Briefly 1/11/18

Bill addresses northern Missouri mailing quirk

ST. LOUIS -- Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill has introduced a bill that would put an end to a Postal Service quirk requiring some rural northern Missouri residents to have Iowa mailing addresses.

Details of the bill were announced Wednesday.

For years, some Missourians in Atchison, Clark, Harrison, Mercer, Putnam, Schuyler and Scotland counties have been assigned Iowa mailing addresses. The Postal Service has not affected why, and even impacted residents have said they've never been given a good explanation.

McCaskill sent a letter to Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan in November seeking immediate action to rectify the addresses.

Missourians with Iowa addresses have said it causes confusion on emergency calls, forces some residents to cast provisional ballots at the polls, and creates uncertainty in filing taxes.

KC church elder charged in wife's death

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- An elder of a Kansas City, Missouri, church is charged with killing his wife, who was an associate pastor.

Johnson County authorities charged 30-year-old Robert Lee Harris, of Overland Park, on Wednesday with first-degree murder in the death of his wife of 18 months, 38-year-old Tanisha Harris.

Police said officers responded Monday to the couple's apartment about a domestic disturbance and returned when Harris reported his wife was missing. Her body was found later in Raymore, Missouri.

The Kansas City Star reported she was an associate pastor at Repairers Kansas City, a non-denominational church. Pastor Carlton Funderburke described the newlyweds as "loving" and said there were "no signs at all" of trouble.

Harris is being held on $1 million bond. His first court appearance is scheduled for today.

Kansas man convicted in courthouse threat

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Kansas man has been convicted of fighting with and threatening law enforcement officers at the federal courthouse in Kansas City, Missouri.

A federal jury on Tuesday found 31-year-old James Everett, of Kansas City, Kansas, guilty of three charges arising from a confrontation in March 2016.

Prosecutors said Everett was about 10 yards from the courthouse entrance when he began yelling and demanding to speak to a federal judge. When four federal officers responded, Everett threatened to shoot the officers. Four federal officers and two Kansas City police officers were needed to restrain Everett.

Three federal officers received medical treatment after the encounter.

-- Associated Press