Dawn Patrol: Batavia foundry burns; fires in Schaumburg, St. Charles
Batavia foundry burns
Multiple fire departments battled a blaze in Batavia overnight on the 100 block of Mallory Avenue at a foundry believed to be Master Cast. Flames shot out of the roof of the building where aluminum castings were made for everything from bolts to stainless steel tubing. Full story with video.
Townhouse fire displaces Schaumburg families
A fire that started in a Schaumburg garage last night on Whalom Lane displaced two families in a three-unit townhouse building, fire officials said. Full story with video.
Dryer blamed for St. Charles townhouse fire
Firefighters believe a clothes dryer sparked a townhouse fire Wednesday night on the 800 block of Pheasant Trail in St. Charles. Full story.
Gun owners march in Springfield
Gun owners carrying "Don't Tread on Me" signs descended on the state Capitol in Springfield yesterday demanding lawmakers loosen restrictions on where they can do can carry concealed weapons. The first licenses for concealed carry went out in the mail this week. Full story.
Attorney wants to suppress Mundelein man's statements
A defense attorney is trying to suppress statements a Mundelein man made to police shortly after the vehicle he was driving killed a 25-year-old Round Lake Beach woman. Mark Oelerich, 23, told police he was testing his mortality and intentionally crashed into the woman in 2012. He's facing first-degree murder charges. Full story.
Some Elgin city pipes freeze
Portions of some city pipes under roadways have frozen in Elgin, interrupting water service to 44 homes and businesses from Jan. 6 to March 1. The problem, unprecedented in Elgin, has taken place this winter throughout the city and suburbs. Full story.
Fugitive in Bartlett fatal crash gets extradited
A former Schaumburg man accused of driving drunk and causing a fatal crash in Bartlett in 1996 was extradited yesterday from South Korea. Kyung Ho Song, 75, fled to South Korea 16 years ago while awaiting trial. Full story.
Mount Prospect OKs $8.3 million road program
Expect lots of road projects in Mount Prospect this year with the approval Tuesday of an $8.3 million bid for street resurfacing. Improvements this year will span 19 miles of village roadways, including 12 miles of backlog created as the village cut costs in recent years. Full story.
Vote tonight on censuring Winfield trustee over Roosevelt Road email
Winfield trustees are expected to decide tonight whether a fellow board member engaged in misconduct by sending an email urging local school board members to weigh in on developing Roosevelt Road. Trustee Tim Allen has long been a proponent to commercialize the road, but some say he went too far when he emailed Winfield Elementary District 64 board members. Full story.
Weather
The cold snap finally draws to a close as temperatures climb to 29 degrees this afternoon. It will be 18 degrees as you head out the door this morning, then dip back to 21 degrees tonight. Temperatures will climb into the 40s tomorrow. Complete forecast.
Traffic
Construction continues on Randall Road between Route 45 and Route 83 in Round Lake Beach. People should expect delays during the extensive road work. Traffic report.
Bulls beat Pistons
Joakim Noah had a triple-double last night and D.J. Augustin scored 26 points off the bench in their effort to defeat the Detroit Pistons 105-94 on the road. Noah finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his sixth career triple-double. Full story.
Bad news, good news for Bears
Devin Hester is telling media that he does not expect to return as a Bear next year. Meanwhile, the Bears did take a step toward respectability in its defense yesterday by re-signing tackle Jeremiah Ratliff. Bob LeGere reports.