PALOS VERDES, Calif. -- Attendees at the 2009 Outlook Leadership conference took time out Tuesday to honor three eco-friendly convenience store chains. The "Eco-Superhero" awards were presented through a partnership between CSP Information Group Inc. and the Captain Planet Foundation, this year's spotlighted charity for the conference held September 20-22 in Palos Verdes, Calif.

The award itself contained a rare, framed copy of the first edition of the Captain Planet comic book.

TOLEDO, Ohio -- The gasoline pumps were back on at most Barney's Convenience Marts in metro Toledo Tuesday, but there were continuing signs of the financial problems that have caused headaches for customers since early September, The Toledo Blade said in an update to a previous story. Nine of the chain's 35 stations, which sell BP brand gas, remained closed Tuesday or their phones went unanswered. Five others have been sold to the Circle K chain owned by Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., Laval, Quebec, said the report.

MOORPARK, Calif. -- Kretek International Inc., importer and distributor of Djarum clove cigars, has filed a request for declaratory judgment against the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in federal district court in Washington, D.C. The Kretek filing, the company said, "comes after the FDA signaled its intention to exceed its legislative authority to regulate flavored cigarettes in order to ban other tobacco products as well."