Dawn Patrol: Mount Prospect sewer collapse; Elgin fire
Sewer collapse could tangle Mount Prospect traffic for weeks
A usually busy stretch of Mount Prospect roadway could be shut down for up to three weeks, after workers discovered a sewer 23 feet below Busse Road had collapsed. Officials are meeting this morning to discuss the situation. The roadway was not harmed, but police said there was fear that it could have collapsed with vehicle traffic. The northbound lanes of Busse are shut down near Algonquin. Full story.
Cleaning fumes explode, injure Elgin man
An Elgin man's clothes caught fire after an explosion inside his home yesterday, but he was able to escape along with his two children. The man in his 40s was cleaning the laundry room when fire officials believe something sparked the fumes from the cleaning solution. The blast blew open a portion of the home's ceiling and the fire spread to the attic, causing more than $100,000 in damages. Full story.
Dart seeks to examine former dig site for Gacy victims
A Cook County sheriff's office request to re-examine a site that was dug up in 1998 in search of victims of John Wayne Gacy was denied by the state's attorney's office. The sheriff's office hopes to search the area outside Gacy's mother's former apartment where a Chicago detective claimed to have seen Gacy with a shovel at about 3 a.m. A search was conducted, but police said only two of 17 “anomalies” spotted during a scan of the ground were actually dug up. Full story.
Rainy, cool weather greets Friday commuters
Morning thunderstorms will move through the Chicago suburbs with some storms becoming severe before the lunch hour on Friday. The wet weather will clear out by the afternoon, but temperatures will only reach a high of 55 on Friday before cooling back off at night. Full forecast
Clear traffic to start the morning
Chicago roads are clear to start the morning, but with storms through the morning and the Friday commute, travel times may pick up as the morning goes on. Full traffic report.
Arlington Heights woman sentenced to 6 years for child abuse
A 20-year-old Arlington Heights woman who pleaded guilty to biting the face and head of her 2-month-old child has been sentenced to six years in prison. Rubi Cabrera must complete at least 85 percent of the sentence before she is eligible for parole. A doctor reported the suspected abuse after an Aug. 19, 2011, visit. An X-ray revealed fractures to the infant's skull and legs. Full story.
What are the odds?
With the Mega Millions lottery jackpot drawing for Friday evening up to $540 million, many around the suburbs have lottery fever, but what are the odds you'll actually win? Full story
Early spring has Lake County golf courses in the black
Area golf courses hope the early spring weather will be enough to boost revenues after most courses have seen a dip in golfers over the past few years. Revenues have dropped from $970,000 in 2007 to $266,000 last year at the Lake County Forest Preserve District's four courses. Already this year, though, the courses have brought in $48,000 compared to nothing at this time last year. Full story.
Illini finally find their coach
Just days after leading Ohio University to the Sweet Sixteen, John Groce was introduced as the head coach for the University of Illinois, where the Illini have missed the tournament three of the last five years. Groce, who was an assistant with Thad Matta at Butler, Xavier and Ohio State before taking over at Ohio, will see a bump in his salary from $355,000 to $1.4 million a year. Full story.
Hawks blow late lead, beat Blues in shootout
The Blackhawks peppered the league-leading St. Louis Blues with 40 shots last night, double the Blues' 20, in their shootout victory. The Hawks lead the Blues 3-1 in the third but blew the lead with less than 2 minutes on the clock to let their central-division rivals escape with a point for the overtime loss. “Maybe we should've pulled that one out in regulation,” Hawks goalie Corey Crawford said. “But after the second and third (goals) we didn't collapse. We kept working hard.” Full story.
Poll Vault: What's your favorite theme park?
This week, Poll Vault is on location in Orlando, Fla., where Michelle Holdway spent two days at Universal Studios' main theme park and its Islands of Adventure park. There she spotted kids wearing Metea Valley, Naperville North, Glenbard East and Huntley T-shirts in various lines for rides. What's your favorite theme park? Did you go to one or more for spring break? Join the conversation by leaving a comment.