Weak economy eases some, drops others out of workforce

It’s been a mean economic season so far, and it ain’t over by a long shot.
A couple of weeks ago, coffee behemoth Starbucks announced it would close 600 of its stores nationwide. Local Starbucks slated to close include those in Bloomingdale, Bolingbrook and Elmhurst, according to a press release.
And MRG Metromedia Restaurant Group, the parent [...]

Lower gas prices show the Lord’s handiwork

Something startling caught my eye this morning, something I thought I’d never see again: gas prices lower than $4 a gallon. And this was in Cook County, no less.
The price of oil has apparently been dropping for the past few days. I saw the price at one gas station this morning in Cook County at [...]

Is one federal agency trying to railroad local communities?

On Friday, the Surface Transportation Board issued its draft environmental impact statement on the proposed acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway by the Candanian National Railway. If the purchased is approved by the STB, some of CN’s freight train traffic would shift from western Cook County towns to those in DuPage and Will [...]

Marcucci’s choice not to seek re-election should have been made more formally

Here’s to wishing Elmhurst Mayor Thomas Marcucci all the best next year when he brings his public service career to an end. But here’s also to hoping that Elmhurst’s next Top Dog opts to make important announcements in a more formal setting.
During a golf outing held Wednesday by the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry, [...]

Glen Ellyn safety group spreads misinformation

A group whose stated goal is promoting safety in Glen Ellyn may be increasing residents’ anxieties by spreading misinformation.
The Glen Ellyn Coalition for Safe Neighborhoods has raised concerns about DuPage Public Action to Deliver Shelter. DuPage PADS operates overnight homeless shelters at 10 churches in seven communities throughout the county. Three churches in Glen Ellyn [...]

There must be better reasons to boycott McDonald’s

The most well-known corporate entity in the world has incurred the wrath of several organizations.
On Wednesday, Liberty Counsel in Orlando, Fla., joined the American Family Association in Tupelo, Miss.; Naperville-based Americans for Truth About Homosexuality; and the Illinois Family Institute in Glen Ellyn to hold a press conference outside of McDonald’s corporate headquarters in Oak [...]