Dawn Patrol: Aurora questions postal cuts; Island Lake bank robbery

<h3 class="briefHead">Aurora grills postal service on closing Fox Valley facility</h3>

Postal service employees and Aurora leaders last night questioned a proposal to close an Aurora mail processing facility and offered less drastic solutions to cutting 227 jobs. The plan to decrease the number of processing facilities hinges on slowing first-class mail delivery speeds to two to three days and eliminating overnight service. But Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner opposes slowing mail service to cut costs. "As mayor of the city, we've had to take measures to be more efficient," Weisner said. "On the other hand, we don't tell our residents 'If it snows, we'll be there in two to three days.' We perform the service." Full story.

<h3 class="briefHead">Arrests being made in fatal carjacking, Waukegan police say</h3>

Waukegan police said last night they were making multiple arrests in what they're calling an apparent carjacking that left one man dead yesterday morning. Carlos Hernandez, 44, was shot several times with a handgun at about 6 a.m. near his home in Waukegan. Police had said they were searching for three suspects. Full story.

<h3 class="briefHead">Details on Island Lake armed bank robbery limited as FBI, police investigate</h3>

Island Lake police are still investigating an armed robbery that took place early yesterday afternoon at the Wauconda Community Bank, 229 East State Road. More details are expected today. Full story.

<h3 class="briefHead">Police search for Naperville Kmart narcotics theft</h3>

Naperville police are searching for a man who stole an undisclosed amount of Fentanyl and Oxycodone from a Naperville Kmart, 1199 E, Ogden Ave., yesterday morning. The suspect is described as a white man, aged 18 to 25, about 6 feet tall with a medium build and a tattoo on his face, below his left eye. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Investigations Section of the Naperville Police Department at (630) 420-6726 or Naperville Crime Stoppers at (630) 420-6006. Full story.

<h3 class="briefHead">Police still investigating crash on icy Elmhurst Road</h3>

Still under investigation is a two-vehicle crash caused by icy conditions early yesterday morning in Des Plaines that sent seven people to three area hospitals with injuries. The driver of a pickup lost control due to ice on the road, went over the median and struck a van about 5 a.m. on Elmhurst Road near the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The van was struck on its side, making the side door inoperable, so fire officials had to cut out some passengers, Fire Chief Alan Wax said. Full story.

<h3 class="briefHead">One man pleads guilty to wire fraud, another accused, in separate cases</h3>

While a Huntley man pleaded guilty to wire fraud yesterday, a Carol Stream man is now being charged with the same crime. Frank Beaudette, 60, of Huntley could be sentenced with up to 20 years in prison and as much as a $250,000 fine. Beaudette had at least 10 victims. Full story. If convicted, Steve Salutric, 53, of Carol Stream could face the same sentence. Salutric is accused also of defrauding 10 clients. Full story.

<h3 class="briefHead">She said yes - to Chicago's basketball legend</h3>

Michael Jordan is getting married to his longtime girlfriend, Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto, confirmed by Jordan's publicist yesterday. The couple have been together for three years. Full story.

<h3 class="briefHead">A little more hustle gets Bulls the win</h3>

Derrick Rose and Tom Thibodeau after their loss this week to Golden State got chatter going in the locker room about getting more aggressive. The chatter worked last night with the Bulls beating the Sacramento Kings 108-98. "The first five minutes of the game, we got out and got some easy baskets, but it was triggered off of our defense," Thibodeau told reporters after the contest. "That's the first priority, to get the defense established, and rebounding." Full story.

<h3 class="briefHead">Former Bears quarterback sues law firm for loss of anticipated tax credits</h3>

Kyle Orton, an ex-Bear and current Kansas City Chief, is suing the Chicago law firm Chuhak & Tecson PC, claiming he lost millions of dollars from partnerships that failed to provide expected tax benefits. He accuses the firm of neglecting to warn him of the possibility that he would not receive the tax credits if the partnership didn't meet certain statutory requirements. Full story.

<h3 class="briefHead">UIC Flames narrowly beat Detroit</h3>

University of Illinois-Chicago basketball claimed a 63-59 victory late last night over Detroit. Gary Talton scored a career-high 21 points, helping especially in the last minutes of the game. Full story.

<h3 class="briefHead">Florida State beats Notre Dame in bowl game</h3>

Florida State rebounded in the second half from a 14-point deficit in the Champs Sports Bowl last night, ultimating beating Notre Dame 18-14. After a slow first half offensively, the game quickly turned around in a series of strong defensive moves and quick scores. Full story.

<h3 class="briefHead">Poll Vault: Should the college football bowl games be revamped?</h3>

Michelle Holdway asks, why are there 35 Division I college bowl games? Probably because no one could wrangle a sponsor for No. 36. Is your alma mater playing in a bowl game, and does it deserve to? Would you advocate scaling back the bowl slate or going to a playoff to crown a true national champion? Or is the system fine the way it is? Join the conversation by leaving a comment.

<h3 class="briefHead">Weather</h3>

Friday morning is beginning with drizzle throughout the area, and the day is expected to continue with rain off and on. Temperatures are expected to rise to a high of 42 degrees. The rain is expected to stop by this evening, when temperatures are expected to be in the low 30s. On New Year's Eve, the forecast calls for partly sunny skies throughout the day and a high temperature of 44 degrees. It's expected to stay in the 40s throughout the evening and as the clock strikes midnight. But New Year's Day could get colder. The forecast calls for flurries and temperatures in the low 30s.Full weather.

<h3 class="briefHead">Traffic</h3>

Roads are wet with falling rain this morning, but they are expected to be relatively clear today, with many people taking off work for the New Year's weekend. No major congestion or accidents were reported early Friday.Full traffic.