* Zion to discuss proposal to dismantle nuclear plant

Exelon has hired a private company to move up the timetable for decommissioning the plant, which closed 10 years ago. If the Nuclear Regulatory Agency approves the plan, it will take another decade to return the land to its natural state, opening up 250 acres of prime lakefront property, officials said.

* Beleaguered county hospital chief to quit

Those close to Simon say he has been upset by the damage done to his reputation in the last 14 months. He was blamed for the system’s downfall.

* Hospital chief: I won’t pay

* Resignation letter

* Getting away from it all on your dime

Yet, on weekends, Simon uses taxpayer money to drive his county-issued car 320 miles, round-trip, to and from his family
home.

* Rezko trial jury selected - not revealed

* Rezko confronts 1st witness today

* Rezko gavel-to-gavel: Opening statements on tap

St. Eve said she hoped to get the government’s first witness to the stand before lunch. That is expected to be Kelly Glynn, director of Blagojevich’s campaign fund during his first successful run for governor in 2002.

* Rezko trial pits government against ‘hard but fair’ defense lawyer

* A judge not blinded by the lights

* Flushing campaign dollars

* Kendall GOP gets new chief

* Cook GOP has new leader

Lee Roupas, committeeman for Palos Township, was elected chairman of the Cook County Republican Party on Wednesday

* City man accused of stealing federal funds

* City committee targets bicyclists, motorists

* Ald. Lyle drives wedge into old boys’ club of party bosses

* Palatine official suggests split from Cook County

* Second City No More

Over the weekend, Chicago lifted itself to the top of a tax dishonor roll: The city’s cumulative sales-tax rate is now the steepest of any major metropolitan area in America, at 10.25%. That blows past the former valedictorian, Memphis (9.25%), as well as New Orleans (9%), Denver (8.6%), and even New York and Los Angeles. Congratulations.

* Attorney general: SD 122 meeting was improper

* Congress vents on FutureGen

* Durbin: Meeting with Canadian National head ‘unproductive’

Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, and U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, a Barrington Democrat, assailed Canadian National’s plan to spend $300 million to buy the 198-mile EJ&E rail system that runs through the suburbs from Gary, Ind., to Waukegan.

* Durbin: CN not budging with EJ&E

* Illinois superdelegates say presidential race must continue