-
There were 47 homicides in Austin in 2019, 10 fewer killings than the previous year, according to the Chicago Sun-Times homicide tracker. All but four of last year's homicide victims were male, and all but two were African American.
-
Several elected officials stopped in Austin recently to encourage West Side residents to take part in the once-a-decade count of the U.S. population. Traveling as part of the “Get Counted” bus tour, members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus made a stop at MacArthur’s Restaurant, 5412 W. Madison St., to unveil a new partnership they hope will help hard-to-count areas such as Austin get an accurate count in next year's U.S. census.
-
After receiving low ratings for the past two years, Loretto Hospital, 645 S. Central Ave., has improved its patient safety measures on the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Report. “We worked very hard, and we recognize this as an important measure by Leapfrog,” said George N. Miller, 68, president and CEO at Loretto Hospital, which received an A rating for its fall report, after receiving average ratings of C’s and D’s.
-
In the midst of snow and freezing winds, about 20 Austin residents - many of them veterans - turned out Monday to celebrate and remember members of the military. “It’s a day of acknowledgment, so that the people realize that veterans are out here serving the country,” said veteran John Tibbs, 72, who served in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1971.
-
A new documentary series exploring the perspectives of people whose lives have been affected by gun violence on Chicago's South and West sides launches Nov. 12 on WTTW.
-
By Krystin Williams
Diversity training, anti-bias training and more community engagement were just a few of the suggestions that West Side residents proposed to 15th Police District officers at a recent community meeting held at Zoe Life Ministries. During the first of a two-part community conversation, 15th District Commander Yolanda Talley served as facilitator.
-
Ald. Chris Taliaferro and the 29th Ward office has finalized the ballot for this year's participatory budget vote.
-
West Side families uttered a sign of relief Thursday with the news that the Chicago Teachers Union had suspended its 11-day strike and that classes for roughly 300,000 students will resume Friday. “It hasn’t impacted me so much, but it has impacted my children because they’re not in school,” said Austin resident Vanessa Stokes, co-founder of Front Porch Arts Center and manager of her late father’s photo archive.
-
BMO Harris Bank is donating $10 million to help deepen its impact in the Chicago community with a specific focus on resident-led efforts guided by Austin Coming Together. "Economic inclusion and strong neighborhoods go hand in hand," BMO Harris Bank CEO David R. Casper said in a statement.
-
The Westside Health Authority’s Good Neighbor Campaign is organizing an immersive trip to Cape Town, South Africa, in spring 2020. Targeted to young people ages 16 to 24, Good Neighbor Campaign is also inviting family members and anyone else from the community to go on the one-week trip, which will take place from April 4 to 11, 2020.
