American Moxie: How We Get By
Gritting It Out Amid The Dirt In Chicago()
December 23, 2008 The city's Millennium Park is a living reminder of the tough challenges that popped up along the way for Christy Webber's landscaping firm. Now she and one of her employees are both hoping to weather the economic crisis.
Days Of Easy Growth Over, A Business Adapts()
December 22, 2008 It's understandable that landscaper Christy Webber's partner would call her the Golden Goose. After all, she often sees opportunities before anyone else. Her biggest work project was on Chicago's Millennium Park. But now, her task is to realign her business so it can survive a slowdown.
Eighteen-Wheelers And A Health Insurance Crunch()
December 9, 2008 In Flora, Ill., Huck's convenient store is where lives intersect. Sandy Higgs works the counter there, and she also has a job maintaining big rigs to make ends meet. Neither she nor one of the company's truckers get health insurance from the job — and each faces a looming crisis.
Illinois Farmer Faces A Hard Choice That Cuts Deep()
December 8, 2008 The costs of raising cattle have gone up in recent years — but the price of cattle has not kept pace. That has put farmer Dave Burt in a bad position in southern Illinois. He says farming expenses are now "so staggeringly high, it's frightening."
