Chicago robbery victim describes horrifying attack
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Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2 candidates are running for Madison County auditor. Who they are:
Madison County voters are set to head to the polls Aug. 26 to elect their next county auditor. The special election comes in the wake of former Auditor Teri Kaczinski's resignation on July 4, following community criticism over unauthorized expenditures and contentious hiring practices involving her campaign manager. After Kaczinski's resignation, the Madison County Board of Supervisors appointed Matthew Schwarz as interim auditor without a public vote, igniting further community backlash and prompting a successful citizen-led petition to force a special election. More: Madison County sees tumultuous 6 months under auditor, replacement without election Two candidates emerged by the Aug. 1 filing deadline: Schwarz and Michele Brant, a former county board clerk. Matthew Schwarz Schwarz was sworn in as auditor July 7. A forensic consultant and police officer for 12 years in Muscatine and Davenport, he was appointed in a 2-1 vote and promised stability and procedural transparency following Kaczinski's turbulent tenure. In his first two weeks on the job, Schwarz identified numerous issues in county processes. At a July 22 board meeting, he said the county's credit card process is "completely broken." "Every month, we have expenditures that are never reconciled, because no one will admit that they purchase them," he said. Schwarz proposed issuing department-specific credit cards to improve tracking and accountability. He also highlighted payroll inefficiencies and recommended transitioning to a unified, cloud-based payroll solution. 'Departments submit timesheets in different formats … that alone is costing us about $8,500 a year in staff time and another $2,500 a month for a part-time clerk," Schwarz said. Schwarz also criticized the employee handbook's overtime and comp-time policies, noting one employee alone accrued "400+ hours while peers have virtually none." He suggested clearer pre-approval processes and flexible scheduling. Schwarz's short tenure has also seen some controversy. County Attorney Steve Swanson ordered Schwarz to vacate his workspace shortly after his appointment due to flawed vacancy notices issued from his office and county leaders — one published prematurely and another issued without proper authorization. This dispute came to a head at the July 22 meeting, where, after extensive debate, the board reaffirmed Schwarz's appointment and restored his access and equipment. Schwarz's phone and work computer also were seized as part of a search warrant executed on July 18. His phone has since been returned but the county-owned laptop is still in custody. More: Judge orders return of officials' seized devices in Madison County voter intimidation case Madison County Sheriff's Deputy Donald Kinney obtained and executed a warrant on Schwarz's home 'regarding an investigation into Election Misconduct in Madison County,' according to court documents. The warrant application rested largely on an informant in the Auditor's Office who claimed that 'both Stancil and Schwarz are desperately trying to alter appointment dates and deadlines for the petition to delay the election,' according to the motion, with the informant also attaching two pages of screenshots supporting the claims. Schwarz could not be reached for comment. Michele Brant Brant said she is running as an independent on a pledge to depoliticize the Auditor's Office, strengthen transparency and enforce Iowa Code. 'I believe that Madison County voters have had enough polarization from local politics,' she said in her campaign announcement, adding that she will 'serve all Madison County residents and protect our county from missteps.' Brant has told the Des Moines Register her first priorities include securing timely bill payments and opening up every process so that 'any citizen can follow the money without roadblocks.' She praised the successful petition drive for a special election as 'inspiring and empowering." Brant holds a bachelor's in accounting from the University of Iowa and an MBA from Drake University. She brings more than 20 years of budgeting, operations and HR management to the race. Her most recent county post was a part-time board of supervisors clerk. She resigned after Kaczinski posted a similiar job with better pay. Brant said she was not considered for the new role. She has condemned the board's decision to appoint Schwarz without a public vote and had preemptively thrown her hat in the ring immediately after Kaczinski's resignation, anticipating the special election. 'There's a faction in Madison County that is very upset about it,' she previously said of Schwarz's appointment. 'I absolutely was, and am, the best candidate from an experience and education perspective.' Nick El Hajj is a reporter at the Register. He can be reached at nelhajj@ Follow him on X at @nick_el_hajj. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Who is running for Madison County auditor in special election 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Boy Dies Days Before 2nd Birthday After Foster Dad Allegedly Leaves Him in Car for 'Over 8 Hours'
The toddler died just two days before his 2nd birthday after his foster father allegedly forgot him in the backseat of his car and went to work, police allegeNEED TO KNOW A toddler died on July 31 after being left in the backseat of a car for "over eight hours," according to police The boy's foster father was arrested and charged with child abuse and neglect, as well as involuntary manslaughter The boy, Hudley Owen Hamlett, was two days shy of his 2nd birthdayA toddler was found dead in the backseat of his foster father's car last week after the man realized he had left the child strapped in the car for more than eight hours while he went to work, police allege. Hudley Owen Hamlett died on July 31, just two days before his second birthday, according to local WSET, WSLS, and The Miami Herald. The toddler's foster father, Brian Dalton, was arrested and charged with child abuse and neglect, as well as involuntary manslaughter, according to information provided by the Amherst County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office alleged in a statement on social media that Hudley 'was left unattended in a vehicle for over eight hours' before Dalton realized the child was still in the car, discovering him unresponsive in the backseat. Hudley was transported to Lynchburg General Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to WSET. Citing police, the outlet reported that Dalton was supposed to drop Hudley off at daycare before driving to work, but never stopped at the daycare. Dalton then allegedly went to work for eight hours, got back in his car, and drove to the daycare center to pick up the toddler. Once there, Dalton was informed he had never dropped off Hudley, at which point he realized the child was still in the backseat of his car. WSET reported that staff at the daycare attempted to perform life-saving measures on Hudley before first responders arrived at the scene and took the toddler to the hospital. 'It's just a tragedy that you never, never expect to happen, never should happen, but it's unfortunate that it did,' Amherst County Sheriff Jimmy Ayers told reporters, according to WSET. 'As a man of faith, I would have to say that the only consolation that I can find in this is this little fella has faced many challenges in his short life. Now, he has the ability to grow and flourish without life's challenges in his eternal home.' Sheriff Ayers told reporters that Dalton expressed remorse, according to WSET, and that there was no evidence that indicated the foster father's allegedly actions were intentional. "It's very unfortunate that our society today lives so fast, and to think that we would live in a life that is so fast that you would forget, that you would leave a little fellow like that in the back seat, even if they are asleep... you just have to be mindful and always, that children have to be at the forefront of whatever, whether it's our children or whether it's children that we are in custody of, taking care of, babysitting, whatever it may be," the sheriff said, according to the outlet. WSET reported that Hudley's biological mother, Jennifer Dalton, gathered with friends and family to hold a memorial for Hudley on Saturday — what would have been the child's 2nd birthday. Read the original article on People
CBS News
25 minutes ago
- CBS News
Suspect in Rolling Stones hoodie wanted in alleged shooting of 2 people in Logan Square
Chicago police are asking for the public's help with identifying the suspect they said shot two people in the Logan Square neighborhood on Friday afternoon. Just before 5 p.m., police said the suspect was walking southbound in the 2000 block of North St. Louis Avenue. At the end of an alley, the suspect allegedly fired shots in the northbound direction, hitting two people. Police said he then ran westbound in the south alley of Dickens Avenue and was last seen running northbound through a residence in the 3500 block of West Shakespeare Avenue. The suspect was described as a white or Hispanic man in his late teens to early 20s, with a medium build and long black hair. He was last seen wearing a hoodie with chrome hearts and a Rolling Stones blue tongue logo. Anyone with information about the suspect or his whereabouts is asked to contact Area 5 detectives at 312-746-6554 or submit an anonymous tip at using reference number JJ358007.
