Dawn Patrol: Paul Ryan rallies GOP; Illnois rep touts Mike Madigan
Paul Ryan accepts GOP vice presidential nomination
Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan closed out last night’s Republican National Convention by accepting “the calling of my generation.” The prime time speech in what could be called Ryan’s national debut followed an impassioned address by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Mitt Romney is set to cap off the convention with his keynote address tonight. Full story.
Rep. Aaron Schock says Illinois GOP can learn from Madigan
Backing off questions about a possible 2014 run for governor, Republican U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock said yesterday winning suburban congressional races is “huge” for the GOP. Schock told delegates that the GOP could take some tips on candidate recruitment from Democratic Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Schock backed up Rep. Joe Walsh’s decision to stay in state and campaign during the national convention while stressing the national importance of congressional races in the suburban 8th, 10th and 11th districts. Full story.
Dad arrested 5 months after son brings gun to school
An Island Lake man was arrested more than five months after his son brought a loaded handgun to Matthews Middle School. The 14-year-old student brought the gun into the school in March, and police later learned he planned on intimidating a romantic rival with it. Police said the boy found it at his father’s workplace. The father was charged with three felony counts of obstructing a peace officer and one misdemeanor count of not having a license for the weapon. Full story.
Labor Day: Fuel up now and leave early
More Americans are expected to hit the road for the Labor Day holiday this weekend compared to last year, and gas prices are expected to surge due to problems caused by Hurricane Isaac. The Chicago area will face steep fuel prices compared to the rest of the country, with average rates of $4.27 for a gallon of regular gas hitting motorists on Wednesday, according to AAA. The Illinois tollway projects about 1.7 million vehicles on its roads Friday, compared to norms of 1.4 million. Full story.
DuPage housing exec ousted after 8 months on the job
The man brought in to help clean up the embattled DuPage Housing Authority has been fired after just eight months on the job. David Hoicka was let go “without cause” by the board. Hoicka’s termination came about two weeks after board members received an unsigned letter that was highly critical of Hoicka’s management style. The sender of the letter claimed that it was written by housing authority staff members. Full story.
Former park district commissioner to run for Hoffman Estates mayor
Hoffman Estates Mayor William McLeod will face a challenger in the April 2013 election unlike the last cycle, when he won the position for his third term unopposed. Former Hoffman Estates Park District board President Craig Bernacki began gathering signatures on a petition Tuesday and says he is not satisfied with the village’s spending habits and cuts to services. “I want to give people a choice. When you’re the only person on the ballot ... to me, I don’t even call that an election,” he said. Full story.
Weather
Sunny and hot today with a high temperature of 93 degrees. Temperatures will be about 70 degrees as you head out the door this morning, then dip back to 67 degrees overnight tonight. And, just so you know, The remnants of Hurricane Issac is expected to hit the Midwest Saturday and Sunday. Full story.
Traffic
Construction continues in St. Charles on IL Route 25, south of Fox Glen Drive. The roadways is closed to through traffic. Motorists should anticipate delays and allow extra time for trips through this area. The detour route directing traffic to Main Street and Dunham/Kirk Road to access IL Route 25. Full story.
Big night ahead for Bears’ special teams
Any of the few remaining personnel decisions for the Bears could come down to special teams play in tonight’s preseason finale against the Browns. “We’ve had so many OTAs, so many practices, we’ve seen guys in most situations,” Lovie Smith said. “In the end, though, you want to see how they’re going to finish. When you know that you need to play the best that you can play … you want to see how they handle that.” Bob LeGere reports.
Sox clip Orioles wings
Dylan Axelrod delivered Wednesday night, allowing 1 run and 3 hits in 7 innings to guide the Sox to an 8-1 victory Wednesday night. The win moved the Sox 3 games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central after the Tigers lost 1-0 at Kansas City. Full story.
Cubs lose — again.
The Cubs fell to 49-80 with their third straight loss to the Brewers. That has them on pace to finish with 100 losses. Jeff Samardzija turned in the Cubs’ second straight quality start, but he joined Travis Wood in coming away with a loss, losing 3-1. Full story.