the Grand Ballroom in downtown KC. This event will feature a gourmet dinner prepared by the Westin Crown Center, a pre-party hosted by Toyota, Silent, Super Silent and Live Auctions presented by Deloitte, and the headline act will be The KC All Stars band presented by Adam Blue Productions. The auction items for Red Hot Night 2014 include trips to Las Vegas, Steamboat Springs, Captiva and Florida, a 2 year lease on a 2014 Avalon XLW Premium, suites to watch The Kansas City Chiefs and The Royals and more exciting items. This year's Honorary Co-Chairs are Dave and Mikel Flickinger and Kevin and Stacie Needham. For information on how to donate to Children's Mercy Hospital visit their main website at www. childrensmercy.org

Valentine's Day 2014 in Kansas City falls on a Friday so it will be a very busy night. Be sure and watch your driving and take a cab if you plan to be drinking as there will be DUI checkpoints everywhere in town that night. KC also offers pedicabs now which is a creative transportation solution as well.

For smaller Valentine's Day 2014 KC plans you might consider dining at one of the classic romantic restaurants like the Melting Pot  at 450 Ward Parkway in the Plaza, be sure and call for reservations asap at 816-931-6358 for the Melting Pot as they will fill up quickly. Another great spot would be Milano at Crown Center, they feature incredible chef prepared italian cuisine and you could also walk around that entire area as it is in the Crown Center shopping center which is attached to the Westin Crown Center who has a great bar in the lobby and you could even jump into the tunnel that takes you over the street to Union Station. Finally one of our favorite secret places to spend Valentine's Day is at our local EBT on 435 and State Line. EBT is an incredible fine dining restaurant and features private elevator car tables that were taken from the original Emery Bird Thayer building downtown and installed into the restaurant as booths! You're literally sitting inside an elevator while you dine - very swank. Reviews of Kansas City restaurant EBT are almost all positive and the service there is the best.

Valentine's Day 2014 Kansas City events, parties and galas by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

DUI Checkpoints Labor Day Weekend 2013 Aug 31st Sept 1st Sept 2nd Sept 3rd

All the crazies will be out in full force as they have released the masses from work for Labor Day Weekend 2013. There will be plenty of DUI Checkpoints in Kansas City and Lee's Summit for August 31st, September 1st, September 2nd, and September 3rd 2013.

The Checkpoints for Labor Day Weekend will be in the usual suspect areas including but not limited to:

Southwest Trafficway
Beware of checkpoints along Southwest Trafficway in all areas, but especially near the Sun Fresh at around 40th Street. They LOVE to set up a giant DUI Checkpoint complete with large buses to cart people off to jail near that intersection.

Ward Parkway
Watch yourself on any part of Ward Parkway as well, but be especially careful around 78th Street where Ward Parkway splits and all of the Prairie Village people merge over to the right to cross State Line to get home. Often there is a DUI checkpoint set up just as you round the corner on Ward Parkway heading toward that Kansas / Missouri split. If you're headed toward the Plaza on Ward Parkway then beware of a DUI checkpoint as you head down the hill after the light at 51st Street.

Wornall Road
It has come to our attention that not everyone in Kansas City knows the correct pronunciation of the word WORNALL. It is pronounced as if you were saying WORNLE (sounds like NORMAL) - It is NOT pronounced WOR-NELL. There ya go, a little lesson for the day. There will typically be a checkpoint on Wornall Road near 75th Street in Waldo near the Wendy's. They have also been known to set up at 92nd and Wornall, just as you round the corner South of the light at 95th Street.

Lee's Summit
Lee's Summit is NOT the place to drink and drive (nor is anywhere for that matter) but those officers will be checking EVERYONE that they pull over this Labor Day Weekend 2013 on August 31st, September 1st, September 2nd and September 3rd. Get a cab if you're going to drive anywhere in Lee's Scumm-It.

We strongly encourage everyone not to drive if they are going to be drinking this Labor Day Weekend 2013, get a cab or have a sober friend drive. Have a safe weekend from your friends at KCMB News Kansas City.

DUI checkpoints in kansas city, lee's summit labor day weekend 2013 august 31st, september 1st, september 2nd, september 3rd by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Franchise Mode Madden 25 for Loners Once Again in 2013 - Kansas City News

That's right kids, once again the folks at EA Sports have let us down. The Franchise Mode in Madden that we all loved so much until they took it away in Madden 13 is still not complete in the new release of Madden 25 in 2013. Once again, they have built the game for LONER geeks who play by themselves with the little headsets on online. Here at KCMB News in Kansas City we will break it down for you.

There is a franchise mode in Madden 25 as many will argue, but it's FOR LONERS only. You can only play by yourself! That's fine for the little 13 year olds sitting in their mother's basement, ok, and also the 27 year old loser geeks that are also sitting in their mother's basement, but not for those of us who like go grab some beer and a few friends and play a franchise mode season to it's finish.

This should not be such a major request from EA Sports to put the franchise mode in Madden 25 just the way it was for the last 15+ years. Why they would make this a LONER'S game we have no idea. Metacritic has Madden 25 at an 81 approval rating among players. That's pretty mediocre for one of the hottest video game franchises in history.

Without question, some dork got his foot in the door and is now at the controls in the design room for the Madden franchise. He is no doubt a loner dork, who plays online by himself with the little headset on. Well, congratulations dumb ass, your nerdy manipulation of the game has once again ruined it by taking away the franchise mode in Madden 25. We will continue to play our Madden 12 game until they fix this problem. We like to take over The Kansas City Chiefs, put ourselves in the game as players and rock out vs the computer. Then we save our progress and come back another night to continue the season. We don't anticipate this problem being fixed with the release of PS4 either, as the same dork designer will have his hands on it. We will check back with you guys in 2014! LOSERS.

Franchise Mode Madden 25 missing, gone in 2013 by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Jeff Fest 2013 - The KC All Stars Live in Concert - Fireworks at Lake Perry

Jeff Fest 2013 is happening today, July 6th, 2013, at Lake Perry near Topeka, Kansas. This is one of the biggest fireworks shows in the Kansas City area as they expect over 20,000 people to be in attendance. 

The fun starts at 9am with a Jeff Fest Lake Perry children's activity area, a full blown car show, and a live DJ / Karaoke DJ on the Jeff Fest main stage all day until 2pm! Then, from 2pm - 3pm they will have a local Topeka band "Lost and Found" followed by Travis Martin at 4pm until 6pm. Then the show really kicks into gear with the headline band, voted "Best Band in Kansas City" 4 years in a row, The KC All Stars, presented by Adam Blue Productions and Kansas City Bands. This band is a MUST SEE, The KC All Stars are the hottest band in the Midwest, performing hits from every generation from Aretha to Beyonce.  They have incredible stage energy, costumes, dance steps and a spectacular light show that most National Acts cannot match. They are the jewel of Jeff Fest 2013.

But wait, Jeff Fest 2013 Lake Perry fireworks show goers, there's more!  As soon as the smoke clears from the stage after The KC All Stars light it up for 2 hours it will be time for the fireworks show! At 10pm Premier Pyrotechnics and Jeff Fest will put on an amazing 30 minute fireworks display, sure to dazzle your eyes and wrap up this 4th of July weekend in style!  It's your last chance to see one more great fireworks display in the Kansas City area as tonight will close out an incredible holiday weekend. Jeff Fest at Lake Perry is technically "free", but they will expect you to make a "donation" before getting in. It's for a good cause and it's going to be a concert / fireworks extravaganza that you and your family will not want to miss!

Additional vendors for Jeff Fest 2013 will include:

ATM, Gold Canyon, Tomboy Tools, Streit Sandblasting, Goddess Dress Parties, Watkins, Discovery Toys, H Works, Paparazzi, Ava Girl, Just Jewelry, Vault Denim, Bombell Paracord, Tastefully Simple,  Tupperware, Celebrating Home, Jayhawk Theater, Thirty One, Jamberry Nails, Scentsy and Herbalife.

Jeff Fest 2013 will also present the following food vendors for you to enjoy:

Shaved Ice, Kettle Corn, Slippery Pigs BBQ, PJ's Concession and American Legion.

Jeff Fest 2013 vendors just for the kids will include Fiesta Fun Rentals and Face Painting.

Instructions on how to get to Jeff Fest 2013 at Lake Perry, KS

East end of the Dam, near Corps offices. Band stage will be set up in front of the shelter at the bottom of the hill. See "Photos" for google Earth map. You will be directed to parking off both 39th and Ferguson Rd and 24 Hwy Thompsonville Rd access.

Jeff Fest 2013 - The KC All Stars live in concert - Fireworks at Lake Perry brought to you by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Elton John Spotted at Royals Home Opener 2013

As we were heading into the VIP entrance at The Kansas City Royals home opener on Monday we barely had time to get our camera out as none other that Sir Elton John himself and his entourage of about 15 people were heading to their private box. We were fortunate to catch him at all as he was quickly whisked off from his car service into the K.

Shown here wearing this Royals cap, Elton was ready to watch the Royals take on the Minnesota Twins in a great home opener for 2013 in which the Royals bested the Twins 3-1. It is not known whether or not Elton John stayed for the entire game, although usually when celebrities this large come to events they wait until the crowd dissipates before attempting to get them back into their car service.

It was great to see Elton John in a Kansas City Royals hat, hopefully that will be some kind of a sign of good luck for this season.  If anyone else was able to nab a photo of Elton John coming into or leaving the game, please email them to us. Our photographer had her camera packed away as we hadn't planned on taking any photos until the opening ceremony began, and BAM! - here comes Elton John. So, before we could get our good cameras out, our only resort was to snap a good old iPhone shot which you see here. It was without a doubt Sir Elton, however and security around him was tight.

The Kansas City Royals will face the Twins two more times before ending the week playing The Blue Jays - and Elton John, who just came from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will head to Las Vegas to begin a string of performances at Caesar's Palace that starts on April 20th.

Elton John at Royals home opener 2013 by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Wide Receiver Donnie Avery Signed by Chiefs

Donnie Avery, wide receiver, was signed by The Kansas City Chiefs today. Avery was drafted by The St. Louis Rams in the 2008 NFL Draft as the 33rd overall pick. Donnie Avery was a wide receiver for the University of Houston until joining the NFL where he enjoyed two good seasons as a Ram, catching 100 balls for 1263 yards and 8 touchdowns. Avery was sidelined in 2010 with an ACL injury and then dealt to the Titans where he was healthy enough to play in 8 games.

Donnie Avery, super star wide receiver in Indianapolis

The next chapter in the Donnie Avery story proved to be a great one as he was a stand out receiver opposite Reggie Wayne hauling in 60 receptions for 781 yards and 3 scores.

With the Chiefs, Avery will be competing for the number 2 slot with Jonathan Baldwin, Kansas City's 1st round pick from 2011 who has yet to shine on the field.



wide receiver donnie avery signs with the kansas city chiefs by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Church of the Nativity Parish Fundraiser a Smash Hit in 2013

There's big time, and then there's even BIGGER time.  When it comes time for the Church of the Nativity to throw their annual fundraiser for their school The Nativity Parish School, the entire city of Leawood shows up to party. This year, the annual fundraiser hit it's highest mark in regards to donations raised and this was partly due to a change in entertainment for the event.  Instead of going with a regular cover band this year, The Church of Nativity got with the times and brought in The Dueling Piano Guys, a National touring dueling piano act based in Kansas City, Missouri.

Although the auctioneers at this event went on a little too long for most, and started to become a little irritating (there's only so much auctioneering rattle you can stand) - when the Dueling Piano Guys hit the stage  the party lit into action. In years past, many would leave the event after the auction, but not this year. The guests immediately packed the dance floor and stayed there for entire 75 minute performance. From making "human trumpets" out of some hand picked guys and gals from the crowd, to a roaring conga line, the dueling piano guys took this event to the next level performing today's hits mixed with hits from every generation.

The totals are not yet in for the amounts raised, but they are sure to be higher than previous years and the Nativity Parish School, located at 119th and Mission in Leawood, Kansas will be reaping the benefits of many generous prestigious members of the Leawood community's donations. Both the church and the school of the Nativity offer wonderful programs for people in the community of all ages, from the school children to adult groups, this organization offers something for everyone. For more information on The Church of the Nativity and the Nativity Parish School, visit their website at www.kcnativity.org

Check out the Conga Line at the charity event!


2013 Church of the Nativity Parish School Fundraiser brought to you by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Franchise Mode Madden 13 - Review of Madden 13

How many of you are out there with your brand new copy of Madden 13 loaded up and looking for Franchise Mode? Well, you can stop looking...it's gone. In a recent interview with Josh Looman, who made the latest changes to Madden, VentureBeat asked about the fan favorite Franchise Mode and what happened to it. Josh replied  "The primary motivation was to create a new, innovative career mode that allowed you to play as any coach or player in the same universe." Yeah, IF YOU ONLY PLAY BY YOURSELF. The new so called "Franchise Mode" in Madden 13 is created for play by only one person at a time, at home, by themselves. Do the powers that be at EA sports think that the only people who play their games are loner losers with no friends? Essentially, Madden 13 has taken away some of the features that fans have enjoyed for years (since 1992 for us) and basically turned this game into a first person shooter.

What makes this even more frustrating is the fact that EA Sports HAD TO HAVE KNOWN the mistake they were making because there is a giant menu item on the front screen that says "Looking for Franchise Mode?" and then it goes on to tell you to go create a coach or something incredibly lame like that - oh, and by the way, the coach has NO control over the roster, and who the hell wants to be a coach anyway? There are many things missing in Madden 13 and the fans are NOT happy. Here is the short list of items that are no longer available:

There is no NFL Draft, fantasy or otherwise. Gone.

You may create ONE player, or at least you can only utilize one created player at a time. What about your friend that comes over to play? He's screwed.

You cannot play the game with friends and save your progress (there is no more Season mode).

You may only play a so called "season" online, all by yourself - as only one person can play in the league per sign on name. LAME. So basically, if you wanted to have a few friends over to play a multi-player season where you could save your progress, you would EACH have to bring your own PS3, you would all have to have SEPARATE IP addresses, and each of you sign on with your unique EA Sports user name. Sounds like a set up that most of us have right? Multiple IP addresses at your house and four or five PS3's laying around? Absolutely, why not. Idiots.

You can no longer edit your own abilities as a created player. You must take the little points that they give you and improve one grueling point at a time. Although this seems fair, as you shouldn't be able to just blast your abilities through the roof, but the point is that sometimes we adjust OTHER players on the rosters because Madden gave them a crap rating and they deserve a few more points in their catching ability, etc. This ability is GONE.

You can no longer import your NCAA players.

In the end, looking back at last year, it's true, everyone was on the message boards complaining about the new passing / throwing motion, etc when Madden 12 first came out, but we got used to it, dealt with it and resumed play as usual. But this year, they have damaged the game beyond repair as many of the modes that players used are just GONE. The Franchise Mode has been in place since the very beginning (it used to be called "Season Mode") and judging from the overwhelming comments around the net right now, EA Sports is going to be forced to put Franchise Mode back in the game in 2014 or lose a LOT of customers. EA needs to understand that even though the new programming director might sit at home alone playing by himself online and he is just thrilled with the new game, but hey dork boy! Some of us have friends, and we like to get together and drink beer and join forces as our favorite teams and take them from the Preseason all the way to the big game over the course of several weeks and months. To us, that was the point of Madden. If we wanted to sit at home alone and play by ourselves online with a little dorky microphone on our heads, arguing with other dorks with microphones on their heads, we would just play Call of Duty. EA Sports has killed the multiplayer element of Madden that has held true for 20 years, great job guys.

On a closing note, if anyone out there can figure out a way (on Madden 13) for multiple players, playing at the same house, on the same team, with players that they have created, on the same PS3, and play an entire season together with all data saved we will personally pay you $100.00 via PayPal - just email us at kansascitynews@gmail.com - good luck!

Franchise Mode Madden 13 Review by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Happy Hour at The Zoo - Libations for Conservation by KCMB Kansas City News

Cool Caribbean Fun at The Kansas City Zoo - KCMB Kansas City News

This Wednesday evening, leave your work clothes on and drive over to the Kansas City Zoo where they are having a happy hour party with a Caribbean theme. Featuring LIVE MUSIC from Kansas City's best reggae band Az One, produced in part by Adam Blue Productions, the weather is perfect for a nice evening outside at the zoo with a few cocktails, live music and good friends.

More details from The Kansas City Zoo and Friends of The Zoo:

Cool Caribbean Fun

Libations for Conservation on Wednesday, August 15th from 5pm - 7:30pm. Tropical style fun with a run tasting, flavorful appetizers, cool icy treats and joyful Caribbean vibes - all in support of the animals from the Tropics.

Caribbean eats from Deco Street Eats Food Truck, musical entertainment by reggae band Az One, rum provided by Major Brands and icy treats by Tropicana. And for more animal-sized entertainment, join the Zoo Keepers for chats by the sea lions at 5:30pm and in the Tropics at 6:30pm.

Libations for Conservation is a happy hour event in support of conservation efforts for adults ages 21 and older. Register at The Kansas City Zoo - Friends of the Zoo Members - $20.00, Jackson County and Clay County Non Friends of the Zoo Members $25.00, Regular Non Friends of the Zoo Members $30.00

Libations for Conservation Caribbean night at the Kansas City Zoo by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.