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Daily Archive : Thursday September 1, 2011

News

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    Marcus H. Permenter

    Crystal Lake cops bust Florida-based crime ring
    By Lenore T. Adkins
    Crystal Lake police have broken up a Florida-based theft and fraud ring that spanned seven states and moved into the Northwest suburbs to continue its crime spree here, police said Thursday. On Wednesday, police said, they arrested four people.

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    Jovana Vasic

    Former Naperville tennis star killed in car crash
    By Madhu Krishnamurthy
    Rising tennis star Jovana Vasic, formerly of Naperville, was killed Aug. 24 in a car crash in Texas. Vasic, who was traveling with her father, was headed for Northern Arizona University, where she was to begin her junior year on a full tennis scholarship.

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    Bedbugs at Lombard hotel send woman to hospital
    By Marie Wilson
    Carrie Brown thought it was one mean and hungry spider that was biting her — and biting her and biting her — during her stay at a Lombard hotel. She was wrong. The insect was a bedbug. “One (bite) on my leg got infected to the point where I couldn't walk or stand on it,” said Brown, 42, of Los Angeles, Calif.

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    Rejuvenating Charlestowne Mall made the list of 64 things St. Charles residents told consultants they want to see in town.

    Charm on list of 64 things St. Charles residents want
    By James Fuller
    St. Charles residents presented a lengthy list of shortcomings in the city to consultants, and chief among them was preserving the historic charm and atmosphere of the city. The number of taverns downtown? Less of a problem.

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    Palatine Rotary Club hosts Oktoberfest
    By Kimberly Pohl
    There's no need to make the long journey tof Munich, Germany to join in the official Oktoberfest — not when authentic German food, drink and music can be found much closer to home. The Rotary Club of Palatine is gearing up for its Oktoberfest Friday, Sept. 16 to Sunday, Sept. 18.

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    In the wake of five more drowning deaths on Lake Michigan last weekend, including those of a Wheeling man and Evanston teenager, officials are urging swimmers to be cautious when heading into the water this coming holiday weekend.

    Lake Michigan drownings have officials urging vigilance
    By Melissa Silverberg
    In the wake of five more drownings on Lake Michigan last week — bringing this year's total up to 43 — officials are urging swimmers to stay vigilant when enjoying the beach over the Labor Day holiday weekend. The warnings come after a 44-year-old Wheeling man and a 14-year-old Evanston boy drowned last weekend.

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    The two Dresden nuclear reactors in Morris, Ill., were among four nuclear sites nationwide judged to have a significantly higher risk of earthquake damage than previously thought.

    Quakes pose bigger risk to Illinois nuclear reactors
    Associated Press
    The risk an earthquake would cause a severe accident at a U.S. nuclear plant is greater than previously thought, 24 times as high in one case, according to an AP analysis of preliminary government data. Two Illinois reactors are high on that list.

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    Afghan dog dies months after arrival in Indiana
    Associated Press
    A stray dog that Marines serving in Afghanistan adopted as their unit mascot has died months after schoolchildren raised money to help bring the friendly canine to Indiana.

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    Moammar Gadhafi

    Gadhafi, in hiding, vows no surrender in Libya
    Associated Press
    In a fiery broadcast from hiding, Moammar Gadhafi warned Thursday that loyalist tribes in his main strongholds were armed and preparing for battle, a show of defiance hours after rebels extended a deadline for the surrender of the fugitive leader's hometown.

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    Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann greets American Legion officers on stage Thursday after addressing the national convention in Minneapolis.

    Bachmann draws Thatcher foreign policy comparison
    Associated Press
    MINNEAPOLIS — Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann compared herself Thursday to a female world leader with firm resolve — former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher — while trying to convince American veterans that she would make a strong commander in chief.

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    Republican presidential candidate former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah speaks Wednesday during a campaign stop at Gilchrist Metal Fabrication in Hudson, N.H.

    Huntsman sets high expectations
    Associated Press
    MANCHESTER, N.H. — Brushing off bad poll numbers, presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman on Thursday predicted that he'll win New Hampshire's Republican primary — even as he acknowledged that his campaign manager for the state had been fired.

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    Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa, who is still recovering from a ruptured Achilles' tendon, is listed as questionable for Saturday's opener at Boston College.

    Northwestern QB Persa questionable for BC game
    Associated Press
    Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa, who is still recovering from a ruptured Achilles' tendon, is listed as questionable for Saturday's opener at Boston College.Northwestern released its injury report Thursday.Persa set a Big Ten record last season for completion percentage, but was injured after throwing a game-winning touchdown pass against Iowa in the 10th game of the season.

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    Kane County Board member Melisa Taylor recently was involved in a dispute with two of her neighbors in Sugar Grove. The neighbors have been charged with disorderly conduct and mob action, accused of yelling threats at her.

    County leader accuses pair of threats
    By Susan Sarkauskas and James Fuller
    Two neighbors of Kane County Board member Melisa Taylor face charges of disorderly conduct and mob action. They are accused of yelling threats at her in connection with her role as director of a food pantry in Sugar Grove.

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    Too darn hot for classes in District 204
    By Justin Kmitch
    Concerns with extreme heat have led Indian Prairie Unit District 204 officials to cancel classes Friday for the district’s 19 elementary schools that do not have air conditioning. Principals from each of the affected schools have sent emails to all parents with children attending their schools.

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    $29 million verdict upheld for Gurnee boy
    Daily Herald staff report
    A federal appellate court Thursday upheld a $29 million medical malpractice verdict on behalf of a Gurnee boy who suffered brain damage due to doctors’ negligence.

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    Lombard police check drivers for alcohol impairment and other violations during a roadside safety check funded by a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation. Lombard received a $6,579 grant this year to conduct a traffic safety enforcement campaign around Labor Day weekend.

    Safety, money play roles in holiday traffic crackdowns
    By Marie Wilson
    Booze, buckling up and speeding. Police say these three things are the focus of increased holiday traffic patrols. But a fourth aspect of the campaigns seldom is mentioned: Money.

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    Robert 'Bobby' L. Bostic in a 2011 police mug shot.

    Jury finds Bostic guilty in 1982 murder
    By Tony Gordon
    Carlton Richmond's sister began weeping almost immediately Thursday when she left the Lake County courtroom where her brother's killer had been found guilty after 29 years. Robert Bostic, 71, now faces a 20- to 60-year prison term. “I am not so much happy that he is going to pay,” said Nancy Ure, of Poplar Grove. “I am more happy that it is over and we have some closure.”

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    Palatine Township Elementary District 15 Superintendent Scott Thompson, right, shows Joel Meyer and Joseph Kiszka, far left, Carl Sandburg Junior High’s first principal, the plaque in front on the new media center dedicated to Meyer.

    Carl Sandburg media center renamed for ex-board member
    By Eileen O. Daday
    Carl Sandburg Junior High in Rolling Meadows celebrated its 50th anniversary Thursday by dedicating the Meyer Media Center in honor of former board member Joel D. Meyer.

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    Evginia Malova

    Wheeling masseuse charged in prostitution sting
    By Melissa Silverberg
    Wheeling police have arrested one woman following an undercover investigation of a local massage business, authorities said Thursday night.

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    The family of Gabriella Drozdz, left, has released an emotional letter calling for anyone who knows the hit-and-run driver who killed the 18-year-old six weeks ago to come forward and tell police. Gabby's sister, Ilona Gregory of Chicago, is on the right.

    Lake Zurich family pleads for info in fatal crash
    By Lee Filas
    The family of a Lake Zurich teen killed in a hit-and-run crash is making an emotional plea to anyone who may have information that can help identify the driver. “We're just devastated,” Ilona Gregory said.

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    Suburban clinic owners accused of defrauding insurers
    By Barbara Vitello
    Chiropractors working in offices in Vernon Hills, Schaumburg, Bloomingdale, Lake-in-the-Hills, Niles and Norridge have been charged in a federal indictment with defrauding health-care benefit programs. Federal authorities claim that for a decade beginning in 1999, Bradley Mattson, Steven Paul and Neelesh Patel submitted fraudulent claims for chiropractic, medical and/or physical therapy services...

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    Sami Samir Hassoun

    Prosecutor discuss plea deal in Wrigley bomb case
    Federal prosecutors say they have discussed a possible plea deal for Sami Samir Hassoun, who is accused of placing a backpack he thought contained a bomb near Chicago’s Wrigley Field last year.

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    Each pass is good for up to three adults, senior or child general admission tickets to the Museum of Science and Industry.

    Museum offers passes to CPS students
    Associated Press
    Go to school, get a free pass. That's the offer the Museum of Science and Industry has made to Chicago Public Schools students who attend the first day of classes Tuesday.

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    Former Blagojevich attorney Sam Adam Jr., right, speaks to the media at the federal court building in Chicago. At left is his father, Sam Adam Sr.

    Blagojevich attorney target of extortion attempt
    Associated Press
    Eric D. Hays has been charged with bribery and ordered held in lieu of $100,000 bail for attempting to extort $5,000 from attorney Sam Adam Jr., authorties said.

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    Chicago principal under scrutiny over credit card use
    Associated Press
    A Chicago high school principal has been called on the carpet for, officials say, charging nearly $17,000 on a district-issued credit card for travel to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

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    Americans showed their resilience in August as the down economy, the stock market and even a natural disaster were not enough to keep them from shopping.

    Retailers report solid earings in August
    Associated Press
    Americans kept shopping in August despite a month of bad news. Besides old worries about the economy, shoppers had new troubles in August that could have kept them from heading to stores. But they shopped.

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    John R. “Jack” Kreft Jr.

    Ex-Addison fire chief dies at 62
    By Robert Sanchez
    Members of the Addison Fire Protection are remembering former chief John R. “Jack” Kreft Jr. as “a true firefighter.” Kreft, 62, died this week after a battle with lung cancer. “Even as he went up the ranks, he was still one of the guys that was a firefighter at heart,” said Scott Heinrich, an Addison battalion chief and longtime friend of the Kreft family.

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    Officials: Senior free ride program ends smoothly
    By Mike Riopell
    Transit officials said the seniors-ride-free program ended reasonably smoothly on Thursday, when new income ceilings were put in place. Now, all but low-income seniors will pay half fares.

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    Vincente Torres-Vasquez, 48, of Round Lake Beach, who is charged with being drunk when he crashed into a motorcyclist and killed him, pleaded not guilty Thursday in Lake County circuit court. Vicente Torres-Vasquez faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide.

    Round Lake Beach man denies causing fatal crash
    By Tony Gordon
    A Round Lake Beach man charged with being drunk when he crashed into a motorcyclist and killed him pleaded not guilty Thursday in Lake County Circuit Court. Vicente Torres-Vasquez, 48, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide.

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    Fidel Castro addresses reporters and students at the University of Havana during former Gov. George Ryan’s 1999 trip to Cuba.

    State lawmakers going to Cuba
    By Mike Riopell
    State Rep. Jack Franks, a Marengo Democrat, will colead an Illinois delegation of state lawmakers and others to Cuba Tuesday, he said.

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    Naperville teens died of drug-related causes
    By Josh Stockinger
    Naperville police have closed their investigation into the deaths of two 17-year-olds after toxicology tests showed they each died of different drug-related causes, officials said. Police had previously described the deaths as “suspicious” after the men each were found dead less than a week apart in July.

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    A traffic light will be installed at Route 38 and Meredith Road south of Maple Park in Virgil Township. The intersection has been the site of several major accidents the last several years.

    Deadly Maple Park intersection to get signals
    By Susan Sarkauskas
    The state is installing traffic lights at Route 38 and Meredith Road, not far from Kaneland High School. There have been several serious-to-deadly crashes at the rural intersection. State Sen. Chris Lauzen, an Aurora Republican, announced the news Thursday.

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    District 214, Arlington Heights parks to dedicate new Hersey field
    Daily Herald report
    Officials from the Arlington Heights Park District and Northwest Suburban High School District 214 will gather at Hersey High School's football stadium next week to dedicate the school's new synthetic turf field.

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    It’s not unusual for people not to recall the exact contact with a bat or realize the contact could put them at risk for an infection. A bat’s small teeth could make a bite difficult to find.

    Wisconsin man dies from rabies
    Associated Press
    A 70-year-old Wisconsin man died after contracting rabies last year, prompting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to remind doctors not forget about the disease even though it’s rare.

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    Brooks Kellogg

    Chicago businessman gets 6 years in murder-for-hire plan
    Associated Press
    A Chicago developer was sentenced to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to trying to hire a hit man to kill a business associate who sued him.

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    CHA relocating Cabrini-Green row house tenants
    Associated Press
    The Chicago Housing Authority says it is relocating 33 families living in row houses at its Cabrini-Green development. The row houses are all that remain of the once-sprawling Cabrini-Green complex that housed 13,000 people at its peak. Demolition of the last of its high-rises began in March as part of the CHA’s redevelopment plan.

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    Andrea Pasdiora, left, of Glendale Heights, was among a small group of protesters earlier this year outside a Kane County Court hearing for Phillip Rinn, an Aurora man who was convicted of killing his dog in 1993 and now faces more animal cruelty charges from an November 2010 incident.

    Aurora dog beating suspect seeks to have arrest, search disallowed
    By Harry Hitzeman
    A judge hears arguments on whether to throw out the arrest of Phillip Rinn, an Aurora man accused of beating his dog so bad he knocked out several of the dog's teeth. Rinn, who was convicted of dragging his dog to death in the 1990s, is due in court again in October.

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    Grayslake North marching festival
    Daily Herald report
    Grayslake North High School plans to host an inaugural marching band festival.

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    Route 21 work begins after Labor Day
    Daily Herald report
    The reconstruction and widening of Milwaukee Avenue (Route 21) in Libertyville is scheduled to begin after Labor Day, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

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    First Friday in Libertyville
    Daily Herald report
    MainStreet Libertyville’s kicks off the Labor Day weekend with its First Friday event from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday.

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    District 118 special ed meeting:
    Daily Herald report
    Wauconda Unit District 118 will host a meeting to discuss the district’s plans for providing special education services to students with disabilities who attend private schools and home schools within the district for the 2011-12 school year.

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    Probe of air base illnesses closed
    Associated Press
    The source of an irritant that sent three workers in a southwestern Illinois air base’s mail center to the hospital may forever be a mystery, authorities said Thursday. Lt. Benjamin Garland said a “thorough and exhaustive examination” by bio-environmental specialists was unable to determine what caused Wednesday’s illnesses at Scott Air Force Base and a brief evacuation of that portion of the...

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    Jeffrey Ferrigan

    Warrant issued in Hanover Park slaying
    By Josh Stockinger
    A judge issued a no-bail arrest warrant Thursday for a Hanover Park man who has been named a “person of interest” in his wife’s slaying after he failed to appear in court on a marijuana trafficking case. Authorities have said Jeffrey Ferrigan, 50, is in a hospital recovering from gunshot wounds suffered in a confrontation with police last week after his 40-year-old wife was found beaten to death...

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    Elgin businesses offer discounts to library cardholders
    By Tara García Mathewson
    Gail Borden Public Library cards will be worth more than ever this month. The library has teamed up with almost 40 businesses from the Elgin area that have promised discounts for cardholders throughout September – National Library Card Signup Month.

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    Six Flags Great America in Gurnee plans to add a new, state-of-the-art roller coaster for the 2012 season. X-Flight is considered by the theme park as a groundbreaking “wing coaster” featuring cutting-edge technology.

    X-Flight coming to Six Flags Great America
    By Lee Filas and Bob Susnjara
    Six Flags Great America in Gurnee expects to build a new, state-of-the-art roller coaster for next season. Theme park representatives are calling X-Flight a groundbreaking “wing coaster” featuring cutting-edge technology. They say Great America is the first to announce plans for a wing coaster in the United States.

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    This is what the Mars Rover Opportunity is seeing from the rim of the Endeavour Crater. With a diameter of about 14 miles, the crater is more than 25 times wider than any that Opportunity has previously approached during the rover’s 90 months on Mars.

    Mars rover Opportunity examining rocks at new site
    Associated Press
    The Mars rover Opportunity is snapping pictures like a tourist since arriving at its latest crater destination much to the delight of scientists many millions of miles away.

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    Sugar Grove drops tax-incentive plan for industrial development
    By Susan Sarkauskas
    Sugar Grove is backing off the idea of offering tax incentives to spur industrial development near the Aurora Municipal Airport. Other taxing bodies, and plenty of residents, questioned anc criticized the idea at a recent public hearing.

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    Police reports
    Daily Herald staff report
    Ricardo M. Tapia, 26, of the 300 block of Hill Street in Genoa, appeared in bond court Thursday on a felony theft charge alleging he took furniture and appliances from a former condo, according to court documents and Carpentersville police. Tapia took a refrigerator, stove, washer, dryer, microwave, dishwasher, bedroom set, two coffee tables and two lamps from a condo the landlord furnished on...

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    Goldman Sachs, in a settlement with a New York state banking regulator on Thursday, agreed to stop controversial mortgage-related practices such as the “robo-signing” of documents.

    Banks stocks end 4-day rally
    Associated Press
    A four-day rally on the stock market ended Thursday with a slump led by banks. Many investors also sold stocks ahead of the government’s monthly jobs report Friday, fearful that it might revive worries that the U.S. could enter another recession.

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    Arrest made in Schaumburg hit-and-run
    By Eric Peterson
    Police arrested a 29-year-old Schaumburg man Thursday in connection with a hit-and-run crash that injured a 17-year-old boy late last week. Adrian R. Perea, 29, of the 1300 block of Cambria Drive, is charged with one felony count of failure to stop after an accident involving injury or death.

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    Cary teachers, union reach tentative deal
    By Larissa Chinwah and Elena Ferrarin
    Representatives of the Cary Elementary District 26 school board and the teachers union will meet again next Wednesday to iron out details of a new contract agreement after reaching a tentative agreement late Wednesday night, officials said. School Board President Christopher Spoerl and Cary Education Association President Julia Curry both declined to give any information about the tentative...

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    Mark Bopp

    Barrington family faces drug charges
    By Eric Peterson
    Three members of a Barrington family were charged this week as part of a multijurisdictional drug investigation that spans two states and four suburban counties.

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    Woodfield convention bureau video wins award
    Daily Herald report
    A new promotional video for the Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau has won first place in the promotional video documentation category in this year's ART/TUR International Tourism Film Festival.

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    Famous Like You

    BG Days turns over Main Stage to local musicians
    Submitted by Mike Danenberg, Buffalo Grove Days entertainment
    BG Palooza, the daylong festival of local bands, gets the Main Stage treatment at Buffalo Grove Days on Saturday. From 2-10 p.m., Northwest suburban musicians have the stage. Check out the up-and-coming local talent!

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    Kristine Pizzolato, District 300 Distinguished Educator of the Year

    Art students to learn about alpacas
    By Larissa Chinwah
    Select students from Community Unit District 300’s three high schools will have the opportunity to participate in a three-day art workshop Sept. 7, 8 and 9 at the alpaca farm of Elgin-based fiber artist Susan Waldron. Students will see more than 30 alpacas at the Waldron Grove Alpaca Farm and create their own fiber tapestry.

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    Sederls Williams

    North Chicago man gets prison in fatal overdose
    By Tony Gordon
    A North Chicago man was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday after admitting he provided the heroin that killed an Antioch woman. Sederls Williams, 33, pleaded guilty to delivery of a controlled substance during a hearing before Lake County Circuit Judge John Phillips.

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    Arlington Heights police win praise at public hearing
    By Deborah Donovan
    Residents praised the Arlington Heights Police Department this week as it held a public hearing for its recertification by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement.

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    Barrington man ends English Channel bid, for now
    By Eric Peterson
    Barrington resident Don Macdonald has officially given up his hopes of swimming the English Channel this year, due to uncooperative weather. Macdonald was hoping to cross the Channel as part of a fundraising effort for Barrington Unit District 220.

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    Contestants shoot watermelons at 130 mph at last year's Lake in the Hills Summer Sunset Festival.

    Sling your fruit at Lake in the Hills festival
    By Elena Ferrarin
    Do you want to see watermelons fly through the air? Or a human being swallow fire? Or maybe you feel like checking out some local handmade crafts? The 11th annual Summer Sunset Festival running Friday, Sept. 2, through Sunday, Sept. 4, in Lake in the Hills offers all that, and a whole lot more.

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    Disc dogs from across the globe will compete in Naperville Saturday to qualify for two major world championships.

    Top dog disc competitors coming to Naperville
    By Justin Kmitch
    Some of the best disc-catching dogs in the world will strut their stuff in Naperville on Saturday and Sunday as they compete in two separate contests on their way to the world championships.

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    Stephanie Leo and Joe Rigaud, who played the lead roles in the Park District’s recent rendition of “The King and I,” will have a prominent presence in next Saturday’s dinner-theater celebration of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music.

    Dinner theater comes to Fox Valley Park District
    By Jeff Long
    The Fox Valley Park District has planned an event next weekend that brings dining, entertainment and enjoyment together as one. On Saturday, Sept. 10, a group of 27 talented performers will take to the stage for a full-throated celebration of the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music. But that’s just part of the medley. Lunch and dessert also are included to deliver a dinner-theater experience at the...

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    Indiana economic development chief Roob steps down
    Associated Press
    INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s economic development chief is leaving for the private sector after seven years with Gov. Mitch Daniels’ cabinet.Daniels said Thursday that Indiana Commerce Secretary Mitch Roob (rohb) is stepping down to take a job with WoundVision, a healthcare company. The governor has appointed former Eli Lilly and Co. executive Daniel J. Hasler to replace Roob.

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    Experts seek Great Lakes pathways for Asian carp
    Associated Press
    TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Not quite 5 miles long, Jerome Creek winds through farmland and Pleasant Prairie, Wis., about 35 miles south of Milwaukee. In some places, it’s narrow enough to jump across. It fish population consists mostly of minnows.

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    Drought conditions affecting central Illinois
    Associated Press
    SPRINGFIELD — Sixteen of Illinois’ 102 counties are experiencing severe drought after a summer of hot temperatures and little rain, according to the agency that tracks the country’s drought conditions.The U.S. Drought Monitor reclassified the drought conditions in 16 central Illinois counties as “severe” in its most recent drought map, which was posted Tuesday.

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    U of Illinois to ask for 5 percent more money
    Associated Press
    URBANA — The University of Illinois plans to ask the state for about 5 percent more money in the coming fiscal year. The school plans for its budget to top $5 billion.

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    Board rejects claim over park pay phones
    Associated Press
    MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Claims Board has rejected a demand that the state pay nearly $53,000 to a company that said it didn’t get adequate notice when its contract to provide pay phone service at state parks was canceled.Wisconsin State Payphones argued that it properly maintained the phones and the state owed it the money under terms of the contract that was canceled in 2009.

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    Barrels for sale to collect rainwater
    Daily Herald report
    As part of its stormwater management program, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is offering rain barrels at cost, $51 each, to residents of all municipalities within Cook County.

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    Blood tests for DuPage drivers who refuse Breathalyzer
    By Marie Wilson
    Suspected drunken drivers who refuse to blow into a Breathalyzer can’t hide the amount of alcohol in their system from DuPage County law enforcement this Labor Day weekend. That’s because law enforcement officials have a backup plan. And it involves blood.

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    Florida family charged in $40 million psychic scam
    Associated Press
    Rose Marks and her family of fortunetellers offered hope, but prosecutors said it came with a steep price. The Florida family claimed to confer with gods, spirits and even Michael the Archangel to cure diseases and break curses, asking for and accepting jewelry, gold coins and luxury cars in return.

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    Assembly line worker Edward Houie moves a door into position for a Chevrolet Volt at the General Motors Hamtramck Assembly plant in Hamtramck, Mich. Factory orders rose in July, helped by increased demand for autos and commercial aircraft.

    Economy shows signs of moving past August shocks
    Associated Press
    U.S. consumers and businesses are not so worried that the economy is about to tumble into a recession after all. Manufacturing grew a little slower in August than the previous month, but it didn’t contract as some had feared.

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    Meth-making chemical seized at Los Angeles airport
    Associated Press
    LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of pounds of a chemical that can be used to make methamphetamine and the drug Ecstasy have been seized at Los Angeles International Airport.Federal customs officials say drums containing 520 pounds of methylamine hydrochloride were seized at a cargo consignment facility three weeks ago.

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    Calif. court hears arguments on gay troop ban
    Associated Press
    SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court is wrestling with whether it can declare the military’s ban on openly gay service members unconstitutional when the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is lifted in 19 days.The panel with the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals took about 45 minutes of arguments Thursday.

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    Calmer winds aid fight against Texas wildfire
    Associated Press
    POSSUM KINGDOM LAKE, Texas — Texas forestry officials say firefighters are making headway against a wildfire that has destroyed more than three dozen homes and that the blaze is 50 percent contained.The blaze that started Tuesday in North Texas’ Possum Kingdom Lake area had scorched about 6,200 acres by Thursday. Officials say the blaze is not threatening any more homes.

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    Gunmen attack minibus in Pakistan, kill 7 Shiites
    Associated Press
    PARACHINAR, Pakistan — Gunmen killed seven Shiite Muslims in an attack on a minibus in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, while two people died in a suicide car bomb attack on a police station.Sunni extremists of one stripe or another will be suspected in both attacks, which were not linked.

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    Clinton: Libya must deal with Lockerbie bomber
    Associated Press
    PARIS — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told Libyan opposition leaders Thursday that they must deal with the case of the only person convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and that the U.S. will be watching closely how they handle it.

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    Drozdz family plea
    “It was nearly six weeks ago today, on the night of Friday July 22, 2011, that our lives were shattered and changed forever in the worst possible way. That fateful evening was when we received the devastating news our beloved daughter and sister Gabriella “Gabby” Drozdz was killed.

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    Navy Pier Launches International Search for Team to Design Pier’s Public Spaces
    PRNewswire
    Navy Pier, Inc. has taken the first step toward realizing its Centennial Vision for redeveloping the historic attraction, launching an international search for a team or teams to redesign the outdoor public spaces or “Pierscape.”

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    IU Hispanic center target of racial harassment
    Associated Press
    BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — A Hispanic cultural center at Indiana University’s Bloomington campus is planning a town hall meeting in response to apparent racial harassment.

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    Survey finds alcohol use down among Ind. youths
    Associated Press
    BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — An annual survey of alcohol and drug use by Indiana youths found a continued decline in those who have ever consumed alcohol while more admitted using marijuana in the past month.

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    Indianapolis police consider new limits on chases
    Indianapolis police consider new limits on chasesINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis police department is considering a policy change that would prohibit chases under the circumstances that led to a crash that killed two teenagers this week.

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    Relatives found weeks after Muncie man’s death
    Relatives found weeks after Muncie man’s deathMUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — Relatives of a 61-year-old man who died in a Muncie apartment in July have finally been found.

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    Appeals Court upholds sanctions against doctor
    Associated Press
    MADISON, Wis. — An appeals court has upheld sanctions against a former University of Wisconsin Hospital doctor who was accused of fondling female patients.

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    Ind. judge approves grocery aid dispute settlement
    Associated Press
    INDIANAPOLIS — A judge has approved a settlement in a lawsuit over a state grocery benefit that was formerly paid to hundreds of developmentally disabled Indiana residents.

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    Police: Mother in custody in deaths of 2 kids
    Associated Press
    EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Police say an East St. Louis woman suspected in the shotgun deaths of her two youngest children was arrested in Missouri after allegedly hitting three pedestrians with her car.

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    Authorities blame heat in Belleville woman’s death
    Associated Press
    BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Authorities say heat contributed to the death of a 79-year-old woman found dead on the porch of a home in her southwestern Illinois hometown of Belleville.A St. Clair County deputy coroner says Ruth Reinhardt’s body was found Wednesday evening.

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    Ex-prosecutor in S. Ind. ordered to repay $146,000
    Associated Press
    ENGLISH, Ind. — A judge has ordered a former prosecutor in southern Indiana to repay $146,000 that he and his wife were accused of taking from an incapacitated relative’s estate.

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    Help free Carpentersville fire chief from 'jail'
    By Lenore Adkins
    Carpentersville Fire Chief John Schuldt is going to jail. But it won’t be your typical jail; this one’s at Nick’s Pizzeria and Pub in Elgin. Schuldt will have an hour to raise money at the restaurant on Sept. 28 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He hopes to send affected kids to camp in 2012.

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    Harper to commemorate 9/11 on Sept. 8
    Submitted by Harper College
    Harper College will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept.11 attacks in a program at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8. Among the music and speakers will be the placing of 2,819 small American flags, one for each life lost.

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    Quake shifted large nuclear fuel containers in Va.
    Associated Press
    LOUISA, Va. — A Virginia utility says the East Coast earthquake last month shifted about two dozen massive containers for spent nuclear fuel but that they remained safe and intact.

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    Hurricane Katia continues moving across Atlantic
    Associated Press
    MIAMI — Hurricane Katia is moving across the Atlantic with little change in strength.Maximum sustained winds Thursday were near 75 mph (120 kph). The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says strengthening is expected and Katia could pass the threshold of 111 mph (178 kph) winds to become a major hurricane this weekend.

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    Suspect says prosecutor failed in Kenya probe
    Associated Press
    THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The lawyer for a Kenyan lawmaker accused of involvement in deadly violence that erupted after his country’s 2007 presidential elections said Thursday the International Criminal Court’s investigation is fundamentally flawed.

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    Official: Driver in fatal NY bus crash indicted
    Associated Press
    NEW YORK — The Bronx District Attorney’s office says an indictment will be unsealed Thursday in connection with the deadly tour bus crash that killed 15 people returning to New York City from an overnight gambling trip.

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    Pakistan, US struggle to define their relationship
    Associated Press
    ISLAMABAD — In the aftermath of the secret U.S. raid to kill Osama bin Laden, Pakistani officials want a detailed agreement spelling out U.S. rules of engagement inside Pakistan, officials in both countries say, but Washington’s refusal to sign a binding document threatens to create another point of friction in the long-troubled relationship.

  •  
    Flood waters in Keene, NY destroyed this mobile home Tuesday. Mountain communities scoured by cascades of rain and other towns swamped by rising streams and rivers continue to clean up and tally the damage two days after Tropical Storm Irene.

    As water recedes, cleanup begins across Northeast
    Associated Press
    WALLINGTON, N.J. — Weary residents across the Northeast pulled soggy furniture and ruined possessions onto their front lawns as they cleaned up and surveyed the damage wrought by Hurricane Irene.

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    UN official: East Africa famine will get worse
    Associated Press
    NAIROBI, Kenya — A top U.N. official says the famine in East Africa will worsen in coming months but that he hopes aid agencies will be able to reach more starving families.

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    US counterterror chief: Al-Qaida now on the ropes
    Associated Press
    WASHINGTON — On a steady slide. On the ropes. Taking shots to the body and head.That’s how White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan described al-Qaida on Wednesday as he offered the first on-record confirmation that al-Qaida’s latest second-in-command was killed last week in Pakistan — roughly four months after Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden there.

  •  
    First year law students from the University of Missouri participate in a community service project at a mid-Missouri food bank Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011, in Columbia, Mo. After several years of recession-driven enrollment gains, application to law schools nationwide are down nearly 10 percent this year.

    Law schools lure fewer students as jobs dry up
    Associated Press
    COLUMBIA, Mo. — Tenia Phillips has heard the horror stories about life after law school, circa 2011, from crushing student loan debt to recent graduates serving coffee at Starbucks.

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    Study says Zimbabwe capital worst city to live in
    Associated Press
    HARARE, Zimbabwe — A top research group rates Zimbabwe’s capital as the worst of 140 world cities to live in.The British-based Economist Intelligence Unit, in a study available Thursday in Harare, said its researchers excluded cities in Libya, Iraq and other war zones.Harare, where power and water outages occur daily, scored a 38 percent “livability rating.”

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    White House creates website for online petitions
    Associated Press
    WASHINGTON — The White House is making it easier for people to press the federal government to act. It is bringing that constitutional right to petition one’s government into the digital age with a webpage, “We the People,” where people can create and sign petitions seeking the government’s action on a range of issues.

  •  
    Six Flags announced this morning that X-Flight, the only announced wing coaster in the United States, will be the latest attraction at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee.

    Dawn Patrol: Quick hits to start your day
    By Paul Biasco and Lee Filas
    News you need as you walk out the door today: New roller coaster coming to Gurnee, contract deal in Cary District 26, woman hit by train in Rolling Meadows, free rides end for seniors and temperatures climb back into the 90s.

Sports

  •  
    Jamil Walker is one of 26 players on Fremd's 50th Anniversary Football Team who will be recognized at tonight's game with Prospect. Walker was an all-state running back in 2003.

    Fremd honors 26 of its best
    By Marty Maciaszek
    Fremd's football program will celebrate the school's 50th anniversary by honoring 26 of its greatest players at Friday's home game against Prospect.

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    Football: Scouting Week 2, Northwest
    Previewing Week 2 of high school football for the Mid-Suburban League, Maine West, St. Viator, Leyden and Christian Liberty.

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    Scouting DuPage County boys cross country
    By Kevin McGavin
    A look ahead at the boys cross country season in DuPage County.

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    Harvest Christian Academy in Elgin is in its first year of IHSA sports participation and will play volleyball and basketball in the Mitchell Swaback Athletic Center.

    Harvest Christian Academy enters a new era
    By John Radtke
    There’s a new kid on the block, and if you don’t know the school is there it’s quite easy to miss. Harvest Christian Academy, nestled on the picturesque land formerly owned by the Safety Kleen Corp., at the intersection of Randall Road and Royal Blvd. on Elgin’s west side, has become the newest Fox Valley school to join the IHSA as a competitive member.

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    Bears' O-line fixed and ready to go?
    By Barry Rozner
    Based on two preseason games, the Bears brand new offensive line has been pronounced healthy and ready to roll. Mike Tice may be a genius — and we offer that with no sarcasm aforethought — but there's a bit of irrational exuberance here.

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    Warren delighted to join area schools with artificial turf
    By Patricia Babcock McGraw
    Add Warren to the growing list of schools in Lake County that have installed artificial turf in their football stadiums. The project was just recently completed after years of studying, planning and fundraising by the school and boosters

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    Schaumburg serves up big victory over Hoffman Estates
    By John Leusch
    Schaumburg girls volleyball coach Jeanette Pancratz had no problem pinpointing the highlight of her team’s 25-20, 25-22 victory at Hoffman Estates on Thursday night.

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    PAUL MICHNA/Pmichna@dailyherald.com Mike Shelton of Wheaton moves the ball during the Glenbard West and Wheaton Warrenville South game Sunday.

    Loss makes long day longer for Muhitch
    By Dave Oberhelman and Kevin Schmit doberhelman@dailyherald.com
    When Wheaton Warrenville South football coach Ron Muhitch arrived at school early Sunday morning, he knew it’d be a long day. A 21-7 loss to Glenbard West that afternoon only made it longer

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    St. Charles East tops Waubonsie V.
    By John Lemon
    Just because St. Charles East defeated Waubonsie Valley 25-15, 25-20 Thursday night in St. Charles doesn’t necessarily mean the Saints’ Jennie Kull was the coach most pleased afterward.

  •  
    Bartlett varsity varsity soccer players, front row from left, Charlie Sordini, Anthony DiNuzzo, Fabio Aiello. Back row from left, Joey Morgan and Tyler Lake. All are seniors and hope to lead the Hawks to their best season ever.

    Experienced Bartlett eyeing best season yet
    By Jerry Fitzpatrick
    The Bartlett boys soccer team is poised for success, led by five seniors each playing their third season of varsity competition.

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    Lake Zurich’s Amanda Orchard rises above the net opposite Mundelein’s Gina Withrow last season.

    Lake Zurich’s Orchard stands tall — in volleyball
    By Bill Pemstein
    Lake Zurich senior Amanda Orchard played three varsity sports as a freshman and sophomore. But as she enters her senior year with an athletic scholarship secured, the Pitt-bound volleyball star is primed for a big season with the Bears.

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    Neuqua Valley’s Callie Huebener hits from the outside during Thursday’s game in Geneva.

    Geneva crashes Neuqua Valley’s comfort zone
    By Joshua Welge
    Geneva’s rowdy student fans jumped up and down on the bleachers yelling, “We believe that we will win.” They might have been the only ones after the first set. They had company in the end.

  •  
    Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com Vernon Hills High School football player Wayne Didier plays offensive and defensive tackle as he goes through drills with the team. Didier has roots in farming where his family owns Didier Farms in Lincolnshire.

    Vernon Hills’ Didier pulls his weight
    By Patricia Babcock McGraw
    No wonder Wayne Didier is a beast in the weight room, poised to break every lifting record at Vernon Hills High School.Working out is, well, working. And he’s used to working.Really working.

  •  
    Prospect’s state trophy-contending team includes, from left, Kate Welsh, Brooke Wolfe, Lauren Poplawski, Rachel Henk, Katrina Leemey and Laura Maibuecher.

    Prospect soaks up some anticipation
    By Michael Eaken
    Prospect's girls cross country team is looking to make a splash this season, and why not? The Knights return their top three runners and five of the top seven who propelled the team to a fifth-place state finish last season.

  •  
    OFFENSIVE MVP Jack Milas Rolling Meadows Once the junior quarterback found the Milas touch, Meadows was off and rolling to all of its points in the final 27 minutes of a wild 50-49 victory over York. Milas completed 33-of-59 passes for 493 yards with 6 touchdowns and the second of his 2-point conversion passes was the game-winner.

    Week 1 Football MVPs and Runners-Up
    Daily Herald report
    Presenting the Daily Herald Football MVPs and Runners-Up for Week 1.

  •  
    Kaylee Flanagan of Lake Park in the 3200 run during the Wheaton Warrenville South girls track sectional Thursday.

    Scouting DuPage County girls cross country
    By Kevin McGavin
    A look at the girls cross country season ahead in DuPage County.

  •  
    Burlington Central’s boys soccer team is hoping it can hoist another state trophy later this fall. The Rockets finished fourth in Class 2A last season.

    Boys soccer/Scouting the Fox Valley
    By Mike Miazga
    A look at the boys soccer teams in the Fox Valley for the upcoming fall season.

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    Jennifer Gates of Bartlett returns a serve during the state girls tennis tournament at Buffalo Grove High School last season.

    For Gates, it’s all about the love of the game
    By Mike Miazga
    Bartlett sophomore Jen Gates really likes tennis. Check that. She really loves tennis. “I love it so much,” she says. “I love the competitiveness. It’s so much fun being out there and knowing every day after I’m done playing that I worked on something.”

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    Hampshire’s Cassie Kruse finished in eighth place last season at the Class 2A state cross country meet in Peoria.

    Hampshire’s Kruse prepared to soar higher
    By Mike Miazga
    Hampshire senior Cassie Kruse has enjoyed her share of success in the last year, but she's hoping for even bigger things this fall.

  •  
    Burlington Central’s Clint Kliem nears the finish line of the Class 2A IHSA state cross country meet held at Detweiller Park in Peoria last season. Kliem, now a senior, finished 10th at state last season.

    Burlington’s Kliem poised for strong finish
    By Mike Miazga
    In the span of four years, Burlington Central's Clint Kliem has gone from reluctant participant to a runner that finished 10th at the Class 2A state meet a year ago and is poised to make an even larger splash on the big picture this fall.

  •  
    Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox enjoys the moment after grabbing a 19-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Hanie in the first quarter Thursday night.

    Jobs won, jobs lost: Bears’ preseason closes with win
    By Bob LeGere
    The Bears’ 24-14 preseason-ending victory over the Cleveland Browns was the final opportunity for backups to solidify their place on the depth chart and players on the bubble to make their case for one of the coveted 53 spots on the final roster.If the competition between Kahlil Bell and Chester Taylor for the No. 3 running back job behind Matt Forte and Marion Barber was based on Thursday night, the nod has to go to Bell, who probably had the job won already, based on his earlier play.Taylor got the start, playing behind the No. 1 offensive line minus center Roberto Garza, who was replaced by Chris Spencer to get him some work with the first unit. Taylor managed 27 yards on 10 carries with a long run of 9 yards.Bell, playing behind the second-team offensive line picked up 26 yards on 8 carries before leaving the game with a slight limp after suffering a right-ankle injury.“Given the opportunities that I was given, I tried to take advantage of them, and I feel good about where I stand at the moment,” Bell said. “I don’t worry about all that other stuff, and whatever comes my way comes my way.”Considering Barber did not dress for the game because of a calf injury, it’s possible the Bears could keep four running backs, depending on the seriousness of Bell’s injury.Quarterback Jay Cutler did not play, which gave Caleb Hanie an opportunity in the first quarter with some starters and another chance for redemption. In the third preseason game, Hanie threw an ill-advised pass in the red zone that was intercepted and returned 90 yards for a TD.“You can’t throw the ball directly to him,” coach Lovie Smith said after that game.In training camp, Hanie was benched for a Monday practice after playing poorly in the preseason opener. He knew what he needed to show offensive coordinator Mike Martz: a better ability to run the offense.Hanie did that Thursday night with his best performance of the preseason. Playing just the first two possessions, he directed the offense to scores on both. A 16-play drive to open the game ended in a 22-yard Robbie Gould field goal.Hanie threaded a 14-yard completion in traffic to Johnny Knox and then touched in a 22-yard sideline route to Dane Sanzenbacher to set up the score.On the next possession, Hanie’s perfectly placed toss dropped into the hands of the double-covered Knox in the back of the south end zone for a 19-yard TD.“It’s just good to have a strong game in the last one and go into the regular season on a positive note,” said Hanie, who completed 7 of 10 passes for 83 yards and a passer rating of 128.3. “Johnny made a great catch (on the TD); we had a really tight window in the corner of the end zone.”“Caleb didn’t play as well as he needed to last week,” Smith said. “But we like what he was able to do (Thursday) night. That was a perfect throw down there in the end zone.”Defensively, Nick Reed made his case for a roster spot with an inspired performance. In the first quarter alone, the 6-foot-1, 248-pound, second-year defensive end out of Oregon tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage and had 2 tackles.Early in the second quarter he narrowly missed a sack on quarterback Seneca Wallace and then pressured Wallace into an incompletion on the next snap.Late in the third quarter, with the Browns facing a fourth-and-goal from the Bears’ 1-yard line, Reed showed his speed and quickness when he came from his right end spot and dragged down Owen Marecic for a 1-yard loss on a play that was headed toward the other side of the field — and the end zone.Late in the fourth quarter he had 1 of the Bears’ 4 sacks.“He has stood out quite a bit,” Smith said. “He’s hard to block 1-on-1.”źFollow Bob’s Bears reports via Twitter @BobLeGere and check out our Bear Essentials blog at dailyherald.com.

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    Bears’ Sanzenbacher taking nothing for granted
    By Bob LeGere
    Undrafted rookie wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher has another big game for the Bears Thursday night.

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    Boys soccer / Scouting Lake County
    By Rusty Silber
    A look at the varsity boys soccer teams in Lake County this fall.

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    Heckmann follows winning example at Wauconda
    By Rusty Silber
    Patrick Heckmann aims to follow the winning example set by Terry Stevig, who recently retired as Wauconda's boys soccer coach.

  •  
    Jon Smith (bib 1719) is one of several key contributors returing for Lake Zurich’s Class 3A state runner-up boys cross country team.

    Lake Zurich rises to the top
    By John Bumbales
    Especially after last season's terrific performance at the state meet, Lake Zurich's boys cross country program deserves to be considered one of the very best in the state.

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    Libertyville eyes another NSC title
    By John Bumbales
    Count Libertyville and Lake Zurich among the top girls cross country teams in Lake County this fall.

  •  
    Mundelein’s Ari Dechter delivers a shot during North Suburban Conference tournament play last season.

    Mundelein’s Dechter standing tall
    By Bill McLean
    Mundelein's Ari Dechter prepares to swing into action with a promising girls tennis season.

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    Boys cross country / Scouting Lake County
    By John Bumbales
    A look at the boys cross country team of Lake County this fall.

  •  
    Libertyville’s Morgan Dickson smiles at the end of the 500-yard freestyle during last season’s girls swimming state finals at Evanston.

    Girls swimming / Scouting Lake County
    By Joe Aguilar
    A look at the girls swimming season ahead in Lake County.

  •  
    Marisa Perreault returns from a sixth-place North Suburban Conference finish to lead Mundelein this fall. Here, she runs downhill during the Wauconda Invitational at Lakewood Forest Preserve last season.

    Girls cross country / Scouting Lake County
    By John Bumbales
    North Suburban LakeLake ZurichCoach: Ian Silverman (13th season)Last year’s record: third in NSCTop graduated seniors: Amy Polhemus, Audrey Smith, Linnea ChristTop returning competitors: seniors Andrea Adams, Elizabeth Berton, Cassie Houghton; juniors Maddie Gelinas, Meagan Hughes, Angela UfheilKey newcomers: sophomore Meaghan Gelinas; freshman Katie FabriniOutlook: With a strong nucleus of runners returning, the Bears hope to close the gap on defending champion Lake Forest and runner-up Libertyville in the NSC. Lake Zurich’s lineup looks very impressive with three of the top 26 runners in the NSC back.LibertyvilleCoach: Joe Roth (third season)Last year’s record: second in NSCTop graduated seniors: Erika Danckers, Erin Jaffke, Megan RyanTop returning competitors: seniors Lexie Zafiratos, Stephanie Hanagan, Meagan Polk; juniors Nicole Jaffke (ninth in NSC), Maggie Fiorito (12th in NSC), Abigail Toohey, Natalie Danckers; sophomore Emily MorozKey newcomers: junior Carly Stewart; freshman Kristi Del PratoOutlook: The Wildcats will have some big shoes to fill with the loss of two four-year varsity runners and team captains from last year. But there is a silver lining with four key runners coming back along with track standout Stewart and newcomer Del Prato joining the already successful group.MundeleinCoach: John Osmanski (eighth season)Last year’s record: eighth in NSCTop graduated seniors: noneTop returning competitors: seniors Lisa Nootbaar, Katie Schlebecker; juniors Marisa Perreault (sixth in NSC), Ellie Palacios, Claire Naughton, Lauren Anderson, Steph Johnson, Morgan Lohr; sophomore Emily SchlebeckerKey newcomers: junior Hannah Smith; freshmen Sophia Presutti, Kelsey Loar, Natalie LawrenceOutlook: After battling through the 2010 campaign with very little experience at the varsity level, the Mustangs return with an abundance of depth and talent to fall back on. Perreault should continue to shine as Mundelein’s No.-1 runner with great support from her much-improved teammates.StevensonCoach: Don Proft (13th season)Last year’s record: fourth in NSCTop graduated seniors: Anna Franke, Tessa LancasterTop returning competitors: seniors Kara Ballard, Emily Cunningham; juniors Mackenzie Levy (10th in 2009), Melissa Engel, Sarina Jain, Emily Top, Lily Walker; sophomore Becky CallenKey newcomers: sophomore Jenna Kindwald; freshmen Kya Suzuki, Jessica GoldbergOutlook: The Patriots will have some new faces in their top seven this season as they try to integrate the younger runners with the returning varsity squad. Levy should be a great front-runner for the Pats after placing 10th in the state as a freshman and she could really benefit from the presence of newcomer Suzuki.WarrenCoach: Brett Heimstead (1st season)Last year’s record: fifth in NSCTop graduated seniors: Gabby Nystrom (Judson College), Victoria Knauf, Julie WienerslageTop returning competitors: seniors Andrea Saigh, Jolyn Achs, Dana Eness, Jessie Buhmann; junior Meg Tully (second in NSC), Molly Casey, Amanda Harper; sophomore Christine StorliKey newcomers: junior Rachel Shoemaker; freshman Becky HaightOutlook: New head coach Heimstead was left with a pretty good returning squad from former coach Cheryl Anderson, as Tully is an elite runner with the potential to reach the state meet. The Blue Devils hope to at least hold onto fifth place in the NSC if not do even better this season.North Suburban PrairieAntiochCoach: Chris Bailey (third season)Last year’s record: 12th in NSCTop graduated seniors: noneTop returning competitors: senior Haedyn Smith; sophomore Ashley LaPointeKey newcomers: seniors Gwen Moser, Hannah Jennrich, Tonya Sippy; juniors Lisa Godee, Sara Kitterman, Laura Riordan; sophomore Sara Young

  •  

    Scouting Lake County girls volleyball
    By Bill Pemstein
    A look at the varsity girls volleyball teams in Lake County this fall.

  •  

    Thursday’s girls volleyball scoreboard
    High school varsity results from Thursday's girls volleyball matches, as reported to the Daily Herald.

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    Thursday’s girls tennis scoreboard
    High school varsity results from Thursday's girls tennis meets, as reported to the Daily Herald.

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    Thursday’s girls swimming scoreboard
    High school varsity results from Thursday's girls swimming meets, as reported to the Daily Herald.

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    Thursday’s girls golf scoreboard
    High school varsity results from Thursday's girls golf meets, as reported to the Daily Herald.

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    Thursday’s boys soccer scoreboard
    High school varsity results of Thursday's boys soccer matches, as reported to the Daily Herald.

  •  

    Thursday’s boys golf scoreboard
    High school varsity results from Thursday's boys golf meets, as reported to the Daily Herald.

  •  
    Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com ¬ Batavia's Anthony Torres kicks the ball past West Aurora's Dany (cq) Flores in the first half on Wednesday, September 1.

    Primed for a big year
    By Chris Walker
    Boasting a roster of 15 seniors, including fourth-year players Calvin Baez, Lalo Cuautle, Anthony Torres and Cody Witkowski, the talent cycle appears to be pedaling perfectly for Batavia's boys soccer team

  •  
    West Aurora’s Josh Robinson finishes second during a cross country meet at Marmion High School.

    Marmion making impressive climb
    By John Lemon
    Bringing home the first state trophy in school history in 2010 was nice, but there’s more to come for the Marmion cross country program.

  •  
    Jordan Escobedo, right, is one of the returnees Kaneland is counting on for a winning season.

    Tri-Cities boys soccer preview
    By Chris Walker
    A look at the boys soccer season ahead in the Tri-Cities and surrounding area.

  •  

    Scouting Tri-Cities girls cross country teams
    By John Lemon
    After a dominating four-year stretch by the Geneva girls cross country program, the upcoming season should have a little bit different feel.

  •  

    Tri-Cities girls swimming preview
    By Darryl Mellema
    A look at the girls swimming season ahead in the Tri-Cities and surrounding area.

  •  

    Tri-Cities girls tennis preview
    By Henry Perez
    Batavia should be the team to beat in Tri-Cities girls tennis this fall. The Bulldogs are led by a slew of returning players from last year’s squad that finished 22-1, won the Upstate Conference River Division title, and finished second in its sectional.

  •  
    Destini Wade of Glenbard North hits one during the Glenbard North at Willow Brook Girls volleyball game Thursday.

    Glenbard West still unbeaten
    Daily Herald Reports
    A roundup of Thursday's volleyball action around DuPage County.

  •  

    Tri-Cities Week 2 football previews
    A preview of Tri-Cities football games.

  •  
    There have been a lot of distractions this preseason with the Bears, but the play of quarterback Jay Cutler hasn't made the negative list. He even handled the departure of Olin Kreutz rather well.

    As distractions go, this was a busy Bears preseason
    By Mike Spellman
    The Bears have been one entertaining bunch and the season hasn't even started yet as Mike Spellman's Scorecard column reminds us. Let's review: Draft night snafu. Olin Kreutz goes bye-bye. Matt Forte asks why. “Family Fest” debacle. Roy Williams' hands. Lance Briggs' demands.

  •  
    Johnny Knox celebrates Thursday after a touchdown reception against the Cleveland Browns in the first half.

    Knox, Hanie look sharp as Bears beat Browns 24-14
    Associated Press
    Johnny Knox came up with an over-the-shoulder touchdown catch, and if he keeps it up he might regain his spot as the Bears' starting receiver. Knox made his scoring catch early on, backup quarterback Caleb Hanie looked sharp and the Bears beat Cleveland 24-14.

  •  

    Cougars lose big lead, game
    Special to the Daily Herald
    CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Kane County Cougars saw a 6-1 lead turn into a 9-6 loss Thursday night as the Kernels scored 8 straight runs at Veterans Memorial Stadium to take Game 2 of the three-game set.The Cougars had won six consecutive head-to-head meetings against Cedar Rapids and eight of the last 10.The Cougars led 6-1 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Kernels got 7 consecutive hits before an out was recorded. Tyler Graham yielded 5 runs, and Mike Giovenco (0-2) gave up 1 more and then 2 in the eighth.The Cougars loaded the bases in the ninth with one out but could not score, as Manny Correa nailed down the save for reliever Erik Gregersen (1-0).The Kernels’ comeback forced starter Greg Billo to take a no-decision. Billo gave up 1 run on 2 hits, walked none and fanned one in his final regular-season start.He finished the regular season with a 9-5 record and a league-best 1.93 ERA. That ERA also currently is tied with two pitchers for the best in the minor leagues.

  •  
    Chicago Bears running back Chester Taylor is tackled by Cleveland Browns defensive back Buster Skrine in the first half.

    Images: Bears vs. Browns
    The Chicago Bears won their final preseason game 24-14 over the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field in Chicago on Thursday night. The Bears begin the season on Sept. 11 against the Atlanta Falcons.

  •  
    Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson (16) congratulates running back Montee Ball (28) after Ball's touchdown run during the first half Thursday night.

    Wilson wows in debut, No. 11 Wisconsin rolls
    Associated Press
    Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in his Wisconsin debut and Montee Ball scored four times to the 11th-ranked Badgers over UNLV 51-17 on Thursday night.

  •  
    Elgin’s Dennis Moore (21 barrels forward against Dundee-Crown last week. The Maroons take on Bartlett tonight at Millennium Field in Streamwood.

    Scouting Week 2 Fox Valley football
    By Jerry Fitzpatrick
    Scouting Week 2 Fox Valley football games.

  •  
    Senior Markus Fiordaliso, right, is looking to help Buffalo Grove take a big step up in the Mid-Suburban East.

    Boys soccer/Northwest season preview
    By Mike Garofola
    A boys soccer season preview for teams from the Mid-Suburban League, Leyden, Maine West, St. Viator and Christian Liberty.

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    Girls volleyball/Fox Valley roundup
    Daily Herald report
    The Huntley girls volleyball team just keeps rolling.Ashley Smith had 7 kills, Jaina Jackson added 6 and Amy Dion had 17 digs Thursday night as the No. 4 Red Raiders rolled to a 25-14, 25-12 Fox Valley Conference crossover win at Grayslake Central.Eli Manning served 13 points and added 24 assists for Huntley (7-0).McHenry d. Hampshire: Michelle Dumoulin had 6 kills and Kelly Meathe 11 digs but Hampshire opened the season with a 27-29, 25-20, 25-19 Fox Valley crossover loss to McHenry. Brittany Laffin added 11 assists for the Whip-Purs.Jacobs d. Johnsburg: Alyssa Ehrhardt had 10 kills, 6 aces and 8 digs and Maris Smith and Rebecca Jobst added 5 digs each as Jacobs (2-0) downed Johnsburg 25-14, 25-19 in a Fox Valley crossover. Taylor Lauder had 14 assists for the Golden Eagles.Harvest Christian d. Faith Lutheran: Kali Cramer had 11 aces and 4 assists to lead Harvest Christian to a 25-6, 25-12 win over Faith Lutheran. Erica Manusos had 4 kills, while Sydney Doby had 3 kills and 4 aces for the Lions (2-0).Cary-Grove d. Grayslake North: Melanie Jereb had 9 kills and 2 aces and Ashley Rosch 8 kills, 2 aces and 6 digs to lead the Trojans to a 25-15, 25-12 season-opening win in this Fox Valley crossover.CL South d. Woodstock: Katie Meyers and Taylor Schwerzler each had 5 digs to lead the Gators (4-3) to a 25-15, 25-14 win in a Fox Valley crossover.Bartlett d. Streamwood: Lexie Mason had 8 kills and 5 digs and Katie Hrbacek added 12 digs and 5 kills as Bartlett (2-3) downed Streamwood 25-10, 25-14 in an Upstate Eight crossover. Tori Burke added 18 assists and 7 digs for the Hawks, while Hannah McGloned had 4 kills and 3 blocks and Liz Simonelli added 13 digs for Streamwood.South Elgin d. Larkin: Amanda Nadler had 7 kills and Sam Kummerer 8 digs to lead South Elgin (1-0) to a 25-11, 25-21 Upstate Eight crossover win over Larkin. Maggie Jakaitis had 15 assists for the Storm.Burlington Central d. Byron: Samantha Bohne had 12 digs, 5 aces and was 9-for-9 on serve receive and Brenda Thasavong added 3 block kills and 3 spike kills to lead the Rockets (2-2) to a 25-13, 25-20 Big Northern crossover win over Byron. Allie O’Reilly added 10 assists and an ace, Karrington Bell had 2 aces and 8 digs and Sydne Sand had 2 aces and 5 kills for BC.CL Central d. Dundee-Crown: Alexa Shemanske had 3 kills and Tess Barnes 6 assists but the Chargers (1-1) fell to CL Central 25-5, 25-12 in a Fox Valley crossover.

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    Ismael Morales of Hampshire, left, tries to steal the ball from Alberto Bustamante of South Elgin during action at Hampshire Thursday night.

    South Elgin outlasts Hampshire
    By Allen Oshinski
    South Elgin finally wore down Hampshire. The Storm came out a bit sluggish following a tough game with Larkin on Wednesday, but eventually used its depth to overcome the Whip-Purs, 2-0, in nonconference boys soccer action in Hampshire Thursday night.

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    First up for the White Sox in their big series at Detroit with be facing Justin Verlander, who already has 20 wins.

    Big weekend ahead for White Sox
    By Scot Gregor
    The White Sox play a big three-game series against the first-place Tigers this weekend. They have to deal with Cy Young favorite Justin Verlander in the opener, but the Sox counter with standout lefty John Danks.

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    White Sox scouting report
    By Scot Gregor
    Scouting report: White Sox vs. Tigers

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    Scouting DuPage County football games
    Daily Herald Reports
    Previewing this weekend's DuPage County football games.

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    Volleyball setting up just right for Benet’s Kaminsky
    By Joshua Welge
    Anyone could understand if Hannah Kaminsky carried a chip on her shoulder. She is the youngest of three athletic siblings and the shortest member of a family full of 6-footers

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    Scouting local college football
    By Neil Shalin
    A preview of DuPage County college football teams.

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    Boys soccer/Fox Valley roundup
    Daily Herald report
    Elgin 2, Ridgewood 1: The Maroons won their fourth straight and advanced to Saturday’s championship round of the St. Patrick tournament, which will be played at Resurrection High School in Chicago. Josue Chavez and Sammy Escobar scored goals for Elgin (4-2) and Tony Benitez had 10 saves in goal.Buffalo Grove 3, Streamwood 0: Jose Resendez had 10 saves in goal for the Sabres (1-5-1) in this loss at the Lake Park tournament.Wauconda 2, Huntley 0: The Red Raiders outshot Wauconda 15-2 but they couldn’t find the back of the net as they lost their first game of the season at the Wauconda tournament. Austin Emery was in goal for Huntley (3-1-1).Bartlett 3, Jacobs 0: Anthony DiNuzzo scored twice and Christian Castro once and Joey Morgan, Ramero Arroyo and Fabio Aiello had assists as the Hawks (1-1) clipped the Golden Eagles in nonconference action. Christian Alva made 5 saves in goal for Bartlett and Nick Matysek had 7 saves in the net for Jacobs (3-3).Westminster Christian 8, Rockford Christian Life 0: Josh Beachler scored 3 goals and Tim Rogers 2 as Westminster (2-1-1, 1-0) rolled to a Northeastern Athletic Conference win. Nick Ginan, Noah Gannon and Adam Green each had goals for the Warriors as well, and Sam Carani made 14 saves in goal.

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    Craig Steltz is helped from the field after getting injured in the first half Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns.

    Bears' Steltz, Conte, Bell injured against Browns
    Associated Press
    Bears backup safeties Craig Steltz and Chris Conte and running back Kahlil Bell have left Thursday's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns with injuries.

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    Mardy Fish, of the United States, returns Thursday to Malek Jaziri, of Tunisia, during the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York.

    Williams, Fish advance at U.S. Open
    Associated Press
    Serena Williams overwhelmed Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands 6-0, 6-1 to reach the third round and Mardy Fish, the highest-seeded U.S. man, got to the third round for a third consecutive appearance in the U.S. Open.

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    Osborne says Big Ten place to be for stability
    Associated Press
    LINCOLN, Neb. — Two days before Nebraska plays its first football game as a member of the Big Ten, athletic director Tom Osborne took a not-so-subtle swipe at his school’s previous conference.Osborne said at a booster luncheon Thursday that the Big Ten probably would still be around in 100 years because of the stability that results from the way finances are handled. Without mentioning Nebraska and Colorado’s exits from the Big 12 or the imminent departure of Texas A&M, Osborne said the Big 12’s revenue-sharing plan lends itself to instability.“When there are inequities, eventually something is going to give somewhere,” Osborne said. “It doesn’t mean it will happen, but it makes it more difficult.”Osborne likened the Big Ten’s model to the NFL’s, where equal revenue distribution allows a small-market team such as the Green Bay Packers to be as viable as the Dallas Cowboys.Each Big Ten school received $22.6 million this year — about twice as much as Nebraska could have expected if it had stayed in the Big 12.Osborne said the 5,000-seat expansion of Memorial Stadium will add another $10 million to the athletic budget by 2013 and that Nebraska will begin receiving full revenue shares from the Big Ten in 2017.“When that happens, watch out,” Osborne said. “We’re going to be really good.”Osborne said the only downsides to Big Ten membership is that Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State have larger athletic budgets, and the state’s population of 1.8 million puts Nebraska at a recruiting disadvantage.“The way we’re going to make up the difference is facilities,” Osborne said. “By the time we get done with what we’re doing right now, we will compare favorably with anyone in the country.”Osborne also addressed the climate in college athletics after scandals at Southern California, North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio State and Miami.He said the cheating is nowhere near the level it was in the 1970s and `80s in the Southwest Conference. He said he suspects Nebraska lost three or four football recruits a year to SWC schools where coaches and boosters acted in concert offering cash payments and other inducements.“People are throwing rocks at Miami and throwing rocks at Ohio State, and all these people say, `You should have known.’ Well, maybe so,” he said. “But I would guarantee you it’s impossible. No student-athlete who is taking something is going to come up and tell you, `Hey, coach, I got $500 from this guy.’ No booster who gave someone money is going to tell someone that.”There are positive developments in college athletics that get overshadowed, Osborne said. He mentioned rising academic standards and progress-toward-graduation requirements, medical care, nutrition and facilities.He favors proposals to add $2,500-$3,500 to athletic scholarships to cover full cost of attendance. Osborne said much of the past NCAA legislation was adopted so all schools within a division would be on a level playing field, “so Wichita State could compete with Oklahoma and Nebraska.”Osborne said he could see the day that the biggest athletic programs, such as those at BCS schools, break off from the NCAA or operate within a separate division in the NCAA.“There will be some reforms,” Osborne said. “You can be ready for it.”

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    OSU says 3 more players took improper benefits
    Associated Press
    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Three more football players are in hot water at Ohio State.As a result, Ohio State might be in even more trouble with the NCAA.The school reported late Thursday afternoon that running back Jordan Hall, defensive back Corey Brown and defensive back Travis Howard each received impermissible benefits of $300 or less earlier this year.The latest violations took place after several Buckeyes players were suspended for accepting cash and free tattoos from the subject of a federal drug-trafficking probe and Ohio State had ramped up its compliance department to warn athletes not to break NCAA rules.All three were suspended for the Buckeyes’ season-opening game on Saturday against Akron at Ohio Stadium.“We take this matter seriously,” Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said in a statement. “Our commitment to institutional integrity is steadfast, and we must hold everyone associated with our athletics programs accountable for lapses in judgment. We believe in transparency with the NCAA, all regulatory bodies and all of Buckeye Nation.”Hall and Howard, both juniors, were listed as the starters on Ohio State’s two-deep roster for the game. Brown, who goes by the nickname “Pittsburgh” to distinguish him from Buckeyes wide receiver Corey “Philly” Brown, was listed as a backup at safety.Ohio State is already awaiting final word on what sanctions it will receive from the NCAA for memorabilia-for-cash violations which occurred in 2010 that led to coach Jim Tressel’s forced resignation on May 30. Several players have already been suspended and the 2010 season was vacated because of the earlier problems.The latest admission could affect Ohio State’s current case before the NCAA, which was heard on Aug. 12. The NCAA’s committee on infractions is expected to hand down a decision as early as the end of September.Hall, from Jeannette, Pa., is a former high school teammate of Terrelle Pryor, one of the players who was suspended for trading signed memorabilia for cash and free or discounted tattoos from the owner of a Columbus tattoo-parlor owner. The tattoo-parlor owner, Edward Rife, later pleaded guilty to money laundering and drug trafficking charges and is awaiting sentencing.Tressel, won led Ohio State to the 2002 national championship, admitted that he knew as early as April of 2010 that some of his players had accepted money from Rife. But he failed to notify any of his superiors at Ohio State or anyone in NCAA compliance until confronted by investigators in January of 2011.Soon after Tressel resigned, Pryor, at the heart of university and NCAA investigations into improper benefits, gave up his final year of eligibility to make himself available for an NFL supplemental draft. He was taken in the third round by the Oakland Raiders.The Buckeyes are already without five players in the opener who were suspended for taking improper benefits. Sitting out the first five games this fall are last year’s leading rusher Daniel Herron, top returning receiver DeVier Posey and starting offensive tackle Mike Adams, along with backup defensive lineman Solomon Thomas. Thomas was the hero of the Buckeyes’ 31-26 victory over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl, grabbing a late interception to preserve the win. But that game, along with every other one in a 12-1 season last year, was vacated.According to a release issued by the university, after finding out about the violations involving Hall, Brown and Howard, Ohio State looked into the situation and self-reported the infractions to the NCAA and the Big Ten. All three were suspended from the team, with the university then asking the NCAA for their reinstatement for the rest of the season.The university also is considering institutional sanctions for the three.Smith and other Ohio State officials declined further comment.———Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rustymillerap.

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    JOE LEWNARD/jlewnard@dailyherald.com ¬ Meredith Maltby of Glenbard West returns a volley during the state girls tennis tournament at Buffalo Grove High School Thursday.

    Scouting DuPage County girls tennis
    By Neil Shalin
    A look at the girls tennis season ahead in DuPage County.

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    Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com Paarth Joshl of Neuqua Valley, left, takes control of the ball from Zach Peterson of Naperville North in boys soccer action Tuesday in Naperville.

    Scouting DuPage County boys soccer
    By Chris Walker
    A look at the boys soccer season ahead in DuPage County.

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    Gia Dalesandro of Neuqua Valley swims the 100-yard back stroke during Saturday’s state swimming finals at Evanston.

    Scouting DuPage County girls swimming
    By Neil Shalin
    A look at the girls swimming season ahead in DuPage County.

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    Golf suits Naperville Central’s Lieser
    By David Oberhelman
    Pitching arm or pitching wedge? Tim Lieser chose the latter.

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    Wisconsin's Montee Ball celebrates a touchdown run against UNLV during the first half of their game Thursday in Madison, Wis.

    Big Ten ready to kick off historic season
    By Lindsey Willhite
    We interrupt college football's turmoil-filled offseason to bring you the Big Ten season. Who are the league's best players? Who's going to meet in the first Big Ten championship game?

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    Boys soccer/Top 20
    Here's the latest look at the boys soccer top 20 of teams in the Daily Herald circulation area.

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    Girls cross country / Scouting Northwest
    By Michael Eaken
    A look at the girls cross country season ahead, featuring teams from the Mid-Suburban League plus Maine West, St. Viator and Leyden.

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    Zoe Kasuriak hopes to lead Barrington to an 18th consecutive Mid-Suburban League girls tennis title.

    Northwest/ Girls tennis season preview
    A preview of the girls tennis season for the Mid-Suburban League, St. Viator, Maine West and Leyden.

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    New look for Schaumburg
    By Jonathan Jones
    Schaumburg girls tennis will have a new look this year as former Rolling Meadows star Jenn Limjoco-Kerr takes over as head coach for Jason Campbell.

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    Palatine’s top runners include, from left, Marcus Garcia, Tim Johnson, Tim Meincke and Peter Tomkiewicz. The Pirates think they may have the best team in school history and are aiming for a state championship this fall.

    High hopes for Palatine
    By Michael Eaken
    Palatine's boys cross country team is hoping a training trip to Colorado helps them add to an astounding eight straight Mid-Suburban League titles this fall.

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    Boys cross country / Scouting Northwest
    By Michael Eaken
    A look at the boys cross country season ahead, featuring teams from the Mid-Suburban League plus Maine West, St. Viator and Leyden.

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    Harper’s Mark Smith resigns
    By Jonathan Cregier
    Citing family reasons, Harper College women’s basketball coach Mark Smith has resigned. “Family is the most important thing to me,” said Smith, who has three children.

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    Brothers teach St. Charles North’s Stolzenburg well
    By Dave Oberhelman
    They say losing develops character more than winning. Jill Stolzenburg developed character good and fast. It was routinely handed to her, along with her proverbial hat, by her two older brothers.

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    Week 2 Lake County football previews
    By Joe Aguilar and Patricia Babcock McGraw
    A look at Lake County's football games for Week 2.

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    Senior defensive back Jake Mueller and Hersey look to keep moving forward after last week’s victory at Glenbrook North.

    Hersey looks to build off signature win
    By Marty Maciaszek
    Hersey may have earned a signature victory after beating defending Central Suburban North champion Glenbrook North last week and Barrington will honor members of the military at its Friday home game against Elk Grove.

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    In this photo provided by NHRA, Tony Schumacher sets a track record for speed in his U.S. Army dragster and takes the top spot in Top Fuel at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals auto race at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, Oct. 29, 2010. (AP Photo/NHRA, Jerry Foss) ** NO SALES **

    Long Grove's Schumacher seeks first win at U.S. Nationals
    Special to the Daily Herald
    If there was ever a better time to collect his first victory of the season, Tony Schumacher of Long Grove figures this weekend would be most appropriate. “It is the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals – I don't have to say any more than that,” said the seven-time world champion as he packed his bags for the trip to Lucas Oil Raceway.

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    New ownership and new team president/general manager are in place for the 2012 season at Alexian Field. A new name and logo for the American Association baseball team will be revealed soon, says owner Pat Salvi.

    Schaumburg baseball team names new GM
    Daily Herald Report
    Pat and Lindy Salvi, the new owners of the Schaumburg baseball club that will play its games at Alexian Field in 2012 have hired Gary RailCats President/General Manager Andy Viano to run their team.

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    Will Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro reach 200 hits this season? It could happen. That's just one of the things to follow as the Cubs finish the final 25 games of the season.

    For Cubs fans, here's what to watch in September
    By Bruce Miles
    It is now September. Do you know where your Cubs are? For starters, they're back home to open a weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Other than that, they're going nowhere, not with a record of 59-78.

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    Raiders and Seahawks close out 2011 preseason
    Associated Press
    SEATTLE — If Oakland rookie quarterback Terrelle Pryor is going to see the field before serving a five-week suspension, it’ll be Friday night in Seattle in the Raiders and Seahawks’ preseason finale.And if Pryor does play less than two weeks after being selected in the supplemental draft by the Raiders, he’ll do it against an old friend, Seattle coach Pete Carroll.Asked on Thursday about Pryor, Carroll remembered being impressed by Pryor’s athleticism as a high school star in Pennsylvania. The two faced off in college when USC won at Ohio State in Carroll’s last season with the Trojans.Oakland coach Hue Jackson isn’t saying if Pryor will play on Friday. After the game Pryor will be ineligible to practice with the Raiders until serving his suspension.

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    Titans, running back agree to contract extension
    Associated Press
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Titans and Chris Johnson have agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension ending the three-time Pro Bowl running back’s holdout.Tennessee confirmed Thursday the team had agreed to terms on the revised deal. Johnson tweeted Wednesday night that he had dinner in Orlando with his agent Joel Segal “talking business” on the 34th day of his holdout.Johnson has led the NFL in yards rushing the past three seasons and refused to report to the camp without a new deal. The 24th pick overall in the 2008 draft out of East Carolina, Johnson became only the sixth man in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in 2009 when he ran for 2,006 yards. The Titans revised his contract a year ago moving some money up in his contract, but he still was set to earn only $1.065 million for this season. Now the running back will be under contract for the next six years through 2016, and the revised deal is worth $53.5 million with $30 million guaranteed, according to a person familiar with the contract. The person spoke to The Associated Press Thursday on condition of anonymity because the contract details remained confidential. This deal will be noticed by running backs like Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson, who is in the final year of his original contract. Carolina gave DeAngelo Williams $21 million guaranteed in his new deal a few weeks ago. Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, who is going into his fourth season, tweeted, “Congrads to (at)ChrisJohnson28 on the new deal well deserved....”The Tennessean first reported the deal.Johnson did not immediately respond to a message left by the AP. But Titans cornerback Ryan Mouton were among those tweeting congratulations to Johnson.The Titans (2-1) wrap up the preseason Thursday night at New Orleans, but Tennessee’s season opener is Sept. 11 at Jacksonville. With new coach Mike Munchak, having the running back on the team for the entire season was crucial for Tennessee coming off a 6-10 season.Tennessee wanted Johnson to at least have a few days of practice with new quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in a revised offense with coordinator Chris Palmer. The only other running back with any NFL carries is Javon Ringer with 59 in his career, and he has been hurt most of the preseason. Rookie Jamie Harper from Clemson started the past two preseason games for Tennessee. Fullback Ahmard Hall said Tuesday that Johnson would have some work once he does arrive to learn the changes in Palmer’s offense, especially with the different terminology. “You’re going to have to think,” Hall said. “You’re not going to just be able to roll in and hit the ground running as if coach (Mike) Heimerdinger were still here. Coach Palmer has put in a lot of good things, bu the language is different. He’s definitely going to have to think. The sooner he gets in the better.”

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    Falcons promote McKay to president and CEO
    Associated Press
    FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have given Rich McKay a new title: president and CEO.McKay previously served as team president. Owner Arthur Blank said Thursday the expanded role is a reward for McKay’s accomplishments and contributions on many key business initiatives, such as the team’s efforts to build a new stadium.McKay joined the Falcons in 2003 after serving as general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for nearly nine years. He worked in the same role in Atlanta until moving up to president in 2008, clearing the way for Thomas Dimitroff to take over as GM.In addition to his team duties, McKay serves as chairman of the NFL competition committee, which recommends rule changes and looks for ways to improve player safety.

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    Fred Taylor retiring after 13 seasons, 1 Pro Bowl
    Associated Press
    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Running back Fred Taylor is retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons and nearly 12,000 yards.Taylor will sign a one-day contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday so he can formally retire with the team that drafted him ninth overall in 1998.The ceremony surely will be an emotional one, with family members, friends and former teammates on hand. The former Florida star spent 11 seasons in Jacksonville and remains the franchise’s leading rusher with 11,271 yards. He ranks third with 286 catches and fourth with 2,361 receiving yards.More telling than his stats was his transition from a shy college kid who seemed to find trouble in Gainesville into a model player who became a team leader and a strong voice for league issues. Coaches and teammates lauded Taylor as one of the hardest-working players in Jacksonville’s locker room. Media members and team personnel regarded him as the easiest to deal with, a class act on and off the field, regardless of wins or losses.Taylor spent the last two seasons playing sparingly in New England, where he ran 106 times for 424 yards and four touchdowns.“I want to thank every1 who has directly or indirectly supported my career and help shape my character,” Taylor wrote on his Twitter account, saluting all “Gators/Jags/Pats.”Taylor ranks 15th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 11,695 yards. He is 379 yards behind Thurman Thomas and 343 ahead of John Riggins — both in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Taylor’s induction might not be a guarantee. He missed chunks of time because of injuries early in his career, never made the Super Bowl — not even with the Patriots — and played in just one Pro Bowl.He ran for 1,202 yards and five touchdowns in 2007 and earned his first trip to Hawaii. He probably should have made it before, but playing in small-market Jacksonville did little to help his cause. He often joked that he was the NFL’s version of famed daytime actress Susan Lucci.As Taylor’s career started winding down, he talked openly about wanting to pass Jim Brown (12,312 yards) on the all-time rushing list. But once the Jaguars parted ways with Taylor after the 2008 season, he started to realize it might not happen.Injuries might have been the real culprit. Taylor missed 24 games over his first four seasons and was ineffective in several more because of various injuries. He had a strained hamstring that sidelined him six games in 1999, a strained knee ligament that kept him out of the first three games in 2000, and a torn groin muscle that prevented him from playing the final 14 games in 2001. That three-year stretch left him labeled as soft, brittle and injury prone.But “Fragile Fred” proved all the naysayers wrong by starting 46 consecutive games between 2002 and 2004, an impressive streak at a position that deals with more pain and punishment than any other. Taylor even played through a broken bone in his foot in 2004.Through it all, he became the face of the small-market franchise.Taylor had hoped to spend his entire career in Jacksonville, but the Jaguars released him following the 2008 season as part of a rebuilding project. By then, Taylor had admittedly lost a step and knew the team wanted to turn the offense over to Maurice Jones-Drew. Coach Jack Del Rio flew to South Florida to personally give Taylor the news.Taylor still has a house in Jacksonville, but he likely will retire in South Florida where he can watch his son play high school football. Kelvin Taylor, a junior at Glades Day School, has turned heads since making the varsity team as an eighth-grader. He is less than 2,500 yards shy of the state’s career rushing record of 8,804 yards (Emmitt Smith) and has become one of the most coveted recruits in the country.

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    Another obstacle emerges for new Vikings stadium
    Associated Press
    ST. PAUL, Minn. — A key state senator said Thursday she wants a public vote on a proposed half-cent sales tax to help build a new Minnesota Vikings stadium, a new obstacle as the team tries to push the project to the finish line and plays out the final year of its lease at the Metrodome.“It’s important for the voters to have their say,” said Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, a Republican from Buffalo, Minn. She said she has supported referendums on sales tax increases in her own legislative district and wants to be consistent. Koch said she considers the Vikings a key state asset and sees the benefits to Ramsey County of being home to a stadium — “but I just think a referendum is in order,” she said. A referendum likely could not be held until November 2012 -- long after the Vikings’ lease at the Metrodome expires.As the top-ranked Republican in a Senate controlled by that party, Koch’s pronouncement could hold considerable sway over a crop of conservative freshman new to stadium politics at the Capitol. Stadium supporters have predicted that Ramsey County voters would kill the sales tax proposal and scrap the entire stadium project. “It would derail it,” said county Commissioner Tony Bennett, a chief sponsor of the county’s partnership with the Vikings to build the $1.1 billion, 65,000-seat stadium at a former Army munitions site in Arden Hills, a suburb north of St. Paul. He said voters are in no mood to approve tax increases for anything: “You float a tax increase for motherhood and apple pie right now and it’d fail.”The Vikings have been seeking a replacement to the Metrodome in Minneapolis for years, saying it’s no longer a profitable venue and raising fears among fans that the team might leave Minnesota. The team and Ramsey County have been pushing state leaders to get behind the Arden Hills venture, and just hours before Koch’s declaration Vikings spokesman Lester Bagley had publicly suggested that the team might be willing to boost its own contribution to the cost of building the stadium. Bagley did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Koch’s remarks. Supporters have been hoping to finalize details in order that Gov. Mark Dayton, a stadium supporter, could call a special session this fall for a legislative vote on the stadium, since it also includes state funding. The plan originally floated by the team and Ramsey County had the team kicking in $407 million and the county raising $350 million through the sales tax. It also had the state contributing $300 million through new sales taxes on sports memorabilia, luxury seats and digital video recorders as well as naming rights, a Vikings-themed lotto game and an income-tax surcharge on NFL players. Together, those three pots of money didn’t quite raise enough to cover projected construction costs; Bagley’s comments this week about the team’s possible willingness to up its share suggested a final deal could be close. Koch and GOP House Speaker Kurt Zellers had refrained for months from discussing details of the stadium package even as Democrat Dayton and several Republican sponsors pushed the project forward. The two lead Republican sponsors, Sen. Julie Rosen and Rep. Morrie Lanning, did not immediately return calls seeking comment on Koch’s preference for a public vote. Dayton said earlier this week that he wouldn’t oppose a referendum but didn’t see one as a requirement, either. Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega, who backs the stadium proposal, said he’s so certain voters would kill the proposed sales tax that if state lawmakers attach a referendum requirement he would consider yanking the county’s participation altogether. “It doesn’t make sense to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a referendum that we know is going to fail,” Ortega said.

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    Top 25 College Football Preview Capsules
    Associated Press
    FRIDAYNo. 14 TCU at Baylor, 8 p.m. (ESPN)Line: TCU by 4˝.Series Record: TCU leads 50-49-7.WHAT’S AT STAKETCU has won a nation’s-best 25 consecutive regular season games and is coming off an undefeated season in which the Horned Frogs won the Rose Bowl. The Frogs must adjust to life without four-year starting quarterback Andy Dalton, who won 42 games and is now a rookie starter for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals. Baylor had its first winning season since 1995 but lost 45-10 at TCU.KEY MATCHUPBaylor QB Robert Griffin vs. TCU’s secondary. Griffin, the dual-threat quarterback, threw for a school-record 3,501 yards with 22 TDs last season and has top receivers Kendall Wright and Terrance Williams back. The Frogs have a redshirt freshman and fifth-year senior taking over for their two departed standout starting safeties.PLAYERS TO WATCH:TCU: The running back trio of Ed Wesley, Matthew Tucker and Wayman James. Wesley is coming off a 1,000-yard season while all three of the returning runners had 100-yard games last season.Baylor: Elliot Coffey. The senior is the middle linebacker in new defensive coordinator Phil Bennett’s aggressive scheme. The son of a former NFL player, Coffey started eight games at outside linebacker last season with 61 tackles.FACTS AND FIGURESBaylor went to its first bowl since 1996, but Bears lost 38-14 to Illinois in the Texas Bowl and finished season with four losses in a row after 30-22 win at Texas the night before Halloween. ... TCU has won 11 consecutive road games, the longest streak in nation and already a Mountain West Conference record. ... Since 2005, TCU is 66-11 for the best record among the 10 FBS teams in Texas. Baylor is eighth at 27-45, ahead of only Rice and North Texas.———No. 17 Michigan State vs. Youngstown State, 7:30 p.m.Line: None.Series Record: First meeting.WHAT’S AT STAKEMichigan State is still smarting a bit from a 49-7 loss to Alabama in the Capital One Bowl, which spoiled the end of a terrific season for the Spartans. They’re hoping for a sharp performance in their opener against the Penguins, who play in the Football Championship Subdivision.KEY MATCHUPMichigan State QB Kirk Cousins vs. the Youngstown State secondary. The Penguins have 49 players on the roster who were not with the program last year, and nearly two-thirds of them play defense. Nine different players started in the secondary last season, and the experienced Cousins might try to exploit that group early.PLAYERS TO WATCHMichigan State: DT Jerel Worthy. After 8.5 sacks in his first two seasons for the Spartans, Worthy is considered a top pro prospect. The line might be the strength of Michigan State’s defense this year, especially because the team lost LBs Greg Jones and Eric Gordon.Youngstown State: QB Kurt Hess. As a redshirt freshman last year, Hess started all 11 games and threw for 2,117 yards.FACTS & FIGURESMichigan State coach Mark Dantonio was a defensive assistant at Youngstown State under Jim Tressel from 1986-90. ... This is the Penguins’ fifth meeting with a Big Ten team. Youngstown State played Penn State in 2006 and 2010 and Ohio State in 2007 and 2008. ... Friday’s game will be only the 10th night game in the 88-year history of Spartan Stadium. The most recent was last September’s 34-31 win over Notre Dame on a fake field goal in OT. ... B.J. Cunningham needs 10 receptions to pass Matt Trannon and become Michigan State’s career leader. ... Youngstown State had the lead at some point in every game last year.———SATURDAYNo. 1 Oklahoma vs. Tulsa, 8 p.m. (FX)Line: Oklahoma by 25.Series Record: Oklahoma leads 16-7-1.WHAT’S AT STAKE

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    Texas: Aggies had chance to partner in network
    Associated Press
    AUSTIN, Texas — Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds says Texas A&M could have partnered with the Longhorns on a regional network but the Aggies weren’t interested in the early planning stages.Dodds tells The Associated Press he talked with Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne about a partnership about four years ago and Byrne wasn’t interested. Dodds says Byrne tried to re-open discussions about a year ago, but by then it was too late. Texas had decided to create a network on its own. The Longhorns eventually signed a $300-million, 20-year deal with ESPN.Byrne has said the Longhorn Network is a big reason A&M is planning to leave the Big 12.

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    Freshmen step into vacancies for Ohio State
    Associated Press
    COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the darkest days of Ohio State’s seemingly endless NCAA investigation into players selling memorabilia, Buckeyes fans longed for a breath of fresh air, for some hope.They’ve gotten it in a freshman class that has been the scourge — in a good way — of preseason camp.An astounding eight true freshmen are listed on the two-deep for Saturday’s season opener against Akron. Five more redshirt freshmen — including two starters — are also set to make their collegiate debuts.“That’s really a good freshman class,” said defensive co-coordinator Jim Heacock, on the staff for the last 16 years. “I’ve been here quite a few years, and it’s really a talented freshman class. I hate to ever say it’s the best. But it’s as good as it’s been since I’ve been here.”The first-year players, and those who are first-year players in eligibility, have helped swing the focus to a brighter future from all the ugliness of the suspensions, Jim Tressel’s forced resignation and Terrelle Pryor’s untimely departure.“They have performed,” interim coach Luke Fickell said of the freshmen. “Now, obviously, they’ve been put in a situation where they have to because of maybe depth issues. (We) lost 24 seniors last year, guys that have been here a long time, a lot of fifth-year seniors. But I think it’s also a great reflection on who those (young) kids are. The maturity they’ve had to be able to get where they are (is impressive).”And those rookies are not just stacking up on special teams. They’re going to be all over the field.One of the reasons is that No. 18 Ohio State lost half of its starters from a year ago. The other is that three key starters on offense — leading rusher Dan Herron, left tackle Mike Adams and top returning receiver DeVier Posey — are all suspended for the first five games. Another backup, Solomon Thomas, is also sitting out those first five games for accepting improper benefits. And second-team linebacker Jordan Whiting is out for the opener for the same reason.So there are a lot of openings up for grabs. The newest Buckeyes have taken advantage.True freshman Braxton Miller is listed as an “or” with fifth-year senior Joe Bauserman at quarterback, although Bauserman will get the first snap. At cornerback redshirt freshman Bradley Roby is listed as the starter, with true freshman Doran Grant as his backup. Incoming recruit Ryan Shazier is second team at linebacker, right behind senior Andrew Sweat, with Michael Bennett the first alternate at right defensive tackle behind Johnathan Hankins.The list goes on and on. True freshmen Evan Spencer (wide receiver), Chris Carter (left guard), Brian Bobek (center) and Antonio Underwood (right tackle) will likely play on offense.Among the second-year freshmen, Verlon Reed will start in front of Spencer at wide-out, while J.T. Moore (defensive end), Eric Kramer (left tackle) and Rod Smith (tailback) all figure into the Buckeyes’ plans.The optimist looks at a team with that many first-year players in prime or secondary roles and says those are building blocks for future years. The pessimist would say that’s a sign that there are lots of openings at Ohio State and players are being rushed into action.Reality is somewhere in the middle.“We’ve always had athletes. It’s just our older guys, we don’t have as many. There’s not as much depth,” tight end Jake Stoneburner said. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing. And these freshmen are ready to come in and make plays. They just have to make sure they know what they’re doing and don’t get too nervous out there.”Fickell loves the youngsters. But he has no allusions about having so many green players in important positions.

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    Questions aplenty on the Penn State o-line
    Associated Press
    STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — So an offensive lineman, a safety and about a dozen other Penn State seniors walk into Joe Paterno’s house.Chima Okoli picks up the punch line.“There’s a picture with him, and the rest of his kids, probably in 1812 or something,” the right tackle joked about the gathering this week at the home of his 84-year-old coach.Laugh now, Okoli, because the pressure will fall squarely on the front five once the new season kicks off Saturday against Indiana State of the FCS.Analyzing and rehashing offensive line play is a time-honored tradition for Nittany Lions fans, as much a part of autumn Saturdays in Happy Valley as tailgating and raking leaves.Okoli, left tackle Quinn Barham and guard Johnnie Troutman are the three returning starters up front from a line that allowed just 12 sacks, statistically one of the best in the country.Troutman, though, hasn’t secured a starting spot at right guard, where sophomore John Urschel has made a push. They’re in the mix to replace perhaps the biggest loss on the offense in standout right guard Stefen Wisniewski. The former three-year starter was selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders.Barham reads blogs, message boards and web sites and expects to get external pressure as a lineman. Fan opinions, both positive and negative, for the most part have been fair, he said.“There’s nothing you’re going to do about it,” Barham said, “but prove people wrong.”Paterno must also find a new starting center, with junior Matt Stankewitch listed as the first-stringer heading into the season. Senior DeOn’tae Pannell, who started two games last season at left guard before being replaced by Troutman, is listed as the starter at the same position on the Week 1 depth chart.Paterno is fine so far with the line, though he remains concerned about developing competent backups for the front five — even more so than the unsettled quarterback derby between Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin.“The quarterback situation is not one of my concerns right now,” Paterno said. “My biggest concern right now is where we’ve got to get a little more depth.”The line will also be leading the way for a new featured back in sophomore Silas Redd, who’s expected to take over for four-year starter Evan Royster. Redd is more of a shifty, explosive back than Royster, so offensive coordinator Galen Hall said the line may need to do more work in creating holes.As it was, the running game struggled at times last year, too. The “get-tough” attitude that Paterno has been emphasizing in preseason camp has carried over to the line.“The attitude to stay on your block until the whistle ends,” Pannell said. “That’s what we’ve been trying to do. Get guys on the ground, finish blocks.“We’re going to bring it to you, until you say you don’t want any part of it.”They’re not just tough guys up front, though. Barham and Okoli, in particular, are affable, vocal seniors who show promise of being effective leaders.It was no surprise, then, that Okoli was among the group of seniors who visited Paterno’s modest ranch home this week in State College to talk in part about leadership and team captains. Jokes aside, Okoli described it as walking into a “football museum” with so many mementos adorning the walls and tables.If things work out this season, maybe Okoli will get his picture up on the wall, too.“If you don’t believe that you can be the best, then there’s no point in doing it,” Okoli said. “There’s no one who thrives on mediocrity.”

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    Ducks and Tigers finally take the field
    Associated Press
    Come Saturday when LSU faces Oregon on a national stage, the teams finally get to push aside the offseason tumult that has rocked both programs.The No. 4 Tigers will be without quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who is facing charges connected with a bar fight on Aug. 19, and receiver Russell Shepard will sit out after violating NCAA rules surrounding an ongoing recruiting investigation.The No. 3 Ducks won’t have All-American cornerback Cliff Harris, suspended indefinitely after he was clocked driving a rental car at 118 mph. And, like LSU, Oregon is under investigation by the NCAA.But even without the controversy, the game would be big: The perennial SEC contender and the Pac-12 upstart with the flashy uniforms open the season at Cowboys Stadium.LSU finished 11-2 last season and was ranked No. 8 in the final AP poll after defeating Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Oregon went 12-1 with the lone loss coming to Auburn in the BCS championship game. The Ducks wrapped up the season ranked No. 3.While the off-field messes won’t go away, the teams hope the start of the season means those concerns are left to just smolder in the background.“I think for everybody outside the Oregon football team and the LSU football team, it’s gonna be huge. But for both teams, our focus is football. They’re focused on us and we’re focused on them,” Oregon running back Kenjon Barner said about the peripheral issues.“We’re not letting it worry us one bit,” Ducks receiver Josh Huff added. “As a family we stick together. What comes, comes. What goes, goes.”The Tigers are still reeling from last week, when Jefferson and reserve linebacker Josh Johns turned themselves in after police obtained warrants charging them with felony second-degree battery. More players have been implicated in the melee and the investigation is ongoing.LSU also announced Shepard’s suspension for discussing an NCAA inquiry with a teammate who was scheduled to be interviewed about the same matter.A source familiar with the situation told The Associated Press at the time that the NCAA investigation concerns LSU’s relationship with scouting service owner and purported street agent Willie Lyles. The person spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because LSU had not announced what the inquiry entailed.“There is a heart-filled loss among the team for losing two teammates. I think with that being said, it is just about going forward and going with a little bit of a different cast of characters,” Tigers coach Les Miles said. “There are some things we can control and some things that we can’t. Right now there are two that aren’t in the huddle. We’ll line up and play in their absence.”Lyles’ relationship with Oregon is also the subject of an NCAA investigation.Oregon paid Lyles and Houston-based Complete Scouting Services $25,000 early in 2010. Some questioned the size of the payment, and when Oregon released the information it said Lyles provided, purportedly for potential recruits that year, it was outdated.At issue was Lyles’ relationship with running back Lache Seastrunk, who signed a letter of intent to play for the Ducks just weeks before the payment was made.Seastrunk was granted his release from Oregon two weeks ago and has since enrolled at Baylor.Because the NCAA does not comment on investigations, there is no indication when the Oregon and LSU matters might be addressed.Off-field trouble continued for the Ducks when Harris was pulled over for speeding on a suspended license in June. Oregon coach Chip Kelly immediately suspended the dynamic cornerback because of repeated traffic violations, and Oregon’s compliance office was looking into the circumstances surrounding his use of a university employee’s rental car.Kelly has said that Harris’ reinstatement is dependent on his adherence to program rules.

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    While charges have not been formally filed, NHL defensemen Dustin Byfuglien, left, was arrested in a boating incident on suspicsion of boating while intoxicated. The former Blackhawks and Atlanta Thrashers star is now with the Winnipeg Jets.

    Former Hawk Byfuglien arrested in boating incident
    Associated Press
    Winnipeg Jets player Dusten Byfuglien was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of boating while intoxicated. Charges have been been formally filed against the former Blackhawks star player.

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    Chicago Sky’s Sylvia Fowles, left, looks to the basket as New York Liberty’s Kia Vaughn guards her in their WNBA basketball game on Sunday at Allstate Arena. Fowles was named Player of the Month for August for the Eastern Conference.

    Sky’s Sylvia Fowles wins WNBA honor
    Daily Herald News Services
    Sylvia Fowles of the Chicago Sky and Lindsay Whalen of the Minnesota Lynx were named the WNBA’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in August.

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    San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi defends against a shot on-goal by Dallas Stars right wing Brandon Segal in a game last November. Segal had signed a one-year deal with the Blackhawks.

    Blackhawks sign Brandon Segal to one-year deal
    Daily Herald News Services
    The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to terms with right wing Brandon Segal on a one-year contract. Segal, 28, registered 10 points and 41 penalty minutes in 46 games with the Dallas Stars last season.

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    Photo courtesy of Nick Novelli/Illinois PGA The 89th Illinois PGA Champion - Frank Hohenadel of Tinley Park, Ill., holds the Jim Kemper Cup after the final round of the 89th Illinois PGA Championship which took place on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at Medinah (Ill.).

    Frank Hohenadel wins 89th Illinois PGA Championship
    Special to the Daily Herald
    Frank Hohenadel captured the 89th Illinois PGA Championship going wire-to-wire in his first attempt, finishing with a 54-hole total of 207 (-6) that was four strokes better than runner-up Matt Slowinski.

Business

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    A page of “Today’s Deals” appears on the screen of an iPhone. As the number of people who use iPhones and other smartphones grows, companies selling everything from hardware to high fashion are touting new applications meant to spur shopping with a smartphone.

    Mobile shopping: More buzz than buy so far
    Associated Press
    When it comes to mobile shopping, so far there’s more buzz than buy. As the number of people who use iPhones and other smartphones grows, companies selling everything from hardware to high fashion are touting all the new applications they’re rolling out that enable shoppers to do anything from check a store’s inventory while in the dressing room to order prescriptions.

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    AT&T is offering a new app that sends a message that you're driving at the time and cannot text back.

    New AT&T app sends autoreply text while you're driving
    By Anna Marie Kukec
    AT&T Inc., which has its Midwest headquarters in Hoffman Estates, has launched a new app called DriveMode. It's like an out-of-office autoreply, but instead it's for your car while you're driving.

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    Aon Hewitt surveyed 1,494 large U.S. companies in June and July, which revealed a 2.9 percent base salary increase projection in 2012 for salaried exempt (employees who do not receive overtime pay), executives, salaried nonexempt (employees who receive overtime pay) and nonunion hourly workers.

    Survey: Pay raises consistent with recent trends
    PRNewswire
    While there is projected to be a slight uptick in salary increases in 2012 compared to 2011, companies will continue to place the greatest focus on variable pay, according to a survey from Aon Hewitt.

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    Asian stocks climbed Thursday following gains on Wall Street that were driven by positive manufacturing data and hopes that the Federal Reserve may to unveil another round of stimulus.

    Asian stocks rally following gains on Wall Street
    Associated Press
    World stocks struggled to hold onto the week’s gains as early declines on European markets on Thursday pared gains in Asian markets earlier in the day. Oil rose fell below $89 a barrel while the dollar strengthened against the euro and the yen.

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    The Farmers’ Almanac’s publishers still continue the tradition started in 1910 of pre-drilling holes in the corner for hanging on an outhouse hook.

    In Farmers’ Almanac, folksy meets the future
    Associated Press
    The Farmers’ Almanac has a hole punched in the corner, made for hanging it on a hook in the outhouse “library” in the olden days. These days, though, there are some higher-tech options, including social networks, cell phones and e-readers.Known for forecasts that use an old-fashioned formula, the almanac now has a mobile website for smart phones and nearly 6,000 followers on Twitter. More than 30,000 people “like” the publication’s Facebook page. By year’s end there’ll be software applications for Kindle, Nook and iPad.Karen Shackles, of Dillon, Colo., follows the almanac on Twitter and Facebook, checks its website and receives its email newsletter. She likes the folksy style of the almanac and appreciates its embrace of technology. She and her husband use the information for their snow-plowing business.“We try to reach out to see who is giving some long-range forecasts and then we go through them all and put them together and come up with what we might expect for the winter,” she said. “The Farmers’ Almanac is one of the best sources for long-range forecasts.”The latest version of the annually updated almanac, released this week, is predicting stormier-than-usual weather this winter from the Middle Atlantic to New England. Its reclusive weather prognosticator, who works under the pseudonym Caleb Weatherbee, sums it up as a winter of “Clime and Punishment.”“This one is definitely wet, and definitely stormy,” said Editor Peter Geiger. “Depending upon where you are, it’s going to be either snow or rain.”Elsewhere, the weather formula dating to the 1800s suggests it’ll be colder than usual in the Upper Midwest and wetter than usual in the Pacific Northwest.Conventional forecasters don’t put much stock in the almanac formula that uses sunspots, planetary alignment and tidal action, nor do they for its main competitor, the New Hampshire-based Old Farmers’ Almanac, which will be released later this month.Kathy Vreeland, with the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University, suggests the almanac takes “artistic license” with its long-term forecasts.“It’s tradition. It’s folklore. And it’s fun,” Vreeland said. “That’s the whole thing. You don’t base your vacation on their forecast. You have fun with it.”The almanac has a mixed track record. In the last volume it called for a “fair, cold Christmas holiday” in the Northeast for Dec. 24-27, 2010. That’s when the region got clobbered by a blizzard that dumped more than two feet of snow and crippled cities for days.On the other hand, it called for a hurricane threat to the Southeast between Aug. 28 and 31 this year. Hurricane Irene made landfall in North Carolina on Aug. 27 — though critics may note that predicting a hurricane in August is like shooting fish in a barrel.Geiger said people shouldn’t be surprised that the almanac’s website gets 21 million page views each year, has 32,000 fans on Facebook and a large Twitter following.But the print version isn’t going away. The almanac has a circulation of 4 million, including retail editions and promotional versions given away by businesses.The forecast, along with recipes, brainteasers, trivia and tips for resourceful living, comprise a formula that’s largely unchanged from the first publication in 1818.Editors of the Farmers’ Almanac said a theme of self-reliance and simplicity espoused by the almanac is resonating with younger readers because of the sour economy.“Nowadays people want to get back to the basics again. They want to live a more affordable, smart kind of life,” said Sandi Duncan, the publication’s managing editor. “Let’s face it — the economy has forced people to get back to the basics, to live within their means.”

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    Gold falls a second day in london as stronger dollar cuts demand
    Bloomberg
    Gold declined for a second day in London as a stronger dollar curbed demand for the metal as an alternative investment.The dollar climbed to the highest level in almost two weeks versus the euro on concern that Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis may worsen. Gold typically moves inversely to the greenback. The Federal Reserve should be ready to consider more monetary easing even while it can’t be expected to eliminate some of the forces impeding economic growth, Fed Bank of Atlanta President Dennis Lockhart said yesterday.“Maybe it’s the stronger dollar that is hurting the price a little bit,” Daniel Briesemann, an analyst at Commerzbank AG, said today by phone from Frankfurt. Still, “gold should remain well supported. Investment demand for gold seems to be relatively robust.”Immediate-delivery gold fell $7.25, or 0.4 percent, to $1,818.47 an ounce by 10:49 a.m. in London. The metal reached a record $1,913.50 on Aug. 23 and climbed 12 percent in August, its best monthly performance since November 2009. Gold for December delivery was 0.6 percent lower at $1,821.50 on the Comex in New York.Bullion is in the 11th year of a bull market, the longest winning streak since at least 1920 in London, as investors seek to diversify away from equities and some currencies. The metal is up 28 percent this year, outperforming global stocks, commodities and Treasuries.‘Substantial’ MeasuresMinutes of the Aug. 9 Fed meeting showed policy makers favored “more substantial” measures to boost the U.S. economy than the current pledge to hold rates at a record low for the next two years. The Fed bought $600 billion in Treasuries from November through June. Reports this week may show U.S. manufacturing contracted for the first time in two years and employment slowed in August.“Any further policy easing is gold-supportive here, with U.S. currency yields set to remain ultra low, which could only serve as a short-term psychological boost to the broader market,” Andrey Kryuchenkov, an analyst at VTB Capital in London, wrote today in a report. “The broader market is still hoping for QE3 while bracing itself ahead of” economic data due to be released today and tomorrow, he said.Exchange-traded-product holdings were little changed at 2,144.5 metric tons yesterday, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Assets reached a record 2,216.8 tons on Aug. 8.The U.S. Mint sold 112,000 ounces of American Eagle gold coins last month, up 74 percent from July and the most since January, its website showed. Silver coin sales advanced 24 percent to 3.68 million ounces.Silver for immediate delivery fell 0.2 percent to $41.4688 an ounce. Platinum was down 0.3 percent at $1,841.35 an ounce. Palladium slipped 0.9 percent to $776.75 an ounce.--With assistance from Glenys Sim in Singapore. Editor: John DeaneTo contact the reporters on this story: Nicholas Larkin in London at nlarkin1bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Claudia Carpenter at ccarpenter2bloomberg.net.

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    High-rise tank is new solution in farming fish
    Associated Press
    KAMPERLAND, Netherlands — Adri Bout trawled Dutch waters for 25 years until he recognized the ocean’s limits. Now he raises 100 tons of turbot a year in a unique high-rise tank that has overcome some of farmed fishing’s most persistent problems.“I knew 20 years ago there is an end. When you keep fishing like this, the North Sea will be empty,” he says.When he started out, Bout knew nothing about aquaculture.Turning to neighbors and books for advice, he ran into headaches that plague enclosed farms like his: The fish suffered disease epidemics, he spent a fortune on energy to pump and heat water in his tanks, and he had to dispose of the fish waste without befouling the surrounding area.“We did everything by the book. But the books were wrong,” he said.Bout, 55, represents a pioneering breed in an industry seen as increasingly crucial to the world’s need for food stability while the oceans’ capabilities are dwindling. And as the crisis of the oceans becomes clearer, the term “sustainable farming” is gaining as much resonance for the sea as for land — and is just as difficult to achieve.Nearly half the fresh and sea water fish on the market is grown in cages along coasts, in lakes, or in tanks on land — some of them inside factory-like buildings with gleaming silver pipes and whirring water pumps.In the West, aquaculture is the new agribusiness. In 35 years, it has grown from a tiny specialty of small farmers to a largely corporate-controlled 52 million-ton industry worth nearly $100 billion in 2008, the last year for which the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has figures. The FAO says the world will need another 30 million tons a year within 20 years.But it comes at an environmental cost. As the global business exploded in the 1970s, coastlines and mangrove forests were destroyed to make way for open sea cages, and the waste dirtied the waters for miles around. Some fish would escape, spreading pathogens and weakened genes among wild populations.Like industrially grown cattle or chickens, some fish were raised in overcrowded and filthy tanks, wallowing in their own feces. Whether raised on land or at sea, the fish were dosed up with antibiotics against diseases rampant in unsanitary conditions.Bout was unusual in his willingness to lose vast sums of money with his trial-and-error methods — killing tens of thousands of fish in the process.Three years ago he took his turbot out of the standard meter-deep (three-feet) square concrete tank and put them in his experimental eight-tiered system. Each tier is a U-shaped fiberglass “raceway” 64 meters (210 feet) long with 15 centimeters (6 inches) of water and a swift current that sweeps away excrement and uneaten food pellets.Bout uses gravity to circulate the water eight times an hour — traditional farms change water once hourly — running it through cleansing filters each time it drops to the level below. He says his electricity costs are one-quarter of a similarly sized farm that uses standard tanks.He also doesn’t let organic waste go to waste. While other farms flush water back into the sea laden with untreated feces, he oxidizes it for plant fertilizer or food for shellfish.He discovered that disease-spreading bacteria thrive in water above 16.5 Centigrade (61.7 Fahrenheit), a temperature turbot can tolerate but is too cold for other ocean fish like bass or bream, which he once raised but abandoned. The fish grow more slowly in cool water but are free of disease, and Bout says he has not used medication for eight years. He also found that with cleaner the water the fish ate less, but grew faster.“Don’t ask me why,” he shrugged in an interview at Seafarm, his installation above the Oosterschelde estuary in southern Netherlands. “I’m a technician, not a biologist. I look for solutions.”

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    US online streaming site Hulu expands to Japan
    Associated Press
    TOKYO — U.S. online streaming site Hulu.com made its international debut Thursday by launching a subscription video service in Japan.The new service gives users unlimited on-demand access to popular American television shows and movies on computers, televisions, tablets and mobile devices for 1,480 yen ($19) per month.It is offering a one-month free trial in Japan, where those who register can watch — with or without subtitles — all six seasons of “Lost” or movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Armageddon.”“Today, we are taking a first, but important step to make good on our aspiration to serve customers all over the world,” Senior Vice President for International Johannes Larcher said in a statement.For the launch, Hulu signed licensing deals with major studios and TV networks including CBS, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox. It plans to later add content produced in Japan and elsewhere in Asia.It also entered an exclusive mobile marketing partnership with Japan’s biggest wireless carrier, NTT DoCoMo.In a blog post last month, Hulu said it chose Japan because Japanese audiences are “passionate about premium video content” and because Japan is a “major producer of world-class TV and feature films.”The company added that Japan is a particularly attractive market for delivering video over the Internet because of its extensive broadband penetration and the ubiquitous presence of Internet-connected mobile devices.Launched in 2008, Hulu is owned by NBCUniversal, News Corp., the Walt Disney Company and Providence Equity Partners.

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    Allstate lists cities with “America’s Best Drivers”
    PRNewswire
    Fort Collins, Colo., has the safest drivers in the nation, according to a report from the Allstate Insurance Company.

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    General Employment Enterprises to acquire Ashley Ellis
    PRNewswire
    General Employment Enterprises, Inc. said it has entered into an agreement to acquire Ashley Ellis LLC.

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    CKE implements Textura-Construction payment management
    PRNewswire
    CKE Restaurants Inc., the owner the Carl’s Jr. fast-casual dining chain, is now using Textura Corporation’s Construction Payment Management system to electronically manage the payment and lien waiver collection for all construction and remodels of their restaurants.

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    Grainger completes acquisition of Fabory Group
    PRNewswire
    Grainger announced it has completed its acquisition of Fabory Group, a leading European distributor of fasteners and related MRO products.

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    U.S. second-quarter productivity falls
    Bloomberg
    The productivity of U.S. workers fell more than previously estimated in the second quarter, pushing up labor costs after a record drop in 2010.

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    Jobless claims in U.S. fall by 12,000
    Bloomberg
    Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell last week as the influence of the strike at Verizon Communications Inc. waned.Jobless claims fell by 12,000 to 409,000 in the week ended Aug. 27, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington.

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    10 companies recall fuel gel for firepots
    Associated Press
    WASHINGTON — Ten companies are recalling 2 million bottles and jugs of the gel fuel used in outdoor decorations known as firepots because of the risk of serious burns.The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the gel fuel has been linked to several dozen injuries when users could not tell whether the flame was extinguished. Pouring more gel on a burning pot can lead to dangerous flares or burns. The companies recalling gel fuel are: Bird Brain Inc. of Ypsilanti, Mich.; Bond Manufacturing of Antioch, Calif.; Sunjel Company of Milwaukee; Fuel Barons Inc. of Lake Tahoe, Nev.; Lamplight Farms Inc, of Menomonee Falls, Wis.; Luminosities Inc. of St. Paul, Minn.; Marshall Group of Elkhart, Ind.; Pacific Decor Ltd. of Woodinwille, Wash.; Real Flame of Racine, Wis.; Smart Solar USA of Oldsmar, Fla.

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    BMW recalls 241,000 cars in U.S. for rear-light malfunction
    Bloomberg
    Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is recalling 241,000 3-Series cars in the U.S. because of a rear- light defect it says may cause crashes.The recall is for model years 2002-2005 of the 325i, 325xi, 330i and 330xi cars, the Munich-based company said today in a posting on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.Lights including tail, brake and turn signals may only work intermittently on the cars, BMW told the auto-safety regulator. This “reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver’s intentions” and “could cause a vehicle to crash without warning,” the company said.BMW yesterday recalled 120,000 diesel cars worldwide because of a defect that could cause filter heaters to keep running after engines are turned off and cause a fire.Mathias Schmidt, a BMW spokesman, didn’t immediately respond to a phone call seeking comment.

  •  
    The Justice Department filed suit Wednesday to block AT&T’s $39 billion deal to buy T-Mobile USA on grounds that it would raise prices for consumers. The government contends that the acquisition of the No. 4 wireless carrier in the country by No. 2 AT&T would reduce competition and that would lead to price increases.

    AT&T losing T-Mobile thwarts plans to fix dropped calls
    Bloomberg News
    The U.S. government’s effort to block the takeover of T-Mobile USA Inc. chokes off AT&T Inc.’s path to an expanded network and wrecks its plan to gain as much as $20 billion in airwaves to help handle surging call volume.

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    U.S. stock-index futures retreat
    Bloomberg News
    U.S. stock futures fell, indicating that the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index may snap a four-day rally, as investors await a report that may show manufacturing in the world’s largest economy shrank for the first time in two years.Alcoa Inc., the largest U.S. aluminum producer, dropped 1 percent lower as metal prices fell in London. Bank of New York Mellon Corp. may be active after Robert P. Kelly stepped down as chairman and chief executive officer.S&P 500 futures expiring in September lost 0.6 percent to 1,210.8 at 5:37 a.m. in New York. The benchmark measure had rallied 5.1 percent over the previous four trading days. Futures on the Dow Jones industrial average expiring the same month slid 49 points, or 0.4 percent, to 11,554.Stocks climbed Wednesday, capping the S&P 500’s biggest eight-day gain since 2009, after reports showed that U.S. business activity and factory orders expanded at a faster pace than economists had forecast. The gains helped the S&P 500 pare its August decline to 5.7 percent, still the biggest monthly sell-off since May 2010.A report due at 10 a.m. New York time today may show that U.S. manufacturing shrank last month, raising the risk that the slowing recovery may lose one of its biggest sources of strength, economists said.The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index fell to 48.5 in August from 50.9 in July, according to the median economist estimate in a Bloomberg News survey. The dividing line between expansion and contraction is 50, a level that the gauge last fell below in July 2009.Elsewhere, U.K. manufacturing shrank the most in more than two years in August, while an Australian manufacturing index slumped to its lowest level in at least two years. In China, a measure of the manufacturing industry stayed near the borderline between expansion and contraction.Alcoa lost 1 percent to $12.67 in German trading. Base metals fell, led by a retreat in copper, on concern that China’s plan to tame inflation may hurt demand. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said that a faltering global recovery and turbulence in financial markets have yet to convince his government to switch away from a focus on taming inflation.BNY Mellon might move in New York trading after the world’s biggest custody bank said Kelly stepped down as chairman and CEO after a dispute with directors over the way he ran the company. Kelly, 57, who had led the bank since 2007, left by “mutual agreement” with the board, the company said yesterday in a statement. His successor is Gerald L. Hassell, 59, who has been president of BNY Mellon since 1998.

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    Associated Press Olympus Corp. worker Masaharu Hamada speaks after a high court that reversed an earlier decision and awarded damages to a worker who suffered retaliation through a transfer in Tokyo. The Tokyo High Court ordered the Japanese camera and precision-equipment maker to pay 2.2 million yen ($29,000) to Hamada, who sued Olympus in 2008, demanding 10 million yen ($130,000) in damages, for transferring him from a sales division where he had a strong work record to a more solitary assignment.

    Japanese whistle-blower wins damages in high court
    Associated Press
    TOKYO — The still fledgling protection for whistle-blowers in Japan received a boost Wednesday by a high court that reversed an earlier decision and awarded damages to a worker who suffered retaliation through a transfer.The Tokyo High Court ordered Japanese camera and precision-equipment maker Olympus Corp. to pay 2.2 million yen ($29,000) to Masaharu Hamada for transferring him from a sales division where he had a strong work record to a more solitary assignment.Hamada sued Olympus in 2008, demanding 10 million yen ($130,000) in damages, saying the transfer was punishment for relaying a supplier’s complaint that employees with technological expertise were being lured away by Olympus. According to reports, Hamada first relayed the complaint to his boss, then to the company’s compliance unit.“I thought I did the right thing for my company and for society. Something is wrong when an honest person loses out,” the 50-year-old Hamada was quoted saying by the Asahi newspaper after his victory.Olympus said in a statement the ruling was “regrettable” and it was still considering whether it will appeal to the Supreme Court.Japan is a conformist society that tends to respect the power of companies and demand unquestioning loyalty. A law to protect whistle-blowers was enacted only in 2006. But critics say it is still inadequate since it does not penalize companies that punish employees who report bad company conduct or actions.Whistle-blowers still need to file lawsuits if they wish to win damages or draw attention.Last year, the Tokyo District Court ruled against Hamada, saying a company had the right to dole out assignments. The latest ruling reversed the earlier finding and said the company had violated its own internal laws by not protecting Hamada.Numerous corporate scandals have been brought to light by whistle-blowers — a systematic cover-up of defects at Mitsubishi Motors Corp., illicit pocketing of government subsidies at Snow Brand Foods, and nuclear plant defects at Tokyo Electric Power Co., the utility behind the nuclear disaster in northeastern Japan.“Whistle-blowers are still seen in Japan as traitors who go against the system,” said Hiroaki Kushioka, who exposed price-rigging at his trucking company 30 years ago, and was confined for years to a closet-like office, denied promotion and pressured to quit. He sued for damages in 2002, and won a landmark victory in 2005.“In Japan, it is all about the sake of the team, and not about the individual at all,” he said.

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    Timid consumers, nuke shutdown hurt German growth
    Associated Press
    Weaker spending by consumers worried about Europe’s debt crisis and the shutdown of eight nuclear plants were key factors behind Germany’s poor growth performance in the second quarter, the state statistics agency said Thursday.

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    A models plays a game on Sony’s new tablet computer Tablet S during a launch event in Tokyo, Thursday. The wedge-shaped Tablet S, about the size of an iPad, can double as a universal remote control. Sony said the Tablet S is going on sale on Sept. 17 in Japan.

    With new tablets, Sony takes aim at iPad in Japan
    Associated Press
    Sony Corp. said Thursday it wants to become the biggest player in Japan’s growing Android tablet market by changing the way the devices are used. The Japanese electronics and entertainment giant unveiled its first tablets to the rest of the world Wednesday, diving into the intense race at home and abroad to catch Apple’s iPad.

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    South Korea’s inflation rate hits three-year high
    Associated Press
    South Korea’s monthly inflation rate rose to its highest level in three years in August as price gains accelerate despite a series of interest rate hikes and slowing economic growth.

Life & Entertainment

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    Vera Farmiga directs and stars in “Higher Ground.”

    Vera Farmiga tries her hand at directing
    By Dann Gire
    Is there a secret formula when an actress decides to become a director? Vera Farmiga thinks so. “More than half the battle is surrounding yourself with an army of capable people," she told Dann Gire about her new movie, "Higher Ground."

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    Eric (Jason Sudeikis), left, and Mike (Tyler Labine) decide to throw “A Good Old-Fashioned Orgy” for their friends during Labor Day Weekend.

    Sudeikis stars in tasteless sex comedy
    By Dann Gire
    Mike, an overgrown frat boy played by Tyler Labine, summarizes this movie best when he shouts, “This is the worst orgy ever!” Contrary to its misleading positive adjective, “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy” qualifies as the worst orgy comedy ever.

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    Virtual Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman drops back to look for an open receiver in “Madden NFL 12.”

    Solid ‘Madden NFL 12' a minor step forward
    Associated Press
    “Madden NFL 12” is a solid game when judged individually. EA Tiburon again upped the ante in the game's visuals, lighting and presentation, but the tweaks seem far less significant than in previous years.

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    Connie Smith's “Long Line of Heartaches”

    Connie Smith's return a reason to celebrate
    Associated Press
    Hardcore country fans always have heralded Connie Smith as one of the great voices of her generation. So when her new album, “Long Line of Heartaches,” opens with the words “Here we go again,” her legion of fans will rejoice.

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    Eddie Sparkes (Timothy Gulan, center left) and Dixie Leonard (Michele Ragusa) entertain U.S. soldiers during three wars in Marriott Theatre's "For The Boys," directed and choreographed by Marc Robin.

    Performances strong, but ‘Boys' material weak
    By Barbara Vitello
    Marriott Theatre's world premiere of "For The Boys" boasts a strong cast and director, but needs a better foundation.

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    Brittney Block has a hard time deciding between the Windy City Summer Peach, Chicago Cherry Brew and the Local Luxe Lemon Drop at Salt Sports Bar.

    Salt Sports Bar steps into the spotlight
    By Deborah Pankey
    If you've driven through The Arboretum of South Barrington, you've probably passed by a sleek, modern lounge and didn't realize it. Salt Sports Bar is the cushy lounge inside the newly renovated iPic movie theaters.

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    “Russian Dolls” cast member Diana Kosov discusses the controversial Lifetime reality show, which has been called the Russian “Jersey Shore” or “Real Housewives.”

    Reality show ‘Russian Dolls' stirs controversy
    Associated Press
    The colorful new TV reality show “Russian Dolls,” which premiered on Lifetime in August, has been called the Russian “Jersey Shore” or “Real Housewives.” But not everyone is happy with those labels.

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    Cher has posted several tweets supporting Chaz Bono's decision to participate in the celebrity dance competition series, "Dancing with the Stars."

    Cher takes to Twitter to defend Chaz Bono on 'DWTS'
    Associated Press
    Cher is taking to Twitter to defend her son Chaz Bono. The superstar posted several tweets Wednesday defending his participation on the upcoming season of "Dancing With the Stars." Bono is the first transgender competitor on the hit ABC show.

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    Lyricist Sonia Walsk (Dara Cameron) and composer Vernon Gersch (Michael Mahler) head off for a spontaneous romantic getaway in Fox Valley Repertory’s production of the 1979 Broadway musical comedy “They’re Playing Our Song.”

    Fox Valley Rep delivers with ‘Song’
    By Scott Morgan
    Fox Valley Rep's "They're Playing Our Song" becomes a fun disco-era date-night musical comedy thanks in large part to the performances of husband-and-wife team Michael Mahler and Dara Cameron.

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    Conductor Ignat Solzhenitsyn will open the Elgin Symphony Orchestra's 62nd season with an all-Russian program Sept. 23-25 at the Hemmens Cultural Center.

    Guest conductors to guide ESO season
    By Bill Gowen
    The Elgin Symphony Orchestra is ready to open its 62nd season Sept. 23-25 at the Hemmens Cultural Center with an all-Russian program under the baton of Ignat Solzhenitsyn, one of five guest conductors engaged for the 2011-12 season.

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    A dash of spicy Thai sauce makes chicken salad a company-worth meal.

    Thai sauce spices up chicken salad
    By Alicia Ross with Beverly Mills
    Usually when I'm eating salad in a restaurant, I can figure out the ingredients. Today's recipe for Courtyard Bistro Asian Chicken Salad With Chili-Lime Vinaigrette is an exception. (The chefs at Marriott headquarters in Washington, D.C., were kind enough to share their recipe.)

Discuss

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    Worthy goal should become a model
    Daily Herald Editorial Board
    Weight issues are both a growing problem and a local problem, and a coalition of public and private agencies in the Schaumburg area is launching a new initiative to attack it. Good for them, says a Daily Herald editorial.

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    ‘Purple’ Colorado brews up a leader
    By George Will
    Gov. Hickenlooper has not endorsed the attempt to get a court to overturn what voters did in limiting, with a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, the legislature’s ability to raise taxes. He says, “We are such a purple state” — Colorado is about one-third Republican, one-third Democrat and one-third unaffiliated — “we can avoid the big fights.”

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    Wide, interesting variety etched on face of the suburbs
    By Jim Slusher
    If you buy the stereotype of the suburbs as bland and vanilla, you clearly need to be reading the newspaper more, says columnist Jim Slusher.

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    Kudos to Herald for mental illness editorial
    Letter to the Editor: I want to applaud the stance the Daily Herald editorial board took with the Aug. 22 editorial, “Should we really be laughing at this?” While validating the sadness of any violent act, and acknowledging that the victims deserve justice, you also stated that most violent acts usually have an underlying, deeper issue, and it is often mental illness.

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    Our problems really started in 1787
    Can what a majority of 55 delegates did at the Federal Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 be undone? Their experiment in government was not noble and not great, and it has gone awry.

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    Can we go back to being capitalists?
    “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Multiply that by a trillion, and you’ve got an economic stimulus that’ll actually work. Then we can go back to being capitalists.

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    Lower taxes not translating into jobs
    Our federal personal tax level is the lowest since after World War II. So where are the jobs? Former President Bush put us into a very expensive war in Iraq. At the same time, he lowered taxes. How did he expect to pay for this folly?

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    Why term limits are a good idea
    The burden falls on the middle class to vote out of office every current representative, senator and our liberal president. No elected official should be in office more than two terms, receive any pension credit while in office, receive a salary increase or have special medical coverage other than Medicare while in office.

  •  

    Facio stories have no place on Page 1
    Letter to the Editor: Your front page story on that less than human thing (Angel Facio) doesn’t make for beginning a morning over and I actually feel angry over it and feel it’s truly a poor choice for a front page.

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    Tax pledge taints Dold vote
    A Palatine letter to the editor: I read the letter from Rep. Dold in the Aug. 14 Fence Post in which it appears he is trying very hard to cover his backside from some very shortsighted decisions he has made recently

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    Remember water safety this holiday
    A Fox Lake letter to the editor: On Sept. 2, 1986, five people lost their lives in a horrific boat crash on Fox Lake. Twenty five years later, let this be a reminder to those who think speed and drinking are part of the boating experience.

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