Chicago loves its sports teams (for better or worse) and Chicago also loves its sports statues. Yesterday, the Cubs unveiled a statue - the third outside Wrigley Field - honoring legend Billy Williams. The statue, at the corner of Addison and Sheffield, shows Williams in a post-swing pose. Williams played 18 seasons, 16 with the Cubs and the final two in Oakland, a career .290 hitter who finished with 426 home runs, 1,475 RBI, and 2,711 hits. A six-time All-Star, Williams was voted the 1961 Rookie of the Year and twice finished as high as second in NL MVP voting (1970, 1972) and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1987, his sixth year on the ballot. Said Williams of the statue - and the pose: more ›

• A firefighter and a resident died during a fire last night in Homewood; another firefighter was critically injured.
• More details on the Hammond man arrested in connection with the Hutaree terror attack plans.
• If you're gonna head to Millennium Park - and who wouldn't with weather like this - it's probably best to leave the gun and weed at home.

Major League Baseball's latest fan interaction gimmick is having fans vote for their favorite Hometown Hero, voting for the one player who best personifies each franshise over the course of its history. Either teams or a panel of baseball experts selected the 5 finalists, based on the "criteria of leadership, character, and on-field performance." The full list of teams' nominees can be seen here. more ›

Ryne Sandberg's having quite a summer. On July 31st, the former Cubs second baseman was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. On Sunday, the Cubs retired Sandberg's jersey number. more ›

Thillens Stadium, the landmark ballpark at Devon and Kedzie has been closed down (6th item on page). Founded in 1938 by late Mel Thillens Sr. -- who made his name in armored car and mobile check cashing services -- the park had been used by an average of 17,000 Chicago area kids a year in the nearly 70 years since then. more ›