* The Cell has some new looks for Opening Day

* Police scandal: Tiny Kankakee County town is divided as heated election nears

So when the former police chief was accused last year of operating a bogus prostitution sting and pocketing some $400,000, the locals started talking. And when the chief’s brother was later appointed to take over for him, the chatter picked up.

* Lawsuits accuse Chicago Police Officer Richard Fiorito of false DUI arrests, harassing gays

Of the cases filed, prosecutors dismissed DUI charges against two plaintiffs, and a jury found another not guilty of DUI. In another case, a judge ruled the officer had no grounds to arrest the plaintiff for DUI, Erickson said.

* Illinois wind turbines: Florida company wants to build 133 in DeKalb County, 18 in Lee County

* Boeing commercial plane orders plunge in March

Boeing Co. said Thursday it received orders for just six passenger and freight jets in March, down sharply from the same month a year earlier, as the global economic slowdown keeps battering aircraft demand.

During the same month last year, Boeing booked orders for 99 jetliners, according to figures posted on the company’s Web site.

* Grants still available for displaced Chrysler workers

* ‘Everybody’s fighting for positions’

* Infrequent fliers forcing Wheeling airport to scale back

* Taking the bus: Chicago commuters find public transit pays off

* Lack of funds forces closure of nCENTER

* Cold April looms for many behind on their utility bills

* German Company Buys Morton Salt

* Sundstrand lays off some employees

* Candidate Ryan Worked With, Endorsed By Blago

Last September, Ryan said he reached out to Blagojevich after former Mayor Nicholas Blase stepped down in the face of a federal corruption indictment he later pled guilty to. Ryan said he decided not to seek Blase’s endorsement after his guilty plea. Ryan explained that he worked for Blagojevich’s campaign in both his first and second runs for governor performing work as a private investigator and as a general campaign volunteer. He also contributed to Blagojevich’s campaign fund.

“The crimes he did don’t look good for him now. Any politician should be serving the people not themselves.” said Ryan about Blagojevich. “Fifty-two percent of Illinois was duped by him, he duped me twice.”

Ryan denied he participated in pay to play politics. “I applied for a job with the state fire marshal for 10 years. If I had done it I would have gotten the job,” said Ryan.

* Cook County: Board OKs smaller borrowing plan than President Todd Stroger sought

The Cook County Board on Thursday approved borrowing more than $251 million for construction, building improvements and computer equipment, after slashing Board President Todd Stroger’s original borrowing proposal.

Commissioners eliminated or delayed dozens of projects that would have required borrowing another $73 million. Earlier this year, they also rejected Stroger’s proposal to borrow another $364 million to cover yearly operating costs.

By the time the paring was complete, Commissioner Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago), a Stroger critic, said money was being borrowed only for projects that “are necessary and important for the functioning of our county.”

* Members of International Olympic Committee team arrive for 2016 evaluation

Ryan said the city’s first impression appeared positive.

“They were very impressed,’’ he said. “They were impressed with the skyline.’’

* International Opinion Mixed on Chicago’s Olympic Qualifications

* Oprah and Chicago Olympics: IOC evaluators arrive to test city’s bid for 2016 Games and will dine with Oprah Winfrey

* Eight-year resident hopes to unseat long-term Tinley Park mayor

* Frankfort Democrats work to oust Republican incumbents

* Time for Frankfort tax man to go

* Money for needy piles up in Orland Township

* Louis Costa, long-time Illinois appellate court clerk, to retire

* Chicago parking meters: Maligned meters take a beating

But that hasn’t stopped vandals from venting their frustrations on the beleaguered machines. Last month, a man was taken into police custody after he repeatedly pounded a meter with a concrete bock. Other meters have been wrapped with tape, doused with paint, jammed with pennies, sabotaged with super glue, filled with expanding foam and, in one case, set on fire.

The city doesn’t track the issue. But LAZ Parking—the subcontractor that took over meter maintenance in February—says incidents are up. Company officials declined to elaborate because, as LAZ Chief Operating Officer Mike Kuziak put it, they don’t want to give people “any ideas.”

“Call it civil disobedience,” said Mike, a local blogger who runs theexpiredmeter.com and asked that his last name be withheld because his site explains how to beat tickets. “It seems to be a concerted effort to strike back in a really wired way. It’s crazy.”

* City homicide rate down 21% so far in ‘09 — top cop asks to be judged ‘on the facts’