Business Rockford asked you to send us pictures of your company's celebrations and awards, and you stepped up. Check out what we published this year.

LOVES PARK — The temperature may not have topped 20 degrees outdoors, but thoughts at the Indoor Sports Center were focused on warm summer days today as the Rockford Park District hosted its annual summer job fair.

ROCKFORD — Aer Lingus will send airplanes to Chicago Rockford International Airport once the weather gets bad. So will Virgin Atlantic, Nippon Cargo Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines.
 

ON THE WEB
Chicago Rockford International Airport

RECENT NEWS ON ROCKFORD'S AIRPORT
Nov. 14: Milwaukee sparks air wars
Nov. 12: Airport commissioner steps down
Nov. 4: RFD traffic rises; first Branson flight full
Oct. 20: Direct Air stays positive about RFD
Oct. 11: UPS wants to be region's recruiting tool

Retailers may dictate trends this holiday season, but customers make the cash registers ring. And those customers might be willing to spend a little more money on the holidays this year, but they’re still cautious because of continuing job losses and the weak economy. One consumer survey said shoppers plan to research their purchases longer to find the best deals but expect to find the same deep discounts as last year.

RECENT HOLIDAY RETAIL NEWS (MORE INSIDE)
Graphic: Shopping habits for the holidays
Nov. 8: Bargain prices make early appearance

LAST BLACK FRIDAY (MORE INSIDE)
Nov. 28, 2008: Dozens brave cold for Best Buy's doorbusters
Nov. 28, 2008: There they go, on the run, with their gifts but they're not done
Nov. 28, 2008: Away from the crowds, many visit local stores

ROCKFORD — This year’s wet, cool weather is expected to take its toll on the state’s corn and soybean production, although area farmers may fare slightly better. In the northern parts of Illinois, soybean production is expected to be up slightly. Corn, however, continues to vex farmers as long rainy periods, punctuated by days of warm sunshine, have kept farmers weeks behind on their harvests.

MORE AGRICULTURE HEADLINES
Graphic: Weather a major crop factor
Nov. 9: Rain puts farmers weeks behind
Nov. 3: Farmers use dry day to tend to crops

Business Rockford asked you to send us pictures of your company's celebrations and awards, and you stepped up. Check out what we published in fall 2009.

ROCKFORD — The scene at Bob’s Ace Hardware today — the first day of its liquidation sale — looked more like Black Friday shopping with customers hard-pressed to find parking spaces and carts.

MORE RECENT CLOSINGS
Wicked Brew | Just Because Coffee | The Breeze
 

RECENT OPENINGS
Hardware store coming to Poplar Grove
Quilt shot a natural fit for business owner
New Asian eatery coming soon

FROM COMINGS AND GOINGS
Read more on Melissa Westphal's blog

Members of the Rock River Valley business community mixed and mingled outside the office in October. Check out what they did.

Financial Management Systems celebrated the public opening of the company's Rockford call center today.

ROCKFORD — Chicago was eliminated from the running for the 2016 Olympic Games by 10:30 a.m. today. Tokyo was the second to be dropped, before Rio de Janeiro was named the winner over Madrid. And Chicago’s loss is Rockford’s loss, too, even if it’s on a much smaller scale.
 

MORE COVERAGE
Local connection to 2016 bid
Thousands in Chicago stunned
 

INSIDE
AP video: Chicago is first to go in 2016 voting
More photos of Chicago 2016 supporters

ASSOCIATED PRESS INTERACTIVE
From Athens to Rio: Map tracks hosts, highlights

The Rock River Valley will have no shortage of Halloween offerings this year, with several seasonal retailers joining local stores in the fight for costume and decoration dollars.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jobless since January, Donald Money already has moved in with his elderly parents, stopped going to the movies and started using less of his prescription medication so it will last longer.

“Cash for clunkers” gave automakers a shot of adrenaline in August, but Chrysler Group LLC was hurt because dealers had few models left that qualified for the program.

PAST COVERAGE
Chrysler to discontinue Caliber SRT4
Special report: Chrysler's bankruptcy
Aug. 17: Report: Chrysler to build Fiat 500 in Mexico
July 1: Star 60 adds Fiat, drops GM
 

ON THE WEB
Wikipedia: The Belvidere Chrysler plant
 

AP INTERACTIVES
Graphics examine Chrysler, Ford, GM