Dawn Patrol: Arlington Hts. ash tree help, Elgin crossing guard cuts
Arlington Heights to help residents pay to treat ash trees
Arlington Heights will pay half the cost of treating parkway ash trees up to $50 per tree, the village board decided last night. The board reversed its December decision and decided to reimburse residents who pay to have their ash trees commercially injected with a product called Tree-age to kill emerald ash borers. But the village worries the trees still may have to come down later. Full story.
Elgin firing two-thirds of its crossing guards
Elgin is cutting more than two-thirds of District U-46 crossing guards now employed by the police department, which will save the department $200,000, officials said. There were 38 guards posted around Elgin elementary schools at the start of the year, and only about a dozen will be in place in the fall. “If you have the money, err on the side of beyond caution,” said Elgin police Cmdr. Glenn Theriault “We don’t have the luxury anymore. It doesn’t mean we don’t value child safety.” Full story.
NTSB: Aurora pilot’s plane stalled before crashing into Florida store
A pilot on the Florida runway where an Aurora man took off before crashing into a grocery store said the experimental plane stalled and went into a nose dive shortly after takeoff. An NTSB report released yesterday also indicated the plane had a malfunctioning transponder, forcing Kim Presbrey to make an unexpected stop on his way to train for a seaplane rating on April 2. Full story.
St. Charles trying to solve Charlestowne Mall vacancies
St. Charles officials agreed to spend $35,000 to study the best use of Charlestowne Mall. Officials said they have had almost no contact with the investment group that took over in June 2010, and plans for renovations inside the mall have not been presented to the city for permits. “The status quo is an unacceptable position to take as we continue to see the Charlestowne Mall become vacant,” said Chris Aiston, the city’s economic development director. Full story.
Man’s BAC 0.27 after Oak Brook chase, prosecutors say
A Round Lake Beach man appeared in court with cuts on his forehead after he was accused of leading police on a brief high-speed chase over the weekend and crashing into another vehicle. Michael L. Holst, 39, was clocked at 92 mph on Butterfield Road in Oak Brook early Saturday while officers in two squad cars tried to stop him, police said. He ran three stoplights before swerving across three lanes and rear-ending another vehicle, police said. His blood-alcohol level was .27, according to prosecutors. Full story.
Man involved in Lincolnshire scheme found murdered
A Chicago man who was involved in a money laundering scheme that targeted a Lincolnshire firm was found murdered early Monday, police said. Niven Beluso was found shot to death in an alley near his house in the Portage Park neighborhood. Beluso was one of four people charged with trying to steal $330,000 from Hewitt and Associates and was out on court supervision after admitting his role in the scam. Full story.
Brush fire damages OfficeMax headquarters in Naperville
Yesterday’s high winds fueled a brush fire outside Naperville’s OfficeMax headquarters that broke 14 windows and caused $20,000 in damage. The blaze, which started at about 1:40 p.m. and engulfed about 50 bushes, forced the building to evacuate. Windows of the building at 263 Shuman Blvd. along Interstate 88 broke because of the heat. No injuries were reported and the fire was extinguished within 10 minutes. Full story.
Judge reverses school district swap in Oak Brook
A DuPage County judge reversed a regional school board decision that would have allowed an Oak Brook neighborhood to switch school districts. Salt Creek Elementary District 48 and DuPage High School District 88 would have lost about 15 students and a combined $1 million a year in tax revenue if the switch were allowed. Timber Trials/Merry Lane neighborhood in Oak Brook hoped to join Butler Elementary District 53 and Hinsdale High School District 86. Full story.
Weather
An extremely cool couple of days are on tap in the suburbs, so be prepare to bundle up. It will be 36 degrees when you head out this morning, and temperatures will only rise to about 50 degrees before the end of the day. Overnight, it’ll reach only 32 degrees, so put a blanket on those tulips before the frost comes. Full story.
Traffic
Traffic is moving along fine for the most part early this morning, and no major accidents to report overnight on the area highways. People should avoid northbound Busse Rd at Route 62 where a sewer collapse is blocking two 2 right lanes. Left turns are prohibited from northbound Busse onto westbound Algonquin Road, and people should expect heavier than normal congestion during rush hours. Full story.
Bullpen struggles again in Cubs’ loss
The Cubs bullpen continued to struggle in manager Dale Sveum’s first game against Milwaukee, giving up four earned runs in the team’s 7-5 loss. Longtime Cub and now starting third baseman for the Brewers Aramis Ramirez had 2 RBIs. The Cubs had a chance to win it with two outs in the ninth inning and the bases loaded. Starlin Castro was caught looking on an 0-2 fastball right down the middle to end the game. Full story.