Prepare yourself for a wide variety of prices at the pump this Memorial Day weekend. Gasoline prices range from an average $3.28 per gallon in Davenport to $4.29 in Chicago, according to a May 16 survey. Although a gallon of gas is about 20 cents cheaper this year, AAA auto club reports that motorists [...]

When it comes to handling their credit cards, few Iowans are delinquent with their payments and the state has the lowest average “plastic” debt. Chicago-based TransUnion said 0.48 percent of Iowa credit card holders were 90 days or more past duw on their monthly payments in the first quarter. Only North Dakota cardholders at 0.33 [...]

The dry, warmer weather of the past week allowed Iowa farmers to speed up the planting of corn and soybeans. The Iowa Crops and Weather from USDA National Agricultural Statistics on Monday reported that 90 percent of the 2012 corn crop is in the ground after planting advanced 26 percent in the week that ended Sunday. [...]

DYERSVILLE — Dyersville Die Cast of Dyersville on Tuesday acquired the assets of Hawkeye Foundry in Manchester, which has been renamed Ertl Foundry. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Mark Callan will remain as the foundry manager.  Plans include equipment updates and customer growth, all in Manchester. “This acquisition is a wonderful growth opportunity [...]

Nash Finch, which operates a regional distribution center in northeast Cedar Rapids, has announced plans to purchase Omaha-based No Frills Supermarkets. Fourteen No Frills stores are located in Nebraska, 12 of which are in the Greater Omaha market. Four stores are located in western Iowa. No Frills is owned by seasoned retail executives. The company [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — Shareholders attending the annual meeting Wednesday at United Fire Group Inc. heard some encouraging news from President and Chief Executive Officer Randy Ramlo. “We had a really good fourth quarter in 2011 and we’re starting to see some real positives,” Ramlo said. “We’re starting to see some rate increases, which the property [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — If past experience in other markets is any indication, Frontier Airlines flights between Cedar Rapids and Denver that begin Thursday will reduce ticket prices for business and leisure travel. Denver-based Frontier initially will offer flights on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, departing from Denver at 3:10 p.m. and arriving in Cedar Rapids [...]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday forecast a sharply higher corn surplus after a bumper 2012 crop is harvested, slashing the average price from a record $6.25 per bushel in 2011 to as low as $4.20 per bushel. The USDA report, if realized, would mean less income for Iowa corn farmers, reduced production costs [...]

Employees of Nesper Sign Co. were busy Thursday installing exterior signs for a Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwich Shop in downtown Cedar Rapids.

Jimmy John’s is known for its quick service and fresh ingredients.

Read more at HooplaNow.com

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded $2.6 million in discretionary Airport Improvement Program  funds to The Eastern Iowa Airport for runway and taxiway rehabilitation projects. A $1.5 million FAA grant will reimburse the airport for a portion of the $46 million cost of rebuilding the primary runway at the airport. Another $1,144,904 [...]

Sears Holdings has completed the sale of buildings at Coral Ridge Mall and 10 other mall locations nationwide to General Growth Properties for $270 million. Chicago-based Sears Holdings announced the deal in late February. Sears Holdings said its Coral Ridge Mall store and other locations in the Mall of the Bluffs in Council Bluffs, Florida, [...]

A crew from Kelly Demolition in Mount Vernon is demolishing commercial buildings in the 400 block of First Street SW in Cedar Rapids.

Read more at Business380.com

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids architect says the community is recovering at a faster pace from the June 2008 than Grand Forks, N.D., which was devastated by a 100-year flood in 1997. “When city officials visited Grand Forks, they were told that it would take a minimum of 10 years for the community to [...]

A new Casey’s General Store under construction near the intersection of Wright Brothers Boulevard and Sixth Street SW will feature north and south entrances. The 6,631-square-foot building at 9001 Sixth St. SW will replace an existing 2,925-square-foot structure that houses Just Diesel at 9055 Sixth St SW. The latter building will be demolished when the [...]

Best Buy stores in Iowa have escaped the embattled consumer electronics retailer’s budget-cutting ax. The Richfield, Minn. , company on Saturday announced plans to close 42 “big box” stores in a move to reduce costs and improve its bottom line. Employees of the affected stores were told that their location will close by May 12. Best Buy operates stores [...]