Extra, Extra

• This sounds pretty cool -- the State of Illinois' third annual small-business challenge cited 13 winners for its $10,000 Innovate Illinois grant program. You can find out more about the program here.
• Don't stop believin' in anonymity when it comes to the mob -- as the much-anticipated Family Secrets mob conspiracy trial opens, jurors will share their backgrounds, views on issues and reading habits-but not their names.
• It's Police Superintendent Idol! Three and "possibly four" outsiders with police experience in "large urban areas" and at least two women from Chicago will vie to succeed retiring Police Supt. Phil Cline, the Police Board president said Monday. Maybe one can beatbox.
• Try again, fuckshaw! Chicago Police Officer Anthony Abbate -- charged with beating up a female bartender and then trying to intimidate witnesses -- tried to get his gun back Monday. But a judge said no. The request was made so he could get paid while on suspension. But he did get permissiont to travel to Wisconsin to his girlfriend's summer house. Yeah. Just what Wisconsin needs right now. More violent crazies.
• To whoever stole a 500-pound sculpture of an elephant from outside a Forest Park art studio and gallery last week, the police and the owners of the glittery pachyderm have a request: Give it back. Please.
• It costs about $450, but you can buy a GPS system to tell you where all the traffic cameras are. It actually sounds good; maybe people will notice and not blow all those red lights anymore.
• Maybe this guy should get one: A Naperville man learned a hard lesson about speeding when his prized sports car was seized by authorities who clocked him traveling 127 mph in a 35 mph zone. Now his 2000 Dodge Viper is a DARE car!
• How does this stuff really happen? Loved ones want to know how the body of a Chicago woman Rosalie Schultz ended up missing from the morgue, and how they are supposed to plan a funeral for her without it.
• It's always Wisconsin's fault. Chicago homeowners were forced to wait more than a month for new trash-collection carts -- and store smelly garbage in bags in their homes or garages -- because of a delivery problem blamed on a Wisconsin supplier. (It doesn't matter what Daley does, at least my garbage gets picked up! Or not...)

"Redwood Lounge" by bridgeportseasoning