Dawn Patrol: Cage limited explosion’s harm; Phillips the ‘Idol’
<h3 class="briefHead">Pedestrian killed by train in Lombard:</h3>
A pedestrian was struck and killed by a freight train at about 11 p.m. Wednesday on the Union Pacific West Line. The as-yet unidentified, female pedestrian was killed on the tracks in Lombard, between the Glen Ellyn and Lombard stations. Authorities are still investigating the death, and Metra officials said the crash did not affect the morning commute.
<h3 class="briefHead">Cage around machine that exploded may have saved lives</h3>
Arlington Heights fire officials say it’s lucky more people weren’t seriously hurt during a huge explosion that killed 55-year-old Neil Nicholson of Itasca Tuesday morning. Police said Nicholson was checking something at a Thermotron test chamber when the blast occurred, throwing him about 30 feet from the machine. Officials said the machine was inside a cage, which stopped a lot of the flying debris. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">House OK’s gambling expansion, but Quinn could still veto</h3>
A gambling expansion plan approved by the Illinois House yesterday would include new casinos in Lake County, Chicago and other towns, as well as slot machines at Arlington Park. The House voted 69-47, and the bill is headed to the Senate for debate in the coming days. Gov. Pat Quinn said the plan fell short of the standards he proposed in October, so he could still veto the bill. The vote was two shy of the 71 needed to override a veto. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Illinois Senate budget plan called premature</h3>
Although Illinois Senate Democrats passed a budget plan last night, the House continues to work on their own version behind closed doors while neither group has agreed on how to cut the state’s spending on health care for the poor or how to reform its pension plans. House Republicans accused Senate Democrats of trying to gain political leverage on a House plan by rushing the budget through, while Democrats argued the GOP has not presented an alternative. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Sears to lay off more employees</h3>
Sears Holdings informed a group of employees yesterday they would be part of a wave of layoffs, but the Hoffman Eastates-based company would not confirm the total. Unconfirmed reports put the total at about 200, of the 6,200 workers based here. The struggling parent of Sears and Kmart continues to close stores and trim its workforce after a deal that allowed $275 million in tax breaks to keep the headquarters in Hoffman Estates. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Woman claims her terrier was shot dead in Addison</h3>
The owner of a Yorkshire terrier told police her dog may have been shot while it walked with her near an Addison forest preserve over the weekend. The woman said she heard a faint “pop” and moments later the dog fell over bleeding. Police said a veterinarian determined the dog was shot, but there was no evidence at the scene. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Phillip Phillips named new ‘American Idol’</h3>
Phillip Phillips was crowned “American Idol” last night after defeating Jessica Sanchez in a record viewer voting. The 21-year-old pawnshop worker known for a bluesy style on his guitar is the fifth straight male “Idol” winner. Phillips received the winning share of 132 million votes cast after Tuesday’s final showdown with 16-year-old Sanchez. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Weather</h3>
Sunny and warm today with high temperatures of about 88 degrees. Temperatures will be about 67 degrees when you head out the door, then dip back to 80 overnight. Only problem will be strong winds that will gust up to about 40 degrees starting this evening. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Traffic</h3>
An accident is being reported on the Tri-State tollway near Buckley Road and on Route 12 near Old McHenry Road in North Barrington. Motorists are urged to avoid construction delays on Pingree Road between Cog Circle and Grandview Drive in Crystal Lake. The roadway is scheduled to be closed until mid-October.
Cubs drop 9th straight
The Houston Astros broke open a 2-1 game in the eighth inning against reliever Rafael Dolis to beat the Cubs 5-1 and sweep the three game series. The Astros also sent the Cubs to their first nine-game losing streak since 2002. Full story.
<h3 class="briefHead">Sale pitches 7 strong innings in best start of the year</h3>
After a 9-2 pounding at the hands of the Twins on Tuesday, the White Sox bounced back with a 6-0 win over Minnesota last night behind a strong start by Chris Sale. “That young buck has a (heck) of an arm,” new Sox third baseman Orlando Hudson marveled. “He just slings that bad boy ... God!” Sale pitched 7 innings and allowed just 2 singles. The 23-year-old lefty struck out 6 in his best start of the year. Full story.