Dude, where’s my friend’s car? Naperville man passes out in pickup truck

A Manhattan couple leaving a Brad Paisley concert at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park earlier this month headed to a Denny’s Restaurant for a late-night snack. After they pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot, a 20-year-old Naperville man, who had mistaken their pickup truck for a friend’s, hopped out of the back.

Pickles, incense, underwear — ‘Hustleman’ sees green in Red Line job

They’re already slurping up his snow cones, but the fresh hordes of rerouted Red Line riders parading past Garland Gantt’s corner cart can also buy anything from tank tops to body oils. What’s that? You crave pickles after a long commute? Gantt has you covered. Gantt, 47, is one merchant who has no complaints about the Red-Line reroute. His streetside retail business is booming.

Evergreen Park firefighter, storm chaser recounts Oklahoma devastation

When Danny Neal was a kid, thunderstorms and other severe weather terrified him.

But for the past 15 years, the Evergreen Park man has sought out storms, taking impromptu trips in his spare time to areas of the country where tornadoes are likely to develop. …

Red Line riders flock to CTA help site

A second day of rush hour commutes following the Red Line South shutdown seemed to flow without incident Tuesday as CTA officials revealed that hits to their online Red Line help site have skyrocketed in recent days. The number of page views to redlinesouth.com doubled between Friday and Monday — the first week day after the Red Line was shut down Sunday, from Cermak to 95th Street, for a major rebuild.

Police: Man touches woman’s leg at South Loop CTA station

The 41-year-old woman was riding the escalator to the Orange Line platform at 50 E. Roosevelt Rd. when a man approached from behind and “placed his hand on her leg,” according to an alert from Area Central detectives.

Former Elgin deputy police chief indicted on official misconduct chareges

A Kane County grand jury indicted Robert Beeter, 51, of Elgin, on 16 counts of felony identity theft and four counts of official misconduct, according to a statement from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s office. Beeter allegedly used the personal identification information of someone he knew to access that person’s email account numerous times between Aug. 11, 2010, and April 12, 2011, according to prosecutors.

Guilty plea in slashing death of Chicago Bears fan in Florida bar

Family, friends of William “Chris” Pettry, of Lake Villa, were relieved they wouldn’t have to endure a trial. They didn’t want to hear the gruesome details, once again, of how William “Chris” Pettry, a 42-year-old Lake Villa man died in what they called a “killer’s unprovoked and evil act.”

CTA Red Line reconstruction has commuters scrambling

At less than 48 hours and counting, one would think Red Line riders routinely traveling between downtown and all points south would have alternate routes mapped out. But few seemed to have made definitive decisions on their best option for the during the five months the Red Line will shut down from Roosevelt to 95th Street.

Four Chicago Public Schools saved from closing list

Four Chicago Public Schools are no longer up for closing this year, a fifth wouldn’t close until next year and a sixth school would be spared from the staff reboot known as a turnaround, the Chicago Sun-Times learned Tuesday. CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett is expected to withdraw her recommendations to shutter Marcus Garvey; Mahalia Jackson, Leif Ericson and George Manierre, according to a source familiar with her deliberations.

Emanuel says he’s not worried about political heat from school closings

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday he’ll take his political lumps for his controversial school-closing plan because not only is it the job of the mayor to fix Chicago’s schools, “that’s the responsibility of being an adult.” He made his remarks when he was asked about Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle — who slammed the mayor’s education policies in an exclusive Sun-Times interview last week — and the closure plan’s potential to cause political fallout.

Authorities: Man pointed gun at Northwest Indiana bicyclists in road rage incident

A 52-year-old man allegedly pointed a loaded gun at a bicyclist on a Northwest Indiana road for not riding where he believed was far enough to the right side of the road, authorities said. Police arrested Moses Pagan, of rural Michigan City, on felony charges of pointing a loaded firearm and intimidation after the road rage incident at about 8:55 a.m. Sunday.

Metra train strikes, kills pedestrian in Prospect Heights

A Metra train struck and killed a pedestrian Tuesday morning in northwest suburban Prospect Heights. The Cook County medical examiner’s office was notified of the death, but would not identify the victim pending family notification. The No. 103 train on the North Central Service line …

DNA from Bulls hat links teen to pizza delivery shooting: prosecutors

Mark Villanueva was wearing the hat when he opened fire and shot the 46-year-old victim in the chest and left pinky in the 3500 block of West 83rd Street, according to a Cook County prosector. The then 16-year-old also allegedly aimed at the victim’s co-worker but the 49-year-old woman ran and hid behind the pizza delivery van, avoiding the two bullets that pierced the vehicle.

NIU administrator to retire after FBI probe

A Northern Illinois University administrator who went on leave after an FBI investigation will retire at the end of the month.

Defendant killed restaurant manager ‘because he could,’ prosecutor says

James Ealy kept the change — the dimes and quarters he stole from a Burger King restaurant after strangling manager Mary Hutchinson, Lake County prosecutors said. Investigators days later discovered $40 in dimes and $70 in quarters stuffed in a pillowcase in Ealy’s apartment — amounts matching those taken from the Lindenhurst restaurant during the Nov. 27, 2006 robbery.