More frequent toll hikes may be in Hoosier commuters’ future as part of the promised renegotiation of the Indiana Toll Road lease ― one of several carrots in the financing package Indiana lawmakers approved to lure the Chicago Bears to Hammond ― per an Indiana Finance Authority resolution that state lawmakers will review on April 16.

Under this agreement, which by law is subject to review by the State Budget Committee, the Indiana Toll Road’s private operator will be able to implement toll increases twice a year, rather than once, in exchange for lump sums totaling $700 million that may be put toward infrastructure or transportation projects in the seven northern Indiana counties near the proposed stadium site.

This was just one element of the state law the General Assembly passed nearly unanimously to incentivize the Chicago Bears to choose Indiana for the NFL team’s next home. Senate Enrolled Act 27 also creates a northwest Indiana stadium authority, a special taxing district around the theoretical stadium, and a litany of hospitality taxes the local governments would need to approve.

More: The Colts transformed Indy. Would the Bears do the same for northwest Indiana?

The Indiana Toll Road stretches 157 miles across northern Indiana from border to border. From end to end, the tolls cost just over $16 for the passenger car driver or up to $100 for the largest trucks.

Under the toll road’s current agreement, toll increases of at least 2% are assessed once a year. The amended agreement the Indiana Finance Authority approved on April 14 would change that to twice a year at a rate of at least 1.5%. In both cases, the increases could be higher if the rate of inflation is higher than those thresholds.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A new honor chair dedicated to military members who were prisoners of war or missing in action was installed Tuesday at Victory Field.

The chair was dedicated during a ceremony. It serves as a reminder that thousands of service members remain unaccounted for.

Organizers stated the empty chair stands as a reminder to both military personnel and civilians of the thousands of military members still unaccounted for.

This dedication at Victory Field follows similar installations at other prominent Indianapolis sports venues.

This story, created from a script aired on WISH-TV, was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.

When the clock starts for the Las Vegas Raiders, with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza will be the player selected by the franchise.

But might the Raiders and new head coach Klint Kubiak look to pair Mendoza with a familiar wide receiver from the Hoosiers in the NFL?

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Matt Harmon was joined by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler on a recent episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast to discuss his favorite mock draft targets and whether the Raiders will add an Indiana wideout in the middle rounds of the draft.

The Hoosiers WR Brugler has mocked to the Raiders in the third round is Elijah Sarratt, who is coming off an impressive senior season with Indiana en route to a national title. Sarratt had a clear connection with Mendoza and Brugler believes it’s important to build some continuity and chemistry for a young QB. Sarratt could provide Mendoza with a safety net.

Sarratt had 65 catches for 830 and a team-leading 15 touchdowns last season. While quiet in the national title game against Miami, Sarratt had two scores against Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinals to go with seven catches and 75 yards.

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Harmon definitely sees the connection on paper on back-shoulder throws. One thing that could get in the way of the Raiders investing in a wideout early-ish in the draft is Jack Bech, who was a second-rounder from 2025.

Harmon points to the similarities in potential role for Sarratt and Bech — both are big receivers who could do well operating out of the slot. So would the Raiders prefer to draft Sarratt or roll the dice on Year 2 with Bech? Sarratt’s resume certainly makes him an appealing pick.

The 6-foot-2 wideout totaled 44 touchdowns over four seasons in college playing for St. Francis, then James Madison, and finishing his career with two seasons in Bloomington. Brugler believes the TD production is a key selling point for Sarratt’s draft stock and should definitely be appealing to GMs during the draft.

Yahoo analyst Justin Boone released his rookie rankings for dynasty fantasy football in early April. Boone has Sarratt ranked 17th overall, coming in as the WR9 in dynasty.