Fox lumbering out of Frankfort
After a 27-year presence in Frankfort, Fox Home Center will close its store there, across the street from Breidert's Green, by the end of the year. But the lumber and hardware retailer, which also has a store in Alsip, is studying the possibility of a new location in Orland Park, where it owns property on 159th Street west of Wolf Road.

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.

Frankfort shop a dream come true for owner
Thirty-two years is a long time. It was long enough for Jan Sabey to fall in love with nursing, then watch her beloved profession change right before her eyes. "It became all about profit," the 53-year-old former nursing administrator from Frankfort said. So Sabey, who drives a bright blue Volkswagen Beetle, made a bold decision: Leave the profession she had known for more than three decades and open her own business. Standing in Evilena's Red Dresser, her own store, Sabey has no regrets.

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.

Business owner seeks grant from Frankfort
The owner of a Frankfort boutique is the first business owner to apply for the village's new retail grant program. Denise Strait, of Girlfriend's Closet, wants to relocate from her location on Bankview Drive to the historic downtown district on White Street.

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.