Briefly 8/31/18

Man charged in fatal shooting at Joplin motel

JOPLIN, Mo. -- A 24-year-old man is charged with first-degree murder after a shooting death at a Joplin motel.

The Jasper County prosecutor filed a first-degree murder charge Thursday against Kosaksy Phillip, of Joplin, in the shooting death of 33-year-old Diamond Bradley.

Phillip, who was also charged with armed criminal action, is being held without bond.

Bradley was shot four times Wednesday in a room at the Economy Inn & Suites. He died later at a Joplin hospital.

The Joplin Globe reported the two men knew each other but the motive for the shooting is still under investigation.

Police Capt. Trevor Duncan said Phillip apparently hid in woods near the hotel for about four hours after the shooting and was arrested when he returned to the motel.

Ameren Missouri announces $5M in energy assistance

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- St. Louis-based electric utility Ameren Missouri said it's setting aside $5 million to help low-income customers with energy bills.

Ameren on Thursday announced about $1 million of that will go to groups including the United Way and Heat-Up Missouri to help those hit by high summer temperatures this year.

Another $4 million will be doled out through 2020.

The money will go to crisis energy assistance during extreme temperatures, weatherization help and equipment repair.

Ameren said the money is coming from corporate earnings.

Missouri woman charged with letting boarded dog starve

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A 70-year-old woman has been charged with letting one dog starve to death while boarding it and keeping four other dogs in cramped cages with no food or water.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reported 70-year-old Charlotte Kerr, of Columbia, was charged Wednesday with four counts of felony animal abuse and a single count of misdemeanor animal abuse. Her attorney declined to comment.

Animal control officers wrote in charging documents Kerr watched the 2-year-old Gordon setter for about 14 days before it died of what veterinarians determined was starvation. The documents state Kerr told officers another dead dog was in her basement and she hadn't been down there for two days.

Officers found the dog barely alive, along with three other dogs with no food or water.

Body found in Mississippi river was 22-year-old man

ST. LOUIS -- Authorities say a body found in the Mississippi River in St. Louis was that of a 22-year-old man.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the St. Louis medical examiner's office identified the man Wednesday as Shelbe Davis. The St. Louis Fire Department worked Friday with divers and a boat with sonar equipment to search the river after surveillance cameras showed a car driving into the river.

Capt. Leon Whitener says barge workers found the body floating near the barge Monday and called police.

Carthage newspaper closes after operating since 1884

CARTHAGE, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri newspaper that has operated since 1884 has published its last edition.

The Carthage Press announced in a letter from publisher Joseph Leong to its readers that Wednesday's edition was its last.

Leong said the Neosho Daily News would cover important Carthage news. The Joplin Globe reported both papers are owned by Gatehouse Media, which recently offered voluntary severance packages to many of its papers.

Gatehouse also owns the Miami News-Record, Cherokee County News-Advocate and Pittsburg Morning Sun.

-- From wire reports