Prosecutor charges three for shooting on south side of Springfield The Greene County prosecuting attorney charged three people on Friday after a shooting just outside of Springfield.  Each is charged with robbery and assault, and investigators say the victim knows his attackers. The three people were arrested after a witness called 9-1-1 about the shooting on Wednesday afternoon just south of the James River Freeway on East Buena Vista Street.  Greene County sheriff's deputies found no ...

Missouri Senate panel endorses penny transportation tax A Missouri Senate committee has endorsed a 1-cent sales tax increase to fund transportation projects. The proposed constitutional amendment passed the House earlier this month. It was adopted by the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday with a 6-1 vote.   If passed by the full Senate, the measure would head to the November ballot for voter approval. The tax is estimated to generate $800 million annually ...

Joplin prepares to open several new safe rooms Joplin officials say some safe rooms to protect residents during storms are expected to open in the next few weeks.   Joplin school officials say final inspections will be conducted within a few days at community safe rooms at Cecil Floyd, Stapleton, McKinley and Eastmorland elementary schools and at Junge Field.   The district's director of construction, Mike Johnson, says the remaining safe rooms - at Jefferson, Royal Heights, ...

Houses passes education aid for dyslexia More educational help is coming for families with children affected by dyslexia. The Missouri House approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Eric Burlsion, (R) Springfield, to expand Bryce’s Law so that it applies to children with dyslexia. Bryce’s Law was signed into law last year to help children with autism spectrum disorders by creating scholarships funded through private donations that can then be used to pay ...

Barry County campground will not open this year Budget issues will keep a Barry County campground on Table Rock closed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not open the campground this year. Currently the Corps is working to lease the park to another agency. However, until a decision is made, the boat launch ramp near the entrance will remain open for lake access, camping and day use activities within the ...

Wildlife refuge to be renamed after former Senator, Governor A national wildlife refuge in southeastern Arkansas will be renamed after former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers in a ceremony planned in St. Charles. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will host a renaming ceremony Friday afternoon for the White River National Wildlife Refuge after Bumpers, a Democrat who was Arkansas' governor during the early 1970s before serving four terms in the U.S. Senate. Bumpers, his ...

Unemployment rates fall in 21 US states last month
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than two-thirds of the states reported job gains in March, as hiring has improved for much of the country during what has been a sluggish but sustained 4 1/2-year recovery.

A nutty finale for 'Scandal,' TV's craziest show
NEW YORK (AP) — "Scandal" is arguably the nuttiest show on the air. But there's a method to its madness, demonstrated every week with OMG intensity.

Japan to redesign Antarctic whale hunt after UN court ruling
Japan said Friday it would redesign its controversial Antarctic whaling mission in a bid to make it more scientific, after a United Nations court ruled it was a commercial hunt masquerading as research. The bullish response, which could see harpoon ships back in the Southern Ocean next year, sets Tokyo back on a collision course with environmentalists. Campaigners had hailed the decision by the International Court of Justice, with hopes that it might herald the end of a practice they view as barbaric. "We will carry out extensive studies in cooperation with ministries concerned to submit a new research programme by this autumn to the International Whaling Commission (IWC), reflecting the criteria laid out in the verdict," said Yoshimasa Hayashi, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

AP PHOTOS: Stratocaster still a favorite at 60
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Jimi Hendrix made it shriek. Buddy Holly made it swing. Stevie Ray Vaughn made it snarl.

Magnitude-7.5 earthquake shakes Mexican capital
ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — A powerful, magnitude-7.5 earthquake shook central and southern Mexico on Friday. The U.S. Geological Survey said it was centered northwest of the Pacific resort of Acapulco, where many Mexicans are vacationing for the Easter holiday.