State briefs 2/9/16

Pact restores $50M from tobacco deal

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said he reached a deal to restore $50 million in tobacco-settlement money in exchange for legislators tightening laws on small tobacco companies. The dispute is over money guaranteed to Missouri through a 1998 settlement with major tobacco manufacturers aimed at covering the costs of providing health care to people with tobacco-related illnesses. Missouri lost $50 million after an arbitration panel said the state didn't properly enforce part of the settlement that requires smaller tobacco companies that didn't sign the agreement to pay into an escrow account. Koster said major tobacco companies will restore the $50 million and pay $11 million more annually starting in 2020. Lawmakers must require other tobacco companies to pay fully into escrow.

Illinois mines to cut 200 jobs

ST. LOUIS -- The owner of two Southern Illinois coal mines said it's cutting more than 200 jobs at those locations, as well as additional positions at a Kentucky mine. Alliance Resource Partners LP announced the layoffs at its Hamilton and White County coal mines Friday. Two hundred jobs were eliminated at the White Oak mine in Dahlgren, Illinois, along with about 35 more positions at the Pattiki mine near Carmi, Illinois, and 40 jobs at River View Coal in Waverly, Kentucky. The company cites low natural-gas prices and a saturated domestic coal market as well as "weak power demand" and "overreaching regulations." It hopes to restore the jobs cut from the White Oak mine later this year.

Man fatally struck on Interstate 44

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis police said a man who was struck and killed on Interstate 44 last week was taking pictures of two friends who were in the median. Will Miner, 24, was struck at 3:50 a.m. Feb. 2. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said Miner was with two friends when he stepped into the left lane of eastbound I-44 to take a photo of his friends, who were sitting on the center median when Miner was struck by a Toyota 4Runner.

-- From staff and wire reports