Dawn Patrol: Sleet today, ambulance lawsuit
Winter storms expected today in suburbs
The National Weather Service has issued warnings for winter storms heading for the suburbs starting this morning. Freezing rain and sleet are expected to begin at 6 a.m. in several counties. Icy precipitation will likely change to rain by early afternoon, according to the warning. The storm warning is in effect until 1 p.m. for Cook, DuPage, Will and Grundy counties and 6 p.m. for Kane, McHenry and Lake counties. Strong winds with gusts up to 50 mph also are anticipated in the suburbs. Full story.
Naperville couple's book tells of 'dream' careers at Disney World
RJ and Suzanne Ogren of Naperville can talk for hours about their vibrant careers in the early days of Walt Disney World. But they can't talk about it to everyone - they're too busy acting in Wheaton Drama productions, writing novels about zombies and time-travel and illustrating for local businesses. So they're letting their new book do the talking. In "Together in the Dream: The Unique Careers of a Husband and Wife During the Early Decades of Walt Disney World," the Ogrens give the perspective of an artist and a performer working at the storied resort and making its fantasy come to life. Full story.
Judge dismisses lawsuit over Geneva ambulance crash
A Kane County judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a man seeking damages for injuries sustained in 2011 when he was rear-ended by a Geneva ambulance responding to a call. Plaintiff Alfredo Garcia sought more than $50,000 in damages after he was rear-ended while he was stopped at Kirk Road and State Street, according to his lawsuit. Attorneys for the city successfully argued the city and ambulance driver Glenn Baum are protected under state law and "are immune from injuries caused by the negligent operation of a motor vehicle when responding to an emergency call," according to court documents. Full story.
Court fight over homeless plan near Lake Zurich at a standstill
Lake County Housing Authority's five-month-old court battle to overturn a decision rejecting its plan to move chronically homeless people with mental illness into a building near Lake Zurich is at a temporary standstill over a technical dispute involving residents who fought the idea. At issue is who should pay about $6,000 for court reporter transcripts from a Lake County zoning board of appeals hearing earlier this year that resulted in rejection of the Midlothian Manor homeless plan. Full story.
Weather
Strong gusts of wind, sleet and freezing rain are expected to delay the morning commute. The icy precipitation is expected to begin around 6 a.m., and change to rain in the afternoon. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of Lake, Kane and McHenry counties this week. The high today is 39 degrees. Full story.
Traffic
Commuters will see delays on the inbound Kennedy as local lanes are closed and traffic is diverted to the express lanes while officials investigate a motorcycle crash that happened near Montrose Avenue earlier this morning. Other area traffic is moving smoothly, but the National Weather System warns that strong winds and icy roads could make the morning commute hazardous. Full story.
Turnovers the key in Bears' 26-21 win over Bucs
The heroes of the Bears' 26-21 victory yesterday over the Buccaneers were two unlikely rookies: Safety Harold Jones-Quartey and John Timu. Without them, the 6-9 Bears couldn't have gotten the victory that ensured they will have a better record than last year's 5-11 nightmare. Read beat writer Bob LeGere's full take here.
Blackhawks try to play pretty, but lose to Hurricanes
The Chicago Blackhawks were back at it last night after having four days off for the NHL's holiday break, and goals continued to elude them. The Blackhawks' offense was again limited as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated them 2-1 at the United Center. Full story.