State briefs: Last chance to pedal pub in Rochester

Fans of pedaling and hoisting drinks may have only another month to get their fill.

PedalPub Rochester is planning to shut down after the 2015 season ends in mid-November.

"It just was not bringing in the ridership we had hoped for," said Managing Partner Al Boyce, who is also part of PedalPub Twin Cities.

The 16-passenger bar on wheels was well-received when it opened in 2013 in the medical town, Boyce said. But high storage prices in downtown Rochester have played a role in making it less viable. The pub will still honor upcoming reservations and take new ones through Nov. 15, Boyce said.

Pam Louwagie @pamlouwagie

Two little roundabouts could make a big difference in the commute through downtown St. James.

The Federal Highway Administration is steering an $864,000 innovation grant to the city to build a pair of linked mini-roundabouts that the state hopes will improve safety and flow of traffic through town, without disrupting the heavy grain trucks that travel that stretch of Hwy. 4.

Jennifer Brooks @stribrooks

Road-weary travelers and visitors to this Iron Range city will no longer find accommodation at the Marjo Motel as they have for generations, ever since Margaret and Joseph Mesojedec opened it in the mid-1950s. The motel closed last month, permanently, as the Mesojedecs' son Tom opted to take a well-earned retirement.

"It's kind of 24/7 if you want to do it right," said Tom Mesojedec. "I'd just like to get out and do other things."

The Mesojedecs built their Marjo Hotel and restaurant in 1951 and the motel a few years later. They ran both until the 1970s, selling off the hotel. Joseph died young in 1981 but Margaret ran the motel well into her 90s. She died two years ago in July.

The motel was busy this summer, but Tom and his brother decided it was time to close down.