Dawn Patrol: Charity collecting for earthquake victims
Local Italian-American charity collecting aid for earthquake victims
A suburban charity is collecting money for the Italian Red Cross to help Italians who are victims of an earthquake that struck early Wednesday. Ron Onesti, a past president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, said it has established a fund, along with the Italian consular office in Chicago. Full story.
Break-in at Libertyville gun shop linked to Des Plaines attempt
Authorities said Wednesday they believe there is a connection between break-ins at gun shops in Des Plaines and Libertyville that occurred within an hour of each other Tuesday morning. Libertyville police Lt. Bill Kinast said the police departments of Libertyville and Des Plaines are working together because vehicles in both incidents "look to be identical." Full story and video.
Wheeling man accused of molesting 2 former neighbors
Fernando Garcia of Wheeling has been charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault of a victim under the age of 9 and predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13. Full story.
Dist. 13 OKs teachers contract
Bloomingdale Elementary District 13 teachers will receive about a 13 percent increase to their base pay over the course of a new, three-year contract. The school board this week unanimously approved the pact with the Bloomingdale Council of Teachers about five months after bargaining talks began. The union ratified the deal last week. Full story.
Barrington gets key funding for Route 14 underpass
Barrington has reached another milestone in its long journey toward building a Route 14 underpass at the Canadian National Railway crossing. IDOT has agreed to provide $4 million to help fund land acquisition for the project, which is estimated to cost about $62 million in all, according to village officials. Full story.
Weather
Mostly cloudy and 73 degrees to start the day. High temperatures in the lows 80s today, with lows tonight in the upper 60s. Full story.
Traffic
Construction of the new Route 390 extension is scheduled to reduce Prospect Avenue to one lane in each direction between Granville Avenue and Pierce Road in Itasca. Full story.
Former Bulls center tells Metea students, 'Pressure is good'
It was only the second day of classes at Metea Valley High School in Aurora when a former pro athlete and a reality TV star stopped by. Former Chicago Bulls center Eddy Curry and his wife, Patrice Curry, one of the stars of the VH1 reality show "Basketball Wives LA," spoke with small groups of students Wednesday. Full story.
The Cell becoming Guaranteed Rate Field
Just like New Comiskey, now The Cell is history. The Chicago White Sox have struck a new deal with a Chicago-based mortgage lending company for naming rights to the 25-year-old ballpark. Guaranteed Rate has signed a 13-year agreement that renames the ballpark Guaranteed Rate Field beginning Nov. 1. Read beat writer Scot Gregor's take here.
Bears safety hitting it big
Delivering big hits is the calling card of second-year safety Harold Jones-Quartey, who has earned a starting spot. The whirlwind experience of getting thrown in the deep end as rookie helped him, but so did the luxury of an off-season to familiarize himself with the playbook. Read beat writer Bob LeGere's take here.
Cubs sweep the Padres
Major league ERA leader Kyle Hendricks pitched six effective innings as the Chicago Cubs finished off a three-game sweep, beating the Padres 6-3 Wednesday in San Diego. Full story.