Dawn Patrol: Bitter cold grips the suburbs
Bitter cold cancels flights, community events
Dangerously low temperatures yesterday triggered the cancellation of several regional events, disrupted air traffic in and around Chicago and made even some everyday activities challenging. And the weather woes are expected to continue this morning, with a wind chill advisory in effect until 10 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. Full story.
North Chicago man identified as Wadsworth crash victim
A North Chicago man, identified as 52-year-old Mark Earley, was killed Saturday afternoon in a head-on crash in Wadsworth. Earley was driving south on North Delany Road when his Chevrolet Silverado crossed the centerline for unknown reasons and hit an oncoming vehicle, the driver of which was critically injured, Lake County officials said yesterday. Full story.
Elgin Christmas Dinner warms hearts
Volunteers served a hearty meal to those in need a helping hand during the inaugural Elgin Community Christmas Dinner. Jeff Turner, owner of In The Neighborhood Deli and Catering in Elgin, has been hosting neighborhood dinners, including the Community Thanksgiving Dinner and the Valentine's Day Have a Heart dinner, for nine years and realized his dream of a Christmas dinner yesterday. Full story.
Puppeteer puts on 'Hansel and Gretel' in Grayslake
Master puppeteer Mark Nichols from The Puppet Place in Chicago returned to the Grayslake Public Library yesterday to present an original adaptation of the classic tale "Hansel and Gretel." The performance drew more than 100 library patrons. Full story.
Weather
Cloudy and bitterly cold this morning with temperatures of 5 degrees below zero to start. Temperatures will climb to 16 degrees this afternoon, before dropping to 12 degrees overnight. However, wind chills will consistently make it feel like temperatures are between 7 degrees below zero. Full weather.
Traffic
Repairs to a historic bridge damaged by a crash closed Robert Parker Coffin Road in Long Grove between Schaeffer and Old McHenry roads until further notice. Full traffic.
Blackhawks win 4-1
It took 34 games - and 74 shots on goal - but Duncan Keith finally scored a goal for the Blackhawks this season. The timing couldn't have been better, too, as San Jose was dominating much of the second period, but Keith's rocket tied yesterday's game at 1-1 with 3:11 left, and the Hawks went on to claim a 4-1 victory. Read beat writer John Dietz's report here.
Bulls get back to basics in quest to end slump
After Friday's brutal home loss to Milwaukee, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg talked about having the best practice of the season yesterday. What really matters is whether the Chicago Bulls can find a way out of their 10-game slump, beat writer Mike McGraw writes. At the start of the season, they were ready to play, but after a 10-6 start, they've gone 3-7 since the end of the circus road trip. Read his full take here.
Rozner: Time clearly not on the Bears' side
If this is indeed the end for John Fox, as some reports have suggested, he's certainly not going out in a blaze of glory - or with a run of victories, writes columnist Barry Rozner. After falling to 3-11 with a loss to Green Bay at Soldier Field yesterday, Fox surmised, "We managed to not win the game." Such intuition has undoubtedly helped lead the Chicago Bears to a two-year record of 9-21. Full column.