Mo. Gov. Nixon makes appointments to commissions

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A former Missouri lawmaker has been named to the state Probation and Parole Board.

On Friday, Gov. Jay Nixon appointed former Republican House member Kenny Jones to the seven-member state board responsible for determining whether prison inmates should be granted parole or remain in prison. Jones, a Republican from Clarksburg in central Missouri, is former sheriff and served three terms in the Missouri House.

The governor also appointed the former president and CEO of Freeman Health System to the Mental Health Commission. Gary Duncan, of Joplin, started working for Freeman Health System in 1975. The commission oversees the Department of Mental Health.

In addition, attorney Bennett Keller was appointed to the Missouri Tourism Commission. Keller, a Democrat from Ballwin, also is an adjunct professor at the Washington University law school.