Dawn Patrol: Early voting starts; we dodge Midwest snow
Early voting begins today
Early voting for the April 9 Consolidated Election begins today. Early voting is available from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Early voters must present a valid Illinois driver's license, an Illinois identification card issued by the secretary of state, or another valid government-issued identification containing their photograph. Full story.
Suburbs avoid major Midwest storm
The Chicago suburbs are out of the path of a major winter storm shutting down parts of the Midwest, including downstate. Some parts of central Illinois already had received 6 to 10 inches by last night and were expected to possibly receive another 1 to 2 inches overnight. Joshua J. French, 24, of Naperville, was one of two casualties from the storm. He was killed when he lost control of his vehicle on a wet stretch of Interstate 35 in eastern Missouri's Clay County. Full story.
Weather
Monday started out cloudy and cold with the temperature hovering around freezing. The high is expected to reach 38 degrees. Snow showers and wind throughout the day will turn to flurries as the temperature goes back down to about 27 degrees Monday night. Full weather.
Traffic
Congestion is building for commuters but no crashes are slowing down any of the major roadways. Earlier accidents in Waukegan and Carol Stream have been cleared. A train scheduled to depart Elburn at 7:11 a.m. on Metra's Union Pacific West Line was canceled because of mechanical problems. A train scheduled to leave Elmhurst at 8:01 a.m. will start from Elburn to pick up some of the passengers stranded from the earlier train. It is expected to arrive in Chicago at 8:37 a.m.. Full traffic.
Elgin candidates talk money, business licenses
Most candidates running for seats on the Elgin City Council support video gambling, but they are split on whether they approve of requiring businesses to obtain a license to operate in the city. Roughly 150 people attended a forum yesterday afternoon organized by the League of Women Voters of the Elgin Area at the Gail Borden Public Library to hear the views of the more than 10 candidates on the ballot in April. Full story.
Illini lose thriller to Miami
Shane Larkin hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with a minute left and Miami gained possession on a ball knocked out of bounds that probably should have gone to Illinois, helping the Hurricanes hold on for a 63-59 victory last night to advance to the NCAA round of 16. Full story.
Garland's late shot leads La Salle to round of 16
Tyrone Garland banked home a scooping layup with 2 seconds left and 13th-seeded La Salle beat Mississippi 76-74 on Sunday, vaulting the Explorers to their deepest run in the NCAA tournament since they played for the championship in 1955. Full story.
Robinson sparks Bulls to win over Minnesota
Nate Robinson had 22 points and 10 assists and Carlos Boozer added 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Bulls to a 104-97 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves last night. Full story.
No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast advances to Sweet 16
Not even many basketball fans knew about Florida Gulf Coast just a couple of weeks ago. They do now — the Eagles are the first No. 15 seed to make the Sweet 16. FGCU (26-10), which shocked the world in the second round with a 78-68 victory over second-seeded Georgetown, was just as entertaining and impressive in the third round, again using a big second-half run to take control of the game. Full story.