Dawn Patrol: First snow, now cold; ‘Jeopardy!’ champ finishes
Cold to move in after the snow
With the snow inch counts tallied, a new numbers game has emerged: how low the digits will drop in the coming days. The National Weather Service calls for wind gusts of up to 50 mph and with temperatures in the teens today and possibly the 30s Saturday — before a deep freeze begins early next week. Full story.
Snow brings plow drivers feast, not famine
Snowplow driver Joe Dugo of J.D. Enterprises kept busy the past few days plowing 25 commercial and 40 residential clients — many times. The spread-out snow accumulation meant plowing some commercial lots as many as five times. Winter means feast or famine for the landscaping and snowplowing business, he says. Full story with video.
Arlington Heights “Jeopardy!” champ takes third
Arlington Heights native Jerry Slowik came in third in last night’s “Jeopardy!” It was the conclusion of a five-game winning streak that netted him more than $122,000. Slowick attributed tough categories like “Jane Austen” and “Tunnels” to the loss. He’ll compete in the show’s “Tournament of Champions” at the end of the season. Full story.
Winning Elburn light show extended
Brian Larsen of Elburn recently won a $50,000 reality show prize for building a Christmas light display with more than a million lights. He’s extending the show, which typically wraps up on Jan. 2, to run through Sunday. Full story.
Barrington fire split not smooth
The Barrington Fire Department and Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District separated as scheduled New Year’s Day — but not with all the firefighters keeping their specialized gear. The fire district received 19 firefighters laid off by the village of Barrington at the stroke of midnight, but those firefighters were not allowed to take their individually fitted safety gear. Full story.
Weather
The frigid cold has moved in, with temperatures hovering right now at 4 degrees below zero. Temperatures will climb to 18 degrees this afternoon, but wind chills will make the temps only feel like zero. Temps will drop to 16 degrees overnight tonight. Full story.
Traffic
Construction continues on Crystal Lake Road between Route 120 and Bull Valley Road in McHenry. People should expect heavy delays. Full traffic.
Hawks lose to Islanders
The Blackhawks fell to the New York Islanders 3-2 last night in New York. Brent Seabrook, in the second period, and Ben Smith early in the third scored to help the defending Stanley Cup champions rally from a 2-0 deficit. Full story.
Bulls beat Celtics
Joakim Noah had 17 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists to help the Bulls beat the Boston Celtics 94-82 last night. The Bulls (13-18) passed the Celtics (13-19) for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Full story.