Two runaways are found via sex ads on web site: The two girls were runaways, 15 and 17, who had left their homes in Eau Claire, Wis., in early July and found their way to the Twin Cities. To the people who took them in, the girls were moneymakers. They were plied with drugs, dressed in lingerie and advertised for sex on the website Backpage.com. (Masako Hirsch and Paul Walsh)
Hennepin judge rules that same-sex partner can inherit assets: A court ruling in the case of a married couple from Minneapolis found that Minnesota's Defense of Marriage Act does not apply to probate cases. (Abby Simons)
Story and video: 35W bridge collapse survivor crosses again: Andy Gannon faced the 35W bridge across the Mississippi for the first time since the collapse. (Pam Louwagie, Amanda Marzullo) Also check out David Brewster's video of how the disaster was commemorated in theater, poetry and photography.
Soccer fans want say on Viking stadium: With Vikings controlling effort to bring in top U.S. pro league, a group aims to keep focus on the other football. (Richard Meryhew)
Ritchie talk at church put off amid furor: Secretary of State Mark Ritchie had been scheduled to speak before mass at St. Joan of Arc Church on Aug. 12, but an official of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced that the invitation had been rescinded. The archdiocese is a major backer of the constitutional amendment that would effectively ban gay marriage. (Rose French)
Campus hotel at the U going upscale: Last March, Ohio-based RockBridge Partners bought the old 304-room Radisson for $18.5 million and promptly announced plans to sink another $14.8 million into the aging structure. The newly named, four-star Commons Hotel will officially launch in October -- and embrace the area's "industrial schoolhouse chic." (Janet Moore)
1 dead, 2 wounded in North Side shooting (Paul Walsh)
Ex-Henry High teammates deaths ruled homicide-suicide (Anthony Lonetree)
