Dawn Patrol: Big Medicaid cuts pass; gambling veto override?
Illinois legislators OK big cuts to Medicaid
Legislation that would cut back or even eliminate health care for hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents is headed to the desk of Gov. Pat Quinn, who supports the proposal. State lawmakers approved the legislation Thursday in an attempt to fix the state’s budget gap. The Medicaid cuts would end a prescription drug program for senior citizens, halt two programs that provide health insurance for about 35,000 people, and restrict access to services including bypass operations and wheelchair repairs. Full story.
Lawmakers counting gambling expansion votes ahead of Senate debate
Although some state lawmakers think Gov. Pat Quinn could be persuaded to sign a gambling expansion bill passed by the House on Wednesday, supporters of the bill are already counting votes to see if they could override a veto. The Illinois Senate has not yet debated the bill, but the House passed with 69 yes votes, two shy of the minimum required for an override of the veto. Quinn said the bill lacks the ethical standards he proposed last October and does not include a ban on campaign contributions to keep corruption out of the gambling industry. Full story.
Teen gets 15 years in Elgin car ramming murder
An Elgin teen who played a role in the death of John W. Keyes III when he was run down by a car in Elgin in 2009 has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. LaCorbek Benion, 18, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder more than two years after the 17-year-old victim was smashed into an Elgin apartment building by Benion’s mother. The murder occurred the day after Keyes danced with Benion’s girlfriend at a party. Full story.
Visibility near zero during crash that shut down I-88
Near-zero visibility may be to blame for a four-vehicle crash that seriously injured one man on Interstate 88 near Kaneville and shut down a 15-mile stretch of I-88 for about 3 hours Thursday. The man who was seriously injured was driving a van when a semitrailer truck slowed in front of him. The man did not see the semi slow and struck the truck, causing a chain collision. The driver of the van was airlifted from the scene. Full story.
Cop who stole from charity won’t serve prison time
A former Woodridge police officer who faced up to seven years for stealing from a charity for families of fallen officers will not serve any prison time. Scott Webb, 40, fled the state after stealing the cash, but a judge Thursday sentenced him to two years probation, time served and full restitution. Webb took about $30,000 from pub crawl fundraisers he helped organize for the charity. Full story.
Fire causes nearly $200,000 in damages to Elgin home, contents
Strong winds fueled a fire that started on the deck of an Elgin family’s home and quickly spread to the interior of the house Thursday afternoon. A contractor woke up residents of the home when he spotted flames from the front of the two-story home. The blaze spread to a backroom and caused extensive damage throughout the home, which is uninhabitable, officials said. Full story.
U-46 to demolish half their mobile classrooms
Elgin Area School District U-46 is knocking down half their mobile classrooms at various schools next year as enrollment numbers continue their decline and class size standards change. The district will demolish 14 of the classrooms at nine schools. School officials would not say if “class size configurations” meant larger class sizes. Most of the units had not been used in the past two years. Full story.
Weather
It’ll be nice today before possible thunderstorms move in later this evening. It’s about 69 degrees right now, and will climb to about 78 degrees later this afternoon. But, temperatures will cool off tonight to 59 degrees before that storm moves in after 10 p.m. Rain is expected to last through the morning on Saturday. Full story.
Traffic
Police are on the scene of a crash on Route 22 near Old McHenry Road near Lake Zurich, and at Thorndale Avenue at I-290 near Itasca. Traffic congestion is expected to climb throughout the day as people try and get away for the Memorial Day weekend. People are urged to avoid construction delays on Book Road from 111th Street to 87th Street in Naperville, and on Mill Road at I-290 in Addison. Full story.
Sox go with the wind
The wind was gusting from right field to left on a warm last night at U.S. Cellular Field. The conditions were favorable for some serious hitting, and the White Sox exploited the wind with 5 home runs in an 11-8 win over Minnesota. Scot Gregor’s Sox notes.
Oh, this Cubs season is bad
The first traditional milepost of the baseball season is Memorial Day, and the Cubs haven’t even waited that long to bury themselves. Entering Thursday’s off-day, the Cubs found themselves with a 15-29 record and 10 games out of first place in the National League Central. Bruce Miles has more.