And as WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports, the pressure is on the inspectors keeping their eyes out for tiny would-be terrorists in the shipments.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

U.S. Customs and Border Protection specialists shake bouquets over tables, then search them with magnifying glasses.

“You talk about the proverbial needle in the haystack, but our officers are so highly skilled, so highly trained, very educated, they literally find that needle in the haystack,” said David Murphy director of Customs and Border Protection field operations in Chicago.

The inspectors are looking for pests that could devastate crops.

“Especially, we all want to show our affection for our loved-ones, and flowers are a great way to do that, but we want to make sure that not only are we celebrating this nice holiday, but we’re buying flowers that basically don’t have pests that could truly harm our economy,” Murphy said.

Last year in January and February alone, Customs and Border Protection intercepted 3,400 pests nationwide.

Head coach Bill Carmody joined The McNeil and Spiegel Show to discuss his team’s recent success.

“The guys played really well,” he said. “I really enjoyed watching them, to tell you the truth. Sometimes, you’re there and every play just burns you up, but last night, even though I was trying to work pretty hard, I was enjoying it as I was going. I thought the guys passed the ball so nicely and were so unselfish. Each guy came through when they had to.”

LISTEN: Bill Carmody on The McNeil and Spiegel Show

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

Carmody said his team’s balance has been their strength this season. They’re not longer counting on scoring from just John Shurna and Drew Crawford.

“You can just have one or two guys who you depend on all the time,” Carmody said. “Drew and John have been like that for a couple of years now. … When you have that kind of balance, it makes the shots that Drew (Crawford) and John (Shurna) are taking a lot easier because they don’t feel like they have to make every shot.”

(CBS) All-Star “snubs” and “surprises” happen every year.

Some players get named to the All-Star roster based on name recognition alone, while others—even when they are putting up “career numbers”—won’t even sniff the game.

This season is no exception.

Let’s start in with the Eastern Conference.

I don’t have a problem with Derrick Rose, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and Dwyane Wade being named starters for the East, but Carmelo Anthony?

What in the hell has he done for the New York Knicks this season besides lead them to an 11-15 record in a less-than-spectacular Atlantic Division?  Score points?  So what.  He scored in Denver too, but his 22.3 ppg this year is his lowest offensive output since his second year in the league back in 2004-05, when he averaged 20.8 ppg.  Should he be an All-Star?  I guess so.  But a starter?  No way.

The Atlanta Hawks have had to deal with some key injuries this season—namely to Al Horford—but surprisingly, they are just a half game behind the Indiana Pacers for the fourth seed in the East with a 17-9 record.  Does Joe Johnson deserve most of the credit for keeping the Hawks afloat?

I don’t think so.

If a player from Atlanta had to be named to the All-Star Game it should have been forward Josh Smith.  The only statistical category Joe Johnson leads for the Hawks is scoring (18.6 ppg).  Josh Smith, on the other hand, is averaging almost as many points per game as Johnson (15.6) and leads the team in rebounds (8.9) and blocks (2.0).  If those aren’t “All-Star numbers”, then what are?

Speaking of “huh?” moments, how is Indiana Pacers’ center Roy Hibbert going to the All-Star Game over Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe?

If we are comparing seasons between the two former Georgetown Hoyas, the man from Mo-Town wins in a landslide.  I understand that the Pistons are horrible, but so are the New Jersey Nets and Deron Williams made the roster.  Monroe is averaging more points per game (16.4) than Hibbert (13.6), and more rebounds, steals, and assists.

If I had to replace Hibbert with another Indiana Pacer (they do deserve to have an All-Star), Danny Granger would have been the better pick.  Otherwise, you have to go with Greg Monroe.

So what about the Western Conference roster?

Unlike the East, I don’t have a problem with any of the starters.  Kobe Bryant is still Kobe Bryant.  Andrew Bynum is having his best season as a Laker.  Chris Paul is having an MVP-type season with the Clippers.  Blake Griffin is a highlight reel (fans like that) waiting to happen, and Kevin Durant is the best scorer in the NBA.

But there are some reserves that don’t deserve to be there.  Namely, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki.

Don’t get me wrong; I love me some Dirk.

But when the man himself admits that he doesn’t deserve a spot on the West roster, you know he doesn’t deserve to be an All-Star.

If there is one thing I hate the most when it comes to All-Star games—regardless of sport—it is that some players are voted in based on career achievements and name recognition.

Sure they are just exhibition games–and the fans want to see the biggest names in the game–but I hate seeing guys that are having great seasons not being rewarded for their play during that particular season.

So instead of Mr. Nowitzki, why not Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap?

The Jazz have performed well beyond expectations this season and a lot of that success can be attributed to Millsap.  He is second on the team in scoring (16.5), first in rebounds (9.7), and first in steals.  Without Millsap, there is no way Utah is 13-11 and sitting in the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff race.

The “name recognition” argument could also be said about Phoenix point guard Steve Nash and San Antonio point guard Tony Parker.

Based on name recognition alone, Nash and Parker are All-Stars every day.

But if we are talking about the 2011-12 season, then I say “no way”.

Instead of Steve Nash, what about Houston Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry?

Sure Kevin Martin is the main scoring threat for the Rockets, but if it wasn’t for Lowry, Houston is not 16-11 and sitting in the fourth seed out West.

Lowry does a little bit of everything;  He is third on the team in scoring (14.7), tied for second in rebounds with Luis Scola (5.7), leads the team in assists (7.6), and leads the team in steals (2.0).  With that kind of production, people should be mentioning Lowry for league MVP honors, and anytime you are putting up MVP numbers, you should be an All-Star.

Since I am replacing Nash with Lowry, who takes Tony Parker’s spot?

How about Golden State Warrior Monte Ellis.

If anything, I like Ellis because he is a scoring machine.

He has never met a shot he doesn’t like–and when he gets it going–there aren’t many scorers that are better.  But while Ellis is synonymous with putting the ball through the hoop, leading Golden State at twenty-two points per game (which is also good enough for the sixth best average in the Western Conference), he is also second on the team behind Stephen Curry in assists (6.1) and steals (1.68).  Tony Parker, on the other hand, is averaging more assists per game than Ellis.

That’s it.

Shawn Muller

Shawn Muller has lived in the great city of Chicago for 7 years. He is a 2002 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, in October of 2010, Shawn received his certificate in radio broadcasting. In his free time, Shawn enjoys spending time with his wife Melissa and 3 year old daughter Ava, catching any live sporting event, and traveling. Check out his radio show, Grab Some Bench with Muller and Bangser” every Thursday night at 8:30 P.M., at www.blogtalkradio.com/spmuller24. Read more of his blogs here.

Judge John Cleland set a tentative trial date of May 14 for Sandusky and promised to rule quickly on a number of other issues, including dueling requests for changes to his bail restrictions.

Prosecutors want him confined to the inside of his house while on home confinement awaiting trial; the defense asked that he be allowed out occasionally to help with the case.

Defense attorney Joe Amdendola also asked that Sandusky, 68, be permitted to see his grandchildren, a request strenuously opposed by prosecutors.

“This home was not safe for children for 15 years, and it’s not safe for children now,” said state prosecutor Jonelle Eshbach.

Prosecutors noted that one daughter-in-law strongly objects to increased contact between her children and Sandusky.

Amendola presented the court with letters from Sandusky’s children, and notes and drawings from his grandchildren, expressing their desire for increased contact. He also noted a court-appointed guardian for grandchildren who are part of a custody dispute found no reason Sandusky couldn’t see them.

Outside the courthouse, Sandusky told reporters he wanted to be able to see his grandchildren — who he said wanted to see him, too — and old friends.

“Our home has been open for 27 years to all kinds of people,” Sandusky said.

With his wife, Dottie, at his side, Sandusky said he’d associated with thousands of young people over the years, before prosecutors filed sex abuse charge against him in November.

“Now I can’t take my dog on my deck and throw out biscuits to him,” he said.

Prosecutors have also requested an out-of-county jury to hear Sandusky’s case, given the widespread media attention and close ties many people in Centre County have to Penn State.

Cleland wanted to hear from Sandusky directly about his attorney’s opposition to that request. Sandusky was sworn in and briefly took the stand to answer the judge’s questions.

Sandusky acknowledged that his position on the jury question means he could not appeal a conviction on grounds the local jury was biased.

“I don’t believe that would matter, relative to any place (else) in this state,” he testified.

The state attorney general’s office has asked for tougher bail rules, arguing that Sandusky should remain inside because neighbors and school staff have complained about his presence near the school.

Sassano testified that children had noticed him from their classroom, and that his presence was disrupting school activities.

One neighbor had used a video camera to document Sandusky’s time on his deck, Sassano said.

Under questioning from Amendola, Sassano testified that Sandusky was seen on the video brushing his dog or letting the dog outside to play. Amendola cannot walk the dog because of his bail restrictions, Amendola said.

Sandusky faces 52 criminal counts for alleged sexual misconduct involving boys over 15 years, actions that police and prosecutors say have included violent sexual assault inside the Penn State football team facilities. He has denied the allegations.

The scandal led the Penn State trustees to push out university president Graham Spanier and football coach Joe Paterno, who died last month.

Two Penn State administrators are awaiting trial on charges they lied to a grand jury investigating Sandusky and failed to properly report suspected child abuse. Gary Schultz, a former vice president, and Tim Curley, the athletic director, have both denied the allegations.

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

Police in the Englewood and Harrison districts will partner with the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to conduct joint investigations, share information, and stiffen penalties related to federal prosecutions.

“We’re putting partnerships, practices, and resources in place to make our communities stronger and more secure,” Mayor Emanuel said in a news release. “These partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies are another tool we will utilize to fight crime and reduce violence in our city.”

The Harrison District includes the East and West Garfield Park neighborhoods, as well as parts of Humboldt Park and North Lawndale. It is also poised to be combined with the Wood District, which includes Ukrainian Village and West Town just to the east.

The two districts combined account for nearly 25 percent of the murders and shootings citywide last year, and nearly a third of violent crimes in the first two weeks of 2012.

Under the new partnership, the U.S. Attorney’s office will partner with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office to review all gun cases in the two districts and identify which ones warrant federal prosecution.

The FBI will assist Chicago Police detectives in investigating shootings the districts, and the DEA has dedicated three teams to work alongside Chicago Police Gang Intelligence and Narcotics to help take down drug markets.

The U.S. Marshals Service will go after fugitives, the ATF will assist in shutting down the illegal gun trade in the districts, and the Internal Revenue Service will go after targets in the two districts for proof of their source of questionable income, the city said.

“Violence in our communities transcends neighborhood boundaries and must be confronted with every available resource,” McCarthy said in the release. “Alliances with our federal law enforcement partners will extend the reach of our crime-fighting plan and reinforce comprehensive efforts to realize and sustain results in violence reduction.”

Last month, Mayor Emanuel announced plans to saturate the Englewood and Harrison districts with uniformed police patrol officers, to beef up the Narcotics Division so they can investigate and eliminate violence-prone areas, and to allocate significant resources to gang enforcement.

Police said they planned to target problematic licensed establishments and dismantle the most violent gangs in each district. Local churches and community groups are assisting the Police Department in its efforts.

(CBS) It was just last week when Northwestern’s hopes to earn its first ever NCAA Tournament bid appeared to be left for dead.

How quickly things can change in the wild and wacky Big Ten.

After grabbing their first win at Illinois since 1999 and protecting their home floor against Nebraska and Iowa, the Wildcats have won three in a row and are back on the proverbial “bubble”.

At 15-8 overall and just 5-6 in the Big Ten, Northwestern’s record isn’t necessarily impressive, but that didn’t stop CBSSports.com’s Jerry Palm from putting the ‘Cats in his latest projected tournament field Friday. Palm has Northwestern as a No. 11 seed facing No. 3-seeded UNLV.

I can’t really blame Palm for putting the Wildcats in the field, but it is somewhat surprising they aren’t one of the last four teams in, which would put them in one of the four “play-in” games.

But it’s those play-in games — technically the first round — that are one of a few factors in Northwestern’s favor. This is the second year of the 68-team NCAA Tournament field, meaning there are three extra spots available.

Also in Northwestern’s favor is the strength of the Big Ten. If the Wildcats can finish with a 9-9 record in the nation’s deepest conference, it could be enough to get in.

Finally, there’s also the sentiment that the NCAA Selection Committee will give Northwestern an edge over other bubble teams because the ‘Cats have never made the tournament. Having sat in on an educational session on how the NCAA Selection Committee works, I can tell you that the committee would likely deny that sentiment, but keep in mind that these are humans putting together the bracket and not BCS computers. Emotions are a part of the process, whether intentional or not.

According to CBSSports.com’s RPI, Northwestern ranks No. 37, which is likely why Palm has the ‘Cats safely in the field as a No. 11 seed instead of as a No. 12 or No. 13 seed in a play-in game. NU’s strength of schedule is No. 12, which ranks third behind Michigan State (No. 4) and Michigan (No. 11) in the Big Ten.

The problem is that while their tough schedule will help their case, the Wildcats only have one big resume win — at home against Michigan State. The road win at Illinois is certainly a resume builder as well, but the Illini aren’t ranked and have a sub-.500 Big Ten record. Losses against Baylor, at Creighton, at Ohio State, at Michigan and at Wisconsin can all be listed as “good losses” on the resume, but the committee might also view home losses against Illinois and Purdue as games an NCAA Tournament-worthy team should have won.

At this point, however, there really isn’t any reason to look back. We can all agree that Northwestern is on the bubble and has a chance to earn its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. That means what happens from this point on is what’s important.

The Wildcats have seven regular season games remaining and a 9-9 Big Ten record should be the goal. That means they have to go 4-3 the rest of the way and even then, at least one Big Ten Tournament win might be necessary to guarantee a berth.

But with four road games and a home date against Ohio State remaining, the path is not easy. Back-t0-back trips to Purdue and Indiana are on deck in the next week and splitting those games would be considered a victory. After that are two must-win home games against Minnesota and Michigan. Those are followed by a road game at Penn State, the huge home game against Ohio State and the regular season finale at Iowa.

Northwestern nearly took out Ohio State at home last season and a win over the Buckeyes would obviously help a lot. However, if they lose that one, it could all come down to road games at Penn State and Iowa — the kind of games the Wildcats have lost in the past. Is this team different? They have the opportunity to prove they are — the opportunity to prove they belong in the NCAA Tournament.

Of course if all else fails, don’t forget about the Big Ten Tournament, which I believe nine teams have a legitimate shot of winning — including Northwestern.

One thing is for sure, though. Selection Sunday is just over four weeks away and the next month is the most important month in the history of Northwestern basketball.

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.

“It’s the same, a little tight but I should be able to deal with it,” Rose told the Chicago Tribune during Friday’s shootaround.

Rose played just 22 minutes in the Bulls’ win over the Hornets on Wednesday night.

“Same thing,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We’ll see where he is tonight before the game.”

CHICAGO (CBS) — Francis Cardinal George came out with guns blazing against a federal rule that would require employers to pay for contraception for their staff, but President Barack Obama has now announced changes to the rule.

Administration officials say religious employers will not have to pay for birth control for their employees after all, and instead, insurance companies will have to provide free contraception if a religious-based employer objects.

“No woman’s health should depend on who she is, or where she works, or how much money she makes,” President Obama said.

But he pointed out that he started out working with Catholic parishes in poor neighborhoods in Chicago and knows the important work they do, and acknowledged that churches might believe their religious freedom was being violated by the rule.

But he said the purpose of the change in the rule was to move ahead with providing health care to women in the face of “cynical” people who wanted to turn the issue into a “political football.”

On Thursday, the cardinal issued a letter, in which he said the rule that had been set to take effect next year “strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty and for all citizens of any faith.”

The rule would have required religious-based hospitals, schools and charities that employ non-Catholics to pay for “all FDA-approved forms of contraception” for employees. The rule never applied to churches or other explicitly religious-affiliated employers.

The since-modified rule was issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on a recommendation by an arm of the arm of the National Academy of Sciences. The academy considers access to birth control improves maternal and infant mortality rates.

But the cardinal said the earlier rule presented Roman Catholics with the choice of either to “violate our consciences, or drop health care coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so.)”

Cardinal George went on to characterize the earlier rule as an attack on religious people.

“People of faith cannot be made second class citizens because of their religious beliefs,” George wrote. “We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God-given rights.”

He added that the earlier rule “reduces the church to a private club, destroying her public mission in society.”

The cardinal wrote that the earlier rule and its implications for religious liberty warranted “prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored.”

Cardinal George had not issued any new statements in the wake of the changes to the rule as of 11 a.m.

The teachings of the Catholic Church dictate that birth control is never acceptable under any circumstances.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the teaching thusly: “Every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible is intrinsically evil.”

But a poll by the Public Research Institute says a slim majority of Americans – including Roman Catholics – believe employers should be required to pay for contraception for their employees, CBS News reported.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports, Exelon chief executive officer John Rowe saw his compensation increase by nearly 50 percent to $10.7 million.

Crain’s Chicago Business reports the increase was a reward for negotiating the acquisition of Constellation Energy, and for winning rate hikes for ComEd in Springfield over the veto of Gov. Pat Quinn.

Most of the top executives at Exelon had similar raises, even though the stock price rose just 2 percent, Crain’s reported. That figure is far below the 14.8 percent return for the S&P 500 Utility Index.

The board says it changed its assessment of executive performance from shareholder return – which is largely dictated by energy prices – to accomplishing operational and financial goals, Crain’s reported.

Earlier this week, Northbrook-based insurance giant Allstate elected Roe to join its board.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

If you missed Thursday’s featured segment on The Boers and Bernstein Show, you can check out the full session below.

Who Ya Crappin’?

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

One college basketball expert said that the time is coming where Illini fans will expect from their team.

“At some point, just making the tournament is going to become, ‘Well, yeah, that’s great, but isn’t there more out there?’” Mike DeCourcy of AOL Sporting News told The Mully and Hanley Show. “Other teams are making the tournament and doing more. It’s been awhile since that was the case for the Illini. Since the great team of 2005, it has been awhile since they really did some damage in the tournament. I think at some point you have to wonder if that’s going to come.”

LISTEN: Mike DeCourcy on The Mully and Hanley Show

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

The team is currently riding a six-game losing streak as it looks to rebound Friday night against San Jose.

“It’s been a complete break down, if you really look at it,” Chis Kuc of the Chicago Tribune told The Mully and Hanley Show. “Everyone is searching for answers, but if you’re going to look at what’s really going on, you’ll look at how poorly they are playing defensively. It’s all about position and getting out of what they were doing well before.”

LISTEN: Chris Kuc on The Mully and Hanley Show

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

Kuc said the Blackhawks, behind coach Quenneville, are going back to the basics during practices.

“Joel Quenneville has really gone to town as far as teaching is concerned the last couple of days,” Kuc said. “He did it in Denver. He did a long film session. Then, yesterday on the ice, he was at the chalkboard showing the Blackhawks where they need to be. I really expect them to kind of grind one out tonight in San Jose. I would expect a low-scoring game. They’re just going to trap and play the neutral zone pretty tough.”

As WBBM Newsradio’s Dave Berner reports, the robbery played out like a scene from a Hollywood movie.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Dave Berner reports

Late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, the thieves broke into the Kabuki sushi restaurant at 2473 N. Clark St., then cut a hole in the wall to make their way into the neighboring Steve Quick Jeweler at 2471 N. Clark St.

The hole was only 4 inches by 4 inches, but it was made at the exact spot where a 2-ton safe sat inside.

Employees at the jewelry store noticed something was wrong when they spotted dust and debris inside the safe Wednesday morning.

The jeweler is still assessing the exact worth of the gems stolen, but it could be in excess of $500,000, the Chicago Tribune reported.

There is speculation that the heist was an inside job, because of how it was carried out, and the knowledge of the safe and security system, the Tribune reported.

Though recently he said he might be open to the idea of coming to Chicago, one NBA analyst said Howard might not like playing in Tom Thibodeau’s system.

“Look at Orlando right now,” Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com told The Mully and Hanley Show. “Dwight and Stan Van Gundy have had their problems. Dwight has complained about how long Stan’s practices are, how long his shoot arounds are, how Stan is always getting on his players and yelling at them. That’s definitely very possible.”

LISTEN: Alex Kennedy on The Mully and Hanley Show

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

While a trade appears imminent, Kennedy thinks the Magic may hold on to Howard.

“I think that Orlando is going to try to keep Dwight past the trade deadline and let this thing play out until July,” Kennedy said. “In July they could always still move him, do a sign and trade, or there have been talks that they would refuse a trade and call his bluff to see if he’s actually willing to leave $30 million on the table to go sign else where.”

He will go to spring training and attempt to pitch.

Mustain, 23, was a highly decorated quarterback out of high school as Rivals.com ranked him No. 2 behind Matthew Stafford and ahead of Tim Tebow in the 2006 recruiting class. He went to Arkansas where he went 8-0 as a starter, but was still benched in favor of Casey Dick toward the end of the season. Mustain’s numbers weren’t very good and the wins could largely be attributed to the dynamic running back trio of Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis.

After the 2006 season, Mustain transferred to USC where he found himself stuck behind Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley. His only start at USC came in his final game, a loss to Notre Dame.

Mustain went undrafted out of college and was later released by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He was set to join the Georgia Force of the Arena Football League this spring, but received a tryout from the White Sox in January and says he threw the ball 90 miles per hour.

Mustain has not played baseball since high school.

January 15, 1997 – Rodman kicks cameraman

Dennis Rodman was known for his colorful hair and his at-times poor attitude.

He was considered the bad boy of the NBA, and during a regular season game in mid-January of the 1996-97 season, Rodman earned his reputation.

As the Bulls were facing the Timberwolves, Rodman was fighting for a rebound before he was forced out of bounds by an opposing player. As he stumbled out of bounds, Rodman tripped over cameraman Eugene Amos and sprained his ankle

Rodman sat on the floor and starred at Amos for a moment before kicking the cameraman in the inner thigh.

Not only did Rodman end up paying Amos around $200,000, the kick resulted in an 11-game suspension and a $25,000 fine by NBA commissioner David Stern. Initially, the suspension could have been longer.

‘Until Dennis can provide meaningful assurances that he will conform his conduct on the playing court to acceptable standards — including not placing others at physical risk — his suspension will continue,” Stern said in a statement.

”During the period of Rodman’s suspension, he will be required to meet with a counselor designated by the NBA,” the statement said. ”A decision will then be made as to whether he can return to active status following the All-Star break.”

At the time, this marked the second-harshest suspension in NBA history, behind only the 26-game suspension Kermit Washington received during the 1977-78 season for sucker-punching Rudy Tomjanovich.

The Score will continue to release a new Flashback each weekday until they reach 100. Check back tomorrow for a new one, or check out all of the previous Flashbacks: 670 The Score’s 20th Anniversary »

Iron Mike’s 49-year-old son, Michael P. Ditka, was sitting in a black Hummer in the parking lot of his Deerfield housing complex last Apr. 20 when police asked him to step from the vehicle. The officer said he smelled alcohol, and a preliminary breath test found a concentration of .189 — more than twice the limit of .08.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Roberts reports

Lake County Circuit Court Judge Brian Hughes ruled that police had no reason to suspect Ditka when walking up to the sport-utility vehicle, said Ditka never consented to a search and found that Ditka’s arrest was not constitutionally reasonable. As a result, any evidence gathered after the arrest cannot be used at trial.

Ditka is still set to go to trial Feb. 27, but prosecutors must decide whether to go forward. They will let Judge Hughes know at a status hearing Feb. 24.

Defense attorney Robert Ritacca told WBBM Newsradio that his client “continues to be cautious” in his optimism.

Ditka’s brother, Mark, also a Deerfield resident, has a Feb. 22 court date on a separate DUI charge, related to a September traffic stop.

According to reports, Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox will marry Brady’s younger sister.

Check out the full story here.

When childproofing your home, it’s important to make sure all areas of the home have been properly inspected for potential safety hazards. Serious and life-threatening injuries, such as burns, drowning, falls, suffocation, choking and poisoning, can result from a number of unsuspected situations.

Because the average homeowner may not be aware of all safety hazards, many are increasingly turning to professionals who are trained in properly childproofing homes. A certified childproofer should be able to provide installation services after identifying areas in the home that could present hazards.

Here are five tips to help you identify an experienced childproofer:

1. Is the provider willing to offer you comprehensive services, from installation services to educational tips for you and your family?
2. Is the professional thoroughly discussing potential hazards throughout the home and outside the home, including windows, outdoor pools, stairs, bookcases, electrical systems, appliances and exercise equipment?
3. Does the provider seem aware of the latest safety hazards and safety solutions?
4. Does the professional seem to have access to more sophisticated products not readily available at your local stores?
5. Does the professional seem to be prepared to address peculiarities to your home, such as lofts, bay windows, etc.?

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This article originally appeared on Angie’s List.

Vinyl is not a foreign substance. Most people believe it is a byproduct of oil refinement, but it is made from natural ingredients. All vinyl production starts with two simple and abundant building blocks –chlorine from common salt and ethylene from natural gas.

According to Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) software, vinyl siding out performs brick, stucco and wood on how it affects the environment based on a combination of environmental criteria, which includes:

• Acidification
• Air pollutants
• Ecological toxicity
• Eutrophication
• Fossil fuel depletion
• Global warming
• Habitat alteration
• Human health
• Indoor air
• Ozone depletion
• Smog
• Water intake

Vinyl siding requires less water and energy to produce than fiber cement. Unlike wood siding, it does not require any trees to be cut down. It requires less than half the fuel to transport from the place of manufacture to the place of installation than all other exterior claddings available because of its light weight. Vinyl siding production is also responsible for the emission of significantly lower levels of toxic chemicals, including mercury and silver, than other cladding options. Vinyl siding is completely lead free.

All vinyl products are 100 percent recyclable. Because vinyl products are meticulously engineered for incredible durability, it has become an integral part of our lives. Its success has not come without criticism, as vinyl does not break down once placed in landfills. If vinyl products were properly handled and recycled, we could enjoy all of the benefits it provides.

__________________________

This article originally appeared on Angie’s List.

The majority of homeowners use the garage as the main entranceway into their homes, making the garage door and its opener imperative to the security of the home, protecting the people and property behind it.

Before, garage doors only opened and closed to let your car in and out of the garage, and you had to be there to do it. But garage doors and openers have improved dramatically in the last decade to do more. If you’re interested in upgrading your home’s security and curb appeal, don’t forget to check out some of the newest high-tech features:

• Control from anywhere around the world: Garage door openers are high-tech now, and at least one garage door opener brand now allows you to control your garage door – as well as other household items – from inside your house, while at the office or even from halfway across the world by using your computer or smartphone. This technology lets you monitor if the garage door is opened or closed and allows you the freedom to operate it from a remote location, perhaps to grant access to a family member or allow a delivery.

• Electronic eyes: New garage door openers come with safety sensors that prevent the door from closing if something were to be underneath. If an object breaks the beam of infrared light spanning the width of the door, the garage door won’t close. And if something were to cross the sensor as the door is closing, it would cause the door to reverse direction and open up again. This can help protect small children and pets from being struck by the closing door.

• Timers for closing: You’ve probably forgotten to close your garage door after pulling out of the driveway at least once in your life, leaving your home and property wide open to anyone passing by. New garage door openers allow you to customize the settings on your garage door opener to ensure that the door will close after one minute, five minutes or even 10 minutes of being open.

• Power out? Not a problem: The harsh winter weather can leave many homes without power for extended periods of time. Some garage door openers are equipped with battery backup, which is very useful during a power failure in severe weather conditions, providing your family with reliable, uninterrupted access to your home and automobiles in the garage.

• Shed light on safety: Exterior lights also have seen technology upgrades, and when placed next to your garage, can deter unwanted visitors. Save money with solar powered lights, or lights that are motion-activated to brightly shine when something approaches the garage. In addition to discouraging unwanted visitors, lights also give your family members a safer environment when arriving home after dark.

Using new technology in and around your garage helps you maintain security and safety and can improve your life in so many different ways.

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This article originally appeared on Angie’s List.

Buy a gasoline 2012 Toyota Highlander crossover in the U.S., and the chances are it will have been made at Toyota’s Princetown factory in Indiana. Opt for the more fuel efficient 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid model, and your car will have been made a third of the way around the world in Japan.

Not for much longer, says Toyota Motor North America President Yoshimi Inaba. In a speech last night at the Economic Club of Chicago, Inaba explained U.S. market Highlander Hybrids will be made in the U.S. by the end of next year.

Toyota isn’t alone either, with other Japanese automakers switching production of green cars from Japan to the U.S. For example, Nissan will begin manufacturing its all-electric Leaf in the U.S. within the year, and Acura has already moved production of its 2012 ILX Hybrid to the U.S.

In order to make the necessary changes to the Princetown plant as well as increase Highlander production volume to 50,000 cars a year by the end of 2013, Toyota will invest $400 million in the Indiana plant. Producing the new model in the U.S. will also create 400 additional jobs, Inaba said.

The move — partly prompted by the strong yen and weak dollar — equates to lower production costs and hopefully a lower sticker price for consumers too. And with gas prices expected to rise in the coming few years, Toyota is hopeful sales of hybrid cars like the Highlander will in line.

There’s more. With production shifted to the U.S., Toyota becomes eligible to apply for a low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program — which could theoretically help provide funds to retool Toyota’s plant in preparation for building hybrid cars.

(Note: Toyota hasn’t confirmed or denied if this is the case. At the moment, we’re merely pointing out it could be a possibility.)

Finally, there’s an element of national pride to take into account. With more Americans than ever conscious of where their next car was built, Toyota stands to gain the custom of U.S. citizens who will only buy U.S.-made cars.

All told, the movement of Highlander Hybrid production to the U.S. starting with the 2014 model year should be good for everyone, including Toyota and the U.S. economy. And that is a good thing.

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This article originally appeared on Green Car Reports.

Critics of plug-in cars like the 2012 Nissan Leaf and 2012 Mitsubishi i often say their high sticker prices are just too expensive to make a sound economic case for making the switch from gasoline to electric.

Not so, says electric car advocate and BMW ActiveE driver Peder Norby. In fact, Norby argues, driving nothing but electric cars for 50 years could save you a massive $263,000 in fuel bills.

Examining the infrastructure and energy cost included in driving a 20 mpg gasoline car versus installing a 2 kilowatt peak photovoltaic solar array and using energy from it to charge an electric car, Norby passionately states his case.

For the first year, he points out, a gasoline car costs significantly less to run than a solar-charged electric car, partly because of the initial $8,000 investment in a solar array.

But as the years roll by, and the solar panels continue to function, the cost of running the electric car drops considerably.

Over 50 years, he claims, a solar-powered electric car would cost just $12,000 to run. In contrast he explains, the gasoline car would have a net fuel cost of $275,000 over the same period. While we agree that over a 50-year period, electric cars will most certainly cost less to run than gasoline ones, there is just one caveat.

Just as range per charge of electric cars is likely to increase over the coming years, so too will gasoline gas mileage — something not taken into consideration in the calculation. Since it’s unusual for someone to own the same car for 50 years, we have to assume multiple cars will be owned during that period with each one benefiting better gas mileage compared to its predecessor.

Although that equates to smaller quantities of fuel being used, increasing gasoline prices may negate any benefits improved gas mileage has over the 50 year period. But then, by Norby’s own admission, the purpose of his calculations wasn’t scientific accuracy.

Instead, he points out, the graph is meant to be simple to understand, and to help explain how much cheaper electric cars are to run than gasoline ones.

“It does not include external cost such as the protection(sic) of oil, propping up oil supplying countries, clean up of oil, environmental or healthcare cost, nor does it include the cost of grid electricity at night when an electric car normally charges,” he writes. “Nor does the graph include the price of the cars themselves. A reasonable argument can be made for both the gasoline car and the electric car as to which will be cheaper to own and maintain for the next 50 years. I’m betting on the electric car.”

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This article originally appeared on Green Car Reports.

While alcohol-related fatalities are a frighteningly real statistic, the fact is that ignition interlock devices used as a preventive measure to keep hard core drunk drivers (HCDDs) from killing or seriously injuring others isn’t failsafe. Now, a number of states are adding another safety precaution: adopting alcohol anklets for DUI offenders.

States have been moving to pass progressive legislation that seeks to substantially shift the focus of DUI laws from penalizing cars to required and enforced sobriety for the most dangerous drivers on the road, the hard core drunk drivers. In June 2011, with the passage of North Carolina’s “Laura’s Law,” the state became the eighth in the nation to pass tougher legislation aimed at curbing HCDDs from injuring or killing others on the road.

Other states that have passed laws in the past year that hit hard on HCDDs include Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Montana, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, and Tennessee. New Mexico, long known as a state on the leading edge of interlock laws and policies, introduced “sobriety bill” legislation that’s been currently tabled until the upcoming congressional sessions.

The state of New York is the latest to get on the tougher legislation bandwagon, as it seeks to incorporate required 24/7 alcohol monitoring for DUI offenders who may be skirting the ignition interlock requirements as part of the state’s tough Leandra’s Law.

Just this week, New York Transportation Committee Chairman Charles Fuschillo (R-Nassau County) and Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg (D-Nassau County) are reportedly working to introduce legislation that imposes sobriety monitoring for felony offenders who may be slipping through the cracks of New York’s tough interlock laws. One example of such a system is the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor, or SCRAMx, an alcohol anklet monitoring system.

Alcohol anklet versus ignition interlock

The number of currently installed ignition interlock systems in the U.S. is estimated by the industry to be 212,000. That’s nearly double the number found on vehicles just six years ago.

The Traffic Injury Research Foundation says that 71 percent of offenders “blow fails” while ignition interlocks are installed on their cars. This means that they attempt to start the vehicles while they’re intoxicated.

Experts point out the importance of interlock systems in preventing people from driving drunk and the fact that 71 percent of these offenders likely have what could be defined as alcohol abuse or addiction issues. Even though they know that technology is monitoring their behavior, nearly three-quarters of them still try to drive after drinking.

The focus of the new sobriety monitoring laws is to address how to change long-term behavior.

As such, besides legislating policy changes mentioned above, North and South Dakota and Montana have implemented statewide 24/7 sobriety programs that apply to every DUI offender, regardless of whether or not they’ve had previous DUI offenses.

Facts about HCDDs

When you first hear the term, hard core drunk driver, you might conjure up the image of someone with repeated DUI arrests, a person who continues to drink and drive even after his or her license has been revoked.

To a large extent, this image is accurate, according to research on the subject of hard core drunk drivers. But it doesn’t paint the entire picture. There are other contributing factors, according to information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Century Council, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), and the Traffic Injury Research Foundation.

-      Record of arrests and sentencing. HCDDs have multiple DUI arrests and convictions. One-third of all drivers who are arrested, convicted or adjudicated for DUI are repeat offenders.  HCDDs are more likely to have a blood alcohol content (BAC) that is excessively high at the time of arrest (0.25 or above). The HCDD has, on average, over seven DUI convictions.

-      Highly resistant behavior. As the name implies, a hard core drunk driver frequently drives (at least once a month) with a 0.15 BAC or above. The HCDD is highly resistant to any change in behavior, despite previous sanctions, treatment or education. With a high recidivism rate, plus a personal history of alcohol abuse and dependence, the HCDD is also more likely to have family members who drive drunk and models that kind of behavior. What’s even more troubling is that the HCDD believes he or she can consume large quantities of alcohol and still drive safely.

-      Impact on society. The HCDD will admit to drinking and driving a few times a month, although some drive drunk every day. HCDDs are responsible for two out of every three alcohol-related traffic fatalities. The most frightening statistic of all is that, on average, the HCDD drives drunk 87 times before their first DUI arrest.

The average profile of the HCDD is a male, 35.7 years old, with less than a high school education, employed full time, typically in the building trade industry, and with significant relationship loss (separated, divorced or widowed).

Bottom line: mandating use of alcohol anklets for repeat DUI offenders gives the courts one more tool to help curb the senseless tragedies that all too often occur when HCDDs get behind the wheel after drinking.

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This article originally appeared on the Family Car Guide.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports, the three were found among the 29 victims whose bodies were buried in the crawlspace of Gacy’s home, at 8213 W. Summerdale Ave. in unincorporated Norwood Park Township.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

Attorneys Robert Stephenson and Steven Becker told the Chicago Sun-Times they reviewed Gacy’s travel and work records – he was known as a meticulous record keeper – and found that he was out of town when two of the victims were abducted.

Gacy was in Pittsburgh during the period in September 1977 when victim Robert Gilroy, 18, of Chicago disappeared, the Sun-Times reported. And when John Mowery, 19 of Chicago disappeared later in September 1977, Gacy was at a job in Michigan, attorneys told the Sun-Times.

In a third case, a friend of one of the men who disappeared – Russell Nelson, 21, of Minneapolis – offered work to Nelson’s brothers with Gacy, the Sun-Times reported. That man’s identity is being given to police.

The attorneys are also examining Gacy’s own questions to police when he was arrested. Among those questions were – “Who else do you have in the station? There are others involved,” and he said his “associates” were involved “directly,” the Sun-Times reported.

One would-be victim, Jeff Ringall, lived to tell his story but has since died. Ringall said he was drugged, tortured and raped in Gacy’s home and dumped in Lincoln Park – an offense for which Gacy was arrested – and he said he thought someone else was in Gacy’s house when he was tortured, the Sun-Times reported.

In an exclusive 1992 interview with CBS 2’s Walter Jacobson, Gacy himself claimed he had accomplices. His house doubled as headquarters for his P.D.M. Construction company, and a flophouse for his employees, on whom he blamed the murders when he talked to Jacobson.

“The media has always contended there was others involved,” Gacy said. “At the time of my arrest, there were four other suspects.” Three of them worked for P.D.M., Gacy said.

He claimed that one man, Michael Rossi, had socialized in the house with one victim, John Szyc, the night he was murdered. Gacy said he had a drink at the house, then left, and when he came back, Szyc was dead.

But Gacy also tried to convey the impression that he himself was not involved in the murders. He said he did not say anything because “it wasn’t my business, and I stayed out of other people’s business.”

If this story did not seem credible, he had another one, about being so high on drugs he did not know what he was doing. He said he took Valium to cope with his long workdays.

Gacy was executed on May 10, 1994. Notoriously, his last words were, “Kiss my ass.”

As CBS 2’s Kris Habermehl reports, the accident happened before 6 a.m. at Harlem and Higgins avenues.

A van hit a Chicago Transit Authority bus and left it with a front-end dent.

The van was towed off to the curbline by city Traffic Management.

No one was hurt in the accident, but it caused traffic problems for sometime afterward.

By MICHAEL WALTERS
Cantankerous Critic

“Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” aims for mediocrity, but crash lands far short of it.

It strip mines Jules Verne, Gulliver’s Travels, and Treasure Island for a movie so condescendingly crappy it doesn’t even feel the need to try to be anything else because “it’s for kids.”

Josh Hutcherson reprises his role from 2008′s “Journey To The Center Of The Earth” as a rebellious teen bookworm/explorer. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is stuck in the thankless stepfather role. He offers to take the child to the South Pacific to track down Hutcherson’s long lost grandfather (Michael Caine) as a way to build a relationship with the boy. In this world the works of Jules Verne are truth masquerading as fiction, and Hutcherson believes old granddad has found the granddaddy of discoveries. What is it you say? Why the answer is all right there in the title, it’s the mysterious island. But the only thing mysterious is how little thought and wonder went into this misguided attempt at adventure.

Luis Guzman is comic relief as a bumbling helicopter pilot they hire to take them, and High School Musical alum Vanessa Hudgens is the court ordered love interest.

The film gives us tiny elephants, giant ants, and ill tempered lizards, but never lets the characters engage the special effects in any kind of an interesting way. Most of the time the characters simply go from place to place and stare blankly at the green screen unsure of what they’re reacting to and how to do it. Caine compensates best by wearing an expression of doddering glee throughout.

The film is so devoid of ideas it subjects us to a painfully extended sequence of people popping berries off The Rock’s pecs that has to be one of the lamest excuses for 3-D in recent memory- and an entire scene of The Rock singing around a campfire.

And although the movie was filmed in Hawaii, every set piece looks like some forgotten backwater of Disneyland with paths through the jungle so clearly marked and spacious you almost expect to see a tour group of 10 year olds following behind. This “Journey” quite simply isn’t worth the trip.

By MICHAEL WALTERS
Cantankerous Critic

“Safe House” doesn’t have a single idea it can call its own. Everything about the movie is on loan from somewhere else, and the end result is just so generic you may have trouble remembering anything beyond Denzel Washington’s beaming smile afterwards.

Washington is as dynamic as ever, this time playing a rogue CIA agent accused of selling U.S. Secrets to the highest bidder. He’s on the run in South Africa and walks into the American Consulate. Once he’s taken into custody he’s placed in a safe house in the care of low level operative Ryan Reynolds.

When the house is raided by armed men out to kill Washington- the two men go on the run together unsure of who to trust.

They start off as antagonists, but begin to develop an uneasy chemistry. Washington is as good as anybody at playing both sides of the coin. He’s a master manipulator and uses his innate charm to keep you on your toes, never quite knowing whether he’s telling the truth or just playing you. Reynolds has become a better actor than people give him credit for, but he never quite gets a handle on what he’s supposed to be called to do.

The film coasts as far as it does on Washington’s performance alone, but the end results are as rote as they are predictable. There’s the usual dirty politics, secret agents, and gunplay and camera work that comes off a bit like Tony Scott-lite. It’s an ok way to kill a couple of hours, but I can’t quite envision a scenario where I’d be quite that bored that Safe House would seem like my only option.

Critic’s Note: The screening I attended was delayed by 45 minutes because of technical problems with the film. Some critics left. I stayed. It wasn’t worth the wait.

By MICHAEL WALTERS
Cantankerous Critic

Is there a more dynamic actress on the screen than Rachael McAdams? After watching “The Vow,” I’m inclined to think not. She single-handedly takes a story that sounds like yet another piece of chick-lit Nicolas Sparks trash and infuses it with a humanity and charm I frankly didn’t think was possible.

Rachael McAdams and Channing Tatum are relative newlyweds. They come out of a movie at the Music Box, and then get into a car accident barely before the credits are over. She goes into a coma and then wakes up. She remembers who she is and her parents and growing up, but can’t remember ever meeting or marrying her husband or anything about their life together in Wicker Park. So he must court her all over again to make her fall in love with him all over again.

They say a rising tide raises all ships, and her energy raises the game of everyone else in the cast too. Even Channing Tatum (still the actor most likely to be nicknamed “cementhead”) comes off relatively well. The film doesn’t ask him to stray out of his fairly limited range, but he’s actually serviceable for once which is a big change from his usual slightly inadequate. Sam Neil and Jessica Lange are her rich North Shore parents who don’t care much for her more bohemian loft-living Wicker Park city life with Tatum. They’re stuffy and disapproving, but I wouldn’t say they’re demonized either.

I am the last person who expected to like this movie. I actually went into it with a sort of dread but hopeful that maybe Rachael McAdams could make something out of it. Instead I got just the right kind of Valentine’s Day movie to make you feel gooey inside and remind you about all the reasons why you love someone else. It’s about as original as a dozen roses and a box of chocolates. But hey, sometimes that’s all you need.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Roberts reports, Michael LaPidus, owner of Q BBQ at 70 S. LaGrange Rd., says he’s trying to be a good neighbor.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Roberts reports

“It doesn’t do me any good to fight with my neighbors. It does me good and my business good to get along with everyone,” LaPidus said.

But Honor Lorenzini, owner of Urban Sole Boutique next door at 72 S. LaGrange Rd., says the barbecue smell has permeated the clothes on its racks, costing them business and prompting returns.

“Let’s say you have 30 customers a day. I would say 20 of them commented on the smoke smell,” Lorenzini said.

Management at Urban Sole says the odor of barbecue smoke has permeated their clothes, shoes and shop so severely that they have decided to shut the store down.

“”Basically, everything just went downhill ever since we’ve had the problems with Q,” said Urban Sole manager Colleen Clark, “and, you know, when every customer that comes into the store says something, you can’t ignore it.”

LaPidus says he has raised smokestacks and put in a pricey exhaust system voluntarily. He adds that management at Urban Sole should not be blaming him for the fact that the store did not work out.

“Maybe your business plan didn’t work and you should look in the mirror — and I think that’s what’s going on right now,” he said. “They’re trying to blame other people for some of their shortfalls.”

Lorenzini closed a second store in Hinsdale several years ago, and now says she wishes she had kept that store open instead.

As WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports, in an exhibit coming to New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Gang envisions bungalows replaced with homes that expand and contract with family size – homes that include workshops – to house small manufacturing.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports

She sees the homes replacing large manufacturing campuses.

“You could make things. You could have a landscape company. You could design apps for the iPhone. You could make wire fences for construction sites,” Gang said. “All of these are possibilities.”

Gang also looks at changing the face of Chicago and its river.

Gang heads up Chicago-based Studio Gang Architects, and she was named a 2011 macArthur Fellow. In addition to Aqua, she also designed the 16,800 square-foot SOS Children’s Villages Lavezzorio Community Center, 7600 S. Parnell Ave.

You can hear more from Gang on this Sunday’s “At Issue” program, coming up Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.

As CBS 2’s Pamela Jones reports, the 10 chickens Larry Hammond found in the house were just the beginning of the problem. There were also 50 parakeets, and three macaws.

“The macaws, when I walked in, were on top of their cage. There was dog poo everywhere. There was bird poo everywhere. Nobody had food or water in their bowls,” said Hammond, who owns the doggie daycare and animal rescue business Playful Pets at 3609 N. Ravenswood Ave.

There were also three dogs, a cat who Hammond named Rascal, and those 10 chickens. All were allegedly living in one home on North Lawndale Avenue.

Hammond says he took the 86 pets from the house on Thursday, after being notified they were allegedly being abused.

Hammond says if they could explain, many of the animals could tell a story of neglect.

Upon walking into the house, Hammond said his first thought was: “Why would anybody have that many animals – first of all, birds? They’re not easy.”

Hammond says he has found homes for all the animals but two – an older Westie dog, and the cat named Rascal.

Hammond said he knew he had to save the animals.

“My gut instinct was to get the animals out, and that’s really all I was thinking about,” he said.

Hammond has been rescuing animals for 10 years now. He hopes someone will adopt the dog and cat he saved soon.

To learn more about Larry Hammond and Playful Pets, click here.

Someone who was in Judge Timothy Sheldon’s courtroom Thursday told WBBM Newsradio that he has never seen anything like it — especially a tirade by a judge directed toward the parents of a teenager who died in a DUI crash.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Roberts reports

WBBM Newsradio is told that when Judge Sheldon sentenced 20-year-old Josh Lorusso to 30 days in jail for violating probation stemming from the June 2009 crash that killed 17-year-old Cameron Godee, the victim’s father, Gregory Godee, yelled out, “How much did they pay you this time?”

Sheldon immediately ordered Godee held in contempt. When Godee identified himself, Sheldon berated him, saying he and his wife left their son “unattended” the night of the fatal crash and that 300 empty beer cans were found in the Godee home.

“You can’t blame everything on him,” Sheldon said of Lorusso.

But Sheldon then accused Godee’s wife Mary of writing him threatening letters, which she denied.

Before being led away, Godee said he was out of town at work when the accident occurred.

Sheldon declared a brief recess. When the hearing resumed, a quieter Sheldon ordered Godee released “for time served,” and said, “It’s hard to control your temper. But there are places that you have to control it. Now you know the courtroom is one of those places.”

Lorusso had a blood alcohol level of .22 the night of the 2009 accident, and was giving anti-drunk driving talks at area schools until his arrest at a drinking party in Des Plaines.

He will have to wear an electronic monitor for 90 days following his release from the Kane County Jail. He could have been sentenced to up to 14 years in prison.

The Godees promptly filed a complaint against Sheldon with the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board.