Dawn Patrol: State senator arrested; mosque deadline
Sen. Suzi Schmidt arrested in dispute with neighbor
Lake County State Sen. Suzi Schmidt was arrested last night on charges of trespassing on a neighbor’s property and damaging the neighbor’s bag of feed. The former Lake County Board chairwoman who faced questions last year of abusing her political influence during a domestic dispute, was also served an emergency stalking no-contact order, according to police. Schmidt posted bail last night and was released. Full story.
Group has 10 days to break ground on Willowbrook mosque
A Muslim group has less than 10 days to demolish a house on the site of a proposed mosque near Willowbrook after the county board refused to grant the group an extension yesterday. A lawyer representing the group says he’s confident construction will begin this week. The board approved the mosque in 2011 and granted a building permit that would be valid for one year, and later granted a three-month extension. Full story.
McHenry County Muslim group may have home in Kane
The American Muslim Community Organization has been renting prayer space since it was formed three years ago, but last night the Kane County Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved the McHenry County-based group’s request to rezone a house in unincorporated Kane County, allowing the group to convert it into a mosque and build a 750-square-foot addition. But some zoning board members, residents and the village of Carpentersville brought their concerns. Full story.
Mother cited after I-290 rollover; infant in critical condition
The mother of an infant who remains in critical condition after a rollover crash has been cited for failing to properly install his car seat. The child was airlifted from the scene on I-290 near Itasca last week. The Carpentersville woman driving the vehicle has also been charged with driving without an insurance card and improper lane usage. Full story.
Zion’s A Safe Place shelter wins $100,000 grant at Arlington Park
A Safe Place, a Lake County-based women and children’s shelter in Zion, hit the jackpot last night. The organization and their new program to help children who witness domestic violence won a $100,000 grant from Impact 100 Chicago, a Palatine-based nonprofit, during a dinner at Arlington Park. Two years ago, founders of Impact 100 made good on their goal of finding 100 women willing to donate $1,000 each, enabling them to make good on their motto of “Women Empowering Change.” Then they did it again. Full story.
Aurora sells Fred Rodgers Community Center to school district
An East Aurora District 131 magnet program supporters lauded Tuesday for challenging gifted students will soon have space to expand in what is now the Fred Rodgers Community Center. Aurora City Council voted 10-1 Tuesday night to sell the building to the district for $3 million to become the Fred Rodgers magnet school, continuing to honor the legacy of the former youth services director for which it is named but serving a different purpose. Full story.
Teens held on Elgin murder charges
The 15-year-old accused of shooting 16-year-old Elgin resident Nestor Alvarado to death is being held without bail, while the 15-year-old accused of handing the shooter the weapon is being held on $2 million bail. Both Mario A. Williams and Ricky J. Moreno of Elgin were charged as adults with first-degree murder. Full story.
Weather
Sunny but cooler today, with a high temperature of only 74 degrees expected. Temperatures are only about 60 degrees right now, and will dip to about 56 degrees overnight tonight. Full story.
Traffic
Touhy Avenue and at Summit Avenue is shut down in the northern suburbs because of a sewer collapse. Motorists should also avoid the Atkinson Road bridge over the Tri-State Tollway near Green Oaks. Full story.
Cubs use errors to beat Tigers Tuesday
Second baseman Darwin Barney had three RBIs and the Chicago Cubs used shortstop Jhonny Peralta’s two throwing errors in the eighth inning to push across the winning run in a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night. Full story.
Cubs fire hitting coach to emphasize ‘selective aggressiveness’
The firing of Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, who was lured from Texas in 2009, was based on philosophy, according to Theo Epstein. The Cubs’ on-base percentage has fallen every year since they led the National League in 2008. “Rudy is so good. He might be the best in the world at the mechanics of the swing,” Epstein said. “We’re really trying to get to a point where we have a game plan for our hitters, emphasizing selective aggressiveness at the plate. Seeing a lot of pitches and focusing on getting your pitch to hit.” Full story.
Sox take first game against Cardinals
A.J. Pierzynski hit a two-run homer, rookie left-hander Jose Quintana allowed one run over 5 1-3 innings and the streaking Chicago White Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 Tuesday night. Full story.