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Bears, Illinois get do-over opportunity on new stadium, but will something finally get done?

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Bears, Illinois get do-over opportunity on new stadium, but will something finally get done?


INDIANAPOLIS — After last week’s breakdown in communication between the Chicago Bears and top Illinois lawmakers, the two sides are back to having constructive talks. The opportunity to do what they failed to do last week — advance legislation through the Illinois House – now seems possible.

While the language is still far from being finalized, there is renewed hope that PILOT legislation could pass in the Revenue and Finance Committee. An amended version of Illinois House Bill 910 was filed Wednesday evening in Springfield and added to the schedule for Thursday’s committee hearing at 10 a.m. Of significance, the filing of the bill came from Rep. Kam Buckner, who has been leading the City of Chicago’s interests during stadium negotiations with the Bears.

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What happens Thursday will be telling. One source close to the situation suggested there will be a push to not only pass the bill in the committee, but also push it to the House Floor for a vote by the end of the day. The same source expressed skepticism that a Floor vote would actually occur. The Illinois House is scheduled to adjourn until March 18 after Thursday’s proceedings, complicating the timing to advance significant stadium legislation.

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Pressure has mounted in Springfield this week, with the neighboring Indiana Senate scheduled to vote on their stadium legislation Thursday just steps away from the NFL Scouting Combine, which has brought Bears chairman George McCaskey and president Kevin Warren to town.

Multiple sources have insisted since last week that the Bears and Illinois are not far off in their negotiations. Gov. JB Pritzker told reporters at an event in Chicago on Tuesday that “there’s been really broad agreement” about changes the Bears have proposed in recent weeks.

But while Indiana stadium legislation remains at the one-yard line, the reality is that Illinois still needs more runway to finalize details, including what incentives the City of Chicago will receive from the Bears. The hope is that passing some form of PILOT legislation through a committee on Thursday will be a sign of good faith that Illinois is finally getting serious about keeping the Bears.

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The situation is essentially a do-over opportunity after similar legislation failed to make it to the same Revenue and Finance Committee last Thursday. Indiana, on the other hand, advanced their stadium legislation out of its Ways & Means House Committee with a 24-0 vote. The Bears later called it “the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date” in a statement.

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The events left Pritzker’s team stunned. The statement from the Bears lauding Indiana’s efforts caused the most frustration after what appeared to be a productive week of talks in Illinois. Those talks were put on hold until Warren released a statement to Crain’s Chicago Business that said: “We continue to work with Illinois’ leadership and appreciate the progress being made.”

Meanwhile, in Indianapolis, all signs point to Senate Bill 27 getting to Gov. Mike Braun’s desk before the Indiana legislative session ends Friday. The bill passed through the Indiana House with a 95-4 vote on Tuesday and is expected to pass in the Indiana Senate on Thursday. If all goes as expected, the Bears would be in a position to commit to building a stadium in Hammond, Ind. at any time.

That reality is accelerating movement amongst lawmakers in Springfield. And what happens Thursday could prove to be crucial.



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Illinois

Severe storm is forecast in Illinois this weekend

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Severe storm is forecast in Illinois this weekend


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  • A storm is predicted on Saturday, June 13 in Illinois.
  • Most of the state is currently expected to be under a level 2 out 5 risk, according to a Severe Weather Outlook.
  • The severe storm would be the third one this week in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD – Another severe storm is forecast for central Illinois.

The storm predicted for Saturday afternoon and into Saturday night is expected to be less severe than the ones Springfield experienced on June 11 and June 10.

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Most of the state is set to be under a Slight Risk for severe weather, which is a level 2 out of 5, according to an infographic from the National Weather Service out of Lincoln.

The main expected hazard is damaging wind gusts at 60-75 mph, with higher gusts west of Jacksonville.

Scattered hail over 1 inch in diameter is also expected, in addition to possible isolated tornadoes and localized flash flooding.

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Storms this past week

Reached by The State Journal-Register, Matt Barnes, who is a meteorologist with the weather service out of Lincoln, said straight line winds at 60-70 mph caused damage in Springfield on the night of June 11.

The storm came in around 7 p.m.

Quite a few trees and power lines were knocked down, Barnes said.

More than 11,000 people lost electrical power across Springfield, according to a news release from City, Water, Light, and Power. The storms snapped poles, bringing trees and limbs down onto power lines, Amber Sabin wrote in the release. Sabin is the director of customer and media relations for the agency.

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“With all available resources, including CWLP crews in the field from Electric Operations Troubleshooters, Construction, Substations, Relay, Traffic, Communications, and other support divisions, progress has been made but more work is to be done until all customers are restored power,” Sabin wrote early on June 12.

Tornado undetermined

The weather service on June 12 is sending a damage survey crew to Springfield and other locations in Sangamon County to assess damage from a severe storm that hit the area on June 10. The crew seeks to determine whether the damage may have been caused by a tornado.

A report from NWS is expected this evening that will be available on the NWS homepage or its social media pages.

Rainfall this week

Springfield recorded 1.95″ of rain on June 11, and 0.88″ of rain on June 10.

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Some places in central Illinois have seen a “tremendous” amount of rainfall, and scattered flash-flooding may be a concern with upcoming storm activity, Barnes said.

Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@usatodayco.com.



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Severe storms cause major damage to homes, schools and trees in central Illinois; thousands without power – IPM Newsroom

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Severe storms cause major damage to homes, schools and trees in central Illinois; thousands without power – IPM Newsroom


Updated Friday, June 12, 2026 at 12:00 a.m.

Heavy storms caused major damage to at least two school buildings in Vermilion County last night.

Joel Bird is the Director of the Vermilion County Emergency Management Agency. He said the damage is widespread.

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“Danville has several homes with trees that have fallen near the garage or the home,” said Bird.

Mark Denman Elementary School in Danville lost its roof and that wasn’t all.

“Up in Hoopeston, there’s several spots where a tornado went through on the South side… some damage at the high school, east of town at the local bridge,” said Bird.

The Nutrien Plant also took a direct hit. Bird said as of late Thursday night, there are no reports of injuries or deaths.

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The sounds of chainsaws will fill the air in many Champaign County communities on Friday.

Kandy Powell was at home around 7:30 Thursday night when a storm blew through east Urbana.

“But then the winds got really strong. And as you looked out the window you can see that the trees were kind of bowing down a little bit. And from there we heard a very large snap,” said Powell.

The large branch of one tree fell onto her driveway just missing the house. A branch from another tall, mature tree fell, blocking her street. Powell did not lose power, but thousands of people in Champaign-Urbana had a long wait to get the lights back on overnight.

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Tree branch lying on East Washington Street in Urbana after severe storms on June 11, 2026. (IPM News)

Updated Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 8:30 p.m.

There are multiple reports of damage after severe storms passed through Champaign and Vermilion Counties on Thursday night. The National Weather Service issued Tornado Warning for Champaign County at 7:28 p.m. 

As of 8:42 p.m., Ameren reports more than 78,000 customers have lost power. Thousands of homes and businesses in the Springfield, Champaign-Urbana and Danville areas do not have electricity. To report a downed power line, call 800.755.5000.

power outage map
Ameren Outage map at 8:42 p.m. on June 11, 2026

 

Below are some pictures of storm damage. This story will be updated through the evening.

large tree branch lying across driveway

Large tree branch lying across driveway in Urbana after storms on June 11, 2026.

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tree damage
Tree damage in Champaign after storms on June 11, 2026. (IPM News)
tree damage
Tree damage in Champaign after severe storms on June 11, 2026. (IPM News)

 

 

 



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‘Best Coffee Shop In Illinois,’ Social Butterfly’s 1-Year Anniversary Offers Joliet Block Party Festival

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‘Best Coffee Shop In Illinois,’ Social Butterfly’s 1-Year Anniversary Offers Joliet Block Party Festival


What are the most popular drinks on the menu?

“Any cold brews and cold foam combination,” Bosi explained. “And our sourdough sandwiches sell like crazy. When we first opened, we did not open with a focus on food.”

Since adding seven sourdough sandwiches to the regular menu, the most popular selections include the Golden Hour, Fresco Italiano, Sunrise Sausage, Garden Glow and the Spicy Social.

The address for Social Butterfly Coffee is 310 N. Ottawa St., now known as the 3TEN Building. Back in 2018, the Old Steelworkers Union Hall property was purchased and remodeled by Joliet businessman Cesar Cardenas, who now serves on the Joliet City Council.

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The inside of Social Butterfly Coffee can accommodate around 75 people. There is plenty of seating, sofas, tables and chairs for people to relax, either by themselves or to strike up a conversation with someone else.





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