Dawn Patrol: Arlington jockey dies; S. Elgin coach accused
Beloved Arlington Park jockey dies in fire
A longtime jockey at Arlington Park died in a fire inside his unattached garage in Long Grove Tuesday morning. Fire officials continue to investigate the blaze that killed Eusebio “Eddie” Razo Jr. Witnesses said they heard explosions inside the garage from a few hundred feet away before the building went up in flames. “We don’t know why he went in,” his brother-in-law said. “Maybe he saw the smoke. I don’t know.” Full story.
Quinn: No hurry to shift pension costs on schools
Gov. Pat Quinn wants to make local schools and community colleges responsible for the cost of teachers’ retirements, but he told the Daily Herald it isn’t an “essential” part of his immediate plans to cut spending. Quinn proposed to have teachers pay more toward their pensions and to raise the retirement age to 67, and hopes legislators will take up the proposal before leaving Springfield this spring. Full story.
Cops: South Elgin man ripped off Indiana youth baseball team
A South Elgin man brought in to coach a northwest Indiana youth baseball team is accused of taking the team’s money and fleeing town. Hobart police expect charges to be filed this afternoon against the man, who parents said left with nearly $8,000. The team never got their uniforms and was not registered for a single tournament, which was promised to allot them between 30 and 60 games. Full story.
Chefs’ Fest 2012 brings crowds to Schaumburg
More than 1,000 from across the suburbs chowed down on food from more than 40 restaurants during Chefs’ Fest last night at the Schaumburg Convention Center. The event gave attendees a chance to sample fare in a setting that shuffled restaurant stations with hotel, retail and venue booths. “Some of the restaurants here I didn’t know about; this is exactly what I needed,” said Barbara Cole, an event planner who lives in Clarendon Hills. Full story.
Bus crashes into Wheeling home
No one was seriously injured when an empty school bus crashed through a backyard fence and into a Wheeling home Tuesday afternoon. The bus was struck by a vehicle near the intersection of Dundee and Schoenbeck roads at about 3:30 p.m., causing it to veer off the road. The crash damaged the home’s kitchen and caused some flooding in the basement. Full story.
Weather
Decent morning to start your day, with high temperatures of about 51 degree when you head out. Temperatures will increase to 62 degrees, but thunderstorms will roll in this afternoon. Rain will continue to fall through the evening, and temperatures will drop to the mid-50s. Full story.
Traffic
The rain is causing congestion throughout the highways and tollways this morning. Accidents have been reported at Warrenville and Butterfield roads in Warrenville, Route 83 and Grand Avenue in Lake Villa, and Roosevelt Road and Lincoln Avenue in Lombard. Two right lanes remain closed on northbound Busse Road at Route 62 in Mount Prospect due to sewer problems. Left turns are prohibited from northbound Busse Road to westbound Algonquin Road. The repairs are expected to run through April 30. Full story.
Cubs’ late-game heroics continue in win over Cards
The Cubs guaranteed their first series win with a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the 10th inning last night. It was the second consecutive walk-off win for the Cubs, after Monday night’s ninth-inning comeback capped off by Joe Mather’s 2-run single. Last night there were two heroes. Bryan LaHair whacked a game-tying homer in the ninth, and Alfonso Soriano who hit an RBI single in the 10th. Full story.
Sox lose to Oakland late
Gavin Floyd pitched another gem of a game, but reliever Matt Thorton gave up two runs in the eighth inning, while the Sox bats never came around, and the Sox dropped their Tuesday game by a score of 2-0. Full story.