Dawn Patrol: Primary election filing starts; local Rhodes Scholar named

Filing period begins today for March primary election

Candidates will line up today outside election commission offices in DuPage and Will counties to file nominating petitions for a variety of offices in the March 18 primary. While state and federal candidates submit their paperwork elsewhere, the local election offices will play host to those seeking posts ranging from county board chairman and forest preserve district president to sheriff and regional school superintendent. Full story.

Naperville man charged in Chicago murder

A Naperville man faces a charge of first-degree murder in a shooting death Nov. 18 on Chicago’s Northwest Side on Nov. 18. Cordero Sims, 26, of the 1300 block of Normantown Road, is charged with fatally shooting Irbinzon Gonzalez, 25, outside a McDonald’s restaurant on the 4800 block of North Lincoln Avenue in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, police said. Full story.

Police seek help locating 85-year-old Aurora-area man

Police are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 85-year-old man from Aurora Township. According to police, Enrique Ruiz has been missing since Friday afternoon, when he didn’t return home from a walk in the Oakhurst Forest Preserve. Full story.

Oak Brook resident named a Rhodes Scholar

Oak Brook resident Vinay Nayak has been named one of 32 Americans chosen as a Rhodes Scholar, the Rhodes Trust announced Saturday. Nayak, a senior at Yale University, is the only Illinois resident selected this year for the prestigious scholarship, which covers all expenses for two or three years of study at the University of Oxford in England. He will begin study there next October. Full story.

Different faith groups gather in Aurora to say thanks

A feeling of sadness colored the otherwise joyful Interfaith Thanksgiving Service yesterday at Temple B’nai Israel in Aurora. The sadness was the result of the sudden death on Nov. 15 of the temple’s Rabbi Shmuel Mann, who friends and colleagues say had been a driving force behind the annual interfaith event, now in its sixth year. Leaders from several different faiths praised Mann during the service. Full story.

Weather

Cloudy with possible snow flurries and a high of only 33 degrees this afternoon. It will be 24 degrees as you head out the door this morning, and 25 degrees tonight. Full weather.

Traffic

Construction continues on Washington Street between Cedar Lake Road in Round Lake to Hainesville Road in Hainesville. Heavy delays are expected. People should use alternate routes. Full traffic.

Bears drop sloppy game in St. Louis

The Bears’ offense moved the ball as well as it has all year yesterday in St. Louis. But penalties and turnovers made it more a part of the problem than the solution in a sloppy 42-21 loss to the Rams that was truly a team effort. The Bears’ defense allowed a season-worst 258 rushing yards, including 87 by Stacy, 109 by backup Bennie Cunningham and 65 on a fake end-around by Tavon Austin on the Rams’ third play from scrimmage. Full story.

NIU reaches 14th in BCS standings

Northern Illinois moved ahead of Fresno State in the BCS standings and up to No. 14 yesterday as the Huskies and Bulldogs jockey to be the last BCS buster. Fresno State is now ranked 16th. The top three teams in the BCS standings were unchanged: Alabama, Florida State and Ohio State — the remaining undefeated teams in BCS automatic qualifying conferences. Full story.