• Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night nor arrest stayed these fundraisers from the swift completion of their appointed money collecting for then-governor Rod Blagojevich.
• Quinn has company: Republican state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington has entered the 2010 race for governor.
• Another reason to not party in Wrigleyville: you'll deal with people like James Burns who, in a drunken rage, hijacked a taxi.
• Chicago Police have charged Robert Branch with assaulting seven different women in area parking garages.

Ted Leo is kind of a god. Has anyone else noticed that? With or without his Pharmacists, the man is possessed of a showmanship that's rarely matched in any galaxy of the musical universe. Then again, take a deep catalog of some fine post-punk pop songwriting, an affable stage presence and that instantly recognizable howl and you might just have the epitome of cool. more ›

You know those guys (they're usually guys) who drive around in pick-up trucks collecting old appliances and metal pieces? Have you ever wondered what their lives are like? Thanks to Scrappers -- a documentary being produced by local filmmakers Brian Ashby, Ben Kolak and Courtney Prokopas -- you will soon be able to find out. Done in verite style, Scrappers focuses on the lives of three men who comb the streets of Chicago in search of metals and materials they can sell at scrapyards for cash. The film raises thought-provoking questions about environmentalism and recycling, immigration, and even city planning. more ›

It's a Bottle edition of Local Options to reduce, reuse, and recycle this week. more ›