Daily Archive : Tuesday September 20, 2011
- Saturday Sep 17
- Sunday Sep 18
- Monday Sep 19
- Tuesday Sep 20
- Wednesday Sep 21
- Thursday Sep 22
- Friday Sep 23
News
-
Talk with the Editor: The awesomeness of newspapers
In his new Talk with the Editor column, Editor John Lampinen heads into the weekend with a recommendation on an essay about how awesome newspapers are.
-
Kane chairman candidates try to end mudslinging
In an attempt to quell the snarkiness that resulted in their 14th District Congressional race, State Sen. Chris Lauzen has called for a “code of conduct” in the race against Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns for Kane County Board chairman. But a battle over public pension benefits for the future chairman may make that a tough pledge for either candidate to stick to.
-
Kirk, Durbin want details on proposed Metra fare hike
Both of Illinois U.S. senators are calling on a Metra to explain why it’s considering a 30 percent fare hike. In a letter to agency CEO Alex Clifford, the senators say they understand the financial challenges faced by transit agencies nationwide, but Metra riders deserve an explanation.
-
U.S. military milestone: End to ban on gay service
The U.S. military passed a historic milestone Tuesday with the repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in uniform, ending a prohibition that President Barack Obama said had forced gay and lesbian service members to “lie about who they are.”
-
District 116 backs losing tax cash to Round Lake Beach
Round Lake Area Unit District 116 has struck a deal with a village within its boundaries that would provide limited free use of a community and cultural center as well as help in creating a school's master facility plan. But it would lose tax dollars as part of a deal with Round Lake Beach.
-
Bloomingdale awards permit to Petco adoption center
It's been almost seven months since Bloomingdale officials cited PACT Humane Society for operating inside a Bloomingdale Petco without a special use permit. Now after compromises on both sides, the shelter has the go-ahead to do business in the village.
-
Weather Service says many in Joplin ignored first tornado warnings
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Many Joplin residents either ignored or were slow to react to the first warning sirens about a massive and deadly tornado this spring, partially because of years of false alarms, the government said Tuesday.
-
81 dead in Asia quake
GANGTOK, India — Thousands of terrified survivors of a Himalayan earthquake that killed 81 people and shook parts of India, Nepal and China crowded Tuesday into shelters and relatives’ homes or stayed out in the open for fear of aftershocks.
-
Guilty plea in Darien triple murders
A 25-year-old man accused of slaying three members of a Darien family last year at a friend's behest pleaded guilty but mentally ill Tuesday to first-degree murder as part of a deal with prosecutors that requires him to testify against the friend.
-
Trial begins in Chicago police officer’s murder
Prosecutors are laying out their case for a jury in the trial of a man charged in the 2009 slaying of a Chicago police officer. Alejandro “Alex” Valadez was gunned down as he investigated a shots fired call on the city’s South Side. Shawn Gaston is the first of three men to stand trial on first-degree murder charges in his death.
-
IMF: World economy enters a ‘dangerous new phase’
WASHINGTON — The world economy has entered a “dangerous new phase,” according to the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund. As a result, the international lending organization has sharply downgraded its economic outlook for the United States and Europe through the end of next year.
-
Mom pleads guilty in boy-behind-wall case
A southern Illinois woman who authorities say hid her young son, often in a crawl space, for nearly two years as part of a custody dispute has been ordered to spend two years on probation without more jail time. Shannon Wilfong, 32, pleaded guilty Monday in Franklin County to five misdemeanors, including obstructing a peace officer.
-
Businessman convicted of terror wants new trial
A Chicago businessman convicted of aiding a terrorist group that took credit for the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks is asking for a new trial. Tahawwur Rana was cleared in June of any involvement in the siege that killed more than 160 people. But he was convicted of lesser charges, including that he provided material support to a Pakistani militant group which took responsibility for the Mumbai...
-
Police reports
Jose C. Rodriguez, 22, of the 300 block of Roosevelt Street in DeKalb, appeared in bond court Tuesday on charges of possession of cocaine, a felony, and resisting a police officer, a misdemeanor, according to court documents. Rodriguez is charged with having less than 15 grams of cocaine as well as fleeing from police officers who ordered him to stop, documents said. Bail was set at $25,000...
-
Des Plaines OKs bigger, bright signs
Bigger electronic signs could be coming to Des Plaines after the city council this week approved a measure extending the maximum size for such signs from 20 to 32 square feet.
-
Arlington Hts. flood relief might be in budget
Arlington Heights flood victims should keep their eyes on the capital improvement budget that the village board will discuss in October, Village Manager Bill Dixon said Monday night, as residents continue to press the village for solutions.
-
Buffalo Grove mulls hiring purchasing agent
The Buffalo Grove village manager is trying to persuade trustees to add a centralized purchasing agent to the payroll, saying that eventually the savings realized by consolidating purchases and contracts would save the village significant money.
-
Arlington Heights hotel liquidation brings out bargain hunters
Coffee pots, beds, telephones, lamps - all of this and more is on sale at the old Sheraton Chicago Northwest hotel in Arlington Heights. The hotel, closed since 2009, is selling off everything in a liquidation sale as village leaders consider a proposal to convert the building into a luxury apartment complex.
-
Death toll rises to 11 in crash at Reno air races
When 50-year-old Craig Salerno went missing after attending the Reno air races with friends, his wife didn’t need DNA testing to confirm her worse fears.
-
Images: Arlington Heights Sheraton Hotel Liquidation
Images of the vast collection of household and unique items being sold at the old Sheraton Chicago Northwest hotel in Arlington Heights. The hotel, closed since 2009, is selling off everything in a liquidation sale as village leaders consider a proposal to convert the building into a luxury apartment complex. Among items being sold are the doors from the Elvis Suite.
-
Learn urban dance and trends:
Adults can learn urban dance and trends in a new program offered by the Mundelein Park District.
-
Classic car show:
MainStreet Libertyville is hosting the final car show of the season from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21.
-
Hazard plan reviewed:
A public hearing is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Lake County Building, 18 N. County St., 10th floor, Waukegan, regarding an update of the All Natural Hazards Mitigation plan.
-
Family’s dog dies in Bensenville fire
A Bensenville family’s dog was killed in a house fire while the residents were out Tuesday afternoon, according to fire officials. When firefighters arrived on the 0-99 block of Old Plank Road, the first floor of the two-story home was ablaze, said Bensenville Fire Batallion Chief Larry Karp.
-
Castro's daughter shares experiences at ECC
As a young child, Alina Fernandez would kneel in front of the television set, praying that Cuban leader Fidel Castro would finish his hours-long speeches before 7 p.m. when the American cartoon “Mickey Mouse” was scheduled to air. Fernandez, Castro's estranged daughter who fled to the United States in 1993, shared her experiences growing up with the controversial former leader during...
-
Palatine’s Del Mar appointed deputy chairman of Cook County GOP
Less than a week after Palatine Township Republican Committeeman Aaron Del Mar stepped down from the race to lead the Cook County GOP, he's been named deputy chairman, or second-in-command behind Sig Vaznelis of Lemont.
-
Rapist denied new trial in Wheeling case
A Cook County judge denied a motion for a new trial by attorneys for Matthew Schaffer, convicted of breaking into a Wheeling condo and raping a woman there last year.
-
State’s first West Nile fatality this year is Northbrook man
A Northbrook man has become the first person this year to die after contracting the West Nile virus.The Illinois Department of Public Health said Tuesday that the man was in his 60s and had underlying health conditions. He was diagnosed with the virus in August and died earlier this month.
-
New bike path planned in Carol Stream
Plans are under way for construction of a new bike path on Kuhn Road in Carol Stream that would connect with existing trails in the village. The 1.4-mile asphalt trail on the west side of Kuhn will start near Glenbard North High School and connect with recently completed trails at O’Rahilly and Red Hawk parks.
-
Gresk: Wheaton’s absence at 9/11 service no sign of disrespect
Wheaton City Council takes some heat for not attending a Sept. 11 commemoration at the Wheaton Fire Department. Resident Stan Garrett, however, says instead of laying blame he just wants to work together to make anniversaries in the future more publicized.
-
Kotowski announces candidacy for 28th Senate District
State Sen. Dan Kotowski, a Park Ridge Democrat, announces a bid for the new 28th Senate District, which extends all the way out to Hoffman Estates. Two Republicans have so far announced bids as well.
-
Batavia firefighters, police sergeants receive raises
Batavia firefighters and police sergeants will receive retroactive pay raises, as the city council approved contracts with their unions Monday night. The two-year contracts cover from January 2011 to December 2012.
-
Report: Charity misspent state funds on luxury SUV
A Chicago AIDS awareness organization misspent more than $45,000 in public funds on a luxury SUV, but that didn’t stop the state from continuing to fund the group, according to a published report.
-
Bachmann says food industry overregulated
A week after the Agriculture Department announced wider testing for potentially deadly E. coli in meat, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said Tuesday that regulations were overburdening food producers.
-
UK police drop demand for paper’s hacking files
London’s police force said Tuesday it was dropping a demand that The Guardian newspaper reveal the confidential sources for its stories about Britain’s phone-hacking scandal. The decision follows a chorus of unified criticism from the country’s hyper-competitive media outlets.
-
Drug tycoon seeks review of girlfriend’s death
SAN DIEGO — An Arizona pharmaceuticals tycoon asked California’s attorney general to review findings that his girlfriend killed herself by tying her wrists and ankles and hanging herself naked from a balcony of his historic mansion, according to a letter released Tuesday.
-
Air Canada and union reach deal
Air Canada has reached a tentative contract deal with the union for its flight attendants, averting a possible strike that would have severely disrupted operations at Canada’s biggest airline.
-
Airline groups oppose fees in Obama’s deficit plan
Airline trade groups are fighting President Barack Obama’s plan to raise fees on airlines and passengers to pay for aviation security and air-traffic control.
-
'Avatar'-themed land coming to Disney World
The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday that it has agreed on an exclusive deal to build attractions based on James Cameron’s “Avatar” at its Animal Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Fla.
-
Stocks end mixed as promise of Greek debt fix dims
NEW YORK — Investor optimism faded in a hurry Tuesday after two days of conferences ended with no resolution to Greece’s debt crisis. Stocks erased nearly all of their gains in the last hour of trading after rallying for much of the day on hopes the Fed would stimulate the economy.
-
Mount Prospect Community Center turns 2
The Mount Prospect Community Connections Center will celebrate its second year of existence on the south side of the village, with a 3-7 p.m. open house on Thursday, Sept. 22 at the center. The center puts area residents in direct contact with important local service providers, including police, schools and medical.
-
State treasurer defends brochure sent with state funds
Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford is defending his decision to use state funds to pay for a brochure that went largely to campaign contributors and other supporters of the Republican Party.The 11-page brochure touted successes in Rutherford’s first six months as treasurer and cited newspaper editorials that supported his calls for a freeze of state spending and an end to borrowing.
-
Emanuel to headline Iowa Democratic dinner
Iowa Democratic Party officials say Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel will headline a state party fundraising dinner in November. Emanuel, the former chief of staff to President Barack Obama, is scheduled to keynote the state party’s Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner on Nov. 19.
-
Cullerton open to changes in gambling expansion bill
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton says he is open to reducing the number of positions in the gambling expansion lawmakers passed this spring to appease the concerns expressed by Gov. Pat Quinn.
-
Harper College offers free retirement saving sessions
Harper College will offer a free public session on the ins and outs of retirement saving at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21 and noon Thursday, Sept. 22 in Room A243, Building A on the college’s main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine.
-
Tri-Cities police reports
Eric M. Calvillo, 39, of the 1100 block of West Wilson Street, was charged with resisting a peace officer, obstructing a peace officer and possession of a controlled substance at 11:41 p.m. Saturday, according to a police report.
-
Geneva historic preservation law remains the same
Geneva's historic preservation laws will remain as is. The city council Monday refused to adopt a provision calling for owner consent on historic property or district designation, as well as one calling for a supermajority vote on such designations.
-
Attorneys discuss jury selection procedures for Calusinski trial
Unique jury selection procedures may be used in the trial expected to begin next month of a former Lincolnshire day care center worker accused of murdering a toddler in her care. Attorneys on both sides of the Melissa Calusinski murder case indicated to Lake County Circuit Judge Daniel Shanes they may want potential jurors to fill out questionnaires and to be questioned individually instead of in...
-
Judge’s remarks take forefront in Wheaton abandonment case
A DuPage County judge will decide Wednesday whether another judge, presiding over the battle between a 2-year-old boy’s foster parents and the mother who left him in a Wheaton yard after giving birth, should be replaced. Attorneys for Nunu Sung, whose son was found with his umbilical cord still attached under a bush on June 12, 2009, said at a juvenile court hearing Tuesday that Judge C. Stanley...
-
Aurora cop ride raises money for Special Olympics
Aurora Police are calling on area motorcyclists to help officers raise money for Special Olympics Illinois by joining the “Ride for Athletes” motorcycle rally and ride on Oct. 1. The rally starts at 11 a.m. at the Aurora Athletic Club, 550 Clearwater Avenue, North Aurora. The course winds for 100 miles through rural Kane, Kendall, Grundy and LaSalle counties.
-
District receives $493,600 grant
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Naperville Park District a grant for $493,606 for water quality improvement projects in four parks to help protect the DuPage River.
-
Lake Zurich approves firefighters contract
Lake Zurich firemen will receive modest salary increases over the next three years, but will also have to pay more for benefits under a new labor contract. The new contract increases salary for firefighters by 1.75 percent the first year and by 2 percent each of the next two years.
-
Photos released of Carol Stream bank robber
The FBI has released photos of a man suspected of robbing a bank in Carol Stream on Monday. The suspect is described as a white male in his mid 20s, 5-foot-10 to 6 feet tall, with dark hair and a thin build. He was last seen wearing a black-and-gray-striped hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses.
-
Oak Grove students receive grant to help Lamb’s Farm
The Oak Grove School Education Foundation has awarded a mini grant to its eighth-grade team to fund a day of community service at Lamb’s Farm in Libertyville.
-
U.S. hasn’t printed $3 bills since 1800s
The saying about a penny saved does not mention the $3 bill, and for good reason. These bills have never been printed by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving, which first printed money in 1862.
-
Lombard actress balances life, theater
Deanna Norman knows a good part when she sees it. When offered the chance to play Ethel in a production of the drama “On Golden Pond,” the Lombard actress jumped at the chance. “I don’t think any actress of my age would say no. It’s a fabulous part,” said Norman.
-
Young students go apple picking for Rosh Hashana
Young students at Torah Academy of Buffalo Grove had a hands-on Rosh Hashana event recently -- they went apple picking in Green Oaks to collect the fruit they'll eat with honey on the Jewish New Year. It's tradition to dip apples in honey for a sweet new year.
-
Waukegan man charged in fatal stabbing pleads not guilty
The Waukegan man accused of stabbing one man to death and seriously wounding another inside a moving car pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Lake County Circuit Court. Zervant Thomas, 18, is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and armed violence in the Aug. 19 attack.
-
Liquor licenses OKd for new Binny’s, Smashburger
The Arlington Heights Village Board has approved lliquor licenses for Binny's, which plans to open a store in November, and to Smashburger, a restaurant that opened last week. Both are in the Annex Shopping Center at Rand and Arlington Heights roads.
-
Remains on NY beach highway tied to 1996 discovery
N.Y. Detectives investigating the discovery of 10 sets of human remains along a New York beach parkway said Tuesday that DNA testing had linked one of the victim’s bodies to an unsolved homicide 15 years ago.
-
Batavia’s Water Street Studios hosts fundraiser
Batavia's Water Street Studios hosts a fundraiser/auction that kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday.
-
Hatcher to make another run for Illinois House
State Rep. Kay Hatcher announced Tuesday that she’ll run for re-election to the Illinois House from a district covering Kane and Kendall counties.
-
Kirk to meet Schaumburg Township Republicans
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk will be the special guest of the Schaumburg Township Republican Organization's monthly breakfast meeting at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 at Chandler's Chophouse, 401 N. Roselle Road in Schaumburg.
-
Suburban men accused of home repair fraud
Home repair specialists from Mundelein and Des Plaines are being sued by the Illinois Attorney General's Office for not completing the work they were paid to do.
-
Mixed verdict in I-90 chase that ended in shooting
After 2½ hours of deliberations, a Kane County jury found an Elk Grove Village man not guilty of attempted murder of a police officer after leading Chicago police on a chase in summer 2009 that ended after he was shot at an Elgin toll plaza. However, Andrzej Wojtkielewicz, 23, of the 800 block of Tennessee Lane, was convicted on a second charge of aggravated battery of a police officer.
-
Mom with 4 disabled kids now faces cancer
As the mother of four disabled children and the wife of a recently laid-off husband, Joan Evans is all too accustomed to dealing with adversity. But now the Elk Grove woman and her family are facing a new challenge: stage three breast cancer. With the family struggling to pay their mortgage and medical bills, Joan’s sister-in-law, Patti, is hosting a fundraiser Sept. 24 to help them out.
-
Palatine's Durty Nellie's plans expansion
A vacant space adjacent to Durty Nellie's in Palatine that originally was pegged as a bakery is now slated to house banquets and bar seating for an older crowd as part of an expansion to the popular downtown nightspot.
-
Troy Davis denied clemency 1 day before Georgia execution
ATLANTA — Georgia’s board of pardons rejected a last-ditch clemency bid from Troy Davis on Tuesday, one day before his scheduled execution, despite support from figures including an ex-president and a former FBI director for the claim that he was wrongly convicted of killing a police officer in 1989.
-
Lamar Alexander to resign No. 3 Senate GOP post
WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander said Tuesday he will step down from the ranks of Senate GOP leadership, leaving the No. 3 job in January. He also decided against seeking the No. 2 job of GOP whip.
-
Pedestrian injured in Walmart parking lot
A middle aged woman was seriously injured in the parking lot of an Elk Grove Village Walmart Monday afternoon when she was struck by a vehicle, according to fire department officials.
-
D-54 Special Olympics car wash Sept. 24
District 54 Special Olympics is having its Annual Car Wash Fundraiser, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at Nathan Hale Elementary School, 1300 W. Wise Road in Schaumburg.
-
Retired Angel Drill Team founder thanks Gurnee
Angel Drill Team founder Nathaniel Hamilton made a recent stop to say thanks to the Gurnee village board for its support. Hamilton, earlier this month, retired from heading the all-girls drill team after 44 years. His exit also means the end of the team.
-
Ex-Afghan President Rabbani killed
KABUL, Afghanistan — Two Afghan government sources say former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani has been killed in the capital Kabul.The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rabbani was killed Tuesday evening at his home in Kabul.
-
Gunmen attack Shiite pilgrims in Pakistan; 26 dead
ISLAMABAD — Gunmen opened fire on minority Shiite Muslim pilgrims traveling through southwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing 26 people in an apparent sectarian attack, officials and survivors said.
-
Indiana cities facing changes in state gun laws
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The state’s new prohibition on most local gun restrictions has some cities and counties rolling back their ordinances while police must juggle situations such as the commotion caused by a man carrying a holstered handgun on his hip at Evansville’s zoo.
-
Repeal of gay ban causing few waves in military
WASHINGTON — After years of debate and months of final preparations, the military can no longer prevent gays from serving openly in its ranks.Repeal of a 1993 law that allowed gays to serve only so long as they kept their sexual orientation private took effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
-
Military academies don’t expect much change from end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — They were young children — mere kids 18 years ago when the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays serving openly in the military took effect. But over two decades, attitudes shifted, America changed and these youngsters grew up, winning coveted spots to study in the top military academies.
-
Obama notes arrival of new, open policy on gays
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is marking the end of the ban on gays serving in the military. He says the armed forces will no longer lose the skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members.At one minute past midnight EDT, a new law took effect repealing a 1993 law that allowed gays to serve only so long as they kept their sexual orientation private.
-
Wisconsin soldier killed in Afghanistan
APPLETON, Wis. — A soldier from Wisconsin has died while serving in Afghanistan. The Department of Defense says 25-year-old Sgt. Garrick Eppinger Jr. of Appleton died Saturday in Parwan province in eastern Afghanistan. No details were given of his death.
-
Ind. sets up special process for state fair claims
INDIANAPOLIS — The state on Monday asked families of those killed or injured in a deadly stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair to complete a new customized claim form by Nov. 1 so the state can expedite settlements.
-
Another measles case confirmed in Wis.
GREENDALE, Wis. — Another case of measles has been confirmed in the Milwaukee area.The Greendale Health Department confirms a new case of measles in an infant too young to be vaccinated against the highly contagious disease.The child has not been hospitalized. The baby is believed to have contracted measles from a Milwaukee child confirmed to have the disease two weeks ago.
-
Wisconsin ban on margarine targeted for repeal
MADISON, Wis. — A quirky Wisconsin law that makes it a crime for restaurants to serve margarine at the table and not butter is being targeted for repeal.Republican state Rep. Dale Kooyenga calls the law silly, antiquated and anti-free market. He introduced a bill earlier this month seeking to repeal it and he has 11 co-sponsors.
-
Wis. duck season to start this weekend
Wisconsin’s duck season is set to open this weekend.
-
Elgin man fondly recalls neighborhood store he owned
Roland “Joe” Josephson operated one of the most commonplace of all businesses in the 1950s -- a neighborhood grocery store. Now among a dwindling number of people who were part of this unique time in history, Josephson looks back upon the period with nostalgia, sadness and even a bit of relief.
-
Dawn Patrol: Quick hits as you walk out the door
News you need as you walk out the door today: Driver crashes into restaurant, woman hit in Walmart parking lot, bank robbed in Carol Stream, boy left on school bus, Cubs win and injuries hit Kerry Wood and Bears.
-
Kids get on board DuPage Children’s Museum’s train exhibit
DuPage Children's Museum specialist Marcia MacRae and the staff considered a lot of options before developing the latest exhibit. In talking to families, the choice "was very clear," she said. "Trains." The exhibit, "Trains - Get on Board!" opened to raves as children drive a pretend train, watch model trains go around the tracks and climb a control tower.
-
Wrigley sells iconic Chicago skyscraper
The Wrigley Building, an iconic Chicago skyscraper, has been sold by the company that gives the building its name.
-
Grade-schoolers to attend ‘No Excuses Unversity’ at Palatine H.S.
On Friday, Sept. 23, Palatine High School will host its second annual “No Excuses University” pep assembly for elementary students from Virginia Lake, Jane Addams, Winston, Lincoln, Lake Louise, and Sanborn elementary schools.
-
Community health expo Thursday in Bartlett
Hanover Township residents will be able to take advantage of over a dozen free health screenings for osteoporosis, diabetes, cholesterol and more at the Just For the Health of It expo Thursday in Bartlett.
-
Heart Of A Marine Foundation helps veterans ‘walk tall’
The Heart Of A Marine Foundation, headquartered in Elk Grove Village, and Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital have partnered to assist veterans in “Walking Tall” with providing vets ergonomic canes.
-
Churchville school open house set for Sept. 25
The Churchville Schoolhouse Fall Open House invites history lovers to tour one of the oldest structures in DuPage County and one of the state's few one-room schoolhouses still on its original site. The event also commemorates the Elmhurst and Bensenville area's connection to the Civil War.
-
Glen Ellyn woman shares her passion for the arts
You won't see Deborah Venezia’s work occupying a booth in the Riverwalk Fine Art Fair or hung in the Naperville Fine Art Center and Gallery, but her influence on the arts is everywhere - from the artists chosen for the fair to the long-running After Hours Film Society.
-
Harvest means farm equipment on Illinois roads
Warnings are going out to motorists across Illinois as harvest season begins and farm equipment is expected to be on the roadways. The Daily Chronicle reportsthat this is National Farm Safety and Health Week.
-
Farm Heritage Festival celebrates Lake’s agricultural past
Lake County’s rural roots will be celebrated at the 19th Annual Farm Heritage Festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24 and 25, at Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda. Presented by the Lake County Discovery Museum and the Lake County Farm Heritage Association, this two-day event celebrates farm life from the turn of the century to the present.
-
Your news U-17 Hawthorn Woods Elite soccer team wins home opener
The U 17 Hawthorn Woods Elite soccer team recently beat the Sports Club United, Schaumburg, 3-0 in its home opener.
-
Algonquin art fair to raise funds for District 300
Algonquin Commons along Randall Road will be home to the third annual art fair this weekend. The fair, hosted by the District 300 Foundation for Educational Excellence, will feature several different mediums of art for sale by local artists, as well as high school students.
-
Fremont District 79 honored for videos, website
Two Fremont Elementary District 79 videos and the district website are being recognized by the Illinois Chapter National School Public Relations Association.
-
Oil rig explodes in Okla.; no reports of injuries
A sheriff’s dispatcher says there has been an explosion at an oil rig in Oklahoma, but there have been no confirmed injuries.
-
Israel calls on Palestinians to abandon un bid, hold talks
Israel called on the Palestinians to abandon their drive for United Nations recognition and restart peace talks as the U.S. and other countries try to work out a compromise aimed at avoiding a Security Council showdown.
-
Fleishman jury to begin deliberating insider-trading charges
A federal jury in New York is set today to begin deliberating the fate of James Fleishman, an ex- Primary Global Research LLC executive charged with helping pass confidential information as part of an insider-trading scheme.
Sports
-
Tuesday’s girls golf scoreboard
High school varsity results from Tuesday's girls golf meets, as reported to the Daily Herald.
-
Tuesday’s girls cross country scoreboard
High school varsity results from Tuesday's girls cross country meets, as reported to the Daily Herald.
-
Tuesday’s boys soccer scoreboard
High school varsity results of Tuesday's boys soccer matches, as reported to the Daily Herald.
-
Tuesday’s boys golf scoreboard
High school varsity results from Tuesday's boys golf meets, as reported to the Daily Herald.
-
Tuesday’s boys cross country scoreboard
High school varsity results from Tuesday's boys cross country meets, as reported to the Daily Herald.
-
Hersey continues its winning ways
Three-time defending Mid-Suburban League girls volleyball champion Hersey made it 34 straight wins in the MSL East with a 25-18, 25-20 triumph at Buffalo Grove on Tuesday night.
-
Elk Grove motivated by adversity
Elk Grove may get do-it-all Dejan Basara back before the season ends but is also excited about the challenges ahead and Palatine's defense is ahead of where it was last year when it went to the Class 8A quarterfinals.
-
Tuesday’s girls swimming scoreboard
High school varsity results from Tuesday's girls swimming meets, as reported to the Daily Herald.
-
Tuesday’s girls volleyball scoreboard
High school varsity results from Tuesday's girls volleyball matches, as reported to the Daily Herald.
-
Tuesday’s girls tennis scoreboard
High school varsity results from Tuesday's girls tennis meets, as reported to the Daily Herald.
-
Huntley snaps Cary-Grove’s streak
The Cary-Grove girls volleyball team was following its familiar storyline Tuesday night with a game already in hand and a big lead in Game 2. Normally, the Trojans step on opponents’ necks and put such regular-season matches away. Huntley flipped that script.
-
Waubonsie Valley knocks off Bartlett
It was not a pretty night for the Bartlett Hawks girls volleyball team on Tuesday. The Waubonsie Valley Warriors defeated the Hawks two games to none at Bartlett High School. The Warriors played like the defending Upstate Eight Valley champions they are, winning by scores of 25-18 and 25-12.
-
West Chicago shares the load
West Chicago got goals from four players in a 4-1 DuPage Valley Conference victory at Wheaton Warrenville South.
-
For the record, Mundelein’s Krueger came close
Davd Krueger shot a season-best 1-under 35 on Steeple Chase Golf Club’s front nine Tuesday, earning medalist honors and leading host Mundelein (151) to a North Suburban Lake Division win over Zion-Benton (157).
-
Girls golf/Lake County roundup
At Village Green Golf Course, Lake Zurich earned its first girls golf win of the season, carding a 197 to defeat visiting Schaumburg by 7 strokes.
-
Libertyville gets past Stevenson
Libertyville took the lead in the first half and never looked back on the way to a 2-0 victory over Stevenson thanks to goals by Lloyd Chatfield and Sam Kaplan, who was assisted by Marshall Hollingsworth.
-
O’Connor leads Lakes past Vernon Hills
At White Deer Run, John O’Connor fired a 37 and was the only golfer to break 40, as Lakes (162) edged host Vernon Hills (166) to wrap up the North Suburban Prairie Division title.
-
Dahlstrom, Grayslake Central roll to victory
Alexandria Dahlstrom pounded 9 kills and registered 7 blocks, and Grayslake Central’s girls volleyball team defeated host Woodstock North 25-18, 25-6 in a Fox Valley Fox Division girls volleyball match Tuesday.
-
Images: Cary-Grove at Huntley girls volleyball
Images from Cary-Grove at Huntley in varsity girls volleyball. the host Red Raiders pulled out a thrilling victory over the Trojans.
-
Are Ramirez’s days as Cub done?
Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez left Tuesday night's 5-1 loss to the Brewers with a quad strain. Ramirez can become a free agent this off-season. When asked if he felt he had played his last game as a Cub at Wrigley Field, Ramirez responded, "Probably."
-
White Sox getting hit at an alarming rate
The White Sox were hit by 4 more pitches during Tuesday's day-night doubleheader at Cleveland. They have been hit 82 times this season, tops in the major leagues. Is it finally time to retaliate?
-
Pac-12 says no further expansion
NEW YORK — Twelve is enough for the Pac-12, bolstering the chances for the Big 12 to survive yet again.The Pac-12 presidents and chancellors voted late Tuesday night not to expand again. Commissioner Larry Scott says “after careful review we have determined that it is in the best interests of our member institutions, student-athletes and fans to remain a 12-team conference.”Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech were among those considering a potential move from the Big 12. After expanding from the Pac-10 with new members Utah and Colorado last year, members of the new Pac-12 won’t give them the chance.Meanwhile, across the county in New York, Big East Commissioner John Marinatto said his members “pledged to each other that they are committed to move forward together.”
-
Hawks believe Leddy is ready bigger role
A late goal by Jordan Eberle snapped a 2-2 tie and sent Edmonton past the Blackhawks' 4-2 in Chicago's preseason opener.
-
Late goal lifts Maine West past Niles North
Maine West got a big week of soccer up and running with a narrow 1-0 win over gallant Niles North on Tuesday night in Skokie. Sophomore Nelson Herrera struck the game-winner six minutes from time when he outraced his mark to reach a superb ball from teammate Tommy Cerri and fnished past keeper Dan Miranda. That finally put the Warriors (9-2-3) on the scoreboard over a Vikings side which didn’t look anything like a club entering this Central Suburban League match with just 1 victory in 13 matches.
-
Glenbard West takes LT to three games
Sixteenth-ranked Glenbard West took a game from Lyons for the first time in at least six years, but the defending Class 4A champions prevailed 25-20, 23-25, 25-13 on Tuesday in Glen Ellyn.
-
Marcum pitches Brewers past Cubs 5-1
Shaun Marcum threw eight strong innings and the Milwaukee Brewers moved a step closer to the NL Central title with a 5-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.Marcum (13-7) allowed five hits and one run and chipped in at the plate by doubling and scoring during Milwaukee’s four-run third inning.Rickie Weeks drove in two runs and Nyjer Morgan reached base three times, stole a base and scored two runs to help the Brewers reach 91 wins for the first time since 1992.Milwaukee needs a combination of three wins or Cardinals losses to clinch the division. The Cardinals played the Mets on Tuesday night.Chicago’s Randy Wells (7-5) allowed six hits and five runs in five innings.Rickie Weeks drove in two runs and Nyjer Morgan reached base three times, stole a base and scored two runs for the Brewers.Marcum threw just 97 pitches, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter during an efficient performance that came on the heels of two poor starts in which he allowed 10 runs in 11 2-3 innings. Marcum has never lost three straight starts.The only damage against Marcum came on Starlin Castro’s leadoff homer in the sixth. Castro has reached base in 33 straight games, the longest such streak by a Cubs shortstop since Woody English in 1929. Castro has 336 career hits, surpassing Glenn Beckert’s franchise record for hits by a player in his first two seasons (post-1900).Randy Wells (7-5) was roughed up in his second straight outing, allowing six hits and five runs in five innings.The Brewers didn’t get a hit off Wells until Marcum’s one-out double in the third ignited Milwaukee’s big inning. Marcum scored on Corey Hart’s double. Morgan singled in Hart, stole second and scored on Ryan Braun’s RBI single. Weeks capped the inning by singling home Braun.Darwin Barney doubled twice for the Cubs.NOTES: Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez left the game after the sixth inning because of a mild strain in his right quad and is listed as day to day. ... Brewers 1B Prince Fielder walked twice and surpassed the 100-walk mark for the third straight season. ... Former Cubs general manager Jim Hendry spent some time on the field before the game chatting with players, coaches and media. Hendry was fired on Aug. 19 after more than 16 years with the organization, including over nine years as the team’s GM. His permanent replacement has not been hired though Randy Bush is filling in on an interim basis. ... Cubs special assistant to the general manager Gary Hughes resigned on Tuesday, effective Oct. 31. The scouting guru has been with the organization since 2002 and has spent 44 years in professional baseball, working with a total of nine different franchises. ... Matt Garza will start the Cubs’ home finale on Wednesday, his first start since throwing a career-high 124 pitches in a complete-game no decision against Houston on Sept. 16. He’ll face Randy Wolf, who is 1-1 with a 1.37 ERA in three starts against Chicago this season.
-
Neuqua avoids Metea’s bid for first series win
Callie Huebener's kill sparked a 9-1 third-set run, propelling Neuqua Valley to a 24-26, 25-23, 25-19 win over District 204 rival Metea Valley on Tuesday in Aurora.
-
Boys soccer/Fox Valley roundup
A roundup of boys soccer games on Tuesday in the Fox Valley.
-
Warren won’t pass up victory at Lake Forest
Warren forward Tony Severini made a nifty pass that ended up in the back of the net as the Blue Devils earned a 2-1 victory at Lake Forest on Tuesday to remain in a first-place tied in the North Suburban Lake boys soccer standings.
-
St. Charles North, Geneva settle for a tie
There was no celebrating at St. Charles North on Tuesday. The host North Stars and Geneva battled to a scoreless draw in an Upstate Eight Conference River Division soccer match.
-
Metea Valley edges rival Waubonsie Valley
Metea Valley coach Karley Olson knew her team would make things interesting against Waubonsie Valley Tuesday afternoon. The Mustangs did just that, picking up a three-set victory at No. 3 doubles to close out the match and win, 4-3, over the District 204 rival Warriors Tuesday afternoon.
-
Irish CB Blanton becoming a key player on defense
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly got his message across early to Robert Blanton: Talk all you want off the field, but tone down the chatter when you’re playing. Blanton’s performance at cornerback is making plenty of noise for the Irish. The senior seems to be where the ball is these days. Last Saturday against Michigan State, he made six tackles, including three for losses, broke up three passes, had a sack and — most important for the Irish — shut off a late Spartans drive with an interception, returning it 82 yards to seal the win. Blanton’s emergence as one of the stars of the Irish defense is no surprise to Kelly. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder has two interceptions this season, giving him eight for his career, the most among active Notre Dame players. Last season, Blanton blocked a punt and returned it six yards in a season-turning victory over Utah. As a freshman in 2008, he picked off a pass against Purdue and took it back 47 yards for a score. “We felt very strongly about Robert Blanton coming into the season, that he would give us great play. I think he’s exceeded everybody’s expectations at this point,” Kelly said. “He can do a lot of things for you: he can play safety, he can play corner, he can play nickel. As you know, last year he was a great special teams player.” Blanton has speed and good timing and when the ball is in the air, and he’s aggressive going after it. On a high throw, he seems to be able to find the football at the same time or even earlier than the receiver and then can battle him for it — often winning. “He’s just got a swagger and a confidence about him that he carries with him, not only on the field but off the field as well,” Kelly said. “I think that’s very important when you play back there, that you have that kind of personality. He’s a very confident young man in everything he does.” Blanton often answers questions with `Yes, sir and “No, sir,” a mannerly approach to interviews. But earlier in his career, he liked to chatter some during games and Kelly made sure to address that issue when he took over the program before last season. “ I don’t allow talk on the field, so we had our conversations in the first couple of practices last spring. Since that time, he’s curtailed the talking. But if you meet him off the field, he hasn’t stopped talking,” Kelly said. “It’s great that he’s got that kind of personality. He just doesn’t talk on the field. He does it with his actions, which is what I expect of him.” Blanton said he really doesn’t talk that much and he was paying attention when Kelly was telling him what was expected of him — as a talker and a player. “It was a great conversation. ... I make sure I listen to him and do everything he says. He’s the head coach and I’m always willing to take coaching,” Blanton said. Secondary coach Kerry Cooks, a former defensive back himself, said you can’t expect a corner to be silent. It’s all a matter of how much talking they do. “At times he took it over the top. We weren’t really toning him down. I don’t want to take that out of him,” Cooks said. “We just talked to him about letting his play, letting his pads do the talking for him. He’s done a great job of doing that. But he still talks, just not as much.” Net up for Notre Dame is Pittsburgh. The Panthers (2-1) are coming off a tough loss at Iowa when they blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead against the Hawkeyes.
-
Illini get message on Western Michigan
What looks like your basic Big Ten/MAC matchup this week boasts extra spice because Western Michigan shocked Illinois in 2008 at Ford Field. Said Illini QB Nathan Scheelhaase: "Everybody knows that our mindset should be that we're coming full-force after this team."
-
Girls volleyball/Fox Valley roundup
A roundup of girls volleyball games on Tuesday in the Fox Valley.
-
Huntley slips past Dundee-Crown
The play wasn’t designed for Aleks Rys. The Huntley senior was just in the right place at the right time, heading a corner kick into the net. The goal broke a scoreless tie just before halftime and started the Red Raiders on the way to a 2-1 boys soccer win against Dundee-Crown Tuesday in the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division opener for both teams.
-
Ehrhardt comes up aces as Jacobs dumps PR
Jacobs junior Alyssa Ehrhardt stepped behind the service line Tuesday evening with her team trailing in the first game against Prairie Ridge. Ehrhardt quickly changed that, serving 4 consecutive aces and a fifth never got over the net, as the Golden Eagles took a 13-10 lead. Jacobs was in control the rest of the match, defeating Prairie Ridge, 25-19, 25-18, in Fox Valley Conference Valley Division play.
-
Geneva sweeps St. Charles N.
Geneva volleyball team's scrappy defense got to be pretty frustrating for the North Stars who dropped a 25-16, 25-18 decision in Upstate Eight Conference River Division play.
-
Luke Donald shows there’s another way to the top
ATLANTA — Luke Donald is unlike any other No. 1 player in golf over the last two decades.No, he still hasn’t won a major.What sets Donald apart from Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer most recently, from Tiger Woods for an entire decade, and from Vijay Singh and David Duval during their brief stay at the top, is the way he hits the ball.In an era of extra large off the tee, Donald still wears a medium.He is No. 147 in driving distance, and while Donald isn’t exactly a peashooter, no one will ever talk about how he can overpower any golf course except for the Par 3 Course at Augusta National.The only numbers that matter, however, is that he has been No. 1 in the world longer than anyone else this year.He is No. 1 in Vardon Trophy for the lowest adjusted scoring average. He is No. 1 on the European Tour money list and No. 2 on the PGA Tour money list, with a chance to become the first player to win money titles on both sides of the Atlantic.And along with 3 wins this year, he has finished out of the top 10 in only five of the 20 tournaments he has played this year.In some respects, he has become an inspiration to those who don’t fall out of bed and crack 300-yard drives.“Getting to No. 1, a lot of people wouldn’t have thought I could get there with my kind of a game,” Donald said. “I’m more of a traditional player. That’s kind of my legacy right now, that I’ve been able to get to No. 1 without being a modern-day player. Through hard work and a little bit of thought, I’ve been able to do it.”Mark Wilson, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year who is No. 132 in driving distance, has been paying attention to his limitations for years.He drew inspiration from Zach Johnson winning the Masters in 2007, when he laid up on the all the par 5s; from Jim Furyk winning the FedEx Cup last year and reaching No. 2 in the world when Woods was at his peak; and, most recently, from Donald.“I remember there was talk 10 years ago how there’s no way a Justin Leonard or a Luke Donald or a Mark Wilson could be No. 1 in the world because they don’t hit it far enough,” Wilson said.“I’ve gotten really mature in the last 12 months to work more on my wedges and realize that’s where the game ultimately lies.“It is an inspiration to see Luke at No. 1 in the world. He’s always at the top of the leaderboard.”There’s no reason to think that cannot continue, even if the traditional game is becoming less common. Power will always have an advantage in golf. It was like that for Bobby Jones and for Jack Nicklaus. John Daly made power golf appealing 20 years ago. Woods refined it.It’s becoming harder to find a promising young player who doesn’t smash it.“Most of the guys you see coming out now, they all bomb it,” said Dustin Johnson, who does just that. “It seems like that’s kind of a trend now. I don’t know any guys that have come out in the last couple years that were short hitters that are at the top of the PGA Tour.”The mistake can be chasing after distance.Matteo Manassero, the 18-year-old from Italy who already has won twice on the European Tour, talks about trying to add distance, even though he has spent his young career making sure his short game is immaculate because it has to be.It has worked so far.“I chase it every week,” said David Toms, whose 13 career tour wins include a major. “It seems like I ask for another driver every week and always go back to the same one.”The danger of chasing distance is ruining what already was working. Donald tried that himself in 2007, when he was obsessed with more distance to the point it affected a classic swing.He also wonders if it contributed to a wrist injury a year later that led to surgery and kept him out of the Ryder Cup. Those were lean times.He might not hit it far, but he hits it far enough. And it doesn’t hurt that his work ethic is as strong as anyone in golf.
-
Who’s making the grade at the halfway point?
In the case of Aurora Christian, Batavia, Geneva, and Kaneland, you couldn’t have asked for a better first four weeks of the 2011 campaign, as the quartet has combined for a 16-0 record.
-
Hawks playoff hero Smith taking nothing for granted
Depending on which observer you talk to at Blackhawks training camp, rookie Ben Smith is either fighting for a roster spot or is a sure bet to play on one of the top three lines. I’ve got to think he’s a lock for a job. The 23-year-old Smith is taking nothing for granted, however.
-
Mounting injuries already testing NFL teams’ depth
To win in the NFL, it takes more than great players. Teams must have quality backups, too, or at least serviceable ones.Just ask the Colts, Chiefs, Rams, Broncos, Giants, Cowboys, Raiders and Eagles.Only two weeks into the season, those teams already have been forced to tap into their depth in serious ways. They’ve had to replace high-profile players, multiple starters and, in some cases, several players at the same position.The results: the Colts, Chiefs and Rams are 0-2, while the Broncos, Giants, Cowboys, Raiders and Eagles are 1-1.Each situation is different, but the challenge is the same — finding a way to win when your top players are missing.“You have to hope you have enough talent, but it’s tough,” said NFL Network analyst Jim Mora, a former coach in Atlanta and Seattle. “There’s a reason one guy makes $10 million and another guy makes the minimum. There’s a difference in ability, so sometimes it’s unrealistic to say, `Next man up.’ But that’s what you do. And then you ask other guys to add more to the bucket.”Plugging holes is tougher still this season because of the lockout.Think of all the lost offseason work that would have helped get rookies ready, or continue the development of second- and third-year players. The abbreviated free agency also meant front offices couldn’t take their time scouring the market for veterans capable of starting in a pinch. Instead, they had to scramble to fill out their rosters, often settling for guys they were willing to let walk away but figured they might as well keep since they already were familiar.But even teams that seemed to have planned well aren’t immune. Philadelphia signed Vince Young to back up Michael Vick, only to see both of them go down, forcing a third-stringer into action. As much as the Eagles like Mike Kafka’s potential, their roster is built to win now. So maybe they’d be better off with Kevin Kolb still around, instead of having traded him to Arizona.No amount of planning would have prepared the Colts and Chiefs for what they’re facing.Peyton Manning had never missed a start in his career. The front office was so set on finding the right talent around him to load up for another Super Bowl run they hardly considered investing in or cultivating a replacement. Most observers are surprised at how drastic the fallout has been, but part of it could be the woe-is-me attitude that comes with losing a player who wasn’t just the face of the organization, he was its backbone.In Kansas City, running back Jamaal Charles, safety Eric Berry and tight end Tony Moeaki tore ligaments in their left knees in successive weeks. Two linebackers and a tackle also are out for the season.Between the talent drain and the emotional letdown of seeing their top offensive and defensive players go on injured reserve, the Chiefs look nothing like the reigning AFC West champs. Sure, it’s only been two weeks, but they have the double whammy of allowing the most points (by far) and scoring the fewest.“We don’t feel sorry for ourselves at all,” linebacker Derrick Johnson said. “You can’t, because when you start feeling sorry for yourselves it’s going to be a long year.”Coaches refuse to use injuries as an excuse, internally and externally, at least until the accumulation puts their job in jeopardy. Instead, they push the notion that everybody on the roster is there for a reason, and injuries provide opportunities.Truth is, injuries test the resolve of the healthy players as much as they do the talent of the backups.“You have to regroup,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Monday night on ESPN, before what’s left of his squad beat the similarly hurting Rams. “You have to ask the others, the other players, to play at a higher level in order to compensate for this. And you have to ask those coming along, whether they be young ones or whether they be the next in line as a veteran player, that they’re going to have to step in there and do a great job.”
-
Rams lick wounds, Jackson still a question
ST. LOUIS — Mistakes cost the St. Louis Rams dearly in their first Monday night appearance since 2006. Now they’re 0-2 for the fifth straight season and with a short week to prepare for the Baltimore Ravens.And coach Steve Spagnuolo isn’t sure whether running back Steven Jackson will be ready for the Ravens. He missed the 28-16 loss to the New York Giants with a right quad injury after an unsatisfactory pregame warm-up.Wide receiver Danny Amendola, quarterback Sam Bradford’s top target, also missed the Giants game and is day-to-day with a dislocated left elbow.
-
Chiefs coach Haley finds hot seat getting hotter
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Todd Haley is finding success to be just as fleeting as all the goodwill that comes with it.The Chiefs coach was on the shortlist of just about every award after taking a 4-12 team his first year to a 10-6 finish last season. With emerging stars such as Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry, Kansas City won the AFC West and was thought of as a team on the rise.Well, Charles and Berry are out with torn ACLs, along with tight end Tony Moeaki. The Chiefs are off to one of the worst starts through two games in NFL history, getting blitzed 89-10 by a pair of teams that won just 10 games last season. And all the positive vibes that come with success are but a distant memory for an angry fan base calling for Haley’s job.“I’ve said this to a few people; that’s not something I generally have worried about or thought about at whatever level or whatever I’ve been doing,” Haley said. “Kind of been raised that way and believe that way — that you focus on the task at hand and focus on the things that you can make improvements and do your job to the best of your ability. The NFL is a team results business.”Therein lays the problem. The results have been terrible.Going back to the end of last season, the Chiefs were trounced by the Oakland Raiders in their regular-season finale and the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs.The preseason schedule wasn’t much better — a shutout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, lopsided defeats to the St. Louis Rams and Ravens, and a narrow loss to the Green Bay Packers when Kansas City played its starters nearly the entire way against the Super Bowl champions’ backups.Haley vowed the Chiefs would be ready for the regular season, and they wound up losing 41-7 to the Buffalo Bills. Then came last Sunday’s disaster in Detroit, where the Chiefs lost Charles for the season and what was viewed as a must-win game by the unsightly score of 48-3.The schedule doesn’t get any easier.Haley said his approach has always been to go “full-steam ahead, trying to be the best I can be, and that solves a lot of problems.” But that might not be enough to solve all the problems surrounding a floundering franchise with a fan base pining for a contender.“Teams will never be judged on individual results, and that goes for coaches and players alike,” Haley said in a rare moment of candor. “When you lose, it’s tough. When you win, it’s a lot better.”But the losses are mounting and statistics are sobering — or, perhaps more accurately, enough to make Chiefs fans of legal age pour a stiff drink at their next tailgate. They’re on pace for 72 turnovers after committing six more against the Lions, three of them on interceptions by Matt Cassel. The lone turnover that the Chiefs forced in that game, an interception by safety Jon McGraw, was given right back to Detroit seconds later when he fumbled it on the return.Kansas City has been outscored 150-27 during its four-game skid. The offense ranks among the worst in the NFL, and the defense is just as bad. Even normally reliable punter Dustin Colquitt has been battling the shanks, and kicker Ryan Succop is 1 for 3 on field-goal attempts.“We don’t feel sorry for ourselves at all. You can’t,” linebacker Derrick Johnson said. “When you start feeling sorry for yourself it’s going to be a long year, and the outcome of the games are not going to change, and we definitely don’t want that to happen.”But the fact remains that only a handful of teams ever have been outscored by more points through two games. The 1961 Raiders lost by a combined 99-0, the ‘73 Saints were outscored by 92, the ‘89 Steelers dropped their first two games 92-10, and the ‘78 Colts by a combined 80 points.
-
Coach Tom Coughlin expects Vick to play vs. Giants
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants’ defensive gameplan for the Philadelphia Eagles is going to have a major section on stopping Michael Vick.As far as Tom Coughlin was concerned Tuesday, the elusive Eagles quarterback is going to play, concussion or not.“I expect Michael Vick will play and if he can’t play, I am sure he will,” Coughlin said on a conference call a day after the Giants (1-1) knocked off the St. Louis Rams.Vick was knocked out of Sunday night’s game against Atlanta with a third-quarter concussion, forcing Mike Kafka to finish. Philadelphia coach Andy Reid has not said whether Kafka or Vince Young would start if Vick can’t.Either way, Coughlin isn’t developing two gameplans for the Eagles, one with Vick and one without.“I think if Michael Vick can play, he will play,” Coughlin reiterated when asked about Vick a second time in his conference call.Defensive end Justin Tuck would like to see Vick play on Sunday in Philadelphia.“I mean, that guy is a tremendous athlete,” Tuck said after recording 1½ sacks on Monday night in his season debut. “Obviously — as he goes, that offense goes — you always want to beat teams at their best. Me, personally, I would love for him to play. I think he brings out the best in us, too.”Tuck said the Giants might suffer a letdown if Vick isn’t in the lineup.“If he’s playing, we know we have to be on our toes,” Tuck said. “We all know that Philadelphia is a great football team. We’re going to have a great game regardless of if Vick plays or not.”The Giants came close to turning in a great game against Vick in December, building a 31-10 lead with less than eight minutes to play.One of the most memorable meltdowns in NFL history followed as Vick rallied the Eagles for three touchdown to tie the game and then watched from the sideline as DeSean Jackson scored on a 65-yard punt return on the final play to basically give the Eagles the NFC East title.While he will use the memory of that game as motivation, Coughlin said the Giants weren’t a fourth-quarter team last season.“The theme that we had throughout the preseason, not just based on that game, but based on a lot of our games quite frankly, is to finish,” Coughlin said. “We’ll continue for that to be one of our themes and constantly work to finish the game stronger. That is something we’ll present to our players again this week.”When pressed about the effects of the game, Coughlin admitted there are some games a coach never forgets.“There isn’t any question,” he said, “and that will be one of them.”The banged-up Giants might get a little help this week.Barring a setback, two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora might return to practice as early as Thursday. He had arthroscopic surgery about two weeks into training camp and has not practiced with the team since the operation. He looked fast simulating pass rush drills while working out with the trainers on Friday.“We certainly hope Osi will be ready to go,” Coughlin said. “We hope to have him on the practice field. Tomorrow’s (Wednesday) really not going to be a full-speed practice, so it’ll be Thursday before that takes place. But hopefully Thursday Osi will be ready to practice.”On the injury front, Giants receiver Mario Manningham was feeling better on Tuesday after missing the second half with a concussion. He was undergoing the required tests on Tuesday for anyone who suffers a concussion.Fellow receiver Domenik Hixon was going to have an MRI on his right knee. The injury was originally called a knee injury, but he said it was a calf injury after the game. Coughlin said the team believes the discomfort with his calf is related to his knee. He tore the ACL in the same knee in June 2010 and missed that season.Looking back at the 28-16 win over the Rams, Coughlin was happy with the win, but said the team continues to lack cohesion in all phases.
-
South Korean finds way into lineup for Huskers
LINCOLN, Neb. — A substitute teacher was walking through the library at Lincoln Christian High School when she spotted the new kid, all 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds of him.“What’s your name?” the sub asked.“Seung,” he said.“Do you play football?” she asked.“I don’t know football,” he said in broken English.“Oh,” she said. “You should get to know football.”Thanks to that teacher, who just happened to be the wife of the school’s head football coach, Choi’s curiosity was piqued. And last Saturday, not quite six years later, Seung Hoon Choi made his first start as an offensive lineman for ninth-ranked Nebraska.“All of us have taken different paths to get here,” linemate Jeremiah Sirles said. “He comes from a complete, whole ‘nother world, and now he’s starting in America’s game. College football is such a big thing, especially here in Nebraska. I think he saw that in high school.”Choi’s parents sent him to this country with the belief he would have a better chance at a college education. The family picked Lincoln because an uncle, the brother of Seung’s father, had worked at the university as a researcher and lived here with his two children, Seung’s cousins.Seung’s older sister, Ju-Youn Choi, preceded him to Lincoln and went on to the University of Washington — the school whose team Choi started against on Saturday.“Although I am an alum from the University of Washington, I am happier that Huskers got victory,” Ju-Youn wrote from South Korea in an email to The Associated Press.The only words Choi knew upon his arrival in Lincoln were “yes” and “no,” and homesickness prompted him to beg his mother, unsuccessfully, to let him to go back to South Korea.Seung Hoon Choi (pronounced SOON’ hoon CHOY) had grown up in a densely populated urban area near Seoul and thought Lincoln would be the same.“Nothing around Nebraska compared to where I grew up,” he said.He said he couldn’t believe U.S. students wore shorts and sweatshirts to class instead of school uniforms. The informality bugged him, he said.Football took his mind off the culture shock, gave Seung something to focus on and created a circle of friends.“I thought it was just cool to put a helmet and pads on and hit each other,” he said.Seung joined Lincoln Christian’s team as a sophomore, and his formidable size gave him a tremendous advantage over opponents in one of the state’s small-school divisions.Lincoln Christian coach Matt Farup said he simplified the offense for Seung, condensing it to two basic plays — run left, run right.Seung was the left tackle, so that’s the direction the offense ran most times.“He would push people at the line and send them flying back and be done with them,” said Jared McCoskey, who played alongside Seung as the left guard and remains his best friend. “People couldn’t get by him.”No college but Nebraska showed interest in Seung. Kevin Cosgrove, the defensive coordinator under former coach Bill Callahan, invited him to the Cornhuskers’ summer camp in 2007. After Callahan was fired and Bo Pelini was hired, offensive coordinator Barney Cotton pressed on with the recruitment and asked Seung to walk on.Sang Ho Choi and Yu Mi Chuwere were proud of their youngest child but had no understanding of what he was getting into, Ju-Youn Choi wrote in her email.“It is honorable that he can get the chance to stand as an offensive lineman in Huskers team among many athletes,” she wrote. “I also appreciate that his high school football coach, Mr. Farup, encouraged him to play.”Seung sat out as a redshirt in 2008 and got into no games in 2009. Last season, as a sophomore, he played only in the opener.He used the first two years in the program to sculpt his body and build strength. He said he couldn’t eat enough hamburgers and pizza when he first came to America. He has lost 30 pounds and now weighs 290.
-
Iowa could open up offense for Vandenberg
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Facing a 17-point, fourth-quarter deficit, Iowa abandoned its running game, spread the field and attacked Pittsburgh through the air — a decision that led to the greatest comeback in school history. The Hawkeyes (2-1) saved their necks in Saturday’s thrilling 31-27 win over the Panthers by going away from what’s typically been a balanced offense. They had little choice, of course, but the performance by junior quarterback James Vandenberg in the final 12 minutes raises the question of whether Iowa might be best served throwing the ball more than usual. Vandenberg, who tore up the Iowa prep record books as a spread quarterback at Keokuk High, completed 17 of his last 20 passes and threw three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Coach Kirk Ferentz praised Vandenberg after the game for his knack for operating the hurry-up attack. Iowa’s had 16 plays of 20 yards or longer so far this season, and 15 of them have come on throws from Vandenberg. “People have this (perception) Iowa is a run team. I think that’s misleading. You do what you have to do to win,” Ferentz said. Part of the reason Iowa could open things up starting with Saturday’s non-conference finale against Louisiana-Monroe (1-2) is that, at least for now, its strengths lie in the passing game. Starting running back Marcus Coker missed significant time in fall camp with an unspecified injury and he is off to a slow start. He has 267 yards through three games, but it’s taken him 69 carries to get there. The Hawkeyes know they need someone to emerge as a change-of-pace back to spell Coker and give opponents a different look, but that hasn’t happened yet. In the past two games, Iowa running backs have logged 59 carries. All but one of them have come from Coker, who’s handled more than his fair share of the load since the Hawkeyes lost promising freshman Mika’il McCall in the opener. “He’s getting close. Time will tell,” Ferentz said of Coker. “He looked a lot closer the other day than he did two weeks ago.” The depth is much more impressive at receiver.Senior Marvin McNutt continues play like one of the nation’s best, with 18 catches for 313 yards and a pair of TD grabs, and he bailed out Vandenberg more than once against Pitt with his ability to snag errant passes. The question was whether junior Keenan Davis could scare opponents enough to keep them from keying too much on McNutt. Davis has been more than that so far, and redshirt freshman Kevonte Martin-Manley has blossomed as a dependable third option. Davis has 17 receptions, two more than his career total entering the season, for 254 yards, and has shown the ability to make plays in the open field. Martin-Manley caught Vandenberg’s final two TD throws on Saturday from 25 and 22 yards out, sprawling across the goal line for the eventual game-winning grab. “It definitely makes it harder on defenses because they can’t really focus on one guy,” Vandenberg said. “We’re just lucky to have a lot of talented guys, from receivers to our tight ends, that can catch the ball.” Though he’s often viewed as an old-school coach, Ferentz has already shown he’s willing to tweak things on the fly. The Hawkeyes shook up their defense after falling at Iowa State in triple overtime, 44-41. Defensive end Dominic Alvis was inserted into the starting lineup against Pitt, and Jordan Bernstine started at free safety as Micah Hyde was back to cornerback after two games at safety. The moves looked shaky at first as Pitt raced out to a 24-3 lead. But the unit stiffened in the fourth quarter and Hyde picked off a pair of passes, including an interception with 1:41 left to seal the win. “We’re a developmental team at best and we’re just trying to find the best combinations,” Ferentz said. “We’re probably a team that’s going to be going through some changes, probably over the 4-5 weeks too as we learn more about who we are and what we are.”
-
Injuries mounting for Michigan State’s o-line
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio is rearranging the depth chart for his offensive line and not just because the group was ineffective last weekend.The Spartans are facing mounting injuries up front, which could affect the team’s previously impressive running game and its ability to protect quarterback Kirk Cousins.Tackle Skyler Burkland is expected to miss the rest of the season after dislocating his left ankle in Saturday’s 31-13 loss at Notre Dame. Dantonio disclosed two more injuries Tuesday, saying offensive linemen Jared McGaha and Blake Treadwell both have MCL injuries.“We lose three offensive linemen in three or four days’ time, but you deal with it,” Dantonio said. “You stay the course.”Dantonio hopes McGaha, a tackle with four career starts, can return for the Michigan game Oct. 15. Treadwell has started all three games at center this season. Dantonio said only that he’ll miss this weekend’s game against Central Michigan.The offensive line was already a question mark for the Spartans after they lost three starters from last season, and now the team’s depth will be tested even more. McGaha was hurt in practice leading up to the Notre Dame game. Burkland and Treadwell were able to play but are out now.Michigan State ran for only 29 yards against the Irish, and when the Spartans were forced to pass late in the game, they were called for several holding penalties that slowed down any comeback attempt.Cousins threw for 329 yards on a career-high 53 pass attempts. The latter number was perhaps the biggest indication that the day didn’t go as Dantonio planned. Edwin Baker, who ran for 1,201 yards last season, wasn’t much of a factor, and neither was fellow running back Le’Veon Bell.“We have to put the ball in our running backs’ hands,” Dantonio said. “Our running backs are too good of players. We have to put the ball in those guys’ hands some kind of way.”There’s a limit to what those running backs can do without effective blocking, so Michigan State needs to correct its problems on the offensive line quickly. After hosting Central Michigan, the Spartans play at Ohio State.They’ll have an open date after that, but the rest of October will be crucial with games against Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska on the schedule.Redshirt freshman Travis Jackson is now the top healthy center on the depth chart, and Fou Fonoti is listed as the No. 1 right tackle instead of Burkland. Guards Joel Foreman and Chris McDonald are set to start again, as is left tackle Dan France. Micajah Reynolds is moving from the defensive line to back up France on the offensive side of the ball.“We’ll shore up the offensive line, and that’s regardless really of what happens or who is playing,” Dantonio said. “We have got guys on scholarship and we have got guys who have been coached, and we need to pound the ball.”
-
Minnesota coach Kill says he’s feeling ‘OK’
Minnesota coach Jerry Kill says he’s feeling tired but “OK” a little more than a week after a seizure on the sideline during a game.The coach said Tuesday he’s had “about 20” of the episodes in the last six days, sounding as if he were exaggerating a bit. But Kill said he “ain’t changing” his style or approach to coaching.Kill was hospitalized for five days last week before rejoining the Gophers for practice and their win Saturday over Miami of Ohio. He expressed more concern about his team than his health, noting the Gophers are “still a long way from being very good.”Kill also said he was paid a visit by former college basketball coach Bob Knight.
-
Bears too cold when it comes to executing hot reads
There's plenty of blame to go around for a Bears offense that failed miserably at countering the New Orleans Saints blitzes. Beyond the Bears’ porous offensive line and poor play-calling, Jay Cutler was unable to get the ball to the “hot” receiver, and those receivers didn't beat one-on-one coverage.
-
3-0 Illinois emerging threat in Big Ten
Illinois is 3-0 for the first time since 2001 and looks like a team to be taken seriously in the Big Ten.The No. 24 Illini entered the Top 25 this week for the first time in three years after their 17-14 victory over then-No. 22 Arizona State.A win over Western Michigan this week would give Illinois its first 4-0 start since the 1951 national championship season, and the Illini have a chance to be 6-0 when Ohio State comes calling Oct. 15.“They’ve caught my attention,” Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said Tuesday on the Big Ten coaches’ call.Wins over Arkansas State and South Dakota State to start the season didn’t raise any eyebrows. The win over Arizona State was impressive because the defense, a major question mark entering the season, carried the day while Illinois’ offense generated just 240 yards.“There’s no question, you play a Pac-12 opponent and beat them, it was great for our program,” Illini coach Ron Zook said. “Our guys went into that game knowing they could win if they did the things the coaches asked them to do.”Illinois beat a ranked nonconference team for the first time in 10 tries and is on a four-game win streak that started with a 38-14 victory over Baylor in the Texas Bowl.Bielema said the win over Arizona State, a team the Badgers beat 20-19 in Madison last year, showed Illinois is a legitimate Big Ten contender.“We beat (ASU) on a blocked extra point, and I think they had a good team a year ago,” Bielema said. “It speaks volumes about how good Illinois is at this point.”An Illinois defense that lost three players to the NFL draft sacked Sun Devils quarterback Brock Osweiler six times and intercepted two of his passes. Sophomore linebacker Jonathan Brown was named Big Ten defensive player of the week after making seven tackles and 1.5 sacks. He also had an interception and forced another.Glenn Foster has made a smooth move from end to tackle to help compensate for the loss of first-round pick Corey Liuget.The defense, allowing under 11 points a game, hasn’t been scored on after any of Illinois’ four turnovers and has forced eight take-aways that have led to 24 points.“I knew defensively we’d be a lot better than people would give us credit for,” said Zook, who is 54-59 in seven seasons at Illinois and has spent some years fending off speculation about his future with the Illinois. “We lost guys who were good players, but we knew we had some pretty good players replacing them. The biggest question I had was how soon the defense would come around.”Sophomore quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase has improved as a passer. He’s completed 33 of 46 passes (72 percent) for 504 yards. He’s thrown 16 touchdown passes against two interceptions the last 10 games.“The defense lost good players, but they’re big-play oriented,” Bielema said. “And their quarterback makes special things happen.”A.J. Jenkins, who caught Scheelhaase’s game-winning 16-yard touchdown pass against Arizona State in the fourth quarter, is second in the Big Ten with 7.3 catches and 107 yards a game.Jason Ford and Scheelhaase lead a rushing attack averaging 223 yards a game.Illinois has a favorable conference schedule, with home games against Northwestern, Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin at home and Indiana, Purdue, Penn State and Minnesota on the road.“Of the eight Big Ten games, four at home, you probably would pick the four that we have at home if you have your druthers,” Zook said. “I’m not going to apologize for our schedule after the one we played the last five or six years.”
-
Oduro credits Fire teammates for scoring mark
While Dominic Oduro of the Chicago Fire is tied for fifth in scoring in MLS, just 2 goals behind leaders Thierry Henry and Landon Donovan, he insists that all the credit should go to his teammates. On Saturday, Oduro became the first Fire player to reach double digits in goals since Damani Ralph in 2004.
-
Vikings safety Tyrell Johnson arrested for DWI
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Vikings safety Tyrell Johnson was arrested on suspicion of driving while impaired early Tuesday.The Minnesota State Patrol says the 25-year-old Johnson was stopped about 2 a.m. for failing to signal a merge on an interstate ramp while driving in Minneapolis.During the stop, the trooper noticed Johnson had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. The state patrol says Johnson’s blood-alcohol level was 0.12 percent during field sobriety tests. The legal limit in Minnesota is 0.08 percent. Johnson was booked into the Hennepin County jail and released. The Vikings say they’re aware of the incident but declined further comment.Johnson was a second-round draft pick in 2008 who lost his starting job this season to Jamarca Sanford. Johnson dropped what would’ve been a game-saving interception at the goal line in Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay.Last month, the Vikings waived quarterback Rhett Bomar not long after he was arrested on charges of drunken driving during training camp. He did not play in the first three exhibition games.
-
Steelers still in flux on the lines
PITTSBURGH — The latest version of a revolving-door offensive line satisfied Steelers coach Mike Tomlin Sunday. Good thing, too, as it’s highly possible each will start again this week.Tomlin said on Tuesday that starting left guard Chris Kemoeatu will be evaluated throughout the week to see if he can practice at full speed after he missed the 24-0 win over Seattle with a knee injury.Tomlin praised the play of fill-in Ramon Foster as well as that of rookie Marcus Gilbert, who had his first NFL start at right tackle after Willie Colon was placed on injured reserve.Tomlin also characterized defensive end Brett Keisel as “questionable at best” for Sunday night’s game at Indianapolis (0-2) after he sustained a knee sprain against Seattle.Ziggy Hood would start at end if Keisel cannot play for the Steelers (1-1).“Not only just Ziggy, we have a great deal of confidence in all our guys,” Tomlin said of what has become a deep defensive line. “They’re position flexible. (Chris Hoke) is position flexible, Steve McLendon is position flexible, and of course (first-round pick) Cameron Heyward hasn’t disappointed us with his efforts thus far.”Neither cornerback Bryant McFadden nor receiver Jerricho Cotchery — each out with a hamstring ailment — is assured of being able to practice this week. So, their status for the Colts is in the air, as well.Positive injury news from Tomlin came in the form of no news at all. The condition of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was not addressed on Tuesday, two days after he briefly left the game during the first half after being the subject of a late hit to the knee by Seattle’s Raheem Brock.After the game Sunday, Tomlin said succinctly, “He’s going to be fine,” when asked about Roethlisberger.The team might feel more secure in its franchise quarterback’s health if it had its offensive line at full health. Kemoeatu has now missed at least one game during each of the past three seasons.“We will see where practice takes us,” Tomlin said. “His availability will be predicated on his level of performance this week in practice.”Although he was disturbed by the fact Pittsburgh gained only 30 rushing yards on 16 carries in the second half Sunday — offering poor conditioning as a possible explanation — Tomlin stood by the play of Foster and Gilbert.“I thought Ramon did some nice things,” Tomlin said. “I liked his effort and his finish. His play demeanor, I think, is what we desire. Marcus Gilbert did some nice things as well.“The reality is that we have to play 60 minutes of football in a manner in which we desire. I don’t think we ran the ball as effectively as you’d like to in the second half. Our run-game efficiency wasn’t acceptable. But to the question when you talk about Ramon Foster and Marcus Gilbert, their performances were above the line.”Tomlin lauded the play of cornerback Ike Taylor, an effort much welcomed with the Steelers secondary otherwise depleted and Taylor coming off a broken thumb in the preseason opener.“He’s playing at a high level, he really is,” Tomlin said. “He’s done a nice job dealing with the personal adversity that he’s gone through in terms of his injury. He found ways to continue to work and improve in spite of it. He’s a blueprint for young guys in terms of what it’s about to be a veteran player and preparing to deal with things that occur in professional football and not allow them to become excuses.”William Gay moved into the lineup with McFadden out, and third-year cornerback Keenan Lewis saw as much action against the Seahawks as he has in his career.“He was competitive, he played a lot of routes close, he finished plays,” Tomlin said. “It was a good start for him.”
-
Vikings waive DE Awasom to make room for Williams
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings have waived defensive end Adrian Awasom to make room for defensive tackle Kevin Williams.The Vikings made the move on Tuesday. Williams has returned to the active roster after serving a two-game suspension for a three-year-old positive test for a weight-loss drug that’s on the NFL’s list of banned substances. Williams was also fined two additional game checks, meaning he’ll be playing the next two weeks without pay. His salary this season is $6 million, so that amounts to a fine of about $1.4 million.Williams has also been bothered by plantar fasciitis in his left foot, but the rest has helped that injury improve. The Vikings host the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
-
McKinley’s smile lives on in Broncos’ hearts
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The empty locker that served as a shrine is no longer there. Neither are the No. 11 helmet decals that his Denver Broncos teammates wore in Kenny McKinley’s honor after he committed suicide last year. The reminders that remain are a few photos in the locker room and the memories of an infectious smile that hid so much pain.Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of McKinley’s death. Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard said McKinley’s former teammates were remembering his gregarious personality and not the circumstances of his death.“That’s the only thing that everybody remembers: his big smile. He showed all 32 of his teeth,” Woodyard said. “So, it was just a wonderful thing to be around every day, seeing that smile, listening to that laugh, hearing those jokes. It was pretty good to have him around.”The second-year wide receiver from South Carolina was recovering from a second knee operation in eight months and was deep in debt, according to a probe of his death, when he put a gun to his head at his home not far from the Broncos’ training complex and ended his life at age 23. It was the third time in four years the Broncos had to deal with the stunning death of a teammate.Cornerback Darrent Williams, 24, died in a hail of gunfire in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day 2007 after a confrontation between Broncos players and gang members at a nightclub. Three months later, running back Damien Nash, 24, collapsed and died of a heart attack after he played in a charity basketball game to raise funds for his heart foundation.McKinley’s death cast a pall over the Broncos, who left his locker empty all of last season.Nobody wears his No. 11 jersey right now and his locker has been assigned to another young receiver.Reminders of him are everywhere, however.“Every day I walk by Matt Prater’s locker and I see Kenny’s picture up there,” Woodyard said. “We always miss him and his laughter and the joy that he brought, and it’s just a sad thing that he’s not here with us anymore. But I know he’s here in spirit.”As he is in Columbia, S.C., where McKinley remains the Gamecocks’ all-time leading receiver.“We still talk about him every now and then, when we’re running slants. I tell them, `Here’s how Kenny McKinley did it,’ Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said. “And I don’t remember him ever being covered. He got open every time because he had that little quick step that got him open and we’re trying to teach our guys how to run that also. We remember Kenny and he was an outstanding player here, no question.”This was a somber but not sad anniversary at the Broncos’ headquarters.Woodyard said the players who remain on the roster from McKinley’s one season in 2009 or who played in Denver last season — he re-injured his knee during the first week of training camp — are always recalling something funny that McKinley said or did.“We always think about him,” Woodyard said Monday. “Kenny was the type of guy that always wanted to make sure that everybody had a good day. So, every day you come to work, that’s the kind of attitude you have to have. You’ve got to take Kenny McKinley’s attitude: have fun and enjoy your work. “That’s something that we have to make sure we do every day to uplift his spirit.”
-
NFL teams make their point with record TD total
NEW YORK — NFL fans are seeing plenty of scoring so far this season.There have been 172 touchdowns, the most in the first two weeks of any NFL season. A total of 1,502 points have been scored.Quarterbacks are launching the ball, with a record 15,771 net passing yards through the first two weeks.Seven teams are undefeated entering Week 3. That includes four clubs that did not make the playoffs last year — Buffalo, Detroit, Houston and Washington.The other undefeated teams are New England, Green Bay and the New York Jets.
-
Michigan’s Hoke wishes former team wasn’t on slate
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — When Brady Hoke was coaching at San Diego State, he played a part in scheduling a game for this week at Michigan Stadium.Hoke now wishes he hadn’t.“I told Dave Brandon, `Let’s buy that one out,”’ Hoke recalled Monday.Why?“They’re good,” Hoke said.Hoke would know. He led San Diego State for two years, turning around its program after doing the same at Ball State, before he was hired by Michigan in January to replace Rich Rodriguez.And now his 22nd-ranked Wolverines will host the Aztecs on Saturday in a matchup of 3-0 teams that is mildly awkward for the new Michigan coach, who knows it would have been unfair to bail out on the game last winter.“Would have been way too hard for both teams to try and find new opponents and do all that kind of stuff,” he said.The year before Hoke arrived, San Diego State won just two games in 2008. Last year, the Aztecs beat Navy 35-14 in the Poinsettia Bowl, their first bowl win since 1969, for a ninth victory and the program’s best season since 1977. Soon after his second season in San Diego, Hoke bolted for his dream job in Ann Arbor and laments that he didn’t have a chance to let the Aztecs know about the move in person because they weren’t on campus during semester break.“You send a text because you couldn’t get `em all together,” he said. “There was a time element in everything obviously. We had a full team meeting when I left Ball State, my alma mater, that was hard to leave and hard to leave those kids. So we were fortunate enough to be able to do that. We couldn’t do it out there.”Michigan defensive end Ryan Van Bergen said the Aztecs will probably say a lot of stuff to each other to get fired up this week.“Those players are definitely going to be highly motivated,” Van Bergen said. “I can imagine that they’re going to come in with the demeanor of we’re going to play hard and beat him in their house.”After a breakout game in the Big House against Eastern Michigan, Hoke said Vincent Smith has probably earned the right to get a shot to be the team’s lead running back. Banged-up linebackers Brandon Herron (leg) and Cam Gordon (back) are expected to play.“We’ve got a lot work ahead of us with a very good San Diego State team coming in,” Hoke said. “They’re undefeated, they’re 3-0, beat Washington State last week. Very talented team, a team that’s going to play with a lot of toughness and a team that’s well-coached. We got our hands full.”
-
AP sources: Big East football schools to meet
Big East football school officials will meet Tuesday night in New York City to discuss the league's future, and a Pac-12 official expects conference presidents in that league to decide by the end of the week if they want to expand again.
-
Illinois QB Scheelhaase OK after shoulder injury
CHAMPAIGN — Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase briefly left Saturday’s win over Arizona State with a shoulder injury but head coach Ron Zook says he’s fine and should have no problems playing this weekend.Zook said Tuesday that the right-handed Scheelhaase bruised his throwing shoulder on a hit last Saturday. Freshman quarterback Reilly O’Toole briefly relieved Scheelhaase in the fourth quarter of No. 24 Illinois’ 17-14 win. Scheelhaase returned to throw the game-winning touchdown.Zook also said that offensive tackle Corey Lewis will travel to New York this week to have his injured leg evaluated. Lewis missed 2010 with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He was projected to start this season but reinjured the leg early this year.No. 24 Illinois (3-0) faces Western Michigan (2-1) at home on Saturday.
-
Buckeyes in quandary after punchless loss at Miami
COLUMBUS, Ohio — This promises to be an intriguing week for Ohio State.Coming off a dreadful 24-6 loss at Miami on Saturday night, interim coach Luke Fickell, his staff and players will try to solve a host of problems while preparing for the most challenging part of their season.The Buckeyes are coming off one of the worst offensive performances in the school’s 122 years of intercollegiate football.“We didn’t execute as a whole,” said fifth-year senior quarterback Joe Bauserman, who had spelled Terrelle Pryor the last two years.Then Bauserman added, “It’s a long season.”It could get even longer.The Buckeyes, ranked No. 17 last week, plummeted from The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in almost seven years. Now they’ve got to regroup for a home game against Colorado, buoyed by a victory over cross-state rival Colorado State and with a chip on its shoulder.“The Ohio State game is a big game for us,” Buffaloes quarterback Tyler Hansen said while mentioning three Ohio natives on the Colorado roster. “(They) really want this next one bad so we are going to fight for them and work our butts off.”Beyond the Colorado game lies a minefield of good teams awaiting the Buckeyes: Michigan State, at No. 9 Nebraska, at No. 24 Illinois and home against No. 6 Wisconsin.“With a loss like this, we can go and learn from things and get a lot better,” defensive back C.J. Barnett said of the punchless loss in Florida.Fickell seemed as flummoxed by his team’s mental and physical lapses as anyone. As the final minutes ticked away, he didn’t even use any timeouts to stop the clock. It was as if he just wanted the whole, ugly thing to disappear as quickly as possible.“We’ve got to do a great job at sitting down and figuring out how we need to move forward and where our focus is going to be with the guys we have and how we can get the ball into different guys’ hands and what we can do to be successful,” Fickell said. “There are a lot of areas we have to make sure to go back and take a real hard look at — and to get better at.”The first position is quarterback.True freshman Braxton Miller completed two meaningless passes to backs on Ohio State’s final possession in the final seconds. That padded a woeful stat line for the passing game. The Buckeyes combined to hit on just 4 of 18 passes for 35 yards with one interception. Miller was stuck with that pick when his hard throw went off the hands of tight end Jake Stoneburner and was intercepted by JoJo Nicolas. Miller also lost a fumble and recovered another one he dropped.Despite the two turnovers, many Buckeyes fans want him to step into the starting role. It’s a troubling dilemma for Fickell and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman. The problem fell into their laps when Pryor was first suspended for the first five games for breaking NCAA rules by accepting cash and free tattoos and then left school a year early for the NFL. Inexperienced and unproven players were left to replace him.Bauserman has not been on the field for a turnover but has also not produced in the last two games. Miller has come closer to enlivening the attack, adding the ability to break containment, but has three turnovers in limited playing time.The quarterbacks certainly aren’t alone in having a bad game. The wide receivers didn’t catch a pass — all four of Ohio State’s completions went to running backs — and the guys out wide had three or four drops and couldn’t shake defenders.The void at receiver will be helped in two weeks when DeVier Posey returns from his own five-game suspension for his role in Tattoo-gate. In addition, Corey “Philly” Brown sat out the Miami game after injuring his leg against Toledo in Week 2. It’s unknown when he will return.On top of the other concerns, the defense was gashed for 240 rushing yards, including 54 by Lamar Miller on the Hurricanes’ first play from scrimmage, and gave up passing TDs on the first two possessions.
-
White Sox rally for 5-4 win and doubleheader split
Alexei Ramirez's seventh-inning single broke the game's final tie and led Chicago to a 5-4 win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night, giving the White Sox a split of the day-night doubleheader.
-
Guillen would like to know his status before end of season
Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen wants a contract extension and soon. Guillen, who has one year remaining on his contract, says he does not want to be a lame duck manager going into 2012. Instead, he'd like the White Sox to tell him before this season ends if they want him beyond next season.
-
Images: Daily Herald prep photos of the week
This Prep Photos of the Week gallery includes the best high school sports pictures by Daily Herald photographers featuring football, soccer, golf, swimming and volleyball.
-
Home anything but sweet for White Sox this season
Home sweet home? U.S. Cellular Field has been a house of horrors for the White Sox this season, and many players are not mentally equipped to take the heat. As the season mercifully comes to a close for the White Sox, it's time to sift through the rubble and figure out what the heck happened to a team with a $128 million payroll and lofty expectations.
Business
-
United Airlines eyes big-spending frequent fliers
:United Airlines took another step Wednesday to combine its frequent flier program with Continental’s. It’s boosting rewards for the most expensive tickets and adding an expiration date, which will be new for Continental fliers.
-
Flying fish, monsters on ‘Hot Toy’ list
Every year, toy makers and sellers hope there will be a runaway hit toy to help spur excitement around the holidays and boost sales.
-
Stocks rally in midday trading
Stocks rallied in midday trading Tuesday as traders bet that a grim forecast for U.S. economic growth and persistent economic problems in Europe would compel the Fed to take measures to stimulate the U.S. economy. ---- Strong results from cruise operator Carnival Corp. also offered some hope that the next round of corporate earnings might not be as disappointing as some analysts expect. ---- The Dow Jones industrial average rose 110 points, or 1 percent, to 11,511 in midday trading. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 12, or 1 percent, to 1,216. The Nasdaq composite rose 23, or 0.9 percent, to 2,635. ---- The Dow Jones industrial average erased all of its Monday losses by noon Tuesday. ---- The Fed began a two-day meeting to discuss monetary policy Tuesday. Many analysts believe the central bank will announce new stimulus measures Wednesday. Investors want the Fed to take a major step like buying Treasury bonds to push down long-term interest rates. ---- “You could make the case that the rally is based on the expectation there will be some stimulus,” said David Smith, chief investment officer at Rockland Trust Investment Management Group, a firm based in Rockland, Mass., that manages about $1.7 billion in assets. ---- “If there isn’t a material change from the current policy, it would be a disappointment,” Smith said ---- Carnival rose 5.7 percent after the company said slimmer costs and strong ticket prices boosted its net income past analyst expectations. ---- Global financial problems have caused financial markets to swing wildly for months. More sobering news about major economies threatened to destabilize stocks before the market opened Tuesday. ---- The International Monetary Fund turned more pessimistic on the U.S. economy. The IMF said it expects economic growth of only 1.5 percent this year and 1.8 percent in 2012. In June, it had forecast 2.5 percent in 2001 and 2.7 percent in 2012. ---- The forecast gave weight to some investors’ fears that the U.S. could be on the brink of another recession. ---- Those fears have been compounded by a shaky global economy. The IMF also lowered its outlook for the 17 countries that use the euro because it fears Greece will default on its debt. ---- In a Tuesday teleconference between Greek officials and other international lenders, Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos will attempt to convince the European Commission, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank, known collectively as the Troika, that it can make deep budget cuts. Greece must meet the Troika’s strict budget targets in order to qualify for a fresh installment of the rescue package it received in 2010. ---- With no resolution for Europe’s debt crisis in sight, stocks have been highly sensitive to Greece’s efforts to qualify for emergency funds. ---- Greece is only one of several European countries that investors fear may be at risk of failing to pay their debts. On Monday night, the ratings agency Standard & Poor’s cut Italy’s credit rating by one notch, citing the country’s growing debt and weak growth outlook. Italy has the second-biggest debt burden among countries that use the euro, after Greece. ---- If Greece or Italy were to default on its debt, it could become difficult for other European countries with heavy debt to borrow money. That could infect the European banking system and have severe repercussions for U.S. banks, which have lent billions of dollars to European companies. The U.S. and European economies are so closely linked that a European banking crisis could lead to a global credit crisis similar to the one that hit global stocks in 2008. ---- “I’m sitting here, like a lot of investors, thinking we don’t have anything like a concrete solution” to prevent a Greek default, said Rockland Trust’s Smith. ---- In corporate news, Ralph Lauren Corp. rose 2 percent to an all-time high after an analyst upgraded the stock because of its strong international business and sales of higher-priced...
-
U.S. High Yield Index gains on bets Fed plans more stimulus
Confidence in high-yield, high-risk debt in the U.S. rose as investors wagered the Federal Reserve will provide more stimulus to the economy.Markit’s CDX North America High Yield Index, which rises as investor confidence improves, added 0.6 percentage point to 93.9 percent of face value as of 12:12 p.m. in New York, Markit prices show. The benchmark index, has climbed from 91 on Sept. 12, the lowest level in two years.Investors are anticipating actions that may revive U.S. growth after Standard & Poor’s downgrade of Italy’s credit rating to A from A+ yesterday underscored concerns that Europe’s debt crisis is spreading, said Mikhail Foux, a credit strategist at Citigroup Inc. in New York.“People are just looking past that and they’re looking at what the Fed is going to do,” he said in a telephone interview.The Fed’s Open Market Committee ends its two-day policy meeting tomorrow and may announce new measures to boost the economy. The policy tool under consideration, known as “Operation Twist,” in which the Fed would replace short-term Treasuries in its $1.65 trillion portfolio with long-term bonds, is already priced in, according to Foux.New seriesA benchmark indicator of U.S. company credit risk rose as banks, hedge funds and other money managers moved trades into a new series of the index.Series 17 of the Markit CDX North America Investment Grade Index, which investors use to hedge against losses on corporate debt or to speculate on creditworthiness, traded at 132.5 basis points, 8 basis points wider than Series 16, as of 11:51 a.m. in New York, according to broker Phoenix Partners Group.New versions of Markit Group Ltd.’s index, which typically rises as investor confidence deteriorates and falls as it improves, are created every six months. Companies are replaced if they no longer have appropriate credit grades, aren’t among the most actively traded borrowers, or fail to meet other criteria. Contracts on individual credits also roll today. The high yield index rolls to a new series on Sept. 27.Series 16 of the Markit CDX index fell to 124.5 basis points, according to Phoenix data.In a sign that real estate is struggling to recover, housing starts dropped 5 percent to a three-month low 571,000 annual rate, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey called for a 590,000 pace.Credit swaps pay the buyer face value if a borrower fails to meet its obligations, less the value of the defaulted debt. A basis point equals $1,000 annually on a contract protecting $10 million of debt.
-
Disney to build ‘Avatar’ attractions at Animal Kingdom in Florida
Walt Disney Co., the world’s biggest theme-park operator, unveiled plans for attractions based on the top-grossing 3-D movie “Avatar” at its Animal Kingdom in Florida.Plans for the expansion were announced today in a press conference at Disney’s Burbank, California headquarters. Theme parks accounted for 28 percent of the company’s $38.1 billion in sales in the year ended in September 2010 and contributed $1.32 billion in operating income, or 17 percent of the total.
-
Fifth Third increases quarterly dividend 33%
Fifth Third Bancorp., Ohio’s largest lender, boosted its quarterly dividend 33 percent to 8 cents a share.The third-quarter dividend is payable to investors on Oct. 20 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 30, the Cincinnati- based bank said in a statement.
-
Chicago architect Jeanne Gang among MacArthur Foundation ‘genius’ winners
Jeanne Gang, a Chicago architect who designed Aqua, an 82-story mixed-use tower in Chicago, is among the artists in this year’s crop of 22 MacArthur Foundation “geniuses.”
-
Caterpillar global sales rise 34 percent in August
Peoria-based Caterpillar’s global heavy equipment sales rose 34 percent in August, with strong growth continuing despite the economic slowdown in the U.S. and Europe. The strongest regions for equipment sales in August were Latin America, with 43 percent sales growth, and a region encompassing Europe, Africa and the Middle East, where sales rose 46 percent.
-
Stern Pinball to develop Transformers game
Stern Pinball Inc., the world’s only maker of real pinball games, announced plans for a pinball machine based on the iconic Transformers brand from Hasbro, Inc. that will be available later this fall.
-
Abbott earns banned substance free certification for EAS products
Abbott Laboratories’ EAS Sports Nutrition brand has been certified as free of banned substances, the company announced.
-
Caterpillar Vice President Heller to retire
Caterpillar Inc. announced Vice President and Chief Information Officer John Heller will retire in February 2012.
-
Nalco Wins 2011 WateReuse Award
Nalco recently received the WateReuse Association’s 2011 WateReuse Equipment/Manufacturer Award, which honors outstanding commitment and performance by a specialty-equipment product or manufacturer.
-
VASC0 subsidiary in Netherlands declared bankrupt
DigiNotar BV, the Internet-safety company that was attacked by hackers, causing the Netherlands government to warn that parts of the country’s online traffic were no longer safe, was declared bankrupt by the Haarlem district court.
-
Turner says Murdoch ‘going to have to step down' from News Corp.
Billionaire Ted Turner said News Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rupert Murdoch will probably have to leave the helm of his media company after a phone-hacking scandal that began at one of its newspapers.
-
OPEC’s $1 trillion cash quiets poor on longest ever $100 oil
Saudi Arabia will spend $43 billion on its poorer citizens and religious institutions. Kuwaitis are getting free food for a year. Civil servants in Algeria received a 34 percent pay rise. Desert cities in the United Arab Emirates may soon enjoy uninterrupted electricity.Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries members are poised to earn an unprecedented $1 trillion this year, according to the U.S. Energy Department, as the group’s benchmark oil measure exceeded $100 a barrel for the longest period ever. They are promising to plow record amounts into public and social programs after pro-democracy movements overthrew rulers in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya and spread to Yemen and Syria.Unlike past booms, when Abu Dhabi bought English soccer club Manchester City and Qatar acquired a stake in luxury carmaker Porsche SE, Gulf nations pledged $150 billion in additional spending this year on their citizens. They will need to keep U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude oil at more than $80 a barrel to afford their promises, according to Bank of America Corp.“A sharp increase in spending to accommodate social pressures has averted potential disquiet over governance in most countries, though in the longer-term economic reforms will be needed to buoy private-sector growth and job creation,” Jean- Michel Saliba, a London-based economist at Bank of America, said in an e-mail Sept. 8. “Without the social spending, Gulf protests would possibly move the nations toward constitutional monarchy.”Arab SpringOPEC’s basket of crudes, a weighted average of the group’s main export grades, has been trading at above $100 since Feb. 21. The basket price was $108.68 a barrel yesterday, while WTI on the New York Mercantile Exchange closed at $85.70. WTI gained 0.8 percent to $86.39 a barrel as of 1:16 p.m. in London.Tunisia’s ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January set up the so-called Arab Spring, as protests led to the end of Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year reign in Egypt and threatened the Assad family’s hold on Syria.Libya’s rebel council met Sept. 19 to form a cabinet after seven months of fighting to end Muammar Qaddafi’s 42-year rule. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is under pressure to step down after 33 years running the Arab world’s poorest country. Unemployment is at 11 percent in the Middle East and North Africa and as high as 22 percent in Algeria, according to the United Nations Development Program.Religious FundingAcross Yemen’s northern border, in Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s biggest member is funding housing, salary increases and the creation of 60,000 new jobs at the interior ministry, according to royal decrees announced on March 18. At least 1 billion riyals ($267 million) has been allocated to the Saudi Ministry of Islamic affairs and The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice after clerics backed a ban on domestic protests.The religious establishment’s new funds include 500 million riyals to restore mosques and 300 million riyals to support Islamic call and guidance offices, according to the decrees. Money is being spent on installing devices in public squares, markets and schools to deliver audio and video broadcasts with “advice and moral lessons,” the Commission’s President Muhammad al-Eidy said in May.“They probably feel like they’ve got to do a lot more spending this time and they are focusing on social spending, whereas previous investments were business or private-sector driven,” said Gabriel Sterne, associate director in London at Exotix, an investment bank, and a former economist at the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England.$1 Trillion Revenue
-
News corp. Said to pay $4.7 Million to hacking victim family
News Corp.’s U.K. unit agreed to pay 3 million pounds ($4.7 million) to settle claims that the News of the World tabloid hacked the mobile phone of a murdered schoolgirl, a person with knowledge of the matter said.The proposed settlement includes a 2 million-pound payment to the family of Milly Dowler and a 1 million-pound donation to charity, said the person, who declined to be identified because the talks are private. News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch was personally involved in the negotiations, the person said.News Corp. is trying to “be seen to be generous as it’s much more than would be awarded by a court,” said Niri Shan, the head of media law at Taylor Wessing LLP in London. “The only downside is if it potentially sets an unrealistic expectation for others.”Reports in July that Dowler’s messages had been intercepted triggered a public outcry that forced New York-based News Corp. to close the 168-year-old tabloid and drop its 7.8 billion-pound bid for full control of British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc. The Parliament’s Culture Committee decided last week to recall News Corp. Deputy Chief Operating Officer James Murdoch after former employees questioned statements he made about his knowledge of the extent of hacking at the News of the World.Mark Lewis, the lawyer for Dowler’s parents and sister, said today he hasn’t yet accepted the offer from London-based News International. The unit said in an e-mailed statement that it was in “advanced negotiations” with the family.Hugh GrantThe Guardian reported the amount of the settlement yesterday.The settlement would have been more welcome if it hadn’t been made “only as a result of the exposure of phone hacking” in news stories, the victims’ group Hacked Off said today in a statement. Actor Hugh Grant, the public face of the London-based group, has claimed his phone was hacked.“The family have been through a terrible ordeal,” the group said in its statement. “This is a welcome signal of remorse from News Corporation.”Rupert Murdoch met with the Dowler family in July to apologize. “I said I was appalled to find out what happened,” Murdoch said after the July 15 meeting. “I apologized and I have nothing else to say.”Lewis has been hired by celebrities and other public figures whose phones may have been hacked by the News of the World. He represented Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, whose secret settlement with News Corp. in 2008 was later made public.Sienna MillerWhile the Dowler family hadn’t filed a lawsuit, the reported settlement would be larger than some others the company has reached in hacking cases. Actress Sienna Miller agreed to a 100,000-pound payout and sports commentator Andy Gray will receive 20,000 pounds. Both will also receive legal costs.U.K. lawmaker Tom Watson, a member of the Labour party, said the settlement may cause News Corp. to exceed its proposed 20 million-pound fund to settle phone-hacking claims.“Clearly for a 2 million-pound settlement for a single case” the total amount to resolve the scandal is going “to be dramatically more,” Watson said on the BBC News Channel.The amount of the Dowler settlement reflects the exceptional circumstances of the matter, the person familiar with the negotiations said.London police, who have arrested 16 people since reopening the hacking probe in January, are also investigating whether journalists bribed officers for confidential information.The Metropolitan Police arrested one of its detectives for allegedly leaking information about the probe to the media, and last week said it would seek to force the Guardian to reveal its secret sources for certain hacking stories.The revelation about Dowler’s voice mail also prompted the resignation and arrest of Rebekah Brooks, the chief executive officer of News Corp.’s U.K. unit and a former editor of the News of the World.
-
Comcast sues British telecommunications over eight patents
Comcast Corp. sued British Telecommunications Plc over eight patents.Comcast claimed that it doesn’t infringe the BT Group Plc unit’s network technology.To contact the reporter on this story: Phil Milford in Wilmington, Delaware at pmilfordbloomberg.nett
-
August home building fell 5 pct., Slide continues
WASHINGTON — Builders broke ground on fewer homes in August, a reminder that the housing market remains depressed. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that builders began work on a seasonally adjusted 571,000 homes last month, a 5 percent decline from July. That’s less than half the 1.2 million that economists say is consistent with healthy housing markets.Single-family homes, which represent roughly two-thirds of home construction, fell 1.4 percent. Apartment building plunged 12.4 percent. Building permits, a gauge of future construction, rose 3.2 percent. Hurricane Irene also slowed construction in the Northeast.Overall, homebuilding fell to its lowest levels in 50 years in 2009, when builders began work on just 554,000 homes. Last year was not much better.While home construction represents a small portion of the housing market, it has an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and about $90,000 in taxes, according to the National Association of Home Builders.After previous recessions, housing accounted for at least 15 percent of economic growth in the United States. Since the recession officially ended in June 2009, it has contributed just 4 percent.Cash-strapped builders are struggling to compete with deeply discounted foreclosures and short sales, when lenders allow borrowers to sell homes for less than what is owed on their mortgages. And few homes are selling.New-home sales fell in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 298,000, the weakest pace in five months. This year is shaping up to be the worst for sales on records dating back a half-century.Renting has become a preferred option for many Americans who lost their jobs during the recession and were forced to leave their homes. Still, the surge in apartments has not been enough to offset the loss of single-family homebuilding. Another reason sales have fallen is that previously occupied homes are a better deal than new homes. The median price of a new home is nearly 28 percent higher than the median price for a re-sale. That’s almost twice the markup in a healthy housing market.The trade group said Monday that its survey of industry sentiment fell slightly to 14 in September. The index has been below 20 for all but one month during the past two years. Any reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market. The index hasn’t reached 50 since April 2006, the peak of the housing boom.
-
Questions and answers about Netflix's changes
Questions and answers about Netflix's changes: Your DVD mailing account will automatically transfer to Qwikster, but your movie preferences and ratings will not.
-
Driverless car navigates Berlin streets
It can talk, see, drive and no longer needs a human being to control it by remote. The car of the future — completely computer-controlled — is on the streets of Berlin. All summer, researchers from the city's Free University have been testing the automobile around the German capital.
-
Are rich really taxed less than secretaries?
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama makes it sound as if there are millionaires all over America paying taxes at lower rates than their secretaries."Middle-class families shouldn't pay higher taxes than millionaires and billionaires," Obama said Monday. "That's pretty straightforward. It's hard to argue against that."
-
GE energy infrastructure gets orders worth as much as $3 billion
General Electric Co., the world’s biggest provider of power-generation equipment and services, said it won contracts from Brazil, Egypt, Australia and other countries valued at as much as $3 billion.
-
Q&A: Where can you find yields right now?
John Flahive, senior vice president and director of fixed-income at BNY Mellon Wealth Management in Boston, manages $20 billion in municipal bonds. Flahive exchanged e-mails for an interview in today’s issue of the Bloomberg Brief: Municipal Market newsletter.
-
Netanyahu vow rattles markets as Cellcom sinks
Cellcom Israel Ltd., the mobile phone company controlled by billionaire Nochi Dankner, fell the most in a month in New York, joining a rout in the nation’s biggest holding companies as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed breaking up conglomerates to spur competition.The rule changes target Israel’s 10 largest corporate groups, which comprise 41 percent of the value of publicly traded companies, according to data included in a Finance Ministry presentation yesterday. Cellcom, which is 47 percent owned by Dankner’s Discount Investment Corp., sank 4.3 percent to $20.81 on the New York Stock Exchange. Delek Group Ltd. and Paz Oil Co. sank more than 6 percent in Tel Aviv yesterday.“These groups now face a problem, they need to decide what they want to sell,” said Gilad Alper, an analyst at Excellence Nessuah Investment House in Ramat Gan, Israel. “There’s concern that some of the groups will have to use shotgun sales in order to comply with the new regulation.”Netanyahu pledged to act on recommendations from a government-appointed panel that he said yesterday “will lead to significant changes in the Israeli economy.” About 20 families control 25 percent of the listed companies on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, representing one of the highest concentrations among developed economies, the central bank said in its 2009 annual report.Tshuva, BinoShares of Netanya, Israel-based Cellcom posted the second- biggest drop on the Bloomberg Israel-US 25 Index of the largest Israeli companies traded in New York. The gauge dropped for the first time in a week, retreating 1.6 percent to 82.43. Israel’s TA-25 benchmark index fell for the first time in five days yesterday after a government-appointed panel recommended steps to boost competition, including eliminating major cross holdings in financial companies.Delek Group Ltd., the Israeli holding company owned by Isaac Tshuva that has stakes in natural-gas businesses as well the insurer Phoenix Holdings Ltd., tumbled 6.8 percent to 495.40 shekels yesterday, the lowest level since July 2009. The shares gained 5.8 percent today.Paz Oil Co., a petroleum products maker controlled by Zadik Bino, who also owns First International Bank of Israel Ltd., tumbled 6.5 percent yesterday. The shares rose 3.2 percent today. Cellcom shares climbed 1.8 percent to 77.69 shekels in Tel Aviv today, the equivalent of $21.04. They fell 1.4 percent yesterday.The changes may result in Delek selling Phoenix, Bino disposing of First International and Dankner divesting Clal Insurance Enterprise Holdings Ltd., according to Terence Klingman, head of research at Meitav Brokerage.Not Enough Appetite“There will be big chunks of shares that will have to be distributed and there may not be enough institutional appetite to buy these shares,” Klingman said by telephone yesterday.The TA-25 Index climbed 2.5 percent to 1,059.41 today after yesterday’s 2.8 percent slump.Netanyahu said yesterday the panel’s recommendations will help fix “the situation that has gone on for decades.”The panel made its conclusions public as the government deals with consumer protests over the cost of living. Netanyahu pledged Sept. 4 to curb inflation after rallies brought more than 400,000 people onto the streets.Netanyahu said he will act on recommendations from a panel headed by Tel Aviv University economist Manuel Trajtenberg that are due by the end of this month and aim to provide cheaper housing and bring down prices for food, child care and transportation.Investors are concerned about “a change in the rules of the game,” Ruben Eblagon, chairman of Tel Aviv-based Rosario Capital Investment House, said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. “This could lead to a slowdown in the economy and hit the middle classes -- exactly the opposite of what the committee is looking to do.”Mellanox ClimbsThe shekel weakened for the for a second day, dropping 0.1 percent to 3.6918 per dollar.
-
IATA: 2012 airline profits to drop 29 percent
Global airline earnings will likely drop 29 percent next year as Europe's debt crisis and higher costs pinch profitability, the International Air Transport Association said Tuesday.
-
U.K. Shop vacancies may climb to 14% next year before falling
U.K. shop vacancies may rise as high as 14 percent next year from the current 12 percent because of increased online retailing, competition from supermarkets and the faltering economy, an industry lobby said.The average store vacancy rate should fall to 11 percent by 2014 as consumer spending revives, according to a study by Oxford Economics for the British Council of Shopping Centres released today. That still exceeds the rate of about 7 percent that prevailed from 2000 to 2007, the BCSC study showed.The report highlights how the U.K. has too many stores in undesirable locations. The Internet has changed consumer spending patterns and persuaded retailers such as children’s clothing chain Mothercare Plc to reduce its network of stores. The increased number of boarded-up shops in some non-prime locations led Prime Minister David Cameron in May to order a review to revitalize the worst affected town centers.“To attract customers and ultimately drive sales, town centers must be managed and marketed well to secure investments from a range of national brands and independent businesses,” BCSC Chief Executive Officer Michael Green said in a statement.
-
NBAD doesn’t have exposure to greek debt, ceo Tomalin says
National Bank of Abu Dhabi PJSC doesn’t have any exposure to Greek debt, Chief Executive Officer Michael Tomalin said at an event in Dubai today.To contact the reporter on this story: Arif Sharif in Dubai at asharif2bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Claudia Maedler at cmaedlerbloomberg.net
Life & Entertainment
-
First celeb booted from ‘Dancing with the Stars’
Metta World Peace, the basketball star formerly known as Ron Artest, was the first celebrity ejected Tuesday from the 13th edition of “Dancing with the Stars.” The show’s judges gave World Peace the lowest score on Monday’s premiere: 14 out of a possible 30.
-
Kutcher sets record with ‘Men’ debut
Both Ashton Kutcher and Charlie Sheen have something to brag about during their big nights on television. Kutcher’s debut as Sheen’s replacement in the CBS sitcom “Two and a Half Men” was seen by 27.8 million people on Monday. The Nielsen Co. said Tuesday that was more than any other episode in the show’s first eight seasons.
-
Rediscovering Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the grape Americans love to hate. It's our top-selling wine, but the only wine with its own protest group – the ABC Club (that's Anything But Chardonnay). Ironically, our conflicted feelings are caused by Chardonnay's inherent neutrality.
-
Wheat Berry Salad with Caramelized Onions and Grapes
Wheat Berry Salad with Caramelized Onions and Grapes
-
Pan Fried Chorizo Ravioli with Creamy Spinach Pesto
Pan Fried Chorizo Ravioli with Creamy Spinach Pesto: Mary Beth Riley
-
‘The Rogue' paints tough portrait of Palin
Joe McGinniss' “The Rogue,” the “investigative chronicle” of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, will be catnip for Palin haters hoping to see her discredited as a potential presidential candidate. But the gossipy tale provides little new information on its subject and draws too much of its material from unnamed sources or avowed Palin critics with axes to grind.
-
Mini Chorizo Egg Rolls with Avocado and Chipotle Dips
Mini Chorizo Egg Rolls with Avocado and Chipotle Dips: Jay Deihs
-
Barbecue Polenta Lasagna With Brussels Sprouts
BBQ sauce challenge: with ground beef, brussels sprouts and polents
-
BBQ Meat Loaf with Polenta Fries and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Spicy Dressing
BBQ Meat Loaf with Polenta Fries and Brussel Sprout Salad with Spicy Dressing: Glenn Sasveld
-
‘Turks’ Cenk Uygur headed to Current
Current TV is bringing Cenk Uygur and “The Young Turks” to its prime-time lineup.Current will work with Uygur and his team to launch a television version of their online program by year-end, the network announced Tuesday.
-
Hugh Laurie singing the blues
Hugh Laurie has won a Golden Globe and been nominated for an Emmy for his starring role on “House.” But those accolades didn't do much to boost his confidence when he started recording his very first album, “Let Them Talk” — he says he was “absolutely terrified.” The album is steeped in New Orleans blues, and Laurie sings, plays piano and guitar on classic tunes. “Let Them Talk” debuted in the United Kingdom at No. 2 last spring and was released in the United States this month.
-
Fruitful snacking for school and home
Thoughts on what constitutes a healthy midmorning snack for your hungry, growing children; two new fruit snacks for school kids and "From the Jewish Heartland" lecture program explore how Jewish cuisine from the Midwest developed.
-
Nirvana members reminisce about the band and its effects on music
It's been 20 years since the release of Nirvana's “Nevermind.” The album, which included cultural anthems like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Come As You Are,” marked the beginning of the alt-rock movement of the 1990s and transformed drummer Dave Grohl, bassist Krist Novoselic and singer-guitarist Kurt Cobain into the posterboys of Generation X, until Cobain's tragic suicide in 1994. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of “Nevermind,” Universal is reissuing the remastered album Sept. 27 with various special editions.
-
Sandra Brown delivers her best with fast-paced ‘Lethal'
Sandra Brown delivers a Hitchcockian thriller that reads like a bullet with her new novel, “Lethal.” Quality romantic suspense is challenging to write since readers already know the main characters will initially hate each other but later fall in love. The best of the genre juggle strong characters that resonate with readers' emotions with jaw-dropping plot twists. “Lethal” delivers all that and more.
-
New ‘Dancing' cast debuts
“Dancing With the Stars” unveiled its new ballroom and new cast Monday, and when all the dancing was done, singer Chynna Phillips and actor J.R. Martinez were tied at the top. Phillips and Martinez each earned 22 points out of 30 for their Viennese waltzes. Basketball star Ron Artest landed in last place with 14 points. Head judge Len Goodman said the Lakers forward's footwork was “atrocious” and his cha-cha was “all sizzle and no sausage.”
-
Sterling ‘My Fair Lady' gives Paramount a rousing start
"My Fair Lady" offers a rousing start to The Paramount Theatre's homegrown series of Broadway musicals. With this beloved musical classic, executive director Tim Rater and artistic director Jim Corti put a kibosh on any doubts that the Paramount wouldn't be able to produce musicals on the scale typically seen at suburban competitors like Drury Lane Theatre or Marriott Theatre.
-
Help Bartlett woman get to Pillsbury Bake-Off
Rebecaa Farias-Insco of Barlett hopes to get to the 45th Pillsbury Bake-Off and she needs your help.The Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest is letting You Be the Judge!, allowing consumers a chance to choose who gets a shot at $1 million at the Bake-Off Contest finals in Orlando next year.
-
Italian faves on the menu at Cucina Bianchi
Some things in the food world have staying power. Classic Italian fare—all familiar, large-portioned and value-driven—is one of them. So, it’s no wonder fans of shuttered Bimbo’s in Palatine were happy to see family recipes resurrected at Cucina Bianchi in Elk Grove Village.Located in an unassuming strip mall with little to attract one inside, this casual pizzeria features distressed walls, hung with sparse wrought iron accoutrements.
-
Funny becomes Zooey Deschanel as the ‘New Girl'
Zooey Deschanel, a refreshingly normal person sparked by an endearingly iconoclastic style, reigns with indie cred. But she is confronting the prospect of big-time stardom on a big-time network TV hit: Fox's "New Girl." Her series premieres at 8 p.m. Tuesday, but, befitting the promotional push that Fox has given it, the “New Girl” pilot is already on view as a free download from iTunes.
-
‘Resistance 3' just average in otherwise standout series
The saga of battle-weary fighters and their campaign against an invading, parasitic alien army continues with “Resistance 3,” a first-person shooter that covers all of that gaming genre's basics, but feels a bit redundant otherwise. There are bosses and battles and melee attacks and a good selection of weaponry. So the essentials are all there. Still, I was left wanting more.
-
Causing trouble for former mistress won’t solve his problems
Shouldn't both parties of an ended affair suffer the consequences, especially when one marriage ends in divorce and the other continues as if nothing ever happened.
Discuss
-
County takes action while state debates
We're impressed with the changes put forth by DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin. He's scaling back boards and commissions, he's cutting the budget and he's working on reducing retirement costs. A Daily Herald editorial says we need more of those kinds of decisions at every level of government.
-
Global warming is here, all right
Stuff does happen in nature. But it takes a sturdy hostility to science to bash the experts giving us all fair warning of worse cataclysm ahead if we don’t act.
-
Junk science and HPV
Score one for Rick Perry — and one against Michele Bachmann. In a recent Republican debate, Bachmann, plainly in search of some way to break Perry’s newfound hold on more conservative Republicans, lashed out at the Texas governor for signing an executive order in 2007 (later overturned) mandating that all sixth-grade girls get HPV vaccinations. In fact, all the scientific evidence mandates the conclusion that Perry was right.
-
Acting ‘stupid’ can be underrated
Are Republicans stupid? It's really a brains-vs.-gut question — erudite theorist vs. plain-spoken doer — not that the two need be mutually exclusive. Would it be too much to ask that a well-read mind come packaged in a human vessel that also has had some experience in the trenches of ordinary life?
-
Clarifying some points on pensions
In 2010, the state took important legislative steps toward pension reform. This will help ensure defined benefit plans such as IMRF continue to guarantee public workers a modest and fair retirement income at the most reasonable cost to taxpayers.
-
Compare U.S. budget to a typical family’s
What we have in effect is a reverse mortgage on our country. The voters have become addicted to the money, are still in the denial stage, and don’t want to face the possibility of cutting back on all of the many benefits they have come to enjoy.
-
Protect religious rights in schools
Religious speech is not some type of subordinate speech in the First Amendment or a court context. As long as their religious speech does not disrupt the educational mission of the school, students can exercise their religious liberties with great latitude.
-
A little respect for pedestrian traffic
I live in Carol Stream and I am an avid runner and dog walker. I run early in the morning and I have lost count of how many times I have almost been hit by a car.
-
Eagerly awaiting November, 2012
How exciting. President Obama wants to add another half trillion dollars to the national debt, with his new jobs bill. The one designed to save his job. Also the one he told Congress 17 times to “pass this bill now,” and also the same bill that was so exciting that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hasn’t even put it on the docket yet to be voted on.
-
Solyndra scandal merits coverage
I’m surprised the Sept. 16 issue of the Daily Herald had no mention of the investigation by the House of Representatives and the Treasury Department into a $535 million loan guarantee to a solar equipment manufacturer, Solyndra.
-
Hultgren spewing bunk on job creators
Letter to the Editor: On Aug, 18 at a town-hall meeting, I asked Rep. Randy Hultgren to explain the evidence that the millionaires and billionaires in our country, the people who are the recipients of President Bush’s tax cuts, are “job creators.” Hultgren tried to move on but the crowd wouldn’t let him. He couldn’t answer the question. I was hoping he would stop his misleading rhetoric about “job creators.”
-
Tariffs would limit pollution
Letter to the Editor: The government’s primary job is to protect the American people from irresponsible behavior, which includes reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions for the benefit of all. Implementing tariffs to create a level playing field is the only responsible action, if job creation is a concern. If tariffs are an issue, then trade agreements are the problem.
Sep 2011
Oct»| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 |
SiteIndex
CommunityFinder
Select a county on the map to view a list of related communities in our coverage area.
- Arlington Heights
- Barrington
- Barrington Hills
- Bartlett
- Buffalo Grove
- Carol Stream
- Deer Park
- Des Plaines
- Elgin
- Elk Grove Village
- Glenview
- Hanover Park
- Hoffman Estates
- Inverness
- Mount Prospect
- Palatine
- Prospect Heights
- Rolling Meadows
- Roselle
- Rosemont
- Schaumburg
- South Barrington
- Streamwood
- Wheeling
- Woodridge
- Addison
- Aurora
- Bartlett
- Bensenville
- Bloomingdale
- Bolingbrook
- Carol Stream
- Downers Grove
- Elmhurst
- Glen Ellyn
- Glendale Heights
- Hanover Park
- Hinsdale
- Itasca
- Keeneyville
- Lisle
- Lombard
- Medinah
- Naperville
- Oak Brook
- Oakbrook Terrace
- Roselle
- Villa Park
- Warrenville
- West Chicago
- Westmont
- Wheaton
- Winfield
- Wood Dale
- Woodridge
- Algonquin
- Aurora
- Barrington Hills
- Bartlett
- Batavia
- Burlington
- Campton Hills
- Carpentersville
- East Dundee
- Elburn
- Elgin
- Geneva
- Gilberts
- Hampshire
- Hoffman Estates
- Huntley
- Kaneville
- Lily Lake
- Maple Park
- North Aurora
- Pingree Grove
- St. Charles
- Sleepy Hollow
- South Elgin
- Sugar Grove
- Wayne
- West Dundee
- Antioch
- Bannockburn
- Barrington
- Barrington Hills
- Buffalo Grove
- Deer Park
- Deerfield
- Diamond Lake
- Fox Lake
- Fox River Grove
- Gages Lake
- Grandwood Park
- Grayslake
- Green Oaks
- Gurnee
- Hainesville
- Hawthorn Woods
- Indian Creek
- Ingleside
- Island Lake
- Kildeer
- Lake Barrington
- Lake Bluff
- Lake Forest
- Lake Villa
- Lake Zurich
- Lakemoor
- Libertyville
- Lincolnshire
- Lindenhurst
- Long Grove
- Mettawa
- Mundelein
- North Barrington
- Old Mill Creek
- Park City
- Port Barrington
- Riverwoods
- Rondout
- Round Lake
- Round Lake Beach
- Round Lake Heights
- Round Lake Park
- Spring Grove
- Third Lake
- Tower Lakes
- Vernon Hills
- Vernon Hills
- Volo
- Wadsworth
- Wauconda
- Waukegan
- Wheeling
