Featured Articles from KWCH

Did you know you don't have to rely on satellite or cable... to watch TV.  You don't even need those options to get a clear HD picture, if you have an HD TV set.  All you need is an antenna. When we have "technical" questions at KWCH, we rely on our engineers for the answers.  That's why we asked one of them--Mark Statzer -- to test the Clear-Cast X1 Digital Antenna.  After the extension table and shipping, you'll pay close to 82-dollars for the antenna. The product's website says with it, you will "receive (a)

More people are grilling with gas these days. Consumer Reports tested more than 100 gas grills costing from less than $200 to more than $2,000. Some grills do more than the basics, including one with a rotisserie that also has a side burner, perfect for keeping a pot boiling. And you'll find an oven in one Kenmore grill! Consumer Reports was able to bake a pretty good cake in the oven, though the bottom was darker than one baked in a regular oven. Things can heat up in Consumer Reports labs.

Summer is not far off, and for many adults and kids alike, thoughts turn to hot, sunny days and refreshingly cold desserts. If ice cream and frozen yogurt choices seem endless, have no fear. Consumer Reports has the scoop on what to keep stocked in your freezer. Consumer Reports tested 25 ice creams and frozen yogurts in three popular flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and butter pecan. Granted, not all are health food, but Consumer Reports does look at nutrition information to see which ones are better for you. And of course, trained testers also rate them for taste.

We all love a good night's sleep, and a good mattress can help. But a mattress can be one of the hardest things to buy, and a new survey by Consumer Reports found that about one in five people wished they'd bought a different mattress. So Consumer Reports tested a dozen queen-size foam and innerspring mattresses, ranging in price from less than $500 to almost $2,000. Body support is Consumer Reports' most important test. Technicians map the natural curve of the spine for a range of people.

At least four tornadoes have touched down in a tornado outbreak Saturday night, destroying one house in Pawnee County. The first tornado warning was issued in Trego County around 5:30 p.m. after radar indicated a strong rotation. Storm spotters in the area reported seeing a lowering wall cloud, though a tornado never touched the ground. A large wall cloud was also reported near Ellis, then moved over Hays. The storm dropped large hail and damaging winds. There were reports of downed trees.

The WaxVac commercial captivated Marcy Kauffman so much, she emailed Does It Work. "I wanted to wait for the WacVac,” Marcy said. After waiting a few weeks for some serious wax build-up in her sons' ears, Marcy is ready to see if the WaxVac is truly a safe and effective way to suck wax out of ears. We bought two online for nearly $31. That includes shipping and handling and priority processing. Marcy begins the testing. "Well, I know it's getting some wax. Oh yeah.

Severe storms will once again be possible over central and eastern Kansas for Sunday, including the possibility for hail, high winds, and a few tornadoes. Overnight, storms will continue moving east and should be weakening with time. Lows will be in the 50s and 60s and it will be staying humid. Sunday should be mainly dry in the morning, but high humidity and some sunshine should help develop storms by mid to late afternoon. The greatest potential for tornadoes will be along and east of I-135.

Susan Clark's '94 Jimmy has spent some time in the sun. "It's pretty weathered," Susan said. That's why she asked us to test "Wipe New. " The commercial says "It's the world's longest lasting solution for restoring and protecting your vehicle. "  The maker's claim "Wipe New" can restore faded plastic inside and outside of your vehicle. We bought it online for $19.95, plus shipping and handling. Susan put on gloves to get ready for the procedure. She poured some of the solution onto an applicator cloth.

While Mooyah employees keep customers happy, owner Anthony Powell isn't afraid to get a little dirty cleaning floors. "Until something better comes along, this is what we're stuck with," Anthony said. Well, we might have something better; it's called the Hurricane 360 Spin Mop. Its commercial says it's "a system that cleans practically anything and everything and uses patented centrifugal dryer technology, so you're using a clean mop to leave your floors spic and span. " We bought the Hurricane 360 Spin Mop online for nearly $53. We put it together quickly.  But Anthony thought something was missing.

The severe weather risk will be winding down through the remainder of the night with storms tracking south and east of the area. Temperatures in the overnight will drop into the 50s for most of the state. It will be a little cooler for Monday with highs in the upper 70s and low 80s. A few storms are expected southeast of the Kansas Turnpike and they could turn severe in the afternoon. The weather will be quiet for Tuesday with temperatures in the upper 70s and skies becoming partly cloudy around the area.

Botanica staff gardener Laura Pham is used to lugging around a hefty hose.  We asked her to test the Pocket Hose, a product aimed to make gardening easier. It's smaller and light-weight, but can expand up to 50 feet. We found it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $19.99.       The hose was 25 feet long, without water flowing through it.  But when Laura turned the water on, it expanded to more than 50 feet. Laura watered with just the hose and no attachments. "It has a pretty good reach, with all the pressure," Laura said.

The trial for a Kingman man accused of killing his wife and starting their home on fire started Wednesday.  During opening statements, the prosecution told jurors that Brett Seacat intentionally planned the murder and framed his wife Vashti Seacat in April 2011. "Fire destroys evidence, nobody knows that better than a law enforcement officer," said Assistant Attorney General Amy Hanley.  Hanley told jurors Seacat killed Vashti because she was going to divorce him.  She says he told her that if she ever left him, he would kill her and burn the house down.

A Wichita tax preparer has been convicted on charges of filing false federal income tax returns.        Lata L. Tomlinson, 33, was convicted on 19 counts of preparing false income tax returns for a total of 17 people during tax years 2007, 2008 and 2009. Prosecutors said that Tomlinson had a college degree in accounting and worked for various tax preparation companies before starting her own business in 2006 called Talking Taxes And More.   In tax returns she prepared, she falsely stated deductions for depreciation, home improvements, business repairs, contract labor, legal fees, home repairs, medical expenses, advertising, insurance, car and truck expenses, hay and grain expenses, cell phones and care of dependents.

As much as Cindy Opat loves her garden, she hates her hose. "Well this hose, it's very long, as it needs to be to reach where I want to water. But I don't have any place to hang it up. So, it looks rather unsightly in our lovely garden. It also kinks very easily,” Cindy said. That's why she wanted us to test the XHOSE. It's supposed to expand to three times its size and never kink. We got it online for $19.95, plus shipping and handling. Click to See XHOSE Test Photos So, will the light weight, roughly nine-foot-long, blue garden hose pass our practical test?