Dawn Patrol: Aurora woman found killed; serial bank robber hits Elgin
Aurora woman, 21, found murdered in her apartment
Aurora police are expected to release more information after an autopsy this morning on the murder of 21-year-old Rennee Perry, who was found dead in her apartment yesterday. The mother of two's body showed obvious signs of trauma, according to police, but there were no suspects in custody as of last night. Police are following up on several leads in the case. Full story.
Serial bank robber strikes in Elgin
A man who robbed an Elgin bank yesterday afternoon is thought to be the same suspect who robbed banks in Geneva, Wheaton and Glendale Heights this month. Police said the man walked into Elgin State Bank just before closing time and slipped a note to a teller demanding money. Surveillance photos from the robberies show what appears to be the same man. Full story.
Lake in the Hills man DePaul's first openly gay student president
When Anthony Alfano was an eighth-grader, he first began wrestling with the idea that he might be gay and he felt compelled to keep everything bottled up inside. The former captain of the Huntley Raiders varsity hockey team, he was aware of homophobic attitudes that existed both on and off the ice. Today, Alfano has put those worries behind him as the first openly gay student body president in DePaul's 113-year history. Full story.
Carol Stream soldier 'giddy' to meet daughter on Christmas Eve
Carol Stream native Matt Vega, fresh off his third tour of Iraq, will fly into O'Hare on Christmas Eve to reunite with his wife and hold their newborn daughter — Leah Elizabeth Vega — for the first time. “I got a PlayStation when I was little, but it's nothing like this,” says a giddy Mat. Matt watched his daughter's birth through a shaky laptop connection in southern Iraq. “I literally stayed up all night to watch,” he says. Full story.
Weather
Cloudy with flurries today with high temperatures of about 40 degrees. It'll be about 36 degrees when you walk out the door this morning, then rise to 40 degrees before a cold front moves in and the snow flurries begin to fall this afternoon. Full weather.
Traffic
No traffic problems to report early Thursday morning. People are asked to use caution later today though as the airports are expecting higher traffic than normal as people try to get away for the Christmas holiday. People are asked to find alternate routes around Walkup Road from Route 176 to Burning Bush Drive because of construction. Be careful around O'Hare. Today is expected to be the busiest holiday travel day at the airport. Full traffic.
Walsh's challenger in 8th drops out
Joe Walsh's GOP primary challenger in the 8th District backed out of the race Wednesday, just two days before the congressional filing period begins. DuPage Superintendent of Education Darlene Ruscitti had been expected to be a tough opponent for Walsh. “ ... My role as a leader within the Illinois Republican Party and a desire to avoid a costly primary outweigh my personal political aspirations,” Ruscitti said in a statement. Full story.
Naperville bank employee guilty of accepting bribe from pastor
A former Naperville bank employee accused of taking a bribe from a preacher as part of an investment scheme pleaded guilty Wednesday. Sallie Berry, 40, accepted a $200 bribe in exchange for drafting a letter listing the pastor's available balance at $17 million. The pastor, Howard Richmond, is accused of defrauding investors with that letter under the guise of building a new church. Full story.
17-year-old seriously injured in McHenry hit-and-run
Police are expected to release information regarding a McHenry hit-and-run crash that injured a 17-year-old pedestrian last night. The collision, near the intersection of Elm Street and Ramble Road, left the girl “very seriously injured,” according to fire department officials. Police closed down the westbound lanes of Route 120 during their investigation. Full story.
Chicago Sun-Times, suburban papers sold
The Chicago Sun-Times has been sold to a local investment group for more than $20 million. The newly created firm, Wrapports LLC., purchased the Sun-Times Media Group, which includes a number of suburban papers such as the Aurora Beacon-News, Lake County News-Sun, Naperville Sun and The Courier-News (Elgin). Timothy Knight, the former publisher of Newsday on Long Island, N.Y., will take over as CEO and is an investor. Full story.
No signs of rust as Crawford returns to Hawks net
In Corey Crawford's first Hawks start since Dec. 5, he proved that any talk of a goalie controversy in Chicago must stop. Crawford stopped 20 shots in the Hawks' 5-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Backup goalie Ray Emery started six games in a row before last night's victory, including a five-game winning streak before Tuesday's loss in Pittsburgh. “Definitely, it was a big game for me personally where I had to come up with a solid game,” said Crawford, still the No. 1 goaltender. “But I wasn't holding my stick tight. I was pretty relaxed out there and pretty confident.” Full story.
Just for fun: Santa seems to be slacking off
We're all for Santa having a good time and making the rounds, as long as that means he still has enough fuel in his sleigh to hit our homes in the burbs this weekend. He seriously seemed to be everywhere this week except at the North Pole, toiling over our gifts. So we decided to watch him all week to see if he's been naughty or nice. Check out our photo gallery to see where the Jolly Old Elf has been hanging hanging out.