Washington University is leasing a parcel of land to University City for a new firehouse. University City hopes to break ground on a new firehouse in early 2012, nearly three years after receiving a federal stimulus grant to replace its current facilities. The University is leasing the land to University City for one dollar per year for 75 years.

A new check-in application has been heating up among students at Washington University. The Bonfyre smartphone application, which launched this September, currently has over 600 users on campus, with more at Saint Louis University and the University of Missouri.

In a reversal of a decision announced last month, Bank of America announced Tuesday that it will not charge customers a $5 monthly fee for using a debit card to purchase items. The Bank’s initial decision announced on Oct. 1 sparked considerable backlash among its customers; an online petition against the fees at change.

The Occupy Wall Street movement has come to St. Louis and members of the Washington University community are getting involved. The movement originated in New York City last month as a protest of corporate greed and the nation’s current economic policies. St. Louis residents have claimed Kiener Plaza, in downtown St.

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, D-Mo., announced she would not seek re-election on Sept. 30, leaving her seat open for the 2012 election. Carnahan, sister of Rep. Russ Carnahan, and daughter of former senators Mel and Jean Carnahan, was elected to the post in 2004 and re-elected in 2008.

New rankings from The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine rated Washington University’s programs for educating entrepreneurs the sixth best in the nation. The Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies reaches 709 undergraduate students and 220 graduate students.

UrbanCents, a new Student Entrepreneurial Program (StEP) approved business, is offering discounts at St. Louis-area businesses. The start-up, which follows a format similar to Groupon, offers students discount deals to businesses near campus, and donates a portion of its profits to charity. Juniors Julia Pockros and Clara Jaques launched UrbanCents two weeks ago.

Students who have “shopped” for classes in the past soon may get help. Junior Joseph Marcus and senior Jake Novick, both Student Union senators, have been working on posting syllabi online during registration so that students can have more information about available courses.

The Ben & Jerry’s franchise on the Delmar Loop failed to write Dance Marathon a check for a benefit night in which student leaders say they planned and participated.

A recent discovery that vaginal gel, consisting of nanoparticles carrying bee venom, can serve both as a contraceptive and for HIV prevention, won a grant from the Gates Foundation.