Dane Placko
Dane Placko is a general assignment reporter at FOX 32 News and enjoys covering a variety of stories, from spot news to sports to features.
Placko was born in Chicago in the Rogers Park neighborhood. He moved with his family first to Arlington Heights and then Palatine, where he attended both Fremd and Palatine High Schools. He majored in history at the University of Illinois at Urbana, then began his career in broadcasting at WHO Radio and T.V. in Des Moines.
After a brief stop in Milwaukee, Placko returned home to Chicago and FOX 32 News in 1992, where he has received Emmy awards for spot news reporting and writing.
An avid gardener, Placko lives on the city's Northeast Side, and is best known among his colleagues as a long-suffering Cubs fan (not anymore, though!).
The latest from Dane Placko
Chicago’s summer of 'thousand-year' storms: Why flooding hit hard — and why it’s poised to get worse
Chicago was hit hard by two severe summer storms that triggered disaster declarations across the city. A Fox Chicago special report examines why the flooding was so extreme and what’s being done to prevent it from happening again.
Heavy snowstorm snarls Chicago travel on roads and in the air
No matter where you were on Saturday, you were likely impacted by this first big heavy snowfall.
Two fugitives wanted in teen’s killing added to FBI Chicago’s Most Wanted list
Two fugitives long sought by Cook County sheriff’s police have been added to the FBI Chicago’s Most Wanted list.
Outrage after federal agents use tear gas just before Halloween parade in Old Irving Park
Residents on the Northwest Side are outraged after federal agents deployed chemical agents against protesters.
CT scanners unveil creepy secrets at Chicago’s Field Museum
Chicago's Field Museum is world-famous for its massive collection of animal specimens. And with Halloween fast approaching, researchers are putting some of their creepiest critters into new machines to reveal their secrets.
Johnny Carson’s legacy celebrated in Chicago pop-up museum
The greatest star in the history of late-night television is being remembered with a special exhibit in Chicago.
Naperville shooting suspect still on the run after cutting off ankle monitor
A Naperville shooting suspect cut off his ankle monitor and vanished. Now, the FBI is asking for your help finding him.
Forgotten 1800s cemetery near Chicago finds new life thanks to local volunteers
Hidden for nearly a century, this Illinois cemetery is revealing long-lost stories of the state's earliest settlers.
Chicago FBI warning parents about violent online group ‘764’ targeting teens on social media
There's been a rise in victims involving 764 members, a violent online network the FBI says is targeting teens.
Chicago crime files: Cook County coroner’s secret archive heads to auction
Potter and Potter Auctions on Chicago's Northwest Side looks like any other building in the neighborhood. But as Fox 32’s Dane Placko discovered, take a walk inside, and you'll quickly discover it's holding a treasure trove of some of Chicago's darkest history.