Dawn Patrol: Dist. 15 bus union fight goes public; girls, boys basketball
Palatine Dist. 15, bus union contract strife goes public
The strife over Palatine Township Elementary District 15’s decision to explore outsourcing its busing system has spilled over to contract negotiations, which have spilled onto the Internet. The District Transportation Union this week posted a copy of the board of education’s initial proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement on its website and Facebook page. The move led the school district and board to issue a letter outlining seven “myths and facts” about the process. Full story
Rolling Meadows girls leave for state basketball finals
The Rolling Meadows High School girls basketball team is on its way to history today. The team bus left the suburbs with a police escort yesterday as the athletes and coaches headed to Bloomington for the school’s first appearance at the state finals tournament tonight. Full story, and get a preview of the game here.
Watch boys regional basketball championships online today
Boys basketball regional playoff action continues today across the suburbs with seven championship games that we’ll have live-streamed on dailyherald.com. Full story
Pension cuts fail badly in test votes in Illinois House
Illinois House Republicans yesterday refused to participate in test votes on severe public pension cuts and Democrats rejected the proposals harshly. Two proposals by House Speaker Michael Madigan to slash retired teachers’ and state workers’ yearly cost-of-living pension hikes were defeated by 66-2 and 62-5 votes. Full story
Woodstock man who pimped out wife guilty of murder
A McHenry County jury yesterday convicted Timothy S. Smith of first-degree murder for shooting a man who went to Smith’s Woodstock home after answering an online ad to have sex with Smith’s wife. Full story
Kirk’s bill joins Moylan’s to combat bullying, hazing
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, a Highland Park Republican, along with Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, yesterday announced the “Safe Schools Improvement Act,” which would require schools that receive federal funding to adopt codes of conduct specifically prohibiting bullying and harassment and encourage them to implement effective prevention programs to respond to incidents of bullying and harassment. Full story
St. Charles mayoral hopefuls share ideas about downtown
Discussion about downtown St. Charles has focused on two things for the past several years: There is too much violence and drunken mayhem associated with a large influx of taverns, and there are too many vacant commercial, office and residential spaces. The four St. Charles mayoral candidates laid out their visions for creating excitement about the downtown at a forum last night. Full story
Glen Ellyn Dist. 41 releases first details of new teacher contract
Teachers in Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 could receive annual raises of more than 3 percent over a three-year period under terms of a new contract made public Thursday. All 265 teachers in the district will receive salary increases tied directly to the Consumer Price Index, and those who are rated “proficient” or “excellent” under the district’s teacher evaluation system will receive an additional 1.5 percent annual increase, district and union officials said in a joint news release. Full story
Weather
A light snow is falling in some areas this morning, with temperatures hovering around 27 degrees. Temperatures should climb to about 33 degrees this afternoon, but dip back to 20 degrees overnight tonight. Full story.
Traffic
Roadwork continues in East Dundee at Van Buren Street between Route 72 and William Street; also on Elgin Avenue between Barrington Road and the south corporate limits of the village. The construction is expected to last through November. Full story.
Blackhawks’ streak grows to 20
Jonathan Toews scored 2 goals and Ray Emery came on in relief of injured starter Corey Crawford to share the shutout Thursday night as the Hawks extended their record streak to 20 games without a regulation loss to start the season in a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Full story