Pulaski County sets fair events to start Aug. 12

PULASKI, Ill. -- Demolition derbies, tractor pulls, a four-wheel drive mud race and a western show will highlight events at the 43th annual Pulaski County Fair, which starts Aug. 12.

Two demolition derby events are on the schedule -- a local derby limited to Pulaski and Alexander County residents only on Aug. 12, and an open-entry event scheduled Aug. 15.

Two tractor pulls are also planned. The International Tractor Pull Association's sanctioned pull is the main event Aug. 17, featuring a half-dozen classes filled with stock and modified machines. A garden-tractor pull is scheduled the same evening at 6 p.m.

A regular tractor pull will be held Wednesday night.

A Western horse show will be held Aug. 16, and a mud race Aug. 17.

The event at Pulaski, along U.S. Highway 51 halfway between Cairo and Anna, kicks off Aug. 11 with a gospel sing and community worship services.

Admission to the fairgrounds is $2 for each car load, or 50 cents a person for walk-ins. Admission for grandstand events are $5 for adults and $2 for children, except the horse show, which is free.

House leader get new job in economic development

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A high-ranking Democratic House member has been hired by the Department of Economic Development as part of an agency restructuring.

State Rep. James Foley, the assistant House majority leader, said he plans to resign Monday from the Legislature to take a job as the agency's director of policy development

Foley, of St. Ann, has served in the House since 1992 and was prohibited by the onset of term limits from seeking re-election. He is the third term-limited legislator to resign in the past two weeks to take another state job.

Rep. John Hickey, D-Bridgeton, and Sen. David Klarich, R-Ballwin, were recently appointed by Gov. Bob Holden to the state Labor and Industrial Relations Commission.

The Missouri Constitution prohibits legislators from holding other public offices.

Ex-drill team head gets sentenced for teen sex

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A former drill team leader was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for having sex with two teen girls in the group, though he could be placed on probation after 120 days.

Brian K. Wilson, 44, had pleaded guilty in April in Jackson County Circuit Court to two counts of second-degree statutory rape and one count of second-degree statutory sodomy.

In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped 11 other counts, including five counts of second-degree statutory rape and one count of second-degree statutory sodomy, both felonies.

Mother charged with murder in child's death

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- A second-degree murder indictment was filed Friday against a woman who allegedly helped cover for her boyfriend after her 3-year-old son was so severely beaten that he later died.

Lena M. Buhr, 27, of Independence, was indicted Friday with one count of second-degree murder or, in the alternative, involuntary manslaughter. The indictment also accused her of two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, one count of hindering prosecution, and two counts of tampering with physical evidence.

--From wire, staff reports