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Illinois comptroller withholds funds from Dolton as ‘Dictator Mayor’ Tiffany Henyard orders cops to obey disgraced department ally

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Illinois comptroller withholds funds from Dolton as ‘Dictator Mayor’ Tiffany Henyard orders cops to obey disgraced department ally


The Illinois state comptroller took the extraordinary step of withholding some funds from the troubled village of Dolton on Thursday, blaming scandal-scarred Tiffany Henyard for the first-of-its-kind action — as the self-proclaimed “Super Mayor” told cops to follow orders from her disgraced department ally who was placed on leave before being indicted.

State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said she would immediately suspend all “offset” monies typically doled out to municipalities because Dolton leader Henyard “refuses” to turn over financial reports to the state.

Mayor Henyard was slammed by the state agency on Thursday. @tiffanyhenyard / Instagram

The village was on track to gain $135,000 this year — but instead could start facing fines if the problems drag on. If the issues are fixed, the comptroller will restart the payments.

Mendoza said while her office tries to assist municipalities that struggle to file required annual reports, “Dolton is different.”

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“The Mayor’s office has refused to communicate with us or address the problem,” she said in a statement. “If Mayor Henyard refuses to follow state law, my office will use the tools at our disposal to safeguard the interests of Dolton’s citizens.”

The village did not send reports to the comptroller’s office in 2022 and 2023, the comptroller said.

The state collects the “offset” funds when it withholds part of a resident’s income tax return or lotto winnings if they don’t pay a parking or speeding ticket at the local level, according to a comptroller spokesperson.

Those funds are then distributed back to the municipality, according to the office.

The state agency made clear it would not give Dolton — which is already facing financial hardship — the money until it gets into compliance with its financial records.

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But the village could face fines totaling $78,600 over the delinquent paperwork if municipal officials don’t release the records, the comptroller’s office said.

Henyard, who was elected in 2021, has faced mounting allegations of maleficence in office, including misuse of taxpayer funds. Federal investigators reportedly subpoenaed financial information and documents tied to her and the village earlier this year as part of a probe.

Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza made the move on Thursday.

‘Silly games’

Henyard’s ally in the police department, Deputy Chief Lewis Lacey, was federally indicted on bankruptcy fraud and other charges on Monday, though the criminal case is not connected to the village.

He was placed on administrative leave last week by trustees opposed to Henyard before the indictment, but a lawyer for the trustees reportedly said he’s still going to work.

The confusion over his job status persisted into this week.

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Henyard ordered police officers to continue following orders from Lacey on Thursday, according to video obtained by WGN.

“Stop playing these silly games,” Henyard is heard saying.

Lacey also issued a warning that cops better fall in line, according to the station.

“Do what you want; but anything after this is insubordination,” he said.

But Village Administrator Keith Freeman told officers in an email Lacey was no longer employed by the village.

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“Mr. Lacey is not allowed in any spaces reserved for employees with an escort,” he said, according to WGN.

Just last week, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot revealed the village’s coffers were in shambles under Henyard leadership while outlining high spending, including $43,000 in one day on Amazon.

Dolton is facing financial problems. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

The pulled funds come as a local CBS report claims Henyard is nowhere to be found this week, but a trustee told The Post Thursday that wasn’t the case.

“She is not MIA, I think [the] news has been stating that. She is on social media and was at a meeting today, but has little comments about [the] report,” trustee Kiana Belcher said in reference to the Lightfoot report.

The comptroller’s office also cited an undated email from a Dolton village clerk that claims Freeman doesn’t allow department heads to relay information to the clerk’s office when the public seeks records and documents from the village.

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Freeman was federally charged earlier this year with bankruptcy fraud that also is not tied to village business. While Henyard said this month he was fired, trustees opposed to her have said she doesn’t have the sole power to make that personnel move.

Freeman used to be an ally of Henyard before the two had a falling out, WGN reported.



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1 killed, multiple displaced after Glenwood, Illinois, condo fire, officials say

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1 killed, multiple displaced after Glenwood, Illinois, condo fire, officials say



One person is dead after a fire inside a condo complex in south suburban Glenwood on Saturday evening.

It happened around 5 p.m. in the 900 block of 194th Street.

Glenwood fire officials said that crews responded to a second-floor unit inside the three-story building that was engulfed with flames.

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It was confirmed that one person died in the fire. Their identity was not released.

Neighbors in adjoining condos were displaced. The Red Cross was working to provide further assistance to those affected.

Glenwood fire said they are working with the state fire marshal to investigate what led up to the blaze



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2025 FCS football championship: Bracket, schedule, scores

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2025 FCS football championship: Bracket, schedule, scores


The 2025-26 FCS playoffs consist of a 24-team bracket with play starting on Saturday, Nov. 29 and concluding on Monday, Jan. 5. The top 16 teams seeded and the top eight seeds receive automatic byes to the second round, while the rest of the 24-team field (the remaining 16 teams) play in the first round.

Here’s everything you need to know for the Division I Football Championship postseason.

FCS championship bracket

Click or tap here to view the bracket

FCS bracket

 

FCS championship schedule

All times Eastern

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Quarterfinals

  • Friday, December 12
  • Saturday, December 13

Semifinals

  • Saturday, December 20
    • Semifinal 1 | 4 p.m. ET | ABC
    • Semifinal 2 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2

National Championship 

FCS championship rounds, dates

  • Selection show: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPNU
  • First round: Saturday, Nov. 29
  • Second round: Saturday, Dec. 6
  • Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 12 through Saturday, Dec. 13
  • Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 20 
  • National championship: Monday, Jan. 5 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET

FCS selections

The bracket selections for the 2025-26 FCS Championship was on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. The bracket was be revealed via a selection show on ESPNU at 12 p.m. ET and a selections release

Eleven conferences (or conference partnerships/alliances) earn automatic bids to the playoffs. The FCS Championship Committee selects the remaining 13 at-large bids.

AUTOMATIC BIDS: Click or tap here to see all 11 of the clinched auto-bids

FCS championship history 

North Dakota Dakota State is the reigning national champion, winning its 10 title in 2024 with a 35-32 win over Montana State. Here’s every FCS champion and runner-up from the past decade:

Year Champion Coach Score Runner-Up Site
2024 North Dakota State Tim Polasek 35-32 Montana State Frisco, Texas
2023 South Dakota State Jimmy Rogers 23-3 Montana  Frisco, Texas
2022 South Dakota State John Stiegelmeier 45-21 North Dakota State Frisco, Texas
2021 North Dakota State Matt Entz 38-10 Montana State Frisco, Texas
2020 Sam Houston K.C. Keeler 23-21 South Dakota State Frisco, Texas
2019 North Dakota State Matt Entz 28-20 James Madison Frisco, Texas
2018 North Dakota State Chris Klieman 38-24 Eastern Washington Frisco, Texas
2017 North Dakota State Chris Klieman 17-13 James Madison Frisco, Texas
2016 James Madison Mike Houston 28-14 Youngstown State Frisco, Texas
2015 North Dakota State Chris Klieman 37-10 Jacksonville State Frisco, Texas

Click here for a full list of every champion since 1978.  

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Another Winter Storm Targets Central Illinois

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Another Winter Storm Targets Central Illinois


After a brief lull in the weather on Friday, now another winter storm is setting its sights on central Illinois. Come Saturday, our next round of Winter is set to arrive. A new weather maker sweeps across the Upper Midwest, causing more snow to develop by mid-morning on Saturday. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued from 7AM Saturday through 8 PM Saturday evening. The snow will pick up intensity by late-morning and last through the afternoon into the early evening hours before ending. This new weather system will follow a path very similar to the previous storm system and spread a swath of moderate to locally heavy snow. Before the snow wraps up Saturday evening, expect another 2″-4″ for much of central Illinois, with afternoon high temperatures bitterly cold in the mid-teens.

But the worst blast of cold air comes in Saturday evening into Sunday. Frigid Arctic air surges down from Canada causing temperatures to really tumble, driving in the coldest weather we’ve had in a long time and certainly the coldest so far this season. A Cold Weather Advisory is issued from 8 PM Saturday through Noon on Sunday. Sunday morning will be dangerously cold with wind chills around 20 to 25 BELOW ZERO. With wind chills this extreme, it doesn’t take long to suffer from frostbite or hypothermia. Please stay inside to keep warm, but if you do need to venture out, limit the time you spend outdoors, and make sure to cover up all exposed skin by wearing a hat, scarf, and gloves. Sunday afternoon features lots of sunshine, but despite the sunshine, temperatures will be brutally cold and frigid with high temperatures stuck in the low single numbers while wind chills remain well below zero.

Expect more extremely chilly weather on Monday with wind chills still ranging from 5 to 15 BELOW ZERO in the morning and afternoon highs only reaching into the 20s. Then temperatures will finally start to warm up, and we should climb out of the deep freeze with highs in the mid to upper 30s on Tuesday.



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