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Tensions rose once again in the Village of Dolton as Mayor Tiffany Henyard proceeded with a meeting that trustees postponed, sparking yet another clash between the mayor and the Village Board. The controversy stems from the trustees' decision to reschedule Tuesday’s regular board meeting – postponing it until Thursday, September 12. A spokesperson for the village trustees said the change was necessary to address "several urgent matters," including finalizing the village budget, establishing a new bank account, and hiring a new auditor. Henyard’s attorney, however, shared the meeting would still go on as originally scheduled. Despite only two trustees being present on Tuesday night – Andrew Holmes and Stanley Brown – Henyard decided to hold court. "As you can see, the Board of Trustees decided not to show up, nor did the clerk," Henyard said Tuesday evening. Much of the meeting featured a monologue by the mayor who says there is a smear campaign against her. "What I would like to say, mayor and us six trustees, we need to get it together," said Trustee Stanley Brown. With no quorum, Henyard announced nothing would be voted on; still, she gave department heads the opportunity to offer updates. Henyard – who has dubbed herself ‘Super Mayor’ – took the floor. About 20 residents were in attendance.

Tensions rose once again in the Village of Dolton as Mayor Tiffany Henyard proceeded with a meeting that trustees postponed, sparking yet another clash between the mayor and the Village Board. The controversy stems from the trustees' decision to reschedule Tuesday’s regular board meeting – postponing it until Thursday, September 12. A spokesperson for the village trustees said the change was necessary to address "several urgent matters," including finalizing the village budget, establishing a new bank account, and hiring a new auditor. Henyard’s attorney, however, shared the meeting would still go on as originally scheduled. Despite only two trustees being present on Tuesday night – Andrew Holmes and Stanley Brown – Henyard decided to hold court. "As you can see, the Board of Trustees decided not to show up, nor did the clerk," Henyard said Tuesday evening. Much of the meeting featured a monologue by the mayor who says there is a smear campaign against her. "What I would like to say, mayor and us six trustees, we need to get it together," said Trustee Stanley Brown. With no quorum, Henyard announced nothing would be voted on; still, she gave department heads the opportunity to offer updates. Henyard – who has dubbed herself ‘Super Mayor’ – took the floor. About 20 residents were in attendance.

Letters obtained by The Denver Gazette from the law firm representing CBZ Management — whose apartment complex in Aurora was shut down over what the city described as safety issues last month — show officials were fully aware weeks ago of accusations that a Venezuelan gang had “forcibly taken control” of the property. In an Aug. 28 letter to Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, the law firm wrote that CBZ Management had been informed that “Aurora Multi-Family Projects have been forcibly taken control of by gang(s) that have immigrated here from Venezuela.” Based in Brooklyn, CBZ Management operates rental apartments in New York and Colorado with 11 properties in Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Aurora officials initially dismissed the company's claims publicly, calling them "diversionary tactics" and "alternative narratives." The issue, the city insisted, was the numerous violations of the local government's code.

A group of 32 armed Venezuelan nationals reportedly took control of an apartment building in Chicago on Monday night, according to a 911 dispatch call and local sources. The audio, which has been widely circulated online, captures the chaotic scene as residents desperately called for help, leading to heightened concerns over the rise in migrant-related crime in the United States. That’s what a post shared Elon Musk said today. Chicago police have confirmed the 911 call as being authentic but said when police arrived they found no evidence of the reported incident. The alleged takeover in Chicago follows a similar incident in Aurora, Colorado, where a group of Venezuelan migrants reportedly seized control of a building. Although there is no video footage from the Chicago incident, the 911 audio has been verified by local authorities, who confirmed that law enforcement responded to the situation and found no evidence. police did not say whether it was a swatting incident at this time.

After the owner of Langer's Deli expressed wanting to close down the legendary restaurant due to safety concerns around MacArthur Park in Los Angeles' Westlake District, owner Norm Langer met with LA Mayor Karen Bass. Langer said he's standing by his ultimatum to the city to clean up the area or he's ready to close his doors for good. "I have no choice. I'm tired of pushing the cart uphill," Langer told FOX 11's Ed Laskos. The threat triggered immediate action from the very top of City Hall. A photo from the sit-down meeting with Bass showed them laying their cards down on the table, with the mayor taking notes.

Police in Aurora, Colorado, responded to social media claims that the Hells Angel Motorcycle Club is headed to the state and said they “do not believe the posts to be credible.” Despite this, the Aurora Police Department told NewsNation affiliate KDVR it is continuing to monitor the situation. Posts claiming that Hells Angels was headed to the area began circulating on social media over the weekend. The group is an international outlaw motorcycle club that was first founded in California in the mid-20th century. Members of the group have been involved in previous incidents in Colorado, including a deadly shootout between them and a rival gang in 2020 where a ranking Hells Angel member was killed.

Tiffany Henyard, embattled mayor of Dolton and supervisor of Thornton Township, hosted a weekend picnic amidst ongoing controversy. Despite trustees' objections to using public funds for the event, food boxes labeled from the township were distributed. Critics accuse Henyard of misusing taxpayer dollars for personal gain, including a $269,000 skating rink that remains mostly unused. The FBI continues investigating her leadership and $100,000 spent on luxury travel. Henyard, however, dismisses the accusations as "fake news" and asserts her leadership is divinely inspired, vowing to serve her community. Trustee Andrew Holmes supports her but faces separate allegations of misconduct. As political tensions rise, Henyard remains defiant in her stance, ignoring calls to curtail her spending and decision-making practices. #TiffanyHenyard #PublicFundsMisuse #PoliticalAccountability

Ford Motor Company is backing away from some of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, becoming the latest American firm to pump the brakes on "woke" policies this year and joining the likes of John Deere, Lowe's and Tractor Supply. Anti-woke activist and filmmaker Robby Starbuck, who has been leading a campaign exposing major corporations' woke policies, reported on X on Wednesday that he was in the middle of an investigation of Ford when the company sent him documentation indicating that it had made some changes.

A Washington state home loan program promises to counter racial discrimination by limiting the ethnicities of those eligible for its services. The Covenant Homeownership Program is a product of the state’s 2023 Covenant Homeownership Act, which received bipartisan support in the state legislature. That law directed the Washington State Housing Finance Commission to conduct a study on ways to reverse “racial disparities in home ownership.” “The Covenant Homeownership Act acknowledges the State government’s role as both an active and passive participant in generations of discriminatory policies and practices that created barriers to credit and homeownership for historically marginalized communities in Washington and that these discriminatory actions continue to impact these communities today,” the study reads.

Tensions flared in Dolton as Mayor Tiffany Henyard defied the village trustees' decision to postpone a crucial board meeting. Despite lacking a quorum, Henyard proceeded, appointing a new village attorney and administrator, actions labeled as illegal by critics. Henyard's attorney argued the trustees violated Illinois law by failing to provide proper notice for the postponement, accusing them of hindering her duties. The dispute highlights deeper divisions within Dolton's government, as Henyard contends with lawsuits and recall efforts. The Illinois Attorney General also weighed in, finding violations of the Open Meetings Act. Henyard maintains that she's fighting a smear campaign, urging residents to "research everyone." This clash underscores ongoing governance challenges in Dolton, raising questions about leadership and legal compliance. #DoltonMayor #VillageBoardClash #OpenMeetingsActt

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis dismissed anger over Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua taking over apartment buildings in the Denver suburb of Aurora, calling it “imagination” — despite video footage, police reports and the city’s mayor confirming it’s happening. Polis’ press office offered the snarky statement Wednesday night in response to Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky — who told The Post the gang’s takeovers are tied to his policies. “The Governor has already let the Mayor know that the State is ready to support the local police department with assistance from state troopers and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation if needed,” Shelby Wieman, a spokesperson for the Democratic governor, told The Post.

A scheduled meeting in Thornton Township Wednesday night was canceled before it was able to get off the ground. With no trustees in attendance, the special Thornton Township meeting called by Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard ended before it began, but Henyard saw an opportunity to speak uninterrupted to the small group of people in the room. “This is me making my statement. If you guys do not want to hear this, there’s the door,” Henyard said. “This is not a Q&A, this is me giving my statement so the residents know what’s going on in Thornton Township.” “The residents already know you’re stealing from them,” an audience member replied.

A shocking video shows a crew of gun-wielding men storm through a Colorado apartment building overrun by the violent Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua, which has overtaken multiple housing complexes in the area. In the clip, obtained by Fox Denver, a group of heavily armed men — including three with handguns and one with a rifle — can be seen in surveillance video entering another troubled apartment complex in the Denver suburb of Aurora and breaking into a unit. The Aurora Police Department acknowledged it is “aware that components of [Tren de Aragua] are operating in Aurora,” saying that the police force “has been increasingly collecting evidence to show the gang is connected to crimes in the area.

A Wells Fargo employee came to work on a Friday morning and died at her desk – but her body wasn’t discovered until four days later, Arizona police officials said. Denise Prudhomme, 60, was found slumped over in her cubicle at the bank’s corporate office in Tempe on Tuesday, Aug. 20. She had used her ID to scan into the building on Aug. 16 at 7 a.m., according to cops. “To hear she’s been sitting at the desk like that would make me feel sick,” an employee at Wells Fargo told K12News, an NBC affiliate. “And nobody did anything. That’s how she spent her last moments.”

People caught with drugs in Portland, Oregon, between 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and on weekends may be arrested and taken to jail starting next week, according to police. It's a temporary solution as Multnomah County works to get a deflection center up and running to offer people suspected of low-level drug possession the option of treatment over jail once drugs become recriminalized on Sept. 1, The Oregonian reported Monday. Oregon pioneered the nation's first drug decriminalization law, which took effect in early 2021. But soaring overdose deaths and rampant public drug use quickly turned voters against the measure, numerous polls showed.

San Francisco is paying its homeless population to move away as reported on Friday, Aug. 24. The new campaign to address homelessness by Democratic Mayor London Breed reportedly divided the city. Some in the city criticized Breed’s new approach to tackling the Bay City’s homeless problem. The program pays relocation costs to move homeless individuals to communities where they have family or previous ties. The program, known as “Journey Home,” covers the costs of bus, plane or train fare and a meal stipend. However, Humboldt County officials, where some in the program relocated, accused San Francisco of failing to follow up on people sent off. The county argues that simply shipping people out of the city does not solve the problem.

For months, Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard’s administration repeatedly refused to release spending records, in violation of the state’s government transparency laws. Even when Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office ordered the village to turn over the documents, Henyard and her allies took no action. WGN’s parent company filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court. In response, a judge recently ordered Dolton to release dozens of pages of documents, including months’ worth of credit card statements. A review of those records shows Henyard and her allies spent tens of thousands of dollars on first-class flights, airline upgrades, high-end hotels, Uber Eats and more. The statements cover a five-month span, from July to November 2023.

There’s about to be one less place for Animal-style fries in the East Bay. That’s because In-N-Out Burger on Oakport Street in Oakland will close on March 24, In-N-Out Burger chief operating officer Denny Warnick let fans know over the weekend. A statement from the company provided to ABC7 indicates the company closed in part due to safety concerns. “We have made the decision to close our In-N-Out location in Oakland, California, due to ongoing issues with crime,” the statement reads in part. “Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies.” It’s a challenging time for Oakland small businesses. The Mercury News reports the Oakland Police Department recorded a 23 percent increase in burglaries between 2022 and 2023. This In-N-Out location, the only one in Oakland, lasted 18 years and was a popular go-to after arriving at or departing from Oakland International Airport. But Warnick said customers and workers were under threat of danger too often. “We cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment,” he said. Workers at the location will receive severance pay or the option to work at another In-N-Out location.

Kevin Corbett, the CEO of Plus Investment (USA), waited over eight years for a master-use permit to build a 46-story residential tower near Pike Place Market. But he’s indefinitely paused the construction over the Seattle crime crisis. “Unfortunately, I don’t see us going vertical anytime soon with the continued public safety concerns in the neighborhood,” Corbett told the Puget Sound Business Journal. “Open-air drug markets are still visible day and night on Second and Third Avenue. I know the city needs more resources, but I don’t see much new downtown commercial development happening until there is a stronger crackdown on these illegal activities.”

California lawmakers in the State Senate on Tuesday moved forward with a bill that will allow undocumented immigrants to apply for the state's first-time homebuyer's program, California Dream for All. But while Democratic lawmakers look to expand eligibility for the funds, a spokesman for California's Department of Finance confirmed on Tuesday the program has no money to provide. The measure passed on a 23-11 party-line vote in the State Senate with some Democrats not voting. The Senate sent the measure back to the Assembly where it will require a final vote of approval to send it to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In Thornton Township, Illinois, a special meeting called by Supervisor Tiffany Henyard was abruptly canceled due to the absence of trustees. However, Henyard seized the moment to address the remaining attendees, defending her leadership and addressing criticisms about her spending. The scrutiny on Henyard intensified after an investigation revealed that over $100,000 in taxpayer money from Thornton Township and the Village of Dolton, where she also serves as mayor, was spent on travel expenses. Henyard's former assistant, now a trustee, accused her of manipulating residents, urging others to speak out against the misuse of power. While Henyard dismissed the criticism, the growing concerns about fiscal responsibility in the township continue to fuel debate. #LocalGovernment #FiscalResponsibility #CommunityLeadership

Tiffany Henyard has enjoyed near-unanimous support on the Thornton Township board, but that’s now changing following a series of WGN Investigates’ reports on her spending. “Today, I am breaking my silence and speaking out against Thornton Township Supervisor and Mayor of Dolton Tiffany Henyard, who I believe has engaged in unethical and predatory behavior throughout her tenure,” trustee Carmen Carlisle wrote in an emailed statement to WGN. “For the past two years, Henyard has manipulated employees, vendors, and residents, using her position to increase her influence, all while projecting a false image of success, funded by the hardworking taxpayers of Thornton Township and the Village of Dolton.” Carlisle acknowledged at a recent board meeting that she rarely raised questions about lavish trips and other spending charged to township taxpayers.

Californians are reacting angrily to revelations that migrants who entered the US illegally could soon benefit from a taxpayer-funded state scheme to help hard-up residents buy homes. Democrats on the California Senate Appropriations Committee have approved a bill to move forward that would open up the California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan program to non-legal migrants. The scheme was launched last year and has already provided thousands of first-time homebuyers with loans of up to 20 percent of a house's purchase price for down payment or closing cost.

Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard is under scrutiny for spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on lavish trips and luxury expenses, as revealed by newly released credit card statements. Despite attempts to withhold these records, a Cook County judge ordered their release, exposing $33,920 in questionable charges over a five-month period. These include first-class flights, upscale hotels, and expensive meals, all during trips to cities like New York and Austin. Trustee Tammie Brown, who opposes Henyard, criticized the mayor for hiding the expenses from the board. Henyard’s administration has deflected responsibility, with her attorney blaming a top aide for the spending. This case highlights ongoing concerns about fiscal mismanagement and government accountability in Dolton, further fueling debates about transparency and leadership in local government. #GovernmentCorruption #TaxpayerAccountability #FiscalResponsibility

Jennifer Robertz is a Lansing resident who has been attending Thornton Township Board meetings. The text below is the public comment she made during the August 20 regular meeting of the Board. My name is Jennifer Robertz. When I was a child, from the ages of 9-11 I was sexually molested by close family members. I was made to believe that if I said something no one would believe me. I became silent, my voice lost in a sea of depression. I experienced low self esteem and loss of identity. I became unsure of who I was or who I would become. When I became a mother of a beautiful girl, I vowed that what happened to me will never happen to her — but unfortunately, as a single working mom, I could not protect her from the generational curse that plagued my family.