Daily Archive : Sunday September 18, 2011
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News
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Obama offers his own deficit reduction package
In a blunt rejoinder to congressional Republicans, President Barack Obama called for $1.5 trillion in new taxes Monday, part of a total 10-year deficit reduction package totaling more than $3 trillion. "We can't just cut our way out of this hole," the president said.
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Children’s advocates receive $500,000 grant for kids in need
To develop innovative new systems that alleviate the length of time abused children have to wait for mental health services, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded the CCAC a $500,000 grant to spearhead the Providing Access Toward Hope and Healing Collaboration.
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Air show crash scene reflects violence of impact
The scene of a Reno air race crash that killed nine people reveals the violence of the plane’s missile-like impact a crater in the tarmac roughly 3 feet deep and 8 feet across with debris spread out over more than an acre.
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Strauss-Kahn acknowledges moral failings with maid
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, acknowledged Sunday his sexual encounter with a New York hotel maid was a “moral failing” on his part, but didn't involve any violence. Strauss-Kahn told France's TF1 television channel what happened between him and the maid, Nafissatou Diallo, “did not involve violence, constraint or aggression.”
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Itascan Miss Arab USA wants to challenge stereotypes
As a girl in Itasca, Christina Rafidia introduced hummus to classmates in her Catholic grade school. Now, as the newly crowned Miss Arab USA, the 22-year-old is still educating folks about what it means to be an Arab woman.
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India-Nepal-Tibet earthquake death toll up to 50
Rescue workers used shovels and their bare hands to pull bodies from the debris of collapsed buildings Monday, as the death toll from an earthquake that hit northeast India, Nepal and Tibet rose to 50.
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Bold fashion choices on the Emmy Awards' red carpet
There were no shrinking violets on the Emmy Awards red carpet Sunday night, with stars wearing bold red as well as strapless necklines and more than a little bit of glitter.
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Gen X: All revved up, no place to go
Generation X, 46 million Americans born between 1965 and 1978, are ambitious, squeezed by debt and frustrated by people who aren’t retiring on schedule. More than a third hope to leave their jobs in three years, a survey found.
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Dispute still burns at Perry, Bush camps
Here’s the still-beating heart of the rift between Texas Gov. Rick Perry and his predecessor, George W. Bush: When Bush was governor he refused to appoint Perry’s brother-in-law to the Texas appeals court bench.
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Questions about Valerie Percy murder outlive her father
If you believe in heaven, then Chuck Percy, the former Illinois senator who died over the weekend, finally can answer the questions he never could in life: who murdered his daughter, Valerie, and why? Percy died in Washington on Saturday, almost 45 years to the day after his daughter was brutally murdered in the family's Kenilworth home.
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Quest for air show thrills endangering public?
The World War II-era plane that plummeted into an air-race crowd like a missile in Reno, Nev., bore little resemblance to its original self. It was rebuilt for speed, if not for stability.
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State trooper injured in I-94 crash near Deerfield
An Illinois State Police vehicle was involved in a crash on the Tri-State Tollway near Deerfield this afternoon, a police spokesman confirmed.
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Officer recognized for rescue of elderly woman, dog
A 20-year veteran of the North Aurora Police Department will be awarded with one of the highest honors an officer can receive from the department. Patrol Officer Randal Voss will be presented with the Medal of Distinguished Service tonight for rescuing an elderly woman and her dog after a downed power line sparked a fire in her home July 11.
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Rain keeps runners cool at Fox Valley Marathon Races
While spectators who lined the course Sunday for the Fox Valley Marathon Races may have preferred sunny skies and warmer temperatures, the morning's cool, damp weather was appreciated by the estimated 1,550 runners who took part in the second annual event.
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Festival celebrates prairie work in Lombard
The eighth annual Prairie Days Festival took place Sunday at Terrace View Park. The event served as a showcase for, and celebration of, efforts by the Lombard Garden Club and Lombard Park District to restore a prairie site at the park.
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American Indian culture honored at Busse Woods powwow
Busse Woods resounded with the beat of drums Sunday, as the Forest Preserve of Cook County and the American Indian Center of Chicago held their first Traditional Pow-Wow at the Busse Boating Center Grove #24.
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Rain cancels several suburban events
Sunday’s rain, while not of the catastrophic variety, did spoil a few suburban events planned for the day, including West Chicago’s Mexican Independence Day Celebration and a skateboarding competition in Batavia.
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Lost iPhone just one headache for Apple security
A day after a recent report surfaced that an Apple employee had lost a prototype for a new but unreleased iPhone at a Northern California watering hole, two job listings appeared on Apple’s website for managers of “new product security.”
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Images: Weekend Festival Review
There were no shortages of festivals in the suburbs over the weekend. The festivals we photographed this weekend were Palatine Oktoberfest, Hoffman Estates Germanfest, Des Plaines Fall Fest, Lake Villa Civil War Days, Aurora's Parade of Nations, West Dundee Heritage Fest, and Lombard Prairie Days.
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Illinois poverty growing as state help shrinks
Illinois legislators chopped the Department of Human Services budget by hundreds of millions of dollars, including $4.7 million for homeless services. The result is that many of the state’s poorest and most vulnerable are left with fewer options and more uncertainty even as census data shows Illinois grappling with its highest poverty rate in nearly two decades as the jobless rate rises.
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Eleanor Mondale, daughter of Walter Mondale, dies
Eleanor Mondale, the vivacious daughter of former Vice President Walter Mondale who carved out her own reputation as an entertainment reporter, radio show host and gossip magnet, has died at her home in Minnesota. She was 51.
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Antioch man arrested on multiple drug felonies
A 24-year-old Antioch man faces felony drug charges after police say officers found him with heroin, OxyContin and marijuana during a traffic stop last week. Michael A. Haugen could face up to five years in prison if convicted of the most serious of the allegations.
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State treasurer's mailing sent to big-name donors
A state-funded mailing was sent to 850 Illinois residents this summer touting the accomplishments of new state Treasurer Dan Rutherford. Most of those who who got the brochure were his campaign donors, a fact that Rutherford says is just a coincidence.
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Post-WWII plane pilot dies in W.Va. air show crash
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The pilot of a post-World War II plane died Saturday after crashing into a runway and bursting into flames, the second deadly air show crash in 24 hours.
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Bush, Perry rift roots in nixed in-law appointment
AUSTIN, Texas — Here’s the still-beating heart of the rift between Texas Gov. Rick Perry and his predecessor, George W. Bush: When Bush was governor he refused to appoint Perry’s brother-in-law to the Texas appeals court bench. With Perry now running for president, the spotlight is shining on the tense relationship between the two Texans and their allied camps.
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Officials: Suspected US drone crashes in Pakistan
Associated PressDERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — Pakistani intelligence officials say a suspected U.S. drone has crashed in northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border.The officials say the drone crashed Saturday night near Jangara village in the South Waziristan tribal area and that the Taliban got hold of the drone debris.
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UBS CEO not resigning in trading scandal
GENEVA — Oswald Gruebel, the chief executive of Swiss banking giant UBS, says he feels responsible — but not guilty — for the $2 billion loss allegedly incurred by a rogue trader that plunged the bank back into scandal just as it was rebuilding its tattered reputation.
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Oldest child of late Sen. Ted Kennedy dies
WASHINGTON — Kara Kennedy, the oldest child of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, died at a Washington-area health club, her brother said Saturday. She was 51.Patrick Kennedy, a former congressman from Rhode Island, said his sister died Friday.“She’s with dad,” Patrick Kennedy said. Their father died in 2009 at age 77 after battling a brain tumor.
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Deal to free 2 Americans jailed in Iran hits snag
TEHRAN, Iran — A bail-for-freedom deal for two Americans jailed as spies in Iran hit a snag Sunday because a judge whose signature is needed on the bail papers was on vacation, the prisoners’ lawyer said, dashing hopes for their immediate release.
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Hanover Township hosts Health and Wellness Expo
Hanover Township, Cook County Commissioner Timothy Schneider and Victory Centre of Bartlett will host the fourth annual Health and Wellness Expo from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22. It will take place at the Victory Centre and township Senior Center, southwest corner of Bartlett Road and Route 59, Bartlett.
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Palatine Jaycees cancel Sept. 24 garage sale
The Palatine Jaycees announced it canceled the garage sale that was set to take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 on the fourth floor of the Gateway Center parking garage.
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Foreclosure seminar Oct. 5 in Hoffman Estates
To assist local families who are struggling with mortgage payments, and possible foreclosure, state Rep. Fred Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, has arranged a foreclosure seminar featuring people from the Illinois attorney general’s office, Bank of America and Chase Bank 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at the Schaumburg Township Administration building, 1 Illinois Blvd., Hoffman Estates.
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Carpentersville motorists to yield for Liberty students
A Carpentersville study that examines the feasibility of placing speed tables near the four schools that lost their crossing guards this school year, concludes the devices are not the answer to helping children safely cross the street in school zones.
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Uncertain future on the Arlington Park backstretch
The stalemate over slots at Arlington Park threatens a way of life for the largely invisible backstretch workers. Betting is down almost 20 percent over the last two years. "No one's given up hope," said Dee Poulos, a Palatine resident and trainer for nearly four decades.
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Aurora couple’s children’s book highlights Chicago landmarks
The husband and wife writing team of Tad and France Mitchell recently published their first children’s book, “Where Is the Sears Tower?,” following the story of Peter Pigeon, who flies from the University of Notre Dame to Chicago to visit his grandfather.
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Former boss recalls character of Cmdr. Dan Shanower
Naperville business owner Basim Esmail hired Dan Shanower as a stock boy in the 1980s and was impressed with him - as an employee and as a man - long before he became a Naval intelligence officer who died in the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon.
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Artist lauds the past in Barrington library exhibit
The latest art exhibit at the Barrington Area Library’s Gallery is provocative, funny and one-of-a-kind. “Opposing Forces” is the title of the new exhibit created by Barrington photographer and artist Kelly Stachura. The exhibit is part of a series in which various artists “take on the library,” addressing the role of libraries within communities.
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Sometimes our felines need our attention to play
Do you have a pile of cat toys that your feline simply ignores? Perhaps the missing ingredient is your company. Even in a multi-cat household where the animals have each other to play with, they still expect our interaction at playtime. I often tell my pride of felines to play together, but often they just ignore my advice and start bringing me toys instead.
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Soviet childhood: a journey from Lenin to the Bible
This autumn sees a slew of 20th anniversaries for the once mighty Soviet Union a failed coup, the end of Communist rule, and finally the breakup of the superpower itself. AP's Nataliya Vasilyeva reflects on her Soviet childhood and the epic final months of 1991
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Single moms seek way out of poverty
Carletha Currie is determined to escape what she calls “the poverty mentality.” She had her first child at 17 and applied for a Link card, subsidized housing, Medicaid and any other benefit for which she qualified. Now 28, she created an organization called Mothers on the Move for Success, or MOMS. Members of the group met recently to craft a mission statement: “To empower mothers to reach their...
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Collection shows love of trains
Memories ride the rails of the HO gauge model train layout in a room of Jerry McRoberts’ Charleston home that was specially built for what has been a hobby of a lifetime. “I’ve been building models since I was a kid,” the retired Eastern Illinois University professor said. And since he was a kid, his life has revolved in some manner around the railroad and the trains he grew up riding.
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Colombia’s ex-president makes waves, in and out of office
Presidents typically quit the limelight when their terms end, ease into contemplative repose, perhaps pen a memoir, and stay out of their successors’ hair. Not Alvaro Uribe. Thirteen months after leaving office, the feisty conservative barnstorms around Colombia like a candidate, picks fights in combative Twitter blasts and heaps criticism on his successor.
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Mills closed, New Hampshire city seeks new options
For decades, life in Berlin, N.H., involved a trade-off: Its giant pulp mill provided abundant jobs but also polluted its river with noxious-smelling chemicals. The rotten-egg smell is gone now, but so are the mill jobs. City leaders are scrambling to sustain community spirit and conjure up new economic options in the face of relentless bad breaks.
Sports
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Painful experience for Cutler, Bears
If you can't protect your quarterback in passing situations, you better be able to run the ball. That's a lesson the Bears had better learn soon or they'll have many more games like the 30-13 butt-kicking they took Sunday from the Saints. Quarterback Jay Cutler was beaten and beaten up. “We'll find out tomorrow,” Cutler said when asked the obvious question: How do you feel? “I'm probably going to be pretty sore.”
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Forte’s efforts not enough for Bears
Matt Forte was outstanding in his homecoming, but his Bears teammates were not.
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At this pace, Cutler will never survive Bears season
Though it seemed like it couldn’t possibly be worse than last year for Jay Cutler, the beating he's taking is already worse than a year ago. Despite the cheerleading for an offensive line that was dreadful a year ago and reportedly world class after a couple of meaningless preseason quarters, the truth is the line was nothing special against Atlanta and truly horrible against New Orleans.
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‘Weird’ day for ex-Bear Kreutz
Former Bears center Olin Kreutz remained true to his personality when he refused to turn the matchup against his old team into a circus.“It was no more than we needed a win,” Kreutz said Sunday after his new team, the New Orleans Saints, buried the Bears 30-13.
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Rose completes wire-to-wire run, claims BMW Championship
As he did the first three days of the BMW Championship in Lemont, Justin Rose finished the day atop the leader board. His final-round, even-par 71 on a rainy day and 13-under total, good for a 2-shot win over John Senden, gave the 31-year-old from Johannesburg, South Africa his third PGA Tour win.
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BMW winner Rose drives one home for Dubsdread
The last man standing — or at least the last golfer to enter the BMW Championship media room — got in one last critique on Cog Hill's Dubsdread course.And guess what?Justin Rose gushed about it.The tournament will be played at Crooked Stick in Indiana next year, and there are no definitive plans to bring it back to Cog Hill. The course was criticized repeatedly by the players during the week.“Yes, I will miss it (if it doesn't return),” said Rose, after his 13-under total gave him a 2-stroke win over John Senden. “I really don't (understand) the criticism that it gets. I don't think it's that justified. I think the course is a very strategic golf course. It tells you to play it a certain way, and if you don't play it that way, you will get punished out there.“It was in phenomenal shape this year,” Rose added. “They did a great job righting the ship from last year, when it wasn't in such good shape. I think everybody here at Cog Hill actually deserves praise.”They're in: The top 30 players in the FedExCup playoffs are moving on to The Tour Championship in Atlanta.Those who moved up in the standings were champion Justin Rose (from 34th to third), John Senden (55th to ninth) and Geoff Ogilvy (69th to 24th).Ogilvy, who finished third (3 shots behind Rose), was the only player to shoot in the 60s all four rounds. He book-ended a pair of 68s with 69s. He also made the Presidents Cup team.“I was viewing the week as a win-win, really,” Ogilvy said. “If I did well enough to get to Atlanta, then there was a bonus: I get another golf tournament. And finishing in the top 30 is always a feather in your cap because it's very hard to do.“If I didn't, then I get an extra week to spend with my kids next week at home and get an extra week off and start my vacation a little bit early.”They're out: Those players failing to advance to Atlanta included Rory Sabbatini, who dropped from 26th to 35th, Charl Schwartzel (27th to 32nd) and Kyle Stanley (30th to 34th).Super Spiderman: Camilo “Spiderman” Villegas stuck a Sunday-low 66 on the board. He had 9 birdies and 4 bogeys, including on No. 18, when he missed a putt from just inside 4 feet.“An easy putt,” said Villegas, who fired a 32 on the back nine. “I just pushed it a little bit. (But) it was a fun day. It's a challenge out there.”Villegas tied for sixth at 6 under. The 2008 BMW Championship winner finished 33rd in the playoffs.
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Bears’ Urlacher just talks football
Brian Urlacher attended his mother’s funeral in Lovington, N.M., on Saturday and was in his usual spot at middle linebacker on Sunday.The seven-time Pro Bowl player did not want to address personal questions after the game but acknowledged the support he received in the days since his mother’s passing last Monday. “I’ve got great teammates,” Urlacher said. “It was a football game, you know? I came to get ready, just like I normally do."
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Grading the Bears in Week 2
Grading the Bears in Week 2
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Receivers fall short in Bears loss
Among other things, Bears wide receivers weren’t so hot at hot reads in Sunday’s 30-13 beating at the hands of the blitzing New Orleans Saints in the Superdome.The Saints and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams figured to bring every blitz known to man in their quasi-46 defensive scheme, and it was up to Bears wide receivers to know when and where to shorten their routes for quarterback Jay Cutler. The 6 sacks taken, a critical lost fumble on a sack, and only 8 passes completed to the five wide receivers active for the game testify to the fact that some pre-snap reads were missed by either receivers or Cutler.
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Blackhawks’ Morin feeling ‘pretty good’
The Blackhawks are playing it safe with rookie winger Jeremy Morin as he recovers from a concussion suffered last January.
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Emery just happy to have a chance with Blackhawks
Goalie Ray Emery, in training camp on a tryout with the Blackhawks, has gone through a lot to play hockey again since undergoing radical hip surgery in April 2010.
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Cubs lose 3-2 after video replay
Cubs manager Mike Quade made a pretty good show of objecting to a call in the eighth inning. After Chicago’s 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday, he was humble in admitting he was wrong.
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Amid all the turmoil, Paul Konerko stands tall
Don't blame Paul Konerko for the White Sox' miserable season. The veteran first baseman has 30 or more home runs and 100-plus RBI for the fifth time in his career after going deep in Sunday's 10-5 win at Kansas City.
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This Bears season not so pain free
Last year's luck with injuries has run out for the Bears. Now they're actually going to have to rely on having enough depth to survive a 16-game regular season. Sunday they weren't deep enough or good enough and the Saints hammered them.
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Bears-Saints scoring plays
How they scored: Saints 30, Bears 13
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Images: Bears vs. Saints
The 1-0 Chicago Bears headed south to face the 0-1 New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome on Sunday. The Saints won the game 30-13.
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Cubs scouting report
Cubs scouting report
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A.J., Paulie help Sox snap losing streak
A.J. Pierzynski homered twice among his four hits and drove in four runs as the Chicago White Sox snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 10-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
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Brees' 3 TDs lead Saints past Bears, 30-13
Drew Brees kept New Orleans' offense rolling, and Jay Cutler had little chance of keeping up against a Saints defense determined to regain an intimidating edge. Brees threw for three touchdowns, New Orleans' defense beat up on Cutler with six sacks, and the Saints defeated the Chicago Bears 30-13 on Sunday.
Business
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Free financial advice hitting 30 cities in October
Help from a financial expert doesn’t have to cost a dime. For the second year in a row, a series of free clinics called “Financial Planning Days” will hit 30 cities around the country in October. Organizers say the goal is to provide guidance to the growing number of individuals struggling with money problems in this difficult economic climate.The Details The day-long clinics will feature workshops on topics such as budgeting, foreclosure, taxes, managing debt and paying for college. The events will also feature one-on-one sessions with financial planning professionals. To register, call 877-861-7826 or go to go to www.FinancialPlanningDays.com, which also lists the cities where events are planned. Registration isn’t required but is encouraged so organizers can plan accordingly. Organizers say event volunteers will not pitch financial products, including their own services. Background The events are being sponsored by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, the Financial Planning Association, the Foundation for Financial Planning and The U.S. Conference of Mayors. If you’re not able to attend one of the sessions this year, keep in mind that free or low-cost financial help is available year-round from nonprofit credit counselors. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling maintains a database of counselors around the country at www.nfcc.org.
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Why your credit/debit cards are security risk
The next time you swipe your credit card at check-out, consider this: It’s a ritual the rest of the world deems outdated and unsafe. The United States is the only developed country still hanging on to credit and debit cards with those black magnetic stripes, the kind you swipe through retail terminals. The rest of the industrialized world has switched — or is in the process of switching — to “smart” chip-based cards.
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Fund managers have bleak outlook on European crisis
Mutual fund managers who invest abroad say the key reason is that Greece’s struggle isn’t the only crisis the European Union faces. It’s merely the most imminent one, and a default could ripple throughout European banks. Here are four things that investors need to know.
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Poll: 72% see economy on wrong course
Americans’ pessimism about the economy has deepened and confidence in both political parties has fallen with only 20 percent saying the country is on the right course even as they remain divided over solutions. A majority say it will take at least six more years for home values in their community to recover to pre-recession levels.
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Biggest blind spot for car buyers? Financing
Car buyers are getting smarter about negotiating prices. Securing cheap financing is another matter. It’s a common blind spot for consumers, who tend to fixate on the sticker price without giving much thought to the back end of the deal. Yet high interest rates and add-on services can sharply push up the cost of owning a car.
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No more mail? What would Ben Franklin think?
Imagine a nation without the Postal Service. No more birthday cards and bills or magazines and catalogs filling the mailbox. It’s a worst-case scenario being painted for an organization that lost $8.5 billion in 2010 and seems headed deeper into the red this year. “A lot of people would miss it,” says Tony Conway, a 34-year post office veteran who now heads the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers.
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Armrest wars: Flights are fuller than ever
Don’t expect much elbow room on flights this fall. Planes have never been so full. There was barely a spare seat this summer, and the next few months should be the same. To the list of things airlines have taken away — hot meals, blankets, headphones — you can add personal space.
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Credit card defaults, late payments continue slide
It was a bumpy summer for credit card issuers, but most of the top banks reported that their customers continued to make their payments on time. Default rates were down at four of the six largest credit card issuers, which reported their August results in regulatory filings this week. Citibank and Capital One Financial Corp. had upticks in the rate of write-offs of uncollectible balances.
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States struggle for financing to meet road needs
The phrase “you can’t get there from here” is increasingly apt nearly everywhere one turns. America’s roads, highways, bridges and transit systems are falling apart. Even those not in disrepair are often so crowded that a horse and buggy might seem faster. Cities and suburbs are outgrowing their infrastructure far faster than local governments can find the money to fix them.
Life & Entertainment
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Images: Emmys red carpet style
The stars put their best (and in some cases worst) fashion foot forward Sunday night for the 63rd Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. See how your favorite fared along the Emmy red carpet.
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Plainfield native Melissa McCarthy calls Emmy win 'amazing'
Plainfield's Melissa McCarthy of “Mike & Molly” was honored as best lead actress in a comedy series with an Emmy and a glitzy prom queen's crown. “Holy smokes. Wow, it's my first and best pageant ever,” said a beaming McCarthy. “I'm from Plainfield, Ill., and I'm standing here and it's kind of amazing.”
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Images: Inside the Emmy Awards
Although the Emmy Awards are all about television, not every special moment during the ceremony happens in front of the cameras. We've got an insider view on the ceremony and the winners.
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Weekend picks: Get out and wag that tail
CSBarks Dog Festival incorporates all kinds of canine agility activities, demonstrations and even a fashion show in Carol Stream. But if you're looking to wag your own tail, American Tango Institute dancers will demonstrate some smooth moves at the Round Lake Area Public Library.
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For Elizabeth McGovern, Emmys mark a homecoming
For Evanston native and American expat Elizabeth McGovern, Sunday's Emmys mark something of a home-away-from-homecoming. The actress is a nominee for her lead in the British period drama “Downton Abbey.” Some 20 years ago, McGovern left the U.S. to live in London. “I feel particularly emotional about (the nomination). It's been emotional for me just to come back even just for these couple of days, and remind myself where I come from.”
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On the road: Where's the Beef-A-Rama? Wisconsin, of course
Minocqua's Beef-A-Rama, with its Parade of Beef, Rump Roast Run and Moo Calling Contest running Friday and Saturday, Sept. 23-24, in Minocqua, Wis., is just one of the unique upcoming events in the coming weeks. If you want to stay closer to home, celebrate all things German at Germany's Best and Oktoberfest held at Chicago's Navy Pier from Sept. 23-Oct. 10.
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Kids can hop aboard new train exhibit
For years, children visiting the exhibits on the second floor of the DuPage Children's Museum would run to the window to watch every time the train pulled into the adjacent Metra station. So when the museum was looking for ideas for a new temporary exhibit, it wasn't a hard decision. “Trains — Get on board!” which opened last Monday and will run for the next two years, is so large that it spilled beyond the usual temporary exhibit space and into the museum's Math Connections area.
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Century-old sketch helps Elgin man restore his porch
When an old sketch book with bid documents from the late 1800s got into the hands of the Elgin Area Historical Society Museum, it gave Bill Decker the opportunity to restore his front porch. Since he and his family moved into the home on Liberty Street in Elgin, he wanted to change what he called an ugly, modern porch, but didn't know how. With the help of an Elgin grant, Decker will complete the two-phase project this fall.
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Say cheese when touring Wisconsin's Dairy Land
Only at an airport in Wisconsin can the phrase “half my bag is cheese” attract nothing more than a shrug. But in the Dairy Land these days, there's a lot of cheese to be had and tourists are eating it up. The state's milk marketing board keeps adding more dairies on its cheese map for tourists who want to tour the state on a sojourn of cheese.
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Roadside safety begins with getting off road
If you spend any time behind the wheel, you know it takes one mistake, one flat tire or one erratic driver to ruin your whole day. But if something does go wrong, experts agree: Do not stop your car on the highway unless you must. Even for a flat tire.
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The carpool: a staple of modern parenting?
Sure, carpooling has been around for decades. Kids got carted around in the big station wagons of the ’70s and early ’80s, then the minivans of the ’ 90s and, most recently, the SUV. But the carpool has become an important piece of the parenting puzzle for some parents of heavily scheduled kids.
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Feminine hygiene turning into big business
A generation that grew up with more graphic language and sexual images in the media is forgoing the decades-old practice of tiptoeing around female genitalia in favor of more open dialogue about it. To reach digital-age 20- and 30-somethings, who also have shortened attention spans, marketers are using ads that are edgier, more frank and sometimes downright shocking.
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Grandparents with webcam become new online stars
Grandparents Esther and Bruce Huffman unwittingly pressed “record” on their new laptop’s web camera in mid-August and have become YouTube stars.
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SpongeBob in hot water from study of 4-year-olds
The cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants is in hot water from a study suggesting that watching just nine minutes of that program can cause short-term attention and learning problems in 4-year-olds. The problems were seen in a study of 60 children where those who had watched “SpongeBob” did measurably worse than the others in tests.
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Vatican lists core teachings for traditionalists
The Vatican has told a breakaway traditional Catholic group that its members must accept some core church teachings if they want to be brought back into the Roman Catholic fold. The Vatican didn’t say what the disputed teachings were, but a top official of the group recently made clear it remains opposed to the church’s decades-long outreach to Jews, Muslims and members of other faiths.
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Religion in the news: NC to vote on gay marriage
North Carolina voters will get to decide next May on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage after the Legislature gave final approval to the question, despite protests that the question promoted intolerance and discrimination.
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Art in the garden: The right perennial can perk up late-summer gardens
One way to beat the September doldrums is to add some fantastic late-summer blooming perennials to your garden. While fall mums and ornamental cabbages are pretty, there are some perennial choices that will breathe new life into your landscape. Here are some suggestions of plants that begin blooming in August and continue well into fall.
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Treasures in your attic: Carved Chinese panel likely part of romantic ritual
Q. I am enclosing pictures of what I have learned is a panel from a Chinese opium bed. I have no idea how old it may be, but it is 25 inches high by 18 inches wide and 2 inches deep. It is three-dimensional and carved from one piece of wood. I would like to know more about its age and value.
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Home repair: Puddles in garage can be eliminated
Q. My family has a beautiful home that we love, except for one thing. The concrete in the garage was poorly done and is uneven. I’ve been unsuccessfully looking for years to find a solution short of having the entire floor torn out and repoured. Any ideas?
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Doug McAllister/Under the Hood: Most vehicles have two air filters
Q. The dealer I always take my car to sent me an email saying On Star had emailed them about a problem I’m having with my car. The problem is with the engine air filter. The check engine light never came on. What is the engine air filter? Is that the regular air filter that you change every six months?
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Ask the plumber: Beverage faucet can fill your bottled-water needs
Q. I want to cut down on buying bottled water by the case and start using our tap water to fill reusable bottles. Can you please give me some information on filter choices that will be easy to install in our present plumbing system?
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Rental forum: Overnight guest to fight towing charge
Q. My son parked in his girlfriend’s assigned parking space at her apartment complex. The property manager had his car towed claiming he was not the tenant and that parking is for tenants only. The tenants are not provided with parking stickers. There is a sign posted outside the complex labeled “Tenant Parking Only.”
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Garden ministry keeps food pantry clients stocked with produce
For six years, church members have tended the plot exclusively for the purpose of donating fresh vegetables to clients served by the Palatine Township Food Pantry. They have averaged donating 400 pounds each summer, but this year they expect to reach 500.
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Everyone’s pregnant, but she leaves crying
Q. Two of my employees are expecting and three more collaborators are pregnant. I am truly, truly happy for them ... but, I am unable to have children (and still struggling with this after 11 years), and I have gone home in tears more than once.
Discuss
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The reality behind Subscriber Total Access
A Daily Herald editorial challenges the romantic notion that news and information on the Internet ought to be free.
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Republicans and one fact of life
The decision to vaccinate — for HPV or any infectious disease — is not just a personal, family choice. It is also a matter of public health. And it is not unreasonable for public authorities to strongly encourage responsible parental choices.
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Blunting the effects of video bombardment
Awareness is just about all we can hope for now that contemporary American life has become full of overstimulation, some of which we can’t control, some that’s too valued to do away with.
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A.G. Holder should resign
Letter to the Editor: On Attorney General Holder’s watch, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives launched Operation Fast and Furious, an illegal pipeline of thousands of arms to Mexican drug cartels. Two of the guns that were allowed to “walk” across our border were found at the murder scene of a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Holder should be fired.
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Is privatizing right for Winchester House?
A Libertyville letter to the editor: In 2007, the Lake County Board voted to continue public support of Winchester House, but economic issues have arisen which may be playing into the hands of those who feel insulated from the needs of vulnerable elders who need quality, affordable, skilled care.
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War on terrorism is not over
A Fox Lake letter to the editor: In response to Mr. Robinsons column on Sept. 12, “Recognize war is over and move on.” I could not believe what I was reading. It’s an insult to my intelligence, my common sense and the reality of the world we live in.
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Privatization might get us back on track
I am prompted to write this after reading an article entitled “Crisis of confidence” and subtitled “Bank of America prepares to eliminate 30,000 jobs in bid to win investor’s faith.” This is the problem. They put 30,000 people out of work to woo “investors” and don’t realize that unemployed people can’t buy things or put money in their bank or take out loans.
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Put NASA back to work, not to pasture
How about putting one of the government’s most innovative and productive agencies to work instead of out to pasture? In July when the space shuttle Atlantis touched down on it final flight thousands of NASA workers got their pink slips. Since the 1950s NASA has more than lived up to its promise as a technology leader.
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Put a stop to all the disinformation
The president tried to get us to believe that he wants to cut more debt than anyone else after he emphatically called for a new debt ceiling without any spending limitations. How gullible does he think we are?
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Marriage definition is time tested
It is through such a union that families, the cornerstone of society, are created. The traditional family is under constant pressure from a society willing to overlook the religious definition of marriage and from individuals who fail to live up to the commitment they make when entering a marriage covenant.
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Learn something from Freedom Riders
Letter to the Editor: As we honor those who served bravely and gave up their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, we would do well to reflect back on those few hundred Freedom Riders, little known and seldom honored, who endured violence, hatred and imprisonment — not because it was their duty or job but for the love of freedom and the hatred of injustice.
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Police drama? It helps if you’re the beholder
Columnist Jim Davis: What looks like an intense police situation could be SOP to our local police, even in the relatively pristine suburbs.
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