peals court has ruled that a white professor at a predominantly black university in St. Louis was fired “because of the color of her skin.”

A three-judge panel of the Missouri Court of Appeals on Tuesday affirmed a 2015 jury verdict that awarded nearly $5 million to Beverly Wilkins, a former professor at Harris-Stowe State University.

Wilkins claimed in her lawsuit that she was repeatedly passed over for promotions during nine years of employment before being fired in 2010.

The university blamed state budget cuts, but the lawsuit says two black professors with less tenure than Wilkins kept their jobs.

It’s unclear if the university will appeal. The university says in a statement that it has not yet had an opportunity to review the ruling with its lawyers.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — United Airlines says it wants to contact a musician who says she was barred by a United supervisor from boarding a plane with her violin, leading to a scuffle that caused her to miss her flight and she thinks may have injured her hand.

Yennifer Correia and her attorney say the scuffle happened Sunday in Houston as the Memphis musician was preparing to fly to Missouri for a symphony rehearsal.

Correia had a discount fare that United’s website says doesn’t let passengers stow luggage overhead, except for “small” musical instruments.

In January, a Florida graduate student sought public help in replacing a cello she claimed was smashed on a United flight. Another violinist last year reported being kicked off a United flight for trying to stow her instrument below seats.

BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — Two 18-year-old Missouri men are accused of tying a kitten to a car’s bumper and dragging it to its death, then posting video online showing people “laughing as the cat tossed and turned” behind the vehicle.

Jordan Hall was charged Tuesday and Kyle Williams on Sunday with animal abuse and armed criminal action. Neither Branson man has an attorney.

The probable cause statement says laughter and somebody saying “this will be funny” can be heard as Williams ties the “scared” cat to the bumper. The statement says the cat was dragged last week until it “could not run anymore.”

Hall has been identified as the driver. He told authorities he knew it was “not right.” Police say Williams posted the video on Facebook.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A Louisiana girl’s road trip to show her appreciation for law enforcement by hugging police officers has come to Missouri.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that 7-year-old Rosalyn Baldwin visited the Springfield Police Headquarters Monday to give hugs and stickers to officers from squad 16.

Rosalyn’s been traveling across the country with her parents and wants to hug police officers in all 50 states.

Her mother, Angie Baldwin, says Rosalyn came up with the idea and “wouldn’t let it drop.” Angie says her daughter is on a mission of love.

Rosalyn told Angie that “God told me to do this. You have to help.”

Missouri is the 12th state the Baldwins have visited. They plan to go to Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois before returning home to Louisiana.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Gov. Sam Brownback is promising to veto an income tax increase approved by Kansas lawmakers to fix the state budget and meet a court mandate on school funding.

The GOP-controlled Legislature approved a bill early Tuesday morning that would raise $1.2 billion over two years by repealing or rolling back past income tax cuts championed by Brownback.

Also sent Monday night to Brownback was another bill that would phase in a $293 million increase in spending on public schools over two years. The state Supreme Court ruled in March that education funding is inadequate.

The tax bill is meant to cover the higher spending on schools and close projected budget shortfalls totaling $889 million through June 2019. But Brownback said immediately after its passage that it had “many deficiencies.”

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas (AP) — Authorities say a truck driver who triggered a deadly wreck when his tractor-trailer struck a school bus and a second vehicle had methamphetamine in his system.

Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Lonny Haschel said Monday that a DPS report shows autopsy results for 49-year-old Bradley Farmer of Bogard, Missouri, indicated the presence of the drug.

Haschel says Farmer’s rig crossed the center line in March about 100 miles northeast of Dallas and struck the bus carrying Mount Pleasant High School track athletes.

The tractor-trailer then struck a car driven 30-year-old Angelica Beard, an assistant track coach.

Both Beard and Farmer were killed. More than a dozen students were injured, as were three coaches.

The collision occurred near the town of Talco as the boys’ and girls’ teams were returning from a meet.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A heroin overdose is suspected in the deaths of both a St. Louis man and his mother.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that a woman called police Sunday to say she was unable to wake both her daughter and grandson.

Police say the mother and son were found slumped over on a bed with a syringe and baggie of suspected heroin on a nightstand. The victims were both pronounced dead by emergency workers just after noon on Sunday. Authorities say the woman was in her 50s and her son about 30.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is limiting the government’s ability to seize assets from people who are convicted of drug crimes but receive little of the illegal proceeds.

The justices ruled Monday that a Tennessee man convicted for his role selling iodine water purification filters to methamphetamine makers does not have to forfeit nearly $70,000 in profits.

Terry Honeycutt helped sell more than 20,000 filters at his brother’s hardware store. Prosecutors said the brothers knew the iodine was used by local meth cooks.

Honeycutt’s brother pleaded guilty and forfeited $200,000 of the $270,000 in profits. But Honeycutt argued he wasn’t responsible for the rest since he didn’t personally see any profits.

A federal appeals court ruled against Honeycutt, saying everyone who joins a drug conspiracy can be required to give up profits.

MARSHFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Authorities have captured a female inmate who is accused of climbing through a bathroom vent to escape from a southwest Missouri jail.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that 27-year-old Carrie Crowe was captured Sunday in Springfield and is charged with a felony escape count.

She was discovered missing May 25 from the jail in Webster County, where she faces a charge of tampering with a motor vehicle. Crowe is accused of removing a cover from the bathroom vent and climbing through an opening that was about 16 inches by 8 inches and 8 inches deep. She is 5-feet-3-inches and weighs about 130 pounds.

Crowe is jailed in Greene County on $100,000 bond. No attorney is listed for her in online court records.