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Illinois driver repeats as Gopher 50 champion

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Illinois driver repeats as Gopher 50 champion


(Editor’s note: This story will be updated later tonight with more details.)

SPRING VALLEY — The Gopher 50 charity Late Model race has been held in southeastern Minnesota for the past 42 years.

Only three times prior to Saturday had a driver won the prestigious race — promoted since its inception by the Blooming Prairie Lions Club — in consecutive years.

Make that four times.

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Oakwood, Ill., Late Model driver Bobby Pierce left the 3/8-mile high-banked dirt track on Saturday night the same way he left it a year ago — $50,000 richer.

Saturday, Pierce beat a star-studded and talented field to win the Gopher 50 A Main and join Steve Kosiski (1981-82), Billy Moyer (2000-01) and Darrell Lanigan (2013-15) as the only drivers to win the main feature at the Gopher in consecutive years.

Pierce
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Brandon Sheppard (the 2019 Gopher 50 champion), Tyler Erb, Ryan Gustin and Nick Hoffman rounded out the top five finishers.

Rochester native Dustin Sorensen finished 11th, after starting 17th.

• Jake O’Neil captured the 35-lap USRA Modifieds A Main on Saturday night.

Hayfield’s Brandon Davis finished as the runner-up, while Jake Timm (Winona), Joe Chisholm (Osage, Iowa) and Rodney Sanders (Happy, Texas) rounded out the top five in the 30-car field.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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Illinois

Bears release statement as Illinois legislators take major step toward stadium bill

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Bears release statement as Illinois legislators take major step toward stadium bill


The Chicago Bears released a statement on Wednesday after Illinois legislators took a step forward with keeping the team in the state.

Shortly after the bill passed out of a House committee 15-5 and then was passed again by the full House, the Bears said the bill is not enough for them.

“We welcome the progress made on the House’s version of the mega project bill; however, additional amendments are necessary to make the Arlington Heights site feasible for our stadium project. We support Illinois leaders as they determine the path forward to making the essential changes to the mega project bill and aligning on infrastructure funding,” the team said in a statement.

The vote on Wednesday came after lawmakers spent weeks working to address concerns and criticism that the bill provided incentives to the team to leave Chicago and surrounding potential revenue shortfalls to area schools if the stadium is built in Arlington Heights.

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Despite the team’s dissatisfaction, the megaprojects bill, which would allow the Bears to negotiate property tax payments directly with the Village of Arlington Heights, is headed now to the Senate.

A key piece of legislation designed to keep the Chicago Bears’ stadium project in Illinois is being weighed, and Rose Schmidt has details on what’s in it.

That said, the bill’s lead Senate sponsor State Sen. Bill Cunningham told NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern that legislators “feel no pressure to take a vote next week” when the Senate returns on Tuesday.

“We will work this bill like any other bill,” Cunningham said.

Though the team is not satisfied with the deal, it seems Illinois Governor Pritzker is.

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“Governor Pritzker has been clear and consistent for years that the Bears should remain in Illinois, and that any legislation needs to protect taxpayers. Throughout the past few months, the Governor’s Office brought team leadership, local officials, and legislative partners to the table to craft a deal around public infrastructure improvements, property tax fairness, and affordability measures. Today is an important step, and the Governor’s Office looks forward to working with the Illinois General Assembly to advance a bill that reflects our shared priorities,” Pritzker’s office said in a statement on Wednesday.



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First annual Illinois Film Festival set for Wilmette in August

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First annual Illinois Film Festival set for Wilmette in August


Budding filmmakers and students alike will have a chance to showcase their creative talent and passion for the craft at the first annual Illinois Film Festival this Aug. 8, 2026.

The new initiative invites young, up-and-coming directors,…



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GOP Rep. Ryan Spain opposes Illinois redistricting changes

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GOP Rep. Ryan Spain opposes Illinois redistricting changes


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