Editor’s Note:

2012 is in the books, and as of press-time at 5:14 p.m. on Dec. 21, a quick look out the window gives me the proof I need to say with the confidence of written word, that our world will narrowly avoid the apocalypse.

And no, that wasn’t a “fiscal cliff” joke.

I was pretty confident in the continuation of life as we know it, but the rest of the newsroom seemed a bit more skeptical – for some reason they kept trying to talk me out of publishing this issue.

Alas, I insisted, and had each reporter comb through and compile the top stories from each of their beats from the past year.

If you’re reading this, either there wasn’t an apocalypse, or the Mayans’
calendar math was a bit off and it’s an apocalypse of the slow-moving variety.

And no, that wasn’t a Congress joke.

So if the apocalypse is upon us, well, I apologize for jinxing the world – look for a correction in next week’s issue.

Don’t think next week’s issue will make it to your home or business with all the brimstone and fire raining down? Check the web at www.businessrecord.com.

It’s the future of journalism after all.

So, sit back and enjoy our look back at the top business stories of potentially the last year ever.