Dawn Patrol: Politics, football and the weather
<h3 class="briefHead">Romney a local favorite as Iowa caucuses start</h3>
The first votes in the Republican race to select a presidential candidate will be cast in Iowa today, The latest polls show Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum at the top of the Iowa race. Illinois Republicans Sen. Mark Kirk, Rep. Robert Dold and Rep. Judy Biggert have all backed Romney as their preferred candidate. Reps. Randy Hultgren, Joe Walsh and Peter Roskam have yet to endorse a candidate. Illinois' primary is March 20. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Roses for Oregon</h3>
Oregon's incredible offense busted up Wisconsin and the record books on the way to the Ducks' first Rose Bowl victory in 95 years. The teams combined for a record 83 points. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Fiesta Bowl a wild one</h3>
A 22-yard field goal in overtime gave No. 3 Oklahoma State a 41-38 win over Andrew Luck and No. 4 Stanford in a wildly entertaining Fiesta Bowl late Monday night. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Meteorologists: Winter won't be so bad after all</h3>
OK, so today's forecast calls for a high of just 24 degrees. But experts have tempered earlier doomsday predictions of brutal winter. And the unseasonably warm December won't necessarily mean spring will be pushed back. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Elburn man's death under investigation</h3>
Elburn fire officials continue to investigate a fire where a 50-year-old man was found dead Sunday. The unidentified victim was discovered inside a home on the 1200 block of Wise Road about 2:30 p.m. The cause of the man's death is under review by the Kane County coroner's office, but fire officials said the blaze does not appear suspicious. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Red-light cameras powering down in Naperville</h3>
Beginning today, Naperville drivers will no longer face the scrutiny of red-light cameras. The city's three cameras, which have been operating for three years, are located at the intersections of Route 59 and North Aurora Road, Route 59 and Diehl Road, and Ogden and Aurora avenues. The loss of the cameras adds a projected $186,000 to the city's budget gap in fiscal 2013. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Fatal crash probe continues</h3>
A crash that killed a 22-year-old St. Charles woman during the early morning hours on New Year's Eve remains under investigation. Julie E. Berls was pronounced dead at the scene of the Campton Hills-area crash, which occurred at 3:58 a.m. Saturday. The woman's vehicle left Campton Hills Road and struck a utility pole, according to police. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Sears CEO unveils plan to turn company around</h3>
In the wake of Sears Holdings Corp.'s announcement that it is closing as many as 120 locations, the Hoffman Estates-based company's CEO said the company plans on combining technology and increased spending on stores to turn around the chain. "Everything starts with knowing what our customers want to buy and how and then delivering that across platforms," CEO Lou D'Ambrosio said. Sears has given salespeople more than 5,000 iPads and 11,000 iPod touches to track inventory and orders. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Boys questioned in assault on Highland Park teen released</h3>
Three juveniles who were brought in for questioning after an 18-year-old Highland Park girl was sexually assaulted and beaten Saturday night in Chicago have been released. The woman was denied access to a concert at the Congress Theatre because she did not have identification, according to police. She was found unconscious about 9:30 p.m. and remained in critical condition as of Monday. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Weather</h3>
It's really, really cold out there this morning, so bundle up when heading out the door this morning. The latest temps are only in the mid teens, with a windchill that makes it feel below 10 degrees. However, the cool air will start to push out later this afternoon and temperatures will rise to about 25 degrees this evening. Snow flurries are expected tonight, so be ready for a sloppy commute Wednesday morning. Full weather.
<h3 class="briefHead">Traffic</h3>
Slick conditions remain on the roadways due to the freezing temperatures, but no major accidents have been reported early Tuesday morning. One minor accident is slowing things up at Mannheim Road near St. Charles Road in Bellwood, so avoid that area. People should avoid Route 53 between Army Trail Road and the Elgin O'Hare Expressway due to construction. Full traffic <http://www.traffic.com/Chicago-Traffic/Chicago-Traffic-Reports.html>.
<h3 class="briefHead">Oilers capitalize on penalty, beat Hawks 4-3</h3>
The Hawks lost 4-3 to the Edmonton Oilers last night in a game that coach Joel Quenneville called a "priority" in wake of a 9-2 drubbing the Oilers put on the Hawks in November. The Blackhawks lead 1-0 in the second period, before Daniel Carcillo shoved an Oiler into the end boards, drawing a 5-minute major penalty. The Oilers capitalized twice on the power play. "I'm not going to argue the call," Quenneville said. "He beat him with a counter hit. There wasn't intent." Full story.