(AP Photo/Ed Zurga). Firemen and utility workers respond to a gas explosion and massive fire Tuesday night, Feb. 19, 2013 in the Plaza shopping district in Kansas City, Mo.Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.
1. 14 injured, 1 missing after Kansas City explosion
Two people are missing and at least 14 are injured after a natural gas explosion in Kansas City, Missouri on Tuesday night. Early indications suggest that a contractor doing underground work struck a natural gas line but the investigation is ongoing.
2. Winter storm headed for the area
We are continuing to monitor a major winter storm system that's going to be moving across the plains over the next several days. As of right now, snow is expected to develop across Nebraska and southern & central South Dakota late today and tonight, moving east and northeast throughout the day Thursday.
Traffic fatalities spiked 5 percent in 2012, according to preliminary state data. This number reverses a seven-year decline. An estimated 36,200 people died in traffic accidents last tear, the National Safety Council announced Tuesday.
4. Recent blizzard hampers Dakotas blood supply
A recent blizzard that dumped a foot of snow or more on the eastern parts of the Dakotas is having wide-ranging effects on the area's blood supply.
5. South Dakota lawmakers hold hearing on Medicaid expansion
South Dakota lawmakers are taking another look at the possibility of expanding Medicaid to cover thousands more people.
