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Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin hosted a town hall meeting Monday to gather community input on the creation of a community court in Austin. About 40 residents, local leaders, judges and several others discussed the functions of a community court and the logistics of how one could be established in the neighborhood at BUILD Chicago's offices, 5100 W. Harrison St.
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For the eighth summer, residents are taking to the streets on Wednesday nights as part of the 100 Blocks/100 Churches campaign. Members of the 15th District CAPS office, various Austin congregations and community groups have been taking part in the same “positive loitering” they have in the past, standing on several corners in an attempt to reduce crime.
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In an effort to enrich the lives of Austin residents and spark economic growth on the West Side, local groups will host a free art fair along the 200 block of North Mayfield Avenue on July 28. Along the closed-off block, the fair will feature art vendors, exhibits, a meditation space and peace garden, a raffle, as well as a gallery inside Third Unitarian Church, at 301 N. Mayfield Ave.
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Dozens of new state laws took effect Sunday, some of them pushed by legislators who represent Austin in the Illinois General Assembly. From policies directed at keeping low-level offenders out of prison to conflict resolution training for police officers, Austin lawmakers say the session that ended May 31 was a success.
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Maria Moon spent more than a decade in jail, beginning in 2000, after being charged with aggravated assault. When she got out, finding a job and stable housing proved difficult with a prior conviction on her record and restitution debts. “The judge doesn’t tell you, ‘I’m giving you a two-year sentence, but it’s really a lifetime sentence because of the lifetime barriers,’” said Moon, 39.
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Joined by community leaders, other elected officials, childcare advocates and medical professionals, Congressman Danny Davis (7th) called for a stop to President Donald Trump’s “zero-tolerance” policy of separating migrant children from parents coming to America. Although President Trump signed an executive order June 20 allowing children to remain with their families while their guardians are prosecuted for illegal entry, several gathered Monday at The Loretto Hospital addressed the detriments children who have already been separated face and criticized the administration’s lack of urgency in reuniting families.
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Alleging that three businesses along the same strip of Madison Street in Austin allow an environment of loitering, drug-dealing, gambling and public indecency, local residents met with city officials and business owners last week to create a plan to resolve the issues. Hosted at City Hall by Vera Elue, senior attorney for the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, the community hearing was set after local residents wrote to the city about the problems they have experienced with the businesses throughout the years.
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Bob Urso’s nephew got mixed up with drugs several years ago. “He was a lost soul, in and out of treatment centers,” says Urso, president and CEO of PCC Community Wellness Center.
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Rickie Brown, CEO and founder of the West Side Historical Preservation Society (WSHPS), has been fighting to raise awareness for Juneteenth since he first saw it celebrated in Chicago in 1995. “I didn’t know anything about Juneteenth,” Brown said.
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The Austin College and Career Academy has been given new equipment, a new look and, most importantly, a chance to change its public image, after being selected by a national campaign to improve athletic and nutrition programs in schools across the country. The Team 8 Tour chose the Austin high school to receive an improved weight room, dance studio, locker rooms and courtyard improvements.
