Add a Punchline to Our Driving Dog Cartoon

If you've got wit, add your caption to Patch's weekly comic challenge and win a personalized print.

Are you blessed with insight and good humor? Or just bored today? Share your wit with your neighbors by entering Patch's comic caption challenge. Just add your dialogue for today's comic in the comment section of this post. Our only requirement is that you keep it clean! At week's end, we'll pick the winning punchline based on how many of us here at Patch giggle and smile at your contribution. The user who produces the winning punchline will get a personalized proof of the comic, with the winning words and a credit line, from cartoonist Chuck Ingwersen and Patch. Congratulations to Oswego Resident, who provided the winning punchline to last week's Kangaroo's cartoon: "Hop in the sack, you said?" "Not really what I had in mind."

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Illinois Tollway Prepared to Mobilize 182 Snowplows for Tuesday's Snow, Sleet

All temporary lane closures have been canceled from 9 a.m. today through 7 a.m. Thursday.

The Illinois Tollway is preparing to mobilize its full fleet of 182 snowplows in response to sleet and snow that has already started and is expected to continue overnight into Wednesday around the Chicagoland area, according to a press release. “Our Snow Operations team is monitoring this storm closely and is prepared to manage snowfall throughout the day,” Kristi Lafleur, executive director, Illinois Tollway, said in a statement.  “We ask our customers to be patient, drive safely and give our snowplows the room they need to clear the roads, especially during this evening’s rush hour.”  Northern Illinois is expected to get 3 to 6 inches of snow from noon until 9 p.m. Some areas could see totals greater than 6 inches should thundersnow …

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We Asked

We Asked: Are You Still Listening to the Radio?

We asked these Average Joes and Janes if they are still listening to FM/AM radio, or if they have switched to other ways to listen to music.

At approximately 1 a.m. July 15, the Chicago area said goodbye to WKQX, more commonly known as Q101. At the end of this month, it's to convert to an all-news format. Whether that signals a demise in radio-broadcast rock music is probably premature to say, but it's clear that consumers have more options than ever for listening to music – especially in their cars. A Ford Focus, for example, has the capacity to play AM/FM radio, satellite radio, Internet radio, CDs and mp3 devices. With so many choices, we wondered if people in Plainfield still tune into stations on their AM/FM radio. Brian Clauson, 33, of Plainfield said he uses a number of devices to listen to music in his car. “I just like a variety,” Clauson said. “Sometimes I listen to …

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Plainfield Blotter/May 6, 2011

Arrests made by the Plainfield Police Department and other police agencies.

Lauro Esparza, 39, 25305 Federal Circle, Plainfield, arrested by the Plainfield Police Department at about 3:40 p.m. April 29 at 143rd Street and Van Dyke Road and charged with driving with a suspended/revoked license. Jesus Murillo, 48, 20923 W. Boulder Drive, Plainfield, arrested by the Plainfield Police Department at about 11:40 a.m. April 30 at U.S. 30 and 143rd Street and charged with driving with a suspended/revoked license. Jose Rivera, 22, 1612 W. Arden Place, Joliet, arrested by the Plainfield Police Department at about 11:15 p.m. May 1 at Route 59 and Ottawa Street and charged with driving with a suspended/revoked license. Raeshon Wilcher, 18, 2616 Stowe Court, Plainfield, arrested by the Plainfield Police Department at about …

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Plainfield Blotter/Feb. 22, 2011

Arrests made by the Plainfield Police Department and other police agencies.

Latonya Searcy, 39, 11813 Ford Court, Plainfield, arrested by the Plainfield Police Department Feb. 16 at 119th Street and Route 59 and charged with driving with a suspended/revoked license. Luz Pintor, 34, 320 Pine St., Joliet, arrested by the Plainfield Police Department Feb. 17 at 14902 Route 59 and charged with driving with a suspended/revoked license. Myrna Arellano, 27, 304A Woodcreek Drive, Bolingbrook, arrested by the Plainfield Police Department Feb. 17 at Route 59 and Hazelcrest Drive and charged with driving with a suspended/revoked license.

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Winter Weather Wallops Us Again; 2-4 Inches Expected

About 2 to 4 inches of snow is expected over the course of Tuesday, the National Weather Service says.

Updated at 11:50 a.m. Tuesday A half-inch of snow fell overnight, according to the National Weather Service, and another 2 to 4 inches is expected during the day today. The chance of snow Tuesday is 100 percent and 50 percent tonight, the NWS forecast says. Temperatures will drop to about 18 Tuesday night, and wind will pick up to about 10 to 15 mph. There's also about a 20 percent chance of snow Wednesday, with temps sinking to the single digits on Wednesday night. Is your car winter travel ready? Here are some items that should be checked, according to the Illinois State Police: Source: Illinois State Police For more winter safety driving tips visit the Illinois State Police Web site.

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Video Showcases Dozens of Plainfield Homes Decked Out in Holiday Finery

K3 Lights spent Monday night filming all of the lit-up houses it could find; Patch will post photos of more so them our way.

The folks who run a Web site named K3 Lights spent a night in Plainfield this week capturing dozens of houses adorned in their best holiday attire. The video's now on their Web site, K3Lights.com, and on YouTube. You can watch the Plainfield video by clicking on the photo that accompanies this story or going to (http://www.k3lights.com/2010/12/k3-lights-presents-plainfield-day-12.html). K3 started out doing this  just in the Kankakee/Bourbonnais area in 2009 but has expanded out this year to include many Chicago suburbs and northwest Indiana, including Wheaton, Downers Grove, Northbrook and others. They were in Romeoville and Bolingbrook Tuesday night, and will post their video from that trip later this week. So, check out the …

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Winter Storm Expected to Dump Snow, Followed by Frigid Temps

Be prepared: The National Weather Service is predicting snow, plunging temperatures and strong winds over the next few days.

Soupy Saturday is expected to turn into Snowy Sunday, with rain turning to sleet and snow overnight, according to the National Weather Service. A significant winter storm is expected to move into the Chicago area Saturday night into Monday. The storm was dumping snow across the Great Plains and is expected to change from rain and sleet into snow by Sunday morning, according to the weather service. The northern suburbs are expected to get more snow, but between 2 to 5 inches of snow are possible in the area. Temperatures are expected to drop and winds could increase significantly, with gusts in excess of 45 mph. Anyone planning to spend significant amounts of time outdoors Sunday should be prepared to dress for temperatures that are …

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