State briefs 4/5/16

Inmate convicted of sodomy dies

BONNE TERRE, Mo. -- Missouri prison officials say a 60-year-old inmate serving time for sodomy involving a child has died. The Missouri Department of Corrections stated in a news release Floyd Henderson died Sunday morning of unspecified "apparent natural causes" at a St. Louis hospital. Henderson was an inmate at the maximum-security state prison in Bonne Terre. Since May 2010, he had been serving a 10-year sentence related to a first-degree statutory sodomy conviction out of St. Louis.

Cabin explodes; no one injured

CATAWISSA, Mo. -- Authorities in eastern Missouri's Franklin County are investigating an explosion that heavily damaged a vacant cabin. Sheriff Gary Toelke said no one was injured during the blast about 7 p.m. Sunday near Catawissa. Toelke said authorities don't yet know what caused the explosion. But he said searchers of the damaged cabin found an explosive called Tannerite, a material that can be bought at sporting-goods stores for target practice. Toelke said the owner of the cabin, a Robertsville man, later was arrested after deputies with a search warrant for his home were denied access by him. The sheriff said suspected methamphetamine, other explosive materials and weapons were found there.

Man accused of stabbing woman

ST. LOUIS -- A 34-year-old man is accused of stabbing the throat of a woman who stumbled for help into the Lumiere Place casino and hotel. Police said the 52-year-old victim couldn't provide details of the attack Sunday afternoon and was in critical and unstable condition. Her medical status was not available Monday. Prosecutors on Monday charged Michael Smith with first-degree assault and armed criminal action.

Killed worker had been moving paint

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Authorities said a worker who fell to his death last month in Springfield had been removing paint from a pallet when it broke. Josh Halphin, 25, fell five stories while helping to move paint buckets. The paint was stacked on a wooden pallet a forklift had raised to a balcony. A witness told police he believes the workers may have retrieved too much paint from one side of the pallet, causing the pallet to tilt and break. Police said Halphin had at least one foot on the pallet when it flipped. A lawyer for his employer, RF Barratt Enterprises, said in a statement the company intended for the workers to use an enclosed stairwell to move the paint. Federal officials are investigating.

Frontenac cited as happiest place

FRONTENAC, Mo. -- The happiest place in America is in St. Louis County, at least according to one evaluation. Zippia, a San Francisco-based career-counseling service, said Frontenac is No. 1 on its list America's happiest towns. Another St. Louis County town, Glendale, is No. 3, and Ladue is 39th. The list looked only at cities with fewer than 10,000 residents. Frontenac is an affluent suburb with a population of 3,500. Oak Hill, Tennessee, was second on the list. Zippia found characteristics promoting happiness include being well-educated, having a job, having a short commute to work, a low cost of living, having a family and owning a home.

-- From wire reports