Today's most viewed

• 1
  

  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.
  

• 2

  Bicyclist killed on Higgins Road near Route 53 ramp
  A bicyclist was killed Tuesday morning after apparently crossing Higgins Road against a red light at the exit ramp from northbound Route 53, Illinois State Police report.
  

• 3
  

  10 charged in two-day Aurora prostitution sting
  Six women and four men face charges following a two-day prostitution sting staged last week by Aurora police officers. The operation, which was staged Wednesday and Thursday at an undisclosed private residence in Aurora, targeted several different online sites known for advertising sexual services.
  

• 4
  

  Barrington train accident survivor thanks rescuers
  Dominic Szymanski, the 11-year-old Barrington boy who survived being struck by a train in the village on March 15, made his first public appearance Monday night as the police officers, paramedics and good Samaritans who came to his aid nearly two months earlier were honored. "Thank you very much, everyone!" Dominic told the group of well-wishers who gathered outside the meeting room at Barrington village hall.
  

• 5
  

  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.
  

• 6
  

  Trump to take stand Tuesday in Chicago trial
  Donald Trump is set to testify Tuesday at a civil trial where the developer-turned-TV personality is accused of enticing investors to buy condos at his namesake skyscraper in Chicago with promises of profit-sharing, and then quietly reneging on those promises. Attorneys for both sides suggested in their opening statements to jurors Monday that a key aspect of the trial will be the management style of Trump, who has gained famed for firing contestants he deems incompetent on his popular TV show, "Celebrity Apprentice."
  

• 7
  

  Chicago man dies in Kennedy crash
  A Chicago man was killed and two others were injured in a crash Monday morning that shut down the outbound lanes of the Kennedy Expressway. Rufino Sanchez, 65, of Chicago, was killed when his SUV was struck from behind by a semitrailer truck near River Road.
  

• 8
  

  Lake County sheriff’s deputy charged with solicitation
  A Lake County Sheriff's deputy is suspended without pay after he was charged Friday with solicitation of a sex act and obstruction of justice. Eric Francke, a five-year department veteran, was arrested as part of a one-month investigation Mundelein police launched after arresting two men on allegations they forced a downstate woman to work as a prostitute.
  

• 9

  No one injured in car crash near downtown Barrington
  Nobody was injured when two cars collided at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday near downtown Barrington. Barrington police said the accident occurred near the intersection of Hough Street and Hillside Avenue, causing midday traffic backups. Both drivers claimed they had a green light. As a result, police couldn't determine fault and didn't issue any citations.
  

• 10
  

  Fire-damaged restaurant reopens as Brandy's in Hanover Park
  More than six months after a fire closed Chiggy's restaurant in Hanover Park, a different restaurant is carving up the gyro meat once again.Brandy's, a sister establishment that's been around since 1984, opened last week at 1921 W. Irving Park Road."The menu is pretty much the same," owner Sam Dakis said. "We're famous for our chicken kebabs and gyros."
  

• 11
  

  With temperature swings, only strong flowers survive
  Shutting off the heat and switching on the air-conditioning? Plants at Morton Arboretum in Lisle tried to fight off a freeze early Monday morning but will bask in 80-degree temperatures today. "All those hanging baskets people get for Mother's Day, if they were under an eave, they are probably OK. But if they got frosted, you're going to see it," says Kris Bachtell of the Morton Arboretum.
  

• 12
  

  Suburban man the standby star of 'Book of Mormon'
  Eight times a week, Rob Colletti goes down to the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago, warms up his vocals, sits in the dressing room while the hit musical "The Book of Mormon" is performed, and then goes home. Colletti, a Wheaton native, is the standby for the lead role of the nerdy but lovable Elder Cunningham. And, "it's been incredible," he said.
  

• 13

  Batavia woman gets 4 years for 4th DUI
  A 32-year-old Batavia woman was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to her fourth DUI. Jeanette Baum was more than twice the legal intoxication threshold Nov. 27, 2012 when she crashed into a utility box in Batavia after dropping her child off at school. Baum also was on probation for a drug charge at the time.
  

• 14
  

  Will Bears send Carimi packing?
  Offensive lineman Gabe Carimi, the Bears' first-round draft pick in 2011, missed his second straight OTA (organized team activity) Tuesday, possibly jeopardizing his future with the team. Carimi continues to work out on his own in Arizona, while teammates learn a new offense under first-year coach Marc Trestman and offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer.
  

• 15
  

  Suburban bars brew events for Craft Beer Week
  Chicago Craft Beer Week launched four years ago as a way to celebrate all the breweries and beer-focused spots that the area has to offer. Since then it's continued to grow every year. This year more than 300 spots in the city and suburbs are using the event as an opportunity to offer something special to their existing customers, lure in more patrons and test the appeal of new beers.
  

• 16

  Monday’s softball scoreboard
  High school results from Monday's varsity girls softballl games, as reported to the Daily Herald.
  

• 17
  

  Barrington boy rejoins classmates after train accident
  Classmates cheered as Dominic Szymanski, a fifth grader at Hough Street School in Barrington, made a surprise visit Tuesday, almost two months after the 11-year-old survived being struck by a train. The unexpected reunion came during an all-school assembly for a student performance of "Romeo and Juliet," and a day after Dominic personally thanked the first-responders and good Samaritans who came to his rescue.
  

• 18
  

  Why gas prices in suburbs are so high right now
  It's hard to tell what's more painful these days, a poke in the eye or filling up your gas tank. We talk to experts who explain why northeast Illinois is in the gas-price doghouse and predict if we'll ever get out. Cook and the collar counties take a hit because the Clean Air Act requires areas with high smog levels (that's us) to use reformulated gasoline, which burns more cleanly.
  

• 19

  Not a Gacy victim, but DNA identifies teen's remains
  The remains of a New Jersey teen missing since 1972 have been identified, thanks to the machinery put into place to identify the remaining unidentified victims of John Wayne Gacy -- although Gacy did not kill this teen.
  

• 20

  Monday’s baseball scoreboard
  High school results from Monday's varsity boys baseball games, as reported to the Daily Herald.
  

• 21
  

  Angelina Jolie says she had double mastectomy
  Angelina Jolie says that she has had a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried a gene that made it extremely likely she would get breast cancer. "My mother fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56," Jolie writes in a New York Times Op-Ed piece. "She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was."
  

• 22
  

  Educators on virtual charter schools: Hold off a year
  Aurora Rep. Linda Chapa La Via proposed a one-year moratorium on new virtual charter schools that would halt review of a proposed school aiming to offer online education to students in 18 school districts from Algonquin to Plainfield. "What we'd like to do is slow the process down," Chapa La Via said. "It's gone too fast." Third of a three-part Daily Herald series.
  

• 23
  

  Man charged with abusing Villa Park girl
  A Joliet man faces charges of having inappropriate sexual contact with a 13-year-old Villa Park girl, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's office. Joshua Scheun, 36, of the 4300 block of Timber Ridge Court, appeared in bond court over the weekend after officials say in March of this year, he met the victim online, drove to Villa Park to meet face-to-face with her and then sexually abused her while in his vehicle on several different occasions.
  

• 24
  

  Animal shelter and adoption facility coming to Palatine
  Despite concerns from a few neighboring businesses over noise and odors, an animal shelter and adoption facility has received unanimous approval to open in Palatine. Barb's Precious Rescue and Adoption Center will house up to 50 cats and six dogs in an old farm house at 313 N. Quentin Road. "I think I can offer the village of Palatine a solution for animal control in a very professional manner," said owner Barbara Weber.
  

• 25
  

  Hot-air balloon festival planned in Grayslake
  Grayslake expects to be full of hot air Aug. 24. That's when the village plans to hold its inaugural hot-air balloon festival at Central Park. Officials say they expect the first-time event to be small but successful. "We've been laying the groundwork since January," Grayslake Trustee Bruce Bassett said Monday. "The balloonists who do this are hobbyists who have jobs and other lives."
  

• 26
  

  Government seizes reporters' phone info
  In a sweeping and unusual move, the Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of journalists working for the Associated Press as part of a yearlong investigation into the disclosure of classified information about a failed al-Qaida plot last year. The aggressive investigation into the possible disclosure of classified information to the AP is part of a pattern in which the Obama administration has pursued current and former government officials suspected of releasing secret material.
  

• 27

  Bystanders pull man from burning truck
  Bystanders and Elk Grove police officers are credited with saving a man whose box truck caught on fire after a crash at Thorndale Avenue and Lively Boulevard Monday afternoon, fire officials say.
  

• 28

  St. Charles agrees to tax refund for motorcycle business
  A new business expecting to generate $18.5 million of sales in its first five years in St. Charles has told city officials it can't afford to relocate to the city unless it receives a tax incentive of up to $70,000. The city obliged. Representatives from motorcycle dealer Windy City Triumph want to relocate to St. Charles by leasing an unused portion of the Fox River Harley-Davidson building at 131 S. Randall Road. That's the same location US Adventure RV hoped to relocate to when it secured a tax incentive from aldermen back in January.
  

• 29
  

  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.
  

• 30

  Driver grabs Chicago officer’s vest, drags down street
  A driver approached by police grabbed one of the officers by her bulletproof vest and took off, dragging her along the street with her vehicle. Police spokesman John Mirabelli says the officer was treated and released from a hospital for bruises and other non-life threatening injuries.
  

• 31
  

  The Bulls have simply run out of gas
  The Miami Heat took apart an undermanned Bulls team from start to finish in Game 4 at the UC Monday and should put them out of their misery Wednesday night in Miami.
  

• 32
  

  What would Len Kasper do as commissioner?
  
  

• 33
  

  BlackFinn buyer has Naperville mayor's endorsement
  Is a BlackFinn by any other name still a BlackFinn? Several Naperville officials don't think so.Everyone from the mayor to police chief to the head of the chamber of commerce says local businessman Jim Bergeron's pending purchase and takeover of the downtown BlackFinn American Saloon can only benefit both the city and the business.
  

• 34
  

  Can Hawks stop Datsyuk, Zetterberg?
  To beat the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinals, the Blackhawks must find a way to shut down Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Hawks forward Marian Hossa says Datsyuk is as dangerous as they come in the NHL. "He's one of the biggest talents I ever played with," Hossa said. "We have to be careful when he's on the ice because he can make the difference."
  

• 35
  

  Six charged, two injured in Naperville bar fight
  An early morning fight Sunday at BlackFinn American Saloon in downtown Naperville left two people injured, including a bar employee, and resulted in charges against six patrons, authorities said Monday. Police chief Robert Marshall said saloon employees called police shortly after 1 a.m. when a "significant rumble" broke out on the third floor of the establishment at 16 W. Jefferson Ave.
  

• 36
  

  Perfect finish for Dolezal, Barrington in MSL
  Perfection was the word of the day for Barrington's softball team. The Fillies ended a perfect season in the Mid-Suburban West with a perfect game from sophomore pitcher Keenan Dolezal. Dolezal retired 21 straight batters before the Fillies got her the win in bottom of the seventh inning at the Fields of Dreams. Barrington junior first baseman Katie Dehnert's hard infielder grounder with two outs and the bases loaded brought home Erin Ward with the winning run. The 1-0 victory gave Barrington its first West crown since 2009 and 16th divisional crown in school history.
  

• 37
  

  Dawn Patrol: Arlington Hts. flood survey; Accident survivor thankful
  Arlington Heights closer to flood study. Barrington train accident survivor thanks rescuers. Geneva parking deck expansion delayed. IDOT: Young men top crash victims. 10 charged in Aurora prostitution sting. Glen Ellyn seats new president. Bulls lose to Heat.
  

• 38
  

  Tougher drunken driving threshold weighed
  Federal accident investigators recommended Tuesday that states cut their threshold for drunken driving by nearly half, matching a standard that has substantially reduced highway deaths in other countries.
  

• 39
  

  How DuPage forest officials discovered scam
  Two former administrators charged with scamming the DuPage County Forest Preserve District out of more than $150,000 avoided suspicion for years, officials say, until their loyalty to a vendor seeking a computer contract triggered an internal investigation so secret that only three district officials knew about it.
  

• 40
  

  New Wauconda mayor looks to future of town
  He's been Wauconda's mayor for less than two weeks, and Frank Bart already has had to deal with a harsh critic. "While attempting to put my 4-year-old to bed, I stood in his bedroom doorway blocking his way to the playroom. Frustrated, he exclaimed, I don't like the new mayor,'" Bart explained. In a wide-ranging Q&A, Bart talks about his first days as mayor, his goals for the village and what he loves about Wauconda.
  

• 41

  Girls soccer/Top 20
  Naperville North, Waubonsie Valley and St. Charles North hold down the top three spots in the most recent ranking of area girls soccer teams.
  

• 42
  

  Changes coming to Illinois gambling plan
  Lawmakers could try to add additional ethics measures and reconsider putting slot machines at the Chicago airports in an effort to get Gov. Pat Quinn to back a gambling plan, one of its key supporters said Tuesday. State Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat, said he's looking to tinker with legislation ushered through the Illinois Senate this month by state Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat.
  

• 43

  Baseball/Top 20
  Huntley (22-3), Downers Grove South (25-5) and Naperville Central (19-7) are the top 3 teams in this week's Top 20 rankings of baseball teams in the Daily Herald.
  

• 44
  

  Daley nephew’s manslaughter trial could start next year
  McHenry County Judge Maureen McIntyre told attorneys Tuesday to "pencil in January or February" but otherwise gave no indications of when a manslaughter trial could begin for the nephew of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Richard Vanecko faces charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Mount Prospect resident and Harper College student David Koschman.
  

• 45

  Softball: Top 20 rankings
  Naperville Central (29-1) and Barrington (27-1) held onto the top two spots in this week's Daily Herald Top 20 rankings of area softball teams. Glenbard South (21-3) moved up to No. 3 as the regular season enters its final week.
  

• 46
  

  Naperville pastry chef living the sweet life
  Erica Tomei was on the road to becoming a teacher and tooka detour to culinary school. Today Tomei, 33, is the head pastry chef at the Chicago Marriott Naperville where she says she relies on her teaching training daily. "In a sense, as a chef I am doing the best of both worlds," she says. " I'm baking and teaching my team new skills as their leader."
  

• 47
  

  Morrison: We must rethink old ideas about retirement
  Guest columnist Tom Morrison: With state Rep. Jeanne Ives, I've introduced House Bill 3303 that provides a clear path to modernize our pension systems by moving to a defined contribution plan. Private and public entities have embraced these plans because they are sustainable and better guarantee retirement security for all.
  

• 48

  Rolling Meadows schools rally to help 8-year-old burn victim
  Students from two Rolling Meadows grade schools and their families will come together Tuesday night to help an 8-year-old classmate hospitalized since March 12 recovering from severe burns suffered a household accident. "You look at one child and you look at your child and you think, 'It could be mine,'" said Dawn McNaney, one of the fundraiser's organizers.
  

• 49

  Arlington Hts. on verge of $300,000 flood study
  Nearly two years after a massive rain flooded many homes in Arlington Heights, the village board on Monday informally approved spending nearly $300,000 for a comprehensive study of the sewer system and flooding issues.
  

• 50

  Mundelein weighing outdoor go-kart track plan
  A proposal for an outdoor go-kart track in Mundelein is moving forward despite reservations from several village board members. Safety was a big concern for trustees reviewing the plan Monday. So was noise from the gas-powered vehicles, 10 of which would be allowed to race simultaneously.