* School districts’ wait for state funding relief almost over

* Consumer Confidence plummets

* Obama comes home to raise more money

* Kerry endorses Obama

* Email slams GOP chairman

McHenry County Republican Party Chairman Bill LeFew’s anonymous mailing of a newspaper column criticizing the incumbent state’s attorney has prompted a longtime precinct committeeman to call for his resignation.

In an e-mail sent Wednesday evening to party central committee members, Nunda Township precinct committeeman Bernie Narusis lashed out at LeFew, accusing him of political dirty tricks for mailing GOP voters a Daily Herald opinion column criticizing State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi’s $60,000 in office expenses.

* Bitter McHenry GOP dispute intensifies

* Giuliani to speak at GOP luncheon in Springfield

* Daley opens the door to closing half-empty schools

* Area towns line up to support
fermilab funding

* Bean, Scheurer weigh Iraq war; talk energy

* Mayor to use new law to fill open seat

* Dems debate in Cook County State’s attorney’s race, more here

* Tri-Cities debate turns into civil affair

* Hearings set on Ameren’s request to hike rates

* Highway 94 repaving to begin in March

* Friday Beer Blogging: beer brick edition