Dawn Patrol: Quick hits to start your day
Breaking news
A woman has been arrested and charged with aggravated driving under the influence of drugs for an accident in Ingleside last week that killed a motorcyclist and injured his young daughter. Rebecca R. Wells is being held in Lake County jail in lieu of $250,000 bond, officials said.
McHenry motorcyclist killed in head-on crash
Police continue to investigate a McHenry County head-on crash that killed a McHenry motorcyclist. John J. Flynn was driving south on East Wonder Lake Road without a helmet when he collided with a northbound pickup truck at the intersection of Route 120 yesterday. The driver of the pickup entered the intersection to make a left turn onto Route 120, according to police. Full story.
Gurnee police chief forced to retire
Gurnee Police Chief Robert Jones' 17-year tenure ended Monday with the village board's approval of a “retirement/separation agreement” with him. Village trustees voted 4-2 in favor of the agreement after a closed-door session. Jones had been on administrative leave with pay since mid-July because of employee complaints that were formally lodged with Village Administrator James Hayner. Full story.
Jimmy's closes over unpaid taxes
Jimmy's Place, an icon in Arlington Heights for more than 50 years, is closed. A notice from the Illinois Department of Revenue attached to the restaurant at 640 W. Northwest Hwy., just south of Euclid Avenue, says its license has been revoked. It was not known what obligations the state is seeking. Full story.
W. Dundee's Clearwater Theater closed over liquor license
West Dundee officials have closed the Clearwater Theater for serving alcohol without a state liquor license for more than a year. As a result, the theater has canceled its September performances. Full story.
Vacant North Chicago destroyed by arson
North Chicago police and fire investigators are hoping surveillance cameras have captured the image of a possible arsonist that started a fire in a vacant hotel. Fire officials said the fire was sparked in a number of locations inside the former Knights Inn hotel on Green Bay Road yesterday. Police hope surveillance cameras in the area may have captured the suspect or suspects who lit the building on fire. Full story.
Opening arguments today in West Chicago man's murder trial
Opening arguments will begin this morning in the trial of a West Chicago man accused of killing his former attorney and robbing the man of a gun collection. Prosecutors allege Terry Batcher suffocated the 82-year-old victim with a pillow and stole 43 firearms from his prized collection. Police say they obtained a video-recorded confession from Batcher and an accomplice who pleaded guilty to the murder this year. Full story.
Wheeling skeptical of ComEd's response
Wheeling residents and trustees appreciated a ComEd representative coming to last night's village board meeting to hear their concerns, but they weren't buying his responses. Most of the crowd was from Valley Stream Drive, where residents on one side have had numerous outages this year and residents on another haven't. “You're giving us a lot of BS here,” one Wheeling trustee said after the ComEd rep's presentation. Full story.
Cary boy who fell into canyon heads home
An 8-year-old Cary boy who fell 26 feet into a canyon at Starved Rock State Park more than a week ago has been released from the hospital. The boy was hiking with his parents in a restricted area of the park when he fell from a ledge into a canyon on Sept. 4. He suffered serious injuries to his head and neck in the fall. Full story.
Perry under fire at GOP debate>
Texas Gov. Rick Perry came under attack from all angles at last night's CNN presidential debate. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney hit him on his Social Security stance, Texas Rep. Ron Paul said the governor had raised taxes in Texas, and Rep. Michele Bachmann grilled him on his executive order to require Texas schoolgirls to get an STD vaccine. The Republican hopefuls spent most of the night debating among each other rather than railing in a common voice against President Barack Obama. Full story.
Weather
It may be in the mid-60s now, but don't expect it to get much hotter today. Accuweather says it's only going to climb to 70 degrees today, but the rain should stay away. Full weather.
Traffic
Highways are running smooth to start the day, but people should be on the lookout for climbing congestion on the outbound Stevenson between Lake Shore Drive and the Tri-State Tollway due to construction. Full traffic.
Bears to face their longtime leader
After dominating the Atlanta Falcons' offensive line on Sunday, the Bears defensive unit will face a familiar foe when they meet the New Orleans Saints in the Big Easy this weekend. Olin Kreutz won't be wearing his familiar No. 57 but will get the start at center. “(No.) 50 looks weird on him,” said linebacker Brian Urlacher. Full story.
Starlin Castro closing in on hits milestone
With 15 games left on the Cubs schedule, 21-year-old Starlin Castro is giving fans something to root for as he nears the 200-hit plateau for the season. The Cubs shortstop went 3 for 4 last night including 2 doubles as he upped his National League-leading hits total to 190. He has been on base in 25 consecutive games. The Cubs beat the Reds 12-8. Full story.
Another tough night for White Sox
White Sox starting pitcher John Danks allowed 8 runs on 11 hits in 5 innings against the Tigers on Monday night. The numbers don't lie. The Tigers clearly deserve to be first in the AL Central after winning their 10th game in a row Monday. And the White Sox deserve to be on the brink of elimination after taking another beating and losing 14-4 to the Tigers last night. Full story.