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Mass transit company Metro celebrated a milestone anniversary Wednesday. 

With the first 50 years in the books, MetroBus is building a reputation as a leader in the industry with new technologies developed in St. Louis that enhance fuel economy, cut pollution and further the focus on running green. Ray Friem is with Metro Transit Services. 

The reason St. Louis is becoming that is our maintenance department has developed systems and detection methods that are unique. And so the manufacturers of this equipment are coming to us and saying look we'd like to take advantage of that and test this in your environment.

MetroBus serves 29 millions riders annually.

Thousands of runners are expected to converge on downtown St. Louis as part of the Go! St. Louis Marathon events.

That marathon starts near the Arch and winds all the way to downtown Clayton. The starting gun fires at 7AM Saturday.

The half marathon is drawing a lot of attention this year. Organizers announced a $10,000 first prize--the fourth largest in US history for a half-marathon. The entire weekend of events could draw over 20,000 people.

 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Missouri House has passed a bill that would allow school districts to hire police resource officers.

Sponsoring Republican Rep. Sheila Solon, of Blue Springs, says the measure is part of efforts to keep schools safer after the Connecticut elementary school shooting that killed 20 children.

She says that school resource officers are considered county or municipal employees but her bill would allow school districts to hire them directly.

The bill would also strengthen the state's mandatory child abuse reporting laws by preventing supervisors from impeding a report.

The House voted 129-20 to the send the measure to the Senate Wednesday.