Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. appoints Eric Hausler senior VP for strategic initiatives

ST. LOUIS — Casino operator Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. said Monday it has named Eric Hausler as senior vice president of strategic initiatives.

Utility company Ameren declares quarterly dividend of 38.5 cents per share on common stock

ST. LOUIS — Utility company Ameren Corp. on Friday declared a quarterly dividend on its common stock of 38.5 cents per share, payable Sept. 30 to shareholders of record on Sept. 10.

Certified: Court says Mich. prison OK to end special meals for man seen with non-kosher snack

ST. LOUIS, Mich. — A Michigan prison inmate who says his kosher meals were illegally suspended isn’t getting any relief at a federal appeals court.

St. Louis woman convicted of poisoning her 2 children, killing 1, gets life in prison

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — A St. Louis woman convicted of poisoning her two children, one of them fatally, will spend the rest of her life in prison.

Ameren to cut 84 Ill. jobs in response to falling power price

ST. LOUIS — Ameren Energy Resources, the holding company for utility Ameren Corp., said Wednesday it expects to eliminate about 84 jobs at three Illinois generating facilities in response to reduced power prices.

Stifel Financial 2nd-qtr profit up 28 percent on strong gains across all segments, stock jumps

ST. LOUIS — Shares of brokerage and investment adviser Stifel Financial Corp. advanced on Tuesday after the company said it second-quarter profit rose 28 percent, as it expanded and revenue rose across all businesses.

Lawmakers beef up security, change strategies to avoid health care ‘town halls gone wild’

CLARKSTON, Ga. — Angry crowds have put many lawmakers on the defensive as they try to talk about health care with their constituents, leading some to replace public forums with teleconferences or step up security to keep protesters at bay.

Volunteers in 8 US cities begin testing new swine flu vaccine; 2,800 expected in federal study

ST. LOUIS — Hundreds of Americans in eight cities are lining up for experimental swine flu shots in a race to get a vaccine out in case the new flu virus regains strength this fall and winter.

Pam Maples resigning after nearly 3 years as St. Louis Post-Dispatch managing editor

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Post-Dispatch managing editor Pam Maples has announced her resignation after nearly three years in the job. Her last day will be Aug. 18.

Smurfit-Stone Container closing Conn. plant, expanding Mass. facility

ST. LOUIS — Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., a major U.S. cardboard box-parts maker operating under bankruptcy court protection, said Friday it is expanding its Mansfield, Mass., plant and closing its Portland, Conn., facility.

Mom who was put on trial in Missouri cyberbullying case asks to use the Internet again

ST. LOUIS — A mother who was tried on accusations she was involved in a MySpace hoax directed at a 13-year-old Missouri girl who committed suicide wants to use the Internet again.

Missouri mom who was put on trial in cyberbullying case can use the Internet again, judge says

ST. LOUIS — A Missouri mother who was tried on accusations she was involved in a MySpace hoax directed at a 13-year-old girl who committed suicide has been told she can use the Internet again.

Government report takes up cost of raising a child, says its $221,000 through age 17

ST. LOUIS — It’s no secret that raising children can be expensive, but how about nearly a quarter of a million dollars expensive?

American Airlines flight makes emergency landing in St. Louis due to bird strike; no one hurt

ST. LOUIS — An American Airlines flight made an emergency landing in St. Louis after a bird was pulled into an engine.

States desperate for cash eye cuts at prisons, worrying some

ST. LOUIS — Tony Ferranto worries as he walks his patrol at maximum-security Menard Correctional Center in Illinois.

Arch Coal slumps to a loss as miners slash production to meet falling energy demand

ST. LOUIS — Arch Coal, one of the world’s biggest coal producers, said Friday that it slumped to a second-quarter loss that was much larger than Wall Street expected, citing a 20 percent drop in sales and production cutbacks.

Peabody appoints Robert Malone to board of directors

ST. LOUIS — Peabody Energy Corp. on Thursday said Robert Malone was appointed to the coal miner’s board of directors and will serve on the board’s audit and compensation committees.

Homes may be tough to find for hundreds of pit bulls seized in nationwide dogfighting raids

ST. LOUIS — As teams begin evaluating hundreds of pit bulls seized in the largest U.S. raid on dogfighters, the Humane Society of Missouri has issued an urgent call to rescue groups to help find homes for the dogs deemed eligible for adoption.

Peabody Energy’s 2Q earnings slide; tumbling shares drag down other major producers

ST. LOUIS — Peabody Energy’s second-quarter earnings tumbled by two-thirds, falling well short of Wall Street expectations as the coal miner released a long-awaited, full-year outlook far lower than analyst forecasts.

Peabody Energy’s 2Q earnings slide on flat production

ST. LOUIS — Peabody Energy’s second-quarter earnings tumbled by two-thirds, falling well short of Wall Street expectations, and the coal miner released a full-year outlook that will likely disappoint as well.

Belden to cease production at Leominster, Mass., facility, eliminating 170 jobs by July 2010

ST. LOUIS — Belden Inc., which makes electronics components, said Tuesday it plans to stop production at a Massachusetts manufacturing plant by July 2010.

Researchers: Apollo moon rocks still offering clues to origins of solar system, life on Earth

ST. LOUIS — Forty years after the Apollo 11 astronauts made their historic lunar landing, the rocks they collected are still helping researchers learn more about the moon, the solar system, even about how life on Earth began.

Researchers say Apollo 11 moon rocks still give clues to solar system

ST. LOUIS — Forty years after the Apollo 11 astronauts made their historic lunar landing, the rocks they collected are still helping researchers learn about the moon and the solar system.

Peabody’s 2Q earnings seen lower as sector weathers soft demand and economic uncertainty

ST. LOUIS — Peabody Energy Corp., one of the world’s biggest coal producers, is expected to report earnings for the second quarter before the market opens on Tuesday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

Farmers say Ill. peach harvest looks steady despite May storm; national prospects a bit fuzzy

ST. LOUIS — Sara Lipe glanced at her southern Illinois peach orchard after winds topping more than 100 mph tore through in May and felt dread in the pit of her stomach.

The presidential pitch: Obama throws low with All-Star toss

ST. LOUIS — President Barack Obama was true to his word: He didn’t bounce it.

Court documents show informants helped undercover agents infiltrate illegal dogfighting

ST. LOUIS — Undercover agents tipped off by informants infiltrated the illegal world of dogfighting by attending underground fights, leading to the arrest of at least a dozen people in several states, court documents show.

Boeing eyes $10 bn Indian contract with Super Hornet

ST LOUIS - As the race to supply the Indian Air Force with 126 Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) hots up, Boeing, a leading contender, is showcasing the Super Hornet, promising a new generation of air power.

Correction: Dogfighting Raids

ST. LOUIS — In a July 9 story about dogfighting raids, The Associated Press, relying on information from a defense attorney, erroneously reported that the defendant was a Little League coach. Little League spokesman Christopher Downs said the league checked with its regional office in Waco, Texas, and discovered that Karl Courtney of Beckville, Texas, was not among its coaches.

Arrests of Little League coach, nurse and teacher in raids show dogfighting is alive and well

ST. LOUIS — The arrests this week of a Little League coach, a registered nurse and a teacher during the largest coordinated raids on dogfighting in U.S. history confirm the shadowy blood sport is alive and well despite tough laws across the country.