Dawn Patrol: Winter warm-up on the way; Hawks keep perfect start
Ice turns to thunderstorm as temperatures rise
An afternoon of sleet and freezing rain turned to a January thunderstorm as temperatures around the suburbs continued to warm up last night. Temperatures were expected to rise to the lower 40s by this morning after an evening of freezing temperatures and precipitation caused accidents, airport delays and power outages around the suburbs. The winter warm-up will continue into the first half of the week with temperatures possibly reaching 60 degrees on Tuesday, before dropping back into the teens the later half of the week, according to the National Weather Service. Full story.
Quinn signs bill giving undocumented immigrants access to licenses
Ivan Cuevas says he’s looking forward to the day he can get on the road and drive to work without fear of being caught without a license. The Elgin resident now works at a restaurant in Carpentersville, and he’ll soon breathe easier on his commute, after Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill yesterday allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses. Quinn’s signature made Illinois the fourth and most populous state to take such a step. Full story.
Aurora gets $10.8 million grant to fund new library
The Aurora Public Library has been awarded a $10.8 million state grant that will be applied toward the $28 million cost of building a new downtown library. Construction of the new facility is set to begin this spring. The 92,000-square-foot Main Library will be built on the corner of River and Benton streets on a parcel of land that was purchased by the library in 2009. The current Main Library opened in 1904 and was built with a $50,000 grant from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Full story.
Suburbanites audition for ‘America’s Got Talent’
They charmed the suburbs; now they’re focusing on the rest of America. The two members of the beat-boxing musical group known as iLLest Vocals were among the many hopefuls who auditioned in Chicago over the weekend for a chance to perform in the upcoming season of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” The group, consisting of Shawn Kurian of Wheeling and Sanu John of Skokie, won last summer’s regional competition, “Suburban Chicago’s Got Talent.” “It would be great if we could take this on to that bigger stage,” Kurian said yesterday. Full story.
Weather doesn’t deter ‘hardy’ ski jumping fans
The 108th annual International Ski Jumping Tournament at Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove was scheduled to take place rain or shine. Yesterday snow and sleet were added to that list as hundreds of spectators braved wintry weather for the twice-per-year competition. Guy Larson, coordinator for the Nordic combined programs at Norge Ski Club, said supporters of the tournament are a hardy bunch. “I knew the weather was not going to scare off this crowd,” Larson said. Full story.
Weather
Overnight drizzle helped melt most of the ice away from Sunday’s freezing rain, as temperatures rose throughout the region. Morning skies were foggy with some rain, and temperatures in the low 40s. It was expected to stay that way through much of the day, with a high temperature of 44 degrees expected. A low temperature of 42 degrees was projected for the evening. On Tuesday, forecasters predict rain and thunderstorms and near record warmth — a high near 60 degrees. Full weather.
Traffic
Roads remained wet Monday morning, but higher temperatures and a steady drizzle were melting away most of the ice on the pavement. No major traffic incidents were reported early Monday morning. Full traffic.
Hawks keep historic streak alive with win over Detroit
The Blackhawks killed 6 Detroit penalties in a 2-1 overtime win that ran their record to a perfect 6-0. Nick Leddy’s goal at 2:45 of OT was set up nicely by Viktor Stalberg’s dash up the ice, giving the Hawks their best start ever. “It’s unbelievable. I heard that stat before the game and it’s just unbelievable,” Leddy said. Full story.
Two suburban skaters place in top 3 at National Championship
Two suburban ice skaters finishing in the top three at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships yesterday, placing their names in the conversation for the 2014 Winter Olympics already. Gracie Gold, of Elk Grove Village, won the free skate — posting the second-highest score ever at the U.S. meet. Another suburban hopeful, Agnes Zawadzki of Des Plaines, came in third. Full story.
‘Argo,’ Lawrence, Day-Lewis win at SAG
The CIA thriller “Argo” continues to steamroll through awards season, winning the top honor for overall cast performance at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. SAG’s lead-acting honors yesterday went to Jennifer Lawrence won for her role as a troubled widow in a shaky new relationship in the lost-souls romance “Silver Linings Playbook” and Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in the Civil War epic “Lincoln.” The supporting film awards Sunday went to Anne Hathaway of “Les Miserables” and Tommy Lee Jones of “Lincoln.” Full story.
View a slideshow from the Screen Actors Guild Awards.