Region briefs 11/27/02

Court: Judges don't have to turn over money

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Two judges do not have to turn over to the state millions of dollars in a fund they are supervising that has been used to pay for county courthouse improvements, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

More than $5.4 million in disputed funds controlled by Cole County circuit judges Byron Kinder and Thomas J. Brown III were at issue in the case before the state's highest court.

"Clearly circuit judges have the authority to exercise supervisory authority over funds paid in to the registry of their courts," the court said in a 7-0 decision.

Attorney General Jay Nixon had argued that the two judges were exercising unlawful control over the money and acting beyond the scope of their powers.

MU announces new vice provost for research

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The University of Missouri-Columbia has named a new vice provost for research.

Jim Coleman, vice president for research and business development of the Desert Research Institute in Nevada, will begin serving as vice provost this spring, officials said Tuesday.

In addition to his duties at the Desert Research Institute, Coleman also served as project director for Nevada's National Science Foundation Experimental Program to stimulate competitive research. He has also been a program officer at the National Science Foundation, where he was responsible for managing $10 million in life sciences grants.

CMC student dies in fall from radio tower

FAYETTE, Mo. -- A 20-year-old international student at Central Methodist College died early Tuesday in a fall from a radio tower in nearby Glasgow, the university said.

Jason Peter McArdle, of Clones, Ireland, was trying to climb the tower alone, said Don Cullimore, news director at Central Methodist. McArdle was a freshman studying business, Cullimore said.

Central Methodist is a four-year liberal arts college with more than 1,300 students.

Woman pleads guilty to embezzling $650,000

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- An Independence woman has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $650,000 from her employer.

According to court testimony and documents, Theresa Trent altered checks, manipulated funds and wrote herself unauthorized checks over 10 years as director of finance for Hemco Manufacturing.

Hemco owners Ron and Sue Hill said the theft dealt a serious financial blow to the company, which made the 150 large fiberglass teddy bears recently on display around Kansas City.

Trent pleaded without a sentence agreement. Her sentencing was set for Feb. 7. None of the money has been returned.

State audit questions holding corrections money

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- More than $1 million confiscated by the Missouri Department of Corrections from inmates who escaped or skipped out on their probation should be used to pay court fees, child support and the cost of incarceration, a new state audit said.

State Auditor Claire McCaskill's office said Tuesday auditors believe there is nothing in state law that allows the department to hold the money collected since 1993 and suggested that some also could be turned over to the state's Unclaimed Property Division.

-- From wire reports