Blindness and Kindness / Atheist's Plane Crashes / Expressway Baby / Family Could Lose Special Home

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Cop Answers Call to Kindness, Replaces Blind Man's Stolen Phone

A blind man recently robbed of his iPhone in Joliet wasn't without one for long, thanks to a south suburban police officer.

Family Struggling to Keep Customized Home for Quadriplegic Son

A Palos Park family is scrambling to come up with the money needed to save their home—one customized to accommodate their quadriplegic son.

'Wrongfully Convicted' Millionaire Gang Leader Who Shattered Man's Legs with Bullets Loses Lawsuit and Freedom

CRIME & MONEY: Thaddeus "T.J." Jimenez, sent to prison at 13, then freed and given $25 million for his trouble, awaits a new and deserved prison sentence.

Baby Can't Wait: Woman Gives Birth to Son After Exiting Dan Ryan Expressway

A couple's third child couldn't wait to enter the world, forcing a woman to give birth to the boy after her husband exited the Dan Ryan Expressway on Monday morning.

Plane in Fatal Crash Belonged to Atheist Activist Rob Sherman

The plane crash happened in Marengo Saturday morning.

Blackhawks Fan Sues Off-Duty Chicago Cop Over Portillo's Fight in 2015

VIDEO: In the lawsuit, the Canadian man claims the police officer used excessive force and made false statements about the incident. PLUS: 2 Chicago Cops Resign to Avoid Firings Over Off-Duty Fight at Taco Joint

Watch Chicago Police Give Emotional Final Goodbye to Four-Legged Officer

VIDEO: "I just know in my heart it's time," said the handler for Bob, a retired CPD K-9 who was euthanized Wednesday due to brain cancer.

Neo-Nazi Group Hangs Hitler, Swastika Posters on U of Chicago Campus

A neo-Nazi group is claiming responsibility for hanging posters of Adolf Hitler in a field of swastikas on the University of Chicago campus. The posters also include the hate group's name, Atomwaffen Division, as well as the slogans, "#Hitler Disapproves" and "No Degeneracy, No Tolerance, Hail Victory." PLUS: Heil Hitler’ Uttered by Man Near Northwestern’s Jewish Life Center

Marist High Sued Over Expulsion of Girls Involved in Racist Text Message

The fathers of two of the Marist High School students who were expelled over a racially charged text message have sued the school, claiming their daughters were “used as scapegoats” to respond to pressure and criticism.

Boy Forced Into 3-Way Sex With Middle-Aged Couple Was Also Strangled: Cops

The male half of the middle-aged couple — a relative of the boy — strangled him, police said.

» JUST A FEW WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS

2016 Christmas TV Schedule: When Are Holiday Classics On TV?

• Best Front-Yard Christmas Lights in the Chicago Suburbs 2016
• Holiday Return Policies: Apple, Target, Macy's, Best Buy and More Retailers
• 14 Popular Holiday Lights Displays in the Chicago Area
• Holiday Gift Guides: Everything You Could Possibly Imagine

» ACROSS ILLINOIS

Fraudster Bilked Investors With Star Trek-Inspired 'Medical Tricorder'

Howard Leventhal "used his considerable imagination and non-existent technology" to defraud $26 million from investors, prosecutors said.

Gold Pigs Will Fly When Chicago's Trump Tower Sign Looks Good, Design Firm Says

A design firm wants to "provide visual relief" to Chicagoans by floating inflatable pigs in front of the 20-foot-tall sign that adorns Chicago's Trump International Hotel and Tower.

Naperville Man Runs for President, Gets 27 Votes

While most of us were out voting for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and in a few cases Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, a Naperville man was hoping to get a few votes for himself. And a few is all he got. 27, to be exact.

Predatory Perv Convicted of Lurking Around Catholic School Carnival

A registered sex offender who attended an Evergreen Park parish carnival in 2015 was found guilty Monday of violating the terms of his registration during a bench trial before Cook County Judge Kerry Kennedy at the Fifth Municipal District Courthouse in Bridgeview.

WWII Navy Veteran, 94, Attacked, Robbed at Her Southwest Side Home: Cops

A 94-year-old World War II Navy veteran was attacked and her purse was stolen Wednesday after a man allegedly followed her into her Garfield Ridge home.

Chuck E. Cheese's Says It's Leaving Oak Lawn Before Possible Loss of Business License

The Village of Oak Lawn announced hours before a special board meeting had been scheduled to discuss possible disciplinary proceedings for CEC Entertainment that the company had initiated a discussion to move its troubled Chuck E. Cheese’s franchise out of Oak Lawn.

Joliet Family 'Ecstatic' About Pot-Bellied Pig Ordinance

It’s all smiles and oinks at the Flannery house after the Joliet City Council approved an ordinance allowing homes to care for one pot-bellied pig.

Couple's Dog Dies After Saving Woman in House Fire

A woman was saved from her burning home near Midway Airport after her dog woke her up Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, the canine and the woman's husband did not survive the blaze that started next to holiday decorations.
Also see:

Laced Gummy Bear Scare Sends 13 Naperville North Students to Hospital

A 17-year-old student is in custody for his involvement.

Plainfield Man's Board Game Now Available at Target Stores Nationwide

A Plainfield man took a gamble when he decided to create a new dice game, but that bet paid off and now you can buy his game in Target stores nationwide.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel Gives Middle Finger to 2020 Presidential Run

And no, that doesn't mean getting to the White House is his No. 1 priority.

‘Daddy’ Soliciting Underage Girls on Craigslist Nabbed in Sex Sting: Court

Evergreen Park police set up "date" with fictitious teen after man took out ad inviting girls to "come play with daddy," prosecutor said.

Cubs Increase Average Season Ticket Prices Almost 20%

World Series championships come at a price for teams, and it looks like Chicago Cubs season-ticket holders will be helping to pay for part of the tab.

» FIND A JOB

Chicago Jobs: 1000 Jobs Campaign, Lawry's The Prime Rib, Thomasville Furniture

Find openings at these businesses and elsewhere thanks to Patch's Jobs Board.

• Best & Worst Cities in Illinois for Jobs: Report
• These 25 Jobs Make the Most Money in Illinois
• The 25 Lowest-Paying Jobs in Illinois
• New: List Your Job on Patch!

» ALSO WORTH A LOOK

• Unborn Baby Killed in Des Plaines Car Crash
• Alsip Mom Searching for Vintage ‘Winking Doll’ That Helped Her Survive Foster Care
• Grandma Leaves Boy in Car to Shop at Walmart
• Lake Zurich Man’s Death Linked to Drug Never Seen Before in Cook Co.
• Man Tased Outside Walmart Supercenter After Giving Cop Fat Lip: Court
• Bolingbrook Police Sergeant Facing Termination for Associating with Felon Son
• 5 Whooping Cough Cases Confirmed at John Hersey High School: Health Department
• Intoxicated Joliet Driver with Toddlers in Car Fled from Traffic Crash: Police
• Sex Offender Accused of Putting Face, Mouth on Woman After Masturbating on CTA Train
• Blackhawks' Niklas Hjalmarsson Visits Thomas Middle School as 'Thank You' for Goodwill Donations
• Custodian at New Trier Hits it Big With $2 Million Lottery Win
• Brookfield Zoo Shares Photo of Amur Leopard Cub's First Snow
• Cops Seek Alleged Kitten-Nappers Who Swiped Pet from Chicago Ridge Petland

Our "Miss A Day, Miss a Lot" review shares recent must-read items from our Illinois network. The Patch community platform serves more than seven dozen villages, cities and neighborhoods in the Chicago region.

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