The Evening Rush for Friday, Jan. 10, 2014

Kevin Tanaka/For Sun-Times Media

Chicago has already spent half its snow budget for 2014

It took just 10 days for Chicago to burn through half of its annual snow removal budget for 2014 — $11.2 million. That includes $7.2 million worth of salt spread in the streets. Despite the expensive efforts, complaints are piling up about the slushy state of side streets throughout the city. [Sun-Times | Sloppy side-streets]

Former alderman sentenced to 10½ years

Former Ambrosio Medrano was sentenced to 10½ years in prison in a bribery scheme that lived up to the city’s unofficial motto, “Where’s mine?” [Sun-Times]

Ventra meets benchmarks

No, seriously. [Sun-Times]

Lawmakers want to ban former gang members from prison jobs

This comes after a Sun-Times investigation found a former gang member making six figures despite being found unfit to work. [Sun-Times]

21 years later, murder charges dropped

Prosecutors dismissed murder charges against an Uptown man who has spent the last 21 years behind bars. [Sun-Times]

Michael Jordan’s college diploma up for auction

You’d think he would want to hold on to this, but alas. [Voices]

America’s best beer bars

Five Chicago institutions made Draft magazine’s annual list. Where are we going for happy hour? [DNAinfo Chicago]

NFL’s most feared players

ESPN polled 320 players to find who they fear the most in the league. [ESPN]

How the world will end

No doomsday prophecies or zombie predictions here. It’s a very scientific look at how Earth will literally end. [Washington Post]

The Bright One

Could the Obama presidential library land in Manhattan? Lynn Sweet reports on Columbia University’s push. [Sun-Times]

Commute

Sudoku; Weather; Traffic; CTA; Metra; Flight delays

And finally

In the wake of this week’s terrible weather, a Chicago video editor has given us this amazing Chicago/Star Wars mashup. [Voices]