Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 2-3

3 NCHICAGO TRIBUNE METRO SECTION2 One of the first errors of the new Cubsseason has been fixed. The apostrophe missing on the new Ernie Banks statue outside Wrigley Field was added Wednesday morning. The favorite phrase of the former Cubs player now reads: PLAY The apostrophe was etched into the phrase in the granite base of the statue. When the 7-foot bronze statue was unveiled outside the park Monday, on Cubs Opening Day, the apostrophe was missing. Artist Lou Cella, who made the sculpture, and a representative from the Fine Art Studio of Rot- blatt-Amrany in Highwood, came out early Wednesday morning and took less than 30 minutes to make the fix, Cubs spokeswoman Katelyn Thrall said.

Banks statue gets a chip off new block WRIGLEY FIELD A Plainfield man will soon get one of his vehicles back from police investigating the disappearance of his wife, Lisa Stebic, but he will have to wait several weeks to learn whether his other vehicle and guns will be returned. At a hearing Wednesday morning, Will County Assistant Atty. Michael Fitzgerald told Judge Richard Schoenstedt the state was willing to return a 2004 Saturn Ion to Craig Stebic, whose wife disappeared April 30. But authorities oppose the return of weapons and his 2002 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck, which were seized by investigators in May as part of a search warrant. No charges have been filed in the case, but Plainfield police have called Stebic the focus of their investigation and say they believe his wife is likely dead.

Earlier, prosecutors and police met with the judge to reveal details of their investigation into Lisa disappearance. At hearing, Fitzgerald would not elaborate on what was said during the secret meeting. Attorney George Lenard argued authorities must be able to show their need to keep the items outweighs his constitutional right to have possession of his property. Stebic will get seized sedan, but not truck PLAINFIELD The South Side podiatrist on trial for sexually assaulting a patient was not acting within reasonable medical standards when he administered breast and vaginal exams on a patient seeking treatment for foot pain, prosecutors said Wednesday. In their closing statements, prosecutors said that as a podiatrist, Dr.

Anthony Overton had no reason to perform the exams usually reserved for general medical practitioners or specialists. Overton, 64, of Olympia Fields is on trial in Cook County Criminal Court for allegedly fondling an elderly woman and giving her a vaginal and rectal examination. The woman had sought treatment for a sprained ankle in 2006. She was 75 at the time. Overton has said he frequently gave full-body physicals to patients to diagnose other problems that may affect his feet.

He said it was sometimes necessary to conduct breast, vaginal and rectal exams to check for other ailments. Judge Michael Toomin is expected to issue a ruling in the case on April 21. trial focuses on purpose of exams COOK COUNTY Authorities said Wednesday that they have shattered a DuPage County cocaine ring with the arrest of 24 people, ranging from kingpins to their street-level customers. Operation Scratch Off, named for mastermind Santino fondness for scratch-off lottery tickets, also netted three suppliers and several street dealers, officials alleged. Though arrests began in mid- March, the completion of the operation was announced Wednesday because all suspects have been arrested, police said.

The investigation began with tips coming in separately to the Roselle Police Department about suspicious activity at home in the first block of Whippoorwill Courtand the Wood Dale Police Department about similar activity at the home of James Drugis, 33, in the 200 block of North Catalpa Street, authorities said. 24 suspects arrested in cocaine ring case DUPAGE COUNTY By David Mendell TRIBUNE REPORTER Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Sauerberg launched his general election campaign Wednesday by tossing a handful of barbs at Democrat Dick Durbin, but found himself having to explain his positions on pork-barrel spending, the war and other issues. The family physician and political neophyte from Willow Springs accused Durbin of being a who is deeply intertwined with the Washington establishment. In opening his the tour at Illinois GOP headquarters in the Loop, Sauerberg said Durbin protects special interests and en- dorses congressional earmark spending, which is funding directed to a specific project or recipient.

Sauerberg proposed a one-year moratorium on earmarks. Durbin has turned Illinois into ATM, as taxpayers here are forced to foot the bill for wasteful projects across the said Sauerberg, noting that Illinois ranks fifth from the bottom in money returned to the state from Washington. But Sauerberg was asked if that message was mixed, given that he criticized Durbin for not bringing enough federal money to Illinois while also arguing that the earmarks which would do so should be halted. intend to benefit Illinois from bringing home Sauerberg said. intend to benefit Illinois by bringing home routine, transparent legislation that will bring capital improvements to this A Durbin spokeswoman replied that the senator has been forthcoming about releasing personal income and tax records, as well as putting all his earmark requests on prominent display on his Web site.

every level, we have been extremely spokeswoman Christina Angarola said, adding that these funding requests benefit Illinois. Durbin secured more than $600 million in projects for Illinois in fiscal year 2008, she said. like to know which ones he want to see Angarola said. Asked about the Iraq War, message also was mixed. Sauerberg said he initially supported effort to conclude this but then added that this should happen when military commanders deem the situation on the ground Sauerberg said he saw no indication that this threshold was now being met.

He also conceded that he has an uphill climb in his campaign against Durbin. Sauerberg this week lent his campaign $1 million, but acknowledged Wednesday that it likely will take at least $3 million to defeat an entrenched incumbent like Durbin. Tribune photo by Kuni U.S. Senate candidate Steve Sauerberg poses for his son, Neal, to test his camera prior to a news conference Wednesday in Chicago. Challenger critical of Durbin moves By Robert Mitchum TRIBUNE REPORTER The family of James Bush, 18, wanted to get him away from the bad crowd in the Morgan Park neighborhood where he had once lived and still visited.

Relatives bought him a one-way ticket to fly to Seattle on Wednesday, where he could move in with his older brother, hoping that a change of scenewould give him the fresh start he needed to return to school and stay out of trouble. But instead of gathering to bid him farewell Wednesday morning, relatives consoled each other over the death from a gunshot wound in the chest Tuesday night. had been talking about it since the beginning of the year, saying we need to get him to Seattle, we need to get him out said auntShalanda Flowers. wish it was yesterday that he had The shooting occurred about 6 p.m. Tuesday in the 1200 block of West 110th Place, less than two blocks from the home where Bush had grown up surrounded by relatives.

family said he was probably back in his old neighborhood visiting friends. His family had moved from the area last summer because of a surge in violence and crime. Alan Hall, who lives near where the shooting occurred, said he heard five or six shots outside his home and looked out a window to see Bush lying in his front yard, crying, shot, He said he saw a car come by and pick up the wounded Bushbefore speeding off. family said he was taken to nearby Roseland Community Hospital, then to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 9 p.m. Police said they had no one in cus- tody Wednesday eveningbut believed the shooting may have been gang-related because Bush had gang affiliations.

But family and friends deny he was involved in gangs, saying he merely hung around with the wrong people. was definitely a lover, not a said his friend Dionndra Strong. in no she said. the people you associate with, if in a gang, like in the gang too. guilty by association.

how it was with Friends said nickname was because of the light col- or of his skin. They said he was proud of his long hair, often styling it into elaborate braids, and was protective of his sister Frankie, a freshman at Morgan Park High School. As they looked over family photographs Wednesday, relatives despaired that they able to protect him from street violence. son was lost by said his father, Tyrone. my son was lost by cancer, I could accept that, but my son was lost by a murderer who walked up to him and put a hole in his Tribune photo by Wes Pope Sarah Bush looks out a window in her home Wednesday while talking about her grandson James, who was shot in his old neighborhood.

South Side teen slain day before Seattle move James Bush, 18, was gunned down less than two blocks from the home where he had grown up in the Morgan Park neighborhood. Family bought one-way ticket to get him away from the wrong people By Jeffrey Meitrodt and Ray Long TRIBUNE REPORTERS measure allowing voters to dump the governor and other statewide officeholders through California-style recall petitions advanced Wednesday in a key test vote in the House, though its approval is far from certain. Proponents said the bill was prompted by their dissatisfaction with Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who has been criticized by Republicans and his fellow Democrats for what they say is his autocratic and aloof style of governance. But they argued the measure also is good public policy already embraced by 18 other states, including California, which replaced an unpopular governor with action movie star Arnold Schwarz- enegger in 2003.

would not have filed it but for the dismal performance of this said Rep. Jack Franks (D- Woodstock), the sponsor. state is dysfunctional. We are stuck at an absolute impasse because the governor refuses to lead and refuses, frankly, to show up for work. He govern, and he The House adopted an amendment to the bill on an 80-25 vote, which Franks said indicates it likely will be approved by a wide margin when he tries to send it to the Senate next week.

The favorable reception in the House also underscores running feud with Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), who voted for the amendment. But the success is far from guaranteed. Though Blagojevich publicly has embraced the recall concept, his House floor leader, Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville), angrily denounced the bill. Also opposing the recall effort are Comptroller Dan Hynes and Mayor Richard Daley.

Senate President Emil Jones (D- Chicago), a strong Blagojevich ally, has not taken a position on the measure, which does not need the signature to become law. Franks said both chambers must act by May 4 if a constitutional amendment to allow a recall is to appear on the Nov. 4 ballot. Otherwise, he said, voters have a chance to vote on it until 2010. Under the legislation, recall proponents would have to gather valid signatures from at least 12 percent of the number of voters who cast ballots for that statewide office in the previous election.

If they get enough signatures, a special election would be held asking voters if the officeholder should be removed and who the successor should be. The winning candidate could be elected without a majority vote. Some Republicans urged Franks to amend his bill again so that the winning candidate would need a majority of votes. Rep. Dave Winters (R- Shirland) suggested a runoff between the two highest vote-getters.

The legislation also allows recalls of the lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer. State lawmakers also could be removed, but a recall would require signatures from 20 percent of voters. Judges could not be removed by recall. In the Senate, Jones advanced plans to spend nearly $678 million, including about $50 million for House Democratic projects Blagojevich vetoed last year. Supporters said it is an attempt to reach out to Madigan, who has feuded with Jones and the governor.

Yet House Democrats and Senate Republicans criticized Jones for linking passage of the projects to expanding health care and giving Blagojevich broad authority to dip into money set aside for specific purposes, such as road funds. House approves recall proposal Proponents say it is aimed at Blagojevich Product: CTMETRO PubDate: 04-03-2008 Zone: Edition: HD Page: METROP3-3 User: rhochgesang Time: Color:.