As WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports, more proposed guidelines to deal with priest predators, and to protect children, are to be submitted to Pope Benedict XVI in May. This week in Rome, those who will write those guidelines are hearing from experts and victims.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports

But Barbara Blaine, the Chicago-based president of the Survivors’ Network of Those Abused by Priests, is skeptical that there will be any real change. She calls this week’s symposium at the Vatican a PR maneuver.

“Unless and until they are willing to take concrete action that changes the way they do things, I suspect that children will continue to be raped and sexually violated by priests, and bishops will continue to cover up these crimes,” she said.

Blaine points out that a zero tolerance policy on sexual abuse by priests has already been adopted by bishops in the United States, and it has been far from a success.

“When those bishops fail to follow the policy, there are absolutely no negative consequences for them,” she said.

This week’s gathering began with a high-level cardinal praising Pope Benedict for strengthening systems for dealing with priest predators.

But Blaine has some of her own ideas for how such systems can be strengthened. She says the Roman Catholic Church needs to remove all predators who have abused children, turn them over to police, and name names so parents are armed with information to protect their children.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Dave Dahl reports, the new Kids Count report from the group Voices for Illinois Children suggests kids are economic victims.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Dave Dahl reports

“Kids are currently caught in a budget crossfire … at both the state and federal levels,” says Kathy Ryg, Voices’ president. “We know that the recession and the budget crises have had a big impact on kids. Almost one in five Illinois children live in poverty. Living in poverty leads to poor outcomes for kids, and we really have to address this because we are at risk of losing a generation of children who are our future workforce.”

Ryg says the economic crisis has everyone thinking.

“That leads us to programs that we know work, and we have to have the political will to invest in those programs,” she said.

But “political will” is not achieved easily.

“Political will comes from the public, and we have to call the public to action in this effort as well, so that they understand what’s at stake,” Ryg said.

The report is coming out at a series of news conferences around the state Thursday morning. For more information, click here.

This is the first in a series of mock drafts for the Chicago Bears leading up the NFL Draft April 28-30.

(CBS) The Super Bowl is over, which means the NFL Draft “season” has officially begun.

The 2012 draft order isn’t completely finalized because Commissioner Roger Goodell has to do a couple coin flips at the NFL Combine later this month, but we know the Bears have the 19th overall pick in the first round and we can project out from there.

After the success with this series last year, I’m happy to bring it back again in 2012 and instead of just starting with the Bears’ first three picks like I did a year ago, we’re going to go ahead and project all eight draft picks the Bears have this year.

First, a few disclaimers. These picks are based on a combination of my evaluation of the players and my opinion of what the Bears need most. Some of you are going to agree with them and some of you will not. I get that. That’s part of the beauty of the NFL Draft.

Also — and I cannot stress this enough — I don’t write this series in an effort to pet my ego by getting the picks right. These picks aren’t based on who I think the Bears are going to draft. They’re based on who I think the Bears should draft. More importantly, the point of this series is to simply provide some insight into what the Bears need and give you a handful of names that might be around for each pick the Bears have. Most mock drafts only predict the first two rounds. I like to give you some players the Bears might be interested in beyond the first two rounds and to be honest, there’s a pretty good chance that none of the players I project end up on the Bears. Last year I nailed Gabe Carimi in the first round, but being right isn’t always a good thing because I also had the Bears taking Stephen Paea in the first round in a different edition of the series. The Bears ended up taking Paea in the second round and you could make the argument that he shouldn’t have been selected at all.

The point is, I’m not trying to be right with these picks, I’m just trying to allow you to become more familiar with some guys that could be future Bears. Remember that.

Also, keep in mind that each series is written to simulate an entire draft class. Thus, if I take a wide receiver in the first round, I probably won’t take one in the second round. After each pick, I’ll provide a couple of guys the Bears might also be interested in with that selection, but my second round pick is impacted by my first round pick and so on and so forth.

Let’s get to the picks:

1st round, No. 19: WR Alshon Jeffrey, South Carolina (6-4, 229)

As I sat down and started sorting out the Bears’ draft needs, I quickly realized something startling: the Bears need everything. Honestly, one could make the argument that the Bears could use their first round pick on every position except quarterback, kicker, punter and long snapper. Even a running back wouldn’t be completely crazy because of Matt Forte’s uncertain status.

That said, one need stands out above the rest and that is at wide receiver. It’s important to remember that the wide receiver crop is pretty deep this year and there will be a number of guys available in the later rounds, but if Alshon Jeffrey is on the board at No. 19, the Bears need to take him.

Many fans will want Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd, but the red flags scare me. The DUIs are a concern. Jeffrey has almost no history with injuries or off the field problems and he did all his damage at South Carolina without elite quarterbacks. He lacks top end speed, but the Bears don’t need speed at wide receiver, they need size. Plus, it’s not like Jeffrey is slow. His 40-time at the combine will be important to watch. He could be a 4.5 guy and that might be the difference between the top 10 and the second round. Jeffrey doesn’t always handle physical corners well, but that’s something that can be worked on. He catches everything and the potential is sky high.

Also consider:

S Mark Barron, Alabama (6-2, 218) – The safety position is not very deep in this draft and if the Bears want a playmaking safety, they might be better off taking Barron here and looking at wide receivers in the second round. The wide receiver crop is much, much deeper.

OT Mike Adams, Ohio State (6-7, 323) – Adams looks like a starting left tackle in the NFL. Taking him here could solidify he and Gabe Carimi as the Bears’ starting tackles and give them added depth on the line.

2nd round, No. 18: DE Vinny Curry, Marshall (6-3, 265)

If the Bears don’t go with a safety in the first round, then their defensive priority should shift to upgrading the defensive line. I look at the Bears’ d-line situation the same way I look at the offense. The Bears need to put pieces next to Julius Peppers the same way they need to put pieces around Jay Cutler.

Vinny Curry flew under the radar in 2011 mainly because he played at Marshall. But the talented defensive end actually got my vote for the Bronko Nagurski Award (best defensive player). He’s not the athletic freak Peppers is, but that’s why he grades out a second rounder and not a first rounder. Curry has an explosive burst and is good at slipping blocks, while also being stout against the run. He would be a great compliment to Peppers on the line.

Also consider:

RB Doug Martin, Boise State (5-9, 219) – Martin isn’t your typical small back because he’s built well, can slip tackles and is a solid blocker in the backfield as well. With Forte’s future in doubt, it might be time to invest another second round pick in a running back.

WR Marvin McNutt, Iowa (6-2, 6-2 1/2, 216) – If the Bears don’t take a wide receiver in the first round, then they definitely should look a good crop of second rounders that could include McNutt. He’s a big bodied wide receiver with long arms and good hands. Has potential to move up with a good combine performance.

3rd round, No. 10 (from Carolina): DT Kendell Reyes, UConn (6-3 7/8, 300)

Upgrading at defensive end isn’t the only move the Bears need to make on the defensive line. In fact, getting a dynamic tackle is probably more important. Reyes turned some heads at the Senior Bowl and provides good value in the third round. The only question is whether or not he’ll still be around as he appears to be moving up some draft boards.

Reyes really looks like the elite pass rusher the Bears need inside and he has the athleticism to play in the five-technique, which could give the Bears some flexibility with moving Peppers inside on some snaps.

Also consider:

OT Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State (6-6, 322): Adcock projects as an early third rounder, but I could see a team reaching for him earlier. If he’s around he’s definitely worth a look, but he’s probably not a left tackle, meaning the Bears would need to move him inside or give Carimi a chance on the left side, which they appear unwilling to do.

G Jeff Allen, Illinois (6-4, 306): Allen played left and right tackle in college, but projects inside at the next level. He had an up-and-down performance at the Senior Bowl, but he definitely has a shot to start a guard at the NFL level. Worth a look here.

3rd round, No. 16: CB Trumain Johnson, Montana (6-2, 204)

Bears fans are understandably tired of undersized cornerbacks. At 6-2, 204, Johnson provides the size the Bears need at cornerback. He currently projects as a third rounder because of some character concerns and an arrest on his record, but he could move up with a solid combine. The knock on him is his inexperience in press coverage, but that’s something that can be developed. He looks like a solid Cover-2 corner with a ton of potential.

Also consider:

WR Brian Quick, Appalachian State (6-3 1/2, 222): If Johnson is off the board, Quick is my pick here, even with Jeffrey drafted in the first round. Unfortunately, Quick’s lack of quickness is what might drop him this far, but he showed at the Senior Bowl that he can run routes very well and can go up and get the ball. As I talked about with Jeffrey, that’s what the Bears need. He looks like a solid compliment to Jeffrey and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing him more in my later mock drafts. He’s a guy who could really help himself at the combine.

LB Keenan Robinson, Texas (6-3 1/8, 240): Robinson is an athletic linebacker who will probably need some time to pick up the Bears’ Cover-2, but he would provide depth behind an aging linebacker group. I admittedly might be reaching here as he’s probably more of a late third round pick, but we’ll have to see how he performs in his draft prep.

4th round, No. 16: C Mike Brewster, Ohio State (6-4 1/4, 310)

Brewster doesn’t have the athleticism of Wisconsin’s Peter Konz who will likely go in the first round, but he’s an exceptional pass blocker and solid run blocker. Roberto Garza is just “a guy” to me and he’s not exactly young so the time might be right to invest in another center for the future. Brewster looks like the kind of center who will stay healthy and quietly start for one team for years to come. There’s a big dropoff behind Brewster so there’s a chance a team reaches for him earlier.

Also consider:

OT Nate Potter, Boise State (6-6, 300): Potter needs to build strength in his lower half and probably isn’t ready to start right away, but he’s very athletic and could be moved around where the Bears need him.

TE Deangelo Peterson, LSU (6-2 7/8, 230): Peterson appears to have the tools to be a dynamic pass catching tight end in the NFL. His combination of size and speed is exactly what the Bears need at the position, but he definitely needs to be coached up. Work ethic has been an issue and he’s not going to be a great blocker. Still worth a look here.

5th round, No. 15: WR Juron Criner, Arizona (6-2 1/8, 220)

If I had taken Quick in the third round, then I wouldn’t take Criner here, but it would be a good idea for the Bears to take two big wide receivers in the draft and I like Criner in the fifth round. The Arizona wide receiver made some terrific catches during Senior Bowl week and he has a ton of potential. There are some questions about where he is mentally, which is why he’ll probably fall at least to the fifth round, but with some coaching, he could be a steal.

Also consider:

WR DeVier Posey, Ohio State (6-1 5/8, 209): The Bears reportedly met with Posey in Mobile, which doesn’t mean much, except that they’re at least curious early on. Posey is a reliable receiver, but he’s had some fumble issues after the catch. He also needs work on his route running, but at this point in the draft, all players are going to have faults like this. Posey has potential.

CB Asa Jackson, Cal Poly (5-9 7/8, 193): You’re not going to find a big corner this late in the draft, but Jackson is underrated because of his length. He also has good quickness and breaks to the ball well. He really stood out at the Senior Bowl because he was playing harder than most throughout the week. If he’s around in the fifth round, he’s definitely worth drafting.

6th round, No. 14: CB Dwight “Bill” Bentley, Louisiana-Lafayette (5-9 7/8, 176)

Bentley is similar to Jackson in quickness and ability to break on the ball, but he’s not a strong corner. That said, he showed in Mobile that he’s not afraid to challenge receivers and be physical with them despite his deficiencies. In a deep crop of cornerbacks, Bentley could be a steal this late in the draft.

Also consider:

WR B.J. Cunningham, Michigan State (6-2, 215): Cunningham isn’t very physical, but he can be very dangerous after the catch and he has the height to go up and get the football. A solid late option if the Bears are still looking for a receiver.

S Winston Guy Jr, Kentucky (6-1, 216): Has good size at the safety position for a late round pick. He’ll slip because he’s not big hitter, but he has good ball skills and could be a play-maker in the Cover-2. Considered a good tackler despite being a catcher instead of a hitter.

7th round, No. 13: OT James Carmon, Mississippi State (6-7, 320)

Why is a 6-7, 320 offensive tackle going in the seventh round? Because he’s only been an offensive tackle for one season and was clearly very raw while playing the position. The former defensive tackle showed signs of potential with natural athleticism, however, and in the seventh round is definitely worth taking a flyer on. He’s the kind of guy you can develop and maybe you’ll strike gold.

Also consider:

ILB Tank Carder, TCU (6-3, 237): Carder isn’t a fast linebacker, but he’s a solid tackler and a big hitter. He has good instincts and is good at making plays on the ball in coverage. The question is, can he get there? He’s a smart player and would be a solid fourth linebacker/special teams player on any team.

WR Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma (5-10, 188): If the Bears still need a wide receiver at this point (and really, when won’t they need a wide receiver?), Broyles is a solid option. He’ll drop this far because he tore his ACL in November, but before that happened, he was one of the most productive receivers in college football. He’s not a big guy, but he’s fast and can get open. Basically, he’s Devin Hester, except he can actually run routes.

So, what do you think? Let’s discuss. Either shoot me a tweet at @AdamHogeCBS or leave a comment below. I’m sure it will be a fun conversation.

Adam Hoge

Adam is the Sports Content Producer for CBSChicago.com and specializes in coverage of the Bears, White Sox and college sports. He was born and raised in Lincoln Park and attended St. Ignatius College Prep before going off to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a Journalism degree. Follow him on Twitter @AdamHogeCBS and read more of his columns here.

As WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports, “ticket doctor” Barnet Fagel believes the cameras approved by Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday will actually reduce safety.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports

“When they focus on the speedometer, they’re not looking at the traffic in front of them, or the pedestrians, or bicycles,” he said.

Attention to the road is more important than speed, Fagel said.

“They should keep their eyes on the road, and not have to worry so much about the speed, but how to control the speed,” he said.

The city insists that slower speeds will save lives. For that reason, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been pushing for speed enforcement cameras with 1/8 of a mile, or one city block, around schools between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. each weekday.

The legislation approved by Gov. Quinn this week also allows speed enforcement cameras to be used within 1/8 of a mile around parks from one hour before the parks open to one hour after they close. This means the cameras will only be shut off between midnight and 5 a.m.

Right now, the city has red light cameras in 79 locations within a 1/8 of a mile of a school or park. But a published report said the proposed legislation to allow speed cameras in the city showed the legislation would allow at least 47 percent of the city to be covered by the cameras – not including areas around colleges and universities.

The owner of an offending vehicle would be mailed a ticket, and would be subject to a fine of up to $50 for being caught driving 6 to 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. Drivers going 10 miles an hour or more over the limit would be fined up to $100. Fines would be doubled if they are not paid on time and five unpaid fines would result in the loss of the owner’s driver’s license.

The bill goes into effect July 1.

As for Fagel, he started out in electronics and became interested in red light cameras. He now appears as a court expert for attorneys challenging traffic tickets.

WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports they’re apparently not needed anymore.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports

City crews have collected all the clear plastic household battery recycling bins, and they are not collecting the batteries anymore.

Karen Weigert, the city’s chief sustainability officer, says things have changed. Regular alkaline batteries no longer contain mercury, and thus are no longer considered hazardous.

“The Illinois EPA no longer recommends that they be separately handled. They can actually be disposed of in your garbage,” Weigert said, “and I admit, it’s a very weird thing that we looked into to be sure we understood that, but it’s a critical factor to think about what needs to be recycled and what has toxins, and those are the rechargeable batteries. I want to make sure that people continue to look for ways to recycle them.”

Weigert says rechargeable batteries can be recycled at many stores, and you can find them online at www.call2recycle.org.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNN_eBFlZ5U&feature=youtu.be

As WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller reports, Eduardo Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, spoke from from his hospital bed at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller reports

Rodriguez said he and three other men were returning to their homes from an evening they had spent at bars, and the Skybox strip club in Harvey, back to their homes.

Four people were killed when this car crashed head-on into another vehicle after heading the wrong way down I-80. (Credit: CBS)

The Illinois State Police account of the crash suggested that the driver of the Infiniti sedan, Gustavo Vargas of Berwyn, went the wrong way on I-80 by mistake.

State police said Vargas wanted to turn around and go eastbound on I-80 instead of westbound, after reaching a median cut-through intended for emergency vehicles near Kedzie Avenue. Instead of getting into the eastbound lanes, he made a three-point turn and began heading the wrong way.

But Rodriguez said the driver of the car actually decided to get on I-80 the wrong way.

Rodriguez says Vargas kept saying the same thing.

“He was screaming, ‘Are you guys ready to die?’” Rodriguez said. “That’s what he was saying.”

Why did Vargas say and do such a thing?

“I don’t know,” Rodriguez said. “He was crazy. I don’t know.”

Shortly before 2:30 a.m. Monday, Vargas’ car smashed head-on into a 1999 Ford Escort wagon. The Infiniti burst into flames after the accident, and was rendered a burned out husk.

“The car caught on fire. My clothes burned,” Rodriguez said. “I saw one of my friends. He asked me for help, and I tried to help him, but I couldn’t help him.”

Vargas, 29, was killed in the crash, as were two other passengers – front seat passenger Jorge Pina, 27, of Chicago; and back seat passenger Armando Ruiz, 29, of Berwyn. The driver of the Ford Escort, Jason Wepsiec, 35, of Joliet, was also killed.

Rodriguez says he fortunate as the sole survivor.

“I feel like a lucky man,” he said. “It wasn’t my time, I believe.”

Police believe alcohol was a factor in the crash, and witnesses also say Vargas was speeding in the Infiniti.

RACINE, Wis. (CBS) — A missing 2-year-old girl from Racine, Wis., was found with her father on the city’s Southeast Side Wednesday morning, after the girl’s mother was killed in a homicide.

Chicago Police say Iryana K. Vaughn, 2, was found with her father, Iryin K. Vaughn, at 98th Street and Yates Boulevard in the Jeffery Manor neighborhood at 5:47 a.m. Wednesday. Police found Iryin Vaughn’s 1998 blue Ford Explorer parked on the block, and found him with Iryana in a home down the block.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports

Iryana is safe, while Iryin Vaughn is police custody. Iryana was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago as a precautionary measure, police told the Sun-Times Media Wire.

Chicago Police officers said the Racine Police Department gave them a few addresses to check out in Chicago based on their investigation. Illinois State Police said Iryin Vaughn was found in his own mother’s home.

Earlier, an Amber Alert was issued in both Illinois and Wisconsin for Iryana, and police say Iryin Vaughn is wanted for questioning in connection with the homicide of Iryana’s mother.

Around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday, Iryana was abducted from the upper flat of the building at 900 Racine St. in Racine, police said. The girl’s mother apparently was also killed in the apartment.

Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Tim Tyler told CBS 2 Wednesday morning that he could not provide details about what happened to the girl’s mother. Tyler said Iryin Vaughn is not considered especially dangerous.

“From what I understand, he’s just wanted for questioning regarding the homicide of the child’s mother,” Tyler said.

Pavilonis also declined to go into detail about the slaying of Iryana’s mother.

“We’re still in the middle of a homicide investigation,” he said. “There are some details that we’re not prepared to release.”

But Pavilonis said police had been called to the Racine Street address in the past, and said, “The father is someone we would like to speak with.”

CHICAGO (CBS) – Attorneys for the man accused of killing three of Jennifer Hudson’s relatives want to talk to the singer.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Conway reports, attorneys for William Balfour are asking to talk to Hudson in case she is called to the stand during Balfour’s April murder trial.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Conway reports

Hudson had never been identified as a witness in the case against William Balfour, the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia.

William Balfour, 30, is charged with killing three members of singer Jennifer Hudson's family in October 2008. (Credit: Cook County Sheriff's Office)

But defense attorney Amy Thompson pointed to the possible evidence of a text Hudson exchanged with her mother around the time of the older woman’s fatal shooting.

Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, and the singer’s brother, Jason Hudson, were found dead on Oct. 24, 2008, inside their home in Englewood. Julia Hudson’s 7-year-old son, Julian King, was found dead three days later in the back of Jason Hudson’s car.

All three were shot to death.

Thompson made the request to talk to Jennifer Hudson Tuesday as she and Cook County prosecutors wrangled over whether there was enough “probable cause” for Balfour’s arrest.

Thompson, who is seeking to have Balfour’s arrest thrown out, argued he wasn’t doing anything illegal when he was picked up after officers traced his cell phone to his girlfriend’s apartment.

But Assistant State’s Attorney James McKay urged Judge Charles Burns to consider the testimony of officers who described how Balfour constantly threatened to kill Hudson’s sister Julia in the days leading up to the murders.

Wentworth Area Detective Tim Nolan Tuesday said Julia Hudson let Balfour, 30, use the washroom in her Englewood home hours before he allegedly murdered her relatives there.

Although Julia Hudson started seeing another man and told Balfour she didn’t want to speak to him, she would still let him in the residence despite her brother Jason’s protests, Nolan said in the pretrial hearing.

Balfour was spotted roaming around the South Side neighborhood drunk with a gun days prior to the slayings and asked Julia Hudson that morning why she had been ignoring him, Nolan said.

When she drove off for work, Julia Hudson told officers she saw Balfour in her rearview mirror still standing by the home, Nolan said.

Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, were found shot to death inside when she returned. Donerson was holding the bristle of a broom and a shell casing was found inside Julia Hudson’s son’s playroom, retired detective Allen Szudarski testified.

Julian was found dead in Jason Hudson’s stolen sport-utility vehicle on the West Side three days later.

Burns will rule on the motion to quash Balfour’s arrest on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

The Chicago Sun-Times’ Rumanna Hussain contributed to this report, via the Sun-Times Media Wire.

© Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Peter Mueller and Jones scored 35 seconds apart in the second period to send the Avalanche to their third victory in four games against Chicago this season. Kyle Quincey tacked on an empty-net goal with just more than 2 minutes remaining.

Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane had goals for the Blackhawks, who dropped their eighth straight on the road. They haven’t won away from United Center since Dec. 14 at Minnesota. Chicago is 0-3-1 on its nine-game trip.

Landeskog’s goal came on a slap shot from the top of the circle after a feed from Paul Stastny.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere was solid all night in net, turning back shot after shot from a relentless Chicago attack, including one from point-blank range by Dave Bolland that hit Giguere squarely in the chest.

Brought in this season to be the backup, Giguere has recently been getting a majority of the starts. The veteran is among the NHL leaders in goals-against average and save percentage.

Clinging to a one-goal lead midway through the final period, the Avalanche dodged several dicey situations, including two penalties they were able to kill off.

Jones’ second goal of the game alleviated some of the pressure. Stastny dug out a loose puck along the boards and shoveled a lead pass to Jones, who sent it over Ray Emery.

The win was No. 100 for Avalanche coach Joe Sacco. He is 100-99-20 in his career with Colorado.

After a rather uneventful opening 20 minutes, the action quickly heated up in the second period.

Seabrook put the Blackhawks on the board first, when he rifled in a slap shot past Giguere 31 seconds into the period. The defenseman even dropped down to a knee for added accuracy.

The advantage was short-lived, because the Avalanche scored 35 seconds apart to grab back the momentum. Both goals came on costly Chicago turnovers.

First, Ryan O’Reilly stole the puck in the Avalanche end and raced down the ice, with Mueller following on his right. O’Reilly waited for Emery to commit to him and then dished a pass over to Mueller, who tapped it in for his fifth goal of the season.

That was quite a birthday present for O’Reilly, who turned 21 on Tuesday.

Soon after, Milan Hejduk stole the puck near the blue line and skated down low before sending a pass to a wide-open Jones, who lifted the puck over Emery’s shoulder.

Chicago coach Joel Quenneville called a timeout to settle down his team. The breather worked as Kane, known as a prolific passer, showed he can score as well, beating Giguere with a backhand to tie the game at 2.

Defenseman Tyson Barrie made his NHL debut after recently being called up from Lake Erie of the American Hockey League. Barrie replaced good friend Stefan Elliott, who was sent down to the minors.

“I’d rather be up here with him, but that’s the way things go,” said Barrie, who had his parents and girlfriend on hand for the game. “He had a good stint up here and he showed he can play. Hopefully, I can do the same thing.”

At 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, Barrie is a little small for a defenseman but makes up for it with moxie. He will try to give the Avalanche some scoring punch from the blue line.

Barrie comes from good hockey lineage as his father, Len, played 184 games spanning seven seasons with Philadelphia, Florida, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.

NOTES: Stastny played in his 400th career game. … NASCAR driver Regan Smith was in attendance wearing an Avalanche jersey. Asked by the stadium announcer why he enjoys hockey, Smith said: “It’s fast and the arena is shaped like an oval, which is what we race on.” … Avs enforcer Cody McLeod had a couple of stitches above his left eye after an on-ice brawl with Vancouver’s Byron Bitz on Saturday. “Just got me with a good punch,” McLeod said. … Chicago D Duncan Keith had two assists.

(© 2012 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)

Being a super model, and a potty mouth, Gisele will be a story for some time. An independent and strong woman is unusual in the NFL, where wives tend to be more adoring and docile.

Not Gisele, who was heckled by beer burping boys booing her husband after the Patriots lost the Super Bowl.

“My husband cannot (bleeping) throw that ball and catch the ball at the same time,” Bundchen said after the game, in a moment captured by TV cameras. “I can’t believe they dropped the ball so many times!”

She was talking about a number of catchable passes dropped by Patriots receivers. She was upset by her husband’s loss and was being harangued by the barking from hecklers. So she barked back and now she’s being barked at for that, called out for using a word most of us might have used.

Bad call, especially since she was just telling it like it was.

Help is on the way.

CBS 2’s Roseanne Tellez takes a look at strategies that won’t make you feel like a nag.

Four kids, two working parents, and a dog; the Haney family’s stuff has a way of piling up. How bad can it get?

“Really messy. Like, the hall was really messy, all the clothes outside people’s doors,” 9-year-old Finn Haney said. “I was okay with it.”

Finn will do anything to get out of housework.

His sister, 11-year-old Aliza Haney said, “When we were trying to do laundry, he was hiding behind the couch in the playroom.”

But mom Patti Haney isn’t laughing. She said, when she walks in and sees that, “it feels really … it makes me feel really disrespected.”

When asked if she and her siblings have assigned chores to do every day, Emma Haney, 17, said “Theoretically, but it doesn’t usually happen that way.”

Getting kids to do their share of housework can be work.

Rayanne Coy is a life coach at the Samaritan Counseling Center in Barrington and a mother of four.

She had little trouble getting her kids to come to the kitchen the other day to do the dishes. But she said “it hasn’t been easy.”

Not until she learned what she calls “parenting with peace and purpose. “

Coy’s first piece of advice: “One of the things is we’ve just made it part of our routine. It’s expected.”

Rattling off too many chores can be overwhelming. Coy said parents should keep it short and simple, with a 10-minute tidy.

“I’ll go over to our mud room and say ‘clean up on aisle 3,’” she said.

Another tip from Coy: if your kids are small, you can make it a game. But teenagers, like her oldest son are another story.

“This is one of my pet peeves. Wet towels on the floor,” Coy said.

But in his room, Kevin Coy gets a pass. It’s a trade-off for helping with the rest of the house.

Coy also explained that older kids often respond well to cash.

“I have a daughter who likes to earn money. And they want to buy the jewelry,” Coy said. “I think it’s just knowing who your child is, knowing what motivates them.”

Over at the Haney house, there’s a flip side to rewards.

“There are consequences. You know, they have to do the chores before they can do some preferred activity, or we just have an electronics moratorium,” dad James Haney said.

Another tip that’s working well for the Haneys is to write down the assigned chores.

“It kind of gives me a sense of accomplishment that, hey, even though I didn’t’ want to do it, I got it done and now I kind of feel the high of actually doing something that’s worth doing” said 15-year-old Noah Haney.

Rayanne Coy has one more piece of advice. She said you should run your family like a CEO runs a business. Negotiate agreements with your children to get things done. That way they feel like they’re in charge.

A recent attack was even caught on video. The attacker approached a woman from behind, pushed her down and grabbed her purse.

What would you do if it happened to you? As CBS 2’s Mike Parker reports, several Chicago women and men are learning how to fight back, if they come under attack.

Every woman who spoke to CBS 2 on Tuesday about the recent attacks in the Logan Square, Bucktown and Wicker Park areas was already aware of the robberies.

They don’t agree on how they would handle an attack like the one caught on video 10 days ago outside of Penny’s Noodles, at 1542 N. Damen Ave. just south of the iconic and bustling intersection of Milwaukee, Damen and North avenues.

Surveillance video showed the mugger approaching a woman from behind, grabbing her purse, and brutally throwing her to the ground.

“I don’t know, I’d probably just give the purse up,” one woman said.

“I would fight back,” another woman said. “I think so, without a doubt.”

Tuesday night, at a Tae Kwan Do studio in Logan Park, members of the Guardian Angels showed local residents how to do just that: fight back.

“Enough is enough. It’s time for us to teach the community people how to not become victims, first and foremost,” Guardian Angel Miguel Fuentes said.

Fernand Vargas, a self-defense instructor and Guardian Angel, told people at the class that if all the attacker wants is their purse or bag, they should give it up.

But if they get knocked down and their assailant is trying to hurt them, victims should lay on their backs, pull their knees up to their stomachs, and protect themselves by kicking at their attacker.

“Obviously, you just want to get away, get to a safe location, call the police immediately, give a good description as possible, and let the police do their work,” Fuentes said.

A total of 13 attacks have been reported over the past couple of months in an area bounded by Ashland Avenue on the east, Central Park Avenue on the west, Belmont Avenue on the north and Division Street on the south. The locations of the robberies are in trendy Near Northwest Side neighborhoods of Logan Square, Wicker Park and Bucktown.

The most recent robbery happened around 5:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 27, outside of Penny’s Noodles, at 1542 N. Damen Ave. just south of the iconic and bustling intersection of Milwaukee, Damen and North avenues.

Prior to the Jan. 27 incident, the same robber was suspected in 12 other attacks:

• the 3100 block of West Fullerton Avenue, Dec. 4, 2011, 5:20 a.m.
• the 1800 block of North California Avenue, Dec. 17, 2011, 6 a.m.
• the 1700 block of North Central Park Avenue, Dec. 21, 2011, 6:15 a.m.
• the 1900 block of North Western Avenue, Dec. 22, 2011, 11 p.m.
• the 2100 block of North California Avenue, Dec. 24, 2011, 7:30 a.m.
• the 2000 block of North Kimball Avenue, Dec. 31, 2011, 11:20 p.m.
• the 1500 block of North Hoyne Avenue, Jan. 3, 2012, 3 a.m.
• the 1700 block of West Wabansia Avenue, Jan. 4, 2012, 4:32 p.m.
• the 2600 block of West Wellington Avenue, Jan. 6, 2012, 8 p.m.
• the 2100 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, Jan. 8, 2012, noon
• the 1500 block of North Maplewood Avenue, Jan. 20, 2012, 8 p.m.
• the 1500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, Jan. 21, 2012, 2 a.m.

The suspect has been targeting women, and has stolen purses, money and cell phones.

Ogden District police officers and the police Gang Investigations Division observed a suspicious vehicle parked in the 2500 block of West Cermak Road about 7 a.m., police said.

An officer heard loud barking coming from the rear of the vehicle and discovered 43 animals in cramped containers, without adequate food or water, police said.

Travis Wester, 22, and Larry Subject, 49, both of Iowa, were arrested and each charged with one misdemeanor count of failing to meet animal owner duties and 43 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals.

Wester and Subject are scheduled to appear Wednesday for a bond hearing.

The puppies were placed with Animal Care and Control pending further investigation.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

CBS 2’s Megan Mawicke reports on the Raiders’ domination.

A few years ago, head coach Tony Smith’s Raiders boasted six girls who earned Division One basketball scholarships. This year, the unthinkable happened when eight girls are headed to D-1 to play.

“A lot of people are really surprised. (They say) ‘You have eight people going? I mean, you don’t usually hear of eight people going from one team. Football you may have a lot of people, but a basketball team where eight of the 11 people are all going and where all the seniors are going to Division One,” said Tuck, who will be joining the Connecticut Huskies after graduating high school.

What do people say to that?

“They say Bolingbrook is loaded and it’s true we are,” says Bolingbrook head coach Tony Smith.

Bolingbrook has a big lineup. Five girls are over 6 feet tall.

They’re also steamrolling over opponents and ranked as high as 4th in the country because of their tenacious trademark defense.

“Definitely defense, but everybody brings a different skill set and we just try to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and make it work,” says DaLacy Anderson, a George Washington recruit.

How do they divide up the playing time between eight D-1 girls?

“It’s just everybody gets pretty much the same playing time,” adds Penn recruit Keierra Ray.

A lot of victories, conference championships and tournament wins. That’s all great but these girls have only one goal in mind – to become the first girls team in Illinois history to win four straight state titles.

“It’s always on your mind but we can’t let that get to us. We go out there and play as if we have not won a game or won a state championship,” adds Ray.

“Keep them hungry, motivated, humble too, so that were not going to talk about past ones, those are past and gone. We talk about what we can be done today,” said Smith

Can Tuck imagine going off to UConn next year as four-time state champs?

“I can, I want to, I hope that happens, that’s the plan,” she said.

Smith demands his players have a 3.0 grade point average or better to play. That’s not a school rule, that’s his rule.

The Democrat said he wants to tackle restructuring the health care program that covers 2.7 million poor and disabled Illinoisans, but he didn’t provide specifics.

“We want to have better health care and wellness for those who are Medicaid recipients,” he said. “That may mean we step on some of the toes of some of those providers in the system. Some of those sacred cows may have to be challenged.”

Some options for restructuring the system are shrinking payments to hospital and doctors, cutting benefits and reducing how many people are eligible.

Reforming Medicaid won’t be easy, particularly in an election year. Last year, Quinn proposed cutting payment rates for providing care under the Medicaid program, which would have meant a reduction in what state government owes. But state legislators did not approve it.

The state’s Medicaid budget is about $14 billion, which includes federal money. The state contribution is around $8.6 billion.

However, the state has paid some costs out of future budgets, and there has been buildup of late payments. The backlog of unpaid Medicaid bills is expected to reach $1.8 billion by the end of the fiscal year.

Quinn said he also wants to reform public pensions system this year; the state’s five state-employee pension systems are underfunded by about $83 billion.

He said he will look at employer and employee contributions, cost of living adjustments and the retirement age. Previously, he has suggested making local school districts pick up the employers’ portion of teacher retirement benefits.

“If we want to have adequate resources for education and public safety and all the other important things in life, we’re going to have to deal with this very difficult issue,” he said Tuesday as he addressed the City Club of Chicago.

Quinn also said he wants to reform the state’s tax system, which he says has “too many loopholes.” He offered no details.

Quinn will unveil his state budget on Feb. 22 at a time when Illinois’s backlog of unpaid bills is at $9.2 billion and expected to continue growing.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

CHICAGO (CBS) – Just days before the City of Chicago was planning to print 1.2 million newly-designed city stickers, allegations have surfaced that the picture on the stickers actually pays respect to a street gang.

Lawrence Hall Youth Services student Herbert Pulgar, 15, designed the sticker, which features an image of the Chicago skyline and flag inside a heart, with four hands reaching up toward symbols of Chicago police officers, firefighters and paramedics.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s David Roe reports

Pulgar’s design was announced late last year as the 2012-2013 city sticker – which must be displayed on all vehicles registered in Chicago – after 18,000 people voted on 10 different designs from Chicago students.

But a number of police blogs claim the hands on the sticker are also flashing gang signs used by the Maniac Latin Disciples, which also uses a heart as one of its symbols. The blogs also claim the white streaks around the police and fire hats represent a pitchfork.

Some police blogs also claim Pulgar is a Maniac Latin Disciples gang member.

The Second City Cop blog reports that after Pulgar won the contest, the first message on his Facebook page was “D-Love LOL,” short for “Disciple love.”

Chicago City Clerk Susana Mendoza says she hopes the gang signs were not intentionally reflected on the city sticker as a sign of disrespect for police officers and firefighters.

Lawrence Hall Youth Services, 4833 N. Francisco Ave., is defending Pulgar and the design. Spokeswoman Jill Watson told the Chicago Sun-Times: “Somebody recognized his talent and his beautiful artwork, and it changed his life. The sticker isn’t gang-related – it’s a beautiful piece of art.”

Former Police Supt. Jody Weis, now the president of the Chicago Crime Commission, told the Sun-Times the gestures on the hands in the design were indeed consistent with a gang sign.

City Clerk’s office spokeswoman Kristine Williams said the clerk’s office found out about the allegations on Tuesday and will investigate the matter. She declined further comment until an investigation is conducted.

“Coincidence? Not on all four and that (they) were both left and right hands,” Weis told the Sun-Times’ Kim Janssen.

Two men at the White Palace Grill said Wednesday that the issue has been blown out of proportion.

“If you look at, like, the Blackhawks symbol, it has a pitchfork in it, and it’s just supposed to be a wrinkle in (Chief Black Hawk’s) forehead,” said Kevin McDermott of Chicago. “It probably was an unintentional drawing that people are just turning into a different thing. There’s a lot of sports symbols that you can change into gang signs.”

“It’s nothing intentional. Like he was saying, I mean, there’s multiple things in our culture now that has that symbol out there, and it’s not meaning it’s gang-affiliated, or anything like that,” added John Spencer of Chicago.

Pulgar spoke with WBBM Newsradio in December after winning the contest. He said his motivation was that “Chicago heroes need love.”

He told WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser he was excited to see his artwork on car windows all over the city, and wants to become an architect when he is older.

“I used to be, like, real bad, and you know, I changed a lot,” he said.

Pulgar’s inspiration to honor first responders came from an incident when he was 4.

“I was burnt from my stomach all the way up to my belly button, and they saved my life,” he said.

For his winning design, Pulgar received a $1,000 savings bond that will go toward his continuing education.

Last summer, Police Supt. Garry McCarthy vowed to destroy the Maniac Latin Disciples gang, after a member opened fire in Avondale Park on the city’s Northwest Side in June and wounded two young girls, ages 2 and 7.

A man wearing sunglasses and a scarf over his face entered the Charter One Bank branch at 810 S. Oak Park Ave. in the western suburb at 1:44 p.m. He displayed a handgun and ordered everyone inside the bank to the floor.

Witnesses say he then jumped over the counter, grabbed an undisclosed amount of cash from a cash drawer, and ran out of the bank.

The suspect’s description was broadcast to patrol units, which responded to the area around Oak Park Avenue and the Eisenhower Expressway. They began a canvas search.

Minutes later, with help from witnesses, a man matching the general description of the robber was spotted hiding in a nearby dumpster. He was arrested and turned over to the FBI, which handles all bank robbery investigations.

No further details were immediately available.

Oak Park officials said the man is expected to be formally charged in federal court Wednesday morning.

© Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

James R. Woodard, 20, of the 900 block of North Calumet Avenue in Aurora, pleaded guilty to one count each of predatory criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s office. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and must register for life as a sex offender.

From April to June 2010, Woodard had sexual contact with a minor, prosecutors said, and had sexual contact with another minor in November 2010. The victims were 12 and 13 years old at the time.

Woodard will serve 15 years for the predatory criminal sexual assault conviction and five years for the aggravated criminal sexual abuse conviction, the release said. The sentences are to be served consecutively.

He must serve at least 85 percent of the 15-year sentence and is eligible for day-for-day sentencing for the five-year sentence, the release said. He was given credit for at least 435 days served in the Kane County Jail.

© Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Three armed men entered the BP station at West Lake Street and Springfield Drive about 11:15 p.m. on Jan. 28 and lured the clerk from behind the secured register area, according to a release from Roselle police.

The men then beat the clerk with their fists and stole items from the store, the release said.

Investigators obtained surveillance video from a nearby business that shows the three suspects minutes before the robbery, the release said.

Anyone with information should call Detective Sgt. John Lawson at (630) 671-4044.

© Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

HARVEY, Ill. (CBS) – A 25-year-old woman whose rape kit went untested for 10 years sues the city of Harvey.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Roberts reports, the woman says she wants closure, and says the way to achieve that is to bring everything to the forefront.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Roberts reports

“I feel that my case wasn’t handled properly,” she said during a teleconference with attorneys on Tuesday. “I want my family to know what’s going on. I also want the public to know what has happened to me.”

The now 25-year-old woman was 11 at the time of the 1997 rape and is seeking unspecified damages in a seven-count suit that names Robert Buchanan, a former Cook County corrections officer, and the City of Harvey, a release from the Dinizulu Law Group said. Buchanan, 45, was charged last October with predatory criminal sexual assault.

The key to the case was a 2007 raid on the Harvey Police Department conducted by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office, the Cook County Sheriff’s office and Illinois State Police. More than 200 untested “rape kits” — evidence collected in sexual assaults — were recovered.

“Sometimes you have to peel back the onion to understand what’s going on. Unfortunately for her, the system broke down,” said the woman’s attorney, Yao Dinizulu.

A spokeswoman for the city of Harvey, however, said the police “diligently investigated” the incident and “never abandoned the matter.”

In 1997, Buchanan was suspected of raping the girl in her home and was interviewed by Harvey detectives, but released without charges. A rape kit was taken from the victim but was not tested until being recovered in the raid.

Havey spokeswoman Sandra Alvarado said in email that Harvey police Department “diligently investigated this criminal sexual assault. Unfortunately, at that time, criminal charges could not be sustained against any particular individual for this horrific crime.

“Harvey investigators, however, never abandoned this matter. Last year, taking advantage of technology which did not exist in 1997, investigators from the Harvey Police Department working with investigators of the state’s attorney office were finally able to bring charges against Robert Buchanan for the criminal sexual assault of his step-daughter.”

“Everything from (the rape) to the present time has been a blur,” the woman said Tuesday. “You go on. No one knows. You live your life like everything is normal. I always knew this was not right.”

Lawyers allege the woman, who now lives out of state, was notified by an investigator for the state’s attorney’s office last spring that the kit was never tested.

Last year, investigators obtained DNA from Buchanan that matched DNA in the rape kit, State’s Attorney’s office spokeswoman Sally Daly said after Buchanan was charged.

The suit alleges Harvey officials failed to protect the victim’s rights under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. It also claims infliction of emotional distress, willful and wanton neglect, and fraudulent concealment.

Alvarado said the case “predates this administration and it is regrettable that the victim was unable to have her assailant brought to justice due to circumstances that were beyond the control of the Harvey Police Department.”

She said the department “takes every crime seriously and is grateful to its steadfast investigators and help given by the Illinois State Police to, hopefully, bring some degree of closure to the victim and her family.”

The victim has been diagnosed with suppressed memories and is currently receiving therapy, the release said.

Buchanan was a correctional officer at the time of the incident, but had been on duty-related disability leave since November 2010, the sheriff’s office said at the time of his arrest.

He is scheduled for a status hearing at the Markham courthouse on March 9.

The SouthtownStar contributed to this report, via the Sun-Times Media Wire.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Gloria Steinem met with students at Columbia College on Tuesday, to share the story of America’s road to gender equality. As CBS 2′s Vince Gerasole reports, Steinem said it’s a road we’re still traveling.

Think about it; women still don’t earn as much as men for the same work.

Steinem was modest when she talked about the battles she’s fought; advances current generations sometimes take for granted.

“I think we all want this in our lives. We want to have an impact on the world in a positive way,” Steinem said.

The feminist icon became the outspoken leader of the women’s liberation movement in the late 1960s and the 1970s.

But, speak to young women on a college campus these days, and not everyone might realize how Steinem touched their lives.

“I have heard the name, but I don’t really know much else,” Columbia student Sarah Gentile said.

“I have known who Gloria Steinem is since I was 12,” Columbia student Lynne Stanko said. “Gloria Steinem was one of the leaders of a second wave of feminism in the 70s”

As a journalist, Steinem famously worked undercover as a Playboy Bunny, revealing sexism in the workplace.

She co-founded Ms. Magazine, bringing attention to issues like domestic abuse and pay inequality.

As a political activist, she fought a hard, yet losing battle to pass the Equal Rights Amendment.

Jane Saks, Founding Executive Director of the Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media at Columbia College, said, “She understands that it’s about systemic change. It’s not about getting one person in a position of power, but it’s about creating systems that create equity for everybody.”

You might say auctioneer Leslie Hindman benefited from that systemic change.

The auction house she started in 1982 now employs more than 70 people at five nationwide locations.

“I always thought that I would get married and not work,” she said. “So, for me, just the whole idea of having a big career was something that was controversial in a way.”

And though Hindman’s success is the result of own hard work, she’s knows many women like her benefited from Steinem’s efforts.

She said the lesson Steinem provided was “more a feeling that you could do anything with your life, even if you’re a woman.”

Take Your Daughter to Work Day and the growing numbers of women in professions like medicine and business can both be traced to the feminist movement Steinem led. But with women earning about 77 cents to the dollar compared to men for the same work, Steinem said there’s more work to do.

As CBS 2’s Mai Martinez reports, Josiah Pickard Elementary School principal Rigo Hernandez has been in charge for five years, during which time dozens of complaints have been filed against him.

Hernandez was eager to talk about the allegations and defend himself against those complaints on Tuesday, but when he arrived at school Tuesday morning, he said his bosses wouldn’t let him discuss the matter publicly.

The teachers who made the allegations and the Chicago Teachers Union, however, had plenty to say.

Some teachers, past and present, have painted an ugly picture of what happens inside the school.

“He was ranting about something and then made a threat to us that, if we went to his supervisor, he was going to cut our throats,” teacher Marlene Chavez said.

Chavez has filed several grievances and complaints with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board against Hernandez.

She’s not alone. According to the Chicago Teachers Union, 31 grievances have been filed against Hernandez since 2008.

“Allegations of threats of physical violence; we have assaults and batteries,” said CTU representative John Kugler.

He also said there are allegations of sexual harassment.

“He tends to make sexual comments about teachers’ cleavage, or their hips. He rates teachers,” Chavez said. “Who’s pretty, who has nice hips.”

She said the harassment makes her apprehensive every day when she heads to work.

“It’s really scary, because I don’t know if he’s going to come out of his office and scream at me, yell at me,” she added.

It’s a fear shared by some of Chavez’s former colleagues.

One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said it was difficult working for Hernandez.

“I wasn’t sure from one day to another if he was going to yell at me,” she said.

When asked if it’s normal for a principal to have the volume of complaints Hernandez has, Kugler replied “Absolutely not.”

CPS officials would only confirm investigating one allegation against Hernandez, and would not say which one.

In a statement CPS said “Chicago Public Schools takes every claim of unsafe and unfair workplace practices seriously and, when appropriate, thoroughly investigates them. We are committed to ensuring fairness and equity for all staff members so that every employee can work in a safe and secure environment. In the case of the allegation against Mr. Hernandez, our investigation found that the allegation was not substantiated by the evidence. Mr. Hernandez met the conditions specified in the resolution and no further action was necessary.”

As for Hernandez, he denied any wrongdoing and, in his words, Chavez is “just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.”

Chavez, who until recently was the union delegate at the school, said Hernandez is trying to fire her because of her complaints. Hernandez said it’s because her work is unsatisfactory.

“There’s a very fine line between confidence and arrogance, and this team crosses it from time to time,” Ethan Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post told The Boers and Bernstein Show. “They just believe they are better. Chris Bosh has said it repeatedly that, ‘We’re the best team. If we play like it, then it’s all about us.’ Now that they’ve beaten Chicago five-straight times — I know they didn’t have (Luol) Deng in the last game, and as much as they respect him, I don’t think that the Heat look at that as a major issue. They just think that if they’re playing their game, nobody else in the league can touch them.”

LISTEN: Ethan Skolnick on The Boers and Bernstein Show

For the rest of this interview and other 670 The Score interviews click here.

Skolnick did say, however, that if the Bulls are able to trade for center Dwight Howard, that would put some fear in Miami.

“If the Heat are going to be worried about Howard going anywhere, (Chicago is) the place that the Heat would be worried,” Skolnick said. “If you put (Derrick Rose and Howard) together with a Thibodeau-coach team, I think obviously that would be an automatic concern around the league.”

As CBS 2’s Derrick Blakley reports, just days after Mayor Rahm Emanuel applauded the firm for bringing its North American headquarters to Chicago, state officials said ThyssenKrupp had created a hostile work environment for black employees at its Westchester office.

On Tuesday, ThyssenKrupp issued an apology, under pressure from Emanuel and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. The company also pledged to address the situation and come up with the targets of alleged discrimination on an appropriate resolution.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Roberts reports

An African-American sales representative had sued the company, alleging he faced a relentless barrage of racial insults.

Former ThyssenKrup salesman Martell Reese said “my direct supervisor used n***** in front of me; not on one occasion, but two occasions, and thought nothing was wrong with it. The first time he said it, he laughed and he apologized. The second time he said it, he shrugged his shoulders and he went about his business. This is important, because he’s my direct supervisor and directly impacts my success at the company.”

Reese worked at the company’s Westchester office for more than two years before resigning in January 2010.

He said he endured constant, almost casual use of the N-word; disparaging comments about black neighborhoods; and a skit performed in blackface at a company meeting in Indianapolis

On Tuesday, ThyssenKrupp president and CEO Rich Hussey issued a statement saying:

“We understand that these allegations have been the source of distress and hurt to members of the African-American community, citizens of Chicago, our employees and others. For that, we offer our sincerest apologies and recognize our responsibilities in this matter.”

He also acknowledged the use of racial epithets was a mistake and said the company needs to take further measures to prevent such behavior. The company will retrain workers in an effort to correct the problem.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports

Emanuel praised the company for taking action, saying the city won’t tolerate discrimination.

“Those are not the values of Chicago. We have a core set of values and, to be a good citizen, you must enforce it and also educate to it. They’ve taken the action you saw today, so they’ve done what they’re supposed to do,” he said.

Emanuel admitted he applied some Chicago-style arm-twisting on ThyssenKrupp officials, speaking to executives to urge them to find a speedy resolution to this issue.

Last week, Emanuel welcomed ThyssenKrupp’s announcement that it would bring 100 new jobs to Chicago by making the city its North American headquarters.

Video surveillance footage may have caught one of the suspects in the act.

The burglars break the windows or glass doors to gain entrance and steal the TVs, Wentworth Area detectives said in a release.

Nine burglaries happened between the hours of 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. from May 6, 2011, through Jan. 20, police said. The first five happened between the 2500 and 4100 blocks of South Archer Avenue. The next two happened in the 3100 block of South Morgan, followed by one in the 2600 block of South Wallace and the most recent in the 3600 block of South Archer.

Police are urging business owners to activate alarm systems, keep perimeters well-lit and properly secure the store when leaving.

(The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report)

The Ministers Conference of South Suburban Cook County is teaming up with First Midwest Bank a week from Saturday for a financial literacy workshop in south suburban Harvey. The goal is to get poor people away from currency exchanges and into banks.

The head of the Ministers conference, Bishop G.H. Bruden, said he wants to “sign up as many people as possible.”

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

A First Midwest representative who attended a meeting with the ministers said “we’re not just trying to open accounts. We’re trying to build relationships.”

David L. Lowery Jr., the President of the Chicago-Far South Suburban branch of the NAACP, said he believes the bank is reaching out to the black community for one reason: to get them as customers.

“Banks have not been kind to minorities, and the only time they were kind to us was with the sub-prime lending situation, where they knew people couldn’t afford homes in the first place and gave them loans anyway,” Lowery said.

If the bank is really interested in helping the poor, he said, black customers should be treated the same as white customers, and should be able to get loans and credit cards and other services that white customers get.

The FDIC conducted a study in 2009 that found there were about 17-million American adults who didn’t have bank accounts. It also found that there were about 43-million more who had accounts but relied heavily on currency exchanges and check cashing businesses.

The attorney general’s office argued in court papers filed Tuesday that Sandusky’s bail conditions should be revised so that the former Penn State assistant coach isn’t allowed outside unless he’s getting medical treatment.

Prosecutors say they’re opposed to Sandusky’s request to be allowed to see his grandchildren. They say he should be jailed as he awaits trial on 52 criminal counts related to sexual abuse of boys.

Sandusky has maintained his innocence. There’s a court hearing on Friday regarding his bail conditions.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

And while that stat can’t be placed solely on the goaltenders, one NHL expert thinks poor defensive play coupled with average goal tending is making things tough for the ‘Hawks.

“It’s not all goaltending, but (the Hawks) have average goaltending,” Tim Sassone of the Daily Herald told The McNeil and Spiegel Show. “When you have a team that is probably average defensively, you need great goaltending. … When you make defensive mistakes like the ‘Hawks make in positioning and they have some forwards that don’t like to get back and help out, you need great goaltending. I hate to lay it all on Corey Crawford’s shoulders and Ray Emery’s shoulders, but goaltending has been a problem this year.”

LISTEN: Tim Sassone on The McNeil and Spiegel Show

For the rest of this interview and other 670 The Score interviews click here.

If the season were to end today, the Blackhawks would own the sixth playoff spot in West. Sassone thinks that’s exactly where the ‘Hawks belong. He said until defensive changes are made, they will continue to struggle.

“It’s a problem, the defensive mindset of this team,” Sasson said. “This isn’t October and November  anymore, we’re into February, 53 games in. They can talk all they want about turning things around defensively, but you can’t really believe it until you see it. It’s hard to see any improvement being made.”

Forward Michael Davies also scored and goaltender Eddie Lack kicked out 28 shots for Chicago, which won for the fifth time in its last six outings.

“We took it to them pretty hard at the start and they came right back at us,” said Wolves head coach Craig MacTavish. “Eddie was sensational for us and Jordan was able to capitalized on a great play by Tim (Miller),”

Chicago (26-17-1-3) grabbed the game-winner while short-handed at 16:34. Forward Tim Miller scooped up a loose puck behind the Aeros net and wristed a long shot on that was sticked away by Houston goaltender Matt Hackett. The rebound went into the far circle right to Schroeder, who deked and buried a shot past Hackett.

The Wolves opened scoring 6:43 into the contest when Davies intercepted an errant pass from an Aeros defender in the slot and snapped a quick shot over Hackett’s glove.

Hackett (15-10-4) posted 26 saves.

Houston (23-13-3-9) tied the score 1-1 with 1:02 remaining in the second period. Right wing Jon DiSalvatore found defenseman Chay Genoway at the near point and he walked into a slap shot that sailed over the glove of Lack (12-11-3).

Houston        0      1      0       — 1
Chicago        1      0      1      — 2

First Period—1, Chicago, Davies 5 (unassisted), 6:43.  Penalties—Roussel, Chicago (hooking), 14:28.
Second Period—2, Houston, Genoway 5 (DiSalvatore, Scandella), 18:58.  Penalties—Medvec, Houston (hooking), 10:42; Rau, Houston (hooking), 18:07; Rodin, Chicago (holding the stick), 18:26.
Third Period—3, Chicago, Schroeder 14 (Miller), 16:34 sh.  Penalties—Erixon, Chicago (delay of game), 2:35; Broda, Houston (elbowing), 6:01; Connauton, Chicago (slashing), 15:56.
Shots on goal—Houston: 9-10-10–29. Chicago: 10-9-9-28.  Power plays—Houston: 0-4. Chicago: 0-3.  Goalies—Houston, Hackett (26-28). Chicago, Lack (28-29).  A—9,231.  Referees—Tim Mayer and Graham Skilliter.  Linesmen—Brian Oliver and Mathieu Chenier.

Both quarterbacks are typically given ample time by their offensive lines in the pocket to make their reads and make the proper throw — something Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was rarely able to do.

“A lot of times when we talked this season on Mondays, it was, ‘Man, Jay made a lot of plays,’” Matt Bowen told The Boers and Bernstein Show. “The reason he had to make a lot of plays was because he was running for his life. That’s why. You just want to say a couple times, ‘Jay threw the ball really well from the pocket.’ That’s what a quarterback is supposed to do. He’s supposed to have time to go through his progression.

LISTEN: Matt Bowen on The Boers and Bernstein Show

For the rest of this interview and other 670 The Score interviews click here.

“They (need to) add a wide receiver to work the new guys, to work Earl Bennett. Maybe they add a tight tend, too, to give (Cutler) some weapons. But you have to give quarterbacks time.”

CHICAGO (CBS) — A 1-year-old boy was killed Tuesday afternoon when a 50-inch TV fell on his head on the Far South Side.

Authorities said it happened about 12:30 p.m. in the 11300 block of South Edbrooke Avenue in the Roseland neighborhood.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller reports, relatives identified the victim as 17-month-old Sean Brown.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller reports

“I keep telling them, ‘Watch your babies. Watch your babies. This is a little fellow. He’s going to be 2, I think in September. So he’s an active little fellow,” his great-grandmother Mozelle Kyles said.

A Fire Department spokesperson said when paramedics arrived, someone had already taken the child to the hospital. Police said the boy was taken to Roseland Community Hospital. He was later transferred to the University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital.

As CBS 2′s Kristyn Hartman reports, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the boy later died.

Kyles said her daughter is the one who took the boy to Roseland Hospital.

“I just know it’s a big TV,” Kyles said, “and it toppled over on him. It wasn’t really high, but it’s a big TV and he’s a little fellow.”

Neighbor Lolita Moore said the stand that the TV, an older-style box-type television, had been sitting on wasn’t stable enough for the TV.

Arvey Levinsohn, founder A&H Childproofers looked at photos of the fallen TV and the piece of furniture it was sitting on and seemed to agree.

“It’s a shame that these incidents happen when it’s so easy to fix,” he said.

He said the stand the TV had been placed on was too tall and narrow for such a large TV.

“It’s just an accident waiting to happen,” he said.

Levinsohn said there are ways to anchor old front-heavy monitors and new flat- screen TVs to the wall with straps and studs.

“The old TVs are off-balance. All the weight is in the front. That’s where all the components and the tube is,” he said. “The new TVs, it’s all pretty centered, but bases are nowhere near wide enough to support a TV that’s 50-inch, or 60-inch or a 42-inch. And when a child grabs a hold of the top of that TV, it’s very easily tipped over.”

He called the stability fix an inexpensive and easy way to prevent the pain Sean Brown’s family was feeling Tuesday.

Kyles said the accident illustrates an important lesson for parents.

“Watch your children,” Kyles said. “First things first, your children come ahead of anything, everything. … Don’t leave them by theirself. If you know you’ve got an active baby, keep up with it.”

Moore also said she hopes that the accident serves as a reminder to parents to keep an eye on young children.

“It’s teaching parents to watch your children. Even though these TVs are old, Lord, you have to watch your kids. One-year-olds don’t know no better,” Moore said. “So it’s left up to us parents.”

As with any routine investigation, police were looking into the baby’s death. So is the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Accidents involving falling TVs have proven deadly multiple times in the past year. In January, Gianna Hadjis, 4, was killed when a television fell on her head her home in University Park.

In October and November, respectively, similar accidents killed Shaniya Singleton, 3, of the Englewood neighborhood, and Karl Clermont, 6, of Arlington Heights.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports, there were 565 arrests – including 314 men allegedly soliciting sex.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

A total of 227 people were arrested on prostitution charges and other misdemeanor counts, and two more were arrested on human trafficking charges.

The roundup was all part of what Dart calls the “National Day of Johns Arrests.” Twenty law enforcement agencies in eight states ran sting operations in hotels and brothels, on the streets and on the Internet over a 10-day period that concluded Monday night, Dart’s office said.

If the johns are all convicted, fines will be in the neighborhood of nearly $475,000.

While prostitution is often characterized as a victimless crime, the sheriff’s office says that is not true. Dart’s office says customers of prostitutes “perpetuate a violent, exploitative industry,” and if there were no johns, there would be no abusive pimps and traffickers either.

“Large sporting events, such as the Super Bowl, bring out competitiveness in all of us, including, unfortunately, pimps and sex traffickers,” Dart said in a news release. “In the days leading up to and including Super Bowl Sunday, my office coordinated with 19 other law enforcement agencies from around the country to send a strong message that our communities refuse to tolerate the sale of human beings for sex.”

The Cook County Sheriff’s office ran the sting along with the Orland Park FBI office, the Kane County sheriff’s office, police in Aurora and Elgin, and police in Indianapolis; Boston; Los Angeles; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Newport News, Va.; Cincinnati; and Dayton, Ohio.

A 48-year-old woman was reported missing from an Uptown neighborhood nursing home on the North Side.

Brenda McKistry, 48, was last seen Monday at the nursing home in the 4600 block of North Sheridan Road, according to Belmont Area Special Victims Unit detectives.

She is described as white with a medium complexion, 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Patrina Byrd, 30, was reported missing by her case worker at Thresholds, a mental health center.

Byrd, suffers from schizophrenia and a cocaine addiction, was last seen Monday, but was located by police in Tuesday.

Anyone with information should call detectives at (312) 744-8266.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports, police say they do not have any suspects in the shooting that killed Deshun Winfert, 15, and wounded his father.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports

Winfert, 15, of the 2900 block of West 65th Street, was pronounced dead at 10:32 p.m. Monday at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

The boy and his father, 32, had just stopped at a stop sign at 66th and Mozart streets near their Marquette Park neighborhood home, around 11:45 p.m. Sunday, police said.

A silver sport-utility vehicle pulled up alongside their car, and the front-seat passenger pulled out a gun and started shooting, police said.

Both the father and son were shot in the chest before the gunman fled in his vehicle east on 66th Street, police said. Winfert’s father drove off south on Mozart Street, before calling 911 near 63rd Street and Kedzie Avenue a few blocks away.

No one has figured out why Winfert and his father were shot. Police tell the Chicago Tribune he had no known gang affiliations.

Winfert had been a freshman at Simeon High School. His mother tells the Tribune, “They took my baby for no reason.”

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.

“The swelling in Sen. Kirk’s brain has subsided and this morning we were able to reattach the portion of his skull that had been removed following his stroke. This is an important milestone in his recovery and a step toward the next phase, rehabilitation. He remains in good condition,” said Dr. Richard Fessler, a neurosurgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The senator suffered an ischemic stroke the weekend of Jan. 21. He underwent surgery that weekend to remove a large section of his skull in order to reduce swelling on the right side of his brain.

A few days after the initial surgery, doctors performed another procedure to remove two small pieces of brain tissue that had been rendered non-functional by the stroke.

Fessler has said Kirk will have a long road to recovery and, although he is expected to make a full mental recovery, he’s likely to suffer long-term problems using his left arm and, possibly, his left leg. He might also suffer some partial facial paralysis.

Doctors said if the stroke had occurred on the left side of Kirk’s brain, the effects could have been more severe, because the left side of the brain controls most cognitive functions.

For Kirk, rehabilitation will mean restoring as much function as possible on the left side of his body and learning to live with whatever permanent limitations that might result from the stroke.

CBS San Francisco reports a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has declared Prop 8 unconstitutional. The court ruled 2-1 to uphold the decision of a lower court judge.

• READ THE COMPLETE CALIFORNIA RULING

“Although the Constitution permits communities to enact most laws they believe to be desirable, it requires that there be at least a legitimate reason for the passage of a law that treats different classes of people differently. There was no such reason that Proposition 8 could have been enacted,” the ruling stated.

But the ruling does not mean same-sex marriages will resume in California right away. Prop 8 supporters are expected to appeal to the full, 11-judge 9th Circuit Court, and ultimately to the U.S. Supreme Court, CBS San Francisco reported.

On Tuesday morning, the Chicago Phoenix published reactions to the ruling from some of the Chicago area’s leading LGBT leaders, many of whom expressed hope that full marriage equality would come to Illinois before too long.

Activist Rick Garcia, who was one of the leaders in the push for a Chicago ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation, said he was “thrilled” with the ruling, the Phoenix reported.

But he went on to say Illinois is “very chauvinistic” and does not follow the lead of other states when it comes to major changes in social policy. Still, Garcia said in the Phoenix, the overturning of Prop 8 will help Illinois residents understand the issue better.

“When people see another ruling in our favor, it will be another opportunity for discussion for people and it will help to continue to develop their understanding of the topic,” Garcia said in the Phoenix. “It is really symbolic and it adds to the movement towards equal marriage in Illinois.”

Illinois State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) said in the Phoenix that the ruling reaffirms that same-sex couples should have equal protection, and “this is just one more step that shows the momentum is in our direction.”

Bernard Cherkasov, chief executive officer of the gay rights group Equality Illinois, said the ruling will serve as important legal precedent.

“With this ruling, political leaders who support full equality will have important arguments to share with state legislators who will inevitably be asked to vote on full marriage rights in the future,” Cherkasov said in the Phoenix. “Lawmakers need not wait for the ultimate disposition of the California case and other legal rulings to do the right thing in Springfield and Washington, D.C. to end marriage discrimination.”

Cherkasov said in the Phoenix that while Equality Illinois supports civil unions, which are now legal in Illinois, they do not go far enough in guaranteeing equal rights.

Anthony Martinez, executive director of The Civil Rights Agenda, said in the publication that it was particularly important that the California decision was made on 14th Amendment grounds.

“Although this ruling does not affect our laws in Illinois, it is still very significant for Illinoisans, in that it will only aid our progress toward full and equal civil rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation,” Martinez said in the Phoenix.

ChicagoPride.com also published a statement by Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), who was the city’s first openly gay alderman when he was elected in 2003. He said he hopes “this sets some serious precedent nationwide.”

The State of Illinois still bans same-sex marriage by statute. But last year, Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill granting civil unions to same-sex couples.

Full same-sex marriage rights are currently available in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Iowa and the District of Columbia. Same-sex marriage was also approved in California after a state Supreme Court decision in June 2008, but that decision was overturned by Prop 8 five months later.

Police issued a sketch of the man who tried to convince an 11-year-old to get into his car on the Northwest Side and go play Xbox.

The incident happened on Jan. 31 about 9 a.m. in the 7400 block of West School Street, Grand Central Area detectives said. The man called the boy to his car and then told him to get in.

When the child refused, the man got out of his car and chased the boy. He ran home and the man ran back to his car and drove away, police said in a news release.

The man is described as white or Hispanic with a medium complexion. He was between 30 and 40, 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10 and 150-170 pounds.

He had black and gray hair; a full, closely trimmed black beard; thick eyebrows that the victim described as being a “uni-brow” and large lips, the alert said.

He was wearing a black t-shirt with red lettering, worn over a white long-sleeved shirt and baggy black pants, the alert said.

He was driving a small to mid-sized purple two-door car with tinted windows.

Anyone with information should call detectives at (312) 746-8365.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

CBS 2 Meteorologist Megan Glaros says conditions will remain cloudy in the latter half of the day, and snow will likely start in the afternoon. But the snow will likely be limited to light flurries or snow showers.

Little, if any, snow will accumulate, Glaros says.

The high for the day is a season-appropriate 35 degrees, with more light snow coming as the overnight low drops to 29.

On Wednesday, a mix of clouds and sun will take over as cold high-pressure system comes through, and the high stalls out at 32. The high returns to 39 on Thursday.

But on Friday and Saturday, spill some water on the sidewalk and you’ll have a patch of ice that won’t go anywhere. The high for Friday is a mere 28, and for Saturday 27.

But it is February, after all.

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