Dawn Patrol: No Illinois teams in NCAA dance; top stallions killed in Round Lake
Illinois teams come up empty on Selection Sunday
Michigan State is the lone No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament to have won its conference title game, but Kentucky, Syracuse and North Carolina hope their recent losses don't repeat in tournament play. Kentucky's Sunday loss snapped a 24-game winning streak in the SEC tournament final. Kansas, Duke, Missouri and Ohio State snagged No. 2 seeds. Local hopeful Northwestern, which was thought of as a longshot, did not make the cut. No team from Illinois was selected. Full story.
Triple Crown descendants die in Round Lake stable fire
Thoroughbred descendants of Triple Crown winners Secretariat and Seattle Slew were among six horses that died in a Round Lake stable fire Saturday. The stable's owner was able to save three horses during the blaze, but not his two prized stallions. The owner said the fire may have been caused by burning embers that were fueled by strong winds. “I'm in shock right now,” said Urbano Hernandez. “I have to sit down and recoup from what I went through.” Full story.
U.S. soldier kills 16 Afghan civilians, tension mounts
Fury at the U.S. presence in Afghanistan is boiling after a U.S. Army sergeant opened fire on Afghan villagers, mostly women and children, killing 16 people. The attack follows last month's deadly protests over Americans burning Qurans. 30 Afghans and six U.S. service members died during the earlier protests, which had just begun to calm. Full story.
Elgin man dies in snowmobile collision with plow
An Elgin man died over the weekend when his snowmobile collided with a snowplow truck in northern Wisconsin near the Michigan border. Anthony “Tony” Capaci, 39, died Friday in Hurley, Wis. The former member of the U.S. Army's 12th Special Forces 101st Airborne Unit was a father of three. Police continue to investigate the accident. Full story.
Emerald ash borer spreading through Vernon Hills
The dreaded emerald ash borer is beginning to make its mark in Vernon Hills, as the pest continues to grow in numbers, destroying ash trees in its path. Village officials said they are seeing more damage than last fall and are marking trees for removal. The invasive beetle emerged in 2006 and is now in about 200 communities. “There's no stopping the spread,” said Jim Barlow, superintendent of parks in Libertyville. Full story.
McHenry motorcyclist dies in weekend crash
A 41-year-old McHenry man died Saturday after a motorcycle crash. Edward A. Wald was driving his Harley-Davidson on Fox Lake Road near his hometown when he drifted into oncoming traffic and was struck by a 2012 Audi. The crash remains under investigation. Full story.
Rose vs. Lin at the United Center tonight
The New York Knicks and their waning case of Linsanity visit the United Center tonight, with the Knicks having gone 3-8 since the team's 7-game win streak in which Jeremy Lin started playing major minutes. Derrick Rose has a history of dominating the league's top point guards, and hopes that streak will continue (if you consider Lin top talent). Rose has never lost to Chris Paul, he dominates Deron Williams, he owns Brandon Jennings, and he averaged 34.7 points in his last three meetings with Tony Parker, according to Bulls writer Mike McGraw. Full story.
Weather
The good news is that it could reach 70 degrees by the time the sun sets by the end of the day. The bad news is that meteorologists claim showers will fall on and off today and stong winds will greet us this afternoon and into overnight tonight. Initial rains will come and go by lunchtime, then it'll be sunny for a couple of hours, before a second round of stronger storms whips in, causes a thunderstorm or two to fall, with wind gusts off 44 degrees possible. At least it'll be warm. Full story.
Traffic
No major problems to report in the burbs this morning, but some accidents are slowing things down near the city. The worst seems to be a crash in the northbound lanes of I-55 at Cicero Avenue. At least one lane is blocked because of the crash. Motorists should also be ready for construction delays on Route 53 between Army Trail Road and the Elgin O'Hare Expressway. Full story.