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Mother held in killing of 2 kids
Two children were found fatally stabbed Wednesday night in their Hoffman Estates home, a scene investigators described as "utter carnage," five years after another child in the family died in a fire.
Principal shown door amid school's turmoil
An Austin principal whose stormy first year triggered a district investigation into financial misappropriation was suspended Thursday, Chicago Public Schools officials confirmed.
The birdwatchers' holy grail lives
The ivory-billed woodpecker--thought to be extinct for 60 years--has been found to survive in Arkansas' remote Big Woods hardwood forest, lifting the hearts of scientists and legions of birdwatchers who never gave up looking for a species so spectacular it is known as the Lord God bird.
Jury agrees trooper was punished for investigation
A federal jury took about five and a half hours to decide Thursday that two ranking Illinois State Police officers retaliated against a subordinate for investigating a "politically sensitive" businessman in a 1986 double murder.
Inner space attracts buyers
Hoisting an auctioneer's mallet, Rob Nord started the bidding Thursday evening by asking who in the room had not been to an auction before.
GIs' children get a salute too
Before leaving for Iraq this week, Army reservist Mark Rooney gave some last-minute hitting tips to his son Alex: Stay in the batter's box.
Teens shut out of jobs
Justin Williams, 18, needs a job to graduate from his Chicago high school, but he can't find one.
District 204 suing Joliet over rezoning
Public schools must find room for every child living within district boundaries, which can become a hardship when new subdivisions--and new students--keep emerging from former farm fields.
Chief tried to halt fight, court told
The night of a beating outside a Forest Park bar earlier this month, Berwyn Public Safety Director Frank Marzullo was trying to be a peacemaker by breaking up a fight, his lawyer said in court Thursday.
State won't hunt used computers
The Blagojevich administration said Thursday it has no plans to try to hunt down and test used state computers sold for surplus despite an auditor's report warning that thousands of units may have contained data that should have been erased.
Father charged after fatal gun accident
A Stickney man whose 3-year-old son accidentally shot himself to death last week with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol has been charged with failure to prevent the boy from gaining access to the weapon, police said Thursday.
ASK TOM WHY
the "low" is the minimum reading expected the following night.
Break in the chill later next week; first 70s in 2 weeks appear possible
April, 2005 moves into its final two days Friday feeling more like March. But, the first signs a new warm spell may be coming together are showing up on computer projections beginning the middle of next week.
Rains to swipe Chicago--but drench areas south
Rain with the latest spring storm is only expected to swipe Chicago proper Friday night --and could all but bypass north suburban areas.
Today
Chicago: Extensive cloudiness, cool for season. Some sprinkles/brief showers early, especially south suburbs.
WEATHER TERM
Cardinal winds: Winds blowing from the four cardinal points of the compass (north, east, south, west)
Autopsies planned for two children in stabbing
A northwest suburban family that lost a child in 2000 to a fire suffered another tragedy overnight, as two youngsters were found stabbed to death in their home.
Front-page bike photo didn't show Lombardo
The photo that ran on the front page of Wednesday's Chicago Tribune was, in fact, of a dapper old man.
Police warn of robbers
Chicago police issued a warning Wednesday to Grand Crossing residents after eight robberies at construction sites in the area.
Cleaning of Field murals shows off real dino might
Realizing that sunlight coming through gallery windows was damaging the Field Museum's renowned collection of dinosaur fossils, curators hit upon what was, for 1926, an extravagantly expensive solution.
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
- A picture caption on Page 1 Wednesday incorrectly identified a man on a bicycle as the reputed mob boss Joey "the Clown" Lombardo. In fact, the man's name is Stanley Swieton and he has no ties to organized crime.
Former chess coach charged with child porn
A former West Aurora High School assistant chess coach and registered sex offender was arrested Wednesday on charges of possession of child pornography, police said.
High school teacher faces more sex abuse charges
A Waukegan High School teacher facing aggravated criminal sexual abuse charges was indicted Wednesday by a Lake County grand jury on two additional charges related to the fondling of another female student, authorities said.
Dad comes home, finds 2 children fatally stabbed
Two children were fatally stabbed Wednesday night in Hoffman Estates, police said.
Police chief of Berwyn is indicted
Berwyn Public Safety Director Frank Marzullo and four other men--including Marzullo's son, who is an assistant Cook County state's attorney--were indicted by a Cook County grand jury Wednesday on charges they beat a man April 5 outside a Forest Park steakhouse, authorities said.
Audit finds potential for data leaks
Warning of the potential for an embarrassing breach of security, state auditors said their recent review of used state computers warehoused for public sale found that nearly one-third had not had their hard drives wiped clean of information as required by Illinois law.
IDOT official charged with DUI
An Illinois official who helps oversee mass-transit programs caused several drivers--including a sheriff's deputy--to swerve out of his way before he was arrested on drunken-driving charges in McHenry County this month, police said.
A journey from war to Carol Stream
Farah Ahmedi, 17, doesn't have many nightmares anymore. Once wracked by dreams of her war-torn home in Afghanistan, the former refugee, now living in Carol Stream, sleeps through the night.
Student denies role in sending hate mail
Within an hour of leaving jail, a Chicago woman charged with a hate crime sent a cell phone text-message to a classmate denying any wrongdoing and saying she had been forced to confess, a prosecutor said Wednesday.
State seeks outside director for troubled nursing home
Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan asked Wednesday that a judge appoint an outside administrator for an Evergreen Park nursing home, which was found to be housing 10 sex offenders this month, as a first step toward trying to shut down the facility.
Wilmette trustees on carpet for trees
Wilmette residents blasted the Village Board this week for failing to protect dozens of trees that were cut down to make room for condominiums, and one trustee suggested that the village attempt to return a recent Arbor Day award.
ONLY 14 CHICAGO SPRINGS SINCE 1871 HAVE BEEN DRIER TO DATE
Chicago is in the midst of its 15th driest meteorological spring in 135 years of weather records.
ASK TOM WHY
Dear Tom,
Alaskan temps warmer than Chicago's 55(degrees)
Talk about a topsy-turvy North American weather pattern! While Chicagoans dream of a return to the 80(degrees) warmth which teased the area just over a week ago, an unusual early season warm-up produced a third consecutive day of record breaking mild temps in Alaska. It's a pattern strikingly similar to the one which last year produced that state's warmest summer ever--along with drought conditions which fostered wildfires responsible for charring more than 6 million acres.
Today
Chicago: Sunshine filters through mainly high/mid-level clouds. Modestly milder--but light ESE lake breezes develop this afternoon.
WEATHER TERM
Cardinal temperatures: The highest and lowest temperatures that define the limits of growth of an organism; also, the optimum temperature at which growth proceeds with greatest speed.
Trinity student in trouble again
A Chicago woman released on bail after she was charged with sending hate mail at the college she attended was in trouble again today after allegedly text-messaging a friend at the school, accusing police of pressuring her into confessing.
No way, it's not that Frank Calabrese
At first, Frank Calabrese thought Tuesday's front-page Tribune story was simply another article about the mobster who shares his name.
1 dead in S. Side apartment fire
One person was reported dead after an extra-alarm fire this morning swept through an apartment building on Chicago's South Side, authorities said.
War of words erupts over state spending
Auditor Gen. William Holland asked the state's top lawyer Tuesday to investigate $546,650 in expenses, ranging from wining and dining state officials to parking at a Chicago Bulls game, paid for by taxpayers through Gov. Rod Blagojevich's showcase plan to save the state hundreds of millions of dollars.
Wires, vials lead to scare in the air
A passenger on a cross-country flight Tuesday morning immediately tipped off flight attendants after noticing that the man seated beside him had odd vials of liquid in his pockets and electrical wires running into his coat.
Racial threat called hoax of unhappy black student
A Trinity International University minority student unhappy about attending the school was charged with a hate crime after she confessed to sending racially threatening mail to minority classmates, prompting a temporary evacuation of black and Latino students from campus, authorities said Tuesday.
Ministry student missing after plane crashes in Lake Michigan
A 20-year-old ministry student's rented single-engine plane ran out of gas and went down in Lake Michigan about 5 miles offshore, prompting him to make a frantic 911 call from his cell phone.
Highland Park puts limits on smoking
Highland Park has become the second North Shore town to enact a comprehensive ban on public smoking that covers restaurants, bars and nearly all places of employment.
Student photo of reputed mobster is a hit
The dapper old man on the bicycle looked pretty classy, so Columbia College student Val Carpenter pulled over and asked if she could take his photograph for her class project.
Poor seniors take on plans of condo giant
Dozens of immigrants from the former Soviet Union are getting a first-hand lesson in capitalism and market value as one of the biggest players in the Chicago real estate market gets a crash course in dealing with people who need government aid to find a place to live.
Peotone plan in FAA's hands
Gov. Rod Blagojevich took a major step Tuesday toward creating the nation's first privately funded commercial airport by submitting a conceptual plan for the proposed airfield near Peotone to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Dorm fire kills student
Kelly Weimer of Woodridge, a junior at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tenn., known for wearing different-colored socks, for loving science and being dedicated enough to God to perhaps be a missionary, died Tuesday in a fire in her dormitory.
Facing tough crowd
Four newly elected board members of a Grayslake elementary school district who ran on an anti-tax platform have been sworn in amid concerns that a failed attempt to raise taxes this month--the fourth such failure in three years--may have crippled the cash-strapped school system.
Possible grant cuts hit by Daley
Concerned about the impact of proposed cuts on a host of human services in Chicago, Mayor Richard Daley on Tuesday called on Congress to reject a Bush administration proposal to slash a federal program that has pumped money into cities for more than three decades.
Killer of girl gets life sentence
Ten years ago, Ophelia Williams, 12, was sexually assaulted and stabbed in the heart, her body found burned in an old garage two days after she disappeared from her Kankakee home.
Evanston begs to differ on panhandling
On a brisk morning, Larry Jones took up his regular spot outside a coffee shop in downtown Evanston shaking a cup of change, hoping to collect enough money to buy food.
Mayor going out with no bang
North Chicago Mayor Bette Thomas' final weeks in office have been very lonely--at least at City Council meetings.
Elgin hospital's expansion hits a hurdle
The staff of the state agency that oversees Illinois hospitals has recommended rejecting a $98 million expansion of Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin, saying the hospital has not shown a convincing need for a larger facility.
Pregnant mom shot on job
A pregnant woman who was shot twice in the abdomen before her husband fatally shot the gunman at a Dolton store was treated in an Olympia Fields hospital and her fetus is fine, police said Tuesday.
Rain-short Midwest may host blustery late week spring storm
Illinois farmers have benefited from exceptionally mild and dry April weather. Progress in planting this year's corn crop is running as much as two weeks ahead of schedule.
ASK TOM WHY
Dear Tom,
Cold air funnels dazzle to Chicago's west
A swarm of small t-storms sprang to life at a furious pace Tuesday afternoon, pelting areas just west of Chicago with pea size hail and spinning up cold air funnels.
TODAY
Chicago: Extensive cloudiness, breezy, cool for the season. Showery spells. Highs 10 (degrees) below normal.
WEATHER TERM
Upper air: That portion of the atmosphere that is above the lower troposphere, and generally applied to a height in the atmosphere above about 5,000 feet above sea level.
Amtrak train kills man on NW Side
A 27-year-old central Illinois man was killed Sunday night in a train accident on the Northwest Side, Chicago police said.
Internet is newest place to plead case
A few days after Will County authorities accused Kevin Fox of murdering his daughter, family members presented a different story to a worldwide audience.
Waterways murky, but signs blunt
While Mayor Richard M. Daley and other civic leaders promote the Chicago River as the city's second lakefront, signs are going up that provide a stark reminder of the waterway's sewage-choked history.
City cheers a special delivery
Scottie Pippen had his own locker room for the game. That was the first notable difference.
Key jail witness recants claim
A key witness in a lawsuit alleging Cook County Jail guards beat inmates has recanted his claim that the inmates provoked the incident.
Women toast to older age
Penny Battaglia and her mother, Sandy Hides, are a generation apart, yet they say a society of red hats has helped bring them closer together.
Disabled cars face quick hook to boost traffic flow
A new towing program, designed to clear accident scenes quickly and get traffic flowing, begins Monday in the downtown area and on Lake Shore Drive.
Pupils take a look at gang problem
Car windows smashed by bats, hand signals and graffiti-covered walls will be among the subjects of photos displayed in May by a junior high school class as part of a gang awareness project.
Gym shoes are still a target
It's a crime some might associate with the early 1990s: Teens robbing at gunpoint or even killing to get high-priced gym shoes.
Cleared lot stuns those who helped save land
The open sky in front of the Mallinckrodt building in Wilmette almost caused Diane Phelan to drive off the road.
Quinn uncaps plan for bottle-recycling
As the popularity of bottled drinks increases, so does the amount of litter that is generated, making this a good time to renew debate in Illinois on whether to charge consumers a 5-cent deposit on each beverage container to encourage recycling, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn announced Sunday.
2 men killed, another critically wounded in weekend violence
A Calumet City man was charged Sunday with the fatal beating of his brother at their suburban home a day earlier, police said.
Minority students return to campus
While police continue to investigate racially threatening letters, minority students who were evacuated from Trinity International University returned to the Bannockburn campus Sunday and will attend classes Monday under heightened security, officials said.
Man, woman injured in I-80 crash with truck
Two people were seriously injured Sunday when a semitruck tanker carrying liquid oxygen on Interstate 80 in Lake County, Ind., smashed into a car, police said.
2-hour standoff ends when police subdue man
A standoff of nearly two hours ended Sunday when Lisle police shot a man with a Taser gun after he threatened to harm himself and officers with a small sword and a pellet gun.
City's recycling efforts add household batteries
In a new arm of the city's recycling effort, Chicagoans can now drop off used household batteries at more than 200 sites around the city, officials announced over the weekend.
Woman, man are killed in separate car accidents
A Burbank woman was killed in a crash in Hickory Hills, relatives and officials said Sunday.
Driver dies when car strikes embankment
An Evanston man died Saturday when his car crashed into an embankment in the city, authorities said.
Fumes from sealant send 2 to hospital, shut Glenview stores
A strange odor at the Glen Town Center shopping mall sent two department store employees to the hospital Sunday and forced the temporary closing of two businesses, a Glenview fire official said.
Cops probe death of man found hanged in jail cell
Police are investigating the death of a Chicago man who was found hanged early Sunday while in custody in the Harrison District lockup.
ALMANAC
On April 25, 1792, highwayman Nicolas Jacques Pelletier became the first person under French law to be executed by guillotine.
CHICAGO WEATHER HISTORY
Despite the clouds and chill since last Friday, April 2005 is still running nearly 6 degrees above normal and has totaled 68 percent of possible sunshine (though these figures should decline somewhat during the upcoming week, which promises to be on the cloudy and cool side).
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Dear Tom,
Blizzard turns Michigan's `thumb' white
In a time of the year when green thumbs are supposed to be in vogue, a late-season snowstorm has paralyzed the "thumb" area of lower Michigan with up to a foot and a half of snow piled into 3 to 4 foot drifts.
Today
Chicago: Morning sunshine slowly fades as clouds increase during the afternoon. Milder than in recent days with highs topping out in the lower 60s. Southwest winds 12-22 m.p.h.
WEATHER WORD
Calibration: The process whereby the reading of a measuring instrument (such as the digital readout of a thermometer) is related to the actual value of the variable being measured (such as the air temperature).
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