The Republican gubernatorial primary has been getting the attention, thanks to a spirited race between Treasurer Sarah Steelman and U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof. But candidates are campaigning vigorously for other statewide offices. In the lieutenant governor's race, Republican incumbent Peter Kinder and his likely opponent state Rep. Sam Page face only token opposition. Three Democrats are vying to face GOP state Sen. Michael Gibbons for attorney general, and four Democrats are vying to challenge state Rep. Brad Lager for state treasurer. There is no primary race for secretary of state race. Meet the candidates still running hard in the primary.

There was no cake, but area leaders celebrated MetroLink's 15th anniversary Thursday with a big birthday wish -- that voters approve in November a measure that would infuse the system with cash. The need for money is so severe that the system faces drastic cutbacks and riders face fare increases if the measure does not pass, said Robert J. Baer, Metro president and CEO. 

With all the interest in anything green, thanks in large part to rising fuel costs, venture capitalists are  looking more closely at companies specializing in "clean tech" -- technology aimed at developing alternative energy, reducing pollution or promoting conservation. It's an area in which some St. Louis companies are getting more involved.

A marathon foreclosure counseling session this weekend hosted by Better Family Life, a St. Louis nonprofit, is expected to serve several hundred distressed homeowners in 24 hours, said Maurice Washington, director of the agency's housing program.

And in a sad sign of the times, Washington noted that the event might qualify for a Guinness World Record as the first marathon counseling session of its type.

St. Louis-based A.G. Edwards, now part of Wachovia, is a bright spot in the company's otherwise bleak financial picture. Despite speculation that the brokerage business might be sold to raise money, most analysts say Wachovia would be smarter to keep it.

Updated 12:06 a.m. Aug. 6 - Proposition Y on St. Louis city and county ballots won by a 3-to-1 margin. It will help the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District pay for improvements to meet the federal Clean Water Act requirements. Passage of Proposition Y, a $275 million revenue bond issue, means rates will not rise as sharply as they would have otherwise over the next few years, according to MSD.

Working in the office of Agence-France Presse in Beijing for the Olympics, a graduate student from St. Louis experiences brilliant Chinese volunteers, horrible air quality and a stark contrast between old and new China. (Photo provided by Rachel Kurowski.)

The Democratic nominee attacked "reckless" Republican economics and spoke of restoring the American dream. His I-44 Missouri bus tour hit Springfield, Rolla and Union, with a quick stop in Lebanon. McCain, also in the state for a fundraiser in Kansas City, has been painting Obama as a celebrity who can deliver speeches but not results. Read the Washington Post story about how Obama's game plan follows the winning strategy of Mo. Sen. Clair McCaskill.