Parent raises concerns about school project • Tiffany Henyard warned of contempt • Bones found in Indiana yard
CHICAGO - An Illinois father raised concerns about an assignment his middle school-age daughter brought home; Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard appeared in court over illegal appointments she made for several positions in the village; and bones were found in the yard of a home in Northwest Indiana after a man admitted to killing two children.
These are the top stories on Fox 32's Week in Review.
Illinois man criticizes 12-year-old daughter's school science project as inappropriate
A concerned father from Winnebago County is raising concerns after his 12-year-old daughter brought home a science assignment that made her uncomfortable.
The project, part of her middle school curriculum, seemed to mirror themes that Richard Heimer associated with dating and even mature content.
The assignment asked students to "experience the joy of falling for someone who sees you, loves you, and helps you make the cell function." Heimer felt this language crossed a line, sounding more like a dating website pitch than a lesson in cell biology.
Judge threatens to hold Tiffany Henyard in contempt following recent illegal appointments
Embattled Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard appeared in court Thursday over illegal appointments she made for several positions in the village.
Among the appointments was Chief of Police Ron Burge Sr., who previously served as police chief in Dixmoor and ran against Henyard in the 2021 mayoral race.
Last month, a judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking Henyard from making those appointments without approval from trustees.
Bones found in northwest Indiana yard after suspect allegedly confesses to killing children: police
Authorities discovered bones at a property in northwest Indiana this week.
On Sept. 20, the Jasper County Sheriff's Office received a report that an individual allegedly confessed to acquaintances about killing two of their undocumented children and disposing of the bodies by burning them in a backyard fire pit at their home in Wheatfield, Indiana.
Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard faces eviction notice amid ongoing controversies
Embattled Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard faces a new crisis: she is reportedly being evicted from her home.
FOX 32 has obtained copies of an eviction notice filed in Cook County Court against Henyard and her boyfriend, Kamal Woods.
Henyard has rented a home in the 14600 block of South Harvard for the past three years, but the property owner said she and Woods are behind on rent and owe more than $3,300.
Chicago man carjacked teen girl at gunpoint at Oak Lawn Jewel Osco: police
A Chicago man was arrested last week after allegedly carjacking a teenage girl at gunpoint at an Oak Lawn Jewel Osco.
On Sept. 28, a teenage girl was sitting inside her parked vehicle in the Jewel Osco parking lot at 8801 S. Ridgeland Ave. when she was approached by a man wearing a ski mask and armed with a handgun, according to police.
Verizon outage update: Service 'fully restored' after network disruptions
A widespread Verizon outage that began Monday morning have been "fully restored" after customers' experienced network disruptions for hours.
"Verizon engineers have fully restored today's network disruption that impacted some customers. Service has returned to normal levels. If you are still having issues, we recommend restarting your device. We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience. We appreciate your patience," the company said in a tweet.
Woman manipulated boyfriend into suburban family's execution over fake Mexican cartel threat: police
New details have surfaced in the investigation of the 2023 murders of a family in Romeoville, where police now say a woman manipulated her boyfriend into carrying out the killings by falsely claiming orders from a Mexican cartel.
Authorities believe 38-year-old Alberto Rolon, 32-year-old Zoraida Bartolomei, their two children, and three dogs were shot to death in their home on Sept. 17, 2023. Police discovered the bodies after a welfare check, with body camera footage capturing the chilling moment officers entered the suburban residence.
Patel, Manager at Stop N Shop, located at 2501 N. Huffman Boulevard in Rockford, is all smiles after selling a $900,000 winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket.
Winning $4.1M lottery ticket sold in Cook County
A winning Illinois Lottery ticket worth over $4 million was sold a week ago in Cook County.
The jackpot-winning Lotto ticket was purchased from Jay's Fresh Market, located at 1550 N. Mannheim Road in Stone Park.
Octavia Redmond murder: Boy, 15, charged in fatal shooting of Chicago postal worker
A 15-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting a US Postal Service worker on Chicago's South Side this summer was arrested in Iowa on Monday.
Following a months-long investigation, Chicago police detectives identified a suspect in the murder of 48-year-old Octavia Redmond.
Chicago police said the suspect was arrested in the 800 block of Walford Road in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He has since been extradited to Chicago where he was charged with first-degree murder.
'Deeply alarming': Critics blast Mayor Johnson for CPS mass resignations
What started as tension between the mayor and Chicago Public Schools has developed into a full-blown crisis. All seven of his handpicked members of the board of education announced their resignation on Friday after declining to fire CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and amid contract negotiations with the powerful Chicago Teachers Union.
Sources tell Fox 32 Chicago the resignations are because several board members were agitated by a pressure campaign from the mayor's office to fire Martinez and to approve a high-interest short-term loan to help plug a budget gap and pay for a large new teachers union contract.