* Cook Co. sales tax to be on some local ballots

Voters throughout Northwest suburban Cook County will get to record their views on the recent county sales tax hike when they go to the ballot box on April 7.

Many of these voters will also be asked if they want to break away from Cook County altogether.

But both questions are nonbinding - and even a spokesman for Cook County Board President Todd Stroger acknowledged almost anyone would vote against a tax increase if given the choice.

* Assessor alleges fraud in Antioch Township race Names of dead people and others on Kryczka petitions

Besides the two dead people, there were 45 signatures of people who were not registered to vote and another 141 signatures that Kufalk-Marotta claims are outright fraud.

She has signed affidavits from Stephen Glover, Ronna Levin, Donald Kolle Jr., Thomas Homan and others stating that at no time did they sign their name to the petitions circulated by Kryczka.

* Feds: Chicago job seekers mowed dept. head’s lawn

People wanting jobs on the city payroll allegedly mowed the lawn, shoveled snow and washed windows at the home of the city’s commissioner of streets and sanitation and some gave him money and gifts, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Prosecutors made the allegation in court papers filed in the case of former Chicago streets and sanitation commissioner Al Sanchez. […]

They said one man was asked to go to Sanchez’s house and mow his lawn. He did so and “observed multiple HDO participants at Sanchez’s house performing yard work and washing the windows of Sanchez’s house.”

* Jobs were HDO favors: prosecutors

* Federal trial of ex-Daley aide to shed light again on hiring abuses

* CN, EJ&E rail merger finalized

“We plan to join Will County and plan to file an appeal,” New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann said. “This plan is not good for the people of New Lenox. The process can take a long time.”

* Additional trains will roll on EJ&E next month

* Transit Expert Suggests Qualities for Next CTA Head

* Down $79B

The Chicago area lost $79 billion in home values in 2008, and nearly half of that loss was during the fourth quarter, according to the latest report from real estate Web site Zillow Inc. to be released today.

Zillow also found that 23.4 percent of homes sold in the area in the fourth quarter sold for a loss, and 19 percent of homeowners in the area were upside down on their mortgages at the end of the year, meaning they owed more on their homes than they were worth.

The median home value fell 10.2 percent from a year earlier to $225,018, according to the report.

* Slumping housing, revenue outlooks press Kaneland

* Motorola loses $3.6B, suspends dividend, CFO exits

* In Illinois, Unemployment is Up and Help is Down

* Archer Daniels Midland profit up24 percent in 2Q

* Taxes dip for Commercial Mortgage creditors

* County’s work-for-taxes plan worth a look

* IMRF Panic

* Obama returning to Illinois for Lincoln’s 200th

* Obama to attend Lincoln birthday bash in Springfield, Ill.

* City worker in hot water over meter is reassigned