If Wells Could Talk....MOVING!

Well, I've decided to leave blogspot as a blog host and move over to WordPress.

It's much better and cooler!

My new blog URL is http://www.joshwells.net

I hope to see you there!

Teaching the daughter to sort the laundry

I'm trying to teach my daughter how to sort and fold the laundry....basically, I'm not a big fan of doing laundry so I thought I try to teach her to do it for me. It didn't work as I had planned...

Folding Clothes from Josh Wells on Vimeo.

Allie and the Fish...OKC Zoo

My wife and I decided it was time to get out of town for a few days to relax and spend time in Oklahoma City with Allie.

The Oklahoma City Zoo, Bricktown, Bass Pro Shop and Chelino's Mexican Restaurant were all on the itenerary. Allie's favorite was the zoo...and Bass Pro. The video below was taken at the Zoo in the Oklahoma Frontier exhibit.

Allie and the Fish from Josh Wells on Vimeo.

Monday...the beginning of a busy week

Get ready for another national spotlight focused on Wichita this week.

The Scott Roeder (accused of killing Dr. George Tiller) is tomorrow (Tuesday) in Sedgwick County District Court. We...the members of the local media...are meeting today to get the courtroom and media workroom setup ahead of Tuesday's preliminary hearing. The last time Roeder was in court for his first appearance, media from across the nation was in town. Several satellite trucks and national crews spent three days in Wichita.

This week, you can expect nothing less. Watch for Wichita to lead the news on the three cable news networks tomorrow afternoon...for better or worse.

Back at work after nearly two weeks

I'm back in the anchoring chair today for the first time in nearly two weeks.

I took some time off to take care of some family things and then I spent a week in El Dorado, KS at the Butler Showchoir Showcase where I worked as the technical coordinator for a week long showchoir camp hosted by Valerie Mack and the Butler Headliners. About 350 students from across the country attend the camp each year. It's amazing to me to watch the students learn the notes and choreography for five songs in less than five days and then perform with perfection at the final show.

It's also fun for me to work with some of the best vocal clinicians and choreographers from across the country. Never a dull moment and lots of laughs and memories.

And I got to work with lots of sound, video and lighting equipment that I truck in from the Douglas Production Group/Sounds Unlimited in Liberal, KS.

Fun times...and the 2010 Butler Showchoir Showcase is already on the schedule!

Is it still June?

The heat is on in southcentral Kansas. We went from the mid 80s a couple of weeks ago to near 100 degrees this week.

Seriously? Are we still in June, or did we skip the rest of the month and jump to the end of July and early August? Of course we expect this heat in the summer, but in June? In case you're wondering, the temperatures are usually in the lower to mid 90s on average in June...with extreme heat considered upper 90s.

The heat this week is so intense, it prompted the National Weather Service to issue an excessive heat warning. You can expect temperatures near 100 with the heat index between 105 and 110 degrees.

The excessive heat warning continues until Thursday night, but it will likely be extended. The forecast through Sunday calls for high temperatures of 100 with the heat index five to 10 degrees higher. So, lots of pool time for me and my family and lots and lots and lots of water and air conditioning. I hope you can enjoy the same!

No weather...but the preparations were good

On Tuesday afternoon, I found myself watching the radar and looking at the latest information from the National Weather Service...wondering if, when and where the storms were going to develop.

I wasn't alone in my actions. Local meteorologists, storm chasers, news directors, assignment editors and reporters across the metro area were all doing the same thing.

Even scientists with the SPC's Vortex2 unit and the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) were all wondering the same thing: the ingredients are in play but when and where will the storms develop?

Long story short, the majority of the storms developed to the southeast of Wichita and to the west...and the activity was much less dangerous and less severe than had been predicted.

Thinking back on the day and the preparations I made, both at work and at home were well worth my time. I made plans, along with the rest of the KFDI News staff, for what we would do in the event of a major weather break out. At home, I checked the survival kit in the basement and made sure it was in order. Needless to say, I didn't need the plans I made nor did I need the survival kit. However, it was good to develop a plan of what might need to be done in an emergency situation.

So, my point, you ask? Everyone should take tornado and thunderstorm watches seriously. Even though the severe weather stayed away from much of the area under the tornado watch Tuesday and Tuesday night, that doesn't mean you should have not been thinking about what you would do in the event of a real weather emergency. Basically, if you still don't have an emergency weather preparedness plan at work or at home...develop a plan now. Don't wait until the next time when the weather really does threaten.

Severe weather Tuesday?

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has circled an area including southcentral Kansas for a "moderate risk" of severe weather.

A warm front moving back into Kansas from Oklahoma will provide the energy and instability for severe thunderstorms to develop. The Weather Service says large hail, damaging wind and possibly even tornadoes are today's weather threats.

KFDI News is ready for the possible chase day. Myself, John Wright, George Lawson and Phil White will be manning the KFDI Mobile Units today. Dan Dillon will be anchoring the coverage if needed.

Remember, follow KFDI News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kfdinews for the latest interactive coverage of news, weather and traffic.

Growing up and getting old...and ready for the baby gate

I struggled with what to write about for this week's blog post. Much of what I've been doing this week has focused on negative news and sad stories. Not just the news I've been covering in Wichita, but also news across our nation and around the world.

So, I thought Allie should be the topic of this week's blog post. Someone who's always happy and always smiling...when she's not hungry or sitting with a dirty diaper.

Allie turned eight months old last week and she continues to amaze her mother and I. There's not a day that goes by that I don't laugh at something she does or a new noise or talent she's learned to make or perform. She's now learned to clap, roll her tongue, click her tongue and sleep on her stomach. Little things, I know...but the way she does each of these things makes me smile and forget about all of the other things that could possibly be weighing on my mind.

She's also about to create more work for me. She's about to learn to crawl. That means it's time for daddy to install the baby gate at the top of the stairs that we've had since December. Maybe she'll help me read the installation instructions and hold the drill.

Tigers...a must see exhibit at the SedCo Zoo

If you haven't been to the Sedgwick County Zoo to see the new tiger exhibit, then you're missing out.

The folks at the Zoo and WDM Architects have once again created a fabulous addition to one of the nation's greatest zoo experiences.

The tigers in the new Slawson Family Tiger exhibit are active and they're so close you can nearly reach out and touch them...which, as you can see by the reaction from my daughter, might be fun to pet and cuddle with. I had to explain to her that the kitties in this cage are not as cute and cuddlesome as her Jack Russell Terrier is at home.

The only downside to the new exhibit might be the complaints from the ducks and other water fowl that land in the exhibit. Twice while we were watching, a duck landed in the water and was quickly hunted by the tigers. As the giants cats tried to pounce, the ducks flew away in a hurry. Oh well, I guess they'll soon learn as they did in the bear and lion exhibits!

A baseball vs Mobile 22

So...I decided to attend Thursday night's WSU vs Creighton baseball game at WSU's Eck Stadium during the MVC Baseball Tournament.

Not a very good game. The Shockers were run-ruled 11-0.

However, the best part of the night was what I found in the parking lot as I was leaving the game. By the way, it doesn't feel very good to sit on glass while driving home.

The Cleveland Tribe just made me sick

OK...bottom of the 9th and you're up 5 to 2 on the road and your ace pitcher just finished tossing a strong eight innings and the guy you've hired to close the 9th takes the mound.

No problem, three up...three down...that's the goal.

Wait, a home run...not good, but we'll get the next two.

Next pitch....gone. NOT GOOD...but still OK, with a one run lead.
Maybe a pitching change? Nope. Kerry Wood can handle the now deafening crowd at the rennovated K in Kansas City.

Five pitches later, a walk to put the tying run on first.

OK....now we should make the change on the hill. It's just not Wood's night.
What? No change from Wedge in the Indian's bullpen? Are you sure? David DeJesus is coming to plate and he's batting like .350, you might want to consider walking him or something strategic.

Nope....instead, let's pitch to him so he can hit a triple off the wall in centerfield and drive in the game tying run.

OK, now surely we'll make the pitching change.

Again, the answer is nope. Two more pitches and then a sacrafice fly ball to right and DeJesus scores from third base.

Game, set, match Kansas City.

Way to go, Indians. You just did the unimaginable. Giving up four runs in the bottom of the night. Thanks for making me physically ill.

Oops...I've been absent

There's really no excuse, I know...but I've been out of town since the snow melted.

A week's to Baltimore and Washington DC with my wife and daughter and now I'm getting back into the swing of things. The cherry blossoms...The Capitol Building, the monuments, the memorials...and Major League Baseball at Nationals Park. Did I mention dinner at Capitol City Brewery, Five Guys Burgers, Bertucci's Brick Oven Pizza, J. Paul's Seafood on the Chesapeake and Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Well, It was a nice trip...but it's nice to be back....and it appears I'm back just in time for spring weather! The forecast: sunny and warmer throughout the week...with a chance of storms on Thursday. We'll keep you posted on those chances.

Ice...covered with snow...yikes!

I woke up this morning and found my river birch trees bending over and touching their toes.

About a 1/4 inch of ice is coating everything not inside and under a roof. Speaking of rooftops, the ice and snow has clogged guttering systems and is weighing down everything.

The good news; we don't have as much snow as the folks just to the west of the metro area. Snowfall totals west of Pratt are reported at more than two feet. Forecasters say we should climb just above freezing today...maybe by a degree or two...so hopefully the ice will melt off the trees and power lines.

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to next week: Temperatures in the upper 50s!

Send me your storm photos...I'll post them online. E-mail stormshots@kfdi.com

Wind, wall clouds and hail...

The National Weather will be trying to confirm the reports of four tornadoes in Cowley County Monday.

Storm spotters reported four brief tornado touchdowns near Geuda Springs and Strother Field Airport. Minor tree damage has been reported there. The winds also made travel for high profile vehicles (trucks, vans and semis) tough and dangerous. Several people were blown off the road while driving.



I did not get a chance to get out and chase, but I directed KFDI's Interactive Coverage in the Internet...and I also directed Wichita Eagle storm chaser (photographer) Travis Heying to a tornadic thunderstorm.

Travis got into the storm in Cowley County and found a few interesting cloud formations, and maybe a rotating wall cloud.

Severe weather on Monday?

The National Weather Service has painted southcentral Kansas yellow -- meaning a medium or moderate risk of severe weather.

A big storm system is moving our way will bring chances of "rapidly developing thunderstorms"...that could become severe quickly.

Main threat will be hail and strong, damaging wind. Tornado chances could also be good...although not as a probable as first thought.

Stay with KFDI News for the latest severe weather threat and forecast information. Monday could be a good day for storm chasers across the central region of the state. I'd start in Pratt...

Another sports computer debacle

The Big 12 gets six teams in the NCAA tournament. That's cool...but is it deserving?

There were four teams who finished 9-7 in the conference (K-State, O-State, Texas and Texas A&M). That'd be good enough for a four-way tie for 4th place in the Big 12. K-State received the 1st round bye in the tournament and the other three had to play. I can understand sending Texas and Oklahoma State to the Big Dance. They each won two games in the conference tournament. Texas beat Colorado and K-State...and Oklahoma State beat Iowa State and Oklahoma). K-State doesn't deserve to get in because Texas beat the Cats in the tournament.

The "wait a minute" thought from me comes from the NCAA bid for Texas A&M. The Aggies were bounced in the first round of the tournament by lower seeded Texas Tech. In theory, the Wildcats survived the tournament a day longer.

For the Big 12 to get six teams in and K-State get over looked is crazy. Remember, I said K-State didn't deserve a bid either.

Instead, that sixth Big 12 bid should have gone to Creighton (who won 26 games compared to the Aggies 23). Or how about St. Mary's...or Auburn....or San Diego State... or....the list could go on.

Maybe it's time we let the games in the regular season decide the NCAA invitations...and not a computer. After all...what is the RPI?

I think the RPI and college basketball is becoming as frustrating as the BCS computer thing!

Shocker basketball...the post-season?

The Wichita State men's basketball season might not be over.

The Shockers are awaiting a possible invitation to play in the CBI post-season tournament. The College Basketball Invitational will include 16 teams that are not invited to play in the NCAA or the NIT. The games begin next Tuesday and if the Shockers are invited, the would probably play next Wednesday.

Wichita State sports information officials confirm the school is waiting to hear from the CBI selection committee --- a phone call that could come on Sunday.

Shocker basketball SID Larry Rankin would only say "we're waiting for Sunday".

Stay with KFDI News and this blog for the latest discussion on college basketball's selection Sunday.

ESPN commentators at the Big 12 Tournament

Does anyone else think it's funny how much the commentators on TV were talking about how "Texas A&M was a guarantee in the NCAA tournament" before they got beat by Texas Tech?

I mean, seriously...Texas A&M blew a 15 point lead as a 6th seed in the tournament and got beat by the 11th seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders...and you're telling me they belong in the NCAA tournament over (7th seed) Oklahoma State or (4th seed) K-State?

Maybe that will teach those ESPN wannabies to remain unbiased while they are broadcasting the Big 12 Tournament games.

I wonder how that 'foot in the mouth' tasted....huh Doug Bell? Whatever happened to non-partial broadcasting?

History burns in Wichita

Wichita's historic Comley-Neff house was destroyed by fire last night. The house near 11th and Broadway was built by a prominant lumberman in 1899. It was added to the National Historic Register in 2005.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Firefighters had hoped they had stopped the fire on the second floor, but the fire got into the walls and spread into the attic. Once that happened, crews had no choice but to stand outside and pour water on the house, hoping to keep themselves safe.

Fire danger....YIKES!

The fire danger is real...it nearly took my house.

Here's video proof...

Severe weather awareness week

Well, severe weather awareness week is kicking off with a bang.

Wind, rain, hail and tornadoes on Saturday as a preview of the week and then round two Monday night.

Tune into AM 1070 Morning Newsradio Tuesday at 9:20 and 9:40 and we'll be talking to National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Chance Hayes about severe weather preparedness.

E-mail your questions to jwells@kfdi.com

Still a mystery

Well, I checked with the National Weather Service on Monday and they told me they were still checking reports and would hopefully have a revised number of weekend tornadoes Tuesday or Wednesday.

One of the weather service assessment team members told me they had in correct and incomplete data from the weekend reports.

There were initially seven reports of tornadoes in southcentral Kansas...but something tells me a few of those reports were on the same tornado (Reno and Harper counties).

Weekend tornadoes = first chase day for KFDI

The National Weather Service will continue damage assessment today to check the report of seven tornadoes in Kansas on Saturday.

Weather service storm reports of tornado touchdowns came from Reno, Harper and Barber counties. There were four reports from Reno, two from Harper and one from Barber. Damage assessment officials are checking to see if a few of the reports may have been duplicates of the same tornado. No major damage or injuries were reported from the weekend storms.

It's my guess that a few of the tornado reports were from the same twister...just different people reporting to the NWS at different times.

I'll call Chance Hayes with the NWS-Wichita later today to find out.