Dawn Patrol: Prep athletes celebrated; Illiana's loss could be Rt. 53's gain
Top high school athletes honored by Daily Herald
The suburbs' top high school athletes joined their families and coaches yesterday to celebrate their hard work and achievements at the third annual Daily Herald Prep Sports Excellence awards banquet at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates. More than 600 student athletes representing 68 high schools from 28 sports attended the banquet. “If those were my kids, my head would be the size of a medicine ball,” said Joe Aguilar, Lake County High School Sports Coordinator for the Daily Herald. Full story.
Experts say Illiana's loss could be Route 53's gain
Amid a budget feud with Democrats, Gov. Bruce Rauner jettisoned the Illiana last week. The suspension of the road linking I-55 with I-65 in Indiana buoyed foes who consider it a boondoggle that could cost taxpayers $1 billion-plus. The downside is the state has spent $63 million for engineering and land acquisition in pursuit of the Illiana. That kind of cash would come in handy for another expensive road project hamstrung by a whopping shortfall of nearly $2 billion — the extension of Route 53 into Lake County. “As the fortunes of the Illiana fall, the momentum for Route 53 appears to have risen,” DePaul University transportation expert Joseph Schwieterman said. Marni Pyke's full column.
Levee 37 solved one flooding problem in Mt. Prospect, but did it create another?
The good news for residents living west of River Road in Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights is that Levee 37 has kept the Des Plaines River from overflowing into neighborhoods. The bad news is that the levee apparently is making it harder to pump stormwater from those subdivisions water back into the river, leaving those residents to continue facing flooding problems. Mount Prospect and Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. are embarking on a $117,000 engineering study of the Levee 37 tributary area in hopes of finding a solution. Full story.
One dead, one injured Saturday after fight near Glen Ellyn
One person was killed and another injured in a large fight late Saturday in an unincorporated neighborhood near Glen Ellyn, DuPage County Sheriff's police said today. Sheriff's deputies responded to the fight in the 2N300 block of Prairie Avenue at about 10:30 p.m., according to a statement from the sheriff's department, which continues to investigate the death. Authorities were not immediately identifying the person killed pending notification of family. Full story.
Glendale Heights girl fought off would-be abductor
A man tried to abduct an 8-year-old girl in front of her house yesterday afternoon in Glendale Heights, police said. According to a news release, the child reported she was playing in front of her condo complex on the 200 block of Water's Edge around 12:21 p.m. Sunday, when a man approached and grabbed her and tried to drag her away. The child was able to break free and scream and then man ran away heading west on Water's Edge. Sgt. Michael Dziedzic said the girl ran inside after the man released her and that the man ducked around the corner. Dziedzic said it is a very populated area. Full story.
Weather
Cloudy and 69 degrees this morning. Temperatures will reach 81 degrees this afternoon before dipping back to 62 degrees overnight tonight. A thunderstorm is possible this afternoon. Full story,
Traffic
Construction will cause restrictions on Route 176 between Gilmer Road and US 12 between Mundelein and Wauconda until Saturday, August 15th. Full traffic.
Rozner: Cap challenge coming for Blackhawks
The Hawks will have some tough decisions to make this summer as expensive players and soon-to-be-free agents will create a salary cap headache for General Manager Stan Bowman. Barry Rozner's full column.
Imrem: Triple Crown win won't help save Arlington Park
Sports columnist Mike Imrem: “Horse racing's bright new future arrived with rain and overcast skies Sunday at Arlington Park. The sport's rousing comeback will have to wait for a while before the impact of American Pharoah's victory in Saturday's Belmont Stakes gains traction. If it ever does. More likely, the first Triple Crown victory in 37 years was a mere moment more than the big moment.” Mike Imrem's full column.