Is recession finally over? Possibly
The economy accelerated last quarter. But is it driving off a cliff? The car comparison is apt, because economists believe the third-quarter improvement in the nation's Gross Domestic Product depended heavily on the "cash for clunkers" program. The tax credit for first-time home buyers also had a role.

Bill Jacobs fights -- and wins
Bill Jacobs Jr. is back in the driver's seat for the city's only Cadillac dealership. Jacobs, together with his staff, his congresswoman and the local community, all worked together to successfully appeal GM's decision to eliminate the Cadillac dealership from Joliet.

Famed drive-in chain Sonic opens in Crest Hill
Mayor Ray Soliman nibbled his way through important city business Monday. "I had a chili cheese dog, a hamburger, tater tots, chicken strips and ice cream," Soliman reported. The fast-food chain Sonic opened its first restaurant in Crest Hill.

Help me save Ooga Booga
Welcome to Ooga Booga Bar-Ba-Q. "Home of the World's Woorst Samich," boasts the restaurant sign outside. But it's the worst economy in memory and a terrible location that are killing business at the Lockport eatery.

Family takes farm in a new direction
At a tiny farm on the fringes of Frankfort, Steve Eager is trying to undo decades of farming techniques he believes are harmful to your health. Eschewing synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, Eager and other family members are hitching their wagon to the rising consumer interest in organically grown produce. They expect to achieve organic production certification in about three years.

Falling dollar a bogus crisis

The dollar is falling and can't get up, and President Obama is to blame. This is the chorus from economic blogs and conservative critics, but is it true?

Wal-Mart goes big on plus-sizes

Hanesbrands Inc., the maker of Hanes underwear and the Wonder Bra, is getting twice as much space in more than 3,500 Wal-Mart stores to offer more clothing choices for the plus-size women who shop there.

Dow tops 10,000 for first time this year
The Dow Jones industrial average is back above 10,000 for the first time in a year.

US Supreme Court will hear appeal of Enron's chief
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider throwing out the convictions of former Enron Chief Executive Officer Jeff Skilling for his role in the collapse of the one-time energy giant. The court said Tuesday it will hear Skilling's appeal of lower court rulings that upheld all 19 of his 2006 convictions of conspiracy, securities fraud, insider trading and lying to auditors involving the 2001 collapse of Enron.

Data and contacts vanish from Sidekick phones
Owners of Sidekick phones may have lost all the personal information they put on the device, including contact numbers, because of a failure of servers that remotely stored the data. The incident is a reminder of the dangers of trusting a single provider to safeguard information.