Today's most viewed

• 1
  

  Two charged in South Elgin heroin overdose death
  Two people have been arrested and charged with delivering a fatal dose of heroin to a 24-year-old South Elgin woman in April, according to court records. Andrea R. Nielsen, 23, of South Elgin, and Nicholas C. Allen, 21, of Batavia, were charged with the drug induced homicide death of Abby L. Nordmeyer. Both face between six and 30 years in prison.
  

• 2
  

  Wanna win Powerball? Try these numbers
  For 13 years, a red ball with the number "20" printed on it has been whirling around with its numerical counterparts in an enclosed Powerball kettle waiting to potentially make someone a millionaire. That No. 20 red ball has made its way out of the kettle 49 times, the most of any of the numbered balls. No. 20 also is the second most common number on the five white balls that are selected in each Powerball drawing as well, behind 26 and ahead of 32, 16 and 42, a Daily Herald analysis of the numbers shows.
  

• 3
  

  South Elgin High mourns student who died in his sleep
  Rhett Lundy, a 14-year-old freshman at South Elgin High School, died in his sleep Wednesday. Autopsy results showed he had an enlarged heart. The school held an assembly Friday to honor his memory.
  

• 4
  

  Elgin man charged with kidnapping, sexual assault
  An Elgin man is being held on a $500,000 bail on charges he abducted a woman he had followed from a Bartlett nightclub Saturday and sexually assaulted her in his car. Mario Moore, 33, of the 0-100 block of Willard Street in Elgin, faces charges of aggravated criminal sexual assault and kidnapping stemming from the early morning assault along Devon Avenue in Bartlett.
  

• 5
  

  After DUI, Huntley coach suspended for rest of season
  The District 158 Board of Education resolved at its Thursday meeting to suspend Huntley baseball coach Andy Jakubowski for the remainder of the season, including playoffs. Jakubowski, 40, was arrested Sunday morning in Lake in the Hills for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol with a breath alcohol content greater than .08 and speeding. The eighth-year coach reported the incident to school officials on Monday.
  

• 6
  

  Cutting Deng loose makes little sense
  There's a chance the Bulls will take a good look at Luol Deng's trade value this summer. At the same time, it's tough to ignore what he's meant to the team's success over the past nine seasons.
  

• 7
  

  Hoffman Estates men accused of drug dealing
  Hoffman Estates police on Friday wrapped up a two-month drug investigation that resulted in two men being charged with selling drugs near a park. Authorities said the two suspects sold drugs between April 12 and May 2 in the area of Golf Road and Windsong Drive.
  

• 8

  Apartment building catches fire in Palatine
  Firefighters were battling a structure fire Friday night at an apartment building in Palatine, authorities said. Fire personnel were dispatched to a building on the 500 block of North Wilke about 8:30 p.m.
  

• 9
  

  Lawmakers split as Senate OKs medical marijuana
  Gov. Pat Quinn will get the final say on whether Illinoisans should be allowed to use medical marijuana to help cope with the pain caused by serious diseases. The Illinois Senate approved the controversial proposal Friday after a lengthy debate over whether its tight controls would keep the drug out of recreational users' hands.
  

• 10
  

  Husband mourns Elk Grove cyclist killed crossing Higgins
  An Elk Grove Village woman struck and killed by a car Tuesday while riding her bicycle on the Busse Woods trail was "the most experienced, careful rider out there," her husband said. Rosaleen Waters' death has her husband, Tony, calling for a renewed effort to build a pedestrian bridge over Higgins Road near the intersection where she was killed.
  

• 11
  

  Inmate seeks to vacate plea in Schaumburg drug case
  The attorney for a Schaumburg man who claims a former Schaumburg undercover police officer lied to obtain a search warrant, has filed a petition to vacate the man's sentence. Sean Cerami, 49, pleaded guilty to drug charges on April 13, 2012 and was sentenced to 4 years in prison. His attorney Victor Ciardelli says his client pleaded guilty after a judge found the officer's testimony more credible than his client.
  

• 12
  

  Don Mauer puts 'The 8-Hour Diet' to the test
  David Zinczenko claims that it matters more when you eat -- not what you eat -- and that you only have to diet for 8 hours a day. This oddly-configured, on-again/off-again food plan outlined in his new book "The 8-Hour Diet" seems to work and work well for those who followed it so Don Mauer decided to give it a try.
  

• 13
  

  Wanna win Powerball? Try these numbers
  For 13 years, a red ball with the number "20" printed on it has been whirling around with its numerical counterparts in an enclosed Powerball kettle waiting to potentially make someone a millionaire. That No. 20 red ball has made its way out of the kettle 49 times, the most of any of the numbered balls. No. 20 also is the second most common number on the five white balls that are selected in each Powerball drawing as well, behind 26 and ahead of 32, 16 and 42, a Daily Herald analysis of the numbers shows.
  

• 14
  

  Police: Roselle man sexually abused peacock
  DuPage County authorities say a Roselle man sexually abused his pet peacock, which later was found dead in his garage. David Beckmann, 64, of 645 E. Devon Ave., was charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty after Roselle police said they learned about the abuse and subsequent death of the bird, named Phyl, while investigating another crime.
  

• 15
  

  Geneva man’s lottery win coming at the right time
  Winning $4.85 million in the Illinois Lottery, on a ticket that had been stored in a cookie jar bought by their late daughter, will help Geneva residents Ricardo and Bonnie Cervezo restore at least the financial portion of their lives.
  

• 16

  Ifianayi, Sulentic win sectional races at Glenbard North
  An especially strong effort in the field events helped Lake Park take top team honors in the Class 3A boys track sectional hosted by Glenbard North on Friday. The Lancers finished with 147 points to top runner-up Wheaton North (105), York (103) and Conant (40) in the team standings. Two Mid-Suburban League runners earned sectional victories. Elk Grove sophomore Paul Ifianayi won the 400-meter dash in 49.06, and Conant senior Joe Sulentic won the 1,600 run in 4:19.42.
  

• 17
  

  Now not the time for Bulls to tinker
  For purposes of assessing the Bulls' future, we're going to assume Derrick Rose returns next season and is able to play somewhere near all-star form. All that patience from the past 12 months is going to pay off and the criticism he received for trying to be smart will be long forgotten. Beyond that, Bulls fans have every reason to feel optimistic.
  

• 18
  

  Edward Jones, Skender top ‘Best Places to Work’ list
  One is a national financial services firm whose advisers are encouraged to be an active part of the community, and whose rewards include all-expense-paid trips to exotic locations. One is a Chicago-based construction company whose employees are honored for coming up with innovative ideas that improve the company, and sponsors employee outings throughout the year.
  

• 19
  

  Mohammed hopes to be back with Bulls
  When some players hit free agency, they sit back and let their agent try to find them a new job. Nazr Mohammed plans to do it himself. Following Wednesday's season-ending loss in Miami, Mohammed said he'll call the Bulls himself and let them know he wants to come back.
  

• 20

  Barrington holds off Burlington Central
  It was Senior Day for the Barrington softball team Friday and the Fillies played their final game of the season at the Fields of Dreams. Or did they? "We hope we have one more game here," said Fillies' senior third baseman Loren Krzysko. If the Fillies do, it will mean they're playing in their own Class 4A supersectional on June 3. But there's a long road ahead before that and Barrington, ranked No. 2 in the Daily Herald Top 20 as well as the Class 4A Illinois Coaches Association poll, tuned up for the postseason with a 3-2 win over Burlington Central, the No. 6 team in the Daily Herald Top 20 and No. 3 in the ICA Class 3A poll.
  

• 21
  

  Rolling Meadows wins hitters’ duel in MSL title game
  With Barrington's Wyatt Trautwein and Rolling Meadows' Matt Dennis on the mound for their teams Friday in the Mid-Suburban League's baseball championship game, many in the overflow crowd at the Nelson Sports Complex in Rolling Meadows expected a pitchers' duel. They were wrong. What they got was a 17-run, 22-hit slugfest, with Rolling Meadows coming out on top 11-6.
  

• 22

  Softball/Fox Valley roundup
  
  

• 23
  

  No verdict in wrestler's home invasion trial
  A DuPage County jury deliberated for about six hours Wednesday night without rendering a verdict in the felony home invasion case of Kerin Ramirez.Ramirez, a 21-year-old native of El Salvador, stands accused of felony home invasion after he entered the Carol Stream-area home of a Wood Dale police sergeant in September 2011.
  

• 24
  

  New deputy police chief for Elgin
  A 21-year veteran of the Elgin Police Department will be promoted to deputy chief in early June, filling a position that has been vacant since mid-March. Cmdr. Bill Wolf and three other officers will be promoted in a ceremony June 7, Police Chief Jeff Swoboda announced Friday.
  

• 25
  

  Man charged in gang rap argues arrest was illegal
  One of three men charged in a gang rape of a drunk woman in Aurora is fighting to have his statements to police banned from court. The attorney for Eric Stallworth Jr., 22, argues he repeatedly asked to speak to his attorney and was denied a phone call before making a statement to police.
  

• 26
  

  Buffalo Grove shuts down Mundelein
  Suddenly back on track in the postseason, Buffalo Grove's girls soccer team won its second straight game, along with a second straight regional championship, on Friday night. Top-seeded Buffalo Grove downed No. 9 Mundelein 4-0 in the Class 3A Libertyville regional final. Skylar Groth, Allie Ingham, Kim Herzog and Elizabeth Chan each scored goals for the Bison. Ingham, Kelli Zickert and Sara Busse picked up assists. Buffalo Grove (22-2-1) meets No. 5 seed Glenbrook South (20-4-1) at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Mundelein sectional semifinal.
  

• 27

  Parents upset with Dist. 25 report on gifted education
  Parents and some board members at Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 had negative reactions to a report from a committee that has been studying advanced learning in the district for the past three years. The committee's recommendations, presented to the board on Thursday, include eliminating the district's gifted program after the 2013-14 school year.
  

• 28

  1 dead in Elgin Twp. crash
  A 21-year-old Sycamore woman was killed Wednesday afternoon when her motorcycle struck a semitrailer at Route 20 and Plank Road in Elgin Township, the Kane County Sheriff's Office said.
  

• 29

  Grant garners first sectional title
  Grant boys track and field coach Tom Evans spent Friday evening watching a parade of his Bulldogs qualify for next week's state meet in Charleston, but he continued pacing the infield nervously once the final event of the Class 3A Huntley sectional had concluded. Runner-up sectional finishes the previous two seasons tend to have that effect on a coach. Moments later his nervousness was replaced by excitement and pride as the North Suburban Conference champions were announced as sectional champions for the first time in school history. Grant garnered 83 team points to run away from Fox Valley Conference champion Huntley and NIC-10 Conference champion Belvidere North, which finished tied with 56 points.
  

• 30

  Same-sex marriage too hot for clergy?
  A Wheaton letter to the editor:The current confusion over same sex marriage continues in our society because the church has decided the issue is too hot to handle. Pastors will pontificate on well-accepted ideas that gain favor, aka, preaching to the choir.
  

• 31
  

  Elgin Tower Building could be sold, overhauled
  The iconic downtown Elgin Tower Building might be purchased by a Wisconsin-based company for a complete overhaul. The 15-story building, tallest in Elgin, was built in 1929 and has suffered from elevator problems and overall neglect.
  

• 32
  

  St. Edward savors Class 1A sectional title
  You could sense the relief on the faces of St. Edward forward Allison Kruk and midfielder Corey Lepoudre when a Willows Academy player knocked a ball out of play late in the second half, a ball both looked at each other to get, but neither could. Kruk had been hit in the jaw by a ball earlier in the match and Lepoudre came off for her asthma at one point. And at the end of the Class 1A Westminster Christian sectional final, you could see the Green Wave were out of steam. Which is why there was good reason that Green Wave coach Tim Brieger asked his team in practice earlier this week to set the tone early against the Eagles. Gaining a measure of revenge over the team that beat them in the 2011 state third-place game, St. Edward beat Willows Academy 2-1 Friday to win the sectional title, the Green Wave's second sectional crown in the last three years.
  

• 33
  

  Chasers to replace Yogi's in Lake Zurich
  When the spring youth sports seasons get started in Lake Zurich, there should be a new place to gather after a softball or soccer game. Chasers Sports Bar & Grill is replacing the former Yogi's Pizza at 830 S. Rand Road. Chasers has operated a location in Niles for more than two decades and decided the time is right to expand to the north. "It's a family-operated establishment," Helen Montanile said.
  

• 34
  

  Return of ‘The Rat’ has teammates smiling
  x
  

• 35
  

  Man faces life in prison in drug conspiracy case
  A Lake County man once accused of using his family's Grayslake restaurant to traffic drugs is facing new drug conspiracy charges that could put him behind bars for life, authorities said Tuesday. Jack Papandreou, 37, formerly of Wadsworth, pleaded not guilty in Lake County court Tuesday to three counts of criminal drug conspiracy.
  

• 36
  

  Vernon Hills man charged with hiring hitman to kill friend’s mother
  A Vernon Hills man is accused of hiring an undercover police officer he believed was a hitman to kill the mother of a woman who was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash with him last year. Jonathan Villasana, 24, of the 0 to 100 block of Timber Lane, is being held in the Lake County jail on $1 million bond after being charged with solicitation of murder and solicitation of murder for hire.
  

• 37
  

  Homeless man gets 20 years for Elgin sex assault
  A homeless man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting an Elgin woman he knew in March, prosecutors said Friday. Phillip J. Dillon, 46, accepted the sentence in exchange for a guilty plea to one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault.
  

• 38

  Crash closes Rt. 31 in Crystal Lake for nearly an hour
  Crystal Lake police are investigating a one-car crash that closed down Route 31 for nearly an hour Thursday afternoon and caused Nicor and ComEd to check for possible utility damage. Police said the driver reported his brakes failed as he was traveling north on Route 31 just before 4:30 p.m., and he jumped from the car.
  

• 39
  

  Top pick Long, Bears agree to contract
  The Bears and first-round draft pick Kyle Long agreed to terms on a four-year contract Friday night with an option for a fifth year. The Bears have now signed all six of their draft picks.
  

• 40
  

  Taste of Glen Ellyn opens
  The Taste of Glen Ellyn, which opens Thursday, May 16, will tempt those who attend with food from 16 vendors. But the village's first major outdoor festival of the year also is known for its music, which features performers of varying ages playing a variety of music.
  

• 41
  

  Setting up a Saturday showdown
  Glenbard West and Wheaton Warrenville South have been the litmus tests for local girls track and field programs in recent years. After the first day of the Class 3A meet on the campus of Eastern Illinois University Friday afternoon, the schools are in familiar positions. The Hilltoppers, along with St. Charles East, have the second-most state finalists, with WW South not far behind with six individual qualifiers. The programs' Emma Reifel and McKenna Kiple have had their fair share of dustups during cross country and track seasons the last four years.
  

• 42

  
  
  

• 43

  Sweet evening for Lakes at VH sectional
  Trevor Ray held a small bundle of gift-wrapped goodies baked by Stephanie Rowells, wife of Lakes boys track coach Kurt Rowells, when a competitor stopped by to feed the speedy senior some sugary praise. It was none other than Ray's old middle-school relay teammate, Leroy Chapman of Antioch. "Mention that he beat me," Chapman said with a smile, as he patted Ray on the shoulders and back. "Smoked me." Chapman, who finished second to Ray in the 400-meter dash, wasn't the only one blown away by a Lakes runner. If this were a high school baseball game, it would have been called after five innings. Lakes piled up 144 points to capture Friday night's Class 2A Vernon Hills sectional. Defending sectional champ Grayslake Central (76 points) was way back in second. Vernon Hills (69), Antioch (52) and St. Viator (36) rounded out the top five.
  

• 44

  Carmel gets offensive, edges Fremd
  Nobody could have figured these two defensive giants would concede 7 goals Friday night. After all, No. 2 Carmel (19-1-1) had allowed just 8 before the start of its regional final at No. 7 Fremd, who themselves had given just 11 away to its opponents this season. But the defensive buzz leading up to this game quickly disappeared, and would continue to do so until the final whistle signaled the end of 100 minutes of soccer, with the Corsairs outlasting the host Vikings (12-6-3) 4-3 in OT to capture a Class 3A regional crown and a place in Tuesday's Mundelein sectional semifinal against No. 3 Hersey, which defeated Stevenson 2-0.
  

• 45
  

  Brilliant again, Sale continues mastery over Angels
  Chris Sale completely overwhelmed L.A. with a nasty combination of fastballs, changeups, sliders and curveballs.Friday.The Angels did manage to scratch out 3 hits against the 24-year-old lefty over 7? innings, but Sale was once again in control from start to nearly finish.The White Sox won 3-0.
  

• 46

  Cary-Grove ‘Levels’ Crystal Lake South
  Cory Levels knew exactly what was on the line. The Cary-Grove senior realized if she scored a shootout goal the Trojans would capture the Class 3A Crystal Lake South regional championship. Levels got the job done. Her goal gave the second-seeded Trojans a 2-1 shootout win over top-seeded Crystal South in Friday's regional title game.
  

• 47

  Aurora man drowns in retention pond
  A 36-year-old man Aurora man was found dead in a retention pond Friday afternoon -- the victim of an apparent drowning, police said. A jogger running past the pond near Kirk Road and Mesa Lane on the city's far northeast side saw the body lying in the water and called police.
  

• 48
  

  Long-awaited trial in Lindenhurst slaying starts Monday
  The family of Mary Hutchison will finally see their daughter's accused murderer on trial. James Ealy, 48, of Lake Villa, will finally stand trial Monday for the murder at a Burger King on Grand Avenue in Lindenhurst. The case has been a litigators nightmare because of numerous legal hoops that needed to be jumped through.
  

• 49
  

  Weezer to play free concert at Woodfield June 22
  Weezer, the alt-rock band that rose to fame with hits like "Buddy Holly" and "Undone -- The Sweater Song," will play a free concert Saturday, June 22, at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. The performance marks the grand opening of the mall's Microsoft Store. The first 200 people in the door for the Microsoft Store's 10:30 a.m. grand opening on June 22 will get two "Premier Viewing" tickets to the performance.
  

• 50
  

  Elgin cocaine dealer gets 5 years in prison
  A 32-year-old man was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to cocaine charges after authorities searched his Elgin home last July. Jayson P. Sturdivant, of Elgin, was on probation for a felony drug charge in 2010, pleaded guilty late Friday in exchange for prosecutors dropping the most serious charges that could have landed him in prison up to 30 years. His trial was set for Monday.