Dawn Patrol: Santa arrives at Woodfield - 2 days after Halloween
Kids at Woodfield don't think Santa's arrival is too early
Woodfield Mall welcomed Santa Thursday evening - yes, barely into November - with a parade led by the Conant High School drum line. The parade ended at the Ice Palace in the Grand Court, where Santa will greet families throughout the holidays. Kids sure were happy to see him. Full story.
Roskam says new GOP tax plan is good for middle class
U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam praised the new Republican tax plan - estimated to cost trillions over a decade and be the biggest change to the tax code in years - as tax relief for middle-income families and an opportunity for businesses to expand. Roskam, a Wheaton Republican, chairs the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy and was one of the authors of the plan. Full story.
Barrington-area volunteers heading to Texas to repair homes
Barrington-area volunteers will leave next week for a 10-day mission to help less fortunate Texas residents whose homes sustained significant damage from Hurricane Harvey. The Barrington Regional Hurricane Relief will be operated through the Barrington nonprofit organization Build Team. Full story.
Man charged with stealing from unlocked cars in Rolling Meadows
Rolling Meadows police arrested a 21-year-old man they say stole wallets and credit cards from unlocked cars west of Route 53 last month. Police said in a news release Thursday night that they tracked down Daekwon Kern, of the 5000 block of Twining Ave. in Bellwood, when he attempted to use the stolen credit cards. Full story.
Elgin resident pleads guilty to armed robbery
An Elgin man pleaded guilty to robbing a local business at knife point in September 2016 and is headed to prison. Eugene R. Tasior, Jr., 57, agreed to a sentence of 20 years' imprisonment in exchange for a guilty plea to armed robbery, according to a news release by the Kane County state's attorney Thursday. Full story.
Libertyville High memorabilia pops up at library
Visitors caught a glimpse of Libertyville High School history Thursday as part of a "pop-up museum" at the Cook Park Library in Libertyville. Residents and former students brought in memorabilia for a community show-and-tell as part of the school's centennial celebration. Full story.
Weather
Cloudy and 44 degrees this morning. Highs today around 50, with lows tonight in the 40s. Rain is possible in the overnight hours as well. Full story.
Traffic
No major delays to report early this morning. Resurfacing work is causing restrictions on Fairfield Road in both directions between Route 134 and Hawthorne Drive. Full traffic.
Off-season work begins for Cubs
One year ago Thursday, the Chicago Cubs were busy quenching the longest major sports drought in American history by winning the World Series in Cleveland. Now they face a sobering reality that they have plenty of work to do this off-season. Read beat writer Bruce Miles' take here.
Could Bulls build a winner around DeMarcus Cousins?
DeMarcus Cousins has no history of winning, but he has posted some of the most impressive numbers this decade. Because he's a free agent this summer, he might be someone on the Bulls' radar. Read beat writer Mike McGraw's take here.