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Pritzker is hopeful lawmakers will pass bill that could keep Bears in Illinois as deadline nears

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Pritzker is hopeful lawmakers will pass bill that could keep Bears in Illinois as deadline nears


CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker indicated on Friday that he is optimistic that lawmakers will pass the so-called mega projects bill that could keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois.

But they are racing against a rapidly approaching deadline. The session ends on May 31, just nine days from Friday, and one Chicago lawmaker is casting doubt on whether there is enough support.

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The Illinois Senate has adjourned for the holiday weekend, and members will not return until Monday afternoon. At this point, the legislation that would give the Bears what they need to make a move to Arlington Heights is still in the works.

The Bears head into the home stretch of this legislative session without seeing a clear game plan from the Illinois Senate for how a mega projects bill will pass.

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Senators are still hashing out details of the bill that would give the Bears long-term property tax breaks for a stadium that the team would pay for in Arlington Heights. The only other option that the Bears are considering is a site near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana. The team made clear again on Thursday that there is no viable option in Chicago.

“There really are only two choices: Do we want them in the state of Illinois, or do we want them to move to the state of Indiana? I don’t know about all of you. I would like them to stay in the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said.

But some members of the Chicago delegation still are not buying the Bears’ stance, believing that the industrial site in Hammond is not a serious option.

“But honestly, this looks like the bluff of the century to me, and the idea that the NFL is going to have two teams in Indiana and not one in Chicago… I think it’s an insult to folks’ intelligence,” said Illinois state Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago and southwest suburbs.

Preston, who chairs the Senate Black Caucus, says opposition to the mega projects bill is not just from Chicago lawmakers who do not want to see the Bears leave the lakefront. Many others have reservations, too.

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“They’re very concerned about the mega projects bill that would use resources to support a private business while so many people in the state of Illinois, property taxpayers, are struggling and hurt,” Preston said.

Pritzker remains optimistic that lawmakers will pass a bill that allows for the handoff to Arlington Heights, but so far, he has not started calling holdouts into his office for conversations.

“I don’t think any of the legislators are, you know, are unclear about what my position is. I want a business in the state of Illinois to stay in the state of Illinois and not move to another state,” Pritzker said.

The clock runs out on the legislative session on Sunday, May 31, and with many other big-ticket items still on the agenda, including the budget, lawmakers will need to move quickly while the Bears and the NFL wait on the sidelines.

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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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