COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A central Missouri prosecutor is facing multiple felony charges after a weekend car crash at a popular downtown Columbia restaurant left four people injured.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that Shayne Healea, 36, of the Moniteau County town of California faces a charge of leaving an accident scene and four counts of second-degree assault after allegedly backing his truck into Addison’s restaurant on Saturday night. Helea was released from the Boone County jail Sunday night after posting a total of $22,500 in bonds.

In a written statement, the Moniteau prosecutor said he wasn’t initially aware of the crash but immediately returned to the restaurant and identified himself to police as the driver when alerted.

“Apparently, while turning around in a small parking lot, my lowered tailgate contacted a glass block window without my knowledge,” he said. “As I was driving less than a block away from this parking lot, an individual advised me of the accident and I immediately returned. I identified myself to police as the driver. Police took me into custody and their investigation continues.”

Helea, a Republican, was elected Moniteau County prosecuting attorney in November 2010, two months after receiving his law license and five months after graduating from the University of Missouri law school in Columbia. He earned 63 percent of the votes cast to defeat incumbent Democrat John T. Kay, who had served as county prosecutor for nearly three decades.

Healea, a former police officer, is seeking a second four-year term and is unopposed in the Nov. 4 general election.

The incident took place during homecoming weekend at the nearby Missouri campus.

JIM SALTER, Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Attorneys for a condemned Missouri man and several former judges have filed an appeal asking the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the execution, saying a mistake by his former attorneys denied him his right to a federal court appeal.

JOSH BOAK, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans signing contracts to buy homes ticked up slightly in September, as it remained difficult to qualify for mortgage financing.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will not be able to let high school students skip state mathematics and English tests so they can focus on college entrance exams and career-oriented tests.

The U.S. Education Department says Kansas’ proposal would conflict with federal testing requirements that ensure accountability in schools.

Interim Kansas Education Commissioner Brad Neuenswander says the state wanted to let schools choose whether to drop state tests so student could concentrate on such tests as the ACT and job skills.

Kansas students are to take state math and English tests at least once in high school but Neuenswander says some students were testing more than once in high school.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the state now plans to restrict the math and English tests to the 10th grade.

FAYETTE, Mo. (AP) — Central Methodist University has received the largest donation in the 160-year history of the school in Fayette.
School officials announced the$3.6 million gift from Jay and Kelly Jacobs of Laguna Niguel, California, during homecoming events on Saturday.

The gift will help the school meet a $20 million fundraising effort announced in August.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports Jacobs served on the school’s board of trustees for eight years and his sister, Janet, is a current trustee. He did not graduate from the school.

At Jacobs’s request, the school will name a new Center for Allied Health for the late James and Helen Thogmorton. James

Thogmorton was Dean of Men when the school was a men’s college and later was dean of students and dean of alumni affairs.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A finance report shows independent candidate Greg Orman covered nearly $1 million in expenses from mid-July through September and loaned his campaign U.S. Senate campaign in Kansas another $200,000.

Orman is a wealthy Olathe businessman trying to unseat three-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts.

A report filed by Orman’s campaign with the Federal Election Commission and available online Sunday shows Orman covered $963,000 in expenses from mid-July through September, mostly for advertising.

He received $537,000 in contributions and loaned his campaign $200,000 on Sept. 25.

With earlier contributions, he had more than $2 million available during the period. The campaign had $1.9 million in expenses, including those Orman funded himself.

He ended September with about $120,000 in his campaign fund.

A report for Roberts was not available online Sunday.