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Ambulances were sent to the Tinley Park Mental Health Facility in Maple Hall after a fire was reported there about 4:30 p.m., according to Tinley Park police officials.

Police and fire were on the scene at 7400 W. 183rd Street, a police dispatcher said.

No other details were available.

-- Staff report

...

Taking a few stabs at competitor Madden NFL, developer NaturalMotion uses this developer diary to detail how its physics-driven PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 footballer Backbreaker differs from other games. For example, a lower camera view.

"You're not this kind of, god over the football field who can see everything," explains tester Mike O'Neill. Another example? The use of pink character outlines to highlight the procedural animations--though sadly, that particular aspect seems like the sort of development tool that won't be accessible to the end users come Spring 2010. [video]17077[/video] Shackvideo users can use the HD Stream.

The state of Illinois is planning a pilot project to enroll Medicaid recipients in six counties in managed care, an effort being criticized by advocates for the developmentally disabled.

Illinois' Medicaid agency announced today that it's seeking proposals from managed care organizations to run the program. It would affect 40,000 adults with disabilities and older adults in DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Lake, Will and suburban Cook counties.

The state expects the program to save taxpayers nearly $200 million in its first five years.
Advocates for the developmentally disabled are concerned the effort to save money may lead to rationing of health care.

Tony Paulauski is executive director of the Arc of Illinois, a group advocating for the developmentally disabled. He says managed care organizations have little experience with developmental disabilities.

-- Associated Press

Source: Chicago Breaking News | Published: 8 Feb 2010, 4:48 pm

Developer BioWare has a busy 2011 ahead of them, with a new Dragon Age title, Star Wars: The Old Republic and, according to EA execs "something far-reaching coming from Mass Effect" in early 2011.

Electronic Arts COO John Schappert added that "something far-reaching" from the Mass Effect franchise to the list of upcoming titles due in the fourth quarter of the company's 2011 fiscal year. That means something Mass Effect related arriving between January 1 and March 31 of next calendar year.

Could BioWare have Mass Effect 3 wrapped up by then? The developer's project manager Casey Hudson noted that they "definitely want to make 'Mass Effect 3' a fairly short turnaround." And, well, that would be fairly short.

BioWare could also have much more planned for owners of the recently released Mass Effect 2 or maybe even something for PlayStation...

Mayor Richard Daley today proposed expanding the powers of the city's inspector general to include investigating aldermen -- an idea long opposed by City Council -- as well as taking away the hiring oversight duties currently held by the mayor's compliance office.

The proposed ordinance, which Daley will introduce at Wednesday's council meeting, would be a dramatic shift in the power struggle between City Hall watchdogs.

The move was endorsed by Inspector General Joseph Ferguson, who was appointed by the mayor but is considered more independent than the Daley administration's Office of Compliance.

"The proposal announced by the mayor here today to amend the inspector general's ordinance constitutes a watershed moment in the history of the city," Ferguson said. "This proposal comes to grips with core structural reforms necessary to root out patronage and corruption in the city of Chicago.

Read more on Clout Street.

Source: Chicago Breaking News | Published: 8 Feb 2010, 4:39 pm

An area winter storm warning has been issued for late Monday through early Wednesday with up to 12 inches of snow expected to blanket the area, according to the National Weather Service.

WGN-TV's Tom Skilling thinks there's a possibility the final totals could be closer to 14 inches, making this storm the worst of the winter for Chicago. According to the WGN Severe Weather Blog, the storm could last 35-40 hours, affect three rush hours, and generally make life unpleasant until at least Wednesday.

The warning takes effect at 9 p.m. and will continue until 4 a.m. Wednesday. The heaviest snowfall is expected Tuesday afternoon and early evening. Blowing and drifting snow with near blizzard conditions in open areas can be expected Tuesday night, the weather service said. Both surface and air traffic are expected to encounter severe difficulties.

By Tuesday night, snowfall will generally be in the 6- to 12-inch range, with some locally higher totals possible, especial...

Team Bondi's former PlayStation 3 exclusive L.A. Noire is "apparently coming in September," according to games journalist and GameTrailers TV host Geoff Keighley.

The release window reveal came in the form of a tweet Keighley made after reading the new issue of Game Informer, which features the old-fashioned game on its cover. "It definitely sounds interesting," he added.

While L.A. Noire was originally announced as a PlayStation 3 exclusive, an Xbox 360 edition of the long-coming project--originally due by September 2009--was recently confirmed, with Keighley noting that both versions are due at the same time.

Gov. Pat Quinn and fellow Democratic leaders began the delicate dance of picking a new running mate for Quinn today, while emphasizing there was no horse-trading involved in a scandal-ridden Chicago pawnbroker's decision to abandon his primary nomination for lieutenant governor.

Quinn said Cohen should not be reimbursed for the roughly $2 million in personal funds he poured into his campaign, and a spokesman for Democratic Party chairman and House Speaker Michael Madigan agreed, saying the topic never surfaced in Madigan's two conversations with Cohen leading up to his teary-eyed withdrawal Sunday night.

Already at least two of the five rivals who Cohen bested in last Tuesday's primary have said they want to be considered for his replacement - state lawmakers Art Turner and Terry Link.

But other names are also being thrown around as the Democratic Party considers how to balance a ticket that is heavily weighted with Chicago candidates.

Rea...