Financial & Business News

JOLIET —The Louis Joliet Mall was busy — extremely busy — on Monday as thousands of people visited the mall to do their last-minute Christmas shopping. For many years, one of the popular places for families or friends to gather for a sit-down meal inside the mall was the TGI Fridays. TGI Fridays had a solid reputation, averaging 3.9 stars out of 5 stars, according to 1,380 Google Reviews posted over the years. On Monday, however, not a single Louis Joliet Mall shopper dined at the TGI Fridays. That's because the party is over. There are no more last calls. TGI Fridays is history. The sign on the vacant Joliet restaurant store informs shoppers that "Unfortunately, we've made the hard decision to closes this TGI Fridays restaurant. "Again, thank you for your patronage over all these years and hope to serve you again at one of our other locations." Here's a look back at three of the most recent reviews posted on Google Reviews for the Joliet TGI Fridays: 5 Stars: "As of the service,

VERNON, CT — A tree grows in Rockville. Ok, several, thanks to a grant secured by the municipal planning department. The grant $131,415 grant to carry out a tree planting project is part of the Live Here - Love Trees program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Forestry Equity Grants, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the federal Inflation Reduction Act. It is one of only 10 awarded to urban and community forestry projects across the state. Here's where the trees are going: Vernon's "Live Here - Love Trees" program is intended to expand green spaces through the planting of at least 50 new, native species to increase "tree equity" in the Rockville section of town, which is classified as "economically and environmentally disadvantaged." Said Vernon Mayor Dan Champagne, "More trees benefits our community in a variety of ways, but none is more important that the positive impact trees have by shading and cooling ou

HOLMDEL, NJ — Holmdel has officially approved the redevelopment plan for the former Vonage site on 23 Main Street, which is set to turn the property into a senior living community. The township committee adopted the redevelopment plan in a special public meeting Thursday night, following months of debate between committees, community members and residents on what to do with the site. “Every one of us up here [the Township Committee] has taken land use in this town to an excruciating level of severity,” Mayor Rocco Impreveduto said. “When looking at this particular situation, given everything we’ve evaluated, everything we’ve seen — this is the best possible solution that we could come up with.” Though the committee ultimately approved the site’s redevelopment plan, their approval still came with pushback and recommendations from community groups, members of the planning board and Holmdel residents. The Redevelopment PlanAccording to the site’s redevelopment plan, th

WHEATON, IL — "We feel honored. Honored to have been chosen. Thankful for the support," Doodlebug Workshop owner Sarah Starke told Patch after the facility received a $3,251 donation from the DuPage County Sheriff's Office (DCSO). The donation came from DCSO's autism patch sale. The sale, which involved teams, was an employee initiative, Starke explained. Teams sold patches to raise funds for research for autism and breast cancer and for veteran services. The autism patch team was made up of Captain Terri Albright, Sergeant Sean Siddiqui, Deputy Christopher Jordan, Kelly Samora and Jenn O'Keefe. Each team worked on their personal time to sell the patches, also donating money to the Avon Breast Cancer Walk for Breast Cancer and the Folds of Honor scholarship fund. Starke said Doodlebug Workshop, which offers vocational training for people with disabilities, will use the funds to buy more laser cutting machines. "We were able to purchase one earlier in the year and it has been a huge h

CONCORD, NH — From all of us to all of you, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays. We hope you have a great time with family and friends during this joyous time of the year. Unlike last year, when it was kinda dreary due to not having any snow, there is a little bit on the ground this year, thankfully. It’s incredible how something as simple as a little white stuff on the ground can make the mood festive. If you need some posts and videos to get into the holiday spirit, check out some of the ones I put together this season: The Concord Nativity scene outside the Statehouse on Christmas Eve 2024. Credit: Tony Schinella This year, I ran out of time and did not get to put together a Christmas lights video. I ran out of time last year, too. However, I’ll make a mental note to do one in 2025; it’s work to put together, but they are a lot of fun. If you haven’t seen the prior videos, check them out here: Christmas Lights in Concord 2022: Christmas Lights in Concord 2

JAMESPORT, NY — A puppy who was found badly injured and emaciated in Jamesport needs a Christmas miracle, animal advocates said. "We need your help!" said Gabrielle Stroup, director of operations at the North Fork Animal Welfare League, now known as The League. "This little guy, who we have now named Saint Nick, had been running loose for a few days. Today, with help from Teddy Henn of Long Island Lost Dog Search and Rescue, we were able to get him out from under a deck." She added: "We quickly noticed that he could not walk on his hind legs and is emaciated. We rushed him to East End Veterinary Center. This poor guy has a possible broken pelvis and a broken hind leg. This sweet young boy is getting the treatment he needs — and he will be spoiled rotten when he is able to come back to the shelter to heal." The estimate so far for his care is more than $5,000, Stroup said. "Any donations are greatly appreciated," she added. To donate, click here and put "For Saint Nick" in the notes

WILMINGTON — Will County court records show that 69-year-old Wilmington resident John Fleet, the man authorities say struck and killed Illinois State Trooper Clay Carns on southbound Interstate 55 near Channahon, also failed to successfully complete his Will County court supervision this summer on a different traffic charge. On Christmas Eve, the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow charged Fleet with a felony offense of a Scott's Law violation in Carns' death. Scott's Law is also known as the "move over" law and requires motorists to slow down and move over for the safety of police and paramedics. According to police, at around 9:42 p.m., Trooper Carns saw debris in a lane on southbound I-55 just north of Blodgett Road near Channahon, and he turned on his emergency lights, pulling over to the right shoulder. Trooper Carns got out of his vehicle and was standing in the lane grabbing the debris when the Chevrolet Silverado driven by Fleet struck him, state police said.

ELMHURST, IL – Todd Schmidt, a former Elmhurst School District 205 official who is facing felony charges in Rockford, is not under an Elmhurst police investigation, the city confirmed last week. "The school board has stated that they are conducting an audit," city spokeswoman Kassondra Schref said in a statement in response to a Patch inquiry. "The outcome of this audit will determine the Elmhurst Police Department’s future involvement." In Rockford, Schmidt, who was the district's facilities director, is accused in Rockford of swindling tens of thousands of dollars from his mother. Last week, Patch, which obtained Schmidt's credit card bills with the district, found that Schmidt put $47,615 in personal expenses on the card. Schmidt reimbursed the district monthly for his expenses. Schmidt used the public credit card to pay for booze, cigars, groceries, sorority fees, and airfare for himself and family members. He also used his credit card at restaurants and country clubs. Two week

ENFIELD, CT — The expression "15 minutes of fame" dates to the mid-1960s when uttered by pop artist Andy Warhol (he actually said, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes"). After an appearance on television's most popular game show which aired last Tuesday, the 15 minutes of fame for Phil McManus may extend into a lifetime of infamy - and he embraces it all. McManus, 44, a western Massachusetts resident who is the ring announcer for Enfield-based Blitzkrieg! Pro Wrestling, fulfilled one of his longtime dreams by being selected as a contestant on "Wheel of Fortune." A special Disney-themed holiday edition aired Dec. 17, and though he ultimately did not advance to the bonus round, a memorable gaffe ensured he will be remembered long after his two opponents' names have faded away. The category was "Same Letter," meaning each of the words in the puzzle started with a common letter. When it became McManus' turn to spin, he began successfully calling out letters, buil

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA —Like many communities in the Philadelphia region, Bensalem saw its share of catalytic converter crimes over the past few years. But in the past year, Bensalem Police said the crime has declined "significantly." Bensalem Police and the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said that getting a family that operated a catalytic converter theft ring in Bucks, Montgomery, and three other counties in the Philadelphia region off the streets was key to the decline. Six suspects —all family members —were sentenced on Monday for their roles in operating the multi-million-dollar catalytic converter theft ring throughout the Philadelphia region. Sgt. Glenn Vandegrift said that Bensalem Police received 31 reports of catalytic converter thefts in 2023. This year, the police department said that number is six reports so far in 2024. "We believe that the members of the organized criminal enterprise who were arrested after a one-year investigation led by detectives with th