Dawn Patrol: Grayslake-area church shows resilience after crash; Cubs headed to Pittsburgh
Grayslake-area church shows its resilience day after it's hit by car
Even as she was pinned to the wall by a car that had plowed through Wildwood Presbyterian Church, Karen Lovett managed to keep it light. "She was joking the whole time," said church elder Tony Biondo. "She said, 'I didn't think this was going to happen today.'" It was that type of resilient spirit that came through a day after the frightening episode: About 8:30 a.m. Saturday, a 2002 Toyota Camry plowed through the front entrance of the church, 18630 W. Old Gages Lake Road near Grayslake. The church was occupied by volunteers doling out food to the needy. Full story.
Bail set for Naperville man accused of having more than 300 child porn videos
Bail was set at $250,000 for a Naperville man accused of possessing almost 350 pornographic online videos of children. DuPage County State's Attorney Robert B. Berlin said bail was set Saturday for Ryan M. Gutierrez, 29, of Alta Vista Court. Gutierrez faces one count of dissemination of child pornography and three counts of possession of child pornography. Full story.
Worshippers stunned by priest's ouster from Des Plaines shrine
Shock, sadness and surprise were expressed by worshippers the day after a prominent priest was removed as rector of a Des Plaines shrine. The Rev. Marco A. Mercado was relieved of his duties at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe because of his "inappropriate relationship with an adult man," according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Chicago. "I feel surprised, because, for me, he was a very good person and he helped out a lot here," said Georgina Rodriguez of Chicago. Full story.
Cutler, Gould give Bears something to celebrate
Quarterback Jay Cutler overcame a number of obstacles to lead the Bears to their first victory of the season, 22-20 over the Raiders. Despite playing with a strained hamstring and behind a patchwork offensive line, Cutler led a late drive that set up Robbie Gould's game-winning 49-yard field goal with two seconds remaining. Read beat writer Bob LeGere's take here.
Cubs do their part, but Pirates will host wild card
The Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 on Sunday and even had a chance at home-field advantage for Wednesday's one-game wild-card playoff game. But the Pittsburgh Pirates earned that right by defeating the Cincinnati Reds. For the Cubs, that's still pretty heady stuff after they ended last season with a record of 73-89. "Yeah, it's a great, great season," said first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who hit a 2-run single in the Cubs' 3-run first inning to bring his RBI total to 101. "We did a lot of good things this year. Around a year ago, fast-forward a year, we're in a great position." Read beat writer Bruce Miles' take here. Weather
Cloudy and 56 degrees to start this morning, Temperatures are expected to reach 63 degrees this afternoon before falling to 57 degrees overnight tonight. Full story.
Traffic
Work is scheduled to close Route 132 between Fairfield Road and Route 59 in Lake Villa until May. Full traffic.
Arlington Heights sports bar owners eager for Cubs game Wednesday
George Callas was 15 years old when he moved from Greece to Chicago, and he was instantly drawn into the Chicago Cubs fan base. Now, at 73, Callas watches the Cubs game Sunday afternoon from a seat in Gatsby's Sports Pub, the Arlington Heights restaurant he has owned for 26 years, and doesn't bother to conceal his excitement for the team's recent success. He wants the Cubs to keep winning. More than that, he believes the Cubs can win the World Series. "We have been waiting for so many years," Callas said. "The city would be thrilled. It'd be wonderful, just wonderful." Full story.
White Sox avoid finishing in AL Central basement
The Chicago White Sox wrapped up the season Sunday, and here is the bright side: They did not finish in last place. With a 76-86 record following Sunday's 6-0 loss to the Tigers (74-87), the White Sox finished fourth in the AL Central for the second straight season. Read beat writer Scot Gregor's take here.