Dawn Patrol: IDOT hired 1,765 despite Rauner freeze; gas prices up
IDOT hired 1,765 after Rauner asked for freeze
Gov. Bruce Rauner's request for a hiring freeze fizzled at the Illinois Department of Transportation, where 1,765 workers were added after his Nov. 4 election. About 93 percent, or 1,648 of those workers, were temporary employees hired for snowplowing duties during the winter. Most of the remaining positions were 108 maintenance workers plus nine administrative and technical employees, according to information released in response to a Daily Herald public records request. Full story.
That information comes ahead of Gov. Rauner's State of the State speech today. A preview of the speech, plus six suburbanites' views on the state of the state.
Say goodbye to gas prices under $2 a gallon
Remember, a few weeks ago, when gas prices dipped below $2 a gallon? Those days aren't coming back anytime soon. Gas prices in the suburbs jumped about 12 cents per gallon this week, starting what's expected to be a slow and steady rise in prices into the summer months. Full story.
Officials focusing on code violations at DuPage fairgrounds
Before DuPage County Board members can decide whether the county fair should continue operating at its current location beyond 2020, they first want to know if there will be a fair this July. Their discussion yesterday focused on how the fair association is working to correct hundreds of code violations inside multiple structures at the fairgrounds and could it be done by the summer. Full story.
2 charged in Algonquin woman's death
Two men have been charged in the drug-induced death of a 21-year-old Algonquin woman, police said. The victim was Danielle Barzyk, whose boyfriend, Cody Hillier, brought her to the Algonquin police station parking lot early Saturday morning because she was experiencing difficulty breathing, police said. Full story.
St. Francis receives major gift
Wheaton's St. Francis High School will break ground this spring on a $1.37 million building to house some sports programs and accommodations for spectators. The project was made possible by a gift from the Nicole and Todd Lacy family of Naperville, which will cover more than half the budgeted amount for the project, school President Tom Bednar said. Full story.
3 Arlington Heights residents lose $15,000 in scams
Three Arlington Heights residents were scammed out of about $15,000 in total in various cons executed over a three-day period, according to reports in the town's police blotter. Full story.
Palatine police arrest 20-year-old, two teens in car burglaries
Police say they arrested a 20-year-old Palatine man and two juveniles from Chicago late Sunday night on charges they burglarized parked cars in Palatine and Rolling Meadows. Full story.
Weather
Cloudy and cold today with a high of only 22 degrees this morning. Temperatures will dip slightly to 21 degrees this afternoon, before dropping to zero overnight tonight. Full weather.
Traffic
Construction work continues to cause restrictions on Roosevelt Road from Elm and Kautz roads in West Chicago. Full traffic.
Dubnyk has 24 saves as Wild beat Blackhawks
Devan Dubnyk stopped 24 shots in his third shoutout since joining Minnesota in mid-January, leading the Wild to their fourth straight win, 3-0 over the Chicago Blackhawks last night. Full story.