Although it may seem counterintuitive, the Great Recession is actually a great time to start a business.  As it turns out, 16 of the 30 companies on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were started during the Great Depression or a past recession.

As the “war on drugs” rages on and the arrests continue, alleged drug offenders often find themselves between a rock and hard place. How would you react if you found yourself in handcuffs in the back of police car? Hopefully you would have the prudence to hire a Rockford criminal defense lawyer.
 

More DUI arrests occurred in Rockford last year than in any other town in Illinois, reports the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM). The AAIM report, which included every Illinois city except Chicago, indicated that 743 DUI arrests occurred in Rockford last year alone. Compared to other Illinois cities, Rockford statistics are telling. For example, Rockford is among only three cities that reported more than 500 DUI arrests in 2009.

Last Wednesday, Reverend Jesse Jackson hosted a news conference in Chicago to offer continued support for the family of Mark Barmore, who was fatally shot by Rockford police on August 24, 2009. At the conference, Mark’s mother MaryAnn said, "I don't think justice has fully been served, they haven't admitted that the two officers were totally at fault, so no I don't think justice has been served."
 

This blog continues a discussion of Al and Tipper Gore’s decision to end their marriage in divorce, an announcement that came as a surprise to the people of Rockford. The Gores seemed to have an exemplary marriage for newlywed couples, strong enough to survive a failed presidential bid, climate change, and a crippled economy.
 

The recent announcement of Al and Tipper Gore’s divorce caught many Americans by surprise. It seemed the Gores’ marriage was a model for newlywed couples who hoped to make their marriage strong enough to survive climate change, a crippled economy, and a failed presidential bid.
 

Recently, laws aimed at protecting communities like Rockford from dangerous sex offenders have come under scrutiny. Some opponents of the laws claim that, although they are meant to protect children from dangerous sexual predators, they often brand non-violent, non-dangerous people as perverts. Many state sex offender laws, like the one in Illinois, do not distinguish between different sex crimes.
 

Nationwide bankruptcy filings are expected to reach 2 million by the end of the year, which would match the record set in 2005. Rockford is no exception to the national trend. Although Rockford families and businesses are fairing better than those in other parts of the country, bankruptcy filings in Rockford have increased 25% since last year.

On Wednesday night, Chicago Blackhawks fans saw their team win hockey’s Stanley Cup for the first time in half a century. The Blackhawks skated to victory on the Philadelphia Flyer’s home ice thanks to a goal scored by winger Patrick Kane in the fifth minute of overtime. After five appearances and five losses in the Stanley Cup finals since 1961, the victory was, according to team captain Johnathan Toews, “the best feeling you can ever get playing hockey.”

Faced with an $8 million budget deficit next year, Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey announced on May 25, 2010 that up to thirty firefighters will be laid off. The layoffs promise to trim $1.9 million from the budget.