Illinois hearing on Bears stadium tax breaks canceled; report says Bears “zero in” on Hammond, Indiana

CNN on February 19, 2026


WBBM

By Marissa Perlman, Adam Harrington

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A pivotal Illinois legislative hearing in Springfield that would impact the future of the Chicago Bears has been canceled, and published reports said the Bears are “zeroing in” on a plan to move to Hammond, Indiana.

Citing a source familiar with negotiations, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported that the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee was set to vote Thursday morning on language that would pave the way for a Northwest Indiana Bears stadium site to be finalized.

If that language is placed in Indiana Senate Bill 27, the Bears will be expected to make a statement confirming their interest in the Hammond site, but falling shy of a full commitment to move, the publication reported, as cited by Crain’s Chicago Business.

Back in Illinois, a hearing had been scheduled for Thursday morning on a controversial proposal to offer the Bears tax incentives and infrastructure support for a potential new stadium in the northwest Chicago suburb Arlington Heights. But that hearing has been canceled.

CBS News Chicago is told lawmakers wanted to work through some additional details in the proposal, called the Mega Project Assessment Freeze and Payment Law, before bringing it forward.

The legislation would allow the Bears – or the developers of other projects costing at least $500 million – to negotiate with local government to lock in how much they would pay in property taxes for years to come.

Supporters have said that kind of tax certainty is what’s needed before the Bears invest billions into a new stadium and surrounding development, but critics have argued Illinois taxpayers shouldn’t be in the business of helping fund an NFL franchise.

The proposal would freeze the Bears’ property tax assessment for up to 40 years. While the Bears have said they would pay for the stadium themselves, they are seeking more than $850 million in state funding for necessary supporting infrastructure – such as new roads, upgraded utilities, and more.

Supporters have warned that Illinois is competing with Indiana, where leaders have been trying to lure the team for some time, and time is running out.

There’s also political pressure from Chicago to factor into any deal for a new Bears stadium in Arlington Heights. The Bears’ lease at their current stadium, Soldier Field, runs through 2033, and more than half a billion dollars of debt is still owed on the 2003 renovation of the stadium.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Family attorney in 6-year-old’s Colorado amusement park death speaks amid bankruptcy filing by Glenwood Caverns

CNN on February 17, 2026


KCNC

By Karen Morfitt

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — A jury verdict finding Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park liable for the death of 6‑year‑old Wongel Estifanos was a step toward healing for her family, said Dan Caplis, the family’s attorney.

“To place such enormous value on Wongel’s life meant so much to the parents,” Caplis told CBS Colorado. “It’s really helped them move forward.”

The family filed a wrongful death lawsuit after state investigators found Wongel’s seat belt had not been secured, and that multiple warning systems were ignored.

“Prior to trial, Caverns had continued to deny any fault for this,” Caplis said.

The jury awarded the family more than $100 million in damages — a judgment Caplis says sent shockwaves through the amusement park industry.

“We know for a fact that, because of the size of the verdict, it shot around the world overnight,” he said. “Everybody in the industry is aware of this verdict and of the recklessness that led to it. We have every reason to believe the industry is safer because of this verdict.”

The owners of Glenwood Caverns have since filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saying in part that it is their best option.

“Our priority is to honor our obligations with integrity, maintain stability for our guests, employees and partners, and ensure the business remains strong to support the community we love,” Glenwood Caverns said in part in a statement to CBS Colorado.

Caplis responded, saying, “We think the parents see this as an attempt to maneuver out of their obligation here.”

Caplis said what the family wants most is meaningful change. He said they offered to accept a fraction of the judgment if the park would agree to criminal background checks and drug testing for ride operators.

“They want this verdict to make Caverns better and safer — everything it should be — and they offered a proposal that would have allowed that,” Caplis said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Ice cream truck made out of snow is raising money for a good cause

CNN on February 17, 2026


WCBS

By Vanessa Murdock

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    CRANFORD, New Jersey (WCBS) — Life in one New Jersey town just got a whole lot sweeter. A man crafted a Good Humor truck out of snow and even sells ice cream out of it for a great cause.

Robert Schott serves up happiness from his front lawn in Cranford, where he parked his truck, which is 99% made out of snow.

Complete with headlights, rims, and a front seat to sit and enjoy, say, a toasted almond, the 1953 Chevy model is “OHSOGOOD,” according to its license plate.

Back then, a Good Humor bar cost only 13 cents, but Schott is selling them for $5 because all profits benefit the Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation, which is based in Mountainside. Schott’s friend, Charlie Newman, received care there. Schott’s father, Joseph, who is now just days away from his 104th birthday, spent time doing science experiments and playing games with patients.

“In the 1960s and 1970s, I volunteered there,” Joseph Schott said. “I loved it and I’d like to think they enjoyed seeing me.”

Many people stopped by Monday to appreciate the snow incognito, but the grand opening happened Friday evening. Neighbor Lisa Hunt helped bring the event to life and said the line wrapped around the corner.

“When everybody showed up and Robert was standing there, I thought this is what we did it for,” Hunt said.

Since that grand opening, Schott has raised more than $5,000 for Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation.

On line were some of the children being cared for at Children’s Specialized Hospital.

“The delight the kids were getting — kids with really difficult challenges in their lives and the parents who put so much out to care for their children — that got to my heart,” Robert Schott said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Man pain-free thanks to revolutionary sickle cell treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

CNN on February 12, 2026


KYW

By Stephanie Stahl

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — A better treatment for sickle cell disease, which strikes mainly people of color, is transforming medicine in Philadelphia, making this Black History Month especially meaningful for one local family.

This is a new gene therapy that works with the patient’s own blood, which gets reprogrammed. It’s already changing one young man’s life.

Austin Louis, 20, stays busy almost a year after getting a revolutionary treatment for sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder that causes excruciating pain.

“It totally worked, I feel amazing,” he said.

For the first time in his life, Louis can enjoy being outside in the cold, which triggered pain before the treatment.

“I feel totally different,” he said. “It’s a brand new body. I feel like a new human.”

Louis was the first patient at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — outside of a clinical trial — to get a new FDA-approved treatment.

It involves collecting his stem cells, which are then manipulated with a gene editing technology called CRISPR to normalize the blood.

Last March, Louis was back at CHOP for the infusion of his reconstituted blood.

“I totally feel relieved,” Louis said.

His parents, who moved the family from New York to South Jersey to be closer to CHOP, are relieved, too.

Because sickle cell disease affects mainly people of color, this Black History Month is especially poignant for the family.

“This is history in the making,” Jennifer Louis, Austin Louis’ mother, said. “I think it’s pretty amazing.”

It’s also a big accomplishment for the team at CHOP, offering a novel new way of treating — and maybe even curing — sickle cell disease.

“You don’t get these very often in your career. So for me, wow, this is a big one,” said Dr. Alexis Thompson, attending hematologist at CHOP. “To be able to imagine something that is as extraordinary as gene therapy affecting a population that so often feels overlooked and is underserved by our health care system, it’s just so rewarding.”

A growing number of patients have received the gene therapy, putting a future within reach where sickle cell disease is not such a devastating diagnosis.

Austin Louis is glad to be living without pain for the first time in his life – and helping others along the way.

“I’m paving the way for others,” he said. “So I feel great about that.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Good Samaritan shovels busy sidewalk after fire left building abandoned

CNN on February 12, 2026


WBZ

By Mike Sullivan

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    SOMERVILLE, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A good Samaritan in Somerville, Massachusetts needs help clearing a sidewalk that hasn’t been shoveled for weeks because the building behind it caught fire in early December.

Brad Stone says the inches of ice and snow make it hard for people with disabilities to get through the neighborhood. It may force some people to move into the street.

“I work in an ER, and we have had a couple of fatalities that way. People are in their wheelchairs, and a snowplow doesn’t see them or a truck doesn’t see them,” Stone said.

He set out to clear the stretch on Marion Street in an effort to improve the situation.

“I would say probably six inches of pure ice, and then on top of that is another inch or two or three of snow,” said Stone. “It’s exhausting, but I’m motivated.”

Stone’s father is an Army veteran who now battles muscular dystrophy. He is now required to use a wheelchair. Stone’s nephew also suffers from the disease.

“He was of able body, and now if you were to see him, it’s pretty sad. He can’t pick his hands above his head,” said Stone speaking of his father.

His friend Ben is also in a wheelchair and lives in the neighborhood. He says this stretch can be difficult for him to get through.

“Everything just accumulated, and being that I was off work, and a nice day, I got possessed with the motivation to chisel it out,” said Stone.

There is no one to shovel the sidewalk because the building behind it caught fire. An Eversource worker saved someone who was stuck on a balcony during the fire. The worker used their bucket truck to get the person to safety.

“It’s post-devastating fire, so no one lives here at the moment,” said Stone. “I guess there is an owner somewhere, but I think they are going through a pretty rough time.”

He is literally picking up for them, but it’s a big job, so he is hoping his neighbors will pitch in to keep the area clear for the winter.

“That’s the hope that people say, ‘I have an extra few minutes, and arms that work, I will come help,’ but even if they don’t, I will still do it,” said Stone.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

What is Typti? New racket sport could solve pickleball’s noise problem.

CNN on February 12, 2026


WBZ

By Matt Schooley

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — A new racket sport called Typti aims to tap into the popularity of pickleball while also solving some of the noise complaints surrounding the sport.

If you are familiar with pickleball, you know the high-pitched and repetitive sound that has become the center of neighborhood controversies around the country.

In Braintree, the city had so many complaints they had to put up a sound barrier around their local courts. Nantucket considered a ban on pickleball due to noise complaints.

Typti appears to solve that problem.

“It’s a big foam ball, a little bit bigger than a tennis ball, very quiet, which is kind of interesting. It doesn’t make any noise at all,” Stephen Mitchell, co-owner of the Boston Pickle Club told WBZ NewsRadio. “And it is a lot of fun. I can see why people would be getting into it.”

Mitchell said the game is so new, he’s only played it once. He described it as a cross between pickleball and tennis that is played on a pickleball court.

“I sort of fixed everything that was wrong with tennis and everything that was wrong with other racket sports and made what I think is the perfect racket sport,” Typti creator Steve Bellamy, founder of the Tennis Channel, told WBZ-TV. “There’s so much joy when you play Typti.”

The sport has some big-name investors that include former Saints quarterback Drew Bres and actor Chris Pine.

According to Bellamy, Tipti is easy on the body and great for beginners.

“The most important thing about Typti is the barrier of entry is so low. You can go out with no racket skills whatsoever and you are playing a racket sport,” Bellamy said.

The rules are a bit different than pickleball. You don’t need to worry about the kitchen like you do in pickleball. And if you hit it into the net, the ball is still live. But you have to use your hand, foot or really any body part.

“You can use any part of your body at any time to use a ball strike. The only thing you can’t do is hit the string bed twice,” Bellamy said.

Mitchell said because pickleball infrastructure is already in place, Typti opens up a new opportunity for business owners.

“It’s definitely going to be interesting to see what happens with it in this area. It is something for us, in terms of being a pickleball facility. It’s played on a pickleball court. So it’s another sport we can use at our facilities,” Mitchell said.

And it could offer some peace and quiet for those who live near the courts.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Program reunites veteran with stray cat she met while deployed

CNN on February 12, 2026


WJZ

By Dennis Valera

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    HOWARD COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — While stationed overseas, a Howard County veteran made a lifelong friend — a cat she named Gigi.

When it came time to return home, Nicol Stroud knew Gigi had to come, too.

It’s been nearly a month since Gigi has been living with the Stroud family in Marriottsville. They were reunited thanks to SPCA International’s Patriot Pets program.

Stroud said it didn’t take much for Gigi to get comfortable around her.

“She always came around [us], everyone there just kinda started taking care of her,” Stroud said.

Soon, Gigi became a staple in Stroud’s life in Israel, taking the cat to her apartment, with her to work, they spent almost every second with each other.

So, when her time in Israel was coming up, she knew Gigi had to come to the U.S. with her.

“I talked to my husband and I said we can’t leave her behind,” Stroud recalled. “She was a stray cat. I didn’t know what was gonna happen to her.”

As Stroud looked into it, she came across SPCA International’s Patriot Pets program.

Since 2008, it’s helped rescue over 1,600 dogs and cats and reunite them with servicemembers.

Lori Kalef, SPCA International’s director of programs, said the organization handles all of the costs and the red tape.

“We always make sure we’re following the governing rules of whichever country we’re working in and the import regulations in the United States,” Kalef said.

Stroud’s husband, Greg Stroud, and their four kids met Gigi when they visited Nicol Stroud in Israel.

He saw the bond between his wife and the cat firsthand.

“[The bond gave] her something to nurture, really have something that [could distract her from work] where she was,” he said.

It was a no brainer Gigi would be becoming a part of their family.

Greg Stroud, an Army veteran himself, said he’s seen many “tearful goodbyes” because animals servicemembers bonded with couldn’t come to the U.S.

“[Getting Gigi here] meant the world to me, I don’t know how else to describe it,” Nicol Stroud said. “Not having to always wonder what happened to her, knowing she’s here in our house, being loved on by four kids, myself, my husband.”

Patriot Pets is now in over 35 locations. The program relies on donations and other support to do this work.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Homeless camps are a growing concern in Colorado city of Lakewood as county sees rise in unhoused numbers

CNN on February 11, 2026


KCNC

By Karen Morfitt

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — Aviation Park in Lakewood used to be filled with parents and their children. Recently it has transformed into a refuge for many of the Colorado city’s unhoused residents.

“What is beautiful and what made me decide to live here … is like a nightmare,” Cat Stone said.

Stone bought her condo next to the park four years ago. The balcony, she said, was the selling point.

“The part that I liked the best (was) walking out with my mug of coffee early in the morning to see those beautiful sunrises and look out on the park,” Stone said.

Now, her balcony overlooks a growing number of tents and the activity of the people living there.

“It used to be one or two occasionally, but then I don’t know what happened,” she said.

As the number of tents continues to grow, so do concerns about public health and safety.

“People are finding syringes, human excrement, condoms, Narcan boxes … just trash, trash, trash all over the place,” she said.

Stone says she has called police and filed multiple reports with the City of Lakewood.

“I got a nice letter that says, you know, it’s very difficult what we are doing, we are understaffed and overworked, and sometimes it will take up to 48 hours for us to react to one of your reports. Then a few days later I get a message that ‘This case has been closed,'” Stone said.

“Even though nothing’s really changed?” CBS Colorado reporter Karen Morfitt asked.

“Nothing,” Stone replied.

She shared her frustration with neighbors on Nextdoor and found many who echoed her concerns.

CBS Colorado requested records to find out how many 911 calls have come from Aviation Park. In roughly three months, the park generated nearly 150 calls for service — everything from burns, drugs and noise complaints to outstanding warrants.

Kerry Wrenick, the regional homeless coordinator for Jefferson County, says Lakewood is not alone. The county saw a 27% increase in people experiencing homelessness from 2024 to 2025, according to the annual Point-in-Time Count — the largest increase in the Denver metro area.

“The hidden homelessness — people don’t think about it, but when you are driving down the street and you see it day in and day out, that’s when people begin to recognize we are seeing an increase in unsheltered homelessness,” Wrenick said. “We don’t have emergency shelter options across the way to meet the needs, and we don’t have housing that’s within reach for those making minimum wage. So the visibility is becoming the prominent piece.”

She says cities across Jefferson County are now working together to bring more resources online. Lakewood, she says, is leading that effort by opening the first navigation center in the county.

“Everybody wants a solution, but the solution is hard to come by when you say, ‘Yes, but not here or there.’ I think having open and honest dialogue is going to be imperative right now,” Wrenick said.

“This is what I say to the city: whatever’s happening here is not a solution, and it’s not going to make anything any better,” Stone said.

CBS Colorado asked Lakewood police and city officials for comment about their response to the situation around Aviation Park, and what is being done to balance the needs of all residents.

The city provided a statement saying :

“We are quite aware of concerns about those who are unhoused camping in and around Aviation Park, and we also understand the impact this has on residents, the neighborhood and the community’s overall quality of life.”

“The city, including the Police Department, continues to work diligently to address the issues surrounding homelessness through a number of measures to provide a continuum of responses and services to resolve this community concern. We have a cross-departmental team that works continuously on this issue to respond as quickly and as timely as possible. However, as is the case with cities across the metro area and the country, the increase in homelessness continues to outstrip the city’s resources and ability to manage it. As a result, resolving encampments often takes longer than we or the residents would like to see. Even so, addressing homelessness remains a top priority for the city and the Police Department.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Man dead after suspect runs him over at Detroit gas station, police say

CNN on February 10, 2026


WWJ

By Paula Wethington & Gino Vicci

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    DETROIT (WWJ) — A man is dead after he was run over by his own vehicle at a gas station on Detroit’s west side, police said.

The assault happened around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday at a Sunoco gas station on Joy Road near Greenfield Road. Detroit police say a man had parked his Jeep Compass at the gas station, went inside the building, and found someone inside his vehicle when he went back outside.

The suspect got out of the Jeep and began to assault the man, police said. After the victim fell to the ground, police said, the suspect got back into the Jeep and repeatedly drove over the victim.

The suspect then drove off and was taken into custody by police about a mile away from the gas station.

The incident remains under investigation.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Police and family search for missing 25-year-old Wyandotte man

CNN on February 9, 2026


WWJ

By Julia Avant, Nick Lentz

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    Detroit (WWJ) — Police and loved ones are looking for a 25-year-old Wyandotte, Michigan, man who, family says, was declared missing on Friday.

Tyler Bojanowski was last seen on Thursday around 2:30 a.m., according to a Facebook post by the Allen Park Police Department.

His mother, Nicole Dillon, says she last saw him on Wednesday and that their texts and calls didn’t seem out of the ordinary.

Dillon added that she’s been caring for Bojanowski after he was involved in a serious car crash that left him with a brain injury.

“He called me and said that he was going to a friend’s house,” she said.

Bojanowski hasn’t returned home since the phone call.

According to police, his truck was found on Enterprise Drive near the Best Western Greenfield Inn in Allen Park, and his family says his passport was found at Dingell Park in Ecorse, Michigan.

Recent security footage of Bojanowski showed him walking alone without a coat, according to Dillon.

“Tyler, if you’re out there, and if you’re watching this, please just call me. Please just come home,” Dillon said on Sunday afternoon. “I don’t care, whatever happened or what you think you did, or anything like that, I do not care about any of that. You know that nothing that you could do would ever make me not love and support you.”

Police said Bojanowski is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 200 pounds, has blonde hair and blue eyes and wears glasses.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Wyandotte Police Department, which told CBS News Detroit they have an ongoing investigation into his disappearance.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.