Dawn Patrol: Quick hits as you head out the door
Breaking News
One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in the 900 block of East Ogden Avenue in Naperville. The name of the motorcyclist has not been released, but the victim remains at Edwards Hospital, officials said.
Sen. Dick Durbin stumps in Aurora for Obama's jobs plan
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin was in Aurora yesterday promoting President Barack Obama's jobs plan at the Kane County Health Department. Durbin said Congress must get people back to work before debating the best methods of handling the nation's budget deficit. “We have a serious deficit problem in Washington, and we have to deal with it,” Durbin said. “But you cannot balance the budget with 14 million Americans out of work. It's much like saying we've got a long-term plan for dealing with a patient, but first we have to stabilize this patient. The problem we have is there is a mindset in Washington that says before you do anything else, cut spending.” Full story.
Man robs two Carol Stream banks in two weeks
Police are looking for a man who robbed two Carol Stream banks in under two weeks, and hope surveillance photos released yesterday will lead them to the suspect. The lone suspect is accused of robbing the Charter One Bank at 451 Schmale Road between noon and 12:30 p.m. yesterday, and of robbing the West Suburban Bank at 895 E. Geneva Road on Sept. 19, according to authorities. Full story.
Antioch man charged with child sex abuse now faces child porn charge
An Antioch man who was released after posting bail on charges that he sexually abused a 10-year-old girl in early September is back behind bars on possession of child pornography charges. Bret Newman is being held on $500,000 bail and could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted of all charges against him. The girl's parents brought the matter to police after she mentioned that Newman, who was a family acquaintance, inappropriately touched her on more than one occasion. Full story.
Did Sen. Suzi Schmidt attempt to sway police with clout?
911 tapes of State Sen. Suzi Schmidt's calls to police in December indicate she mentioned being a former Lake County Board chairman and her “connections” when asking a dispatcher to ignore her husband if he called for help, according to recordings released yesterday. Schmidt mentioned politics again Monday when speaking to Lake County sheriff's deputies who were called to her Lake Villa home by her husband, Robert. This was the third sheriff's response to the couple's home since Christmas Day 2010. Full story.
Two men confessed to killings. Who did it?
It is up to a DuPage County jury to decide which of two separate confessions to believe in the murders of two men in West Chicago last summer. Bradley Taylor of Warrenville initially confessed to shooting a 17-year-old Addison Trail High School student and another man last year in a gang fight, but a West Chicago man later confessed to the crime. Christopher Einecker said Taylor was protecting him when he originally confessed. Full story.
3-month-old Hoffman Estates girl's death under investigation
The Department of Children and Family Services is investigating the death of a 3-month-old Hoffman Estates girl who was found unresponsive in her home early yesterday. The child was pronounced dead shortly after at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Full story.
Northwest Dispatch telecommunicators threaten strike
Telecommunicators for the Northwest Central Dispatch System, which controls 911 service for much of northwest Cook County, have indicated that they plan to strike over contract negotiations. The Metropolitan Alliance of Police, which represents the telecommunicators, issued Northwest Central Dispatch a strike notice yesterday but will not strike before 5 p.m. Oct. 6. Full story.
Former Palatine student a finalist to live at museum for a month
A former Palatine Jr. High student credits her science teachers at Winston Campus Junior High for sparking her interest in the subject and landing her as a finalist in the Museum of Science and Industry's “Month at the Museum” competition. If chosen, 29-year-old Katie Duff, will win $10,000 and will live in the museum around the clock for 30 days while reporting on the experience. Full story.
Weather
It will be warmer today, but wind and rain will accompany the mid 70 degree "heat wave." It'll be in the mid 60s as you walk out the door today, then rise to about 75 degrees this afternoon. A high wind advisory is in effect by the National Weather Service until 5 a.m. tomorrow, while showers and thunderstorms are expected on and off this morning and afternoon. Full weather.
Traffic
Over all, traffic congestion seems to be reduced from earlier this week, though there are a few hot spots that are slowing things down, specifically the inbound Kennedy from the Tri-State to I-290 and I-55 from the Tri-State to US 41. Motorists should avoid Roosevelt and County Farm Road in Wheaton due to an accident. Full traffic.
Red Sox' collapse could impact Sox ... and Cubs
What a way to end the season, Scot Gregor writes in his Inside Pitch blog. No, we're not talking about the White Sox here – or Cubs. They were done weeks ago, if not months. We're talking about one of the most dramatic nights of non-Chicago baseball I can remember. Full story.
Bears players trust offensive game plan
Although the Bears offense ranks No. 31 in rushing yards per game, No. 28 in first downs per game, No. 30 in sacks allowed per passing attempt and No. 29 in third-down efficiency, players and coaches hesitate to blame the scheme. “Across the NFL, whenever you're losing games, there's a little bit of a sense of panic and a sense of doom,” quarterback Jay Cutler said yesterday. “We've just got to get over that; we've just got to keep working.” Cutler said the team is 100 percent in with the much criticized Mike Martz system. Full story.
Illini and Wildcats continue war of words before matchup
Heading into this weekend's Fighting Illini matching vs. the Wildcats of Northwestern, the war of words between the schools vying to be crowned Chicago's Big Ten team has heated up. “We heard them say some things like, ‘We recruit a different kind of guy. They don't recruit our kind of guys,'” Illinois senior middle linebacker Ian Thomas told Gatehouse Media. “We want to show them our kind of guys are better football players and a better team. It's all fun in competition.” Full story.