A turf war over a football team is developing between two Midwestern states with a long rivalry.
Authorities said Travis Haecker, 32, turned himself in to the Kendall County Sheriff’s deputies on Dec. 12, 2025. Haecker was indicted by a Nueces County grand jury in March 2026.Families of students with disabilities face roadblocks as deadline approachesRead full article: ‘It’s frustrating’: IEP delays threaten $30K in school voucher funds for familiesMarch 14, 2026 at 2:38 AM FILE - Soldier Field is seen for an MLS soccer match between the Chicago Fire and the CF Montral, Saturday, Feb.
28, 2026, in Chicago. – A turf war over a football team is developing between two Midwestern states with a sometimes-discordant history. The storied Chicago Bears want to leave historic Soldier Field, where they've played for half a century. Indiana lawmakers are attempting to lure them from the Windy City with a plan toof at least $100 million, a plan that would encompass the Bears' proposal to build a complex in the northwest Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, about the same distance from Soldier Field as Hammond. Critics complain it's a bad deal for Illinois, where property taxes are already among the highest in the nation — especially when taxpayers still owe hundreds of millions of dollars on a Soldier Field renovation from two decades ago.The Bears, one of only two remaining NFL founding members, are legend. Their nine championships, including a Super Bowl win, are second only to the rival Green Bay Packers — though recent decades have brought mostly heartbreak. The franchise carries an $8.9 billion price tag, among the most valuable of the NFL’s 32 teams, according to Forbes. Born in the central Illinois city of Decatur in 1920, the Bears have called Chicago home for 105 years. Losing them to the Hoosier State would be a major thumb in the eye.With 61,500 seats, it's the NFL's smallest. The Bears have always rented their facilities — the Cubs' Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970, and Soldier Field, maintained by the Chicago Park District, since. Like most teams, they want to own a stadium, giving them control over operations, scheduling and revenue streams from ticket sales, concessions, parking, naming rights and more. And Soldier Field is open air. An enclosed facility would allow for other marquee sporting events: Super Bowls, NCAA Final Fours or WrestleMania, for instance.Along with the states' established cultural and economic differences and an intense college basketball rivalry, the political fissure between Democrat-dominated Chicago and conservative Indiana has widened. It amped up last year when Indiana adopted a commission to studybroached moving in 1975 But the City of Big Shoulders heaved an anxious sigh in 2023 when the Bears paid about $200 million for a 326-acre former horse-racing track in Arlington Heights. They have envisioned a, partially taxpayer-funded, for an enclosed stadium next to Soldier Field, which garnered little interest in the capital of Springfield. Late last fall, the team turned to Indiana.Indiana's lure creates the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to finance, construct and lease a domed stadium near Wolf Lake in Hammond. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed it into law on Feb. 26. The Bears would agree to a 35-year lease. Borrowed state money would cover the as-yet-unknown cost of construction, repaid by increased local hospitality taxes. In Illinois, majority Democrats have advanced legislation in the House that would provide incentives for any so-called megaproject of at least $500 million — or less, down to $100 million, depending on the number of jobs created. Developers would pay property taxes frozen at the parcel's pre-construction value for as long as 45 years. During that time, they would make annual payments in lieu of taxes negotiated with local governments. There would also be a sales tax exemption on building materials for up to 15 years.Opponents say the Illinois legislation, with its decades-long property tax freeze, would simply mean increased taxes for homeowners and other businesses — the payment in lieu of taxes would be a bonus. Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who supports the plan, last week countered that the proposal would encourage development on land that isn’t producing property taxes while ensuring increased revenue for local governments. Meanwhile, a substantial debt remains on the last accommodation. Taxpayers in 2001 put up $399 million to finance a $587 million renovation of Soldier Field. With interest, the remaining tab is $467 million, according to the state's Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. The Bears' $7 million annual lease runs through 2033. Breaking it would cost the Bears a $10.5 million penalty for each year left on the agreement. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.A stretch of Southeast Military Drive back in the spotlightCourt takes up case of Charles Byrd, accused of murdering his wifeFamily fights for justice in 2022 murder caseLa tradición de las medallas que anuncia la llegada de Fiesta en San AntonioWatching for Storms West of San AntonioSan Antonio couple stops swerving car, helps save unconscious driver on Loop 410
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Interstate rivalry heats up as Chicago Bears flirt with leaving Soldier Field for IndianaA turf war over a football team is developing between two Midwestern states with a long rivalry. Indiana has made a serious bid to lure the storied Chicago Bears across the border. The Bears want to leave Soldier Field, their home for 50 years. They previously proposed a $5 billion campus featuring a domed stadium in suburban Arlington Heights.
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Could the Chicago Bears leave Illinois? Indiana makes a play for the historic franchiseA turf war over a football team is developing between two Midwestern states with a long rivalry.
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Could the Chicago Bears leave Illinois? Indiana makes a play for the historic franchiseA turf war over a football team is developing between two Midwestern states with a long rivalry
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