DOWNTOWN — The Chicago Bears unveiled the first renderings for a $3.2 billion domed lakefront stadium as team leaders made their pitch to the city Wednesday. Plans call for a “publicly owned” domed stadium with expanded recreation areas for fans and families to enjoy. It would also include infrastructure improvements to the surrounding green space, added playfields, public restrooms and food and beverage offerings.

GARFIELD PARK — The family of Dexter Reed, the man police fatally shot last month, is suing the city and the officers involved in his death. In a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday morning, Reed’s family alleges five officers targeted the 26-year-old in a “predatory, violent, unlawful traffic stop that ended with officers shooting Dexter 96 times in 41 seconds.”

WICKER PARK — Iconic Chicago ice cream company Rainbow Cone is opening a location in Wicker Park next month. The beloved Beverly-based franchise known for its five-layer cones is taking over the former Caffe Streets, 1750 W. Division St. The company has pulled a building permit and is completing...

DOWNTOWN — The Bears want to build a new state-of-the-art domed stadium and they’re hoping taxpayers will help with the $4.6 billion tab. The Chicago Tribune reported late Tuesday that the team would spend $3.2 billion to build the stadium, along with $1.4 billion in proposed infrastructure improvements. The Bears would cover half — $2.3 billion — with the help of the NFL. Public financing would handle the rest, said anonymous sources who spoke to the Trib.

CHICAGO — A class-action lawsuit and a complaint to the city have been filed as the fallout begins over the abrupt closures of all Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market stores. The lawsuit against parent company Outfox Hospitality filed by Jamil Ladell Moore alleges employees were “terminated immediately...

ROSCOE VILLAGE — The Chicago Rat Hole — a rodent-shaped hole in a Roscoe Village sidewalk that took the city and social media by storm earlier this year — was removed by city crews Wednesday morning. Neighbor Georgina Ulrich, who lives across the street from the rat...

AVONDALE — Upbeat ’80s music, a glittering disco ball and a colorful retro vibe will greet patrons at the bar replacing Lost Lake. Common Decency, 3154 W. Diversey Ave. on the Logan Square/Avondale border, will open to the public 2 p.m. Friday. The bar hosted a series of preview events this week in preparation for the opening, which has been in the works since December.

JEFFERSON PARK — About a year ago, Jefferson Park’s Joe’s Pizza moved and became Joe’s on Higgins. Now, the Italian eatery is adding a patio. Joe’s Pizza, which has called Higgins Avenue home for over five decades, relocated last May from 5747 W. Higgins Ave. to a larger location at 5862 W. Higgins Ave. The move was part of a larger rebrand, owner Frank Demonte said.

LINCOLN PARK — A North Side business owner has started an online petition urging changes to the upcoming Mayfest, saying the event’s organizer punished him for not buying a booth at last year’s festival. The petition from Adam Kamin asks Mayfest organizer Star Events to find alternative...

HYDE PARK — Four years into the COVID-19 pandemic, government officials have rolled back many precautions against the virus. But “COVID consciousness” continues to be a priority — or even a necessity — for many locals. One mutual aid group, the Chicago Mask Bloc, is continuing to serve COVID-conscious neighbors by providing free KN95, N95, KF94 and other masks with filtration.

WICKER PARK — Bianca Xunise grew up obsessing over John Hughes movies — coming-of-age stories about misfit Chicagoland teens. But the mostly white characters didn’t reflect Xunise or their friends, who grew up together south of the city. In high school, Xunise began imagining their own cast...

FULTON MARKET — A popular fast-food chain specializing in chicken fingers is in talks to take over the former home of Little Goat Diner in Fulton Market, according to a report from Crain’s. Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, a Louisana-based chain, is working on a deal to lease the...

UKRAINIAN VILLAGE — A restaurant on the Ukrainian Village-Humboldt Park border will be closed for at least the next two weeks after a fire over the weekend, and its owners are asking for help as they get back on their feet. Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar, 2700 W. Chicago...

PILSEN — Chicago muralist Ray Patlán, whose artwork has adorned Pilsen’s walls and buildings for decades, died last week at 77. Born in 1946 at Mother Cabrini Memorial Hospital on the West Side, Patlán grew up in Pilsen with his parents, who immigrated to the United States from Guanajuato, Mexico, and his four sisters.

NORTHALSTED — Chicago Pride Fest, an annual celebration of LGBTQ+ life, culture and community, returns to Northalsted this summer for its 23rd edition, with JoJo Siwa and Natasha Bedingfield among the marquee performers. This year’s fest is slated for June 22-23, the weekend before the city’s 53rd annual Pride...

CHICAGO — Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market stores abruptly closed across Chicago Tuesday, nearly five months after the two local upscale grocery businesses announced a blockbuster merger. Customers arriving at Foxtrot and Dom’s locations Tuesday were greeted by signs saying the stores have closed permanently and thanking...

CHICAGO — Cynthia Harris can’t walk up the stairs to her Far South Side home without help. The concrete stairs to her Rosemoor home, where she’s lived since the 1960s, urgently need repairs. Harris, 64, has limited mobility after suffering a stroke, and she has to use a stool to get up and down.

CHICAGO — Rachel Hinton, a reporter for Block Club Chicago’s investigative team, The Watch, will be honored with the Distinguished Alumna Award by DePaul University’s Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence on Thursday. Before joining Block Club in August, Hinton was an enterprise reporter for the Illinois...

DOWNTOWN — The Bears are ready to pitch a plan to stay in Chicago. The team will unveil a proposal noon Wednesday for a “state-of-the-art, publicly owned enclosed stadium,” with additional green space and access to the lakefront and Museum Campus, according to a news release. City...

SOUTH SHORE — A group of South Shore residents who helped clean their neighborhood for Earth Day said their sustained work — and increased city services — can make their busy blocks safer and more vibrant. Monday’s Earth Day on Essex event brought together residents along the...