Week in Review: Dolton mayor stirs controversy • suburban business robberies • Cook County refunds
CHICAGO - The mayor of Dolton is back in the limelight after some questionable purchases with taxpayer dollars; DuPage County businesses have reported an increase in retail theft this week; and Cook County property owners could start to see some automatic refunds hit their accounts.
These are the top stories on Fox 32's Week in Review.
1. 'Illegal in so many ways': Controversy surrounds Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard's salary maneuver A south suburban politician under fire for the way she spends tax dollars has come up with a unique strategy to discourage people from running against her.
Tiffany Henyard is proposing a nearly 90% cut in her position's salary—but only if she's not filling it. It's just the latest controversy surrounding Henyard, who serves as both Thornton Township Supervisor and the Mayor of Dolton.
Body found in burning car truck identified as 15-year-old boy
A 15-year-old boy was shot in the neck and chest and was put in the trunk of a car that was then set on fire. Police found the car in Bridgeport Friday morning. The victim, later identified as Kidonnie Smith, was pronounced dead on scene.
2. Cause of death released for teen found dead in trunk of burning car in Chicago The medical examiner has released the cause of death for a 15-year-old boy who was found dead in the trunk of a burning car not far from Guaranteed Rate Field in Bridgeport.
The teen was shot in the neck and chest, according to the ME. His death has been ruled a homicide.
Kelly Terry (top left), Jajlah Cotto (bottom left), Gustavo Nava (middle top), Luis Enrique Cisneros (middle bottom), Leticia Hernandez (top right), Ryan Oscarson (middle right), Aaron Alejandro Araujo-Gallardo (bottom right)
3. Kohl’s, Nordstrom Rack among 9 DuPage County businesses hit by thieves; 12 arrests made Twelve people were arrested after allegedly stealing merchandise from DuPage County retail establishments in eight unrelated incidents this week.
4. Chicago man, 24, charged with murder after missing teen found strangled to death A man has been charged with murder in the strangulation of a missing 15-year-old girl a week ago in the South Shore neighborhood.
Joshua Williams, 24, allegedly choked 15-year-old Amarise A. Parker to death, on Dec. 12 in an apartment building in the 7200 block of South Phillips Avenue, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.
5. Illinois Lottery player wins $400K on $5 scratch-off in Chicago suburbs A scratch-off ticket turned into a $400,000 payday for one lucky Illinois Lottery player in suburban Chicago.
The winning $5 Gold Standard Instant ticket was sold at Tony's Fresh Market in Bolingbrook, located at 271 S. Bolingbrook Drive.
6. Thousands of Cook County property owners to receive automatic refunds starting this week Over $30.5 million in automatic refunds will start going out to thousands of Cook County property homeowners this week who overpaid on their taxes last year.
Nearly half of the refunds will be deposited directly into property owners' accounts during the next three months, according to Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.
7. New Illinois laws impacting drivers in 2024 New year, new you, new laws. That's right, Illinois! Buckle up because there will be some new rules of the road come January.
8. 3 charged after woman set on fire, killed in Riverdale Three people are facing murder charges after allegedly setting a woman on fire and killing her earlier this month in suburban Riverdale.
A structure fire was reported around 3 a.m. on Dec. 9. When officers arrived at the scene they found the body of a woman who had been set on fire.
9. Migrant buses divert to Chicago suburbs amid city crackdown, video shows Migrant buses arriving from Texas are diverting to suburban areas in response to a recent crackdown by the City of Chicago.
Lockport Police confirmed that at least one bus from El Paso discharged several dozen migrants at a Metra station in the southwest suburb on Thursday.
10. Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard's taxpayer-funded billboards raise questions If you've driven one of the expressways in Chicago's south suburbs recently, you have no doubt seen one of the giant billboards featuring the name and face of a smiling local politician.
But you may not know the money for the billboards is coming out of your pocket, which is raising new questions for Tiffany Henyard, the mayor of Dolton and the Thornton Township Supervisor, who has already come under fire for spending public money promoting herself.