Marathon signup later
Organizers of the Chicago Marathon have pushed back registration for the 2008 race. Spokeswoman Marianne Caponi said the event reaches capacity sooner each year and the decision was made so runners don't have to commit to running the race as early. She said extra time also gives organizers time to discuss issues with water stations and communication. This year's Oct. 7 marathon ended 3½ hours after its start because of 88-degree heat. Hundreds of people collapsed and were treated for heat-related illness. One runner died during the race. Runners complained of inadequate water stations. Experts said the event raised questions about the size of marathons. The 2008 marathon is scheduled for Oct. 12. Registration begins Feb. 1.
Boys' mother located
Police in Chicago say they've found a woman who's accused of abandoning her two young sons on an el train last week. Authorities said passengers shouted at the woman Thursday evening as she stepped off the southbound Red Line train holding another child. They tried to alert her that she'd left her 6-year-old and 4-year-old boys aboard. The state Department of Children and Family Services has placed the boys in foster care. Police said the woman called the city's 311 nonemergency line to inquire about her sons. An operator noted her phone number and contacted detectives. There's no word yet on whether she'll face criminal charges.
Four wounded in shooting
Chicago police say a gunman opened fire in a South Side liquor store, sending four men to the hospital. Two men were transported to St. Bernard Hospital and reported in good condition with bullet wounds to their legs and ankles. The other two were sent to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. One is reported in serious condition with a leg wound. The other is in critical condition. Police Lt. John Brundage said the shooting happened before 9 p.m. Sunday. Authorities said the incident happened after an argument between one of the victims and another man who then left the store and returned with a gun. Brundage said the gunman left the scene in a gray sport utility vehicle. The four victims were all in their 20s.
Arson suspected
Oak Forest police are questioning two men in connection with an apartment fire that left three people dead. Oak Forest Fire Chief Jim Berger said the fire's size and the amount of damage prompted an arson investigation. The fire broke out late Saturday evening at the 36-unit Le Claire Station Apartments. It took firefighters three hours to extinguish the blaze. Dozens of residents were displaced. A Cook County medical examiner's spokesman said the bodies of the three who died are badly charred. He said it will require dental records to identify them.
Agency director retires
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Director Robert Coomer is retiring after more than 28 years of state service. Coomer's tenure included the opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield and the restoration of seven-day-per-week operations at most Illinois historic sites during tourist season. Coomer had been director since September 2004. Previously, he'd served as superintendent of historic sites. He began his state career with the Department of Conservation in 1979. Jennifer Tirey will serve as acting director of the Historic Preservation Agency. She'd been deputy director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum since September 2005.