Pritzker Accepts Fact Bears Could Leave Illinois
(Springfield, IL) — Governor Pritzker is accepting the fact that the Bears could leave Illinois after the state legislature failed to approve a bill designed to help the team build a stadium in Arlington Heights. Pritzker acknowledged the team’s possible departure but said he wasn’t willing to use billions of dollars in taxpayer money to build the Bears a stadium. A bill that was introduced late Sunday night would give municipalities in Cook County with more than 70-thousand residents the ability to create a Municipal Stadium Authority to negotiate with sports franchises interested in building a stadium. Lawmakers couldn’t agree on the measure after time ran out on the spring legislative session. Pritzker didn’t rule out calling a special legislative session to further consider a stadium package.
Pritzker Touts Eight Consecutive Balanced State Budget
(Springfield, IL) — Governor Pritzker is touting the eighth consecutive balanced budget for the state of Illinois. The governor said Illinois is in its strongest financial position in decades, pointing to improved credit ratings, reduced pension liabilities and a replenished rainy-day fund. The Illinois General Assembly passed a nearly 56-billion-dollar spending plan for 2027 early Monday. The spending plan includes new taxes on prediction markets, cryptocurrency, and digital advertising revenue.
Three Charged In Deadly Home Explosion
(Madison County, IL) — Authorities are filing charges against a man and his parents in connection to a home explosion in the Metro East that killed three people. Twenty-two-year-old Colton Cissell is charged with involuntary manslaughter and possession of explosives for the blast in Troy the night of April Fifth that killed 18-year-old Madeleine Cissell, 19-year-old Ayden Hendrickson, and 12-year-old Paisley Nishwitz. Investigators determined the explosion was caused by the “mishandling of commercial-grade energetic material.” Forty-eight-year-old Kenneth and 43-year-old Roberta Cissell have also been charged with endangering the life or health of a child.
St. Louis Among Cities With The Most Dog Bites On USPS Workers
(Undated) — St. Louis is among the top cities in the country when it comes to dog attacks on postal carriers. Results of a new survey released by the U.S. Postal Service show 40 such incidents reported in St. Louis last year — the sixth-most among all cities. Both Illinois and Missouri were in the top ten states for reported dog-bite incidents as well. The Postal Service is urging dog owners to keep their pets secured while outside or in a separate, closed room before opening the front door.