HAZEL CREST, Ill. (WLS) — As the community of Hazel Crest grapples with the aftermath of a powerful July 27 tornado, the village is actively searching for temporary housing solutions for families left homeless by the disaster. Residents are simultaneously managing the fallout from recent severe weather, adding to their challenges.

Once again, the American Red Cross has stepped forward to extend a helping hand to those in Hazel Crest. In the wake of Tuesday’s storm, which left many without electricity, village officials report that nearly 100 families are without homes due to the tornado’s destructive path two weeks prior.

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Due to significant damage from the tornado, residents are prohibited from returning to the townhouses on 171st Street, after the storm tore off the building’s roof. Village leaders indicate that their stock of hotel vouchers is depleted, prompting an urgent call to local landlords and others who might offer temporary shelters.

“We urge landlords with available properties to contact the village immediately if they can expedite housing for those in need,” stated Nakita Cloud, representing the Village of Hazel Crest, as part of the community’s appeal for support.

Officials are expressing heightened concern for families with children, as these young residents face the impending start of the school year while contending with temporary displacement.

“Especially at the beginning it’s how you set the tone for the rest of the school year feeling displaced or out of place I can only imagine how the kids feel in a addition to the parent,” Cloud said.

Among those affected is Asia Mixon, who said she and her son escaped their townhouse just before the tornado struck.

“I thank god that me and my children are alive that is the most important thing but rebuilding for them and me has been really hard for us,” Mixon said.

Her 12-year-old son, Avion Richardson, recalled the moments before the storm caused significant damage.

“We was in the house for a little bit and then we ran out because my windows had busted out,” Richardson said.

Mixon said she did not have renter’s insurance. She and her children lost their belongings, including the children’s musical instruments. The family is relying on help from friends and has launched a GoFundMe campaign as it works to stabilize its situation before the school year begins.

“The storm the debris from the tarp and the glass settled in and ruined everything,” Mixon said.

Her daughter, 13-year-old Avony Anderson, described the loss.

“Our stuff got messed up like our electronic our bed our clothes like everything got messed up,” Anderson said.

“It’s just hard because it’s a lot to think about,” she added.

Richardson said he was particularly upset about the damage to his instruments.

“I seen the piano it was like messed up I tried to fix in but it wouldn’t work and then my drum set got messed up I couldn’t fix it either,” he said.

The family’s dog, Ace, escaped with them during the tornado. Now, Mixon said, the family is focused on rebuilding and finding stability.

“I know for sure it will affect them in school because they can’t concentrate they are worried about stability we lost our home and they’ve never been through anything this traumatic,” Mixon said.

Village officials said they hope people who can provide temporary housing will come forward to help families like the Mixons get settled before the start of the school year.

Those able to help offer housing to people in need have been asked to contact the village of Hazel Crest at jratliff@villageofhazelcrest.com.

A significant traffic incident severely disrupted the morning commute on Los Angeles’ busy 405 Freeway. During the Thursday morning rush hour, two vehicles flipped over, causing the closure of several northbound lanes and resulting in a substantial traffic jam.

The incident occurred shortly before 7:30 a.m. in the vicinity of Santa Monica Boulevard, as reported by the California Highway Patrol (CHP).

In the aftermath of the crash, at least one individual involved chose not to be hospitalized, according to CHP officials. There was no immediate confirmation of any major injuries stemming from the event.

The overturned vehicles led to blocked lanes, necessitating a swift response from emergency teams. Footage provided by KTLA illustrated the growing congestion, as some drivers trapped in the snarl endeavored to leave the freeway in search of alternate routes.

CHP issued a SigAlert shortly after 8 a.m. for the closure of lanes 4, 5 and 6 as crews worked to clear the wreckage.

Under CHP policy, SigAlerts are issued for unplanned events or circumstances that could delay a large number of motorists for at least 30 minutes. Traffic collisions, spilled loads, flooding and unexpected congestion are among the situations that can trigger an alert.

The agency extended the SigAlert for another 30 minutes at about 8:30 a.m.

The collision occurred on northbound I-405 near Santa Monica Boulevard in West Los Angeles. The freeway continues north from the Westwood area toward the Sepulveda Pass.

Caltrans has previously directed motorists seeking an alternate northbound route from Santa Monica Boulevard to travel east to Sepulveda Boulevard before continuing north to an I-405 entrance at Moraga Drive.

The lanes affected by Thursday morning’s crash were eventually cleared and reopened.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, and authorities had not announced whether any citations or arrests resulted from the collision.

News Media reached out to the California Highway Patrol for additional information but did not immediately receive a response.

Liberty’s forward Satou Sabally is taking a step back from the team temporarily, as she continues her recovery journey following a concussion sustained in late June.

Sabally’s choice has received unwavering support from her coaches and teammates.

“It’s commendable and quite mature of her to recognize her current needs and take the appropriate steps to ensure she returns to being her best self,” remarked Sabrina Ionescu before Thursday’s matchup against the Sparks. “We’re allowing her all the time necessary to accomplish this.”

As of Wednesday evening, Sabally’s status has shifted from “concussion protocol” to “head injury” after a seven-week period. Although she has completed the concussion protocol requirements, she isn’t yet fully recovered.

“She’ll be taking a brief hiatus from the team,” stated coach Chris DeMarco. “Considering this is her second major head injury within a year, prioritizing her health is paramount, as it is for all our players. We’re eager for her return, but it’s essential she takes this time to heal.”

Asked if Sabally will be doing anything basketball related during her time away, DeMarco said, “We’ll get there.” 

“This is under the guidance of our performance team,” he continued. “But just for now, she’s just taking some time away, making sure she’s healthy.” 

Sabally, the team’s marquee free agent acquisition in the offseason, went down with a head injury after Aces forward NaLyssa Smith elbowed her in the face during the Liberty’s June 23 win in Las Vegas. 

While she has cleared concussion protocol, she’s not yet back in what DeMarco called her “comfort zone.” 

“We just needed some time away and make sure she’s 100 percent healthy,” he continued. “We’re not trying to rush anybody back, and it’s always going to be about the health of our players.” 

Sabally also suffered a concussion in Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals that sidelined her for most of the offseason. She didn’t participate in Unrivaled earlier this year and didn’t return to basketball activities until March. 

Sabally, who signed a two-year, $1.67 million contract this offseason, missed the start of the season with a cyst and fell ill in late May. 

In 13 games (five starts) this season, she’s averaging 10.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists. 

Ionescu, who missed most of her rookie season with a bad ankle sprain, knows the physical, mental and emotional toll a lengthy rehab process can have on a player. 

“You can sympathize with somebody who’s just trying to come back from not feeling like themselves,” Ionescu said. “For us as teammates, that’s kind of our job to give her the safe space to not put any pressure but understand the human being comes first and the athlete comes second. And she needs to feel her best to be able to go out there and play. I mean, I’ve done it, probably she’s done it, everyone’s done it where you come out just because you feel the pressure and you want to get back to playing. But your body’s not ready and it tells you, like, you know.” 

DeMarco maintains confidence that Sabally will be back this season. 

“In terms of just the broad scope of players who have to deal with injuries, it’s so hard,” he said. “It’s so hard and sometimes I think fans, people [who] watch this game, are like, ‘Oh, you know, get over it. You’re making money.’ Or, ‘You’re doing this.’ Or, ‘It’s only for this long.’ It’s not easy. I mean, we all go through stuff and I think she’s doing a great job of handling this the right way. And I mean, the head especially is always such a concern. You have to be in the right mindset to go out there and compete and that’s what she’s working toward.” 

In a heartbreaking turn of events, details have surfaced about a Minnesota mother, Kristen Ann Brown, who was tragically murdered by her husband as she prepared to escape their tumultuous marriage, a close friend disclosed.

Kristen, aged 41 and known for her dedication to her daughter and her work, ran the Brown Bear Childcare center from their Hopkins home, located about 10 miles from the bustling city of Minneapolis.

On a fateful Wednesday morning around 9am, a grisly discovery was made: Kristen and her seven-year-old daughter, Evie Ann Brown, were both found dead from stab wounds. Her husband, Nathan Brown, had died by his own hand, using a gun, inside the daycare facility.

Nathan, who owned a landscaping business in the Minneapolis region, inflicted this horrific event within sight of six other children, police reports reveal. The connection between the victims was confirmed by Kristen’s sister, Kelly Jo Simons, speaking to the Minnesota Star Tribune.

A concerned friend, who had entrusted her child to Kristen’s care for six years, noted signs that something was amiss within the family, hinting at possible abuse, as reported by FOX9.

Kristen sent a text to the friend around 8.45am on Wednesday, explaining that ‘things were crazy’ and adding that Brown Bear would be closed as of August 27, per the report.

That was because the home it operated out of was owned by her husband Nathan, and she was planning to leave him imminently. Because of that, Kristen would no longer be able to keep the daycare’s operations running as normal.

On Thursday, it was revealed that Brown had also killed his 78-year-old mother, Alice Anne Brown, in her Burnsville home. He is believed to have been living with her at the time, according to Burnsville police. 

Kristen was a mom-of-one who told her friends and clients that she realized ‘early on’ that she loved working with children and watching them grow.

After having her own daughter in 2019, Kristen became convinced that the time was right to focus on childcare – and she opened Brown Bear Childcare from their home.

She wrote at the time: ‘I plan to take all the skills that I have learned in my journey and use them help my daughter and those children (who will hopefully become life-long friends) blossom into happy, intelligent, caring individuals.’

As well as opening the daycare where she looked after six kids a day, Kristen helped raise money for children’s hospitals and frequently posted lovingly about her own daughter. 

Johnson said law enforcement had learned about the deaths after one of the daycare’s parents arrived to drop off their children.

When asked if the parent had seen what happened, Johnson said: ‘I believe so.’

Kristen, originally from Miller, South Dakota, said she had graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education foundations.

Kristen said she began babysitting when she was 10, which she did every weekend until she was 14. She also worked in her mother’s family childcare center when she turned 12.

‘No matter what other jobs I held, I always wound up back working with kids,’ Kristen wrote.

The generous mother noted that she had her own ‘home daycare’ in South Dakota, but that she had been working as a certified optometric vision therapist in the four years before starting the Brown Bear daycare.

‘In October 2018, I had my own child,’ Kristen wrote. ‘As much as I loved my previous positions, I believe that it is time to return to child care so that I can be home with her.’

Kristen explained that children at her daycare learned ‘through organized activities as well as play.’

‘As the child grows, we work on language, motor skills, encouraging curiosity and problem solving,’ she posted.

She also said the daycare also offered weekly music and cooking classes, as well as quarterly field trips, in order to ‘provide a well-rounded experience’ for the kids.

That October, the daycare posted about a ‘fabulous day filled with fun, family and friends’ at the Fall Harvest Orchard, alongside pictures of several children smiling and playing.

‘We picked apples, fed animals, played on all sorts of games and rides and, of course, the long awaited corn pit!’ the post said.

Other lighthearted days organized by the daycare included ‘Unicorn Day’ or ‘Rainbow Day.’

Kristen’s tight bond with the children who had passed through the doors of her home was evident in a post from that year.

‘I have taken care of these kiddos since they were little babies,’ she wrote, alongside group shots of the children in graduation caps.

‘They have grown to be so smart, funny, kind, and wonderful kiddos and I know they will do great in their next adventures,’ Kristen wrote.

‘We will miss them and I will always have a place in my heart for them,’ she continued.

One of the photos showed Kristen on her knees while four children went to go hug her.

Fewer details were known about her husband, Nathan, who did not appear to be involved in the daycare’s public presence.

A public social media profile said that he was from Saint Louis Park, which is about seven miles north of Hopkins.

He appeared to run his own business, called Nathan’s Outdoor Services.

A website for the company said Nathan offered ‘professional’ lawn care, landscaping and snow removal.

All of the children inside the Brown Bear daycare were evacuated safely and without injury after the murder-suicide on Wednesday, according to police.

Parents were seen going in and out of the area around the daycare to reunite with their kids, KARE 11 reported.

At least one mother was escorted by firefighters, while other parents asked for privacy, according to the outlet.

Police said there was no immediate threat to the public and that an investigation is underway.

Authorities said during a press conference on Wednesday that they were working to determine what weapon was used in the killings.

A possible motive has not been disclosed so far.

On Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson harshly criticized Democrats over lax election security measures following incidents in Michigan where non-citizens faced charges for illegal voting. He warned this trend potentially threatens the fairness and integrity of elections across the United States.

“From New Jersey to Michigan, mounting evidence shows that illegal aliens are registering to VOTE in American elections,” Johnson declared in a post on platform X.

Accusing Democrats of intentionally allowing vulnerabilities, Johnson argued, “Democrats understand this phenomenon — which is why they push for OPEN BORDERS and OPPOSE voter ID requirements,” before describing the situation as a “clear and present danger to the integrity of our elections — and our Republic.”

Johnson concluded by asserting, “All Americans deserve secure elections, and it is Republicans who are committed to fighting to guarantee that security.”

Johnson’s remarks came as five non-U.S. citizens who allegedly voted in the 2024 presidential election — along with a U.S. citizen accused of registering her non-citizen husband — were charged with election crimes, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced.

The charges follow a state review of 38 suspected cases of non-citizen voting or related conduct from 2009 to 2025.

Of those cases, six resulted in criminal charges, 10 were closed without charges and 22 remain under active review.

“In my office, we’ve always taken election crimes seriously, and prosecute attacks on our voting systems to the fullest extent of the law,” Nessel said in a statement. “We’re upholding election integrity by investigating all claims of non-citizen voters, as rare as they are, and holding bad actors accountable when they refuse to abide by the laws that keep our elections safe and secure.”

More than 5.7 million ballots were cast in Michigan during the November 2024 general election.

State officials have said illegal voting by noncitizens remains extremely rare.

The charges come as President Donald Trump’s administration has made preventing illegal voting a priority.

He signed executive orders in March 2025 and March 2026 to strengthen citizenship verification for federal elections and directing agencies to give states greater access to citizenship and immigration data.

Trump’s administration has also backed legislation requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.

Nessel’s announcement included Robert Piva, 67, of Roseville, a permanent resident who is charged with election law perjury, which is a five-year felony; attempting to vote unqualified, which carries a four-year felony; and fraudulent registration, a 90-day misdemeanor.

He allegedly voted early in October 2024. Piva claimed his vote was an “experiment” concerning voter fraud.

Michael Akioya, 39, of Oak Park, also a permanent resident, has been charged with two 90-day misdemeanors for allegedly making false statements on an absentee voter application and ballot envelope during the 2024 election.

Alondra Harker, 26, of Three Rivers, is a limited-term alien resident charged with misdemeanor fraudulent registration, which is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, for allegedly registering and voting in person in 2024. 

Harumi Michael, 60, who lives in Wolverine Lake, is a permanent resident who faces three felonies — two counts of election forgery and one count of attempting to vote unqualified — plus one misdemeanor for allegedly registering and voting in Commerce Township.

Basanth Sadasivian, 29, is a non-citizen living in the United Kingdom who is charged with felony attempting to vote unqualified, punishable by up to four years in prison, for allegedly registering and voting in 2024 through the Federal Post Card Application system using a Bloomfield Hills address.

And Kimberley DiDonato, 60, of Rose Township, is a U.S. citizen charged with election forgery, a five-year felony, and computer crime, a seven-year felony, after allegedly posing as her non-citizen husband to register him online.

Authorities said DiDonato claimed she wanted to test system vulnerabilities before asking to cancel the registration.

Nessel’s office declined to charge four referred people after determining that two were U.S. citizens, one was an American citizen through an international adoption and another was a federally recognized American Indian born in Canada.

Six additional cases were closed without charges because of a lack of evidence of criminal intent or potential registration errors.

Nessel also said delays in federal cooperation affected the timeline of the state’s investigations.

“While the question of whether any given resident is a citizen may feel simple, some cases are nuanced in unexpected ways,” Nessel said.

“The federal government has not always provided easy or open access to certain necessary citizenship records, and so our investigators had to spend considerable time and effort coaxing cooperation from the federal agencies.”

In an exclusive revelation, Carly Simon provides a heartfelt glimpse into the effects her divorce from James Taylor had on their children, Sally and Ben, through an emotional new track, as reported by Page Six.

Titled “Comes in Waves,” Simon’s eagerly anticipated new album, which releases this Friday, includes “Mother of Pearl” as its fifth track, offering deep insights through its lyrics.

Simon poignantly sings, “I can see you at 7, a child of divorce. How can it be that we gave you no choice? / It was your job and Ben’s to drown out all the noise,” touching on the childhood challenges her children faced.

She further acknowledges her daughter Sally’s remarkable resilience during those challenging times.

In her lyrics, Simon praises her daughter, singing, “But my girl, oh my girl. / Even then you were shining, you were my mother of pearl.”

The song begins with Simon calling out her daughter by name. (She was born Sarah Maria Taylor, but goes by the nickname Sally.

“Sally, oh, Sarah, another song with your name,” she sings. “You’ve gone around the roses, a mustang became. / A boat in the harbor that’s called Sally Mae. / And oh girl, my girl, to me you’re my goddess, you’re my mother of pearl.”

Simon sweetly describes Sally’s Capricorn tendencies, calling her “stubborn” and “not sure when to care.”

“But when I been flat on my back, you’re still there,” she sings. “And oh girl, oh my girl, to me, you’re my best friend, my mother of pearl.”

The “You’re So Vain” singer married Taylor in 1972, but the pair divorced in 1983 amid his addiction issues and infidelity on both sides. They welcomed Sally, 52, and Ben, 49, in 1974 and 1977, respectively.

In the new album’s second track, “Maybe I Never Loved You,” Simon seemingly takes a brutal swipe at her estranged ex-husband, though she never mentions him by name.

“Maybe I never loved you / But anyway, I thought I did,” Simon sings in the song. “I married you, we had a kid / That counts for something.”

“Maybe I never loved you / Yes, and maybe I did,” she adds. “And maybe you never loved me / Although God knows, you said you did.”

The tune ends with Simon voicing her desire to make amends with Taylor and continues to question whether there was love between them.

“And maybe it’s best to bury whatever it was we had our fill of,” she sings. “Maybe I never loved you / Maybe I always will.”

The Grammy-winning artist previously shared that she still loves James despite not being on speaking terms.

“I still want to heal him, I still want to make him all right,” she told People in 2015. “And I love him so much.”

Simon also admitted that she did not know why Taylor would not speak with her.

That same year, the singer-songwriter wrote a tell-all memoir, “Boys in the Trees,” in which she described their marriage as “far from the idyllic one that the general public reads about.”

Simon has since moved on with longtime partner Richard Koehler. She was also married to James Hart from 1987 to 2007.

Outside of her long-term relationships, she was linked to several famous men, including Jack Nicholson, Mick Jagger, Cat Stevens and Warren Beatty — the latter of whom is the subject of her brutal 1972 hit, “You’re So Vain.”

Simon’s new album — her first collection of original songs in 18 years — features 12 powerful songs, which she wrote and recorded from her home in Martha’s Vineyard in collaboration with her two children.

The musician revealed last month that she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and skin cancer.

“Working on the music gave shape to days that did not always have much shape,” she wrote in a statement in July, referring to her new album. “It gave me somewhere to go without having to leave the room. It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life.”

“Comes in Waves” releases this Friday.

DiJonai Carrington, a standout player for the Chicago Sky, finds herself embroiled in controversy yet again following an incident where she had a fan removed from the arena during a recent game. Her grievance, however, was later deemed unfounded.

The incident took place during the final quarter of a matchup between the Chicago Sky and the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday. Carrington approached the officials, raising concerns about the conduct of a fan in the courtside seats.

Following her complaint, security escorted the fan from their seat, only for them to return to the game shortly afterward.

‘The fan was cooperative after a complaint that was unfounded,’ a Valkyries spokesperson shared with ClutchPoints.

A statement from the Chicago Sky to ClutchPoints confirmed the fan received a warning but declined to provide further details on the matter.

Officials chatted to Sky head coach Tyler Marsh before Carrington spoke with referees and a Chicago staff member, likely to tell them what the fan said.

That same Chicago staffer spoke briefly to the fan, who was later seen laughing on camera with the woman sitting beside him. 

‘So, there is a stoppage right now as Chicago’s team security has stepped out along with arena security representatives,’ a commentator on the USA Network broadcast said. ‘Carrington went over to one of the officials, as you see Sarah Williams there, to say something.’

The co-commentator on the broadcast said, ‘I don’t know what was or wasn’t said. I will say respect for the players is something, especially right now, that is being taken very seriously from everybody around the league, as it should be.’

Play resumed as security escorted the fan away from his seat. Eventually, he was seen back in his spot.

Carrington finished the game with just three points and three rebounds in 24 minutes of a 91-71 loss.

Also during the game, Carrington came under fire from fans after she committed more brutal fouls just days after her vicious collision with Sophie Cunningham.

Carrington was first seen appearing to poke Cecilia Zandalasini in the eye as she tried to block a pass.

It was a move eerily similar to the one Carrington pulled on Caitlin Clark in 2024 that left the Indiana Fever star with a black eye.

But then, moments later, Tiffany Hayes was driving to the basket and Carrington had her arms in the air.

But as Hayes dribbled past her, Carrington lowered her right arm straight into the face of her oncoming opponent. She was nowhere near the ball and her arm caught Hayes straight in the face.

The Sky guard recently sparked a firestorm after her ejection due to a hard foul on Indiana Fever guard Cunningham last Saturday. After she got tossed, Carrington posted to her Threads account and simply said: ‘WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever.’

It’s not clear what Carrington was referring to, especially after she responded to a clip from the ‘Speakeasy’ podcast with former NFL player Emmanuel Acho saying she ‘never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege.’

She added, ‘I would never use that term as a rhetorical weapon knowing the historical and social weight it holds without having the proper evidence to substantiate it.’ 

Carrington claimed her vicious foul on Cunningham was ‘unfortunate’ and ‘never intentional’ when she returned to the court Monday night.

Speaking after she scored a career-high 26 points in the 97-88 loss to Seattle, Carrington said of the foul: ‘It was unfortunate that I made contact with her in the way that I did, but it was never intentional.

‘And, look, it might happen again. That’s just how I play. I’m gonna always go all out.

‘I’m not gonna just let an open layup happen. But like I said, I’m never intending to hurt anybody, regardless of the outside noise or whatever the situation may be.’

When asked whether Cunningham should have been penalized for her angry reaction to the foul, Carrington continued: ‘I would just love consistency across the board when it comes to things like that.

‘Whether it’s the foul that I commit, whether it’s the reaction or retaliation, I would just love for it to be consistent across the board, regardless of the name on your jersey or your skin color or the score of the game, whatever.

‘I don’t think we’re there yet. That’s something that I’ve talked to the league about, as well. I think that will eliminate a lot of frustrations we all have.’

The Fever and the Sky will play again on August 23.