Tag Archives: Hearne Christopher Jr.
Star Search: Bogus Lindsay Lohan Playboy Cover Tops Most Read Hit Parade on KC Star
For nearly THE ENTIRE DAY a mere link to a story about child-star-turned-trainwreck Lindsay Lohan topped the "most read" news stories on the Kansas City Star‘s Web site…
I kid you not.
Let’s do the math monkey; the newspaper fields a 700-person staff, boasts a reach of more than one million local readers a week and has a virtual monopoly on what passes for news in KC. Yet the best it can do tease with a weak link to a purloined People Magazine story reporting Lohan’s upcoming Playboy cover has been "leaked."
Unfortunately for Star readers who "bit" on the tease, the link turned out to be entirely bogus.
Today: The Truth & Nothing But the Truth About The Don Harman Reporting
Let’s take it from the top, good, bad and ugly…
As reported first last week on KC Confidential, deceased Fox 4 meteorologist Don Harman suffered from depression. And he took his own life.
But like many sudden, dramatic news events, Harman’s death was shrouded in secrecy and rumors abounded as to why and how he killed himself. Was there a note? Concerned, interested viewers and fans wanted to know more.
In the good, old days at the Kansas City Star, the newspaper could sit on breaking news stories too complex for television news to scoop them on. Pretty much anything besides murder, fires and petty consumer fraud.
And that’s exactly what the Star‘s Aaron Barnhart did in Harman’s case. Barnhart didn’t slide across home plate with a War & Peace version of what had happened until nearly 10 p.m. after the stadium had emptied.
Star Search: No Layoffs But Holiday Cheer MIA at KC Star
Without question, things are looking up at the Kansas City Star heading into the holidays….
New publisher Mi-Ai Parrish has been all over the newsroom and able to weather the bad financial numbers from corporate without going the layoffs route. In part because of the recent wave of optimism on the economy and advertiser’s anticipation of better holiday sales.
That’s a good thing.
However, sources say the atmosphere among the 700 or so Star survivors (there were more than 2,000 prior to the dot com recession of the early 2000s) is still grim.
"It used to be full of life here, now it’s just empty," says one Star staffer. "Now it’s devoid of life."
Today: Iowa Police Say Deceased Fox 4 Meteorologist Not Involved, Not Interviewed
Scratch one area law enforcement rumor…
The rumor that deceased Fox 4 meteorologist Don Harman was interviewed recently by Mason City, Iowa police or the FBI about the case of long-missing TV news anchor Jodi Huisentruit: Bogus.
That according to Mason City Investigations Supervisor Lt. Frank Stearns.
"That’s not true," Sterns says. "He was not interviewed. Don Harman has never been a person of interest."
Nor, as noted it the orginal reporting here, merely a source in a stepped-up investigation.
Hearne: One Down; Kansas City’s Onerous ‘Health Card’ Bites the Dust
It’s all over but the shouting…
After years of carping, the Kansas City health department’s "food handler cards" are no more.
"They city’s eliminated one of its two dumb cards," cracks Westport businessman Bill Nigro. "One is called the liquor card and it requires people to pay $41 and you have one if you’re involved in serving alcohol anywhere in Kansas City, Missouri. And the one we got eliminated is the health card. It costs $20 and it’s the card they started making any employee in the restaurant and bar industry who handles food buy. They started it about seven years ago."
Here’s the rub…
"They send people to these little classes on hygene, like about washing your hands and stuff and keeping food hot and cold – things you learned in high school," Nigro says.
Today: Jardine’s Owner Vows to Open Plaza Jazz Club for KCC Xmas Bash & More
.jpg)
This just in…
Jardine’s owner Beena Raja says she will open the popular Plaza area jazz club on December 12th for the KC Confidential holiday wilding and remain open for specific engagements such as the upcoming Julia Othmer and Ida McBeth shows.
Raja stopped short of saying exactly why she fired the staff last week and shuttered the club after Karrin Allyson‘s shows Tuesday. Something about feeling that some staffers were taking advantage of the club. So she changed the locks and cleaned house.
Hearne: Win Second Row Seats to Brian Setzer @ The Uptown Wednesday
Here’s the deal…
KC Confidential is looking for a few good stories about former Stray Cats front man Brian Setzer. And we’ve got a pair of second row seats to tomorrow night’s show at the Uptown Theater for the best one.
Hey, and it’s wide open.
From memories of the Stray Cats show at Memorial Hall from a million years ago to Setzer’s big band holiday blowout at the Uptown. It’s pretty murky now, but local entertainment sources remember Setzer being involved with former Westport watering hole / concert club Guitars & Cadillacs. And that he was married at one point to a Kansas City girl.
Weigh in with your Setzer flashback in the comments section or to hearne@kcconfidential and win a pair of second row seats to Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot at the Uptown tomorrow night!
Hearne: The Best of and The Enigma That Was Don Harman
Let’s lighten things up a bit where the Don Harman tragedy is concerned…
While most viewers of Fox 4‘s popular morning news show knew only the bright, sunny side of Harman, I got to see a surprisingly different side of the affable weather wonk after covering a handful of his early exploits in my column in the Kansas City Star.
Let’s revisit those happier times, then I’ll share an anecdote with you about a personal encounter with Harman after writing those largely innocuous items.
Hearne: Jason Whitlock Hammers ESPN on CNN’s ‘Reliable Sources’
Another uptick for former Star sports star Jason Whitlock…
On the heels of hammering Penn State on ESPN, Whitlock was back in play Sunday on the national stage, courtesy of CNN‘s "Reliable Sources."
This time out, the Big Guy took estranged former-employer ESPN to task. Albeit via some twisted logic to rationalize what he’d written a few weeks back.
Think of it as a tale of two cities…
On November 23rd Whitlock had hammered ESPN – the sports media giant that fired him five years back – for unfairly smearing the now-disgraced Syracuse basketball coach Bernie Fine.
Today: ‘River City’ Gives Don Harman a Pass on Disappearance of Missing Iowa Anchor
.jpg)
On this cold, rainy, dreary day I bring heartening news to the fans and supporters of Don Harman.…
While I’ve yet to hear back from police Lt. Frank Sterns in Mason City, Iowa, I was able to connect with sources there familiar with the case of long-missing, early-morning news anchor Jodi Husentruit.
Let’s review.
Hearne: Vaunted Plaza Jazz Club Jardine’s Fires Staff, Closes for ‘Repairs’
This just in…
Kansas City’s premier jazz club Jardine’s has been closed since Tuesday’s Karrin Allyson concert there "for repairs." That’s what the sign says, anyway. But local musicians and Jardine’s staffers don’t appear to know exactly what’s going on.
"I regret to announce that my band WILL NOT be performing tonight at Jardine’s Jazz Club," musician Dave Stephens wrote on his Facebook page at 6:07 p.m. Thursday. "The owner of the club fired her entire staff yesterday and subsequently there would be no one there to work the show. My apologies to those of you who were planning on attending. I just found out about this a few minutes ago."
Hearne: Fox 4 Meteorologist Don Harman Suicide May Prove a Shocker
At the risk of turning this site into a Suicide Zone I’m going to wade into the mystery of Don Harman‘s death…
If you followed my early reporting on the Fox 4 weatherman’s passing yesterday, you undoubtedly noticed that fellow meteorologist Gary Lezak – the guy Harman replaced in 1999 when Lezak left Fox4 for greener pastures – noted that Harman had serious issues with depression. A detail which seemed to be driven home by the fact that prior to addressing Harman’s death, Fox 4 posted its intention to do a story on holiday stress and sadness on its Web site.
Today: Was Don Harman Involved in Missing Iowa Anchor Jodi Husentruit?
Since I was outted in the comments section by the first comment….
I’ll give you a brief update. I’m flying really low today with three deadlines and no iPhone. So I’m limited on my reporting time, but now that I’ve let the cat out of the bag, I suspect this thing’s gonna snowball pretty fast.
The law enforcement talk here is indeed that Fox 4 meteorologist Don Harman was spoken to last week by officers investigating a cold case murder that has recently been reopened.
To be fair, while that may be true, it certainly doesn’t mean that Harman was a suspect in that case.
The case of a missing Mason City, Iowa TV anchor Jodi Husentruit was reopened in September.
Hearne: Fox 4 Meteorologist Don Harman Takes His Own Life
Here we ago again…
Yet another well-known Kansas City personality – Fox 4 weather wonk Don Harman – has taken his own life.
"He was a really good guy, a funny guy and he had a nice edge to him," says fellow meteroologist Gary Lezak of KSHB TV, Channel 41. "He’s one of the most popular personalities in the city – he just suffered from depression."
Car: Rebirth of the Datsun 240Z; Subaru Poised to Unleash New Sports Rocket
Long time no affordable sports car…
Even if you count the Mazda Miata – not the most manly ride known to man – it’s been decades since a true, affordable sports car has been for sale in this country. Nissan’s 370Z starts at $31,000 and change but the price rises pretty quick.
We’ll have to wait and see exactly how Subaru prices this one but with an expected sticker starting around $25,000 it beats the Z Car by a considerable amount. That said, knowing Subaru’s penchant for offering an infinitesimal array of options and add-ons, it won’t be hard to drive up the sticker price.
The Subaru BRZ debuted today in production form at the Tokyo Motor Show.
Today: The Ridiculous State of College Athletics & KU Football
Money talks..
While the heinous child abuse coverups at Penn State and Syracuse are the best examples of how big bucks have corrupted big time college sports, there are others.
Take Lowly KU’s dealings in the hiring and firing of football coach Turner Gill.
KU athletics director Sheahon Zenger wasn’t the one who stepped in it by hiring Gill. That distinction goes to ousted, former KU AD Lew Perkins who laid a $10 million contract on the unproven, ex-Nebraska footballer. The obvious-but-overlooked question being, why cough up $10 million for an untested coach with a losing record?
Zenger is the dude who blithely agreed to cut Gill a $6 million farewell check like it was no big deal.
Today: The Sad, Desperate State of the Pitch & Alternative Publishing in KC
This is not good…
At the exact time of year when it should be cashing in and getting well, what’s left of alternative newsweekly the Pitch is hanging on by the skin of its teeth. Even in its hazy, early days when I ran the show, we’d turn out 56 page issues during the all-important fourth quarter. Now, instead of flirting with 80 to 100 pages issues, it’s barely choking out 40.
This during the time of the year retailers and media count on to make ends meet.
And while good things have been said about the Pitch Web site, print is where the paychecks come from.
Hearne: Money. Power, Sex Rule Bigtime College Athletics & It’s Time For a Change
The Syracuse child molestation situation is just the tip of the college athletics moeny-go-round…
When I was a little kid, all I knew about college football was that people like Fred McMurray drove to the games in really old cars with racoon tails, in really old black and white movies.
The fans yelled super silly cheers and it wasn’t about whether the teams won or lost but how they played the game.
That was then…
Today it’s every man, woman and child for his or herself and the Almighty Buck is King of Kings.
Who cares how the game is played? Just win, baby!
Hearne: Karen Pletz Suicide Update, Florida Cops Await Preliminary Autopsy Results
The jury’s still out on exactly what went down in the unexpected death of Karen Pletz…
The one-time, high-flying, former head of the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences was found dead last week in the Ft. Lauderdale condo she was holed up in shortly after midnight.
That after Pletz late 2009 ouster amid accusations she had embezzled more than $1.5 million, falsely claimed deductions of $65,000 in charitable contributions she did not make, got $50,291 in bogus travel reimbursements used for personal travel and entertainment, and using university monies to pay for cosmetic surgery.
In short, Pletz fell from the penthouse to the outhouse, and faced up to seven figures or more in legal fees and slam time, on top of public humiliation.
Raising the obvious question of whether Pletz took her own life.
Even George Washington University professor Margaret Soltan weighed to that effect.
Hearne: Costly, Dull, Freaky Michael Jackson Tribute Coming to KC
Fake Michael Jackson concert tix, anyone?
Visit the Star‘s main page and chances are you’ll get one of those delightful pop-up ads hawking $25 discounts on tickets to the upcoming MJ tribute show at Sprint Center.
That’s right, a tribute band headlining Sprint, and not just for one but for two nights, back-to-back. That’s a feat the creepy, gloved one himself might have have difficulty pulling off, were he not immortalized in death.
"That’s so lame," says one 30-something local MJ fan of the show. "And a little creepy."
