Dawn Patrol: Winter weather advisory; family mourns slain clerk
Weather
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory until 11 a.m. for the area. The weather service says periods of sleet, freezing rain and snow could hit the area through midmorning. Temperatures are hovering around 31 degrees this morning. Temperatures are expected to climb to 38 degrees before slipping back to 18 degrees overnight tonight. Full story.
Injured football player Rob Komosa dies
Rob Komosa, who was critically injured during a high-school football practice more than 13 years ago, has died, sources close to his family said Sunday night. “Rob Komosa awakened a sleeping giant of compassion and caring with thousands of people in the Northwest suburbs,” said family friend Don Grossnickle of the outpouring of support in the years after Komosa’s 1999 accident. Full story.
Streamwood family mourns slain gas station clerk
The family of a slain 24-year-old Streamwood resident remembered him yesterday as a good-natured young man who came to the U.S. from his native India three years ago hoping to attend college and build a better life for his family. Family members gathered in Anandkumar Jaiswal’s townhouse Sunday to mourn as police continued to investigate his murder early Saturday morning at the gas station where he worked as an attendant. Full story.
Police: Suspect in custody in Elgin woman’s murder
Elgin officials will release information this morning about a suspect who is in custody related to this month’s murder of Lisa Koziol-Ellis. Ellis was found dead in her home March 2 and preliminary reports from the Kane County coroner said she died as a result of multiple stab wounds. Police will brief the media on the case and charges against the suspect at 8 a.m. Full story.
Group rallies against Fox Valley charter school
Northern Illinois Jobs with Justice hosted a forum yesterday to rally opposition to the online curriculum company K12 Inc. and a proposed charter school that could open in the Fox Valley as soon as next year. Hale Landes, a resident of District 204, which serves parts of Aurora, Naperville, Bolingbrook and Plainfield, said he feels strongly that profit motives have no place in public education. “A for-profit corporation has a duty to enhance shareholder value, to increase its stock price and to increase profits,” Landes said. “It does not have a duty to educate our young children.” Full story.
Traffic
Elmhurst Road is closed in both directions between Arthur Avenue and Pratt Boulevard in Elk Grove Village due to a possible train derailment. This is a new incident, authorities are reporting, although the location is the same from the previous train derailment last week. Full traffic.
NCAA tourney: Louisville is tops; Illini get 7-spot
Louisville earned the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament yesterday, while Kansas, Indiana and Gonzaga also received No. 1s after a topsy-turvy regular season and another round of weekend upsets. Closer to home, Illinois was given the seventh seed in the East region. The Fighting Illini will play the Colorado Buffaloes Friday in Austin, Texas. Full story.
Imrem: A tale of “what if” for Northwestern and Coach K
As Northwestern’s basketball program looks toward the future, let’s ride a time capsule into the past. In 1978, NU searched for a head coach who could guide the Wildcats into the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Back then there was a 31-year-old coach to the east who had taken his program from an 11-14 record to 20-8 and 19-9 during his first three seasons at the school. He had played for and been an assistant to one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time. The guy’s name was — and still is — Mike Krzyzewski. Full story.