Here's a news wrap-up in the race for Cook County Board President:

Michael Sneed had the scoop of the weekend. According to the Sun-Times columnist, a Cook County grand jury is investigating charges leveled in early November that Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown's campaign used a state-funded job training program (Earnfare) to circulate nominating petitions. While Brown says she was not aware of the alleged abuse, the grand jury probe couldn't come at a worse time.  Indeed, the clerk is leading in the polls and just made headlines last week with an endorsement from U.S. Rep. Danny Davis.

Another candidate that's no stranger to controversy, incumbent Todd Stroger, made news yesterday when county sources reported that the board president fired two of House Speaker Michael Madigan's top political loyalists from lucrative county jobs. Stroger is apparently frustrated that Madigan pushed through a bill lowering the county's veto threshold while also refusing to back Stroger in his reelection campaign. As the Tribune wrote over the weekend, Stroger is now stuck on a political island:

Just three years after Chicago's Democratic leaders paved Stroger's path to the Cook County Board presidency, he finds himself without their backing for the first time in his political career as he battles to keep his job. County Democrats who picked him to replace his ailing father in 2006 refused to endorse him for the Feb. 2 primary.

The Tribune also profiled Ald. Toni Preckwinkle yesterday, noting her modest campaign style:

Preckwinkle's no-nonsense approach suits a former high school history teacher and has served her well as an alderman. As she seeks a promotion from running a South Side ward to overseeing county government, she's betting that low-key style will appeal to voters from Schaumburg to Dolton.

Unlike some of her opponents, Preckwinkle isn't likely to break out a rousing stem-winder on the city church circuit. But she makes no apologies.

"I am what I am," she said. "You shouldn't underestimate the intelligence of the voters."

This morning, Preckwinkle was interviewed on WFLD's Good Day Chicago, where Brown and Davis appeared on Friday. Watch both segments below:

Meanwhile, over at Mechanics, Denny Fenster takes issue with Davis' bizarre rationale for endorsing Brown (that she leads in the polls):

To be on the winning side? Is that how Congressman Davis picks his policy makers? That hardly seems with a critical eye to the public good. His argument might be that as a representative of the people he takes into account public opinion polls and tries to push for what they want. But I tend to demand a little more from my public servants, say, that they think critically about what policies are in the public interest, voice those opinions and the engage in a dialog with their constituents.

Lastly, be sure to check out WTTW's Chicago Tonight this evening, which will feature a debate among the Democratic candidates.

UPDATE (2:57 pm): The Reader's Mick Dumke also has a new disptach from a campaign forum yesterday sponsored by the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections. The three challengers -- Brown, Preckwinkle, and Terrance O'Briend -- blasted Stroger for not attending.