A sharp-eyed colleague spotted this job ad in Craigslist:

Job Summary:

Provide direction and coordination to a newly formed coalition in the City of St. Louis. Smoke-Free St. Louis City is a coalition of concerned citizens and organizations working to educate the community and local decision makers on the dangers of secondhand smoke and the ill health effects smoking in bars, restaurants and the workplace brings; with the long term goal of a smoke-free policy in St. Louis City that protects the health of all our city’s citizens. Position is full-time and includes competitive salary and benefits.

The ad says that a city resident is  preferred and that a non-smoker is,  understandably, a “must.”

It seemed inevitable that the national anti-smoking trend would reach City Hall. Earlier, the city’s efforts were limited mostly to following the county’s push to ban indoor smoking, which extinguished when Kurt Odenwald was not re-elected.

Selling a fresh plan might be a tad more difficult at the Board of Aldermen, where three members - Ken Ortmann, Joe Vollmer and Marlene Davis - operate taverns.

Even so, now that Illinois’ new smoking law has gone into effect, it might not be long before St. Louis also butts out.

In other news:

• Jo Mannies runs down where the local politerati will be on caucus night - from Tower Grove to Des Moines.
• While Kit Bond is in frigid Iowa for Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor is reaching out to other voters - in South Florida.
• Gov. Matt Blunt gets his hybrid on.
• A look at the potential impact of an abortion ballot question.