America expands once again — digitally, this time

NEW YORK (AP) — The metaphor is an easy one, overused and perhaps even a bit overwrought. We are forging forward into a digital frontier, leaving convention behind, traveling without guides into an uncharted virtual land where progress and profits are forever around the next …

Caribou Coffee leaving Homewood

Caribou Coffee is closing its Homewood store at the end of the day Sunday.

Wynright on a roll in Oak Lawn

In a windowless room in Oak Lawn, the flow of commerce rolls along on wall-mounted computer monitors. Each live picture shows the view of a warehouse or distribution center where Wynright Corp. has installed material handling systems — those conveyor lines that are part and …

Care packages for troops

Briefly: Currie to host care package event, Tinley art gallery grand opening.

MVCC to host electric car forum

Moraine Valley Community College to host forum on electric vehicles, including chance for public to take one for a spin.

Mr. Tightwad’s daily deal: Free game tokens from Chuck E. Cheese

Mr. Tightwad’s so cheap, he bribes the Teenie Tightwads so they’ll be good.

Best of all, that bribery doesn’t cost him a dime, thanks to Chuck E. Cheese. You can download reward charts for a variety of tasks (download and print them at http://tinyurl.com/freechucketokens). They …

Meadow Ridge has Entrepreneur Expo

If the next big product to fly off the shelves is the brainchild of a Meadow Ridge School fourth-grader, it will be no surprise to those who recently attended the Orland Park school’s annual Entrepreneur Expo. Students in the school’s enrichment class were challenged to …

Facebook stock debut fails to sizzle

NEW YORK (AP) — It was barely a “like” and definitely not a “love” from Facebook investors as the online social network’s stock failed to live up to the hype in its trading debut Friday. One of the most highly anticipated IPOs in Wall Street …

Senate Democrats’ spending plan offers deeper cuts than Quinn proposed

SPRINGFIELD — Senate Democrats on Friday outlined a spending plan that cuts deeper than Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget proposal, shaving about $250 million more from areas such as human services and public safety — but Republicans contended still more cuts were needed.

Orland doctor’s license suspended for inappropriate involvement with patient

An Orland Park doctor has had his licenses suspended by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation after he allegedly became inappropriately involved with a patient.

Dr. Frank H. Kirk, of Kirk Clinic, 15040 Ravinia Ave., will have his medical license and his controlled …

New Lenox School Board opposes pension shift

NEW LENOX — The New Lenox School Board urged lawmakers to oppose a measure that could put the responsibility of funding teacher pensions onto individual school districts. If the state legislators approve a cost shift, that could add a nearly $2 million expense to the …

Expanding Internet gambling deserves OK

The Legislature has plenty on its plate this session with budget issues and Medicaid and pension reform, but Senate President John Cullerton has piled more on with a plan to legalize online poker. Cullerton (D-Chicago) wants to create a gaming division within the Illinois Lottery …