Briefs: O'Hare hearing postponed
A court hearing on the findings of an environmental analysis of the O'Hare International Airport expansion zone in Bensenville was postponed Tuesday. DuPage County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Popejoy was absent but is expected to return Thursday to preside over the session. O'Hare Modernization Program officials will present the results of their environmental tests at that time. Bensenville attorneys said they have not yet seen the results. However, they expect Popejoy to grant the village at least six weeks for its own environmental experts to review the study.
Ditka to headline GOP bash
State Sen. Dan Cronin's annual St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner will feature a speech by former Bears head coach Mike Ditka. The event sponsored by the Elmhurst Republican is primarily a campaign fundraiser, but a portion of the proceeds will also be donated to one of Ditka's favorite charities, Cronin's staff said. The family-friendly dinner will be held March 7 at the Drury Lane in Oak Brook. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (630) 792-8423.
Minor school bus crash
A school bus was involved in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday morning in Lisle but no one was injured, according to police. A small Laidlaw bus carrying one child was traveling west on Warrenville Road crossing Route 53 about 8:30 a.m. when it was struck by a motorist who ran a red light, Sgt. Ron Wilke said. Jerome Belter, 70, of Mount Prospect was cited for disobeying a traffic signal, Wilke said. Crews were on the scene for about 45 minutes clearing the crash. Both vehicles were towed from the intersection.
Building permits online
Naperville is making it easier for customers to check the status of their building permits. On March 3, the city will launch Building Permits Online, a way for permit holders to access their information via the city's Web site. Customers will be able to view the status of their application, obtain comments from the plan reviewers, schedule inspections and view inspection results. In 2007, the city issued more than 7,000 permits and performed more than 33,000 inspections. The program will only be available to those permit holders who submitted their applications on or after March 3. For details, visit www.naperville. il.us/bpo.aspx.
Students on 'Late Show'
Naperville-area students will be showing off their science skills tonight on the Kid Scientists segment of "The Late Show with David Letterman." The show airs at 10:35 p.m. on CBS. Students from the area have participated in the segment well over a dozen times under the guidance of Naperville Central teacher Jaci Gentile and retired Naperville North teacher Lee Marek.
Donate bicycles Friday
Wheaton Christian Grammar School is collecting bicycles for His Wheels International, an organization that sends specially adapted bikes around the world to help disabled children and adults. The collection is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at Wheaton Christian Grammar School, east door No. 3, 530 E. Harrison, Wheaton. For details, call Mike Cherry at (630) 668-1385, ext. 266.
Church plans memorial
Naperville's St. Margaret Mary Church will hold a memorial service for Northern Illinois University students at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the corner of Naper Boulevard and Green Trails Drive. The service will include music, prayer and reflection to commemorate all those affected by the shootings at NIU. The public is invited.
Pole topples, road closes
The northbound lanes of Route 59 were closed for a couple of hours near West Bartlett Road in Bartlett Tuesday morning after a light pole fell across three lanes of traffic. Authorities said a vehicle slammed into the utility pole at about 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, causing it to topple. The driver, who wasn't injured, lost control and skidded off the road because of icy conditions, authorities said. No cars were struck by the falling pole. An IDOT crew cleared the scene within a couple of hours.