State briefs 2/16/16

Legislature OKs new circuit court

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Legislature has given final approval to legislation that would create a new circuit court in southwest Missouri. The House voted 147-5 Monday to split the court covering Christian and Taney counties and the city of Branson. The Senate approved the measure in January. The bill heads to Gov. Jay Nixon for his signature or veto. Lawmakers from the area said one court doesn't have the capacity to serve the population of those counties and the millions of tourists who visit Branson each year. They said splitting the counties would help clear the area's backlog of cases. Last year, Nixon vetoed a bill that would have paid for more courthouses by raising court fees. Supporters said they removed fees from this bill.

Woman found shot dead in vehicle

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis police are investigating after a woman was found shot to death in a car. Police said the woman was found dead in a car early Monday. She was pronounced dead at the crime scene. The victim's identity hasn't been released.

Farmers sue to stop cattle-fee vote

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Rural Crisis Center and two farmers are suing the Missouri Department of Agriculture to halt a referendum on higher fees for cattle farmers. The Crisis Center will ask a judge today to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the department from proceeding with preparations for the April referendum. The referendum would ask farmers to approve doubling the per-animal checkoff fee from $1 to $2. The money would go to the Missouri Beef Industry Council, which spent more than a half million dollars on advertising and outreach in 2015. The Crisis Center alleges the election rules were crafted illegally behind closed doors and require farmers to disclose confidential business information by asking them to register their sales numbers.

Truman State's president leaving

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- The University of Mary Washington has named a new president. The Fredericksburg school said Monday that Troy D. Paino will be the school's 10th president. Paino is president of the public Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. Paino has a master's degree and a doctorate in American studies from Michigan State University. He has a law degree from Indiana University and a bachelor's degree in history and philosophy from Evangel University in Missouri. The University of Mary Washington said Paino will become president effective July 1.

Man admits selling teen fatal heroin

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- A St. Charles County man admitted in federal court he sold the heroin that killed a 17-year-old girl. Jerry L. Harvey pleaded guilty in federal court in St. Charles to heroin distribution. He admitted he paid the teen with heroin to drive him to cash a $6,000 settlement check, then to St. Louis to buy heroin. According to the plea, the teen returned to Harvey's home that night, and he gave her more heroin. She was found dead the next morning.

-- From wire reports