The supervisor is Michael Tarm
If you have stories of regional or statewide interest, please email them to chifax(at)ap.org or fax them to the Chicago bureau at 312-781-1989. If you have photos of regional or statewide interest, please transmit them to AP’s Chicago photo desk. If you have questions about the Illinois AP news report, please call the Chicago bureau supervisor at 800-572-2585 or 312-920-3623. For questions about the photo report, please call the Chicago photo editor at 888-276-3804.
CLOSER LOOK-TEACHER TRAINING
SPRINGFIELD — It sounds like something that would pop up on a math test: A teacher-training program gets $19 million in state aid. Over six years, it produces 70 teachers. How much has the state spent for each teacher so far? The answer: More than $271,000 each. Some officials look at those numbers and conclude it’s time for Illinois to cut its losses on the Grow Your Own Teachers program. They say it just doesn’t make sense to keep supporting the program when Illinois is so painfully short of money. By Christopher Wills.
AP Photos
RAILWAY TRACKS-DURBIN
CHICAGO — U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is urging railroad companies to conduct frequent track inspections to prevent rail derailments resulting from heat-related track buckling. The Illinois Democrat’s remarks during a Sunday press conference come as investigators continue to examine the cause of a July 4 train derailment that killed two people. A Glenview husband and wife were crushed by the wreckage of a Union Pacific freight train derailment that caused a suburban Chicago railroad bridge to collapse. Union Pacific officials believe the 100-degree heat that day may have caused a rail to expand and led to the derailment. Durbin wants rail companies to investigate track areas prone to that kind of heat-related buckling, sometimes called “sun kinks.” By Michelle Nealy
FIRST MOVED SATURDAY FOR SUNDAY
DREW PETERSON TRIAL
JOLIET, Ill. — Five years after the mysterious disappearance of his fourth wife, a former policeman who became the object of national attention for his crass swagger in front of TV cameras goes on trial for the alleged 2004 murder of his third wife. Drew Peterson, who staged a Win-a-Date-with-Drew contest as investigators searched for his missing spouse and who later was portrayed by Rob Lowe in a cable TV movie, faces murder charges after authorities went back and reinvestigated what originally had been labeled the accidental bathtub drowning of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. The sensational case and resulting media frenzy has focused on issues of alleged police bungling and the use of hearsay evidence after prosecutors tried to introduce the reported fears of Peterson’s missing fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. The case will hinge mostly on circumstantial evidence, and experts say Peterson likely will benefit from the fact that he and his media-hungry exploits largely have been away from the public — and hence, potential jurors — since his arrest three years ago. Jury selection begins Monday. By Don Babwin. AP Photos.
ALSO MOVING:
—Colorado Shooting-Columbine Crosses, from AURORA, Colo.: An Illinois man who placed 15 crosses near Columbine High School after the 1999 massacre there has returned to Colorado with 12 crosses for the victims of a theater shooting.
—Court Documents Shredded, from CHICAGO: A Cook County Circuit Court employee has been accused of removing court files and shredding them at her home.
—Lake Michigan Drowning, from PORTAGE, Ind.: A 5-year-old Chicago-area boy appears to be the latest Lake Michigan drowning victim along northwest Indiana beaches.
—Illinois-China, from CHICAGO: Nearly 40 science students from high schools in China have toured an Illinois plant to learn about wastewater treatment technology.
—Unemployment Benefits Fraud, from BELLEVILLE: A nearly year-long investigation in Illinois has led to indictments against 19 people accused of stealing unemployment benefits worth between $11,000 and $40,000 each.
—Photojournalist Fired, from CHICAGO: Sun-Times Media says one of its photographers has been fired after admitting to fabricating names and quotes in a recurring feature that appeared in at least eight of its publications.
SPORTS:
CAR–NASCAR-NATIONWIDE-CHICAGOLAND
JOLIET, Ill. — Danica Patrick has reasons for optimism going into Sunday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. Patrick finished 10th there last year, and was second-fastest in Saturday’s final practice session. Race time 2 p.m. CT. By Chris Jenkins.
BBA–WHITE SOX-TIGERS
DETROIT — The Tigers took over first place with two straight wins over the White Sox. Detroit tries for the three-game sweep against Chicago. By Noah Trister.
BBN–CUBS-CARDINALS
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals go for a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs after tying long-standing major league and franchise records while scoring all of their runs in the seventh inning of a 12-0 rout Saturday night. Lance Lynn is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA against the Cubs this year and faces Travis Wood, who’s 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA for his career against St. Louis. By R.B. Fallstrom. With hometown lead on losing team.
ILLINOIS SPOTLIGHTS:
SPOTLIGHT-VETERAN HEART SURGERY
GLEN ELLYN — At age 93, the Glen Ellyn man could beat those odds, though, by undergoing a radical new surgery to replace the heart valve. Doctors said Hufnagel was too old for traditional open heart surgery and suggested the new procedure that runs a catheter through the groin and to the clogged valve. Hufnagel’s surgery consisted of a bovine valve flap being implanted through an artery in his groin using a transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, a procedure similar to balloon angioplasty, said Dr. Mark Goodwin, lead cardiologist for Hufnagel’s surgery performed at Edward Hospital in Naperville. A stent, with the new valve sewn inside, was inserted through the catheter. When the new valve was lined up with the failing valve, doctors inflated the balloon to insert the stent and put the new valve in place. By Justin Kmitch. (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald.
AP Photos ILARL301
SPOTLIGHT-GOOD SAMARITAN INN
DECATUR — When leaders from First and Grace United Methodist churches, as well as First and Westminster Presbyterian churches, founded the Good Samaritan Inn in 1982, their mission was simple, director Brenda Gorrell Pyatt said. “They wanted to feed the hungry and address a community need,” Pyatt said. “I think they thought the Good Samaritan Inn would be a temporary fix for the community, and I bet they had no idea it would be around today.” The Good Samaritan Inn, 920 N. Union St., marked 30 years of feeding those in need Wednesday, and while Pyatt said she was hesitant to recognize the occasion “because we don’t want to celebrate hunger,” she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to thank the soup kitchen’s board of directors, volunteers and community members who have supported the ministry over the years. By Nicole Harbour. (Decatur) Herald & Review.
AP Photos ILDEC301-302.
