Midwest

Democratic official drunkenly slurs, flaunts government position during DUI arrest: video

Published

1 year ago

November 27, 2024

Democratic official drunkenly slurs, flaunts government position during DUI arrest: video

Newly-released bodycam footage shows the arrest of a Democratic official who made inappropriate comments about a male police officer while being arrested for a DUI.

Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele, 45, was arrested on Nov. 10 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. At the time, she was found lying on the ground near two damaged parked vehicles.

According to a police report obtained by FOX 32 Chicago, the visibly-drunk Steele admitted to striking a car. Officers also observed a bottle of opened red wine on the floor of her car.

“I observed her eyes were bloodshot and glassy,” an officer wrote in the report. “I also detected a strong odor of [an] alcoholic beverage coming from her breath as she spoke.”

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Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele was seen flaunting her official status in bodycam footage recently released by the Chicago Police Department. (Chicago Police Department via FOX 32 Chicago)

The police report said that the intoxicated official also made crude comments about a male officer by repeatedly asking him, “Is your penis that small?” during her arrest. The censored bodycam footage did not show this exchange.

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) footage, which was obtained by FOX 32, begins with an officer meeting Steele shortly after the accident and asking for her license and registration, which she avoids sharing.

Eventually, multiple officers ask Steele to get out of her car, which she refuses to do. The footage also shows Steele appearing to flaunt her status as a government official.

“If you don’t exit the vehicle, I’m going to help you to exit,” a cop is heard saying. “And you don’t want that.”

“You don’t want that,” Steele replied. “I’m an elected official.”

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Illinois official Samantha Steele was arrested after refusing to do sobriety tests after she crashed into parked cars. (Chicago Police Department via FOX 32 Chicago)

Steele continued a back-and-forth with the officers and dialed her attorney. At another point, Steele told an officer, “I’m an elected official, I don’t want any of this.”

The Cook County official was on the phone with her lawyer when the officer asked her to take a sobriety test for the final time.

“Now, tell your attorney, OK, since he’s on the phone, are you going to do field sobriety tests or no?” the officer asked.

“No,” Steele replied, causing the police to handcuff her against her will.

“I asked her to do [a] field sobriety test, and she refused,” an officer is heard saying in the footage. “And she smells like alcohol. She’s been drinking… You’ve been recorded all this time.”

Steele made crude comments about a male officer’s genitals, according to a police report. (Chicago Police Department via FOX 32 Chicago)

Fox News Digital reached out to Steele for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Christina Coulter contributed to this report.

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to andrea.margolis@fox.com.

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Illinois

Illinois State Police release video of deadly shooting involving ISP troopers on South Side

Published

1 hour ago

May 16, 2026

Press Room

Illinois State Police release video of deadly shooting involving ISP troopers on South Side

CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois State Police have released videos showing a deadly shooting involving state troopers last month in Chicago.

The video in the player above may be difficult to watch.

The shooting happened around 10:50 p.m. April 15 in the 6500-block of South Champlain Avenue in the city’s Woodlawn neighborhood.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Officers got a call for a domestic battery from a passenger in a vehicle on I-57.

That passenger led the officers to find her boyfriend, 24-year-old Jalen Carpenter, in the 6500-block of South Champlain Avenue.

That’s where the newly released video picks up.

ABC7 froze the video at the moment it appears Carpenter fires a weapon during a scuffle with the officers.

No one was hit by that bullet, but seconds later, the officers return fire, killing Carpenter, officials said.

The officers are still on administrative status while the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation investigates the case.

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Indiana

Indiana Peony Festival rescheduled due to storms

Published

1 hour ago

May 16, 2026

Press Room

Indiana Peony Festival rescheduled due to storms

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — Mother Nature is forcing one of central Indiana’s most popular spring festivals to move.

The Indiana Peony Festival has been rescheduled from Saturday, May 16, to Sunday, May 17, due to forecasted storms and high winds.

“After closely monitoring the weather overnight, and after doing everything we could to keep today’s plans in place, conditions have unfortunately taken a turn for the worse,” festival organizers said in a statement. “We are so incredibly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen says he supports the festival’s decision to postpone until Sunday.

“While we can’t control the weather, this adjustment helps ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. The city is ready to support the festival’s efforts for tomorrow, and we look forward to welcoming visitors to enjoy the event on Sunday,” Jensen said in a release.

Know Before You Go:

Festival Hours: Remain the same — 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Location: Noblesville’s Seminary Park and Historic Downtown
Events: Festival and Downtown Brunch and Retail Crawl Brunch & Blooms

For updated information, please visit indianapeonyfestival.com.

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Iowa

‘Viral’ mac and cheese bar expanding in Iowa with new Waukee store

Published

1 hour ago

May 16, 2026

Press Room

‘Viral’ mac and cheese bar expanding in Iowa with new Waukee store

You know that viral mac and cheese place? The one that slathers every bowl with ungodly amounts of cheese? The one that makes you feel lactose intolerant just looking at it?

Yeah. Roni’s Mac Bar is opening its second Iowa location, this time in Waukee.

The store will celebrate with a grand opening on Saturday, May 16 at 10:30 a.m. sharp

In a video on social media, the company credits the new location choice to the Waukee man who drove to a location in Waco, Texas, asked for a bowl so cheesy that the chef making it felt lactose-intolerant just looking at it.

Frank Senese, chief executive officer of Roni’s Mac and Cheese, said the business as the “Chipotle of mac and cheese.”

“It’s comfort food; whether you’re a hungover college kid, tattooed biker or a little princess in a tutu, you’re going to find something here that you’ll love,” Senese told the Ames Tribune before the company’s restaurant opened there in 2025. “It’s a fun way to think outside the box.”

The first 100 people to get in line can spin the wheel for a chance to win giveaways and a year’s worth of mac and cheese.

Roni’s Mac bar boasts massive menu

The quote, “Think outside the box” is painted on the wall inside the mac and cheese bar, and the menu certainly inspires customers to do just that.

Roni’s Mac Bar has created a menu of more than 77 million possible combinations that continues to grow, Senese said.

Every bowl can be unique, with drizzles like pesto and ranch, and toppings such as tomatoes and even pineapple − a topping that can be a key indicator of a repeat customer, Senese said.