Business Briefs...
Northwest Bank achieved Freddie Mac's 2007 Tier One Gold performance ranking for excellence in investor reporting and mortgage loan management -- one of only 26 mortgage servicing companies nationwide to meet the standard.
The Rockford Park District launched a redesigned Web site at RockfordParkDistrict.org to locate programs by age and interests, find a park for a special gathering, make a golf tee time, check sports league standings, check community events listings, register, obtain memberships and permits, and more.
Discovery Center Museum announced a Spring Break attendance record with 1,394 people enjoying the exhibits, live science shows and art activities.
AMCORE Bank employees taught financial concepts like saving, how interest makes money grow, how to budget and making smart credit choices, in April at Flinn Middle School as part of American Bankers Association Education Foundation's Teach Children to Save Program.
Buckley Architects receive a Merit Award at the 2007 American Institute of Architects Northern Illinois Chapter Design Awards Program in March for the design and build-out of the WATT Publishing office space at 303 N. Main St.
Chicagoland Medical Billing Specialists, Inc., is offering customized patient billing services to healthcare providers in Rockford.
Midwestern Council of Sports Car Clubs hired PS Designs & More, Inc., to redesign and reorganize its Web site at www.mcscc.org. PS Designs launched a Web site for Crimson Valley Landscaping at www.crimsonvalleylandscaping.com.
The northern Illinois chapter of SCORE, for the second year in a row, was named chapter of the year for Illinois out of 13 chapters in the state. SCORE also was included in the top 11 chapters out of 389 in the nation.
Blackhawk Technical College will offer a new technical diploma at the Monroe Campus beginning August, 2008 for laboratory technician assistant; recently approved by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board.
KMK Media Group launched a newly designed Web site for Illinois Growth Enterprises at illinoisgrowth.org with online donation capability.
The Shops of Edgebrook will host a farmer's market every Wednesday, May 7 through Oct. 29, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the parking lot. CVS will begin construction of its new site in June at the corner of East State Street and Alpine Road to replace its current location at 3915 E. State St. (near the intersection of Fairview and East State).
The Natural Land Institute was awarded a $4,000 grant by the TAC, LLC Charitable Contribution Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois for an education project at the 60-acre Kinnikinnick Creek property east of Roscoe, which is being restored to a bur oak grove.
Illinois Growth Enterprises was awarded a $9,944.00 grant by the Norris A. & Margaret K. Aldeen Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois for a "train the trainer" program.
Local girl scouts from Troop 79 spent their spring break making colorful pillow to cheer up the juvenile cancer patients in the pediatric unit of Rockford Memorial Hospital as part of their Bronze Award project. The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Junior Girl Scout can earn.
Aerotek, Inc., a leading national staffing company, recently opened a new office in Rockford at 695 N. Perryville Road, Suite 1 in Rockford.
Rockford Park District invites families with children of all ages to enjoy playing and practicing golf together at the Learning Links four-hole practice facility at Ingersoll Golf Course, 101 Daisyfield Road. Open practice times are held Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m., April to October.
Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) secured $350,000 in federal funds to help Northern Illinois University and six other Illinois colleges bolster security measures to improve safety for students on campus. Earmarked funds of $50,000 will go to: Northern Illinois University, DeKalb; Kishwaukee College, Malta; McHenry County College, Crystal Lake; Sauk Valley Community College, Dixon; Highland Community College, Freeport; Rock Valley College, Rockford, and Rockford College.
HealthGrades, the nation's leading independent healthcare ratings company, gave Rockford Memorial Hospital the 2008 Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety™ for the second year in a row. Crusader Clinic on Broadway-Uram Building, Broadway and 7th Street, opened its new Women's Health Medical Unit to accommodate the surge in the number of babies delivered by Crusader physicians at area hospitals, 1,173 babies -- a 47 percent increase over the number of babies delivered since 2004.
AMCORE Financial, Inc., announced a net loss for the first quarter 2008 of $27.5 million, a decrease from net income of $8.2 million in the prior-year period and $7.5 million in the previous quarter.
The Rockford Park District will present grants totaling nearly $63,000 to 30 local organizations to offer new and/or expanded recreation programming in the coming year for teen summer recreational programs, one-time events and opportunities for adults with disabilities.
The Village of Roscoe chose KMK Media Group to create a new logo concept to become the new brand for the village.
On March 14, 2008, Governor Doyle of Wisconsin signed a bill allowing 16 year olds to donate blood, with parental consent. Effective immediately, the Rock River Valley Blood Center will accept individuals at least 16 years of age as blood donors. They must have a parental consent form until their 17th birthday.
Design For Sale donated $1,000 to Rockford MELD.
The Rockford Park District's City of Gardens program received a grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois to fund speaker Dr. Cheryl Charles' presentation for its annual kick off event on April 30.
Alpine Bank and Iron Mountain partnered on April 12 for a Community Shred Day where 9,000 pounds of paper was shredded to be recycled into other paper products.
Cartridge World reminds customers to recycle by swapping out empty original cartridges or purchase ones already refilled. Recycling bins are located at 10209 N. Second St.
