Daily Archive : Tuesday March 12, 2013

News

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    Negro league baseball player Ray “Boo Baby” Knox greets fifth grade students Wednesday at Woodland Intermediate School in Gurnee, where he joined Hank “Baby” Presswood to discuss their time in the league as part of Black History Month. Presswood played with the Cleveland Buckeyes and the Kansas City Monarchs from 1948 to 1952 and Knox played with the Chicago American Giants in 1952.

    Negro league veterans talk to Woodland students
    By Russell Lissau
    Two former Negro league ballplayers entertained fifth-graders at Gurnee's Woodland Intermediate School on Wednesday with stories about their careers in professional baseball. Hank Presswood, a 91-year-old ex-shortstop who now lives in Chicago, and Ray Knox, an 81-year-old Evanston resident who was a catcher in his playing days, even talked about meeting the great Leroy Satchel Paige.

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    Visitors to the “Dinosaurs: The Art & Science of Paleontology” exhibit view Mr. Nixon, the plaster cast of a triceratops skull.

    Aurora exhibit showcases art and science of paleontology
    By Susan dibble
    Field paleontologist and artist Rob Sula showcases his natural history-themed art, paleo-illustration and field illustrations in the exhibit "Dinosaurs: The Art and Science of Paleontology" up through May 3 at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center in Aurora.

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    Highland Middle School to host 5K walk/run benefit
    Daily Herald report
    Highland Middle School in Libertyville Elementary District 70 is sponsoring the Hornet Hustle 5K run/walk at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 6.

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    An architectural rendering of one of the row house buildings proposed for the 12-acre Pleasant Square residential development in Schaumburg. The project, which also includes a park, single-family homes and townhouses, received several village approvals this week.

    Schaumburg's Pleasant Square development nearing construction
    By Eric Peterson
    Construction is expected to begin this summer on a long-delayed residential project at the northwest corner of Schaumburg and Roselle roads in Schaumburg, after village officials Tuesday gave the project several final approvals. The Pleasant Square development will include a small public park and a right turn lane at the corner instead of the 10,000-square-foot commercial development originally...

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    Matthew Hudak

    Elk Grove man asks judge to vacate drug sentence
    By Barbara Vitello
    An Elk Grove Village man doing prison time on drug charges is seeking to have his sentence overturned, claiming a former Schaumburg police officer lied under oath during a hearing last year. Victor Alvarado, 28, pled guilty and was sentenced in June 2012 to six years in prison for the manufacture and delivery of cocaine. His lawyer, Victor F. Ciardelli, last month filed a petition to vacate...

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    Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Five-year-old Eden Long of Elgin dumps his cup of food for Po-Key the bison during feeding last summer at Lords Park Zoo in Elgin. The bison was euthanized Tuesday.

    Elgin zoo bison euthanized
    By Sara Hooker
    Just weeks after welcoming two new girlfriends to the bison herd at Lords Park Zoo in Elgin, its longest bison resident, Po-Key, has died. Sometime Monday evening, she had become stuck in a mudhole in her enclosure. The staff freed her Tuesday morning, but the animal had to be euthanized that afternoon.

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    The new John C. Dunham pavilion and Music Garden at RiverEdge Park in Aurora are set to open June 14-15 for Blues on the Fox. The city council on Tuesday approved a contract that makes Two Brothers Roundhouse the park’s main food vendor for its first year.

    Two Brothers to be Aurora park’s main food vendor
    By Marie Wilson
    The main food vendor chosen to service RiverEdge Park’s Music Garden won’t have to travel far to bring eats and treats to the park when it opens this summer in Aurora. Two Brothers Roundhouse, at 205 N. Broadway St. across the street from the park, was named the primary food vendor under a one-year contract. “We are very excited about working with Two Brothers because they bring...

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    Emergency personnel gather Tuesday at a bridge near Wilmington, as they begin the task of recovering the bodies of four teens, aged from 15 to 17, found in a car that skidded off the bridge into an icy creek. Authorities say the teens had been missing since Monday evening and don't know exactly when the accident occurred.

    Will County teens' deaths among 4 recent fatal teen crashes
    Associated Press
    A coroner has identified the four high school students killed when their car skidded off a bridge into an icy creek in near Wilmington, 60 miles southwest of Chicago. Will County Coroner Patrick O'Neil says 14-year-old Matthew Bailey, 15-year-old Cody Carter, 17-year-old Cheyenne Fender and 15-year-old Micalah Sembach died. “This really kind of increases it tenfold, but we'll get through...

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    State board pleads for more school funding
    By Doug T. Graham
    Just a week after Gov. Pat Quinn called for cuts to public school funding, members of the Illinois State Board of Education said Tuesday they need more money next year to keep them out of a "free fall."

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    State Rep. Dennis Reboletti

    Reboletti: Use gun fines to help prevent crimes
    By Doug T. Graham
    State Rep. Dennis Reboletti, an Elmhurst Republican, has introduced legislation that would raise fines for those convicted of gun crimes and use the money to try to keep guns from the hands of those deemed mentally unfit to use them. "This will go a long way to stopping (gun) violence," Reboletti said. Reboletti's proposal was showcased along with three other Republican-sponsored bills intended...

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    A fox kit sits among butterfly weed and compass plant near the Fox River in Geneva.

    Coyotes will be more visible in forest districts
    Associated Press
    Wildlife experts in Northern Illinois want hikers to be wily when it comes to coyotes. The Lake County Forest Preserve District announced Monday that the next few weeks will see the beginning of the period when female coyotes care for their pups in dens they've set up.

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    Ted Sherwood

    Ted Sherwood, former Des Plaines mayor, dies
    By Madhu Krishnamurthy
    Former Des Plaines Mayor Edward "Ted" Sherwood, 91, died Monday. A World War II Army veteran, Sherwood moved to Des Plaines in 1961 and served as mayor from 1993 to 1997. "He was kind of a firebrand," said Nick Chiropolos, 92, who served as 7th Ward alderman for 16 years, including the time Sherwood was mayor.

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    Sugar Grove Twp. supervisor hopefuls vow to do better
    By Susan Sarkauskas
    Three of the four candidates for Sugar Grove Township supervisor said at a candidate forum Tuesday that while the township board may have made mistakes, they are learning from them and vow to do better.

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    From left to right, St. Charles mayoral candidates John Rabchuk, Ray Rogina, Jotham Stein and Jake Wyatt addressed city finances and how to attract businesses Tuesday night during a chamber of commerce forum.

    St. Charles mayoral hopefuls debate taxes, business
    By James Fuller
    St. Charles business owners came to the Arcada Theatre Tuesday night to discover what the four mayoral candidates would do to ease their tax burden. The answer, at least in terms of sales taxes, was nothing.

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    Randy Hopp

    Banned Gail Borden trustee gets OK to attend forum
    By Elena Ferrarin
    For the first time in more than three and a half years, Gail Borden Public Library Trustee Randy Hopp will be able to enter the library for something other than a board meeting.

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    Barry Krumstok

    Rolling Meadows city manager receives new contract
    By Deborah Donovan
    Rolling Meadows City Manager Barry Krumstok received a vote of confidence in the form of a new three-year contract and a small raise Monday night. Without comment, the city council approved the contract that includes a salary of $140,895.

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    William Beavers

    Beavers’ defense objects to jury pool with no black men
    Associated Press
    Race became an issue Tuesday at the tax-evasion trial of an influential Cook County commissioner after the defense complained there were no black men in an initial jury pool and asked for it to be dismissed. William Beavers, who is black, has pleaded not guilty to diverting more than $225,000 from campaign funds to feed a gambling habit and for other personal use without reporting it from 2006...

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    Schaumburg Township Supervisor Mary Wroblewski talks with Roosevelt University Professor Paul Green after he discussed the state of Illinois and national politics at the Schaumburg Business Association’s monthly breakfast meeting Tuesday.

    Politics expert in Schaumburg finds dark humor in political dysfunction
    By Eric Peterson
    Illinois’ pension crisis will slowly bleed the state to death unless or until politicians are made to feel that the personal cost of doing nothing outweighs the cost of taking a stab at something. That was among the bleak, but usually darkly humorous observations Roosevelt University’s Institute for Politics Director Paul Green made on state and national politics at the Schaumburg Business...

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    Police investigating death of Lake in the Hills teen
    By Sara Hooker
    Crystal Lake police continue to investigate the death of a Lake in the Hills teen who died at a Crystal Lake home Sunday. Stephanie R. Chiakas, 17, was a junior at Crystal Lake South High School.

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    Richard Anderson

    College of Lake County board rejects tuition and fee hike
    By Bob Susnjara
    College of Lake County board members Tuesday night rejected an administration recommendation to raise total tuition and fees for students starting with the fall semester.

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    Chicago a runner-up in Bloomberg’s Mayors Challenge
    Associated Press
    Rhode Island's capital city has won a $5 million contest created by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg with a high-tech plan to overcome a language skills problem that puts low-income children at a profound disadvantage in the classroom. Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago and Santa Monica, Calif., were selected for $1 million runner-up prizes.

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    Dash Ellis, husband of murder victim Lisa Koziol-Ellis of Elgin, pauses as he speaks about his wife during a news conference Tuesday at the Elgin Police Department. A $15,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.

    Husband of murdered Elgin woman announces reward
    By Lenore T. Adkins
    Dash Ellis, the husband of Lisa Koziol-Ellis, a woman killed in Elgin earlier this month, has announced a $15,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of his wife's killer. “If there is anyone out there that has any information at all, please help us get this person off the street,” Jeff Ellis said. “I don’t care why you want to do it. Do it for...

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    Fracking opponents rally at state Capitol
    Associated Press
    Environmentalists and land owners rallied Tuesday against a proposal that would jumpstart hydraulic fracturing in Illinois, saying the drilling practice — known as fracking — is unsafe and requires further study. The bill is among the strictest in the nation but was written with help from the oil and gas industries, which have been seeking certainty in the law before investing too...

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    Vernon Hills police to target seat belt violations
    Daily Herald report
    Vernon Hills police will have extra officers on the street March 14-17 in a special detail to watch for drivers and passengers who are not wearing seat belts.

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    Navy celebrates Women’s History Month
    Daily Herald report
    Great Lakes Naval Station will celebrate Women's History Month with an event Monday.

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    Man dies in Des Plaines stabbing; no charges filed
    By Madhu Krishnamurthy
    A man stabbed during a fight with his girlfriend in a Des Plaines motel last week has died of his injuries, Des Plaines police said Tuesday. The Cook County states attorney's office's felony review unit studied the facts of the case and declined criminal prosecution, police said.

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    Illinois joins multistate settlement with Google
    Associated Press
    Illinois will receive about $362,000 from a multistate settlement with Google over its collection of emails, passwords and other sensitive information transmitted on unprotected wireless networks.

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    Kane saves millions through bond refinancing
    By James Fuller
    The results of a major Kane County bond refinancing are in. Taxpayers will save about $2.53 million over the next seven years thanks to the county's first live, reverse bond auction.

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    James Holmes sits with defense attorney Tamara Brady during his arraignment in district court in Centennial, Colo., on Tuesday, March 12, 2013.

    Colo. judge enters not guilty plea for Holmes
    Associated Press
    The judge in the deadly Colorado movie theater shooting case entered a not guilty plea on behalf of James Holmes on Tuesday after the former graduate student's defense team said he was not ready to enter one. Judge William Sylvester said Holmes, 25, can change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity later, if he chooses.

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    Electronic court filing coming to Lake County
    By Mick Zawislak
    The Lake County Board on Tuesday approved spending about $1 million for a consultant to develop the technology to allow for an electronic system for court records. The first part, to be rolled out in 30 to 60 days, will allow the public free online access to review case information. The second part, to debut in about six months, will allow for online filings for small claims cases. Other...

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    Robert Wagner

    Grafton Twp. candidates opine on fixing finances
    By Lenore T. Adkins
    The eight people running for trustee on the Grafton Township board have varying views on how to handle the township's finances.

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    Child abuse prevention a year-round effort in Kane
    By Harry Hitzeman
    April is National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. But helping abused and neglected children is a year-round mission for Bob Runke, a volunteer for CASA Kane County. "The number of cases suprised me and the severity of the cases surpised me," said the Batavia man. Authorities and child advocates say the best thing a person can do is trust their gut and report suspected abuse.

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    Mundelein District 75 refines crisis plan
    By Mick Zawislak
    Mundelein District 75 has revised its crisis plan and is planning an intruder drill this spring. Essentially, the adjustments allow the district to better align its response with that of local authorities, clearly defining the roles of various people in a crisis situation, according to Superintendent Cynthia Heidorn. "What we've done now is just adjusted (the plan) so it matches the National...

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    Black smoke emerges from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The black smoke indicates that the new pope has not been elected yet.

    Black smoke from chapel; no pope chosen yet
    Associated Press
    Cardinals heard a final appeal for unity Tuesday before sequestering themselves in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave to elect the next pope, as they celebrated Mass amid divisions and uncertainty over who will lead the 1.2 billion-strong Catholic Church and tend to its many problems.

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    DuPage County may need to boost its subsidy of its convalescent center in Wheaton.

    DuPage may have to chip in more for convalescent center
    By Robert Sanchez
    A change in the way the state reimburses the DuPage Convalescent Center for providing care to Medicaid patients could force the county to pay more to subsidize the Wheaton facility.

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    Patrons come and go Tuesday at the Rack House Kitchen & Tavern in Arlington Heights.

    Rack House Kitchen & Tavern opens in Arlington Hts.
    By Melissa Silverberg
    Arlington Heights officials are hopeful that the opening of Rack House Kitchen & Tavern, a new American-cuisine smokehouse restaurant in the former Boston Blackie's location, will spark a restaurant revival on the south side of the village.

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    Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy speaks at a news conference Tuesday about the shooting of a 6-month-old girl and her father Monday on the South Side.

    Baby girl latest innocent victim of Chicago gang violence
    Associated Press
    A 6-month-old girl became the latest innocent victim of Chicago gang violence when a gunman ambushed her father while he was changing her diaper along a South Side street and unloaded round after round into the two of them. Jonylah Watkins died at a hospital Tuesday after surgeons did what they could to repair the damage from the five bullets that tore through her body during Monday's attack in...

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    The Dalai Lama

    Dalai Lama to return to Madison in May
    Associated Press
    On May 15, the Tibetan spiritual leader will visit Madison, Wis., as part of a one-day series of panel discussions on making the world a healthier, happier place.

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    Hall of Famer Stan Musial died Jan. 19 at age 92.

    Senate approves naming new bridge in honor of Musial
    Associated Press
    The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill to name a new Mississippi River bridge at St. Louis in honor of St. Louis Cardinals great Stan "The Man" Musial. The measure to name the new structure the Stan Musial Memorial Bridge now goes to the U.S. House.

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    University of Illinois law school ranking drops
    Associated Press
    The University of Illinois College of Law dropped 12 places to No. 47 in the country in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, which were released Tuesday. The drop comes less than a year after the law school was fined by the American Bar Association for falsely inflating the performance of incoming students in data used to market the school.

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    Judge: Indiana teacher can sue diocese in IVF case
    Associated Press
    A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by an Indiana woman who says a Catholic diocese fired her from her teaching job because she underwent in vitro fertilization.

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    Mark Mihal fell into a sinkhole that opened up under him on the 14th hole of a golf course in Waterloo, Ill.

    Golfer survives fall into sinkhole on downstate course
    Associated Press
    Suddenly being swallowed up by the earth on a golf course's fairway drove a wedge between Mark Mihal and a stellar round. The 43-year-old mortgage broker was counting his blessings Tuesday and nursing a dislocated shoulder sustained four days earlier when he tumbled into an 18-foot-deep sinkhole on the 14th hole of the Annbriar Golf Club near Waterloo, Ill.

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    Des Plaines man charged in attack on conductor
    By Freida Gad
    A Des Plaines man was arrested in Mount Prospect on a battery charge after being accused of assaulting a conductor who ordered him off the train, police reports said. The man punched a Metra conductor in the face, knocked him down, and kicked him in the knee after being ordered to leave the train, the report said.

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    Kane Co. seeks RTA appointee
    By James Fuller
    Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen is now taking applications to be the county's next representative on the RTA. A county board committee recently voted against supporting a bill that would eliminate the $25,000 salary and benefits of the position.

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    Fox Valley police reports
    Daryl Deshaun Kemp, 38, of Carpentersville, was charged with obstructing identification, driving while license suspended and a probation violation after a traffic stop at 5:26 p.m. Friday at Route 25 and Kings Road near Carpentersville, according to a sheriff's report.

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    Student performance top priority for Dist. 203 focus group
    By Justin Kmitch
    If Naperville Unit District 203 is to continue to thrive as a leader in education, residents say, the community first must focus on student performance and bridging the achievement gap that exists between the general student body and the roughly 11 percent of the population that is considered low income. Nearly 140 residents met Tuesday to discuss the district's future during the first of nine...

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    Money rains down in Vernon Hills
    By Sara Hooker
    Mystery money rained down in Vernon Hills Monday morning. No one has come forward to claim it. But the sight of the cash floating through the air near Route 45 and Port Clinton Road led several motorists to pull over to chase the bills down the road.

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    Fox Lake trustee candidates discuss taxes, revenue
    By Lee Filas
    Some Fox Lake trustee candidates want the village's utility tax repealed, while others say new business development is needed to generate revenue and ease the tax burden on homeowners. Seven candidates are running for three open village board seats in the April 9 election.

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    Lake County judge allows Amrich to run for Island Lake mayor
    By Russell Lissau
    A Lake County judge on Tuesday reversed an electoral board decision and said Charles Amrich should be allowed to run for mayor in Island Lake. "It's a good decision," Amrich said afterward in the Waukegan courtroom. "Win or lose ... it's all about choice and the democratic process." The lawyer representing the two local activists who'd formally objected to Amrich's candidacy, said he plans to...

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    Aurora police believe this man may be responsible for eight “smash and grab” burglaries in the city over the past several days.

    Aurora cops hunting ‘smash and grab’ burglar
    Daily Herald report
    The same man is suspected in eight "smash and grab" burglaries or attempted burglaries between March 8 and Tuesday morning in Aurora, police said. In each case, the man used a brick or rock to smash the exterior glass doors of a business, authorities said, and then tried to break open or steal the cash registers. The first burglary was reported around 7:15 p.m. Friday and the most recent around 5...

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    Northwest suburban police blotter
    By Freida Gad
    Thieves stole more than $500,000 in trucks and trailers in Elk Grove Village recently. Among the thefts were 1992 Fruehauf 48-foot trailer loaded with antenna equipment valued at $350,000, a 2011 International tractor and a Stoughton trailer valued at $240,000 and a 2007 International box truck and forklifts valued at $43,000.

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    Kurt Pazdra is the Candy Man in Harvest Christian Academy’s presentation of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” Thursday and Friday.

    ‘Willy Wonka’ at Harvest Christian Academy
    Daily Herald report
    Harvest Christian Academy presents 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' Thursday and Friday at the Elgin School. "This is the fourth year of theater at Harvest Christian Academy, and the program is getting bigger and better every year," said HCA Theater Director Johanna Johnson.

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    No bids for Geneva school land, so board decides to use a broker
    By Susan Sarkauskas
    Nobody has placed a bid to buy the 28 acres at Keslinger and Brundige roads the Geneva school district is selling, so the district is going to try using a real estate broker.But for now, the asking price will be the same as the minimum price the district set for bidders: $2.2 million. That's required by state law.

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    Black ice being blamed for multiple accidents this morning
    By Lee Filas
    Freezing weather overnight and a light dusting of snow caused traffic to pile up for Tuesday morning commuters on most major roadways throughout the Chicago area.

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    Jose M. Garcia

    Two held on $3 million bond in Round Lake Beach slaying
    By Lee Filas
    The Zion man who was shot and killed in Round Lake Beach early Sunday, was attacked because of the way he was wearing his hat, authorities said Tuesday. Jose M. Garcia, 18, of Mundelein and Jose Rebollar-Verara, 24, of Round Lake Park, are held in Lake County jail on $3 million bond after being charged with the first-degree murder of Gabriel Gonzales, 19, authorities said.

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    Northwest suburban police blotter
    By Freida Gad
    Burglars broke into a storage locker on the 900 block of North Countryside Drive in Palatine between Feb. 1 and 27 and stole a storage case, two photography flash power packs and two flash heads. Value was estimated at $3,900.

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    Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George in Rome this morning before the conclave began.

    Chicago’s Cardinal George takes conclave oath
    Associated Press
    Chicago's Cardinal Francis George has taken his oath before the conclave to elect the next pope begins.George stood in line with the other cardinals in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on Tuesday. He placed his hand on the Gospel to "promise, pledge and swear" to keep the oath of secrecy. The conclave begins about two weeks after former Pope Benedict XVI stepped down.

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    Northwest suburban police blotter
    By Freida Gad
    A Des Plaines man was charged with felony theft and misdemeanor theft in Mount Prospect after he reportedly took $400 out of his cash drawer on Feb. 16 and $1,200 out of his cash drawer Feb. 17. The thefts were observed on a security video, reports said.

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    Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., right, talks with the committee’s ranking Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. A divided Senate Judiciary Committee approved a Democratic bill Tuesday expanding required federal background checks to nearly all gun purchases, giving President Barack Obama an early victory on curbing gun violence in a fight that still faces difficult odds.

    Senate panel OKs Dems gun background check bill
    Associated Press
    A divided Senate Judiciary Committee approved a Democratic bill Tuesday expanding required federal background checks to nearly all gun purchases, giving President Barack Obama an early victory on curbing gun violence in a fight that still faces difficult odds. The vote was 10-8, with all Democrats supporting the measure and every Republican opposing it.

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    A worker starts preparation for repair of a utility pole that was knocked down during an early-morning Tuesday crash along Winfield Road, south of Roosevelt Road near Winfield. The vehicle involved was engulfed in flames.

    Crash closes Winfield Road Tuesday morning
    Daily Herald report
    A stretch of Winfield Road in unincorporated DuPage County was closed Tuesday morning after a car struck a utility pole, knocking it across the roadway, police said. The sheriff's office said the one-car crash happened at roughly 6:30 a.m.

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    This image released by the Defense Department shows the reverse view of the newly announced Distinguished Warefare Medal. The military has stopped production of a new medal for remote warfare troops — drone operators and cyber warfighters — as it considers complaints from veterans and lawmakers over the award, a government official said Tuesday.

    Pentagon stops production on remote warfare medal
    The military has stopped production of a new medal for remote warfare troops — drone operators and cyber warfighters — as it considers complaints from veterans and lawmakers over the award, a government official said Tuesday. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered a review of the Distinguished Warfare Medal, which was to be awarded to troops who operate drones and use other...

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    Director of National Intelligence James Clapper delivered the U.S. intelligence community’s overview of global threats posed by terrorism, cyber attacks, weapons of mass destruction, the months-long civil war in Syria and the unsettled situation in post-Arab Spring nations.

    U.S. officials: North Korea poses serious threat
    Associated Press
    An unpredictable North Korea, with its nuclear weapons and missile programs, stands as a serious threat to the United States and East Asia nations, the director of National Intelligence warned Tuesday in a sober assessment of worldwide threats.

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    An engaged couple and five children killed in a weekend house fire in southern Kentucky died from smoke inhalation, investigators said Tuesday as they worked to determine the cause of the blaze.

    Police: Smoke inhalation killed 7 in Ky. fire
    Associated Press
    An engaged couple and five children killed in a weekend house fire in southern Kentucky died from smoke inhalation, investigators said Tuesday as they worked to determine the cause of the blaze, which shook the rural community of Gray in the foothills of Appalachia near the Daniel Boone National Forest and the Tennessee and Virginia state lines.

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    At dawn, the sun breaks through dark clouds over Capitol Hill in Washington. House Republicans put out a video Tuesday to remind visitors that, while they may be locked out of the Obama White House because of budget cuts, the doors to the Capitol are still open for tours.

    Republicans say Capitol tours unaffected by cuts
    Associated Press
    House Republicans put out a video Tuesday to remind visitors that, while they may be locked out of the Obama White House because of budget cuts, the doors to the Capitol are still open for tours. The un-narrated 90-second video posted on YouTube is the latest effort by Republicans to needle the White House for stopping all public tours because of the automatic spending cuts.

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    This Monday, March 11, 2013 photo in Southington, Ohio shows the vehicle where six people died in a crash early Sunday in Warren, Ohio. Two teens who escaped the crash that killed six friends in a swampy pond wriggled out of the wreckage by smashing a rear window and swimming away from the SUV, a state trooper said Monday.

    Driver in fatal Ohio crash had no license
    Associated Press
    The 19-year-old woman behind the wheel of an allegedly stolen SUV when it crashed into a pond, killing six friends, didn't have a valid driver's license, according to a report on the crash released Tuesday.

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    In his last appearance at halftime of a University of Illinois football game in 2006, Chief Illiniwek Logan Ponce poses at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. Facing NCAA sanctions, the school retired the controversial Chief in 2007.

    Perception, not intent, relegates Chief Illiniwek to history
    By Burt Constable
    Supporters who want to bring back Chief Illiniwek as the halftime entertainment for University of Illinois sporting events speak from the heart. But that doesn't make them right. Give the Chief his spot in history and let people understand him for what he was. Letting him stew in controversy for years diminishes the legend of the Chief. And who wants that?

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    A cardinal attends a Mass for the election of a new pope celebrated inside St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican, Tuesday, March 12, 2013.

    The choreographed election of a pope explained
    Associated Press
    The election of a pope follows a series of choreographed rules and rituals that have been tweaked over the centuries ever since the term “conclave” or “with a key” was used in the 13th century to describe the process of locking up the cardinals until they have chosen a new pope. Here are the rules in use to elect the 266th pope.

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    Nikkokim Aglubat

    Hanover Park man charged in home invasion attempt
    By Josh Stockinger
    A Hanover Park man tried to force his way into a neighbor's home and threatened a couple there with a knife, prosecutors said Tuesday. Nikkokim Aglubat, 21, appeared in DuPage County bond court on a charge of attempt home invasion. He was ordered held on $150,000 bail.

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    Northwest suburban police blotter
    By Freida Gad
    A dog apparently frightened off a burglar at an Arlington Heights condominium. A burglar pried open a sliding-glass door at the unit on the 2400 block of East Brandenberry around 6:30 p.m. March 7. The female resident was in her bedroom with the lights off, but she heard her dog barking. The burglar fled without entering the condo.

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    Biomed Technician Erika Dauber sets up a new $30,000 incubator in one of the patient rooms at the new Alexian Brothers Women and Children's Hospital.

    New Hoffman Estates children's hospital gets finishing touches
    By Jessica Cilella
    Besides some artwork resting on the floor, missing beds and furniture wrapped in plastic, the new Alexian Brothers Women and Children's Hospital in Hoffman Estates is just a few finishing touches away from opening its doors April 6. "It's been exciting. It's moved along pretty fast, but it's been a long time from concept to completion," Alexian Brothers Health System President and CEO Mark Frey...

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    Senior Iranian clerics have criticized President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for consoling Hugo Chavez’s mother with a hug — a physical contact considered a sin under the country’s strict Islamic codes.

    Ahmadinejad under fire for hugging Chavez’s mother
    Associated Press
    Senior Iranian clerics have scolded President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for consoling Hugo Chavez's mother with a hug — a physical contact considered a sin under Iran's strict Islamic codes. The rebuke follows a widely published photo showing Ahmadinejad embracing Chavez's mother at the funeral of the late Venezuelan president in what is seen as taboo-breaking behavior in Iran.

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    Battle over Syria’s Aleppo airport intensifies
    Associated Press
    New clashes erupted Tuesday in an intensifying battle for control over Aleppo's international airport and nearby military bases in Syria's north, activists said. Rebels have tried for weeks to capture Aleppo's international airport and nearby air bases as part of their campaign to erode the regime's air supremacy in the 2-year-old conflict that the United Nations says has claimed more than 70,000...

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    South Korean army K-55 A1 self-propelled artillery vehicles move Tuesday during an exercise against possible attacks by North Korea near the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un urged front-line troops to be on “maximum alert” for a potential war as a state-run newspaper said Pyongyang had carried out a threat to cancel the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War.

    History shows North Korean pattern: Wait, then attack
    Associated Press
    Recent Korean history reveals a sobering possibility: It may only be a matter of time before North Korea launches a sudden, deadly attack on the South. And perhaps more unsettling, Seoul has vowed that this time, it will respond with an even stronger blow. Humiliated by past attacks, South Korea has promised — as recently as Tuesday — to hit back hard at the next assault from the...

  •  
    Jill Zuleg of Naperville shows one of the blankets that the Kyle Zuleg Foundation gives to families going through the process of donating the organs of a loved one. Inspired by her own family’s experience after the death of their teenage son Kyle, the blankets read “Forever in our Hearts.”

    Naperville mother turns loss of son into support for others
    By Susan Dibble
    After 16-year-old Kyle Zuleg of Naperville died as the result of a camping accident in 2010, his parents donated his organs to five recipients and established the Kyle Zuleg Foundation as a way for him to be remembered. The foundation gives blankets to families waiting for their loved one's organs to be donated and gives scholarships to to seniors in Naperville high schools planning to major in...

  •  
    From Leah Oathout, Terry Adams and Drew Banks, members of the Lake Land College Automotive Club who work on and race cars for the school in Mattoon, Ill. Oathout, 20, from Bethany, Ill., is an automotive major who has been dabbling in extracurricular drag .

    Automotive student also drag races
    Associated Press
    Leah Oathout is a quick study. Clocked at speeds about 80 mph, the student at Lake Land College in Mattoon proceeded rapidly with her coursework at the Coles County Dragway. An automotive major dabbling in extracurricular drag racing for the last two years, the sophomore from Bethany aced her toughest test in October when she won the final race of the season, and the whole championship, in the...

  •  
    U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin

    Durbin proposes measures to help wounded veterans
    Associated Press
    U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is proposing two legislative measures that would boost research into orthotics and prosthetics care for service members and veterans. The Democratic senator from Illinois announced the legislation Monday.The proposals would authorize grants to colleges and universities interested in training specialists in the field of neuromuscular, skeletal and limb injuries.

  •  
    Sara Paretsky

    Author of detective novels to speak at fundraiser
    Associated Press
    Famed mystery writer Sara Paretsky is booked to speak at a fundraising event next month in Springfield. Southern Illinois University announced Monday that Paretsky will speak at the fourth annual Women's Power Lunch Against Cancer. The luncheon and book signing on April 12 benefits Simmons Cancer Institute at the SIU School of Medicine. Tickets are $50.

  •  
    An artists rendering provided by the Green Bay Packers showing the new north entry gate to be built at Lambeau Field, part of the teams expansion plans.

    Lambeau construction on schedule, budget
    Associated Press
    The majority of the outdoor construction on Lambeau Field's new south end zone is done. Green Bay Packers officials say the $143 million renovation project is on budget and on schedule. Some outside seating work still needs to be done, but crews have largely turned their focus indoors.

  •  

    Rally backs Ind. charter school, voucher programs
    Associated Press
    Supporters of Indiana's charter schools and private school vouchers packed a Statehouse corridor with hundreds of children from those schools for a rally Monday as they back expansion of those programs.Republican Gov. Mike Pence and the GOP House and Senate leaders all told the crowd of perhaps a couple thousand children and adults that the charter school and voucher programs had helped spur...

  •  

    Ill. veteran to receive French honor
    Associated Press
    Joseph Panno has been long-recognized as a soldier who fought his way through France during World War II. But a new honor will soon come the Streator resident's way. According to The Pantagraph newspaper in Bloomington, Panno will receive the French Legion of Honor on March 20.

  •  

    Ghost Ships Festival returns to Milwaukee
    Associated Press
    Scuba divers and archaeologists will converge on Milwaukee this weekend for the 14th Annual Ghost Ships Festival. The festival is set to begin Friday evening and continue through Saturday at the Crowne Plaza Milwaukee Airport Hotel. Tickets are $20 until Thursday and $25 at the door.

  •  

    Dawn Patrol: 2 charged in fatal shooting; horse virus outbreak
    By Sara Hooker and Lee Filas
    Two men charged in Round Lake Beach shooting death. Arlington Heights will help the Metropolis. Horse outbreak has stables on guard. Ex-booster club president faces felony theft charges. Glen Ellyn approves multiage classrooms. Wheeling native Danni Allen heads to the finale of "Biggest Loser." Dist. 300 considers expanding special education ratio. Blackhawks put team first.

  •  

    School choice an issue for Hawthorn District 73 candidates
    By Mick Zawislak
    The situation involving what is known as Adequate Yearly Progress and its impact on school choice is a top issue in Hawthorn District 73, school board candidates agree, though they are uncertain how best to address it. Whatever happens, the complex issue will require continued public input to resolve, say four candidates for three seats. One certainty is the winners April 9, all newcomers to...

  •  
    CBS 2 news reporter Dave Savini serves as emcee of Taste of Hope, which supports DuPage PADS programs to offer shelter and education and employment services to the county’s homeless.

    Caring in action: Fundraiser helps PADS address changing needs of homeless
    By Christie Willhite
    DuPage PADS has a clear and simply stated mission: to end homelessness in DuPage County. For 27 years, the organization has recruited teams of volunteers to provide emergency overnight shelter to the homeless among us, giving those with nowhere to go a safe place to sleep and a good meal. But to really end homelessness, PADS leaders know it takes more than opening the doors to a shelter each...

  •  
    Terry Waddell-Moenter

    Gurnee trustee candidates address using incentives to lure businesses
    By Bob Susnjara
    Gurnee's four village board trustee candidates have staked positions on the concept of providing incentives to lure major businesses to town. Incumbert Jeanne Balmes is on the ballot with Thomas Hood, Terry Waddell-Moenter and Don Wilson in the April 9 election for three open seats.

  •  
    Naperville has found itself with much more food-and-beverage tax money than expected.

    Naperville solves nice problem: too much tax money
    By Justin Kmitch
    Naperville's 1 percent food and beverage tax brought in $3.3 million this fiscal year, exactly $2 million more than was projected when the tax was introduced in 2004. That led city officials to believe they can fund the Special Events and Cultural Amenities, or SECA, fund while also pumping up social services and cutting six years and $65 million from the city's unfunded public pension obligation.

  •  
    James Cecille and Billie Roth are running for village president in Streamwood.

    Streamwood mayoral hopefuls debate village’s outreach
    By Eric Peterson
    Whether the rebuilding of Streamwood's government over the past 24 years is exactly what the village needed or whether it still lacks important outreach is at the heart of this year's village president race. Incumbent Billie Roth and her challenger, longtime Trustee James Cecille, headlined a candidates forum Monday night at the Poplar Creek Public Library.

Sports

  •  
    Out since Oct. 20, it doesn't appear that Bears linebacker Lance Briggs will return to action this weekend.

    Briggs still not ready to help Bears defense
    By Bob LeGere
    Bears coach Marc Trestman is "not optimistic" that linebacker Lance Briggs will return this week from a fractured shoulder, but defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said his focus is on players who will be available against the Browns on Sunday.

  •  
    St. Louis Rams defensive end William Hayes celebrates after Bears running back Michael Bush was stopped short of the end zone for a 4-yard loss Sunday.

    Short-yardage mistakes toss Bears for a loss
    By Bob LeGere
    Bears running back Michael Bush came up short, repeatedly, in goal line situations against the St. Louis Rams in Sunday's 42-21 loss. Bob LeGere takes a closer look at the disappointing stats and more in this Bears notebook report.

  •  
    Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton (69) is taken off the field after injuring his left knee in the third quarter Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Melton will have surgery and miss the rest of the season.

    Season-ending knee surgery awaits Bears’ Melton
    By Bob LeGere
    The 3-0 Bears have lost Pro Bowl defensive tackle Henry Melton to a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee. Nate Collins will step into Melton's spot in the starting lineup, and undrafted rookie Zach Minter will get an opportunity as the top backup.

  •  
    Fans wait for autographs after the Chicago Bears training camp on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais last Wednesday. The Bears have agreed to extend their partnership and hold training camp at ONU through 2022.

    Bears extend training camp deal in Bourbonnais
    By Bob LeGere
    The Bears and Olivet Nazarene University announced on Monday plans to remain training camp partners for nine more years, through 2022. The Bourbonnais campus provides the team with excellent facilities and an accessible and affordable experience for fans. Nearly 20,000 attended Sunday's practice.

  •  

    Bears sign DE Turk McBride
    By Bob LeGere
    The Bears added some defensive end depth Wednesday with the addition of unrestricted free agent Turk McBride, a former second-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs.

  •  

    ‘The Black Unicorn’ brimming with confidence
    By Bob LeGere
    The Bears' new tight end Martellus Bennett caught 55 passes last season for 626 yards, but he might be even more interesting off the field than he is on it.

  •  
    Two former talk show competitors, Mike North and Mancow Muller, were once rivals on Chicago airwaves. Now North appears regularly on "Mancow!", the WPWR-TV broadcast of the host's syndicated radio show.

    Was Tiger’s assist from Stricker a bad move?
    By Mike North
    Mike North loves a god rivalry but can't figure out why Steve Stricker would help Tiger Woods beat him. Should you help your opponent get the best of you? North says no!

  •  
    If Derrick Rose doesn’t believe he’s ready to return, he’s not.

    Bulls’ Rose will do what’s best for Rose
    By Barry Rozner
    Everyone claims to know what's best for the Bulls' Derrick Rose, but Rose is the only one who knows what he feels, and therefore he's the only one who knows what's best for Rose. Physically, he may be healthy, but mentally he’s not certain. If he doesn’t believe he’s ready, he’s not. If he doesn’t believe he’s ready, he won’t play at full speed and with complete abandon.

  •  
    It was a busy day Tuesday for Bears general manager Phil Emery as he added two key free agents to the team’s offense.

    Will Bears’ busy day translate into success
    By Mike Imrem
    General manager Phil Emery's flurry of activity Tuesday lifted the Bears closer to contention in the NFC North and maybe even in the entire NFC. OK, Mr. Cutler, let’s see what kind of quarterback you can be with offensive-minded head coach Marc Trestman, security-blanket tight end Martellus Bennett and NFL-quality protection from Jermon Bushrod.

  •  

    Tuesday’s girls soccer scoreboard
    High school results from Tuesday's varsity girls soccer games, as reported to the Daily Herald.

  •  

    Tuesday’s girls water polo scoreboard
    High school results from Tuesday's varsity girls water polo matches, as reported to the Daily Herald.

  •  

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

  •  

    Tuesday’s boys water polo scoreboard
    High school results from Tuesday's varsity boys water polo meets, as reported to the Daily Herald.

  •  

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

  •  

    Tuesday’s boys basketball scoreboard
    Here are the results from Tuesday's varsity boys basketball results as reported to the Daily Herald.

  •  
    West Aurora’s Josh McAuley reacts to the Blackhawks’ loss to Proviso East in the Class 4A Hinsdale Central supersectional Tuesday.

    Proviso East’s pressure gets to West Aurora
    By Joshua Welge
    West Aurora played with poise under pressure for a half. Playing with a purpose, Josh McAuley did all night. It all unraveled in five fateful minutes. Proviso East wiped away West Aurora’s workmanlike 1-point halftime lead with a back-breaking 17-0 third-quarter run, beating the Blackhawks for the second straight year 62-52 at Tuesday’s Class 4A Hinsdale Central supersectional.

  •  

    West Aurora's McAuley shines in defeat
    By John Lemon
    In a supersectional in front of a packed house at Hinsdale Central Tuesday night, Proviso East’s star-studded lineup included a Division I guard Paris Lee going to Illinois State and the brother of NBA guard Shannon Brown — Sterling Brown — who is headed to SMU. Those two certainly played excellent. Lee finished with 16 points and 3 steals while Brown scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half helping the Pirates overcome an early 7-point West Aurora lead for a 62-52 victory. But as good as those two were — Lee’s performance had his coach Donnie Boyce calling him the best point guard in the state — more than one observer left Hinsdale saying the best player on the floor Tuesday was wearing the Blackhawks’ No. 52 white jersey. Josh McAuley capped his phenomenal rise through his four years at West Aurora by doing everything he could to keep the Blackhawks in the game. He scored 22 points, snatched 16 rebounds and swatted 4 blocked shots.

  •  

    Carees come to a close for Lee, Thomas twins
    By Kevin McGavin
    For the first time in 12 years West Aurora was making consecutive appearances in the Elite Eight. But in a repeat of an identical scenario from the last boys basketball season—same location, same opponent—the Blackhawks had their bid for a berth in the Final Four evaporate at Hinsdale Central with a 62-52 loss to Proviso East in a Class 4A supersectional Tuesday night. With the loss the Blackhawks’ Jayquan Lee and twins Spencer and Chandler Thomas had their three-year varsity careers come to a close.

  •  

    New Trier blanks Stevenson
    Daily Herald report
    Girls soccerNew Trier 3, Stevenson 0: The visiting Patriots dropped their season opener.Stevenson keeper Corie Calcaterra made 8 saves.

  •  
    St. Francis’ Matt Bonner reacts to committing his fifth foul near the end of the game against Bartonville Limestone Tuesday in the 3A Dekalb supersectional game at the Northern Illinois Convocation Center.

    St. Francis seniors showed they were a class above
    By Dave Oberhelman
    St. Francis coach Bob Ward once called them “program kids.” No stars, no flash, any among them a potential top scorer any given game. The Spartans’ all-senior starting five — Matt Bonner, Andrew Kimball, Kevin McShea, Jason Pisarski, Tim Zettinger — delivered the program’s deepest run since a 1989 Elite Eight berth the old-fashioned way. Defense. Execution. Never say die. Busting their hump.

  •  
    Stevenson’s Andy Stempel waves the plaque after defeating Rockford Boylan Tuesday in the Class 4A NIU supersectional in Dekalb.

    Stevenson marches to Peoria
    By Patricia Babcock McGraw
    The 3-point loving Stevenson Patriots, who have hit nearly 200 long-range bombs on the year, proved amazingly versatile in Tuesday's Class 4A supersectional at the Convocation Center in DeKalb. Just like they overwhelmed Rockford Boylan from the perimeter in the first half, they overpowered Boylan in the paint in the second half en route to a 73-67 supersectional victory and a berth in this weekend’s state finals in Peoria.

  •  
    DePaul’s Cleveland Melvin (12) drives past Rutgers’ Wally Judge (33) and Myles Mack (4) during Big East play Tuesday night in New York. DePaul lost to Rutgers 76-57.

    Rutgers beats DePaul 76-57 in Big East tournament
    Associated Press
    Wally Judge hit all nine of his shots and scored a season-high 20 points to go with 10 rebounds, leading Rutgers to a 76-57 victory over DePaul on Tuesday night in the first round of the Big East tournament. Myles Mack added 19 points to help the No. 11-seeded Scarlet Knights (15-15) advance to the second round of the nation’s showcase college basketball tournament for only the sixth time in 14 trips to Madison Square Garden.

  •  

    North Central pumped up for Wesleyan rematch
    By Kyle Thele
    The Cardinals are riding high on a streak and it couldn’t come at a better time. After coming back to beat defending national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater, the North Central men’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA Division III field of 16 for the second consecutive year.

  •  
    Mundelein’s Jacob Petri competes on the floor exercise Tuesday at Libertyville.

    Progress showing for Mundelein, Libertyville
    By John Bumbales
    The Independent Conference boys gymnastics opener proved to be a proving ground for host Libertyville and Mundelein on Tuesday night. The visiting Mustangs took the equipment without top all-rounder Colin McCarthy, who missed the meet due to illness. Libertyville wanted to make a big improvement from its first outing Saturday, and both squads showed that they are ready to be competitive this season with or without their top gymnasts. Mundelein (1-0) won the dual meet with a solid 138.5 score, while the Wildcats made a quantum leap in improvement from their first meet with an impressive 130.8.

  •  
    NHL linesman Andy McElman, a Palatine native seen here Sunday at the United Center, is back on the ice after getting hit in the face by a puck and suffering serious injuries in 2012.

    Palatine’s McElman back, better than ever
    By Bruce Miles
    NHL lineseman Andy McElman, who calls Palatine home, is back officiating this season after suffering multiple facial fractures just over a year ago, when he was hit by a puck during a game. McElman worked this past Sunday's Blackhawks game at the United Center.

  •  
    St. Francis' Killan Brown loses the ball under the defense of Bartonville Limestone's Lorenzo Burns and David Anderson late in the game Tuesday in the 3A Dekalb supersectional game at the Northern Illinois Convocation Center.

    St. Francis finishes one run short
    By Orrin Schwarz
    With 2.8 seconds remaining in Tuesday's Class 3A NIU supersectional and his Spartans trailing by 4 points, St. Francis senior Tim Zettinger walked up to Limestone guard Hank Mathews, wrapped his hand behind Mathews' neck, congratulated him and wished him well in this weekend's state semifinals. There was nothing else to do.

  •  
    Stevenson’s Andy Stempel waves the plaque after defeating Rockford Boylan.

    Images: Stevenson vs. Rockford Boylan, boys basketball
    Stevenson won 73-67 over Rockford Boylan in the Class 4A boys basketball NIU supersectional game at the Convocation Center on Tuesday, March 12 in DeKalb. The Patriots advance to play Edwardsville in a state semifinal game in Peoria Friday night.

  •  
    Michelle Russell was let go Tuesday after five years as Dundee-Crown’s head girls basketball coach.

    Russell out as Dundee-Crown coach
    By John Radtke
    Much to her surprise and disappointment, Michelle Russell was let go Tuesday as Dundee-Crown’s head girls basketball coach. Russell was informed in a meeting with Athletic Director Dick Storm and principal Lynn McCarthy that she would not be retained as coach. Russell teaches at Westfield Community School in District 300. “I’m disappointed in their decision,” Russell said. “I don’t know what more I could have done. I’ve given all I had. I love Dundee-Crown and I always will. I don’t understand, but it’s their decision.”

  •  
    St. Francis’ Tim Zettinger has the ball knocked away by Bartonville Limestone’s Lorenzo Burns .

    Images: Wheaton St. Francis vs. Bartonville Limestone, boys basketball
    Wheaton St. Francis lost 55-50 to Bartonville Limestone in the boys Class 3A basketball supersectional game Tuesday, March 12 in DeKalb.

  •  
    Jason Kalinowski

    Kalinowski leads Round Lake hall of famers
    Daily Herald report
    Former Daily Herald All-Area football player Jason Kalinowski headlines Round Lake High School’s 2013 athletic hall of fame class.

  •  
    Jayquan Lee of West Aurora works against Paris Lee of Proviso East.

    Images: West Aurora vs. Proviso East, boys basketball
    West Aurora lost 62-52 to Proviso East Tuesday night in the Class 4A Hinsdale Central boys basketball supersectional for a trip downstate.

  •  

    A flurry of goals as Buffalo Grove tops St. Viator
    By Mike Garofola
    Buffalo Grove made a convincing start to its girls soccer season with a 4-0 victory over visiting St. Viator on Tuesday afternoon in a bone-chilling season opener at Grant Blaney stadium.

  •  

    Bus carrying Vt. lacrosse team crashes in NY
    Associated Press
    A bus carrying college lacrosse players from Vermont was hit Tuesday by a sports car that spun out of control on a wet highway in upstate New York, sending the bus toppling onto its side, police said. One person in the sports car died. The victim was a 64-year-old female passenger in the red Porsche that hit the bus, authorities said; the 65-year-old man who had been driving was in critical condition. Four players on the bus were treated for minor injuries at the scene.

  •  
    Leslie Schock stepped down as Palatine girls basketball coach Tuesday.

    Schock steps down at Palatine
    By John Leusch
    Leslie Schock has always tried to be a teacher first, then a coach. She sure lived up to those words when she stepped down as Palatine's head girls basketball coach to allow more time to her profession as a history instructor. Teaching five advanced placement courses (two in world history and three in United States history) and planning on working toward a second master's degree, Schock decided it best to leave the basketball post she has held the last five seasons.

  •  
    Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose told reporters Tuesday he wasn’t sure whether he’d be back this season or not.

    Rose finally holds court with media
    Sensing Bulls fans are anxious for concrete news about his comeback, Derrick Rose spoke to Bulls beat reporters following Tuesday's practice at UCLA. He said he's waiting until his surgically-repaired left knee feels normal. Then he'll be ready for game action, although he's not sure when that will happen.

  •  
    Offensive left tackle Jermon Bushrod figures to be a big upgrade on the Bears’ line.

    Bears sign left tackle Bushrod
    By Bob LeGere
    Shortly after adding former Giants tight end Martellus Bennett in the opening minutes of free agency, the Bears addressed another area of great need by adding Jermon Bushrod, a two-time Pro Bowl offensive left tackle with the Saints.

  •  

    Injuries scuttled Wildcats’ high hopes
    By Mike Spellman
    Once again it's wait until next year for Northwestern (13-18, 4-14), which prepares to open the Big Ten tournament Thursday night against Iowa (20-11, 9-9) at the United Center.The loss of JerShon Cobb and season-ending injuries to Drew Crawford and Jared Swopshire all but guaranteed yet another swing-and-a-miss season for the Cats.And that has led to plenty of talk that this might be the final at-bat for Carmody, whose team competed in the NIT the past four seasons.

  •  
    In need of a productive tight end who can catch passes and block, the Bears kicked off the free-agent signing period by agreeing to a deal with former Giants tight end Martellus Bennett, who caught 55 passes last season, his fifth in the NFL.

    Bears strike first with deal for TE Bennett
    By Bob LeGere
    A vast wasteland the past two seasons, tight end becomes a possible strength for the Bears with the signing of unrestricted free agent Martellus Bennett. The 6-foot-6, 265-pound Bennett had 55 receptions for 626 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2012, his first season with the New York Giants following four so-so seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, who drafted him in the second round in 2008 out of Texas A&M.

  •  

    Stevenson named Sky Team of the Week
    Daily Herald report
    The Chicago Sky has named the Stevenson varsity girls basketball team as this week's Chicago Sky Girls High School Basketball Team of the Week presented by Under Armour. The Patriots found success on court this season winning the North Suburban Conference Lake Division championship. The Patriots took that momentum to IHSA regional competition where they won their next two games and capped off a productive season by winning the regional title under coach Tom Dineen.

  •  
    For the third time in franchise history, the Chicago Blackhawks have made the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.

    Blackhawks’ streak earns team another SI cover
    Daily Herald Report
    Despite losing their last two games following a historic 21-0-3 start, the Chicago Blackhawks have cracked the cover of Sports Illustrated for the third time in franchise history.

  •  
    Even at 50 and long gone as an active NBA star, Michael Jordan still casts a very long shadow in professional sports, especially in Chicago and with the Bulls.

    Jordan set standard that's tough to live up to
    By Mike Imrem
    Derrick Rose is suffering what every current Chicago athlete must deal with in some way, shape or form: The burden of having to live up to the standards set by Michael Jordan. His Royal Airness remains the standard for the Bulls, for the entire NBA and for more of sports than anyone might have imagined.

  •  
    West Aurora celebrates its victory over Benet in the Bolingbrook sectional championship game Friday night.

    Supersectional action streaming live tonight at dailyherald.com
    Daily Herald staff report
    Check basketball.dailyherald.com tonight for live video coverage powered by High School Cube and later for postgame video highlights and play-by-play reruns. Tonight, West Aurora faces Proviso East in the Hinsdale Central supersectional at 8 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Class 4A semifinals.

  •  
    Glenbard East’s Tahron Harvey, 40, hustles past Proviso East’s Jevon Carter, left, and Paris Lee during Wednesday’s Schaumburg sectional semifinal.

    Images: Daily Herald prep photos of the week
    The Prep Photos of the Week gallery includes the best high school sports pictures by Daily Herald photographers. This week's gallery features photos from boys basketball from Class 3A and 4A sectional games and boys gymnastics.

  •  
    Kurt Schmidt, here connecting during his high school days at Grayslake Central, is making an impact with the bat for Augustana College.

    Schmidt wastes no time swinging into action
    By John Leusch
    Kurt Schmidt has started off his final baseball season for Augustana College with a big bat. And it didn't go unnoticed. The senior second baseman, a graduate of Grayslake Central, was named the "Hitter of the Week" in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin after having a tremendous week in Florida.

  •  
    Kishan Patel

    What a trip: football, in Paris, for Elk Grove’s Patel
    By John Leusch
    Elk Grove's Kishan Patel has been selected to represent the United States as part of the American Football Worldwide ELITE team which will face the national U19 team of France in Paris on March 30.

Business

  •  
    Ballydoyle Irish Pub in Aurora can sell alcohol on St. Patrick’s Day from 11 a.m. Sunday to 2 a.m. Monday — one hour earlier and one hour later than usual — under a resolution the city council approved Tuesday.

    Aurora extends alcohol sales for St. Patrick’s Day
    By Marie Wilson
    Aurora pubs and restaurants may sell alcohol two hours longer on St. Patrick's Day than on a normal Sunday if they apply by Thursday for the privilege, city officials said. Liquor license holders, including Ballydolye Irish Pub at 28 W. New York St., asked permission to sell alcohol one hour earlier and one hour later than usually allowed. The city council Tuesday granted the request.

  •  

    Aldi to open new Mt. Prospect location
    Daily Herald report
    Aldi will open its new Mount Prospect store on Thursday, March 28, at 1000 Mount Prospect Plaza, the discount grocer announced Tuesday.

  •  
    Hostess is moving ahead with plans to sell its Twinkies, and one of the new owners says the spongy cream-filled snacks could be back on shelves by summer.

    Twinkies buyer says cakes could return by summer
    Associated Press
    Hostess is moving ahead with plans to sell its Twinkies, and one of the new owners says the spongy cream-filled snacks could be back on shelves by summer. The bankrupt company had earlier picked a $410 million joint offer from Metropoulos & Co. and Apollo Global Management as the "stalking horse" bid to set the floor for an auction.

  •  
    House Republicans unveiled their latest budget outline on Tuesday, sticking to their plans to try to repeal so-called Obamacare, cut domestic programs ranging from Medicaid to college grants and require future Medicare patients to bear more of the program’s cost.

    Ryan's budget: GOP takes aim at Dem spending plans
    Associated Press
    House Republicans redoubled their efforts to roll back signature accomplishments of President Barack Obama on Tuesday, offering a slashing budget plan that would repeal new health care subsidies and cut spending across a wide swath of programs dear to Obama and his Democratic allies.

  •  

    Drugmakers, Interpol ramp up fight against fakes
    Associated Press
    More than two dozen of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies have agreed to provide funding and other support to Interpol's battle against counterfeit prescription drugs, the international police agency said Tuesday.

  •  
    FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2013, file photo, a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 jet aircraft is surrounded by emergency vehicles while parked at a terminal E gate at Logan International Airport in Boston as a fire chief looks into the cargo hold. Federal regulators have approved a Boeing plan to redesign the fire-prone lithium-ion batteries, although extensive testing will be needed before the planes can fly passengers again. The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday, March 12, 2013, the plan includes a redesign of the internal battery components to minimize the possibility of short-circuiting, better insulation of the battery's eight cells and the addition of a new containment and venting system.(AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

    FAA approves Boeing plan to fix 787’s batteries
    Associated Press
    A Boeing plan to redesign the 787 Dreamliner's fire-prone lithium-ion batteries won approval Tuesday from the Federal Aviation Administration, which also required extensive testing before it would allow the planes to fly passengers again.

  •  
    A SXSW Interactive Festival attendee samples LeapMotion's 3D motion control on Saturday, March 9, 2013 in Austin, Texas. The flash drive-sized device utilizes only hand movement to control a computer.(AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)

    Leap jumps to capture next step in motion control
    In a bustling tent set up in a parking lot here at the South By Southwest Interactive Festival, people are pointing their hands and gesturing with chopsticks as they guide various actions on a dozen computer screens.

  •  
    The Dow is logging its longest winning streak in two years — barely. A tiny gain gave the Dow Jones industrial average its eighth straight increase Tuesday, long enough to match its longest series of gains since February 2011.

    Dow average ekes out an eighth straight gain
    Associated Press
    The Dow is logging its longest winning streak in two years — barely. A tiny gain gave the Dow Jones industrial average its eighth straight increase Tuesday, long enough to match its longest series of gains since February 2011.

  •  
    Eateries from corner delis to movie concession stands have gotten a last-minute reprieve from the nation’s first ban on big sugary drinks. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg is urging them to shrink their cups and bottles, anyway.

    Mayor: NYC soda decision just ‘temporary setback’
    Associated Press
    Eateries from corner delis to movie concession stands have gotten a last-minute reprieve from the nation's first ban on big sugary drinks. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg is urging them to shrink their cups and bottles, anyway. "If you know what you're doing is harmful to people's health, common sense says if you care, you might want to stop doing that," he said.

  •  
    Prosecutors say bulk tobacco supposedly destroyed by bad weather and pests was secretly sold under false by several brokers in eastern North Carolina, part of a massive crop insurance fraud conspiracy prosecutors say cost the government-backed program $100 million in false claims.

    Feds bust up $100M NC crop insurance fraud ring
    Associated Press
    Federal investigators have unraveled a massive scheme among dozens of insurance agents, claims adjusters, brokers and farmers in eastern North Carolina to steal at least $100 million from the government-backed program that insures crops. Authorities say the ongoing investigation is already the largest such ring uncovered in the country.

  •  
    Some airlines are looking for short-term replacements for the grounded Boeing 787 as the busy summer travel season gets closer.

    Airlines seek alternative for grounded 787
    Associated Press
    Some airlines are looking for short-term replacements for the grounded Boeing 787 as the busy summer travel season gets closer. Jeff Knittel of airplane leasing company CIT says irlines are talking to them about alternatives to the 787. He says leasing rates for similar planes like the Boeing 767 and the Airbus A330 have gone up slightly.

  •  

    Oil falls below $92 a barrel on weak China data
    Associated Press
    The price of oil fell below $92 per barrel Tuesday as traders absorbed choppy economic data from China and stock markets showed signs of fatigue after big gains.Benchmark oil for April delivery was down 20 cents to $91.86 per barrel at late afternoon Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 11 cents to end at $92.06 a barrel on the Nymex on Monday.

  •  
    Sandra Alves dismantles her clothes and accessories store after closing it down due to the lack of customers, in Lisbon, Monday. Alves and her husband closed one of the two stores they owned after they weren’t able to pay the rent and suppliers bills.

    German central bank: Crisis not over yet
    The head of Germany's central bank is warning that the eurozone's financial crisis "isn't over" despite recent improvements in financial markets. Bundesbank head Jens Weidmann underlined Tuesday that Europe needs to move ahead with reforms to keep troubles in the banking system from dragging down government finances — the proposed so-called "banking union."

  •  
    The co-chairmen of the president’s deficit reduction commission, Erskine Bowles, right, and Alan Simpson talk to reporters outside the White House in Washington after an April meeting with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office.

    Gov’t fiscal outlook improving — but only for now
    Associated Press
    Despite constant budget wrangling and finger-pointing by the nation's policy-makers, the government's short-term fiscal outlook isn't all that bad. It's actually getting better — at least for now. Washington is borrowing about 25 cents for every dollar it spends, down from over 40 cents just a few years ago.

  •  
    Mary Jo White,

    Senate panel to question Obama’s SEC nominee
    Associated Press
    Mary Jo White, President Barack Obama's pick to be chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, will likely face tough questions Tuesday from senators about her decade of legal work representing some of the nation's largest banks and corporations. But after the Senate Banking Committee hearing is over, White is ultimately expected to win confirmation from the full Senate and become the first former prosecutor to lead the top federal regulator overseeing Wall Street.

  •  
    ears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. said Tuesday that its fourth-quarter results climbed, helped by an extra week in the period compared with a year ago.

    Sears Hometown and Outlet 4Q results rise
    Associated Press
    Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. said Tuesday that its fourth-quarter results climbed, helped by an extra week in the period compared with a year ago. The company, which was spun off from Sears Holdings Corp., mostly sells home appliances, hardware, tools and lawn and garden equipment. The company, reported that its net income climbed 23 percent to $9.7 million, or 42 cents per share for the period ended Feb. 2.

  •  
    The sandwich board at the Panera store in Brookline, Mass shows the calorie count for each item.

    FDA head says menu labeling ‘thorny’ issue
    Associated Press
    Diners will have to wait a little longer to find calorie counts on most restaurant chain menus, in supermarkets and on vending machines. Writing a new menu labeling law "has gotten extremely thorny," says the head of the Food and Drug Administration, as the agency tries to figure out who should be covered by it. The 2010 health care law charged the FDA with requiring restaurants and other establishments that serve food to put calorie counts on menus and in vending machines.

  •  
    Curiosity drilled into its first Martian rock a month ago. Now scientists will reveal what’s inside.

    NASA to reveal contents of drilled Martian rock
    Curiosity drilled into its first Martian rock a month ago. Now scientists will reveal what's inside. Gathering at NASA headquarters Tuesday, the rover team will detail the minerals and chemicals present in a gray pinch of ground-up rock. The rock results come seven months after Curiosity made a dramatic landing in an ancient crater near the equator. It has been slow going since then as engineers learn to handle the car-size rover.

  •  
    China says it is willing to cooperate with the United States in cybersecurity after the U.S. called on it to take “serious steps” to stop cyberattacks.

    China willing to talk with US over cyberattacks
    Associated Press
    China says it is willing to cooperate with the United States in cybersecurity after the U.S. called on it to take "serious steps" to stop cyberattacks. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying repeated China's assertion that it is firmly opposed to cyberattacks and one of the countries that has suffered most from them. She says the country cracks down on such hackers according to the law.

Life & Entertainment

  •  

    Allow your grown child to make her own choices
    By Carolyn Hax
    This daughter is resentful that her parents wouldn't accept her previous boyfriend. It turned out the ex-boyfriend had a drug problem, so the parents feel justified in not accepting him. How can the parents and daughter mend their relationship?

  •  

    Do what feels right for you in letting go of pain of childhood
    By Carolyn Hax
    Carolyn Hax offers a few ways for woman to release the pain of a rocky childhood and abuse suffered at hands of mentally ill father.

  •  
    Hoffman Estates native Emerson Swinford hangs out with TV Land's “Hot in Cleveland” stars Wendie Malick, Betty White and Valerie Bertinelli. Swinford composed the show's catchy theme.

    Hoffman Estates native hits right notes in Hollywood
    By Jamie Sotonoff and Dann Gire
    Emerson Swinford, who once played guitar and trombone in the band and musical pit at Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, has made a happy transition to successful musican and TV theme composer in Los Angeles. He teamed up with fellow Conant graduate Todd Milliner on TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland," composing the catchy theme that earned him honors from the ASCAP Movie and TV Music Awards.

  •  

    Be up front with Mom to avoid more hurt feelings
    By Carolyn Hax
    My mother is the sweetest, most caring mother a girl could ever ask for. However, she has a tendency to overstep her boundaries. She recently invited herself on a vacation with my family. I noted very delicately that it would be difficult to see and do everything we wanted to with her in tow and we should see each other another time. She still insists.

  •  
    Iranian media reported that authorities are planning to sue Hollywood over the Oscar-winning “Argo” because of the movie’s allegedly “unrealistic portrayal” of the country. The decision on the lawsuit came after a group of Iranian cultural officials and movie critics screened the film in a closed audience in a Tehran theater late Monday.

    Iran mulls suing Hollywood over ‘Argo’
    Associated Press
    Iran is planning to sue Hollywood over the Oscar-winning "Argo" because of the movie's allegedly "unrealistic portrayal" of the country, Iranian media reported Tuesday. Though the movie isn't showing in any Iranian theaters, many Iranians have seen it on bootleg DVDs and it set off a spirited debate that exposed a generational divide.

  •  
    Actress Mila Kunis’ stardom and general idolization went up a notch last week, and you would think this is because she stars in the biggest movie of the year so far. But “Oz: The Great And Powerful,” which debuted with $79.1 million at the box office, had hardly anything to do with the sudden rush of adulation that engulfed Kunis. Instead, it was a seven-minute viral video that’s been watched more than 10 million times and blogged about the world over.

    Viral videos stoke celebrities’ images
    Associated Press
    “Oz the Great and Powerful,” which debuted with $79.1 million at the box office, had little to do with the sudden rush of adulation that engulfed actress Mila Kunis. Instead, it was a seven-minute viral video that’s been watched more than 10 million times and blogged about the world over. It's proof that a new kind of stardom is emerging, propelled by glimpses of authenticity circulated on the Web like evidence of a star’s real nature: guileless snapshots of their innate coolness.

  •  
    Eric Clapton, “Old Sock”

    Eric Clapton’s ‘Old Sock’ is cozy
    Associated Press
    Imagine a jam session at Eric Clapton's house. He's not likely to trot out "Layla" for the 3,478th time. Instead, he and pals with names like Paul McCartney, Chaka Khan and Steve Winwood would probably deep dive into a tasty bag of cover tunes that inspires and delights them. Such is the cozy feel one gets listening to "Old Sock."

  •  
    Margaret Mary Eklund has been making her family's Irish soda bread recipe for decades and shares it with friends and family on St. Patrick's Day.

    Cook of the Week: Lassies who lunch
    By Laura Bianchi
    For Margaret Mary Eklund St. Patrick's Day is not green beer. The Crystal Lake cook invites family and friends to join her for a gals-only party she calls Lassie Day where she serves Irish soda bread and other foods from the Emerald Isle.

  •  
    After 11 years away from the spotlight, Helen Reddy returns to performing. She comes to the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles on Wednesday, March 13.

    Reddy ready for St. Charles gig, return to stage
    By Laura Stewart
    Legendary pop singer Helen Reddy steps back in the spotlight for a nationwide concert tour, after being out of show business for more than 10 years. Reddy will bring her tour to the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles on Wednesday, March 13. "I will do a lot of my hits," Reddy says. "But I will also be singing a lot of songs I love that I recorded years ago that didn't get any airplay."

  •  
    TV personality Kelly Osbourne is at home after being hospitalized after fainting on the set of E!’s “Fashion Police.”

    Kelly Osbourne home from hospital after seizure
    Associated Press
    Kelly Osbourne is resting at home after being hospitalized for five days following a seizure. A spokesman for the 28-year-old TV personality says doctors have given Osbourne "a clean bill of health," finding no conclusive results explaining why she collapsed on the set of E!'s "Fashion Police" last week.

  •  

    ‘Pope TV’ to zero in on papal selection
    Associated Press
    A U.S.-based broadcasting operation is offering a different kind of news coverage for the election of a new pope. Eternal Word Television Network isn't just discussing Vatican politics and the U.S. church as the conclave convenes. It's talking about how the new pope might affect worship services, and the need for prayer during the selection process.

  •  

    Parade Stew
    Mom's Potato Soup: Margaret Mary Eklund

  •  

    Mom’s Potato Soup
    Parade Stew: Margaret Mary Eklund

  •  
    Margaret Mary Eklund bakes her currant-studded Irish soda bread in a cast iron skillet.

    M2’s Soda Bread
    M2s Soda Bread: Margaret Mary Eklund

  •  
    Sean Lowe, the 28-year-old star of “The Bachelor” is headed to “Dancing With the Stars.” He steps up fresh from his engagement to Catherine Giudici at the conclusion of the recent season of the reality show.

    ‘Bachelor’ star Sean Lowe to compete on ‘Dancing’
    Associated Press
    What do you do after winning viewers' hearts as "The Bachelor"? If you're Sean Lowe, you put on your dancing shoes. ABC says Lowe is headed to "Dancing With the Stars," which premieres on Monday, March 18.

  •  

    Jerry Springer doesn’t see return to politics
    Daytime television host and former Cincinnati mayor Jerry Springer doesn't see himself getting back into elective politics. Springer's name has been bandied in recent years in Ohio as a possible Democratic candidate for Congress or governor. But he tells The Cincinnati Enquirer that he's only a year away from turning 70, and with each year, it becomes less likely.

  •  
    John Wee, top, and Owen Morse make up the juggling duo Passing Zone. Their show “Gravity Attacks!” plays College of Lake County's Lumber Center for the Performing Arts in Grayslake on Thursday, March 21.

    Best bets: 'Gravity Attacks!' flies into CLC
    By Scott Morgan
    Jon Wee and Owen Morse, a comedic juggling act known as Passing Zone, will juggle chain saws, torches, knives and more in their show "Gravity Attacks!" at the College of Lake County's Lumber Center for the Arts in Grayslake. Characters from "The Little Mermaid," "Toy Story" and more show up in the Disney Live! show "Mickey's Music Festival" at the Rosemont Theatre. And the murder mystery “Doomsday Abbey” comes to Schaumburg.

  •  
    “The Next Day” by David Bowie

    David Bowie's 'Next Day' is here
    Associated Press
    Many people wondered if there would be a next day for David Bowie, professionally speaking. He announced the imminent release of "The Next Day" on his 66th birthday in January, and has said nothing about its contents publicly. Absence has clearly made the heart fonder, judging by the pre-release raves for his first new music in 10 years. Simmer down. This does not auger a return to Bowie's 1970s glory days.

  •  
    “Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time” soars when it allows the nimble Sly to do what he does best: skittering up drainpipes, scampering across power lines and bouncing across rooftops.

    Sony's rascally raccoon Sly Cooper returns
    Associated Press
    It's been seven years since ring-tailed master thief Sly Cooper has headlined a video game. "Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time" finds him chilling out in Paris, until he discovers that pages are disappearing from his prized family history. The Paris prologue gets "Thieves in Time" off to a sluggish start. But once Sly and his pals — Bentley, the techie turtle, and Murray, the two-fisted hippo — start traveling back through time, the action gets much livelier.

  •  
    “The Good Cop” by Brad Parks

    Readers old and new will enjoy ‘Good Cop’
    Associated Press
    In Brad Parks' "The Good Cop," newspaper reporter Carter Ross learns of a policeman's death and his interview with the widow only raises more questions. When Ross learns the policeman committed suicide and the story has been pulled, he can't get the case out of his mind. Why would someone who loved his job and his family suddenly end his life? Against the wishes of his editors, he begins to search for answers.

Discuss

  •  

    Endorsements: Barbini, Knight, Meyer for Wauconda village board
    The Daily Herald endoses John Barbini, Lincoln Knight and Wade Meyer for Wauconda village board.

  •  

    Endorsements: Haugeberg, Rodd, Sojka for Des Plaines City Council
    The Daily Herald endorses Patricia Haugeberg (Ward 1), Denise Rodd (Ward 3) and Joanna Sojka (Ward 7) for Des Plaines City Council.

  •  

    Endorsements: Cerretti, Christensen, Seminary for Round Lake Park village board
    The Daily Herald endoses Robert Cerretti, David Christensen and Robert Seminary for Round Lake Park Village Board.

  •  

    Endorsements: Triphahn, Newby, Blum for Round Lake village board
    The Daily Herald endoses Susan Triphahn, Donald Newby and Michael Blum for Round Lake Village Board.

  •  

    Endorsements: Kolz, Catalano for Wood Dale City Council
    The Daily Herald endoses Joseph Kolz (Ward 1) and Antonino "Tony" Catalano (Ward 3) for Wood Dale City Council.

  •  

    Endorsement: O’Connell, Wesseler, Janowiak for Bensenville board
    The Daily Herald endorses Martin O'Connell, Susan Janowiak and Henry Wesseler for three seats on the Bensenville village board.

  •  

    Endorsements: Wagner, Gordon, Ziller, Holtorf for Grafton Township board
    The Daily Herald endoses Robert Wagner, Marcella Gordon, Dan Ziller Jr. and Joseph Holtorf for Grafton Township board of trustees.

  •  

    Endorsement: Kearns for Grafton Township supervisor
    The Daily Herald endoses James Kearns for Grafton Township supervisor.

  •  

    Endorsements: Faber, Gaffino, Lowery for North Aurora village board
    The Daily Herald endorses Christopher Faber, Mark Gaffino and Michael Lowery for North Aurora village board.

  •  

    A solution to the latest ‘mommy war’
    By Kathleen Parker
    Columnist Kathleen Parker: Yahoo's CEO Marissa Mayer is one rare bird. But should she be? She crashed the glass ceiling and we're upset that she made a mess?

  •  

    FDR’s moral failure
    By Richard Cohen
    Columnist Richard Cohen: Back in 1945, my mother thought a god had died. We know now he was just a man, not so great as he once appeared. Increasingly and deservingly, his reputation is being consumed by the very Holocaust he ignored.

  •  

    Alcohol, gaming has no place in this site
    Letter to the editor: Christine Dolgopol is concerned that not enough public attention has been brought to the proposal for a beer and wine bar with gambling, that would be located in a Wheeling neighborhood shopping center.

  •  

    They are sneaking in the increases
    Letter to the editor: Ken Kitzing of Mount Prospect took a look at his monthly water bill, and discovered that the prices are rising.

  •  

    Mayor responds to red-light complaint
    Letter to the editor: Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson responds to a complaint from a Downstate man, who got a ticket at one of the village's red-light traffic cameras. Johnson says the video disproves the driver's claim that he came to a full stop, and the mayor takes issue with the claim that the cameras are nothing more than revenue generators.

  •  

    Questions judgment of Trustee Kincaid
    Letter to the editor: Robert Steinberg takes Trustee Raymond Kincaid to task for reading an anonymous letter aloud at the village board meeting, saying it's not the village board's job to negotiate contracts with the police union. "Why would Kincaid try to undermine that process?" he asks.

  •  

    He’s seen Krick in action, and likes it
    Letter to the editor: "Howard Krick is definitely the person we need in (Hanover Township) office because of his commitment, and the passion he has for the residents, and his community," writes Hanover Township Collector Frank T. Liquori.

  •  

    D214 should insure student athletes
    Letter to the editor: Don Grossnickle of the Gridiron Alliance says District 214 has an obligation to insure its student-athletes against catastrophic injury. "Anyone agree that it is not the community burden alone, to pick up the pieces and help broken kids and families like we did in 1999?" he writes

  •  

    Why not use the gyms already here?
    Letter to the editor: Greg Larson says he wishes the Arlington Heights Park District would do more to use gyms that already exist at area schools, instead of trying to build more.

  •  

    Crying ‘fowl’ over total chicken ban
    Letter to the editor: Tongue planted firmly in cheek, Scott Jamieson chides the Arlington Heights Village Board for being stodgy on the backyard chicken issue.

  •  

    Thanks to those who serve in public office
    Letter to the editor: Jack Halpin of Arlington Heights salutes two retiring, long-term suburban mayors, pointing out it's harder than it looks. "It is easy to write a letterand tell them what they should do. It is another story to run for office and try to do the job better," he writes.

  •  

    Greg Zyck a good fit for library board
    Letter to the editor: Anne Marie Gerhardt is enthusiastic about candidate Greg Zyck for the Arlington Heights Library board. "Greg is a longtime resident and family man who deeply cares about our community, especially the services many of us take advantage of, such as our great library," she writes.

  •  

    Tinaglia a fresh but experienced voice
    Letter to the editor: Joe Geisel writes that Jim Tinaglia is an excellent candidate for Arlington Hts. village board, what with his extensive volunteerism in the community and his experience on the Design Commission.

  •  

    Salute Inc. turns 10, with hope for future
    Letter to the editor: As Salute Inc. begins its second 10 years, Will and Mary Beth Beiersdorf are grateful for those who support the organization. "We hope we can capture for another 10 years this spirit of support and appreciation, as many of our heroes and their families need us more than ever," they write.

  •  

    Snowplow driver gets him unstuck
    Letter to the editor: Ray Berry says that somewhere in the Arlington Heights Public Works Department is a snowplow driver who deserves a raise.

  •  

    Despite sequester, fed excess continues
    Despite sequester,fed excess continuesCan you believe the president’s demagoguery of the dreaded Sequester by stating that security lines at the airports will be longer, state parks will close, furloughs of thousands of government employees, etc.All the while, the federal government continues spending on a new $750,000 soccer field being built for detainees at Camp 6 in Guantanamo and the IRS spending up to $15 million on PR to try to improve its image with taxpayers and the Senate barber shop receives a $300,000 taxpayer bailout.The list goes on and on. For more examples of wasted federal spending see Senator Tom Coburn’s website at http://www.coburn.senate.gov/public/?p=WashingtonWaste Our president needs to simply direct his staff to properly prioritize the spending just as nearly every American home has needed to do the past six years.Also remember that the sequester simply reduces the government’s growth in spending. It is not a cut in spending.David GeorgesonSt. Charles

  •  

    Crucial to keep symphony in Elgin
    An Elgin letter to the editor: As an Elgin resident for over 40 years, I've seen our city, particularly the downtown area, transform from a rundown ghost of a city to an emerging vibrant place. One of the true gems that has really put us on the map is the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, which has grown into one of the premier orchestras in the Midwest. However, the economy has hit hard, and funding is not what it used to be.

  •  

    Another perspective on Durbin trip
    A Naperville letter to the editor: Robert Carlson, in a Feb. 28 letter, accused Senator Dick Durbin of failing to show leadership around our nation's budget issues. I'd like to offer another perspective which might set the record straight on a few points.

  •  

    The new nightmare: Products, services
    A Naperville letter to the editor: May I offer another reason that "consumer confidence" is often down? It's because services and or/products have become a nightmare. Bought a new cellphone. The dumb version. Now I can neither access my contact list, nor change the ring tone.

  •  

    New guns laws more needed than ever
    A Barrington letter to the editor: We in Illinois, and especially in Chicago, have the worst record in the country for gun deaths. The majority of our citizens are not proud of this statistic and want something done about it. The polls tell the politicians this, but it is ignored.

  •  

    Stop giving away our hard-earned money
    A Buffalo Grove letter to the editor: Our newly assigned Secretary Of State John Kerry is already in Egypt promising hundreds of millions of our tax dollars to a country that may or may not be an ally of ours. Our commander-in-chief has also promised them an additional $1 billion if they "play nice."

  •  

    Now’s not the time to cut defense
    A Wheeling letter to the editor: Young men and women are putting their lives on the line to keep America free. Is this really the way to treat them, cutting the money for defense?

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