Dawn Patrol: Chris Christie in the suburbs; $3M in pot in Hampshire
Christie speaks to Republicans in Rolling Meadows
Nearly 1,000 people packed into the Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows last night to hear from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and celebrate the annual Northwest Suburban Republican Lincoln Day Dinner. The audience was filled with suburban leaders including the mayors of Rolling Meadows, Arlington Heights and Prospect Heights. But before he spoke, he answered pointed questions from Northwest Suburban High School District 214 students. Full story with pictures and video.
Police: N.C. man caught with 350 pounds of pot in Hampshire
A North Carolina man was arrested in Hampshire with more than 350 pounds of marijuana valued at more than $3 million on Thursday, officials said. Full story.
ECC students, staff exposed to measles will be vaccinated today
A confirmed measles case in an Elgin Community College student will fuel 200 measles vaccine shots for students and staffers who may have been exposed to the infected student. The Kane County Health Department will administer the shots. Officials expected to receive the vaccine yesterday, but because it was a state holiday, the doses will not be distributed until today and Tuesday. Full story.
What to see this weekend at the Chicago Auto Show
Whether you're a car-shy millennial, an urban lumberjack or a family of sophisticated slobs, the Chicago Auto Show has a vehicle for you. That flexibility is warranted in a volatile market where nothing's taken for granted, including fuel prices, experts said at a Thursday preview. The show opens Saturday at McCormick Place and runs through Feb. 22. Full story.
Rosemont blocking some traffic north of stadium
Rosemont will install two access control gates on a street that borders the Allstate Arena to prevent traffic on major streets from cutting through the neighborhood. The village also decided this week to pave over two grassy parcels of village-owned land to create more parking north of the stadium. Full story.
Bartlett teen will get her 'dream' prosthetic leg
Bartlett High School senior Tiffany Wallace finally will be able to get her dream leg. The 18-year-old from Bartlett, who started an online campaign to collect $20,000 for a new prosthetic leg so she can continue participating in athletics, exceeded her fundraising goal this week. Full story.
Weather
Partly cloudy and 6 degrees this morning, but temperatures are expected to climb to 22 degrees this afternoon. It will turn windy and bitterly cold tonight, with temperatures dropping to 16 degrees with wind chills plummeting to 10 degrees below zero. Full story.
Traffic
Construction work will cause restrictions on U.S. Route 14 between Lucas Road and Crystal Lake Avenue in Crystal Lake until November of 2016. Full traffic.
Rose stars as Bulls roll past Cavs
Maybe the best way to predict Derrick Rose's performance is to look at the opponent. Rose has a tendency to turn up his game when an bigger-name opponent is on the floor, and Cleveland's Kyrie Irving certainly qualifies as an individual matchup Rose wants to win. With the pre-all-star spotlight focused on the United Center, Rose turned in a vintage outing last night. He raced through Cleveland defenders for 30 points as the Bulls rolled past the Cavs 113-98 in the NBA's final game before the all-star break. Full story.
Will JRW story teach us anything?
The Jackie Robinson West Little League story did not go viral on Wednesday because it is unique or something new. It went viral because of the way their story captivated the entire country last summer. Many would say it was one of the top sports stories at any level in 2014. Full story.
Time running out for Hawks to catch Predators or Blues
There are 27 regular-season games left, but that might not be enough for the Blackhawks to catch the Nashville Predators in the race for the top spot in the Central Division of the Western Conference. The Hawks have earned at least a point in four straight games, which is good, but losing the past two in overtime didn't help. "Not a lot of hockey left," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville. Full story.