Dawn Patrol: 3 killed in plane crash; Walsh might switch districts
3 killed, 2 hurt in plane crash in Riverwoods
Three people were killed and two were injured late Monday night when a small plane from Jessup, Ga., crashed into a heavily wooded area in Riverwoods. The twin-engine Piper Navajo was a medical transport headed to Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling when it crashed about 50 feet from a home on the 600 block of Portwine Road. Authorities said the pilot told air traffic control the plane was having fuel trouble. Resident John McGuire was inside with his wife and child when the crash occurred, but no one in the family was injured. “It sounded a like a wind shear, a lot debris hitting the house,” he said. “Two or three minutes later, I looked outside and there are six or eight ambulances.” Full story.
Joe Walsh may run in redrawn 8th District, not 14th, sources say
Congressman Joe Walsh is considering switching congressional districts to run in the redrawn 8th to avoid a primary battle with fellow GOP freshman Randy Hultgren in the 14th, according to a party officials. Although Walsh did not return calls last night, a senior Republican operative told the Daily Herald, “He sat down and said, ‘I'm running in the 8th.” The new 8th represents Cook and DuPage counties, roughly centers in Schaumburg and is without an incumbent. Walsh lives in McHenry, which is in the 14th District. Hoffman Estates Democrats Tammy Duckworth and Raja Krishnamoorthi will face off in the 8th's Democratic primary. Full story.
Final votes giving tax breaks to Sears, CME could be today
State lawmakers may vote as early as today on a tax-break proposal OK'd by a House panel yesterday that would give Sears Holdings Corp. millions of dollars in breaks in hopes it will stay in Hoffman Estates. The proposal also includes breaks for the CME Group, as well as for the working poor and small businesses. A Sears spokesman said if the proposal is made law, executives would “strongly recommend” the company board vote to stay in state when it votes in the coming weeks. Full story.
Elgin police seeking sex offender who skipped bail
Elgin police are hunting for a convicted child sex offender and twice-deported illegal immigrant who skipped bail on charges connected to an Elgin home break-in. Salvador Sarabia, 28, of Elgin posted the required $10,000 of his $100,000 bail and was let out of the Cook County jail despite an ICE hold against his release. A Cook County ordinance passed in September allowed Sarabia to be released, while in the past the ICE detainer would have kept Sarabia behind bars to allow federal authorities time to pick him up for possible deportation. Full story.
Zion official: Fielders blew chance for stadium
Zion's former economic development director says the Lake County Fielders could have received a city-owned ballpark if the team had paid its bills. J. Delaine Rogers issued a statement to the Daily Herald in response to a lawsuit from the Fielders' parent company. “If Richard Ehrenreich had paid his vendors, employees and rent in Schaumburg, the Flyers would still have a stadium to call home," he said. Full story.
Elgin budget proposal calls for several new taxes
Elgin City Manager Sean Stegall presented a new draft of the budget last night marked by a variety of new taxes. A refuse fee will remain from Stegall's first budget recommendation — but it will be just $13.30 per month to cover the costs of the program — and an electricity tax, natural gas tax, alcoholic beverage tax and, in 2014, a stormwater utility fee will be added. “We are not looking for any additional revenue; we're just coming at it a different way,” Stegall said. The next hearing on the budget is Wednesday. Full story.
Arson investigators working case of Frantz Gym fire
The Aurora Police Department, the Aurora Fire Department arson investigation team and the state fire marshal's office were called to examine the scene last night of a late-afternoon fire that severely damaged a historic gym in downtown Aurora. An early investigation suggests the fire may have been an arson, according to fire officials. Firefighters arrived at the vacant three-story Frantz Gym, 62 S. Broadway, and found heavy smoke and flames inside. The fire filled the sky with black smoke and forced police to shut down blocks of traffic. Full story.
Schaumburg crews work to fix 10 broken water mains
Construction crews worked into last night on 10 water mains that broke in Schaumburg between Sunday night and yesterday afternoon, causing pressure drops throughout the system. Crews were working on the largest crack in the system, a 3-foot-long crack that required crews to dig up and replace an entire section of pipe, said Village Manager Kenneth Fritz. Most of the breaks were repaired yesterday afternoon, with the exception of the major crack at Commerce Drive and Wilkening Road, just east of Roselle Road. Full story.
State budget deal would cut from education funding
Gov. Pat Quinn and legislative leaders agreed Monday to cancel plans for closing state facilities and cutting nearly 2,000 jobs by taking money from elsewhere in the state budget, including about $100 million originally earmarked for education. If the agreement is approved by lawmakers, it would save a prison, a center for juvenile offenders and centers for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled. Full story.
Cooper's Hawk restaurant to open in Arlington Heights today
Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant opens today at Algonquin and Golf roads in Arlington Heights, in the building that formerly housed Pappadeaux Seafood Restaurant. The tasting room opens at 10:30 a.m. Full story.
Suburban Bally's clubs to become LA Fitness clubs
Members at the 27 Bally Total Fitness clubs in Illinois may notice some changes after Dec. 1, when LA Fitness takes ownership of all Bally's clubs in the state. The Illinois clubs are part of 171 Bally's clubs nationwide being sold to Fitness International LLC, an affiliate of LA Fitness International LLC, next month. Although Chicago-based Bally Total Fitness will continue to operate 100 clubs around the country, none will be in Illinois. Full story.
Cain denies having affair
In an explosive allegation, a Georgia woman said Monday she and Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain had a 13-year extramarital affair that lasted nearly until the former businessman announced his candidacy for the White House several months ago. "I didn't do anything wrong," Cain said. Full story.
Weather
Cloudy, rainy and windy to start the day with highs of only about 39 degrees when you head out the door. The wind is expected to pack a punch today, with sustained winds of about 40 mph and gusts of up to 60 mph. To make it worse, some snow could fall in the area tonight, turning things slushy. Full weather.
Traffic
Most of the highways in the northern part of the state are running fine this morning, but weather conditions are creating problems south of the city. People travelling in or through Riverwoods are asked to avoid Portwine Road between Deerfield Road and Lake-Cook Road, the sight of an earlier place crash. People in Grayslake should avoid construction traffic on Route 45 between Route 120 and Washington Street. Full traffic.
Lovie: No, we didn't need to run the ball more
The Chicago Bears averaged a season-best 6.4 yards per rush in Sunday's loss to the Oakland Raiders, yet they had just 27 rushing attempts, and only 22 of them were planned runs, since quarterback Caleb Hanie scrambled five times for 50 yards. During their five-game win streak, which ended Sunday, the Bears averaged 32.4 running plays per game. So shouldn't more running plays have been called, Lovie Smith? “No,” he said. “I think our game plan was good enough to win the football game." Bob LeGere reports on what Smith called the real culprit.