Illinois
We’re naming the cutest dog in Illinois. Vote now in round 1 of the photo contest
Last week, the Belleville News-Democrat asked readers to submit photos of their dogs for a photo contest, and we received more than 20 pictures of cute pooches.
At our poll below, BND subscribers can vote for who they think is the cutest dog, from a little yorkie named Sassy, to a shih tzu/bichon frise mix posing on a pool float, to many other sweet pups.
While collecting submissions, we also asked readers to tell us a fun fact about their dog, which we’ll share when the field has narrowed.
Voting will be open to subscribers until 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30. Once the period closes, no additional votes will be tallied. If you use an ad blocker, you may need to disable it to view and participate in the poll.
The top-performing dogs in this preliminary round will move on in the competition. In the coming weeks, the winning pup will be determined and appear in a news story on bnd.com.
Please keep in mind this is not a scientific poll. It’s just for fun!
If you’re interested in some of our previous bracket competitions, don’t miss southwestern Illinois’ choice for the best coffee shop or top restaurant.
Illinois
Severe storm is forecast in Illinois this weekend
Springfield’s northside heavily impacted by severe storm I Video
Springfield woke up to buildings at the local airport tossed around, and warped fences, along with significant damage to a northside animal shelter.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
Illinois
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.
“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.
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.
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.
Below are some pictures of storm damage. This story will be updated through the evening.

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


Illinois
‘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.
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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