Midwest Galleries in Tuscola is winding down its retail business.

The furniture store at 100 North Main St. is bowing out with 30 percent- to 50 percent-off sales during its last business hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, Saturday and Monday. Anything not sold, along with other items they are pulling out of warehouse storage, plus a truck and assorted equipment, will be auctioned off at their store at 11 a.m. July 19.

The 30-year-old business is owned by Steve Jackson, who runs it with his wife, Simone, and she says her husband will continue with a reduced wholesale furniture operation, supplying other stores.

"And we were always mainly a wholesale business, but we also kept the retail business in Tuscola," Jackson said.

Now retired from a 34-year grade school teaching career, Simone Jackson said it had been hard work doing two jobs and is looking forward to actual retirement. She said this was as good a time as any to walk away from the retail side of the business, which had been feeling the effects of a long, gradual slowdown.

"Since 9/11, it's just been on a slope," she said.

She said she and her husband will miss the customers they've come to know well over the years.

"We've made a lot of good friends through the business," she added.

Midwest Galleries specializes in solid wood hand-painted and carved furniture, mostly in mahogany, built for them in factories in Indonesia. For details, call 253-9900.

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The Hair Today Salon in Decatur now is selling accessories that often will be gone by tomorrow.

Laura Rennert, who owns the salon at 2335 N. Oakland Ave., said sales are brisk at the Beautiful You Boutique she has opened inside the business selling purses, wallets, laptop cases, jewelry, blouses, flip-flops and more.

"It's actually going better than I expected, to tell you the truth," said Rennert. "I try to keep most things priced under $25, and there have been days when I have just sold out of stuff."

The boutique, open since early June, formally will mark its arrival with an open house from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 9, featuring refreshments, cut-price deals and door prizes.

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Great Lakes Airlines is organizing a "Flying 4 Food" campaign that will benefit the Catholic Charities food pantry in Decatur.

Those who bring a nonperishable food item to the Great Lakes counter at Decatur Airport will be eligible to win one of four roundtrip tickets between Decatur and St. Louis. One entry per person is allowed per week.

The drive runs throughout July.

Donations will be accepted 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with limited weekend hours.

Call Kassi Mohlenkamp at 307-432-7018 with questions.

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Kenney's Ace Hardware and the Mount Zion Odd Fellows Lodge are teaming up to make Christmas a little brighter for some area children.

Kenney's will be the site of a community fun day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 11, to raise money for the Mount Zion Community Children's Christmas Fund.

The event will include games, bounce houses, raffles, food and entertainment. Fire trucks and the WAND-TV Stormrunner also will be on display.

Donations of new, unwrapped toys valued up to $10 for boys and girls, ages newborn to 16 years old, also are being accepted. Those wishing to donate toys or school supplies to the Christmas Fund can drop them by Kenney's or bring them on fun day and receive free game tickets.

For more information, contact Kerry Toothman at 972-8477.

On Biz, published Fridays in the Herald & Review, highlights business developments. Contact Tony Reid at treid@herald-review.com or 421-7977 or Chris Lusvardi at clusvardi@herald-review.com or 421-7972.

Editor's note: U.S. financial markets are closed today in observance of Independence Day. As a result, there will be no Money page in Saturday's Herald & Review.