JOE LEWNARD/jlewnard@dailyherald.com Minor league baseball returned to Schaumburg in the form of the Boomers team after a year's hiatus due to the financial troubles of the team that formerly occupied the stadium.

This is an artist's rendering of the retail-office development proposed for downtown Barrington. The project was approved despite strong opposition in some quarters.

Courtesy Village of Barrington

The Rosemont Entertainment District is a growing collection of businesses that draws people from all over the world.

Mark Welsh | Staff Photographer

Bill Zars/bzars@dailyherald.com Recreation Park in Arlington Heights is one of the community centers that would have been rehabbed if voters had approved a bond issue. Instead, they rejected the plan twice.

COURTESY OF ABC 7 Maine West High School in Des Plaines is embroiled in a mushrooming hazing scandal.

Charges were filed in December in the death of David Koschman of Mount Prospect eight years ago after a fight outside a Chicago bar with a relative of Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Arlington Heights Village President Arlene Mulder

Mount Prospect Village President Irvana Wilks

Des Plaines Mayor Martin Moylan

Long Grove Village President Maria Rodriguez

Extreme heat hurt attendance at the first Northwest Fourth Fest held at the Sears Centre Arena. After years of cutbacks in local festivals, several towns and townships cooperated to launch the new event.

Mark Welsh | Staff Photographer