Dawn Patrol: No Sears deal, neighbor pulled co-pilot out of wreckage

Lawmakers leave town without Sears deal

The Illinois legislature adjourned last night without settling a tax-break package intended to keep Sears Holdings Corp. in Hoffman Estates, even as the company is expected to vote on whether to move out of Illinois by the end of the year. Lawmakers don't plan on returning to the Capitol until a deal is ready, which may not be until next year. The House and Senate pushed separate versions of the bill, which differed on tax breaks for the futures exchange CME Group, tax relief for the working poor and tax credits for small businesses, but no agreement was reached. Full story.

Neighbor pulled co-pilot from burning plane in Riverwoods

Federal investigators said yesterday the pilot of a medical transport craft that crashed in Riverwoods, killing three people Monday, radioed to the tower that he was low on fuel. Two men, a co-pilot and a medic onboard, survived the crash in part thanks to a neighbor who pulled the co-pilot from the burning plane before firefighters arrived on scene. A Streamwood couple and the pilot, a Wisconsin man, died in the crash. “The plane was on fire right next to the co-pilot and I knew I had to get him out first,” said Charlie Norwesh, who ran to the crash from across the street. Full story.

Three plane crashes a coincidence

The suburbs have had three fatal plane crashes in nine days. Suburban pilots say the crashes are merely a sad coincidence, and small aircraft are safer to fly than ever. The FAA has also stepped up pilot training on decision-making and risk management in an effort to reduce crashes. Full story.

COD meets on split from Glen Ellyn

College of DuPage officials have called a special meeting of the board of trustees for Wednesday night to formally consider disconnecting the college's 273-acre campus from Glen Ellyn. The meeting comes just hours before a village-imposed deadline of Dec. 1. Full story.

Walsh's decision on switching district expected soon

McHenry Tea Partyer Joe Walsh is expected to announce either today or tomorrow whether he will switch his reflection campaign to the redrawn 8th District, from the 14th. The move would prevent a costly primary fight against fellow Republican freshman Randy Hultgren in the 14th. Walsh, who lives in the boundaries of the redrawn 14th, is considering a move to the more Democratic-leaning redistricted 8th. Full story.

Lake County Health official pleads guilty to scamming county

A 60-year-old Highland Park man pleaded guilty yesterday on charges that he collected pay for hours he did not work at the Lake County Health Department. Richard Morelli is the second official charged with manipulating an electronic time-keeping system. Morelli and Thomas Job, 67, used electronic access cards to trick the system into making it appear they were in the building and on the job at times they were not. Over two years Morelli was paid $46,619 in unearned money, according to prosecutors. Full story.

Woodstock cop burned with homemade flamethrower

A Woodstock police officer responding to a domestic disturbance call yesterday was met at the door by the ex-boyfriend of the resident, who used a homemade flame thrower to attack the officer, police said. The man burned the female officer's hair before locking himself in a second-story bedroom and jumping out the window. The officer was treated at an area hospital, and the suspect was tracked down more than four hours later with the help of police dogs. Full story.

Still unknown who left vehicle on Des Plaines railroad tracks

Des Plaines police continue to investigate who abandoned a car on Metra's North Central Service Line yesterday, causing a crash that delayed service for hours. “We spoke to the owner, and as far as the owner knew the car was parked in front of his house,” said Des Plaines Deputy Police Chief Mike Kozak. A Metra train struck the car at a railroad crossing just before 6 a.m. and it took Metra most of rush hour to get the track cleared and the train moving again. Full story.

Weather

Extremely cool to start your day with temperatures only reaching the 27 degree mark when you wake up. It'll turn sunny but temperatures will only rise to about 45 degrees today, before dropping back below freezing tonight. Full weather.

Traffic

All lanes are closed on Willow Road and Patriot Blvd following an accident with entrapment in Glenview. People are urged to avoid Rakow Road in Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills due to heavy construction. Full traffic.

Ricketts: Up to Epstein when it comes to Pujols or Fielder

With Internet reports indicating the Cubs have voiced their interest in signing free agents Albert Pujols and (not “or”) Prince Fielder, Chairman Tom Ricketts said it is up to new baseball President Theo Epstein. “Like I've always said, there's one person responsible for making those decisions and one person accountable for those results,” Ricketts said during a meeting with writers. “If he (Epstein) believes strongly that's what's in the best interest of the team, then he's got my support.” Full story.

Let's just not talk too much about the Hawks game

Our Tim Sassone says less is more when talking about the Blackhawks game last night. There were no positives, silver linings or things to build on. It was an awful game from the Hawks' perspective, from the start when Corey Crawford allowed a bad goal in the first period to the end of the 4-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes at the United Center. Full story.