St Louis

HOUSTON/ SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 1- Renewed strength in refining and chemicals led to higher-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings for Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp, the two largest U.S. oil companies.

Feb 1- Mississippi River barge traffic remained congested on Friday near Vicksburg, Mississippi, where a barge accident and oil spill shuttered the major shipping artery on Sunday, but the backlog of boats was slowly declining.

ST. LOUIS-- The CEO of St. Louis- based Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. is retiring, 16 years after she founded the kid-friendly chain that now has more than 400 outlets worldwide. She was also a former executive of the old Venture Stores and the May Co.' s Famous-Barr stores. Clark is a trustee of Washington University and a national board member of Teach for America.

HOUSTON/ SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 1- Strength in refining and chemicals led to higher-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings for Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp, the two largest U.S. oil companies.

Feb 1- Exxon Mobil Corp, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, on Friday reported a higher-than-expected 6 percent increase in quarterly profit on stronger results at its chemical and refining businesses.

*McDouble price above $1 in LA, Manhattan and Chicago McDonald's promoting $1 Grilled Onion Cheddar Burger. Feb 1- McDonald's popular $1 McDouble cheeseburger, which has lured customers to the Golden Arches since 2008, is getting hard to sustain as rising beef prices threaten the company's profit margin.

ST. LOUIS-- Energizer Holdings Inc. said Thursday that its first-quarter net income fell 10 percent due to restructuring costs. Net income for the three months ended Dec. 31 fell to $129.8 million, or $2.07 per share, from $143.8 million, or $2.15 per share in the year-ago quarter.

MINNEAPOLIS-- The NFL Players Association has appealed a judge's recent rejection of the union's claim that the league colluded to set a secret salary cap in 2010.. The NFLPA filed the appeal on Wednesday to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis.

*River closed at Vicksburg, Mississippi, since Sunday. Jan 30- More than 1,000 barges were backed up on the Mississippi River near Vicksburg, Mississippi, on Wednesday after a weekend barge accident and oil spill forced the closure of the major shipping artery, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

ST. LOUIS-- In a story Jan. 29, The Associated Press reported that Peabody Energy Corp.' s adjusted fourth-quarter loss, excluding the cost of closing down mines and marking down the value of some of its assets, was $1.12 per share.

*Euro hits highest since December 2011, just below $1.35. NEW YORK, Jan 29- The euro scaled 14- month peaks against the dollar on Tuesday, gaining in three of the last four sessions, boosted by a more upbeat euro zone outlook and expectations the Federal Reserve will keep its ultra-easy monetary policy for some time.

ST. LOUIS-- Coal producer Peabody Energy Corp. lost $1.01 billion in the fourth quarter as the price of coal used in steel manufacturing fell by half from its 2011 high, and its outlook for the current quarter fell short of Wall Street expectations. Peabody shares rose 93 cents, or 3.7 percent, to $26.09 in morning trading.

ST. LOUIS-- Coal producer Peabody Energy Corp. lost $1.01 billion in the fourth quarter as the price of coal used in steel manufacturing fell by half from its 2011 high. Peabody shares rose 93 cents, or 3.7 percent, to $26.09 in morning trading.

*Barges strike bridge near Vicksburg on Sunday, spill oil. Jan 28- More than 300 barges were awaiting passage through a closed section of the Mississippi River near Vicksburg, Mississippi, on Monday, a day after two tanker barges struck a railroad bridge and one leaked an unknown amount of oil into the river.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.-- Missouri electric companies could levy a surcharge for expenses such as utility poles and cyber-security investments under a legislative proposal that supporters contend would help modernize the state's power infrastructure.

OLYMPIA, Wash.-- As many state and local governments across the nation deal with the aftermath of severe budget cuts prompted by the Great Recession, a Washington state lawmaker has put forth a plan to increase revenue without raising taxes: Allow the sale of naming rights to publicly owned facilities.

NEW YORK, Jan 25- Billionaire businessman Henry Kravis and his wife have sued art collector Donald L. Bryant Jr. over three paintings by the renowned artist Jasper Johns that the Kravises say they bought jointly with Bryant with the intention of sharing them, then eventually donating them to New York's Museum of Modern Art.

ST. LOUIS-- Peabody Energy Corp., the world's biggest private-sector coal company, is expected to post lower earnings compared to a year ago, when it reports fourth-quarter results before the stock market opens Tuesday.