Wild Thing

Why in the world was an African Serval cat wandering around a wooded area in Kansas City's Northland??? Is this a pet that escaped? A pet that got too big and someone dumped it? A bad pet owner who thought it would be funny to turn an African wild cat loose in the city? This is such a strange story, I just had to share it:

CLICK HERE to link to the article, then click on the video link to watch my story

Blowing in the wind

My sweeps story about wind energy and the turbines that are powering the future of the midwest:

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE STORY

Fighting for charity

Firefighters and police officers will raise their gloves and battle it out this weekend, all in the name of charity:

CLICK HERE TO WATH THE STORY

History's New Future

The Black Archives of Mid-America are the considered the most comprehensive collection of African American History and Heritage in the midwest. But for years many worried the collection would be lost forever. Taxes were left unpaid and state paperwork was never filed. But now there's a new donation, and dedication to bringing the Black Archives a new home.

CLICK HERE to see the story

Veterans and Suicide

Many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are fighting for their country, and then coming back home to painful memories, nightmares, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Mental Health experts say the military is not preparing veterans for their return, and a third of them suffer from mental health problems after returning from war. Now they're committing suicide at an alarming rate.

Click here to watch the story

Brooke Investigation

I spent a little more than two months working on this story. It's probably the most intense investigation I've ever worked on, because every time you'd peel off one layer of the onion, there would be 10 more layers underneath.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE STORY

The main video is my investigation, and then the sidebar video is the story I did today talking about the current state of Brooke. The Special Master in charge basically says there's nothing left to do to save Brooke, and at this point they're just winding down operations to close up shop for good.

Music cures the blues...

....but not serious illness.

This is a story I did on Friday night about a musician, her fight for her life, and her desire to help others who might one day find themselves in her situation:

CLICK HERE to watch the story about Abigail Henderson

CLICK HERE to learn about the event and how you can help Abigail

Finally coming home

A local man's helicopter came under fire, and crashed against a hillside in Vietnam 40 years ago. Now finally, the remains have been identified, and Lance Cpl. Kurt La Plant is going to have a proper burial at Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC. His mother says it's hard going through all these emotions again, 40 years after she already grieved for her son. Especially because this process of identifying the remains has dragged on for more than a year. But she's also happy because this is all to honor him, and she knows he would have appreciated that.

CLICK HERE to see the story.

ELECTION 08

So if you're not on board with twitter.com yet, it's basically like a mini blog. Instead of crafting a well-written blog, you can just sort of blurt out whatever is on your mind. They call it "micro-blogging." You can follow me on twitter under the username TessK.

Tuesday, I was kind of busy working, but managed to blurt out a few things.
Here is a collection of my twitters from ELECTION 2008:

Got in line to vote, wait was going to be 1 1/2 hours. But then some guy said 'names h-o this way' & it was a line with 2 people in it. Wow.

Got my free chick filet with I Voted sticker. Line was long but moved fast. Now off to get free Starbucks. List of free stuff on myfoxkc.com

Hey natl news: MO cities always report later than rural areas. It will be too close to call until STL and KC report

The crowd goes wild as cnn calls Ohio

I twittered a couple of other things that apparently got lost in a technology mess.... but I remember saying something about "I will always remember where I was at this moment. the announcement of "President Barack Obama" on the loudspeaker, and then the roar of the crowd."

CLICK HERE to watch my interview with Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver as he discusses the historic significance of Barack Obama's run for the White House.

AND NOW WEDNESDAY... the election is over.

Hope hangover. My friend Bob's account of the watch party we attended last night: http://tinyurl.com/6jtv4a

CLICK HERE to see my story from the day after the election, as a church group in Kansas City celebrates this historic victory for Obama and for civil rights.

I keep hearing people say we woke up to a new day, a new America. I don't want the sun to set on all this Hope. The rays feel nice on my face.