W.J. Kennedy Stories | Will County Gazette

Election board holds hearing about former DuPage Township Supervisor Mayer’s campaign transfers

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 5, 2019

DuPage Township Trustee Alyssia Benford, who filed a complaint in January against former DuPage Township Supervisor William Mayer’s use of campaign funds, described the April 3 preliminary hearing by the State Board of Elections as “contentious.”

Civil rights sit-in leader Clarence Henderson to speak at Lincoln Day Brunch in Bolingbrook

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 20, 2019

Clarence Henderson, one of the key figures of the early civil rights movement in America, is the featured speaker at the DuPage Township Republican Organization Lincoln Day Brunch on Sunday, March 24.

Former DuPage Township Supervisor Mayer misses Board of Elections hearing

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 8, 2019

A State Board of Elections hearing into some questionable campaign transfers by former DuPage Township Supervisor William Mayer was cancelled because Mayer could not be served notice of the hearing, according to DuPage Trustee Alyssia Benford, who filed the complaint about the transfers with the board.

Mayer resigns as DuPage supervisor amid allegations of mishandling funds

By W.J. Kennedy | Jan 16, 2019

DuPage Township Supervisor William Mayer announced his resignation last night at the Board of Trustees monthly meeting under mounting pressure from a government watchdog group over what it calls gross mishandling of the township’s accounts.

Drama in DuPage: Benford asks elections board to investigate Mayer's campaign account

By W.J. Kennedy | Jan 14, 2019

DuPage Township Trustee Alyssia Benford has turned to the state Board of Elections to clarify whatever connections a $10,000 advance in salary to Township Supervisor William Mayer might have had with a $10,000 transfer from his campaign account.

DuPage Township may be violating Open Meetings Act

By W.J. Kennedy | Jan 10, 2019

The Illinois attorney general is looking into possible multiple violations of the state’s Open Meetings Act (OMA) in DuPage Township.

Underwood’s challenger asks her to 'come clean' about voting history

By W.J. Kennedy | Jan 4, 2019

Matt Quigley, the 32-year-old Naperville resident challenging newly sworn-in Congresswoman Lauren Underwood in the 14th, is asking her to explain some questionable voting practices first brought to the public’s attention by the Will County Gazette.

In wake of lawsuit, DuPage Trustee Benford wants Supervisor Mayer to resign

By W.J. Kennedy | Dec 28, 2018

DuPage Township Trustee Alyssia Benford has asked Supervisor William Mayer to resign as his ethical problems and the township’s legal problems continue to mount.

Lincoln-Way North might still re-open

By W.J. Kennedy | Dec 20, 2018

The prospects of reopening Lincoln-Way North High School through the creation of a new K-12 district are still alive with Summit Hill District 161’s latest decision: to seek proposals for a feasibility study.

State Board of Elections asked to investigate Underwood's voting history

By W.J. Kennedy | Dec 13, 2018

An Oswego man is filing a complaint with the Illinois State Board of Elections concerning discrepancies he says he discovered in U.S. Rep-elect Lauren Underwood’s voting history.

Consulting group pulls out of Summit Hill schools consolidation study

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 23, 2018

At the last minute, a consulting group backed out of a study into the feasibility of Summit Hill School District 161 reopening Lincoln-Way North High School through the establishment of a new K-12 district.

Watchdog tells DuPage trustee to “confront the past” to move forward

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 10, 2018

Government watchdogs say they have no intention of heeding a DuPage Township trustee’s post-election day plea to “stop digging up the past” in reference to inquiries into some questionable expenditures by the township.

Natalie Manley has a professional licensing problem

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 2, 2018

State Rep. Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) has a problem with her repeated claims on the campaign trail that she is a certified public accountant (CPA). She also has a problem with how long she’s claiming to have been a CPA.

DuPage Township faces federal lawsuit over ejection of government watchdog from board meeting

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 29, 2018

DuPage Township faces action in federal court for calling in police to escort John Kraft of the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW) from the township board meeting Oct. 23.

In debate, Natalie Manley has no explanation for fake robocalls, her professional status

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 26, 2018

Key questions about State Rep. Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) and her campaign remain unanswered following a recent debate with her challenger, Alyssia Benford (R-Bolingbrook).

Summit Hill 161 likely to move ahead with new district feasibility study without D210’s cooperation

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 24, 2018

Summit Hill School District 161 is almost sure to move ahead with a feasibility study into establishing a new K-12 district, which would include the reopening of Lincoln-Way North High School, despite Lincoln-Way CHSD 210’s vote last week not to cooperate in the study.

Lies, backbiting and grandstanding impact DuPage Township Board, watchdog group claims

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 19, 2018

Lying and political backbiting are near epidemic proportions on the DuPage Township Board. That’s the take from reports published by the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW) on the sorry state of affairs in DuPage.

Illinois pensioner, collecting $165,000 a year, vying for Florida job that pays even more

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 19, 2018

Retired Joliet City Manager Jim Hock could be on the verge of becoming a wealthy man.

William Mayer should “resign immediately” from DuPage Township, watchdog group says

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 15, 2018

William Mayer has been asked to resign from his job as DuPage Township Supervisor by Kirk Allen of the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW), over his alleged mishandling of township funds.

Benford target of smear campaign tactics

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 4, 2018

Alyssia Benford, GOP candidate for a 98th District House seat, is victim of a classic smear campaign by the political machine in Springfield. In addition to robocalls, fictional, near scandalous political mailers from incumbent Rep. Natalie Manley targeting Benford are coming out as well.

Will County Gazette

W.J. Kennedy News