The NFL combine will remain in Indianapolis beyond 2026.

The NFL combine will remain in Indianapolis beyond 2026.

Announced by Pat McAfee, the NFL and the city of Indianapolis have officially signed an extension that will keep the combine in Indianapolis for 2027 and 2028.

McAfee mentioned that 30,000 visitors came through Indianapolis in 2025, and there was a $9 million financial impact on the city.

Held at Lucas Oil Stadium and the surrounding area, the NFL Combine is a key week during the offseason. It’s where draft prospects, agents, and NFL personnel all gather together in Indianapolis.

Of course, the main event is the on-field drills that the top prospects go through as part of the pre-draft process. But in addition to that, teams also get the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with these prospects as well.

The conversations that take place that week in late February also go beyond just the draft. With free agency on the horizon, it’s an opportunity for NFL personnel and agents to have preliminary discussions about pending free agents or players who may be in line for contract extensions.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Several Northeast Ohio communities have announced they are dealing with a salt shortage and a major winter storm is heading our way.

LATEST FORECAST: 19 FIRST ALERT DAYS: Dangerous cold Friday and Saturday, winter storm Sunday

In Cleveland, city officials said they have less than 10,000 tons of salt remaining.

The city will continue to plow throughout Cleveland, but only priority routes will receive salt.

“Main roads, that’s your dangerous intersections, or schools, and that’s your hospitals,” said Tyler Sinclair, a city spokesperson.

Cleveland uses between 4,000 and 7,000 tons of salt per winter storm event, meaning current supplies could be exhausted within days.

City officials are placing blame squarely on their supplier, Cargill, saying deliveries have been delayed and the city is not receiving the full amounts ordered. The orders in question were placed back in August—six months ago.

In Avon, city officials said they have been conserving salt for several weeks and will continue to do so.

Roads will still be plowed in Avon, but salt use will be limited and prioritized for main roads, hills, and curvs.

Side streets may receive little or no salt.

Avon city officials added their next salt delivery from Cargill is expected in February.

In North Royalton, city officials said they ordered 1,000 tons of salt from Cargill on Jan. 15 and only received 300 tons.

City officials added they have 400 tons in reserves in their barn and an average three-day snow event can consume 1,500 tons.

Streets will be plowed, but salt rationed, said North Royalton city officials.

Independence city officials are advising drivers to be careful on streets and in parking lots, since crews may not be able to apply salt after plowing due to a shortage.

19 News will continue pressing Cargill for answers.

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Some Chicago-area schools have already announced closures or shifts to e-learning for this week in advance of dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills as low as -40.

The announcements come as the National Weather Service issued an extreme cold warning for all of northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, with expected wind chills as low as -30 to -40 degrees. According to the NWS, the warning will go into effect at 3 a.m. Friday.

Ahead of the temperature plummet, here’s which schools have announced closures so far, how to check the status of your school and more.

Are Illinois schools closed tomorrow?

No closures or e-learning plans were in effect for Thursday, but some schools have already announced closures or possible closings for Friday, according to the Emergency Closing Center.

Bridgeport Catholic Academy in Chicago said “due to the extreme cold” it will be switching to eLearning for Friday.

“Students will be reminded to take home any necessary materials tomorrow,” the school said in an alert to parents.

River Trails School District 26 in Mount Prospect issued a note to families saying they are “closely monitoring the predicted extreme cold temperatures.” A final decision was expected by noon Thursday.

In the northern suburbs, Lake Forest Community High School issued a similar message, saying a decision about Friday classes would be made at 12 p.m. Thursday.

“Updates on Sat., Jan. 24 activities, including the LFHS Winter Formal, will also be communicated by noon on Thursday, Jan. 22,” the school said.

Grace Lutheran School in River Forest, Ashburn Christian Academy in Orland Park and St. John The Baptist Catholic School in Winfield will all be closed Friday, per the Emergency Closing Center.

Will Chicago Public Schools close?

The threshold for when weather is wintry enough to close schools isn’t decided by a particular degree of temperatures or amount of snowfall, instead, several factors typically go into the decision making process on if a school will close.

For Chicago Public Schools, the district said it “works closely with the experts at the City’s Office of Emergency Management and Communication (OEMC) to help guide decision-making when it comes to school closures.”

The following criteria is evaluated before a decision is made:

• Air temperature and wind chill
• The amount of snow and ice on the ground
• The accessibility of buildings and roads
• Potential issues with heating/cooling systems or power outages
• The ability to transport students safely on buses

CPS noted that its maintenance crews regularly test equipment and heating systems to ensure they’re working properly, the district said, and every school has a snow removal plan to keep sidewalks, walkways and parking lots clear for students and staff.

“CPS also closely monitors weather forecasts and makes all decisions related to school closings based on the health and safety of our students,” their website states.

How to check Illinois school closings

Families can check for the latest on their school using the link below:

CHECK SCHOOL CLOSINGS HERE (NOTE: If you are accessing this link from our app, please go to your mobile browser).

Many school districts also post about closings on social media and on their website homepage, and communicate with their school community via phone, email and text message notifications.