Briefly 2/14/19

__Olympian Village alderman sentenced for embezzling__

ST. LOUIS -- A former alderman from a small eastern Missouri town has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for embezzling $187,000 of public money.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported 54-year-old Gary Keith Atchley also must repay the money to Olympian Village, a town of 700 people 40 miles south of St. Louis.

He admitted writing city checks to "cash" and to himself. Atchley served as alderman from 2008 to 2016.

Olympian Village City attorney Edward Sluys told the judge Atchley's actions caused the wastewater facilities to fall into a dangerous state of disrepair, and triggered judgments against the city.

__Crews still cleaning oil from pipeline leak near St. Charles__

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources says crews are still working to clean up and identify the cause of an oil pipeline leak in suburban St. Louis.

Agency spokesman Brian Quinn said contractors for the pipeline company, TransCanada Corp., were assessing an excavated segment of the Keystone pipeline Wednesday to pinpoint the problem.

The leak was discovered last week near St. Charles.

The department estimates the leak at about 43 barrels, or 1,800 gallons. It says oil didn't reach any waterway.

Quinn said about 31 barrels of oil have been collected, and crews have removed more than 1,000 cubic yards of soil.

__Man charged with stalking employees at DMV office__

TROY, Mo. -- An eastern Missouri man is charged with stalking after authorities say he repeatedly visited a Driver's License and Vehicle Registration Office for several months.

The Lincoln County Sheriff's office said 34-year-old Timothy Howe, of Troy, is charged with first-degree stalking and three counts of first-degree harassment.

The sheriff said DMV employees complained about Howe's frequent visits. He was arrested last week after detectives found him driving near the license office.

-- From wire reports