Jim Carlson. owner of "The Last Place on Earth," was named in petitions submitted to the Minnesota Secretary of State's office by the Grassroots Party. Grassroots is a perennial minor party that seeks to promote the legalization of marijuana, and its presidential ticket first appeared on Minnesota's ballot in 1986. Carlson's shop has been raided by authorities for allegedly selling synthetic marijuana.

Keeping a bobcat as a pet is illegal in Minnesota. That didn't stop a Mankato area man from spending $1,700 online to buy four of them. He had a change of heart, though, after they attacked him. Now the animals are at the Wildcat Sanctuary near Sandstone. An official there says keeping bobcats as pets is a growing problem.

A fixture in Minneapolis' Stadium Village is being demolished. The Oak Street Cinema went under the wrecking ball Friday. The Star Tribune reports a 60-unit apartment building will take its place. In recent years the theater showed classic films and was the primary venue for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival.

When Winton Dahlin started working at Forsberg's Inc., Harry Truman was president. Sixty years later the 82-year-old Dahlin has finally decided to walk out of the Thief River Falls machine manufacturer for the last time. In between he earned the respect of a host of co-workers and supervisors who admired a work ethic that was straight off the farm.

Al Leighton, owner of radio stations in St. Cloud, Detroit Lakes and Grand Forks, N.D., passed away Thursday morning, the St. Cloud Times reports. Leighton began his career in broadcasting more than 50 years ago in Brainerd, after serving in World War II. He is a past president of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association and a member of the Minnesota Museum of Broadcast Hall of Fame. Leighton was 86.

Bar owner Michael Skov, who died in a car crash in April on Minnesota Highway 13, had a blood-alcohol content of more than four times the legal limit, according to officials Thursday. Skov owned the Bend in the Road bar in Manchester, Minn.

Bayers Do It Best Hardware store in the Linden Hills neighborhood of southwest Minneapolis is closing its doors on Sept. 1, after 89 years. Owner Bob Bayers told WCCO his store could no longer compete with a newer larger Ace Hardware just around the corner.

A longtime member of the WCCO Radio family has died. Dark Star, whose real name was George Chapple, was found dead Friday. The former radio personality was on the station for 25 years and hosted "Sports Night with Dark Star." He was 66.