Heroes in Hoffman Estates and St. Charles, a new hospital CEO in Elmhurst and more.
Selfless action I
Whatever caused the fire at a Hoffman Estates apartment complex that injured a 62-year-old man, he's very lucky Malgorzata Rostecka happened to be walking past. She spotted him in a burning apartment, went inside and helped him get out. We applaud her quick response, which may have saved his life.
Selfless action II
Steve Spurling of St. Charles put his own safety aside and likely saved the life of a woman being shot at by her husband. Spurling, walking his dog with his wife, tackled and disarmed the gunman. For his efforts, Spurling is one of 20 people nationwide who will receive a Carnegie Medal for “outstanding civilian heroism.” Outstanding, indeed.
New hospital CEO
Best of luck to Mary Lou Mastro, who this summer officially takes the reins as CEO of Edward-Elmhurst Health. She has big shoes to fill in replacing retiring CEO Pam Davis, but we applaud her ideas about shifting away from the traditional hospital focus on acute care and instead trying to help people stay healthy enough to avoid hospitals.
Lombard's library dispute
The dispute between library and park district officials in Lombard over the proposed expansion of the Helen Plum Library could have been avoided if both agencies had shared their thoughts in public before the November election. Having those talks behind closed doors leaves both sides in a “he said, she said” situation. The public deserves better.
The price of college sports
The University of Illinois will pay $1.7 million for firing its men's basketball coach with two years left on his contract. And it will pay Oklahoma State $3 million so Brad Underwood can leave OSU to coach the Illini for $18 million over six years. And did you know that OSU paid a $3.9 million settlement when it signed Underwood? It's a crazy business model.
Medical marvel
The fascinating story of 10-month-old Baby Dominique played out this week during a news conference at Advocate Children's Hospital in Park Ridge, when doctors detailed the six-hour surgery for the child from Ivory Coast, Africa, who was born with four legs and two spines. The unusual surgery was a success. She is expected to return home and make a full recovery. What wonderful outcome.
Congrats, ECC
As a Division III junior college, Elgin Community College offers no athletic scholarships. Yet, the Spartans' men's basketball team went on a storybook run this season, which culminated last weekend with a second-place finish in the NJCAA Division III National Tournament. To head coach Reed Nosbich, an Elgin native and ECC alum, congrats.
Speaking the same language
At a time when many Hispanics living in the suburbs are wary of law enforcement, the Mundelein Police Department is working to build better relationships. The department recently launched a Spanish-language hotline for residents to report crimes or seek help. Chief David Wermes wants all residents to feel they can rely on his officers. This will help.
Remembering Jerry Krause
We can't really speak to how good a guy the former Bulls general manager was, but we always thought that the petty abuse he received from Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson said more about them than it did about him. Thanks for helping bring Chicago six championships, Jerry, and RIP.