one woman stopped to help a bus full of children, she gets an early christmas. we know this robber was killed during a struggle this week, but was he also the honey bee killer? tonight police are saying maybe. >> our top stories around the country, back from joliet with it. >> reporter: the evidence as you know is overwhelming, but investigators are stopping short of calling imwill the so- called honeybee killer. just about everything is lining up. a victim from the october shootings has positively identified him and the weapon he used on saturday is an exact match. the colt 48 revolver is the same gun used in last october's

honeyshooting that left one dead and two wounded. ballistic testing proves it. they released a picture of his pick-up truck which matches the exact description of the vehicle used in the shootings. >> the evidence, what we do have, tells us that the suspect that was killed in the armed robbery, his information does match the information we had from the previous homicide. >> reporter: the farmer from lowell, indiana who survived the shooting in october saw his picture on tv and was sure it was the same man. >> our detectives did speak to mr. dall. he as uni quiff equablydeniably

identified him as the honeybee killer. >> prior to that he lived in grundy county at which time he managed property that had a honeybee farm on. >> reporter: investigators say they're not 100 % sure he's the so-called honeybee killer. he was shot and killed on saturday with his own weapon. this week, police searched his home. they say it's delap dated with no running water and they found no weapons inside. they have no idea what his motives were. >> nobody can give us a clear motive, not a possible motive, no motive at all. >> reporter: investigators say that cannot identify him as the killer until forensic and dna testing is complete and they're

not sure how long that will take. invest gay tours are searching through evidence to see if he can be linked to other crimes. thank you. a month-long investigation led to one of the biggest drug busts in the chicago marijuana. 11-tons. the pot was transported to a warehouse. it comes after customs in texas became suspicious of one of the rail cars and alerted the feds. >> they were allowed to proceed to a location in chicago heights, illinois. thereafter, agents manned a wiretap and did round the clock surveillance. >> 7 people have been charged in the sting. they don't believe any of the marijuana was removed from the warehouse before the arrest. operated out of a house.

more than 150 plants confiscated. some are small, some are big, almost 6 feet tall. industrial fertilizer and fans were used to grow the plants even quicker. police say it was a family operation. a father and his son chris being charged with intent to distribute. two others also arrested and charged. no criminal charges will be filed against him. 1-year-old liz seebert committed suicide after accusing the player of the crime. her parents are speaking publicly for the first time saying the university may not give them access related to their daughter's accusations. refused to comment on that

investigation. the football player remains on the team. results of our chicago tribune poll. attitudes are changing on plans to bring a casino to the city. opposition using future dollars to regulate wrigley. >> reporter: when state lawmakers return, one of the first big issues they may face is a plan to allow slot machines and horse racetracks and add four new casinos. one of those four would be a casino in chicago. nearly 8 eight years ago, voters were cool to the idea of a city casino. a lot has changed over the years and now our exclusive poll shows the opposite is true. 37% approved of a city-owned casino in chicago. talk of legalizing the casino is about as old as the state's

casino law itself. in the face of a tax increase, gambling expansion may be politically easier. the house sponsor of the casino bill. >> this will create 40-50,000 jobs. we cannot turn our back on that especially when today as we speak if we drove up the dan ryan into indiana, we'd find out there are thousands of illinois citizens in indiana using their riverboats. we should keep that money in illinois. it's costing us jobs and economic opportunity. >> reporter: the rickets family sought to use the growth and local amusement taxes on cubs tickets to pay back bonds to renovate wrigley field. only 51% disapproved and 36

approved. a spokesman says the cubs are exploring new plans. both cubs sporters and casino supporters say their goal is to create jobs in a difficult economy. it's no sure bet that lawmakers will play ball next year. >> you can find more information autarchic at chicagotribune,.com. you may have noticed it was a little less freezing today. don't get used to that. >> oh, okay. [ female announcer ] this is a strawberry pop tart...

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the controversial founder of wiki leaks is out of jail. he posted more than $300,000 to bail himself out. he was arrested on a warrant that alleged he may have committed sex crimes in sweden. he's being persecuted for leaking government documents. >> he'll have to wear an electronic monitor.

he says he'll fight extradition to sweden. the war in afghanistan remains a difficult endeavor. america's on track to achieve its goals. >> disrupting, dismantling, and defeating al qaeda and its capacity to threaten america. thank toss the extraordinary troops on the ground, we are on track to achieve our goals. >> they're confident they can take control of their security starting next july. tough combat will continue for years. if the president begins to bring u.s. troops home next summer, the numberses will be small. we'd like to hear from you. is the war in afghanistan still worth fighting? text, vote online, and we'll have results after the 7-day

forecast. al qaeda may be planning suicide attacks this holiday season. heard about alleged plans from captured insurgents. the threat is being taken seriously, though they have no specifics. the u.s. remains vigilant during the holidays. about to find out how much their homes are worth. the market value will be listed right on their property tax assessment. his office mails out reassessment notices to 28,000 homes. the assessor's office is responsible for determing the value of a home for proper thety tax purposes. well, it's over. that hearing.

now what? >> getting more than she hoped for. want to wish everyone back home in chicago, maria, mom, [ female announcer ] get ready to save at walmart's toys and more event, with black friday prices on the gifts they want most, like these men's sherpa hoodies for just $15 each and this better homes and gardens coffee maker for $99, plus a $30 gift card, starting 9:00 p.m. this friday at walmart.

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at walmart's toys and more event, with black friday prices on the gifts they want most, like this samsung tv for $348 with a $50 gift card and a magnavox blu-ray player for $118 with a $40 gift card. that's starting 9:00 p.m. this friday at walmart. the plot thickens in the residency case. today's proceedings and as the last of it. >> reporter: state law requires candidates to be residents in

the city for which they are running in office for one full year. in the chicago mayoral race, that means february 22, 2010 to february # 2, to 11. until september 2010, emanuel was president obama's chief of staff. since he was serving his country, he qualifies for an exemption like that given to military serving away from home. he advised emanuel to rent his home rather than leaving it vacant. when he decided to return to washington, they were willing to move for the price of $100 thousand. emanuel counter offered $5000 a month. wgn contacted him by phone to ask about the testimony regarding the $100 thousand price tag for moving out. he refuted that plan before

hanging up. there were a number of moving boxes, storage boxes, there were also a wide variety of toys and clothing. thursday afternoon, brown meyer testified she had went to the house to photograph the basement thursday money. tuesday, he testified his family left precious family mementos there. she had seen possessions, including a piano and a bed but not many of the items emanuel testified about. they were not date or time stamped and there were not any accompanying affidavits saying

the items were not there. >> reporter: just after 5:30, both sides feeling they had proved their case. >> the law requires physical presence and intent. you don't have physical presence, you don't get to intent. you have to have both prongs of the residency requirement. >> he clearly intended to keep his residence in chicago. he has a driver's license there, he has a car registered here, he pays taxes here, he has a home here. all those indications of intent clearly demonstrate he always intended to be a citizen of chicago. >> will accept briefs until monday at noon. then preparing his non-binding recommendation to the commissioners before their next

regularly scheduled meeting. the board could make a decision, or not. the losing side could appeal that decision to the circuit court of cook county and this case could ultimately end up in the illinois supreme court. >> thank you. it's a full house tonight as the candidate forum on the south side. education is a key topic of discussion. tonight's forum at the operating engineer's hall is hosted by the teacher's unit. superintendent or ceo and then the other education alice shoes. on hand, our candidates. chicago public schoolteachers in the audience as well. it's still going on. controversy by remarks made by meeks. the candidate said white women,

asians, and latinos should not be including in those programs. she said 5% is set aside for women and that figure should be higher. federal law specifically states hispanics get set aside contracts. issued a clarification saying, all minority and women-owned businesses should get their fair show, end quote. the systemic corruption has allowed white-owned fronts posing as minority and women to defraud the system. a girl is proving the holidays are more about giving than receiving. >> the 12-year-old only wanted a gift for her mother. viewers are responding with overwhelming generosity. >> reporter: the sixth grader

whose letter to santa sought a coat for her mother got her wish and then some. anita was obviously a grateful and proud mother. >> i'm so happy. i can't explain. i appreciate everything everybody done for me. >> reporter: the bounty resulted from the good will of wgn viewers in chicago and throughout the country. all were touched by the heartfelt wish of 12-year-old latrice christian on wgn news. >> i just want to get my momma something. >> reporter: the outpouring of help for the needy family has been practically non-stop since. >> i've had calls from all across the country, as far west as las vegas. i've talked to people in mississippi. >> when i saw them on the news last week, they just touched my

heart in a way it's never been touched before. so i just wanted to do something special and i wanted my girls to be a part of it. >> reporter: with hundreds of letters to santa still unanswered, latrice remains humble about the holidays. >> i don't need nothing. just people to say happy new year or merry christmas. >> reporter: kind donors have also sent in nearly $500 in checks and money orders, most want to remain anonymous. on the southwest side. coming up, burglar steals money, clothes, electronics from the home of a washington post employee. what he did on the intertheta helped police catch up to him.

urging everyone to get a flu shot. you can choose the one that may be better for ewe. the pediatric dose says preservative free. that means the thimersol or mercury free. most flu vaccines do contain thimersol. >> contained in multi-dose

viles. 10 doses of flu shot and you have to go into the vile multiple times in order to give the doses to the patient. >> those supplies last longer and they're more widely used. >> there are supply out there if you want to get the thimersol free vaccine, you need to ask your health care provider to order it or reserve a dose for you. >> public flu shots administered like wall greens do off the preservative free doses but only if someone requests. as for doctors offices, if they have the free dose, it will be given to young children and pregnant women. >> you want to minimize the amount of foreign agents they may be getting. this particular vaccine is reserved for those kids under 36 months of age. >> if there are no pediatric

doses, a thimersol shot will be given. doctors say those fears are unfounded. >> there's absolutely no scientific evidence that it's associated with autism. the amount in the vaccines is safe and should not prevent somebody from getting the vaccine. >> experts recommend anyone older than 6 months get a flu shot. >> thank you. some cold, some snow, more cold. that's winter. >> this is the last weekend before christmas. we'll help you plan your shopping. with the capital one venture card we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned a holiday trip to the big apple twice as fast! dinner!

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it's the only tablet designed for maximum mobility. and it's android-powered and flash-enabled for the best web browsing experience. get yours at verizon. winter starts in 5 days. it seems like winter has been here since december 1st. >> we flicked from november 30th to december 1st and it was like somebody flipped the switch. >> there's no fader on that either. >> we have to get the electrician in to work on that. turn this off. we've gotten snow tonight, miserable snow. 4 inches of snow with that snow last night.

each of the thickening clouds that have managed to produce 6- 10th of an inch of snow. 8th time we've had measurable snow. we could carry a few of them into the very earliest part of tomorrow. the next couple of days will be strengthen cold and winds. it will be a little bit colder and tomorrow night over the freshly fallen snow, light as it is and has been, we'll get single digit temperatures. snow to diminish over night, singlable digits in coming nights away from the city and the lake. michigan, the lake effect snows about to turn on. they won't be like the ones we saw earlier in the week. see that bright area of cloud cover? this thing started up in minnesota, came southeast ward. the back end of it is about to work through the area tonight. it's been snowing.

the advisories are down with this weather system except for lingering ones in the appalachian and beginning ones for a new storm that's coming off the pacific. the big story the next couple of days will be a northwest wind flow. we'll tell you what that will develop. look at the lake snows. here's our snow tonight on our rpm model. that system snow pulls out of here. the clouds may linger in the morning and then break up after sunrise. shouldn't get deeply into indiana at all and a couple of inches of snow may come out of this. here's what's left of our snow tonight, and not much. here's what came down last night up by the davenport area. 6 inches. rock island at 5. just 56 miles

from the loop. oak brook at 7-10ths tonight and 3-10ths at ohare. this weird winter set up we've got, look at the isobars packing. this is the storm that keeps giving. tomorrow's northwest winds will actually be a feature moving west ward toward canada. the larger pattern in the weeks ahead will feature warmer temperatures to the south and a vigorous jet stream between this cold air and bitterly cold air up to the north that from time to time will send a reenforcing surge our way. these storms will tend to move along this boundary. the first of them is this one right here and we've been jumping on these snows time and again. here's the next chance for the

snow enthusiasts. there will be another one later next week that we'll be watching. in the short term, there are isobars packed with this northwesterly flow. 10-22 miles an hour during the day. lots of sunshine. same thing on saturday. a little wave may come down and cloud us over later. we're up to sunday, 8:00 in the morning. it's still west of us. this thing could be in later. a lot of weather watches in the west. you can see the snow that's piling up out there as this latest storm comes in. this thing that went through last night wove the same jet stream into the area. strengthens out to the east of us. this trapped cool air pool keeps it here and keeps the storm track active. warming up here in the arctic where it's been warmer in

recent days than down here in chicago, which is really strange, is keeping the cold air down here in the mid latitudes and that's why we'll see these little systems pass by. the average of all the snow in the next couplable of weeks by the gfs model, you'll get twice the snow that's normal. we may be going into a more active phase here. low temperature down to 18. it looks like we're going to keep a lot of cloud cover up to 6, 7, 8:00 tomorrow. highs tomorrow 24, about 10 degrees below normal. colder tomorrow night, 2 over the snow pack out west, 16 in the loop. 8 at ohare for the official low. maybe a flurry late in the day, but high temperatures around 20 will be the big story and a

moderate wind that will blow the next couple of days. more on weekend weather and next week coming up. coming up, it started with one coat, one woman and now an entire school is celebrating christmas early. a suspected burglar. ♪ [ female announcer ] tide with acti-lift technology helps remove many dry stains as if they were fresh. dad may try to ruin your style, but dry stains won't. ♪ tide with acti-lift. style is an option. clean is not. get acti-lift in these tide detergents.

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christmas is 9 days away. it came early for many youngsters today. >> a woman with a heart of gold made sure the holiday will not pass them by this year. >> it was on christmas morning, only it was this morning in a place where sometimes the holidays get forgotten. not this year. >> put on your coats. >> silver bells. >> it's early morning, christmas break. and there's a lot going on in this school gym. >> every child will be given a coat. >> reporter: today, students at one of the city's most impoverished schools this a gang and crime-infested neighborhood are about to get a big surprise.

it's not just santa. it's healthy food, warm clothes, toys, and proof that somebody cares. >> this is like my dream. >> what's your dream? >> this. >> you gonna get some toys? >> yeah. >> it's nice for people to come out and give stuff to the kids. >> reporter: all this because one woman, a local philanthropist was driving down the street one day and saw a kid without a coat. she stopped and gave him one right there. >> merry christmas everyone. >> reporter: and then she came here and gave a whole lot more. >> just to see the smiles on the children's faces is just incredible. it's breathtaking. we have to show these kids that there is someone out there that cares for them and loves them. >> reporter: this santa has a lot of helpers. some you might recognize. >> can you come out and support

us. this is the least i could do, to be here and help unload. >> this is mind blowing when you think about the kindness involved. this isn't someone tossing a few dollars at somebody. it's what would make a holiday season good for some children. >> reporter: it's good for the teachers too. dr. jackie robinson who works with these kids every day has never seen a christmas like this. >> it just brings tears to my eyes. the less fortunate are often over looked. it's the true spirit of the season, what's going on here. >> reporter: a lot of charities she supports. won't tell me how much money she put into that one or how much work. it's not work at all, it's

christmas. >> thank you. coming up. pictures by some of the best. the chicago tribune photographers. suspected burglar left an e calling card that could be his undoing eventually. playing outdoors next monday night in minnesota. [ female announcer ] get ready to save at walmart's toys and more event, with black friday prices on the gifts they want most, like a nintendo wii for $199 with a $75 walmart gift card and a playstation 3 for $299 with a $100 gift card. that's starting 9:00 p.m. this friday at walmart.

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well, stole a teenager's laptop, i-pop, took some cash. then the burglar served up a facebook facial. man stole the items from a 15- year-old's home and just before he left, the thief posed for the webcam's photos and posted it on the teen's facebook page. dumb crook of the year award. >> just a matter of time. hello, tom. >> you ready for some sunshine tomorrow? >> yeah. >> i think it's coming back. we have a little snow clearing the area right now. we've got about 610ths of an inch. they'll freshen up in the next couple of days. we have an active west, east

jet stream. that is going to carry some weather systems in at fairly regular intervals. the next is several days away. it's 25 at highland park. south elgin at 18. ohare reporting 21. midway at 22. 25 at gary and 20 in mchenry. there's the view from decalb of the snow showers coming in late today. they're after the strong northwest winds. as we proceed along, we'll see how that system calms down over the weekend, especially on sunday and monday and then the next system, that one right there rolls into the area. be interesting to see. there's been a history of these things coming in, looking ominous, and falling apart as they get in here and developing as they get to the east of us. that's our next chance overshining that sticks. we'll keep you posted on that. 22 tomorrow.

if it starts cloudy, it will be party cloudy, but breezy and chilly. 24 sunday. maybe a flurry late saturday. maybe a flurry from partly cloudy skies sunday. monday looks good too. clouds will start increasing later in the day. snow, sleet mixture could start monday night. so the wintery weather rolls on. >> no surprise there. >> tis the season. moments caught in time today at the emanuel residency hearing. >> here are tonight's photos of the day. >> those trying to keep emanuel off the mayoral ballot focused in on what may or may not be in his basement.

>> just to remind the american people how amazing a man he truly is. >> the big storm came without the ice shelf. this is the natural occurrence. it will build back up, but it does take time. >> we wish you a merry christmas. we wish you a merry christmas, and a happy new year. good tideings we bring to you and your king. good tidings for christmas and a happy new year. we wish you a merry christmas. we wish you a merry christmas. >> you can find more photos on our website. after 25 years of getting presidents, celebrities to dish is calling it quits.

larry king hosted his last show tonight. it was a montage of the highlights of his career and a few tears. >> good evening. my name is larry king and this is the premier edition of larry king live. welcome to the last larry king live. hard to say that. i knew this day was coming. these words are not easy to say. >> several people made guest appearances including former president bill clinton, a video tribute from president obama. this isn't the last we'll see of king. he's set to have four cnn specials each year. coming up, bulls begin life without the gm. [ female announcer ] this is a strawberry pop tart...

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decide to play the game in the cold. >> yeah. >> the nfl says the bears and vikings will play monday night at the outdoor stadium in

minnesota. league officials say they have over come the biggest complication by pushing a tarp over heated coils. despite the assurances, a lot of bears players are still concerned about their safety. >> you don't have a choice. they tell you what to do in the nfl. honestly, you don't have a voice, pretty much a dictatorship. >> most workers of the world would love to have the salaries of the nfl players under what chris harris calls a dictatorship. >> that field isn't heated and they can heat it up all they want, but we're out there for three hours. it's definitely going to be a hard surface. >> icy field, players, safety. this is a year we're cracking down on player's safety and concussions and you want to

fine guys $75,000, but are we going to play on this frozen field? it doesn't really make too much sense to me. >> there's no protest. there will be no protest. i mean, the bottom line is players want to make sure it's a safe environment to play in. as long as the environment is safe and the conditions of the field are safe, then obviously the show must go on. >> the next time you see noah play, there may be a touch of spring in the air he'll be out 8-10 weeks. doctors had to repair a torn ligament. all went well. played last night scoring 11 points and the bulls 7th straight win over the raptors. >> obviously affects us, not only from a statistical standpoint where there's points and rebounds, but the energy he brings.

at this point, we i'll go with what we have. we do think we have some depths. taj has stepped in in the past and done a good job. i think it's an opportunity for guys. >> meantime, northwestern off to the best start in 17 years. a huge game tonight. nails a 3 from sheridan row. later on, drives the lane and then uses the glass on this play. he had 28 points. the wildcats make it 7-0 now. they win 78-62. second half, sam. long range, he had 27. taking care of business. 79-60 over stanford.

both miss tomorrow's big show down. carry wood is coming back to the cubs. bobby jenks to a two-year deal. ozzie trying to sell the ticket for the white sox. the taping for the commercial did not go as planned. >> hey. this holiday, you want me to be in your tree. pick it up. i don't want to read that, not yet. happy holidays. give me, 13 games, don't miss it. happy holidays. >> ha, ha, ha.

sign me up! >> where's my wallet? [ laughter ] >> that was hilarious. that was the news for this thursday night. >> have a great night. >> happy holidays. come on, kids, come inside.

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