Dawn Patrol: State Sen. Murphy to announce resignation today?
Republican state Sen. Matt Murphy to resign
State Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican known as one of his party's leading voice in Springfield on budget matters and a top ally of Gov. Bruce Rauner, is set to announce as soon as today his resignation from the Illinois Senate. Top Republican sources confirmed his resignation will be effective Monday, taking a big voice out of the outnumbered Republican ranks in the legislature as the party tries to win more seats back in November. Full story.
Police: Ex-Mount Prospect administrator charged with DUI
Former Mount Prospect village administrator Michael Janonis has again been charged with DUI - this time after hitting a parked car in Prospect Heights Wednesday evening, Prospect Heights police say. Police say Janonis blew a .366 - more than four and a half times the legal threshold - and was found with an open bottle of vodka in his car after an employee at 7-Eleven called police at about 8 p.m. to report a hit-and-run, police said. Full story.
Big Idaho Potato Tour stops in Carol Stream
The pride of Idaho is no couch potato. This spud spends more than six months of the year on the open road as the star of a cross-country tour. It's a Russet Burbank, and it must shine on its own. No gravy. No fixings. The 6-ton replica of an Idaho potato visited shoppers yesterday outside an Angelo Caputo's Fresh Markets in Carol Stream. Full story.
Naperville Township road chief's pay slashed from $81,300 to $30,000
The salary for the position of Naperville Township highway commissioner just got a lot lower, and the pay cut is causing concern among township residents about who will fill the position in the future. Township trustees this week cut the salary from $81,300 to $30,000 - effective for the next highway commissioner to be elected in spring 2017. Full story.
Lauzen: How much time will Kane prosecutors spend on McDonald case?
Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen yesterday asked the state's attorney's office to provide an estimate of how much time it expects to spend prosecuting the Laquan McDonald murder case for Cook County. Especially since, just a few weeks before accepting the task, Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon asked for more money to hire more employees for his office in 2017. Full story.
Melinda Gates shares lessons from trying to change the world
Bill and Melinda Gates are no strangers to setting lofty goals. In 2000, the Microsoft executives established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve health care and education and end hunger around the world. Melinda Gates discussed the challenges and successes the foundation has faced since during the Global Leadership Summit yesterday at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington. Full story.
Weather
Cloudy and 78 degrees this morning. Storm will roll in later today when temperatures reach 84 degrees. It will be 72 degrees overnight. Full story.
Traffic
Work has closed Fairfield Road in Lake Villa between Route 132 and Petite Lake Road until the end of December. Full story.
Cubs win in extras as Cardinal rivalry heats up
There were several people at Wrigley Field on last night relatively new to the whole Cubs-Cardinals thing. Cubs manager Joe Maddon and catcher David Ross are two of them. Each is in his second year with the Cubs. With the Cardinals in town for a big four-game weekend series, Maddon addressed the rivalry between the two teams while Ross went out and had himself a night in a game that was won 4-3 in 11 innings on a walk-off walk issued to Anthony Rizzo by Zach Duke. Full story.