Meeting in St. Louis next week, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will have its first opportunity as an assembled group to consider what to do after the Vatican issued a mandate for change this spring. It calls on the conference to reorganize and more strictly observe church teachings.

When a family of four goes to the St. Louis Zoo, they can be forgiven for not knowing it will cost them $60, $72 if they park. If they can't pay, the alternative is to tell the kids they can't do what kids do at the zoo.

Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley gave reporters less than a half-hour’s notice today when he announced that conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh’s sculptured bust will be formally installed in the Capitol at 1 p.m.

The suggestions come in the wake of Missouri Supreme Court ruling that upheld the law allowing students who live in unaccredited school districts to transfer to accredited ones. 

The St. Louis County Council gave its final blessing to merge some duties of city and county economic development agencies, a move that ratifies the plan announced earlier this year. The partnership will focus on business retention, expansion and entrepreneurship.

Some in Missouri and Illinois were singled out for excellence; others were branded with a consumer alert, that would-be teachers should be wary. The national group that did the survey said it will be repeated annually, said the evaluating group's president Kate Walsh.

The second annual St. Lou Fringe Festival -- June 20 through June 24-- offers more than 100 performances of art, music, dance and theater from 30 performing groups. New this year are events designed for performers to be able to share with each other.

Rachel Gold returns in a new mystery, "The Flinch Factor," the eighth tale of the tough and savvy attorney. The title refers to an over-the-top judge in St. Louis -- one Kahn says in not based on any individual on the bench. We talk with him about his break from Rachel and his writing.

The Kranzberg Arts Center, the Ethical Society and the Tavern of Fine Arts have been added as venues this year, with the last location hosting a free concert. The programs, which feature established works and new composers, will also be at the Wool Theater at the Jewish Community Center.

As St. Louis gears up to be a part of events for National Small Business Week in which local entrepreneurs Jack Dorsey and David Steward will play prominent roles, the area's SBA director feels that the Gateway City's climate for entrepreneurs and small businesses is improving.

Mark Lynas, a noted British author and environmentalist, spoke Thursday at the Donald Danforth Plant Science center about his conversion from an anti-genetically modified crop activist to a proponent of GM plants.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said the initiative is about keeping start-up businesses “here when they become successful and grow jobs here as well, rather than just being some sort of training ground for Silicon Valley companies.”

Tossing a high school graduation cap into the air typically signals the launch of a bigger life. But a new study shows that's often not the case for young people with autism.

Recent research out of Mizzou suggests that excessive use of Facebook can have negative effects on romantic relationships, including cheating, breaking up and divorce. The negative impact tends to be on newer relations, under three years duration. Doctoral student Russell Clayton advocates more moderate Facebook use to prevent its threats.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against a company that had patents on genes linked to higher risks for breast and ovarian cancers. The ruling is disliked by a biotechnology industry group, but is praised by university researchers.

Even though statistics say that violent crime is down, summer in St. Louis is getting off to a bloody start. The former homicide detective says he believes the numbers, but also thinks some modern changes limit police ability to take control.

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis will bring in four of the world’s top-10 chess players for the strongest-ever tournament on U.S. soil. This September matchup will feature Hikaru Nakamura and Gata Kamsky -- America’s top-two players -- as well as Norway’s Magnus Carlsen and Armenia’s Levon Aronian – the world’s top-two.

When the mining company filed for bankruptcy, 22,000 workers and retirees lost their earned and negotiated benefits and joined the nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance. The cost of treating the uninsured adds to insurance and health costs for everyone.