Dawn Patrol: 1 dead after tornadoes tear through towns west of suburbs
Tornadoes land west of suburbs, kill 1 in small town on Route 72
A number of small towns west of the suburbs, including Rochelle, Kirkland and Fairdale, are recovering from the damages left by tornadoes that were reported to have touched down last night. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency confirmed one died as a result of a tornado in Fairdale, a small, unincorporated town some 30 miles southwest of Rockford on Route 72. The tornadoes moved along a 50-mile straight line path, officials said. Full story.
Steps to take after your basement floods
What happens when your basement is full of water that not only ruined your carpet but could be polluted with harmful bacteria? Put safety first, officials say, and stay out until the water recedes, since there's always the danger of electrocution when water mixes with outlets and appliances. Here's some tips to take when your basement floods. Full story.
Father of abandoned girl charged with kidnapping
The father of a 3-year-old girl found wandering alone this week in Prospect Heights is in custody in Michigan after being charged with aggravated kidnapping. Authorities say Faiz Ikramulla, 35, kidnapped the toddler from her mother before abandoning her in a forest preserve Tuesday. Ikramulla's return to Cook County is pending an extradition. Full story.
Hawthorn Woods boy receives 'consolation prize' for his winning basketball bracket
The Hawthorn Woods boy who had one of the two best entries in ESPN's college basketball bracket challenge but couldn't win a prize because he was too young to enter the contest wound up with a prize anyway. Twelve-year-old Sam Holtz and his family were given a pair of Xbox One video game systems by Best Buy as something of a consolation prize. He's donating one of them to charity. Full story.
In wake of Zion shooting, District 127 requests 'visible' police presence
Grayslake High School District 127 officials requested "a visible police presence" this week in response to social media threats made after last weekend's fatal shooting of a teenager by police in Zion, school and police officials confirmed. Grayslake Police Chief Phil Perlini said that extra patrols were stationed Wednesday at Grayslake North in response to the threats, which were not specific. Full story.
Weather
Cloudy and 45 degrees this morning. Windy and a bit cooler with highs of 57 degrees this afternoon. Temperatures will dip to 39 degrees overnight tonight. Full story.
Traffic
Construction closes Riverside Drive between Chicago Street and Highland Avenue in Elgin until August. People should seek alternate routes. Full story.
Hawks will get no higher than third in division
The Hawks lost to the St. Louis Blues for a second time this week and are now guaranteed of finishing no higher than third in the division and opening the playoffs on the road. The Blues clinched the division title and home-ice advantage for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with their 2-1 win last night. Full story.
Bulls snap out of it, win going away
The Bulls trailed by 19 points at halftime after a miserable second quarter last night, but they started the third quarter with a 39-8 run and in the end beat the Miami Heat 89-78. "We were getting out-competed," Joakim Noah said. "Our identity for years was our intensity and our defense. It wasn't there in the first half, was in the second. Nazr (Mohammed) gave us a great halftime speech about playing for the right reasons." Full story.